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Welcome to The Gládio Review.

This journal explores the foundations of geopolitics through the study of the classic texts of strategy, statecraft, and international relations. Rather than focusing on daily political commentary, the aim of this publication is to return to the thinkers who first grappled with the enduring problems of power, war, and political order.

Across centuries, historians, philosophers, and strategists have sought to understand how states rise and fall, how geography shapes political competition, and why conflict between great powers recurs throughout history. The works they produced remain among the most important guides to understanding international politics today.

The Gládio Review examines these foundational texts and considers how their insights continue to illuminate the modern world.

Where to Begin

The best place to start is the series Foundations of Geopolitics, which explores a selection of classic works that have shaped strategic thought.

This series will include essays on the following thinkers and texts:

• The History of the Peloponnesian War – Thucydides
• The Art of War – Sun Tzu
• The Prince – Niccolò Machiavelli
• Leviathan – Thomas Hobbes
• On War – Carl von Clausewitz
• The Influence of Sea Power upon History – Alfred Thayer Mahan
• The Geographical Pivot of History – Halford Mackinder
• America's Strategy in World Politics – Nicholas Spykman
• Diplomacy – Henry Kissinger
• The Tragedy of Great power Politics – John Mearsheimer

Together, these works form a kind of intellectual map of geopolitical thought – from the ancient world to contemporary theories of international relations.

The Idea Behind the Journal

Modern geopolitics is often discussed in terms of current events, breaking news, and short-term analysis (let alone internet babel). Yet the deeper patterns of international politics – competition between states, the role of geography, the strategic calculations of leaders – have long been studied by earlier thinkers.

By returning to these primary texts, The Gládio Review seeks to recover the enduring principles of strategy and statecraft that continue to shape world affairs.

For New Readers

If you are new to the study of geopolitics, begin with the essay on Thucydides, whose account of the Peloponnesian War remains one of the earliest and most profound analyses of power politics.

From there, the series progresses through the major thinkers who helped define how we understand strategy, geography, and international order.

Over time, the goal of this publication is to build a growing library of essays that serve as a guide to the classic works of geopolitical thought.