ChinaTalk

Lawrence Freedman on Strategy and Nuclear War

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Lawrence Freedman is the dean of strategic studies. He’s written books about the Falklands War, nuclear strategy, political-military relations, Kennedy’s foreign policy, the revolution of military affairs, and (my personal favorite) the history of strategy.  

Freedman is now part of the father-son writing duo samf.substack.com.

Note: we recorded this in the summer of 2023. Thanks to the Hudson Institute for sponsoring this conversation.

In this far-reaching conversation, we discuss:

  • How the Falklands saved Thatcher’s premiership, making her the Iron Lady,
  • Why the great strategic decisions of history rarely have clear, pivotal moments,
  • Parallels between Putin, Xi, and the Argentine junta — what the Falklands campaign tells us about Ukraine, Taiwan, and the future of war,
  • How nuclear war went from being a “winnable” geopolitical contest to the apocalyptic dog that didn’t bark,
  • What Cold War arms control treaties can and can’t tell us about AI,
  • The best strategists not covered by last week's interview with Hal Brands,
  • Lawrence Freedman's recipe for wide reading and prolific writing.

    • Outro music: Oh! It's a Lovely War (1918) · Courtland & Jeffries (Youtube Link)

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