A new book by Asst. Prof. Tudor Onea of the Department of International Relations, titled “The Grand Strategies of Great Powers,” was recently published by Routledge.
The book explores what grand strategy is, what grand strategies are available to great powers, and the situations in which they are used. It puts forward a classification of great powers’ grand strategies over the past four centuries, examining the strategies of rising, status quo and declining powers. Among the strategies discussed are divide and conquer, biding one’s time, primacy, concert, containment and appeasement.
Dr. Onea first presents the tenets of each grand strategy and then provides a historical illustration, using as examples the experiences of renowned strategists of the past such as Bismarck, Peter the Great, Metternich, Richelieu, Stalin, Truman and Deng Xiaoping. The book concludes by looking at today’s grand strategic debates involving powers of the first rank: the US, China and Russia.
“The Grand Strategies of Great Powers” is envisioned as becoming the go-to textbook on the topic for students of international relations and history, diplomats, and military officers as well as anyone interested in contemporary affairs. At Bilkent, the book is expected to constitute the foundation of a future elective course on grand strategy, the first of its kind to be offered in Turkey.