Introduction
For at least two centuries, ideas of international relations and grand strategy have been premised on the notion of “great powers.” These were mighty states uniquely able to exert their influence through overwhelming military force. In the words of friend of the podcast Leopold von Ranke, a great power was one who could “maintain itself against all others, even when they are united”—but my guest, Phillips Payson O’Brien, argues that this definition is ahistorical nonsense.
Indeed “great power” he says, has always been a tautology. Nor has it been helpful or accurate to focus who has the biggest armies. And dreaming of decisive battle has blinded us to what truly determines victory: the capacity to mobilize and sustain industrial power, logistics, technology, and global reach.
In his new book War and Power: Who Wins Wars and Why, O’Brien dismantles some popular myths of military and diplomatic history and replaces them with a far more dynamic picture—one that redefines how states fight, how they win, and how we should understand power itself in the twenty-first century.
About the Guest
Phillips Payson O’Brien is Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of several books, including How the War Was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II. His Substack, Philip’s Newsletter, offers commentary particularly focused on the war in Ukraine.
For Further Investigation
Phillips Payson O’Brien, War and Power: Who Wins Wars and Why (Penguin, 2024)
—, How the War Was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II (Cambridge University Press, 2015)
—, The Second Most Powerful Man in the World (Dutton, 2019)
—, The Strategists
Related Episodes
“Thinking Historically”—Frank Gavin on why policymakers need to think like historians
“Cold War Analogies”—the deep complexity when using what seems to be a simple analogy
“The Devils Will Get No Rest”—on the 1942 Casablanca Conference
“The Allure of Battle”—Cathal Nolan on why battles rarely win wars
Reflection Questions
Why does Phillips O’Brien deride the idea of “great power”? What is his argument? The evidence supporting his argument?
How does his concept of power change our understanding of victory?
What lessons does his argument hold for modern statecraft?
Tags: Phillips Payson O’Brien; War and Power; Strategy; Military History; Great Powers; International Relations; Historically Thinking
