Wars still shape the world, but they are increasingly being fought differently than before. Wilfried von Bredow takes stock of the last two decades and at the same time takes a look into the future. He makes clear how strongly the causes and effects of military conflicts have become globalized, examines the role of warlords, private mercenary troops and arms companies, and analyzes how drones, disinformation and other means of asymmetrical warfare are changing the balance of power. The book offers an overview of the currently most important conflict regions and makes the basic mechanisms of modern wars in a multipolar world understandable - from the attacks by international terrorist groups to Russia's seemingly classic territorial war against Ukraine.

Wilfried von Bredow, born in 1944, is a political scientist and journalist. During his time as a professor of international politics at the Philipps University of Marburg, he spent several years at foreign universities. His publications include numerous books and essays on German foreign and security policy as well as articles for the newspapers FAZ, NZZ and WELT.