Relearning Great Power Diplomacy: A Conversation with Wess Mitchell

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After the Cold War, Western leaders embraced the illusion that globalization and the spread of democracy would lead to the outbreak of peace around the world. But just decades later, great powers are once again competing for territory, resources, and prestige.

In his new book Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger, one of America’s foremost strategists, Wess Mitchell, argues that the United States needs to relearn how to build winning alliances, splinter enemy coalitions, and, when necessary, make peace with former adversaries. By looking to the great empires of the past, Mitchell argues, Washington can better prepare itself for a dangerous new era of great power competition.

Join Hudson’s Peter Rough for a discussion with Wess Mitchell on the book’s findings, how they apply to the present moment, and the future of great power diplomacy.