Introduction and methodology -- Dehio's theory : the wars for hegemony in Europe and rise of the world powers -- Hegemonic war and the Hellenic state system -- The Hellenistic state system and Roman hegemony -- Hegemony and culture : the Italian Renaissance state system and the Roman Empire -- Dehio and German historiography : interpreting the German bid for supremacy -- The European system and the Western Hemisphere : the dynamics of hegemony and plurality -- Dehio's theory and contemporary American grand strategy -- Hegemonic war, American grand strategy, and the contemporary Middle Eastern state system -- Hegemonic war, American grand strategy, and the contemporary East Asian state system -- Conclusion : the future of global order : hegemonic conflict or concert of great powers -- Afterword : hegemony, nihilism, and decline.