John Lewis Gaddis discusses the future of the Long Peace

Historian John Lewis Gaddis, a professor of military and naval history at Yale University and an influential expert on the Cold War, discusses the concept of ‘The Long Peace’. Originally articulated in his 1987 essay, the term describes the period since World War II where, despite various regional conflicts, major powers have avoided direct warfare and nuclear weapons have not been used in combat.

The discussion examines whether this era of stability is ending. While the core premises remain—no direct super-power war and no nuclear use—the rise of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Sudan, and Yemen, alongside the perceived decline of international institutions, raises questions about the future of global stability and the effectiveness of deterrence.