An IACSP Book Review: The Return of Great Power Rivalry, Democracy Versus Autocracy From the Ancient World to the U.S. and China
Review by George Michael
Soon after Russian Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale inva sion in February 2022, a broad coalition of democratic na tions formed to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zel ensky repel this aggression. Likewise, the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas dubbed Operation Al Aqsa Flood has generated strong bipartisan support for Israel in the United States. In addition, in recent months, there have been indi cations that China is preparing for a protracted war in the Indo-Pacific region, which could even include an invasion of Taiwan. Recognizing the criticality of these threats, in April 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden signed a sweeping $61 billion aid package that will provide crucial military assis tance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
There are signs that these outwardly disconnected conflicts could merge, and in doing so, draw in a number of countries into rival allianc es pitting democracies against autocracies. What are the prospects for the United States in such a scenario? In his book, Return of Great Power Rival ry: Democracy Versus Autocracy From the Ancient World to the U.S. and China, Matthew Kroenig a professor at George town University and the Deputy Director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, examines the historical track record of this compe tition. He identifies three factors that are critical to success in the field of interna tional affairs.
First and foremost, to aspire to gre...