UnHerd with Freddie Sayers

The stage is set for a new WWI

18 snips
Apr 30, 2026
Odd Arne Westad, Yale historian of the Cold War, outlines why today mirrors the late 19th/early 20th century rather than a Cold War. He explores multipolar rivalry, regional contests around Ukraine and Taiwan, technological-driven strategic fear, alliance pressures and how miscalculation could cascade into wider conflict.
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INSIGHT

Today's Rivalry Is Multipolar Not Cold War

  • The present rivalry is not a Cold War but a multipolar contest resembling the late 19th century.
  • Odd Arne Westad points to multipolarity, shared economic integration, and lack of ideological divide as key differences from the Cold War.
INSIGHT

Structural Parallels With Pre 1914 Era

  • The world mirrors pre-1914 through a rising power, contested regional order, and retreating globalization.
  • Westad links China to rising Germany, regional contest in East Asia, and receding globalization fueling nationalism.
ANECDOTE

Elites Were Close Yet War Came Anyway

  • Pre-1914 elites were socially integrated yet still went to war despite ambassadors being friends and royal cousins.
  • Westad recalls Kaiser Wilhelm as Queen Victoria's favourite grandson who still led Germany into conflict.
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