How Europe can really prevent wars | War, explained: Episode 4
No one stumbles into war. War is not a natural phenomenon, but a conscious decision. It is always started by humans. Franz-Stefan Gady explained to me how to significantly reduce the likelihood of war. Part 4/5 of "Explain War to Me."
🙆 Franz-Stefan Gady is an independent military analyst.
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Franz-Stefan recommends this book:
"German Warriors - From the Empire to the Berlin Republic: A Military History" by Sönke Neitzel (2020), https://amzn.to/4535a6w. Recommended by Gady as "required reading" for understanding the phenomenon of war and warfare in German-speaking countries for almost a century.
Further link:
Film: The Untouchables [Blu-ray],
https://amzn.to/454VQ1R
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What should I take with me?
1. War is not a natural phenomenon.
War doesn't just happen; it is always triggered by humans and can be ended by humans.
2. Deterrence works as prevention.
It works best when combined with active diplomacy and open channels of communication. But beware of the security dilemma: Those who arm themselves can increase their opponents' fear of attack, which in turn could make war more likely. That's why diplomacy is needed.
3. Autocrats are particularly dangerous after the age of 60.
They often begin to think less about their country and more about their own place in history. This is a danger with both Putin and Chinese President Xi.
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00:00 Introduction
01:58 What reduces the likelihood of war
06:48 Does pacifism help?
11:18 Is deterrence useful?
14:11 Armaments and the Arms Spiral
23:57 Nuclear Weapons for Germany and Poland?
29:05 There's Little You Can Do Against Defamation
32:20 Unipolar, Multipolar: Do Hegemonies Help Prevent Wars?
40:36 Can We as Individuals Contribute to Preventing War?
44:57 What Should I Take with Me?
***
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