S4E5: Frederick II of Prussia, The Philosopher King with Dr Adam Storring
Talking Strategy29 Aug 2023

S4E5: Frederick II of Prussia, The Philosopher King with Dr Adam Storring

Frederick II of Prussia, like the Era of the Enlightenment in which he lived, was torn about warfare: was it to be humanised, or was it to be perfected? As king he favoured the latter, earning the respect of contemporaries as the greatest strategist of his age.

Frederick in his youth thought Machiavelli's instructions for princes morally reprehensible, and as a king surrounded himself with great moral philosophers, including, famously, Voltaire. But Frederick saw it as his duty, as that of any monarch, to increase the territorial possessions of his dynasty, even by war, irrespective of just causes. One of the last monarchs who was his own commander-in-chief on his military campaigns, he was also a crafty political strategist, wresting Silesia away from Empress Maria Theresia yet persuading her to colluding with him (and Catherine II of Russia) in the partition of Poland.

Dr Adam Storring helps us understand this complicated man, who like Xerxes and Alexander III before him, was obsessed with outdoing and outshining his father. A Cambridge man, Dr Storring was awarded the André Corvisier Prize for the worldwide Best Dissertation on Military History in 2019. His publications include works on Frederick the Great, including in the forthcoming Cambridge History of Strategy (2024). He teaches at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(101)

S6E22: Delivering National Security Strategies

S6E22: Delivering National Security Strategies

Former UN Ambassador and National Security Advisor Sir Mark Lyall Grant discusses the challenges facing delivery of Western security strategies. In this season of Talking Strategy we have explored man...

14 Juli 38min

S6E21: Dr Jack Watling on Ukrainian Adaptation to War

S6E21: Dr Jack Watling on Ukrainian Adaptation to War

In our 100th episode, we talk to RUSI senior research fellow Dr Jack Watling about the transformation in Ukraine in response to Russia's War. Against what many considered a materially superior adversa...

30 Juni 33min

S6E20: Preparing for War: Adaptable Forces and Societies

S6E20: Preparing for War: Adaptable Forces and Societies

Professor Olivier Schmitt describes the systemic challenges of military transformation, given rapidly evolving technology and NATO's distinct strategic cultures. Modern defence and security reviews hi...

16 Juni 36min

S6E19: Adversarial Strategy: Russia's Preparations for a Long War

S6E19: Adversarial Strategy: Russia's Preparations for a Long War

We look at how Russia's armed forces are learning lessons from combat and examine Moscow's ambitions in its war against Ukraine. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine is part of a long-term, much larger ...

2 Juni 32min

S6E18: Bullion to Bullets: Mobilising the Financial Markets

S6E18: Bullion to Bullets: Mobilising the Financial Markets

The Centre for Economic Security's Dr Rebecca Harding argues for the importance of financial markets as the fourth pillar in supporting effective mobilisation. Conversations about industrial mobilisat...

19 Maj 35min

S6E17: Industrial Mobilisation: Harnessing the Capacity of Defence Primes Andrea Thompson

S6E17: Industrial Mobilisation: Harnessing the Capacity of Defence Primes Andrea Thompson

Despite an increasing focus on SMEs, effective industrial mobilisation must also better harness the power of traditional defence firms. Andrea Thompson from BAE Systems explains how. The excitement in...

5 Maj 36min

S6E16: Harnessing Disruptors in the Defence Industrial Ecosystem: Anduril Industries

S6E16: Harnessing Disruptors in the Defence Industrial Ecosystem: Anduril Industries

The preparedness of Western armed forces for conflict is something that has featured prominently in many defence reviews. Christian Brose, Anduril's President & Chief Strategy Officer, describes how g...

21 Apr 41min

S6E15: Integrating Today's Forces for Air and Missile Defence

S6E15: Integrating Today's Forces for Air and Missile Defence

Rear Admiral Archer M Macy Jr describes today's military, organisational, human and cultural risks and opportunities in integrating forces for air and missile defence. Many modern defence reviews focu...

8 Apr 33min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
aftonbladet-krim
gynning-berg
p3-dokumentar
en-mork-historia
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
aftonbladet-daily
hor-har
killradet
rss-schyffert-sundin-ar-det-har-nat
svenska-fall
kod-katastrof
rss-expressen-dok
flashback-forever
mardromsgasten
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-sanning-konsekvens
vad-blir-det-for-mord
rss-mer-an-bara-morsa
rss-vill-du-veta-en-hemlis-2