Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine

General David Petraeus and historian Andrew Roberts examine military history and warfare from 1945 to the present day. Petraeus commanded US-led coalitions in Iraq during the Surge and in Afghanistan, and served as CIA director. Roberts is a prize-winning historian. Together they analyze over 70 years of conflict to draw lessons about military strategy and what leaders must learn from the past to navigate future challenges. The book traces the evolution of warfare from Cold War conflicts through Putin's invasion of Ukraine. It explores how critical mistakes have been repeated throughout history and examines the difficulty leaders face in adapting to new weapon systems, theories, and strategies. Case studies include the Arab-Israeli wars, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the two Gulf Wars, the Balkan wars in the former Yugoslavia, the Soviet and Coalition wars in Afghanistan, and guerrilla conflicts in Africa and South America. The book concludes with an analysis of Putin's invasion of Ukraine as a case study in leaders' failure to learn from history, and assesses the nature of future warfare. It addresses the evolution of conflict from 1945 through modern battlefields, lessons from repeated strategic mistakes, global conflict zones, and technologies and strategies that will define future warfare.