Book SummaryBattlegrounds, by H. R. McMaster

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Battlegrounds

The United States has an attitude problem. It views the world through a self-centered lens, based on the assumption that US actions and policy decisions are the main driving force behind global events. This worldview comes in two flavors—unwarranted optimism about the US’s ability to solve other countries’ issues and self-recrimination that all the world’s problems are somehow the US’s fault for interfering. Because of this distorted worldview, Gen. H.R. McMaster contends the US and its democratic allies are losing influence on the global stage at a time when authoritarian aggression is on the rise and the balance of power in the world is realigning.

In Battlegrounds, published in 2020, McMaster, who served as US national security adviser, says the US needs a strong dose of empathy—in particular, the ability to see the world through the eyes of its competitors and adversaries. The conceit of American policymakers is that the US is the fulcrum of the world. This blinds them to the goals and ambitions of rival powers such as Russia and China, while denying the historical and emotional motivations that underlie the actions of other countries’ leaders. Gaining a more realistic view of the nations and groups with which the US contends will better prepare the democracies of the world to defend against threats and compete in the modern global...

Battlegrounds Summary American Assumptions

McMaster describes how poor fundamental assumptions have clouded US foreign policy in ways that are detrimental to itself and other nations. First among these is the belief that democracy and capitalism are inevitable systems that all countries will naturally shift to over time. The second bad assumption is that after the Cold War and the Gulf War, no adversary would consider armed conflict with the US military to be viable. In this section, we’ll look at these flawed assumptions and how they’ve played out in multiple corners of the world.

Capitalist Democracy

McMaster explains that after the Cold War, the US was gripped by a euphoric sense of hope that the ideological battles of the 20th century were over. Americans’ overriding assumption was that democratic governments and capitalist economies would flourish in the post-Soviet world, without any great effort or support from the US itself. This attitude has led to policies of appeasement toward dictatorial regimes, such as those toward China and Iran, in the hope that they will eventually “soften,” as well as the removal of US support from nations in transition, such as Afghanistan and Iraq, where democracy had the...

Battlegrounds Summary The Other Point of View

America’s self-centered worldview isn’t limited to its most recent military conflicts—it has defined the US foreign policy ever since the nation took on the “superpower” mantle. McMaster suggests that the solution is for the US to learn to see through the eyes of its allies and adversaries, to recognize them as independent agents with their own historical and emotional motivations, and to understand how those motivations drive their actions. In this section, we’ll examine five points of conflict between the US and other parts of the world through the lens of history, political motivations, and the different forms that conflict takes. The specific “hot spots” McMaster identifies are Russia, China, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and North Korea.

Russia

After the Cold War, the US expected that the new Russia would become one of its allies in the democratic world. However, under Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s leadership fights to return to the glory days of the Soviet Union, with its new authoritarian regime fueled by wealthy oligarchs instead of Communists. McMaster explains Putin’s emotional motivations and the methods by which Russia is reasserting itself as a...

Battlegrounds Summary Necessary Pivots

As McMaster shows, there are plenty of global challenges facing the United States, and while none can be ignored, they can be met so long as the American people and their leaders set aside their simplistic, self-centered worldview and embrace long-term goals instead of short-term objectives. McMaster sets out strategies the US should adopt in order to help defend the free world and remain competitive as a leading world power. These include remaining vigilant against open aggression, using truthful information to counter the propaganda of oppressive regimes, turning American diversity into a strength, and reaffirming education as a fundamental bulwark of democracy.

Answer Aggression With Vigilance and Truth

First, it’s vital to acknowledge that there are authoritarian forces in the world that view democratic nations as a threat to their power. McMaster insists that the US must stand firm against these forces, whether they be governments or terrorist organizations. America and its allies must be prepared for conflict while improving their defense against cyberattacks and making use of information media to counter the narratives spread by oppressive regimes.

McMaster...

Shortform Exercise: How Empathetic Is Your Worldview?

McMaster contends that US foreign policy is distorted by its policymakers’ America-centric outlook, which includes a failure to view the world through the eyes of those who lead and live in other countries. As individuals, many people may fall into the same trap of not seeing the world from outside their cultural lens. Consider the attitudes you may have about people who don’t share your cultural and political outlook, whether they live in other countries or your own.

Think of a country whose policies are generally considered to be hostile to yours. What do you know about that country's government? What are its leaders’ fundamental motivations?