Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Schmitt's 'international thought' -- Unravelling sov ereignty -- Histories of space -- Acceleration and restraint -- GroÇrau m -- Partisan -- Conclusion.

"An unrepentant Nazi, Carl Schmitt remains one of the most divisive figures in twentieth century political thought. In recent years, his id eas have attracted a new and growing audience. This book seeks to cut t hrough the controversy surrounding Schmitt to analyse his ideas on worl d order. In so doing, it takes on board Schmitt's critique of the condi tion of order in late modernity, and considers Schmitt's continued rele vance. Consideration is given to the two devices Schmitt deploys, the G rossraum and the Partisan, and argues that neither concept lives up to its claim to transcend or reform Schmitt's pessimistic history of the s tate. The author concludes that Schmitt's continuing value lies in his provocative historical critique, rather than his conceptual innovation" --Provided by publisher.

"It is not uncommon for the end of wars to herald the sentiment that 'nothing will ever be the same again.' To be sure, wars leave scars bo th emotional and physical. They leave tales of loss and instincts of ve ngeance. But in the political theory of Carl Schmitt, war is above all a political act. 'War is the existential negation of the enemy.' It lea ves concrete changes in the configuration of politics. It draws new lin es on maps, and creates new lines of authority of men over other men. N o matter how infrequent or limited, warfare is a necessary corollary of Schmitt's understanding of political life"--Provided by publisher.