Middle Powers in Asia and Europe in the 21st Century

Giampiero Giacomello is associate professor of international relations at the University of Bologna. Bertjan Verbeek is chair and professor of international relations at Radboud University.

• Introduction: Middle Powers as the Ugly Duckling of International Relations Theory - Giampiero Giacomello and Bertjan Verbeek Chapter 1: Maritime Power as the Quintessential Source of Middle Power StatusDavide Ghermandi Chapter 2: ‘Peaceful nature,’ Norwegians Believe It, But Do Others Too? The Effects of National Role Conceptions on Public Diplomacy and Nation BrandingBoaz de Rooij Chapter 3: Aspiring and Reluctant Middle Powers? Italy’s and Germany’s Defense Reforms after the Cold WarFabrizio Coticchia and Francesco Moro Chapter 4: Germany and Japan: Great or Middle Powers in Global Banking Regulation? - Sara Konoe Chapter 5: South Korea’s Role as an Emerging Middle Power amongst Security ConcernsMarco Milani and Federica de Pantz Chapter 6: From Regionalism to Realpolitik: The Rise and Fall of Turkey as a Middle Power in the Middle EastAylin Gürzel and Eyüp Ersoy Chapter 7: Iran from Revolutionary to Behavioral Middle Power. Understanding the Effects of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of ActionNeda Shahnoori Chapter 8:‘The Bigger of the Smaller States’ – Dutch Foreign Policy in Constant Search of a Relevant Role on the World StageBertjan Verbeek Chapter 9: Sweden: Small State, Middle Power, or Moral Superpower?Johan Eriksson ConclusionGiampiero Giacomello and Bertjan Verbeek

“Pioneers in the revival of the concept of Middle Power, Giacomello and Verbeek offer a valuable and wide-ranging collection of country case studies. Theoretically eclectic and empirically rich, the individual chapters cover states in the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia, introducing concepts such as ‘niche power’ and ‘regional pivot’, and exploring issue areas from naval power and energy security to banking, environmental policy, humanitarian aid, and military intervention. Given the authors’ claim that the number of Middle Powers has grown even in the last decade, this volume should be of interest to scholars of comparative foreign policy and international politics.”