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Modern Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine: A Lowy Institute Paper
The foremost authority on modern war in the English-speaking world examines Europe’s most important conflict since World War II
More than any other modern war, the fight between Russia and Ukraine has been a tough testing ground for modern weapons and operational concepts.
Drawing on extensive research into the conduct of the war during its first year, Sir Lawrence Freedman assesses the contrasting strategies of the two sides. Ukraine has fought along classical lines, seeking victory through battle. Russia has adopted a more total approach, combining conventional battles with attacks on Ukraine’s socio-economic structure. Freedman explains why the apparently superior Russian force has been unable to defeat and subjugate Ukraine.
More than any other modern war, the fight between Russia and Ukraine has been a tough testing ground for modern weapons and operational concepts.
Drawing on extensive research into the conduct of the war during its first year, Sir Lawrence Freedman assesses the contrasting strategies of the two sides. Ukraine has fought along classical lines, seeking victory through battle. Russia has adopted a more total approach, combining conventional battles with attacks on Ukraine’s socio-economic structure. Freedman explains why the apparently superior Russian force has been unable to defeat and subjugate Ukraine.
288 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2024
31 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence Freedman
96 books252 followersSir Lawrence David Freedman, KCMG, CBE, PC, FBA is Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 18, 2025
Still topical, though obviously pre-Trump so from a different time, the book presents persuasive and reasoned analysis on learnings from the 2022-23 period of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The one drawback which seems have become a peccadillo of mine, is it doesn't speak to the impact of climate change on warfare. There's reference to its effects: particularly rainy seasons, boggy tracks and more frozen winters. Yet this strand isn't picked up and put together, which is a shame.
That said, its a relatively short book and small time investment. So from that perspective the cost benefit is through the roof - definitely worth the short time taken to read it.
The one drawback which seems have become a peccadillo of mine, is it doesn't speak to the impact of climate change on warfare. There's reference to its effects: particularly rainy seasons, boggy tracks and more frozen winters. Yet this strand isn't picked up and put together, which is a shame.
That said, its a relatively short book and small time investment. So from that perspective the cost benefit is through the roof - definitely worth the short time taken to read it.
March 16, 2025
“Peace negotiations do not represent an alternative to war. They are best viewed as a continuation of war by other, non-violent means.”
August 2, 2024
A good primer for the uninformed
The book summarizes the war in Ukraine up to mid or late 2023.
It lacks depth, and reads like a summary of news articles with very little new information or insight.
If you are completely unfamiliar with the history of the war in Ukraine, this is the book for you.
The book summarizes the war in Ukraine up to mid or late 2023.
It lacks depth, and reads like a summary of news articles with very little new information or insight.
If you are completely unfamiliar with the history of the war in Ukraine, this is the book for you.
January 19, 2024
An incredibly accessible analysis of a very complicated military and diplomatic situation. An excellent read for anyone interested in understanding the first year and a half of the Ukraine-Russia war.
May 1, 2024
This is a specialist publication, a small-market paperback produced by the Lowy Institute through Penguin. This review reflects that.
First things first; Sir Lawrence Freedman knows his stuff. He is Professor Emeritus of War Studies at King's College London. In many ways, he is THE authority on modern warfare, and on the conflict in Ukraine. I have studied his works at university, and enjoyed his book, Strategy.
These two factors - Freedman's acknowledged mastery of the subject matter, and the fact this is a book designed (theoretically) for an expert audience - are what make me rate it relatively low. I feel it's a bit of a missed opportunity. The title is "Modern Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine" and so I was expecting more actual, well, lessons.
As a summary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 - 2023, I think "Modern Warfare" is very skillfully executed, if a bit dry (but then again, this is an academic text). However, there is precious little in the way of lessons - it is almost entirely narration, with some contextual analysis. In his conclusion, Freedman points to 8 lessons (and a surprise 9th) that Putin should have heeded prior to starting a war, but as Freedman himself points out, he had already identified those lessons in a previous study, and they were generic and universal.
I was hoping for specificity; what the war in Ukraine can teach us about how the employment of fires, EW, drones, armour, autonomous land systems, targeted information operations, cyberattack, what have you. What I got was a summary of the war itself. Absolutely fine if you know nothing about the conflict, great as a primer even, but not what I was hoping for.
_______
Star rating:
⭐ - extremely disappointing
⭐⭐ - missed opportunity, not for me
⭐⭐⭐ - Good
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - masterful, genre-defining, classic
First things first; Sir Lawrence Freedman knows his stuff. He is Professor Emeritus of War Studies at King's College London. In many ways, he is THE authority on modern warfare, and on the conflict in Ukraine. I have studied his works at university, and enjoyed his book, Strategy.
These two factors - Freedman's acknowledged mastery of the subject matter, and the fact this is a book designed (theoretically) for an expert audience - are what make me rate it relatively low. I feel it's a bit of a missed opportunity. The title is "Modern Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine" and so I was expecting more actual, well, lessons.
As a summary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 - 2023, I think "Modern Warfare" is very skillfully executed, if a bit dry (but then again, this is an academic text). However, there is precious little in the way of lessons - it is almost entirely narration, with some contextual analysis. In his conclusion, Freedman points to 8 lessons (and a surprise 9th) that Putin should have heeded prior to starting a war, but as Freedman himself points out, he had already identified those lessons in a previous study, and they were generic and universal.
I was hoping for specificity; what the war in Ukraine can teach us about how the employment of fires, EW, drones, armour, autonomous land systems, targeted information operations, cyberattack, what have you. What I got was a summary of the war itself. Absolutely fine if you know nothing about the conflict, great as a primer even, but not what I was hoping for.
_______
Star rating:
⭐ - extremely disappointing
⭐⭐ - missed opportunity, not for me
⭐⭐⭐ - Good
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - masterful, genre-defining, classic
July 9, 2024
A very good quick analysis of the Russo-Ukraine War that started with Russia's inept attempt to seize Kyiv in February 2022. Freedman analyzes how the two nations found themselves at war after years of growing conflict. Freedmen frames the war as a mix of different war paradigms from classic to total with a mix of the vaunted Russian "hybrid" approach.
Some of the best work in the book is in analyzing why cyberwarfare that was so touted as the future of modern conflict did not play out like its advocates. Instead of being blinded and rendered ineffective during a cyber Pearl Harbor of sorts, the Ukrainians had been able to harden their infrastructure and place many key resources beyond Russian reach. In the end it never really impacted the Ukes that much.
Freedman also does a good job diagnosing why a ceasefire or even peace deal in the conflict seems so far fetched. For both sides this is an existential conflict, the Ukrainians cant afford to let Russia retain some seized key territories and still be a ongoing threat. It means rolling over and ceding too much sovereignty. Putin cant afford anything but a resounding victory as he has bet his entire administration, legacy and even life on the success of the war
Some of the best work in the book is in analyzing why cyberwarfare that was so touted as the future of modern conflict did not play out like its advocates. Instead of being blinded and rendered ineffective during a cyber Pearl Harbor of sorts, the Ukrainians had been able to harden their infrastructure and place many key resources beyond Russian reach. In the end it never really impacted the Ukes that much.
Freedman also does a good job diagnosing why a ceasefire or even peace deal in the conflict seems so far fetched. For both sides this is an existential conflict, the Ukrainians cant afford to let Russia retain some seized key territories and still be a ongoing threat. It means rolling over and ceding too much sovereignty. Putin cant afford anything but a resounding victory as he has bet his entire administration, legacy and even life on the success of the war
October 27, 2024
For anyone following the War in Ukraine and modern warfare in general, this is well worth picking up. Professor Freedman not only summaries many of the important events of the war up to late 2023 but also concentrates on strategic considerations and modern warfare in general. Excellent work.
August 11, 2024
A really good overview of the lessons we can learn about modern warfare from the current Ukrainian war. Short and to the point. Leaves out a discussion of the politics and the historical background to the war which is fine for a book about this topic - the title says it all.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews