In this enlightening discussion, historian Richard Overy, expert on World War II and European dictators, delves into the complexities of warfare in his latest book, 'Why War?'. He analyzes the historical significance of conflict, drawing on insights from Einstein and Freud regarding human nature. Overy highlights how early warfare fostered cooperation, explores ecological drivers of violence, and contrasts resource-driven conflicts with belief-based wars. The conversation also touches on the unpredictable nature of power dynamics and the enduring presence of warfare in society.
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insights INSIGHT
Historians' Approach to War
Historians tend to focus on specific wars or battles, rather than the overall nature of war.
They prefer hard facts over speculation, unlike anthropologists or archaeologists.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Einstein-Freud Correspondence
Einstein, invited by the League of Nations, chose to correspond with Freud about war.
Freud's disappointing response attributed war to an inherent human destructive urge.
insights INSIGHT
Defining War
The definition of war is debated: some limit it to modern state conflicts, while others include earlier forms of collective violence.
Overy favors the broader view, encompassing raids, ambushes, and ritual violence.
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Jim talks with historian Richard Overy about his new book Why War? They discuss historians' shyness in thinking about the nature of war, a correspondence between Einstein & Freud, the meaning of the term, the "pacified past," the interplay between warfare & cooperation, recent ethological studies of chimpanzees, conformity, 4 major types of anthropological evidence, the status of warriors over time, ecological drivers of war, Marxian analyses of war, hubristic warfare, Rome's centuries of warfare, the illusion of security, the future of war, and much more.
Episode Transcript
Why War?, by Richard Overy
Richard Overy is Honorary Research Professor in the University of Exeter. He spent his teaching career at Cambridge, King's College London, and Exeter. He is the author of more than 30 books on World War II, air power, and the European dictators, including Why the Allies Won, Russia's War, The Air War 1939-1945, and most recently Blood and Ruins: The Last Imperial War 1931-1945, which won the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History and the Society for Military History's Distinguished Book Award for 2023. His next book, Rain of Ruin, on the bombing of Japan is due out in March 2025. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He lives between Italy and England.
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