This final volume in the Making Sense of War trilogy, builds upon the concepts and reassessments of its predecessors, About War and War in Context.
War after Ukraine offers a compelling analysis of Russia’s historic use of force, the Ukraine war, and the reasons behind Putin’s aggression.
Christopher Pike challenges the argument that provocations – like Western’s smug satisfaction at communism’s demise, nationalism and NATO expansion – gave Putin excuses to invade.
While the invasion prompts calls for greater European unity, Pike warns of the current limitations of Western intervention, especially in the face of potential Russian aggression in other regions: Europe cannot defend itself.
The book also recognises the subtle difference and interaction between the state, the nation and the nation state, a concept which is becoming increasingly vital in understanding the current and future international political environment.
Pike examines the evolution of nuclear strategy, noting stubborn narratives of Russia as a persistent threat. The West’s policy is rooted in Cold War thinking, despite political and scientific upheaval. A reassessment of nuclear strategies in the light of contemporary geopolitical realities is urgently needed.
War After Ukraine also provides insight into the future of war and international relations and calls for more subtle and better informed diplomacy to reflect the rational and irrational concerns of current and putative adversaries.
Makingsenseofwar.com
Christopher Pike is an authority on war and warfare, and has been studying military history for 50 years. He believes that victory in battle is not the key to a lasting peace. What matters is understanding war’s constraints, defining aims and knowing when goals have been achieved. Organised violence, so often futile, is a last resort. Napoleon and Hitler are two examples of men failing to grasp war’s risks, war’s fallibilities, and their own limitations.
Pike’s sceptical and analytical philosophy shines through the pages of his three volume Making Sense of War. He is an alumnus of the Department of War Studies, King’s College, London, where his focus was on war and politics.
He also holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration. He was elected to the Council of the Society for Army Historical Research, where he organised and delivered lectures, including a major seminar at Apsley House, London, on Waterloo and the Iron Duke.
He lives in London and Norfolk and is a frequent visitor to the battlefields of Europe, seeing the lie of the land and the ‘Other Side of the Hill’ for himself. He has written many penetrating strategic backgrounds for battlefield tour guides.
One reader wrote: ‘Pike’s notes on why the Bulge was fought, why Arnhem failed, why the Somme was such slaughter was more penetrating (and digestible) than a dozen books.’