School of War: Recent Episodes
Nebulous Media
This podcast seeks to learn what war teaches. There has been a steady decline in the study of military history and its associated theoretical discipline, strategy.This podcast seeks to fill that gap through in-depth interviews on military and diplomatic history. Our guests have included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis, and China Select Committee chairman Mike Gallagher. We discuss the battlefield commanders, diplomats, strategists, policymakers, and statesmen who have had to make wartime decisions in the ancient and modern eras.The subject of an episode may be an historical battle, campaign, or conflict; the conduct of policy in the course of a major international incident; the work of a famous strategist; the nature of a famous weapon; or the legacy of an important military commander or political leader.
Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
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Mick Ryan, Major General (retired) in the Australian Army and author of White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan, joins the show to talk about the war today in Ukraine, the potential war in Taiwan, and the changing character of war itself. ▪️ Times • 02:22 Introduction • 05:49 China on Australia’s radar • 11:56 Ukrainian progress • 17:26 Timeframe • 24:00 “We’re helping them tread water. We’re not helping them swim.” • 27:37 What is China learning from Ukraine? • 35:20 Can China pull off its own Operation Neptune? • 41:12 Looking to the past • 44:35 White Sun War • 51:23 Everything new is old
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http://schoolofwar.substack.com
Wayne Lee, Bruce W. Carney Distinguished Professor of History at UNC and author of The Cutting-Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in Eastern North America, 1500-1800, joins the show to talk about war in the ‘Eastern Woodlands’, both before and after European contact. ▪️ Times • 01:48 Introduction • 02:50 Coincidences • 07:19 “Woods and rivers, deer and rabbits, corn and beans” • 12:51 Unused land • 19:29 Sacred spaces • 21:56 Strategic objectives • 28:35 Why not occupy? • 32:50 Logistics • 41:57 The role of the prisoner • 49:10 Something like the truth • 54:34 Offense and defense
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David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London, joins the show to talk about what the status of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has to teach us about the enduring relevance of fortifications and the defense as a form of war. ▪️ Times • 02:02 Introduction • 02:16 Modern War • 03:36 Counteroffensive progress • 06:08 Tracking events • 11:08 Russia’s defensive scheme • 23:07 Fortified strategic complex • 32:9 Maginot reconsidered • 40:47 The pendulum • 48:07 What if…
To read the article discussed on this episode click the link - Russian fortifications present an old problem for Ukraine - JULY 20, 2023 DAVID J BETZ
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Antulio J. Echevarria, General Douglas MacArthur Chair of Research at the U.S. Army War College and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the most influential military thinkers of the modern age, Antoine-Henri Jomini. ▪️ Times • 01:55 Introduction • 02:22 Who was Jomini? • 06:13 A charlatan? • 08:57 Summary of the Art of War • 11:50 Clausewitz vs Jomini • 14:26 The center of gravity • 16:03 Lines of operation • 21:21 Regard for the enemy • 24:44 Interpreting Napoleon • 28:09 Mahan and Jomini • 30:47 Air power • 31:55 Clausewitz revival • 34:02 Jomini today
Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district and Chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to talk about why the Korean War should be front-of-mind for American policymakers and strategists. ▪️ Times • 02:06 Introduction • 04:05 Wolf-warrior diplomacy • 10:42 A new Cold War • 13:05 T.R. Fehrenbach • 22:25 “This stuff matters” • 25:25 Task Force Smith • 29:44 Route clearances • 31:23 Inchon • 35:06 Truman’s failures • 38:19 Eisenhower brings balance • 42:24 China has gotten stronger
Follow along on Instagram And here is a link to checkout the article Aaron and Mike wrote for Foreign Affairs Why America Forgets and China Remembers the Korean War
Mark McGrath and Brian “Ponch” Rivera, from AGLX consulting and the hosts of the No Way Out podcast, join the show to talk about the man behind the OODA Loop and one of America’s most influential strategic thinkers, Joh Boyd. ▪️ Times • 02:09 Introduction • 02:59 Who was John Boyd? • 06:03 “40 Second” Boyd • 08:05 Air to air combat • 09:45 OODA Loop • 14:20 Getting inside the enemies loop • 18:44 Fast transience • 21:41 Patterns of Conflict • 26:27 Military reformer • 29:46 Blitzkrieg and Entebbe • 37:43 Detractors
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For more on John Boyd and from Mark and Brian check out the No Way Out Podcast
Aaron O’Connell, Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, joins the show to talk about the “founding fathers” of 20th century geopolitical thought: Mahan, Mackinder, and Spykman. ▪️ Times • 01:46 Introduction • 02:20 From Marine to scholar to the NSC • 06:24 Alfred T. Mahan • 12:27 Choke points, decisive battle, and battleships • 15:45 Security through imperialism • 18:08 Chinese Mahanians • 20:33 China’s crowded neighborhood • 21:27 Halford Mackinder • 28:56 Heartland rising • 31:36 Inner and outer crescent • 33:01 Nicholas Spykman • 37:55 The nature of power • 39:03 Containment • 42:11 The American role • 46:22 The path of partnerships
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Charles Edel, senior adviser and Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the founding architects of American foreign policy, John Quincy Adams. ▪️ Times • 01:33 Introduction • 02:20 Democratic strategy • 04:43 Adams • 08:03 Early threats to the Republic • 13:20 A potential challenger to Europe • 18:10 Unity and strength • 25:08 “In search of monsters to destroy” • 30:07 British parallels • 34:11 Slavery • 38:36 Public service Follow along on Instagram
Max Hastings, journalist, military historian, and author most recently of Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962, joins the show to talk about the world’s brush with World War III. ▪️ Times • 01:41 Introduction • 01:59 From journalism to history • 07:06 Recollections • 09:40 Castro and the Bay of Pigs • 19:46 Overflights • 26:46 Quarantine and blockade • 33:45 Russian floundering • 35:52 Dealmaking • 40:07 Uncomfortable proximity • 42:36 Spheres of influence
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Holger Afflerbach, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Leeds and author of On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War, joins the show to talk about the origins of the First World War, how much Germany is to blame, and why the July Crisis of 1914 is relevant in 2023. ▪️ Times • 01:59 Introduction • 02:46 Fritz Fischer • 10:34 1914 and today • 15:24 The Kaiser • 21:54 Bethmann Hollweg • 27:46 Military necessity • 37:25 How did Germany lose? • 44:10 Murderers or sleepwalkers? For context, and a better sense of the events unfolding in 1914, checkout the National World War One Museum Interactive Timeline and Summer 1914 Day By Day.
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Mark Galeotti, director of Mayak Intelligence, host of the In Moscows’s Shadow podcast, and author of Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, joins the show to talk about the post-Cold War Russian Armed Forces. ▪️ Times • 02:13 Introduction • 04:26 The peak • 10:04 In decline • 13:04 A day in the life of a ’90s Russian soldier • 16:23 The First Chechen War • 21:17 Putin and Chechnya • 24:42 Russia’s claims • 35:10 Modernization • 40:49 Historical karma in Ukraine • 46:10 Big picture • 48:20 Ukraine’s counter-offensive • 51:49 Wagner and Prigozhin
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Hew Strachan, Bishop Wardlaw Professor at the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about Carl von Clausewitz. ▪️ Times • 02:10 Introduction • 04:31 Serious-minded • 09:43 On War • 11:54 Deconstruct to construct • 15:19 Distinctions in war • 24:07 The American embrace of Clausewitz • 28:00 Context is everything • 32:14 Politics by other means • 36:24 Clausewitz the Marxist • 40:05 Absolute and Total
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Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at the Kissinger Center at Johns Hopkins SAIS and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about French grand strategy during the 16th and 17th century rivalry between the Bourbons and Habsburg Spain. ▪️ Times • 02:41 Introduction • 04:35 A nagging curiosity • 06:59 Sully at the start • 13:27 The genesis of a struggle • 21:19 French internal cohesion • 26:51 Naval power • 29:28 Religious factions and Richelieu • 32:14 The 30 Years War and France • 36:22 The fruits of disorder • 41:44 Defender of the faith • 44:41 Mazarin • 49:48 Hegemonic France • 53:56 Rapid-fire lessons Follow along on Instagram
Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and author of Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace, joins the show to discuss the Russian general Kutuzov, the hero of 1812. ▪️ Times
• 00:53 Introduction • 01:31 18th century Russia • 04:00 A young officer • 08:57 Modernization • 12:11 Catherine’s wars • 14:30 International relations • 17:00 Shot in the head - twice • 22:11 Promotions • 29:18 Tolstoy’s take on Kutuzov • 32:32 Czar Alexander • 39:21 Austerlitz • 48:28 Grand strategy in 1812 • 57:21 Tolstoy and reality • 1:02:09 Legacy
Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and author of Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine, joins the show to discuss how politics and military command are inextricably linked. ▪️ Times
• 01:08 Introduction • 02:01 Command • 05:44 Politics and generalship • 08:00 MacArthur myths • 11:59 Educating future commanders • 15:50 France’s end of empire • 22:57 Democratic drawbacks • 27:51 Putin’s position • 33:49 Ukraine endgame • 37:27 Better off without Putin • 39:09 Winter is coming
William Inboden, executive director and William Powers, Jr. Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin and author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, joins the show to discuss Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy. ▪️ Times
• 01:32 Introduction • 02:09 Inheriting détente • 06:13 The Soviet understanding • 09:56 Deterring strength, exploiting weakness • 13:42 Religious Reagan • 17:32 Bush as teammate • 20:54 Win without fighting • 25:47 Contradictions • 30:00 South and Central America • 35:35 Gorbachev • 40:23 Did Reagan’s approach work? • 43:53 Kissinger • 45:09 Reagan as manager • 50:07 Reagan’s legacy on the Right
Ian Beckett, professor emeritus of military history at the University of Kent and author of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, joins the show to talk about the two most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War. ▪️ Times • 01:58 Introduction • 02:22 British interests in Zululand • 06:52 The Zulu system • 09:55 The British plan • 13:12 The horns of the buffalo • 16:49 Isandlwana • 26:44 Innate warriors • 29:14 Aftermath • 33:18 Movies and myths • 42:11 Rorke’s Drift • 48:38 Firepower wins out • 53:56 A western way of war?
Tom Cotton, senator from Arkansas and author of Only the Strong: Reversing the Left's Plot to Sabotage American Power, joins the show to talk about U.S. foreign policy. ▪️ Times • 01:03 Introduction • 03:43 Formative Interests • 06:47 Bill Rood And The Distant Ramparts • 11:13 Joining The Infantry • 13:30 Iraq & Afghanistan • 18:39 Congress • 21:19 Foreign Entanglements • 25:54 Progressivism • 32:06 Vietnam • 38:52 Iran • 44:26 Withdrawal • 47:15 American Interests And The Rimland
James M. Scott, author of Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, joins the show to talk about the World War II career of one of the most important and controversial American generals of the 20th Century, Curtis LeMay, and his leadership of the strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific. ▪️ Times
• 02:00 Introduction • 03:02 Teaching In Japan • 06:27 Lemay, Tireless Worker • 09:47 Bomber Vs Fighter • 11:43 Europe, B-17, and B-29 • 19:54 Hansel & O’Donnell • 30:00 LeMay Takes Over • 32:37 From Dresden To Tokyo • 35:10 On His Own Authority • 40:26 “We’ll Be Tried As War Criminals” • 43:07 Firestorm • 49:06 What Brought Peace?
Randall Schriver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific affairs and Chairman of the Project 2049 Institute, joins the show to talk about U.S.-China relations and a new project, the China Economic & Strategy Initiative.
Times • 02:10 Introduction • 03:36 “Take Chinese Language” • 11:21 Why 2049? • 13:40 China In The ’90s • 18:13 Power Projection and Missiles • 28:10 The Diplomatic Situation • 35:00 Economic Entanglement • 42:44 Decoupling • 47:32 Urgency And Policy • 52:00 Deterrence
Check out the China Economic & Strategy Initiative here - https://cesionline.org
Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff ▪️ Jay Lockenour, associate professor of history at Temple University and author of Dragonslayer: The Legend of Erich Ludendorff in the Weimar Republic and Third Reich, joins the show to talk about the life of the infamous German general and politician. ▪️ Times • 01:30 Introduction • 02:00 Ludendorff’s Significance • 03:08 Ludendorff’s Early Life • 05:02 Not Quite A Matinee Idol • 07:13 The German General Staff • 11:43 A General Without Portfolio • 17:50 The War And The Myth • 22:23 For The Record - The German Military Lost • 26:12 The Early 1920’s • 29:49 Erich And Adolf • 34:10 Ludendorff And The Right • 37:00 The Holocaust And Ludendorff
Eli Lake, host of The Re-Education and national security journalism fellow at the Clements Center, joins the show to talk about 9/11 and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. ▪️ Times
• 02:04 Introduction • 02:43 From Philly To The Middle East • 05:14 9/11 • 07:49 The World Before • 09:20 No More Nation Building • 12:03 Neo-Cons Or Not • 18:09 Liberal Internationalists • 22:05 Early Mistakes • 29:08 Baking In Problems • 32:46 The Bonn Conference • 37:04 Capable Of Being Free • 41:04 Toppling Sadam - Right or Wrong? • 45:47 WMDs And Insurgency • 53:25 New Strategies • 56:51 The Surge • 59:01 The Loss Of Choice
Ian Easton, senior director at the Project 2049 Institute and author of The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy, joins the show to talk about Xi Jinping, the ideology that shaped Jinping and by which he rules, and why his vision for the world should not be dismissed. ▪️ Times
• 01:56 Introduction • 02:22 Interested In China • 05:01 Discovering Taiwan • 10:32 Perceptions Of The PRC • 13:11 How The Chinese Government Works • 17:47 Who Is Xi Jinping? • 23:42 The Tactics Of Ideology And Control • 26:29 The “Scourge Of The Corrupt” • 29:36 Authentic Socialism • 31:25 Does China’s Communism Matter? • 37:04 The Blending Of Communism And Nationalism • 43:04 Exporting Xi Jinping Thought • 49:19 Absolute Control • 52:41 Does Xi Jinping Have Rivals? • 56:04 Optimisim To Pessimism In Taiwan • 01:04:00 It’s Not All Dark
Hal Brands, Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University, join the show to talk about how an armed confrontation with China could be coming more quickly than most expect. ▪️ Times
• 01:30 Introduction • 02:28 Danger Zone • 05:13 A Matter Of Timing • 07:55 A Thucydides Trap? • 13:07 Historical Analogies and 1914 • 20:32 Getting To The Long Game • 25:37 Sleepwalking Into War? • 31:10 China’s Problems And Plans • 35:06 The “Lenin Trap” • 36:44 Why Does Taiwan Matter? • 40:27 Commitments And Capabilities • 44:37 What Will War Look Like? • 48:24 Cold War Lessons • 52:22 Getting Through The Danger Zone
Michael S. Neiberg, Chair of War Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, joins the show to talk American policy towards Vichy France. ▪️ Times
• 01:21 Introduction • 02:15 Vichy France - An Overview • 06:38 A Phony War • 09:16 American Assumptions Pre-war • 13:09 Isolationism No Longer Works • 24:30 Roosevelt’s Policy • 28:45 Stress In The Anglo-American Alliance • 33:03 American Vision Of A Post-War World • 36:00 Vichy Unveiled • 39:01 Chaos In North Africa • 43:19 Vichy’s Shame • 51:57 de Gaulle
Ocie Vest, retired Marine infantry officer, joins the show to talk about his experiences as a platoon commander in the Battle of Marjah and later as a combat leader in Nimruz Province, lessons learned in training and in combat, and how the war can continue after the fighting ends. Second of a two-part conversation. ▪️ Times
• 01:27 Violent Months • 06:15 “Do Whatever Those Guys Do” • 09:42 Tactical Adaptation • 13:32 A Fighting Exit • 18:03 “That Sucked…Why’d We Want To Do That So Bad?” • 21:29 Dispersed Operations • 26:36 Nimruz Province • 30:43 Hope For The Future • 34:39 Leadership • 36:11 Medically Retired, Twice • 38:53 The Work Works • 45:47 “Now Its Up To Them”
Ocie Vest, retired Marine infantry officer, joins the show to talk about his experiences as a platoon commander in the Battle of Marjah and later as a combat leader in Nimruz Province, lessons learned in training and in combat, and how the war can continue after the fighting ends. First of a two-part conversation.
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• 01:46 Introduction • 02:24 Joining The Marines • 03:55 Quantico • 09:00 Becoming An Infantry Officer • 20:22 Camp Lejeune • 27:21 False Start • 35:06 Crossing The Line Of Departure • 40:49 On The Job Learning • 44:40 Marjah • 50:43 First Combat • 59:11 Sustained Combat • 1:02:45 Different Neighborhood, Different War
Alexander Watson, Professor of History at Goldsmiths, University of London, joins the show to talk about the Eastern Front in World War One, and how the events of 1914/15 foreshadowed tragedies to come and the crisis in Ukraine today. ▪️ Times • 01:43 Introduction • 02:40 WWI In The East • 05:29 Battlefield - Austria-Hungary • 10:10 The Austro-Hungarian Army • 13:28 Coveted Galicia • 17:44 1914 - A Primordial Soup • 19:02 The Siege Begins • 26:27 Przemysl’s Defensive Plan • 29:50 The Russians Take A Direct Approach • 36:08 Inside A City Under Siege • 40:19 Total Exhaustion • 44:45 Military And Human Consequences • 50:00 Birthplace Of The Bloodlands • 55:09 Strange Ends
Maps Courtesy of United States Military Academy West Point
Eastern Europe, 1914 and Planned Army Concentration Areas in Central Europe, 1914
Operations on The Eastern Front to 20 September 1914
Charlie Laderman, lecturer at King’s College London and co-author of Hitler's American Gamble, joins the show to talk about his latest book, which covers the crucial days between the attack on Pearl Harbor and Hitler’s perplexing declaration of war on the United States.
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• 01:52 Introduction • 02:50 Wasn’t War Inevitable? • 07:12 Japan And Germany - Strange Bedfellows • 11:10 Hitler’s Blurred Vision • 14:45 Japan - Will They, Won’t They Attack • 15:51 Churchill’s Outlook • 22:58 Anti-Interventionist Sentiment • 26:57 Anti-Semitism • 31:18 Roosevelt Sees Things Clearly • 35:21 A War With Germany, Not Japan • 38:40 Catastrophic German Strategic Errors • 43:23 Hitler’s American Gamble • 49:15 Pearl Harbor Condemned The European Jews • 53:54 Alarmingly Relevant Parallels
Brendan Simms, Professor at the University of Cambridge, and his co-author, Steven McGregor, a U.S. Army vet, join the show to talk about their new book, The Silver Waterfall: How America Won the War in the Pacific at Midway. ▪️ Times
• 02:12 Introduction • 02:30 Why Write About Midway? • 05:54 Strategic Situation In The Pacific • 08:26 Who Is Chester Nimitz? • 11:02 Small Scale Start To The Large Scale Fight • 14:20 Intelligence Breaches And Carrier Combat • 17:12 Dueling Carrier Doctrines • 22:09 Lt. Dusty Kleiss On The Day Of Battle • 24:45 Hide And Seek In The Pacific Ocean • 28:45 Finding The Kido Butai At Midway • 30:53 To Dive Bomb Or Not • 32:11 Never Call Me A Hero • 33:38 A Fine Days Work • 36:23 Preparation + Opportunity = Luck
Andrew Corbett, author of Supreme Emergency: How Britain Lives With the Bomb, joins the show to talk about what it’s like commanding one of Her Majesty’s deadliest weapons, how deterrence policy actually works, and why Britain has the Bomb. ▪️ Times
• 01:45 Introduction • 02:12 Why Join The Royal Navy? • 03:31 What’s In A Name? • 05:31 Day To Day Life • 10:33 Disorienting Conditions • 12:35 The Fighting Sub • 16:58 The Sound Of Silence • 21:50 The Nuclear Triad • 24:12 Developments Under The Sea • 26:05 The British And The Bomb • 30:12 Command By Sub-Committee • 32:23 Extreme Secrecy • 37:35 Morality In Nuclear Weapons • 45:04 Why Should The UK Have Nukes • 50:07 Who Shouldn’t Have Nukes • 54:46 Extended Deterrence
Steven Pressfield, author of A Man at Arms and Gates of Fire, joins the show to talk about writing historical fiction, telling the truth about war, and why the hardest part of art is “doing the work” .
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• 01:38 Introduction • 03:49 Why Historical Fiction? • 08:25 Creating The “Distant Mirror” • 12:12 Special Forces • 14:17 Characters • 19:44 A Man at Arms • 22:01 Post-Warrior Life • 23:46 The Warrior Ethos • 27:20 Society Needs, But Doesn’t Want, Warriors • 32:52 Citizen-Soldier • 34:10 Reading History • 37:48 Characters Are Uncovered, Not Made • 40:19 The War Of Art • 45:52 Telling Stories
Barry Strauss, Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, joins the show to talk about Octavian, Antony, and Cleopatra, and the battle of Actium, the clash that “made the Roman Empire”.
Times
• 02:04 Introduction • 02:36 Events Leading To Actium • 07:45 What Breaks The Second Triumvirate • 13:29 Strategy Is Not Sterile • 15:04 Antony’s Will, Octavian’s Weapon • 20:24 Caesar’s Inheritance • 22:42 Audacious Agrippa • 25:26 Ancient Marines And War In The Mediterranean • 31:18 Breakout Is Victory • 38:27 Antony In Defeat • 42:16 End Game
Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and host of both the Cryptonite podcast and Jewish Insider’s Limited Liability podcast, joins the show to talk about economic sanctions and financial warfare.
Times
• 01:30 Introduction • 08:19 The Dollar Is Still King • 10:10 Access Is Everything • 13:00 Whom Do Sanctions Effect • 15:42 Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears A Crown • 21:50 Warfare By Other Means • 30:20 Working With Allies • 38:33 Exquisite Calibration • 43:42 Usurping The Power Of The Dollar • 49:02 Integrated Deterrence • 51:01 The Potency Of Sanctions
Guy MacLean Rogers, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Classical Studies at Wellesley College and author of For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews Against Romans, 66-74CE, joins the show to talk about the great uprising of the Jewish people against Rome—including moments that resonate to the present day, like the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem and the siege of Masada.
Times
• 02:20 Introduction • 04:21 The Jewish Revolt In Roman History • 08:09 Flavius Josephus • 13:41 Herod the Great • 22:29 Little Causes, Big Revolt • 26:40 The Leadership Of Rebellion • 30:11 Jewish Strategy And Logistics • 35:03 Vespasian • 41:04 The Temple • 50:01 The End of the Sacrificial Cult • 52:01 Destruction of the Temple • 56:00 The End Of The Revolt • 1:01:02 Josephus’ Speeches • 1:06:13 Could The Jews Have Won?
Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures.
Times
• 01:25 Illicit Economies • 04:13 Green Berets And CIA “Lost The Forest For The Trees” In Kunar • 06:57 Who Is Jim Gant? • 11:36 Self-Aware Proxy Warriors • 13:42 Counterinsurgency Styles and Outpost Building • 20:44 Central Government - Whether They Want It Or Not • 33:18 Cash For Calm - Paying For Peace • 37:22 War Winds Down In The Pech • 41:30 The Afghan House Of Cards Collapses • 44:13 A Tired Afghan Army With No Good Options
Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan
Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech Valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures. This episode is part 1 of 2.
Times
02:52 Introduction
04:28 From Princeton to The Pech
07:25 The Age Dynamic
09:46 Fighting Styles In Helmand Province
12:42 The Episodic Nature Of Fighting In Afghanistan
13:42 The Terrain Of The Pech Valley
17:11 Seeking Bin Laden In Kunar
18:43 Kafiristan - Daniel Dravot’s Dream
20:27 Special Forces - A Tool For Every Task
24:21 The Role Of Seal Team Six and Delta Force
29:36 Seeking The Enemy
31:23 Who Was The Enemy In The Pech?
33:58 The Timber Mafia
Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine II
Fred Kagan, Senior Fellow and Director of Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss where the war in Ukraine stands, how initial Russian designs failed, and where the conflict is headed.
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02:14 Introduction
03:22 Accurate Predictions
06:45 The Baffling Russian Attack on Kyiv
08:36 A River Runs Through…The Russian Plan
10:22 Operational Design 101
13:22 Back To Basics - Reading Terrain Still Matters
16:33 Russian Objectives In The East
21:51 Russian Command And Control
26:29 Ukrainian Strikes On Senior Russian Officers
28:38 Russian Objectives In The South
33:06 Putin Still Seeking Total Victory?
36:42 Russian Game-plan For The South Coast
39:18 Transnistria
42:27 False Flags - Putin’s Comfort Zone
44:01 Moldovan Capabilities
47:46 Force Is A Kind Of Failure
50:47 Putin’s Options
54:48 Deterrence And Nuclear Taboos
Ukraine Maps 05/02/2022 per ISW
Ep 26: Andrew Lambert on the Crimean War
Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College, joins the show to discuss the Crimean War, including why it shouldn’t have been called by that name. Professor Lambert also explains the relevance of the Crimean War to today’s war in Ukraine.
Times • 01:28 Introduction • 02:20 Causes of the Crimean War • 07:57 Flashpoint in the Holy Land • 12:31 Steamships and Strategy • 16:34 Functional Dysfunction in Policymaking • 21:44 Why Target Sevastopol? • 26:44 What Went Wrong • 31:47 The Press and Public Opinion • 36:31 Reading Events Incorrectly • 38:57 The Baltic Campaign • 45:30 Mahan and Corbett Interpret the War • 48:39 Ukraine War - An Echo of the Crimean War • 55:34 Can Russia Re-Integrate Into The Global Community? • 58:32 Will Putin Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons?
Waller Newell, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Carleton University, joins the show to discuss tyranny and tyrants—and Vladimir Putin in particular.
Times
02:05 Introduction
03:43 Let's talk about Vladimir Putin
05:40 What is the Russian "Soul"?
07:19 Quote from "The Russian Idea"
08:40 Who was Nikolai Berdyaev?
09:54 Is Berdyaev an influence on Aleksandr Dugin?
11:05 The West has a hard time understanding non-economic motivations. Why?
13:06 Who is Aleksandr Dugin?
15:21 “Eurasian Nationalist Bolshevism”
16:55 Rehabilitating Stalin
18:40 Are we seeing a perpetuation of Tsarist Russia?
20:40 What is fascism?
22:35 The many types of tyranny
25:12 What kind of tyrant is Putin?
26:50 Why has millenarian tyranny appeared so relatively recently in history?
29:51 The relationship between liberalism and millenarian tyranny
31:25 The next ten years in Russia
34:00 Did Putin know what he was getting himself into in Ukraine?
35:36 The prospect of Russian and Chinese collaboration in the future
36:55 Who drives Chinese policy - Xi Jinping or the Chinese Communist Party?
38:56 Staying sane while studying tyrants
42:10 What should we be reading to better recognize hostile actors for what they are?
Richard Overy, professor of history at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss World War II and the wars of imperial aggression.
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02:23 - Introduction
04:24 - Imperialism prior to World War II
06:00 - Nations as empires
08:32 -Traditional imperialism versus the Axis Powers' concept
11:02 - Who is Halford Mackinder?
13:14 - The development of Germany's vision of empire
14:36 - German war aims in World War I and World War II
17:02 - Germany and the East
22:16 - The Japanese vision of empire
25:01 - How Japan modernization
26:33 - Japan's methods of rule
27:50 - American and the USSR
34:06 - World War II book recommendations
James Holmes, the J.C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, joins the show to discuss sea power, the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of war in the Pacific Times
00:58 - Introduction
01:57 - Time spent considering Russia and the NATO alliance’s naval power
04:05 - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grand strategy
05:35 - What does Ukraine mean to Putin?
06:58 - The Crimean War
10:32 - Closing the Bosporus
16:15 - Does the war end well for Putin?
21:28 - Zelensky’s survival
23:12 - Worst-case scenario for Putin
25:43 - What the outcome in Ukraine will mean for Taiwan
28:35 - China’s challenge in Taiwan
31:02 - How security concerns in the early American Republic influence China’s thinking
35:25 - Should the United States shift national security focus to Asia?
Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss tank warfare from its origins to the battlefields of Ukraine
Times
01:13 - Introduction
02:02 - The creation of the tank
07:48 - Parallel technological development of tanks and aircraft
14:20 - Developing thoughts on employing tanks leading into World War II
18:24 - Blitzkrieg and the role of armored vehicles, speed, and communication during invasions
24:13 - The Soviet Union's invasion of Finland
28:07 - The development of armored technology during the Arab-Israeli wars after World War II
35:06 - Russia's strategy for invasion, the likelihood of Putin overtaking Ukraine, and the future of the tank
Matthew Kroenig, Professor in the Department of Government and Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and Director of Studies at the Atlantic Council, joins the show to discuss Russian nuclear doctrine and what it means for the war in Ukraine.
Times
00:49 - Introduction
01:07 - Forecasting Russia's potential gains in Ukraine
02:45 - The nuclear dimension in Ukraine
05:05 - Russian nuclear doctrine: escalate to de-escalate
10:52 - Potential U.S. responses to Russian nuclear strikes on NATO allies
12:54 - Perceptions of nuclear weapons, from the Cold War to now
15:46 - Battlefield nuclear tactics
18:32 - Russian thinking on employing chemical weapons
21:05 - U.S. nuclear weapons policy
25:44 - Scenarios when Russia would use nuclear weapons
27:16 - Putin's rationale and next steps
29:21 - Russian strikes and potential fault lines in Western unity
32:30 - U.S. reliance on Russia's brokerage of a nuclear deal with Iran
Ep. 20: Bill Roggio on Ukraine
Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the Long War Journal, joins the show to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
01:10 - Introduction 7:32 - Assessing Russian objectives in Ukraine 13:25 - Russian shortfalls 23:12 - Limits on Russian resources 28:37 - Does the lack of preparation hurt Russian troops? 32:21 - No fly zones 38:36 - Escalation scenarios 43:00 - Prospects for insurgency 49:32 - How does this end?
Fred Kagan, Director of Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss the first week of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Times: 00:42 - Introduction 01:40 - The situation at present 06:39 - Nature of original build-up of Russian forces 14:50 - Russian strategic and operational style 17:47 - Lack of political preparation 20:44 - Putin's background 24:22 - Will Russia win? 30:14 - What are Putin's weaknesses? 34:20 - What happens next if Kyiv falls? 39:41 - Impact on American national security
Bruce Jones, director of the Project on International Order and Strategy of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, joins the show to discuss seapower.
Times
00:51 - Introduction
01:17 - The importance of seapower today
06:45 - Innovation of container shipping and how that changed the global economy
12:50 - China re-enters the seas
16:54 - China’s security challenges at sea
22:44 - Shallow seas, narrow passages, and massive ships
24:06 - China’s strategic interest in Taiwan
26:10 - China’s alienation of potential allies
29:08 - American strategic view of the Pacific Ocean
34:41 - Relations between the United States and India, specifically in terms of taking on China
39:12 - Seapower theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan
44:55 - Comparing America’s quest for power at sea during the 20th century and China’s return to the sea today
48:48 - The role of oceanography in nation-state power competition
Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, joins the show to discuss the Napoleonic Wars.
Times
01:12 - Introduction
07:38 - How did European attitudes toward Napoleon change over his life?
13:34 - Nuances of nationalist sentiment Napoleon inspired
15:13 - Napoleonic wars, French hegemony, and geopolitics
20:23 - Napoleon's youth and the French Revolution
24:49 - Napoleon's early campaigns and his rise to power
29:16 - What is the Napoleonic way of war?
33:43 - What is Combined Arms and what are its advantages?
37:42 - What is the Eastern Question to Napoleon?
45:55 - How did Napoleon think about the Western Hemisphere?
53:46 - What remains of Napoleon's legacy after the Congress of Vienna?
Link Book: The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History
Is the United States Navy prepared for war? Retired Navy Captain Gerry Roncolato joins the show to discuss the past, present, and future of American maritime power.
Times
02:08 - Introduction
03:31 - Is the U.S. Navy prepared for a great-power war?
04:59 - The Navy during the Interwar Period and the Battle of Guadalcanal
09:41 - The experience of war at sea
16:30 - Historical examples—and lessons for the Navy today—in Roncolato’s article, A Warfighting Imperative: Back to Basics for the Navy
20:49 - Alarming incidents during operations at sea and underlying problems
27:23 - Are the troops adequately prepared for war at sea?
38:20 - Books aspiring officers should read
40:52 - Maneuver warfare at sea
48:20 - Managing troops in the barracks versus maneuvering men in battle
Link Roncolato’s article, A Warfighting Imperative: Back to Basics for the Navy
Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College, London, joins the show to discuss British strategist Julian Corbett and his vision of seapower at the turn of the 20th century.
Times
01:37 - Introduction
02:02 - The British Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries
04:43 - Corbett as a lawyer, novelist, and strategist
09:05 - The Boer War and the future of the British Empire
13:26 - Corbett’s education on the principals of British power
16:12 - Britain’s power on land versus at sea
19:04 - British power in the Mediterranean
22:30 - How Corbett differentiates himself from Alfred Mahan
28:14 - The principles at the core of Corbett’s strategy
35: 56 - Maritime strategy throughout history
37:29 - An argument for a continental strategy
41:28 - What Corbett envisioned during World War I
51:43 - How Corbett’s ideas apply to British and American military strategy today
Historian Kevin Hymel joins the show to discuss the life and leadership of the American World War II general most feared by the Nazis: George S. Patton.
Times
01:48 - Introduction
04:38 - Recently uncovered details about General Patton
08:38 - History’s first draft
10:51 - How Patton became one of the most famous World War II leaders
13:35 - Patton before the war
17:34 - Patton in North Africa
23:08 - Problems with General Dwight D. Eisenhower
26:55 - Patton’s leadership style
28:20 - Fighting in Tunisia
32:49 - Patton’s risk calculations
34:16 - Patton’s behavior, temperament, and treatment of other officers
43:05 - The Civil War and Patton’s strategy in North Africa
45:00 - Patton’s role in Sicily
49:49 - Shell shock and Patton's anti-Semitism
55:21 - Sicily and combat stress
Journalist and author Thomas Clavin joins the show to discuss the harrowing journey of Joe Moser, an American fighter pilot during World War II and the subject of Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival.
Times
01:41 - Introduction
03:33 - Why a book on Joe Moser
09:44 - The Lockheed P-38 Lightning
11:09 - August 13, 1944
13:48 - Nazis send Moser to Buchenwald
15:44 - Buchenwald and the concentration camp system
17:48 - Karl-Otto and Ilse Koch
19:36 - Life at Buchenwald
21:34 - Colonel Phil Lamason
23:00 - Hannes Trautloft and Moser’s survival
27:27 - Leaving Buchenwald
31:47 - Joe after the war
Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, joins the show to discuss the Cold War's lessons for great-power rivalry today.
Times
01:24 - Introduction
02:47 - Halford Mackinder and how Eurasian geopolitics framed the Cold War
05:37 - Mackinder's theory of the heartland
07:47 - China's Belt and Road Initiative as an application of Mackinder's theory
09:07 - Comparing the United States' approaches to the USSR and China
13:04 - Nuclear power during the Cold War
17:24 - How Cold War-era nuclear logic applies today
21:02 - No first use policy
26:56 - The Nixon administration's critique of containment strategy
29:58 - The collapse of the Soviet Union
32:15 - Theories of victory that led to the Vietnam War
35:08 - End of the Cold War
39:17 - Infrastructure needed to fight the Soviets in the United States, and what the U.S. needs to take on China today
44:02 - China's moves to decouple economically from the United States
46:47 - The United States' harrowing responsibility to take on adversarial powers
John Matteson, Distinguished Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, joins the show to discuss how the Civil War—and in particular the fall of 1862—left its mark on the nation's culture and on some of its most famous citizens.
Times
01:25 - Introduction
03:28 - Fall of 1862
09:19 - Matteson's selection of Americans included in A Worse Place Than Hell
12:17 - Oliver Wendell Holmes and the 20th Massachusetts
16:13 - John Pelham
18:23 - Holmes, Pelham, and the battle of Antietam
23:56 - Holmes, Pelham, and the battle of Fredericksburg
27:23 - Valor and luck in battle
30:22 - The 20th Massachusetts in the battle of Fredericksburg
36:38 - Walt Whitman
40:17 - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Recorded December 7, 2021
Shane Brennan, associate professor of history at the American University in Dubai, joins the show to discuss the new Landmark edition of Xenophon's Anabasis, which he co-edits. The Anabasis, long unjustly neglected, is Xenophon's classic memoir of war and command in the lands which today constitute Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.
Times
01:26 - Introduction
05:07 - Who was Xenophon
06:09 - Late 5th century Athens
09:07 - Prince Cyrus of Persia
12:17 - The Greek's position and Xenophon's rise to leadership
16:46 - The army's path though Syria, Iraq and Turkey
20:42 - The end of Xenophon's expedition
23:42 - Xenophon's lessons for military leadership today
27:40 - Importance of Xenophon's work
Recorded December 9, 2021
Biography David Stahel is a senior lecturer of history at the University of New South Wales in Australia. His research focuses on European military history, specifically Nazi-Soviet warfare from 1941-1945. Stahel is the author of several books, including his latest, Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941-1942.
Times
01:29 - Introduction
06:33 - Germany sends troops into the Soviet Union, summer 1941
12:24 - Flaws in Germany's plan
14:50 - "Cauldron" battle
22:10 - Culpability of German soldiers for atrocities during Operation Barbarossa
26:55 - Germans cede land to the Soviet Union, winter 1941-1942
29:38 - German's defensive position and strategy during the winter
39:11 - Ideology and military strategy
45:20 - Applicable lessons to strategists today
Recorded on November 23, 2021
Biography H.W, Brands is the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his doctorate in history. He is the author of thirty books, including two which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize: The First American and Traitor to His Class. His latest book, released November 9, is Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution.
Times
01:51- Introduction
07:36 - The sidelining of the Loyalists in American history and memory
12:53 - Individual decisions in the context of the Revolutionary War
18:42 - The Indian population and Joseph Brant
23:20 - The decision to rebel
Recorded on November 9, 2021
Biography John McManus is the Curators' Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. McManus completed his doctorate in military history at the University of Tennessee and is the author of more than a dozen books. His latest, Island Infernos: The US Army's Pacific War Odyssey, 1944, is the second installment of a trilogy detailing the U.S. Army's role in the Pacific theater during World War II.
Times
01:12 - Introduction
03:38 - Misperceptions of the Army and Marines in Guadalcanal
08:44 - The Army's role in the Pacific
12:46 - Geography of the Pacific and dividing the theater between General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz
18:30 - Island hopping and the turning point in the Pacific theater
22:26 - The infantry's experience in combat
23:52 - The Pearl Harbor Conference and the endgame of war in the Pacific
31:55 - General Joseph Stilwell and China
38:39 - Prisoners of War in Japan
41:32 - The legacy of the War in the Pacific
Recorded November 23, 2021
Biography Frank Ledwidge is a senior fellow of law and strategy at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England. Ledwidge served as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve and later worked in British foreign policy, focusing on the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In 2015, Ledwidge earned his doctorate in War Studies at the King's College in London. He is the author of several books, including Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, Investment in Blood: The True Cost of Britain's Afghan War, and Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies.
Times
01:14 - Introduction
04:27 - Origins and importance of airpower in the World War I
10:43 - From air reconnaissance to air bombings
12:43 - The Interwar Period and the "prophets" of air war
17:57 - How air bombing theories influence British and American World War II strategy
22:04 - Air raid casualties
29:05 - Control of the air during the Cold War
34:49 - Perceptions of the U.S.'s mistaken bombing of the Chinese Embassy
36:49 - Airpower in modern wars
38:57 - Theories of air warfare applied to space
Recorded November 2, 2021
Biography Wayne Hsieh is a history professor at the United States Naval Academy. He served on the State Department's provincial reconstruction team in Iraq from 2008 to 2009 and is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the Army's Commander's Award for Civilian Service and the State Department's Meritorious Honors Award. Hsieh is the author of numerous articles and the co-author of The Savage War: A Military History of the Civil War. Times
01:17 - Introduction
06:50 - Hostility toward studying Robert E. Lee
12:50 - Lee and West Point
15:18 - Senior leadership of Confederate and Union armies at West Point
17:17 - Lee's job as a junior officer in the Army Corps of Engineers
19:17 - Lee's rise during the Mexican War
23:27 - Ulysses Grant
26:21 - Stereotypes and temperaments of Civil War leaders
31:50 - What drives Lee's tactical decision-making
34:07 - Lee's strategic mistake
Recorded October 6, 2021
Biography Sean McMeekin is a professor and historian who focuses on early 20th century Europe. In addition to his latest book, Stalin's War: A New History of World War II, McMeekin is the author of The Russian Revolution: A New History, July 1914: Countdown to War, and The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923, as well as several other books. McMeekin currently serves as the Francis Flournoy Professor of European History at Bard College in New York. Times
02:02 - Introduction
05:35 - The American understanding of Russia and Joseph Stalin in World War II
09:12 - Politics and Stalin's legacy
11:37 - Stalin's foreign policy prior to WWII
17:40 - Stalin secures the Japanese non-aggression pact
24:03 - The Soviets push for a war between Japan and the United States
27:29 - Harry Hopkins and the Lend-Lease Policy
33:58 - Stalin as an ally
37:17 - Demanding unconditional surrender
40:16 - Debate over what compelled the Japanese to surrender
42:03 - Reception of Stalin's War
Recorded October 6, 2021
Biography Andrew Roberts is a professor, author, and military historian. He's written or edited nearly 20 books, including biographies of Sir Winston Churchill and Napoleon, as well as his latest title, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. Roberts is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the War Studies Department at King’s College, London. Times
03:02- Introduction
04:05 - Why King George?
06:20 - How Britain wages war
13:39 - Party and class politics
15:44 - Britain's military strategy during the Revolutionary War
19:10 - Comparisons between the Revolution and World War II
20:30 - Fabian strategy in the Revolution
23:15 - George III's role in the War
25:52 - Forming new regiments
28:01 - What the British learn from their defeat
31:32 - Modern American portrayals of King George III
33:23 - Critiquing King George III's leadership and performance
Recorded September 17, 2021
Biography Daniel Bolger is a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Army. A graduate of the Citadel, Lt. General Bolger earned five bronze stars during his time in the military. He served as the commander of several units, including the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, as well as the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan. He earned a Ph.D. in military history form the University of Chicago and currently teaches at North Carolina State University.
Times
02:04 - Introduction
03:15 - Why Maurice Rose?
06:30 - What we know about Rose
10:39 - Rose's Motivations and relentless leadership
12:31 - Tank divisions in World War II
17:14 - Tank warfare following D-Day and maneuvering through the bocages
22:29 - Rose's command in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket
27:06 - Exhaustion and perseverance during battle
29:55 - What it takes to be a successful commander
34:07 - The final months of the War for Rose
40:09 - Leadership in today's forces
Recorded August 27, 2021
Biography H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. He is the author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.
Times
03:10 - Introduction
04:02 - Biography
06:35 - Leading Eagle Troop
08:16 - Post Cold War preparation for Desert Shield and Desert Storm
15:17 - The Battle of the 73 Easting
23:17 - Advantages of the American military
26:12 - Overconfidence in American military dominance
29:16 - China's reaction to the Gulf War and technological development
32:30 - China's tactics
35:04 - The Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan
Recorded August 31, 2021