The Return of Great Power Rivalry: Democracy versus Autocracy from the Ancient World to the U.S. and China

To lead a great power, strategists must understand and excel at systemic rivalries, long-term competitions against opposing states that often are based in part of differing political systems and ideologies. History and contemporary affairs are replete with such rivalries. In this book, Matthew Kroenig reflects on the pattern of great power rivalry in the context of the rise of authoritarian revisionist powers, China and Russia, and the challenge they pose to the U.S.-led international order. He argues that in systemic rivalries, democratic powers have recurring advantages in the ideological, diplomatic, economic, and military domains. This stands in contrast to the view that authoritarian powers, which enjoy the capacity for top-down unity of command, have the upper hand. He supports his conclusion through seven case studies, from the rivalries between Athens and Persia to the Cold War contest between the United States and the Soviet Union. A skill for waging long-term competitions, which draws upon the other elements of the formula for great power status, is what makes a great power great.