
October 10, 2025
The Return of Diplomacy to Great Power Competition
On the surface, great power competition often seems driven by economic and military conflict, but diplomacy has always been central to great powers' engagement with the world. This is the argument made by Dr. Wess Mitchell in his forthcoming book, Great Power Diplomacy, The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger. Covering 15 centuries of history, the book makes a powerful case that diplomacy is an essential tool of great power politics and leaders ignore diplomatic skill at their own peril. With the press of current events and especially the rise of cooperation across the Axis of Upheaval, the book is more relevant than ever.
We are very delighted to welcome the book's author, Wess Mitchell, to Brussels Sprouts.
A. Wess Mitchell is a scholar of international relations, a principal at the Marathon Initiative, and he served as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia from 2017 to 2019.
More from CNAS
-
What’s Driving President Trump’s New Confidence in Ukraine’s War Effort
President Trump dramatically declared on social media that he now believes that Ukraine can reclaim all its land from Russia, which he described as a paper tiger. From the Ova...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Moldova Chooses Its Future with William Hill and Laura Thornton
On September 28th, Moldovan voters went to the polls in parliamentary elections to choose between competing visions for their country's future. Despite intense efforts by the ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Europe Must Counter Cheap Drones with Cheap Solutions, Ex-NATO Commander Says
NATO must find cheaper ways to counter the growing threat of Russian drone incursions, the former Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, has said. Speakin...
By General Philip M. Breedlove
-
Expert Explains: Defense Sec. Hegseth Calls Military Meeting in Northern Virginia
Hundreds of U.S. military leaders are headed to northern Virginia on orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and...
By Jim Townsend