The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

Book • 1988

In this book, Paul Kennedy examines the historical patterns of the rise and fall of great powers, including Greece, Rome, Spain, France, Germany, and England.

He argues that the strength of a great power is relative to other powers and correlates strongly with available resources and economic durability.

Kennedy introduces the concept of 'imperial overstretch,' where military commitments become unsustainable once a power loses its economic competitive edge.

The book also predicts the decline of the United States and the Soviet Union and the rise of Japan and China, based on their economic and military strategies.

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Mentioned in 25 episodes

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Fareed Zakaria

as his advisor at Yale and author of 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers'.

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Hugh White

, it gave an account of the way the distribution of wealth and power has shaped the evolution of the international order.

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Preston Pysh

when discussing the overextension of great powers throughout history.

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Andrew Reiskind

as a book he read multiple times, emphasizing its insights into the relationship between economic power, military power, and political power throughout history.