David P. Calleo, 1934–2023

Abstract

Abstract The late David P. Calleo was a long-standing contributing editor to Survival and one of the most original and multifaceted scholars of his generation. An American himself, he became known as a critic of US imperial overstretch, arguing that the US hegemonic role threatened the equilibrium of both the world system and the American domestic political economy. Yet his critique embedded a deep appreciation for America’s early post-war engagements, especially in Europe. He believed Europe needed more centralised diplomatic and military structures to cultivate greater strategic autonomy, while the US system of centralised federal hegemony was increasingly dysfunctional – in effect, that Europe needed to become more like America, and America more like Europe. Calleo warned against the pitfalls of the triumphalist ‘unipolar’ world view, including the rapid enlargement of NATO with scant regard for Russian interests.