The Great Betrayal

A bold account of how the Democrats abandoned their antiwar roots and became champions of American militarism. The Great Betrayal offers a bold and timely revisionist history of the Democratic Party’s transformation from a champion of peace and international cooperation into a reliable steward of American militarism. Tracing a clear line from FDR’s postwar vision to the hawkish consensus of today, the book uncovers how Democrats—once the party of the New Deal and the UN Charter—abandoned their anti-imperialist roots for Cold War brinkmanship and regime change. With a sharp focus on the rise of the foreign policy establishment, this book explores the decades-long struggle between two competing Democratic factions: the “Rooseveltians,” who envisioned a peaceful, multipolar world order, and the “Achesonians,” the architects of American hegemony. Through incisive portraits of key figures and administrations from Truman to Biden, it shows how, over time, the latter won out, culminating in Hillary Clinton’s 2016 nomination and the party’s embrace of a new Cold War with Russia. The Great Betrayal is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the roots of America’s endless wars and the Democratic Party’s leading role in sustaining them.