Can Smaller Powers Have Grand Strategies? The Case of Rwanda

The conventional wisdom is that grand strategy has always been a great power phenomenon, and previous scholars have predominantly focused on countries with great military and economic capabilities. In this article, we propose that smaller states can have a grand strategy, considering how the country deploys national resources in response to external challenges and opportunities, and how this is largely impacted by the country’s historical memory. We explore how Rwanda defines grand strategy as a country, followed by an examination of the country’s major external challenges and possibilities, and then a discussion of the national pathologies that drive Rwanda’s grand strategy and decision-making process. Finally, we analyze the critical instruments Rwanda employs in its grand strategy and how the African nation dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.