American Diplomatic History in Search of Synthesis (1945–2000): An Overview

This paper examines the transformation of American diplomatic history from the end of the Second World War to the beginning of the twenty-first century, tracing its evolution from monolithic narratives to methodological fragmentation and a sustained quest for synthesis. Focusing on the second half of the twentieth century, it demonstrates how the discipline developed under the influence of contemporary foreign policy events as well as other social sciences. This development is analyzed through a review of key historiographical schools and trends—from the postwar division between consensus historians, realpolitik advocates, and revisionists, through post-revisionist and corporatist attempts at synthesis, to the emergence of the so-called “cultural turn.” Within this framework, the paper shows how new historiographical approaches grappled with the challenges generated by the discipline’s rapid expansion. The central argument is that, despite a productive broadening of topics and methodologies—including gender, race, ideology, and culture—the field failed to produce a comprehensive synthesis. Instead, a profound epistemological divide between traditionalists (focused on the state, power, and economics) and culturalists (concerned with discourse and identity) resulted in a persistent ambivalence within the profession. Ultimately, American diplomatic history at the turn of the millennium, although enriched by a vast body of scholarship, remained in a crisis of legitimacy, caught in a continuing search for its own identity and for a balance between analytical depth and interpretative breadth.