Hal Brands

Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger distinguished professor of global affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the author, most recently, of  The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World.

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Articles by Hal Brands
A black-and-white photo shows soldiers carrying guns and wearing helmets, seen from behind as they head toward something burning on the horizon. Plumes of smoke billow into the sky.
A black-and-white photo shows soldiers carrying guns and wearing helmets, seen from behind as they head toward something burning on the horizon. Plumes of smoke billow into the sky.

The 20th Century’s Lessons for Our New Era of War

Excerpt
Hal Brands
Illustration of a torn map of Europe revealing Donald Trump
Illustration of a torn map of Europe revealing Donald Trump

Trump’s Return Would Transform Europe This article has an audio recording

Essay
Hal Brands
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration
China-military-readiness-war-us-taiwan-Doug-Chayka-illustration

How Primed for War Is China? This article has an audio recording

Essay
Michael Beckley, Hal Brands
An illustration shows a stylized globe with a crack through it. A hand with a wrench tightens the screw atop the globe.
An illustration shows a stylized globe with a crack through it. A hand with a wrench tightens the screw atop the globe.

The Field of Geopolitics Offers Both Promise and Peril

Essay
Hal Brands
An illustration shows overlapping cannons or missile barrels pointing in different directions coming out of a map of Taiwan. A U.S. flag is in a barrel on one side and a China flag in a barrel on the other.
An illustration shows overlapping cannons or missile barrels pointing in different directions coming out of a map of Taiwan. A U.S. flag is in a barrel on one side and a China flag in a barrel on the other.

Deterrence in Taiwan Is Failing

Essay
Hal Brands
An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.
An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.

The Battle for Eurasia This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Hal Brands
Chinese President Xi Jinping in front of a Chinese flag at a ceremony in Hong Kong.
Chinese President Xi Jinping in front of a Chinese flag at a ceremony in Hong Kong.

What Does China Want?

Excerpt
Hal Brands, Michael Beckley
A group of German children stand atop building rubble to cheer a U.S. cargo plane as it flies over a western section of Berlin in 1948 as American and British forces airlift food and supplies to after Soviet forces surrounded and closed off the besieged city. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
A group of German children stand atop building rubble to cheer a U.S. cargo plane as it flies over a western section of Berlin in 1948 as American and British forces airlift food and supplies to after Soviet forces surrounded and closed off the besieged city. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Why Superpower Crises Are a Good Thing This article has an audio recording

Analysis
Hal Brands
arms race-senor-salme-illustration-site
arms race-senor-salme-illustration-site

The Art of the Arms Race

Analysis
Hal Brands
china-decline-deena-so-oteh-illustration-hp
china-decline-deena-so-oteh-illustration-hp

The Dangers of China’s Decline This article has an audio recording

Essay
Hal Brands
The Russian and Chinese national flags are seen on the table as Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his China's President Xi Jinping stand during a signing ceremony at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014.
The Russian and Chinese national flags are seen on the table as Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his China's President Xi Jinping stand during a signing ceremony at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014.

Opposing China Means Defeating Russia

Analysis
Hal Brands
This is the Davis Montham Air Force Base, It is an Aerospace Maintenance Regeneration Center, It is also known as the Bone Yards where they store old B52's, It symbolizes the Cold War and the National debt. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
This is the Davis Montham Air Force Base, It is an Aerospace Maintenance Regeneration Center, It is also known as the Bone Yards where they store old B52's, It symbolizes the Cold War and the National debt. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

America’s War for Global Order Is a Marathon

Excerpt
Hal Brands
Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves after making a toast during a welcome banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2017. Wu Hong/Getty Images
Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves after making a toast during a welcome banquet for the Belt and Road Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2017. Wu Hong/Getty Images

China Is a Declining Power—and That’s the Problem This article has an audio recording

Argument
Hal Brands, Michael Beckley
Man gets vaccine
Man gets vaccine

America’s Come-From-Behind Pandemic Victory

Argument
Hal Brands
Filipinos burn mock Chinese flag during an anti-China protest in Makati, Philippines.
Filipinos burn mock Chinese flag during an anti-China protest in Makati, Philippines.

America Will Only Win When China’s Regime Fails

Argument
Zack Cooper, Hal Brands
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