The 1980s was a decade of enormous global change. Upheaval from the top of governments to the bottom of societies saw a new world order begin to emerge. A new form of capitalism redefined global economics on both the right and left as market forces were unleashed. The ideological conflict of the previous four decades petered out as superpower relations improved. A more interconnected world introduced new consumer products and forms of popular culture to societies across the globe. And protest movements saw new battles fought and new alliances forged in an increasingly interdependent world.

The Routledge Handbook of the Global 1980s brings together specialists from across the world to examine how the decade was shaped by these changes to politics, economics, culture, societies, and protest movements. The handbook is divided into five sections focusing on the global environment, globalisation and neoliberalism, politics and society, culture and society, and the closing stages of the global Cold War.

By taking an international approach to the history of the 1980s, this book offers a wide-ranging and important new perspective of this hugely transformative decade. It will appeal to students and scholars alike as well as all those interested in the political, social, economic, and cultural shifts of the 1980s.