Ukraine Proves There’s No Substitute for Hard Power

The ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, if successful, could reshape the war and the geopolitical contours of Europe.

It is a testament to Ukrainian pluck and staying power but, above all, to the advanced weapons that the West has put in the hands of the Ukrainians.

Soft power, the coinage of political scientist Joseph Nye for the ability of a country to get others to do what it wants without coercion, is important; hard power is absolutely indispensable.

This is easy to forget in a West that believes deeply in democratic ideals and moral example. Even if it is true, as optimists believe, that the arc of moral history bends toward justice, an armored division can smash and bend it back.

The history of the West is in part the history of arms races, in fortresses, cannons, ships, rifles, aircraft, and much else.

Empires have risen and fallen on the strength of military hardware. Cities have conquered or been destroyed. Armies have triumphed or dissolved.