Essays

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

essays

Why do we get the wrong leaders?

The West lacks political leaders with judgement. How do we get more individuals with this elusive quality into positions of leadership?

James Vitali October 10, 2024
Still from Slow Horses.
essays

The Slow Horses are Britain’s perfect spies

Mick Herron’s world works, both on page and on screen, not just because he is a great storyteller, or has a keen grasp of the mechanics of espionage, but because he simply gets an ..

Alastair Benn October 9, 2024
Israeli soldiers run as they carry stretchers towards a military helicopter during an exercise simulating the evacuation of wounded people in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon in February, 2024.
essays

The beginning of a reckoning: the Middle East after 7 October

Recent military escalations in the Middle East have been at least 20 years in the making.

Jay Mens October 8, 2024
A group of trainees listens to the military instructor in a training organised by the third separate assault brigade in Kyiv, Ukraine.
essays

Mobilising for the moment

In an era of rising global tensions, democracies must tackle the intricate task of revitalising military mobilisation by uniting people, industry, and ideas to create a powerful de..

Mick Ryan October 3, 2024
The Moon rising over Western China.
essays

To the far side of the Moon: the battle for lunar resources

The Moon and its surrounding space have become an arena for Earth's geopolitical rivalries, as nations compete for strategic advantages, scientific breakthroughs, and potential res..

Nayef Al-Rodhan October 1, 2024
Former president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, imprisoned in a casement cell in Fortress Monroe, 1865.
essays

The trials of a president

The failed prosecution of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy in the American Civil War, underscores the lasting tension between justice and political pragmatism seen..

Angus Brown September 26, 2024
Satellite image of a Russian airfield at Borisoglebsk, July 2024.
essays

How private intelligence companies became the new spymasters

In a world awash with digital data, private intelligence companies now compete with state agencies, turning everyone into potential spies and transforming the age-old craft of espi..

Shashank Joshi September 24, 2024
TV screens showing the live broadcast of the Google DeepMind Challenge Match at Yongsan Electronic Technology Land in Seoul, South Korea.
essays

Will machines make strategy?

The emergence of AI capable of deducing human intentions signals a new frontier in technology that could transform the world of strategy, diplomacy and warfare.

Kenneth Payne September 18, 2024
Launch of SpaceX's Starlink.
essays

How companies go to war

We are living through a change in the balance of power between states and the private sector. The implications for modern conflict are vast.

Ulrike Franke September 16, 2024

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