Britain has a way of fighting wars in Europe. Control the sea, focus on the economy, deny access to Belgium, and leave most of the fighting to allies on the continent. As the eminent historian Andrew Lambert explains in his new book No More Napoleons, this strategy worked for hundreds of years – before being disastrously abandoned in 1914.

On the show today, he and Aaron discuss:

* How this strategy defeated Napoleon

* Why abandoning it prolonged the First World War

* The ways in which this historic approach can deter Putin

They also touch on the tension between popular memory and actual history, why the Duke of Wellington should be seen as a politician rather than as a general, whether or not grand strategy really exists – as well as breaking up the “axis” between Russia and China.

If you would like to buy No More Napoleons AND support independent stores in the UK, check out the strategyaaron Bookshop page: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron

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If you need any strategy consulting – or want to advertise on the show – email me@strategyaaron.com

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