The Pursuit of Victory

In Western Europe and North America the idea that war can deliberately be used as an `instrument of policy' has become unfashionable, not least because of the carnage of two World Wars and the Americans' humiliating experience in Vietnam. But wars are still fought. Those who start them clearly believe they are worthwhile. Why?

In this original and provocative study, Brian Bond examines the successes and failures of military and political leaders involved in the pursuit of victory over the last two centuries. He argues that in order to be counted victorious, a leader has to progress beyond military triumph to preserve the political control needed to secure an advantageous and enduring peace settlement. Finally, he warns against the assumption that war as an instrument of policy has now been completely discarded. The Falklands and Guld conflicts show that aggressors are still prepared to risk war for tangible goals, and that their opponents are quite capable of responding successfully to such challenges.