We often think of the age of empire as in the past—the Roman Empire, the Qing Dynasty, British imperialism. But as the essays below argue, empires are alive and well in the 21st century. Some take new forms, such as the corporate titans of the internet age. Others are directly inspired by imperial histories and a revanchist spirit.
This edition of Flash Points considers the mythmaking, ambitions, and follies of today’s empires, and how they are (and aren’t) changing the world order.
Foreign Policy illustration
The New Empires of the Internet Age
Cyberspace has upended the old world order, Daniel W. Drezner writes.
Chinese President Xi Jinping waits in front of a painting of the Great Wall at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Sept. 3, 2018.Andy Wong/Getty Images
Xi’s Imperial Ambitions Are Rooted in China’s History
Myths of peacefulness belie a record as expansionist as any other power, Michael Sobolik writes.
A depiction of the fall of Constantinople, the capture of the Byzantine Empire’s capital under by an invading Ottoman army in 1453. The Print Collector via Getty Images
The Inevitable Fall of Putin’s New Russian Empire
What history tells us about collapsed empires trying to restore their former possessions, according to Alexander J. Motyl.
The ruins of the ancient Roman Forum in Rome on Nov. 3 2017.Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
Getting Rome Right and America Wrong
A new history of empire is far too British, Bret Devereaux writes.
Joan Wong illustration for Foreign Policy
The Rise and Fall and Rise (and Fall) of the U.S. Financial Empire
It is far from obvious to critics that dollar hegemony is an unalloyed blessing, FP’s Adam Tooze writes.