Exclusive Preview: The Age of Forever Wars

Read Lawrence Freedman on why military victory has become so elusive.

The Age of Forever Wars Why Military Strategy No Longer Delivers Victory By Lawrence D. Freedman The Age of Forever Wars Why Military Strategy No Longer Delivers Victory By Lawrence D. Freedman You are reading an exclusive preview from the upcoming May/June issue. To receive full access, subscribe here.  Military strategists have long dreamed of decisive, rapid victories, and in recent decades, they have often expected technological superiority and overwhelming force to produce such results. Yet in conflicts in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Gaza, forces conducting surprise offensives "have shown how difficult it is to bring a war to an early and satisfactory conclusion," argues the military historian Lawrence Freedman in a new essay from the forthcoming issue of Foreign Affairs. The prevalence of "forever wars" in the contemporary era calls for a fundamental shift in military thinking, Freedman argues. "Great powers tend to assume that their significant military superiority will quickly overwhelm opponents," he notes. "This overconfidence means that they fail to appreciate the limits of military power and so set objectives that can be achieved, if at all, only through a prolonged struggle." Military strategy, in other words, must be paired with clear and limited political purpose. "One of the great allures of military power is that it promises to bring conflicts to a quick and decisive conclusion," he writes. "In practice, it rarely does." Read the essay Prefer to listen? Look for the play button on the article page. Prefer to listen? Look for the play button on the article page. © 2025 Council on Foreign Relations | 58 East 68th Street, New York NY | 10065 To ensure we can contact you, please add us to your email address book or safe list. This email was sent to mizozovisanamikasa@gmail.com. . Receiving too many emails? Unsubscribe and manage your email preferences here.