Great man theory being incorrect can be taken too far. It’s incorrect to also say that individual choices are inconsequential.
Had Trump been in power, Ukraine wouldn’t have been confident of US backing, and so would have folded early in the game.
The broader centuries-long conflict between Russia / China and the western empire would have remained, great man theory being incorrect works here. But it takes it too far to insist the individual choices made by people with great power don’t shape global events on the scale of years or decades.
Like, had Gore been president during 9/11 then it’s unlikely the US would have invaded Iraq because that was a project for a particular political faction in the US. So individual choices can impact history a lot. But of course had Gore been president there still would have been games being played in the Middle East.
Great man theory being incorrect can be taken too far. It’s incorrect to also say that individual choices are inconsequential.
Had Trump been in power, Ukraine wouldn’t have been confident of US backing, and so would have folded early in the game.
The broader centuries-long conflict between Russia / China and the western empire would have remained, great man theory being incorrect works here. But it takes it too far to insist the individual choices made by people with great power don’t shape global events on the scale of years or decades.
Like, had Gore been president during 9/11 then it’s unlikely the US would have invaded Iraq because that was a project for a particular political faction in the US. So individual choices can impact history a lot. But of course had Gore been president there still would have been games being played in the Middle East.