Description
This paper will draw on two 'classics' of the literature: Clausewitz's On War and Weigley's The American Way of War to interpret President Trump's strategic beliefs. As BISA marks its 50th anniversary, and the relevance of IR and War Studies is questioned, this paper will argue that a return to the classics of our discipline has much to offer scholars. Indeed it can provide a powerful conceptual lens for understanding the 'Black Swan' phenomena that is the Trump presidency.
Weigley's 20th century classic (1973) identified the quest for decisive victory as the core characteristic of the American Way of War. However, President's Trump's first term in office, and his 2024 campaign rhetoric would suggest a break with this approach, and indeed with other American Ways of War such as Boot's 'Small Wars' (2002).
To interpret Trump's break with the historical tradition of the American Way of War this paper will step back into the 19th century and draw on concepts Clausewitz articulated in On War (1832). Clausewitz, and readings, and re-readings, of his text have understood war as a social phenomena characterised by:
- the continuation of politics/policy by other means
- war as a realm of chance, hazard, and friction
- war as a space of violence with a tendency to intensify and escalate towards an ideal type of "absolute war".
This paper will suggest that Trump's rhetoric, and to an extent his actions resonate and rhyme with 2. & 3. rather than 1. the aphorism typically associated with Clausewitz. The Trumpian imagination does indeed see war as realm of hazard, chance, and intensifying violence. Thus, war is ultimately to be avoided and lacks utility as a tool of policy/politics.
