Essays

Long-form writing from leading scholars and commentators on history, statecraft, warfare, philosophy and culture.

A statue of Sir Thomas Raffles in Singapore.
essays

The invention of Singapore

In the early 19th century, Britain’s Thomas Stamford Raffles fused Enlightenment pragmatism, free trade, and secular education to create the foundations of modern Singapore.

Nic Allen January 16, 2026
The armies of the United States and the Republic of Mexico at the Battle of Buena Vista, 22-23 February 1847.
essays

The two Americas

Since the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, relations between the United States and Latin America have oscillated between cooperation and conflict, reflecting deeper tensions over competing..

Damian Valdez January 14, 2026
The British Army of the Rhine preparing simulated battlefield plans in preparation for a potential confrontation with the Soviet Union (1986).
essays

Michael Quinlan and Europe’s forgotten nuclear wisdom

Restoring credible deterrence for a new nuclear age should begin with the ‘intellectual rearmament’ of European statesmen and officials, in the tradition of Michael Quinlan, Britai..

Daniel Skeffington January 12, 2026
A Venezuelan living in Madrid celebrates the arrest of Nicolas Maduro at a gathering in Puerta del Sol. Credit: Marcos del Mazo
essays

Trump’s bid for hemispheric supremacy

The decisive military action in Venezuela leaves much uncertainty over whether Washington’s attempt at regime change can defy recent history. Yet analogies drawn from the experienc..

Joseph Ledford January 9, 2026
A Japanese painting depicts Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, receiving feudal lords. Credit: ART collection
essays

A global history of power

From Kyoto to Constantinople, political structures reveal that legitimacy rarely rests on power alone. It is sustained by the careful interplay of law, tradition, and performance.

Ioannes Chountis de Fabbri January 9, 2026
A poster of Ali Khamenei and Ruhollah Khomeini in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran.
essays

The deep roots of Iran’s economic crisis

Iran is dominated by a mercantile political economy hostile to institutional development and long-term investment.

Ali Ansari January 7, 2026
Engelsberg mansion
essays

Best of Engelsberg Ideas in 2025

Here is a selection of pieces we have published over the last twelve months that highlight the biggest stories and themes of 2025 — a year in ideas.

Engelsberg Ideas December 31, 2025
A statue of an angel holding an imperial crown aloft in Germany's Niederwald Monument.
essays

Europe’s imperial awakening

The new US National Security Strategy exposes a fundamental contradiction between civilisational ambition and strategic retrenchment. In doing so, it sets the stage for Europe’s em..

Sumantra Maitra December 31, 2025
A storm rolls in over the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
essays

America’s world turned upside down

2025 was defined by AI exuberance and America First, as technological advances gathered momentum while the Trump administration sought to radically reshape the international order...

Bill Emmott December 30, 2025

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