Author’s Note: Welcome back to the BIGA Podcast! This season, we’re focusing on Security, Strategy, and Defence to explore the threats, challenges, and opportunities facing the UK and what it can do to prepare. Let us know what themes you would like us to explore in future seasons!
The news is rife with bombastic personalities shaping the lives of millions on what appears to be very personal whims. As nations move in new directions, this week’s guest shares the insights from his latest book ‘The Strategists: How War Made Them and How They Made War’ to explore how personality shapes strategy.
Head of International Relations at the University of St Andrews, founding co-director of the Scottish Council on Global Affairs, and Professor of Strategic Studies, Professor Phillips O’Brien brings a wealth of experience and insight onto a topic that can often seem settled.
Our conversation started by exploring how Professor O’Brien defines strategy differently from others in the field before diving into Hitler’s background and how this affected his strategy for World War II. This led to a fascinating discussion on the perception gap surrounding the Battle of Britain – often seen as a pivotal moment where Britain triumphed over Nazism, Professor O’Brien shares that due to Hitler’s meddling in armament productions, this was a foregone conclusion for the Allies.
We then compared the personalities of Churchill and Mussolini. Despite them both being nationally-focused and sticking by their convictions, one was seen to save Europe from evil while the other was a delusional despot destined for failure. Look past the smoke and mirrors of rhetoric, argues Professor O’Brien, and look to where resources are really being allocated.
It was here that we ended our conversation on what such lessons mean in a world made of Trumps and Putins.
Be sure to listen to our conversation here and follow Professor O’Brien’s Substack, here.