There has never been a great power that did not hold the high card of military power. Because waging war effectively is the most complex undertaking of mankind, the leaders of a great power must master every facet of fielding military power. This entails knowing not only how to develop and field military forces that can deter, coerce, or defeat adversaries, but also how to fashion an effective system of civil-military decision making, abide by moral principles for the use and conduct of armed force, and develop capacities both to win war and to consolidate their political objectives.
First Reads
