Solving the “Manchurian Problem”: Uchida Yasuya and Japanese Foreign Affairs before the Second World War

This article re-examines British diplomacy in the Venezuelan boundary dispute, 1895–96. The analysis focuses closely on the actions of the British Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, and his Ambassador to Washington, Sir Julian (later Lord) Pauncefote. It argues that a combination of Salisbury’s deliberate foot-dragging, and his failure to understand how seriously US politicians viewed the dispute, meant that disagreement was unnecessarily prolonged and exacerbated. Thus, at a time when the British government was beset with other imperial problems it was ultimately forced to concede to US demands. Consequently, the article argues that the issue was not only poorly handled by Salisbury, but was also a significant moment in US foreign policy.     

Case Survey

This section of the Journal deals with recent case law. The cases are listed in alphabetical order by case name.     

Note sulla ‘Escuola Italiana’: Using Gramsci in the current international moment

This article explores neo-Gramscian conceptualizations of international relations, focusing on the notion of consent as central to a proper application of Gramsci's thought to the current world scene. It also mentions other areas in which neo-Gramscian thought is useful, and suggests that neo-Gramscian approaches to international relations may be appropriate for the current moment.     

Lessons from Democratic Transitions: Case Studies from Asia

In an era when democratization is stalled or in retreat in many parts of the world, it is important to highlight the successful democratic experience of East and Southeast Asia in recent decades. Five consolidated democracies have emerged since the mid-1980s; only Thailand has seen some backsliding with the 2006 coup. The Asian cases provide insights into several major debates in the democratization literature, including the relative importance of culture, history, economic structure, and the optimal sequencing of political and economic reform. This article reviews these issues, with particular attention to the role of outside powers in underpinning democratization. Ultimately, the Asian cases offer evidence for optimism about the prospects of a Fourth Wave of democratization.     

Anfechtung einer Vereinbarung über die gemeinsame Verwaltung mehrerer WE-Liegenschaften nur im Rechtsweg – kein liegenschaftsübergreifender Aufteilungsschlüssel iSd § 32 WEG 2002

Liegenschaftsübergreifende Vereinbarungen (hier: betreffend 2 benachbarte WE-Liegenschaften über die Aufteilung und Abrechnung von Bewirtschaftungskosten sowie 2 gesonderte Abrechnungs- und Abstimmungseinheiten) k?nnen nicht im wohnrechtlichen Au?erstreitverfahren nach § 52 Abs 1 Z 9 iVm § 32 Abs 2, 5 und 6 WEG 2002, sondern nur im streitigen Rechtsweg überprüft werden. Eine von § 32 Abs 1 WEG 2002 abweichende Vereinbarung über den Aufteilungsschlüssel der gemeinschaftlichen Liegenschaftsaufwendungen oder über eine von der Liegenschaft abweichende Abrechnungs- und Abstimmungseinheit bezieht sich n?mlich immer nur auf die konkrete WE-Liegenschaft, keinesfalls aber auf mehrere.     

The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Development of Democracy in Africa

The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung （FES） started to work in over 20 countries in Africa since their independence. To promote democracy has always been the focus of our work in Africa. We believe that democracy is the important and necessary precondition for the sustainable development of mankind. And we are fully aware that there is still no blue print for democracy in Africa.     

The Military and SocietyBeyond the Postmodern Era

The degree to which the international security environment had changed after the Cold War became evident with the attacks on September 11. As a result, military forces in the United States (and perhaps in the West generally) are evolving from their Cold War and immediate post-Cold War perspectives to confront transnational and subnational non-state dangers. These changes have significant implications for military professionalism and the relations between the military and society. They are explored through a modified “Postmodern Military” model, called here the “Hybrid” model.     

Single primer extension (SPEX) amplification to accurately genotype highly damaged DNA templates

High levels of non-authentic sequence data can be generated by traditional PCR-based methodologies when DNA is damaged, template numbers are small and/or the target amplification size too large. We therefore present an alternate methodology based on single primer extension (SPEX) amplification; that places no pre-defined size constraints on amplification and interacts with only one of the DNA strands at the target locus.