essays
Moscow’s war bloggers and the grammar of dissent
The future of authoritarian information control depends on the cultivation of its critics.
Ksenia Rundin
December 9, 2025
Essays
Long-form writing from leading scholars and commentators on history, statecraft, warfare, philosophy and culture.
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essays
When the Mormons had a military
Joseph Smith commanded men in morality, history and religion, drawing thousands of followers to his church, but a lack of strategic insight doomed the Mormon militias that fought f..
Katherine Bayford
December 9, 2025
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essays
The Canningite tradition
As the world returns to 19th-century multipolarity, George Canning’s approach to British foreign policy offers timeless lessons. Great powers must protect the interests of small na..
David Cowan
December 5, 2025
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essays
Germany’s new old nuclear dilemma
When it comes to nuclear weapons, the concerns that West Germany's first chancellor wrestled with during the Cold War have not disappeared – they have simply re-emerged in new form..
Marina E. Henke
December 4, 2025
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essays
How Europe can harness its economic power
Squeezed between the mercantilist policies of the United States and China, Europe's governments must confront the economic paradox that threatens to undermine the foundations of th..
Michael Pettis and Enrico Fardella
December 3, 2025
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essays
The Schmittian inheritance
What makes Carl Schmitt uncannily relevant today is not his theory of international spheres of influence but his sinister, compelling critique of parliamentary democracy.
Daniel Johnson
December 1, 2025
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essays
A new age of US-Mexican interdependence
The US and Mexico have intensified their joint efforts to take down the cartels – and the stakes could not be higher.
Joseph Ledford
November 27, 2025
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essays
The New Cold War is here
As China consolidates an ideological and strategic bloc with Russia, Iran and North Korea, it seeks nuclear parity with the United States, technological and economic autonomy, and ..
David Roche
November 26, 2025
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essays
Arvo Pärt’s path from profane to sacred
By turning his compositions into prayers, the Estonian composer revived classical music’s ability to touch the transcendent.
Guy Stagg
November 21, 2025