Day of Empire -- Amy Chua (Summary)

[Andy]

Day of Empire  by Amy Chua

How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance--And Why They Fall

(Hanwha Resort, Daecheon; December 6, 2015)

Preface  

A brief history of her life growing up in America.  The conflict between maintaining their Chinese heritage and becoming American.  Her learning to be a Han.  The statement that her father made, "You will marry a non-Chinese over my dead body."  Being told that she would attend Berkeley where her father taught, and, as her father before her, applying on her own and attending Harvard, just up Mass. Ave. from MIT, his school, and marrying a Jewish American and having mixed-blood, Mandarin-speaking children who are doted on by their grandparents.

Sounds a little strange, an academic book and you hear about the teenage angst of the author?  However it very clearly, and personally, illustrates the topic of the book which is ethnic "purity" and ethnic pluralism.  It is not an easy route, but America has managed to thread its way between these icebergs and in doing so has become a hyperpower.  This book is about other countries that have managed this, and some that have not.  

Introduction

The world changes rapidly.  In the 1980's there were two superpowers, ten years later the Soviet Union had imploded and the US was the undisputed hyperpower, today after Iraq and Katrina people are questioning our decline.  Will China, India, or the European Union overtake the US in the near future?  

She defines a hyperpower as a nation or empire only if it satisfies three conditions:

Its power clearly surpasses that of all its known contemporaneous rivals.

It is not clearly inferior in economic or military strength to any other power on the planet, known to it or not.

It projects its power so immense an area of the globe and over so immense a population that it breaks the bounds of mere local or even regional preeminence.  

Even though it was not a part of the definition, she found that to be preeminent a nation had to be at the forefront of the world's technological, military, and economic development.  Since the human capital to achieve this is never all located in one locale, the nation must attract this human capital.  The way to do this is through tolerance.  The demonstration that life would better working for the nation than working against it.  Tolerance is not defined in modern human-rights terms, it is just being more attractive than the neighbors.  She is also saying that intolerance signals the decline of hyperpowers.  There may be additional reasons for decline but it is always associated with the rise of intolerance.  

She warns against selection bias, where one "proves" one's thesis by picking out cases that support it and ignoring the ones that don't.  She therefore tried to consider all nations that evolved into superpowers.  Two of the ones that she discusses, the Dutch Republic and Spain, are clearly somewhat marginal although they are definitely worth considering.

Part One: The Tolerance of Barbarians 

Chapter 1  The First Hegemon: The Great Persian Empire from Cyrus to Alexander  

The Achaemenid Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great in about 539 BC.  He was remarkably tolerant of the indigenous religions.  He prostrated himself before the temple of the God Marduk, he freed the Jews from their Babylonian captivity and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem.  His son Cambyses captured Egypt, Phoenicia, Libya, and many Greek cities in 8 years.  The next ruler was Darius the Great who ruled for nearly 40 years.  He extended the empire into India, Greece, and eastern Europe.  All of these recruited the best craftsmen and warriors from all of the conquered territories.

Darius' son, Xerxes, presided over the beginning of the end of the Achaemenid Empire.  Revolts started in distant areas.  The empire had more and more revolts although it lasted another 150 years, ending with Darius III.  During this time repression grew.  Philip and his son Alexander the Great became leaders of Greece and Alexander quickly conquered the Persion Empire.  Again, Alexander showed considerable tolerance for religions and foreign troops.  When Alexander died at 32 his empire fell apart because of internal divisions and no clear leader.

Chapter 2 Tolerance in Rome's High Empire: Gladiators, Togas, and Imperial "Glue"  

Rome itself started about 753 BC, even before Persia but it didn't really get going until about 75 BC, hitting it's zenith between 70-192 AD.  It never was quite as big as the Persion Empire but it did something that no other empire has ever done, it offered full citizenship to every citizen (male only - with slaves).  A number of emperors were not "ethnic" Romans, Trajan (98-117) was born in Spain, as were several who follow him.  Septimius Severus (193-211) was from Africa with a Syrian wife.  

Outsiders were accepted in Roman society but it was not multicultural diversity, it was assimilation.  Anyone could become a Roman, but they had to work at it, learning Latin, wearing a toga, etc.  Religious diversity was accepted as long as you paid respect to Roman authority and official rituals, this is where the Christians got into trouble - they were very intolerant of any other religions.  Periodically the Christians were persecuted but when Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 persecutions by the Christians became rampant.  At the same time German tribes needed help but discrimination enraged them and shortly the Roman Empire in the West soon died.

Chapter 3  China's Golden Age: The Mixed-Blooded Tang Dynasty

 The early Chinese dynasty's were very ethnocentric and typically short lived.  The Tang Dynasty between 618 and 907 was the exception.  At the beginning and middle it was quite tolerant.  As troubles mounted towards the end and intolerance increased.  The Chinese always saw themselves as a "special people" and never accepted anyone outside their ethnic group as the Romans did.  

Chapter 4  The Great Mongol Empire:  Cosmopolitan Barbarians

 Temujin, the man who would become known as Genghis Khan, was born in 1162.  He was a nobody, his father was killed when he was 9, his family was abandoned by his clan, he shortly thereafter killed his half brother and was on the run.  He was an incredible politician and war leader.  By 1203 he was the leader of an interethnic army of at least 80,000.  He abolished the system of loyalty determined by blood relations and replaced it with a military structure.  He was very cruel if crossed but if you supported him you were well rewarded.  By 1206 he was the total ruler of all the Mongol tribes.  By 1215 he had completely conqured northern China.  He wanted to open trade relations in Central Asia but his envoys were killed.  He was enraged and conquered the entire area.  This was completed in 1223.  He returned to Mongolia and died in 1227.  

His sons were not up to the job of leading the Mongols but one of his Generals conquered most of central Europe, killing more than 100,000 soldiers and pretty much ending European feudalism.  His grandsons were up to the job.  One ruled the Arab and Persian lands, another controlled Russia and eastern Europe.  Another, Khubilai,  conquered southern China over a long period of time.  Khubilai alone ruled between 110 and 120 million people.  He was also remarkably tolerant and promoted people by ability.  Khubilai died in 1294 but his descendants were not good leaders and in 1368 they were defeated by the Ming rulers.  They had become increasingly intolerant.  They never could join themselves together as the Romans had.  They lacked "glue.“

Part Two: The Enlightening of Tolerance

Chapter 5  The "Purification" of Medieval Spain  Inquisition, Expulsion, and the Price of Intolerance

 Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain were married in 1469 and for more than 200 years Spain had been the most ethnically diverse country in Europe.  Much of its population was Muslim and it had been the destination of Jews expelled from other European countries starting with England in 1290.

In 1478 the Spanish Inquisition was founded by papal bull.  Under pressure of the Inquisition, the Spanish royalty expelled the Jews in 1492 and in 1502 the Muslims.  In 1492 Spain was the richest country in Europe, there were no foreign bankers.  In 1509 the archbishop of Seville sought to ban borrowing from bankers in Genoa, Ferdinand rejected this on the basis of necessity. Spain had removed all of the Jewish traders and bankers and the Muslim farmers.  Spain desired military domination but all of the money taken from the Americas went straight to the Genoese bankers who had financed the ships.  

Through the 1500's and 1600's religious persecutions continued.  Even in 1767 King Charles III expelled Spain's Jesuits.  In 150 years Spain reduced itself from the richest country in Europe to a basket case.

Chapter 6  The Dutch World Empire:  Diamonds, Damask, and Every "Mongrel Sect in Christendom"

 The Low Countries of Europe had been literally "under water" until 1200 when the inhabitants stated building dikes and pumping the water out.  It was not desired by the other royalties of Europe.  In the 1500 it was nominally under the control of Spain.  In the 1560's rebellion started and by 1588 they were on their own.  The area had long been a destination for the victims of religious persecution, both Jews and Protestants.  Trading and banking expanded greatly and by 1625 the Dutch Republic was a world power.  By 1601, Dutch ships were making a great deal of money but pirates were getting bolder.  In 1602 the East India Company was set up to act as a quasi-governmental agency and to make war if necessary to protect shipping.  

The Dutch had a small but professional army that did not wear itself out on foreign adventures but its navy and shipping were by far the largest in Europe.  In 1688 a Dutch fleet invaded England (partially invited by the British parliament).  William III of Orange became the king of Britain and he brought his backers, Jewish financiers, textile workers, scientists, etc. with him.  Much of the human infrastructure that had supported the Dutch just moved to England and in short order Britain took over the position that the Dutch had previously enjoyed.

Chapter 7  Tolerance and Intolerance in the East: The Ottoman, Ming, and Mughal Empires

 These three were large and powerful but not all powerful.  Each reached its pinnacle of power and prosperity during its most tolerant era, but in each case intolerance arose and decline soon followed.  

Ottoman Empire:  From the very beginning Islam fragmented and produced rival warring sects.  Many regional powers arose but the Ottoman empire was the largest and longest-lasting.  Most Muslim empires were relatively tolerant but the Ottoman was the most tolerant.  It lasted from about 1300 until the First World War.  In 1492 when he heard of Spain's expulsion decree Sultan Bayezid II issued proclamations of welcome to the Jews and ordered his governors not to refuse entry to them, promising death to those who turned the Jews away.  Suleyman the Magnificent, who ruled from 1520 to 1566, under whom the Ottoman empire reached its zenith, was very welcoming to Jews and Christians.  Officially non-Muslims were second class citizens but this was seldom enforced and many of Suleyman's advisers (and bankers) were not Muslims.  

Suleyman was succeeded by a string of thirteen sultans "ranging in talent from incompetent to idiocy."  Science and learning were restricted, taxes were raised and property was confiscated from non-Muslims.  The empire declined steadily from about 1600 until 1922.

Ming Dynasty China:  The Mings drove out the Mongols in 1368 and immediately turned inward, at first towards domestic agricultural reform but still in 1421 China had the biggest navy in the world.  Their ships could carry 400 times as much cargo as the largest European ships.  The rudder of the biggest ships was as long as Columbus's flagship, the Niña.  The imperial fleet totaled more than 4,000 vessels, King Henry V's "royal fleet" was four fishing boats each capable of carrying 100 soldiers across the channel.  In about 1420 Admiral Zheng He sailed a huge treasure fleet as far as Africa and came back with much treasure.  Shortly thereafter such voyages were banned although Zheng He was allowed one more trip in 1433 but then the ships were put in "storage" and rotted away.  From that point on Ming emperors looked increasingly inward and forbade foreign trade or any contact with foreigners.  

Mughal Empire:  Muslim rulers of Hindu subjects.  Babur, the first leader, died in 1530 after leading the empire for only 4 years.  His son, Humayan, only ruled for a few years before escaping to Persia and then reconquered the empire in 1555.  He in turn only lasted for 7 months before he tripped and fell down stairs and was killed.  His son, Akbar, and his several successors were the most religiously and ethnically tolerant rules in the history of the pre-modern world.  Shah Jahan, his second successor built the Taj Mahal and the Peacock Throne - 2,500 pounds of pure gold encrusted with gems.  His successor, his third son, was a deeply pious man who was also a ruthless fratricidal killer.  He imposed Sharia law throughout the empire and persecuted all except Muslims.  He was able to maintain his rule until his death in 1707 but the country was deeply divided and bankrupt.  Prime pickings for the British to come in and take over.

Chapter 8  The British Empire: "Rebel Buggers" and the "White Man's Burden"

 Before 1688 and the arrival of William III of Orange, England was a mixture of the same religious and ethnic warfare that was preval‎ent throughout most of Europe.  In 1689 Parliament passed the Bill of Rights and the Act of Toleration.  After this three groups, Jews, Huguenots, and Scots were able to fully participate in British society.  All three of these groups participated in creating the Bank of England and the British Stock Exchange, two factors that gave Britain access to money when the other powers of Europe, primarily the French, were starved for money.  With the Jews and the Huguenots running the banks and the small technological oriented businesses and the Scots spreading all over the world managing the business of the British Empire, England thrived and quickly became the worlds premier power.  

English policy was extremely tolerant except for religion, most British were Protestant and they never treated the Irish Catholics equitably, and race.  Early British economic policy in India (and elsewhere) was very tolerant of darker races but British evangelicals back in England absolutely rejected this.  Gradually restrictions and rule enforcement alienated many groups in India.  It took a long time, 1947, for India and the 1920's for Ireland, but Britain was forced out of these countries.  Could Britain have retained its empire?  Possibly, but they didn't and by this time another power was rising which was based on principles of religious tolerance.

Part Three: The Future of World Dominance

Chapter 9  The American Hyperpower: Tolerance and the Microchip

 In its heyday, the British Enpire governed a quarter of the earth's surface and nearly a quarter of the worlds people.  That governed by the grandsons of Genghis Kahn was even larger.  The US only governs 6.5% of the world's land surface and 5% of the world's population.  But today the US is the hyperpower.  

The US is the leader in attracting immigrants.  Over 95% of Americans today descend from someone who crossed an ocean to get here.  Admittedly, some crossed in leg irons.  We have talked about "all men are created equal" for many years but it was only since WW II that that has been mostly true.

The Puritans were persecuted for their religion in Europe, but they became the persecutors in America.  In 1732 more than 85% of Americans lived in towns or states with established churches.  Trade was the enemy of such practices.  With increased immigration and people starting their own churches.  After about 1750 it would prove impossible to maintain a single religion area or town.  The Constitution in 1789 made no mention of religion except for rejecting any religious test.  In 1791 the First Amendment formally prohibited Congress from establishing a national church and protected the free exercise of religion.  Then in 1799 the Treaty of Tripoli stated, "The government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion ... it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims]."  Many colonists were horrified at these but they stayed the law of the land.  However at the beginning the First Amendment only applied to the federal government.  Several states still had compulsory churchgoing requirements.

From the 1780's until the 1850's skilled workers were requited from England and other European countries.  These countries attempted to keep them from going.  "Illegal emigrants" referred to those whose countries tried to keep from coming to America.  Much or our labor force was composed of immigrants.  There had been some laws restricting Chinese and other "colored" immigration earlier but it wasn't until bills passed in 1917, 1921, and 1924 that immigration from Europe was reduced.  

She details many "American advances" that were made by recent immigrants from many different countries.

Chapter 10  The Rise and Fall of the Axis Powers:  Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan

 For both the Nazi's and Imperial Japan their rapid mobilization was made possible by intolerance and convincing their people that a united, "pure" race could conquer the world.  Very quickly their people came together and built formidable war machines. When they took an area they made no effort to gain the support of the residents, instead they killed many or enslaved them.  Potential supporters were very effectively turned into saboteurs.  The only place this did not hold was in Formosa (Taiwan) which the Japanese took in 1895.  Repression did not begin until the 1930's when the ultranationalist military leaders took over.

Chapter 11  The Challengers:  China, the European Union, and India in the Twenty-first Century

China:  Certainly China will grow in world importance, and with 1.3 billion people they may not need much immigration to attract the best people.  China has been pluralistic at times but not for a long time.  Could they welcome immigrants and make them Chinese?  Again, probably not.  China will certainly become a superpower but competition from others makes it unlikely that China will become globally dominant.

European Union:  It has been growing very rapidly, it already rivals the US in GDP and is more populous.  Previous hyperpowers have been magnets for people, Europe is a magnet for nations.  Therefore it will not develop in the same way.  There is one problem with this type of growth, it is internal.  During most of the time America was relatively open to immigration from "colored" people.  The countries of the EU have done very little to attract people from outside their area and have made very few efforts to assimilate them into the EU culture.  Unless the member states of the EU greatly change their immigration policies they will not attract talented outsiders.

India:  India started very far behind but it is making great strides.  However it is a very divided country.  In 2004 there were 230 political parties.  There are still violent clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups.  China is modernizing with a "top down" strategy, India is working with a "bottom up" strategy.  Which will work the best?  We still don't know.  India still has a long way to go before it can become a superpower.  And it doesn't seem to be interested in doing so.  Most Indians have a very favorable view of America and would seem to prefer to partner with the US than to compete directly with us.  

Chapter 12  The Day of Empire:  Lessons of History

 The US became a hyperpower through military might and then trade.  However military might in the absence of a competing superpower is threatening to most of the world, witness our problems in Iraq.  The world no longer accepts wars of aggression.  The US is still the world leader in trade but multinational corporations have no particular loyalty to a particular country.  Then there is the problem of "glue".  We do not seem to be interested in offering people throughout the world full American citizenship so what can we offer them.  You can only accept so many immigrants, even though for every immigrant there is a positive effect on many back in the home country.  She discusses three issues which must be settled that are very contentious:

Immigration: We cannot close our borders and we cannot let everyone in.  But where is the appropriate balance.  The rabid xenophobes must not win, relatively open immigration creates good will beyond just those who are accepted, we became a hyperpower because we attracted the most valuable human capital in the world - if we shut of immigration we are only hearting ourselves.

Multinationals and Outsourcing:  These are a mixed blessing, they create good will (sometimes) overseas and they increase profits for shareholders however in many cases they cost American jobs.

Unilateralism and Multilateralism:  Again a mixed blessing.  We cannot continue as a superpower and become isolationist.  We will have to give up some things in order to come to agreements with other countries.  

The book has 38 pages of notes by chapter and a 14 page index.