About this episode
This episode explores the rapid disintegration of the post-1945 international order during the second term of the Trump presidency. Following extraordinary recent events, such as the military capture of President Nicolas Maduro and the US’s interest in Greenland, this episode (building on the earlier episode linked below) discusses what might come next. Dr. Dennis Schmidt and Prof. John Williams draw on the new US National Security Strategy, the emergence of the so-called “Donroe Doctrine”, and the racialised imageries underpinning current US foreign policy to sketch out key features what a new international order might look like. They also examine the precarious position of the UK and Europe, discussing how Britain’s "special relationship" and independent nuclear deterrent are being tested as the United States shifts from a global guarantor to an unpredictable, and at times hostile, actor.To listen to our episode from March 2025 on the changing international order click here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wrsLXcqfwEnuuU4RX0BMVTo learn more about our guests and their research, check out their websites:Dr. Dennis Schmidt: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/dennis-schmidt/Prof. John Williams: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/j-c-williams/Following this episode, Prof. Williams and Dr. Schmidt wrote the following blog post in the Global Policy Journal, elaborating on how the international order might change: https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/10/02/2026/empire-yes-19th-century-not-so-much [Last accessed 10th February 2026].Music: The Good News by SHANTI from https://tunetank.com/track/263-the-good-news/
