Foreign Policy Assertiveness of Six Major Nations

<br>These variables are indicators of the foreign policy assertiveness of six major nations: Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the United States. Assertiveness is defined as the magnitude and intensity of actions by a nation to influence the foreign environment. The following indicators are considered to reflect a nation's changing assertiveness: the number of active duty naval personnel, the number of military personnel in foreign areas, the number of military attaches stationed abroad, and the number of diplomatic, consular, and other civilian government officials posted abroad. Percentage changes in those indicators are considered to reflect the relative foreign policy assertiveness of the six nations. The variables span the period from 1815 to 2005, but the coverage varies with each country. Primary sources are used to the extent possible and are cited in each file. I have photocopies of many of the primary source documents, which often contain additional information (e.g., the lists of diplomatic/consular personnel abroad also give names, ranks, and countries/cities where assigned). Persons interested in access to copies of those documents can contact me at: [e-mail].<br>