Historians of U.S. foreign relations have broadly identified nationalism as a significant driver of the U.S. expansionist turn in the Asia-Pacific towards the end of the 19th century. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of a particular form of nationalism – economic nationalism – to the dynamics of interstate competition that made this expansion possible. This article argues about the centrality of economic nationalism in this process, which increased great power rivalry in the region between the United States and Japan, Germany, and Russia. The events that followed laid the ground for the subsequent long-term U.S. engagement and expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.

Please note: I will be at IPSI 2023 (Bridging the Gap initiative) in Washington DC between 11 and 15 June included. I am also scheduled to present at SHAFR on 16 June but I would prioritise the CPGC workshop.