This paper represents an effort to bring new light to the unique scientific legacy of the Soviet Marshal B. Shaposhnikov. By applying his cautionary advice to the present day, we can identify the underlying causes of the decline in strategic thinking among the world’s leading powers. Strategic theory, as a method of scientific analysis, sits at an intersection of disciplines. Born of military thought, it soon caught the attention of historians. Today, the field of strategic theory is being increasingly contested by political scientists and foreign affairs analysts. The disconnect between strategy and policy remains one of the most dangerous pitfalls in state governance. While the problems, achievements and contradictions of strategy usually appear topical and relevant, they are best revealed in a wider historical context.

This research was funded by the grant from the Russian Science Foundation, Project no. 23-28-00622 “Strategic Culture of the Great Powers in the 20th – 21st Centuries: A Comparative Historical Analysis (as illustrated by the cases of Russia and the United States)” realized at the Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, INION RAN.