School of War

School of War

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 former 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, o...

Ep 179: Phillips O’Brien on Grand Strategy in WW2

Ep 179: Phillips O’Brien on Grand Strategy in WW2

Phillips O’Brien, chair of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews and author of The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini, and Hitler--How War Made Them and How They Made War, joins the show to discuss the nature of strategic decision making in World War II and beyond.▪️Times     •      01:50 Introduction    •      02:48 Germany 1st debunked    •     06:50 A matter of choices      •      08:20 Management styles      •     11:23 FDR the navalist       •      14:42 Strat

Feb 21, • 53:42

Ep 178: Mark Montgomery on Cyber War

Ep 178: Mark Montgomery on Cyber War

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at FDD and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, joins the show to discuss how prepared (or ill-prepared) the U.S. is for cyber warfare.▪️Times     •      03:24 Introduction    •      04:20 America: A Target Rich Environment    •     05:59 Cyber and mobilization      •      08:35 What actually happens?     •      11:36 Automation       •      16:18 Salt and volt typhoon    •      22:04 Continuity of the economy      •

Feb 18, • 52:48

Ep 177: Christopher Kolakowski on Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.

Ep 177: Christopher Kolakowski on Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.

Christopher Kolakowski, director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and editor of Tenth Army Commander: The World War II Diary of Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., joins the show to discuss the most senior U.S. officer killed by enemy action in WWII, Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. ▪️Times     •      01:44 Introduction    •      02:15 In the shadows    •     03:53 Fathers and sons     •      06:28 Childhood     •      09:30 West Point Commandant of Cadets       •      16:03 Alaska ’41    •      20:18

Feb 14, • 52:18

Ep 176: David Betz on Modern Fortification

Ep 176: David Betz on Modern Fortification

David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London and author of The Guarded Age: Fortification in the Twenty-First Century, joins the show to discuss how fortification is alive, well, and everywhere. ▪️Times     •      01:22 Introduction    •      01:53 A default condition    •     13:20 Why is that there?     •      22:13 Alexandrian foundations     •      28:50 Security and mobility        •      39:53 The pendulum swings    •      48:54 Intrigue  Follow along

Feb 11, • 51:51

Ep 175: Mick Ryan on War & Fiction

Ep 175: Mick Ryan on War & Fiction

Mick Ryan, a retired major general in the Australian Army and author of War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict, joins the show to discuss future-war fiction and the possible futures of current wars.▪️Times     •      01:23 Introduction    •      02:10 Tom Clancy    •     05:40 Accessibility     •      07:14 The Battle of Dorking     •      09:57 White Sun War       •      13:39 Diplomatic failures    •      15:40 Friction     •      18:50 Israel

Feb 7, • 38:01

Ep 174: Hal Brands on the Long Struggle for Eurasia

Ep 174: Hal Brands on the Long Struggle for Eurasia

Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, joins the show to discuss the continued relevance of geopolitics.▪️Times     •      01:29 Introduction    •      01:54 Twentieth century    •     03:29 Advent of geopolitical theory    •      07:08 Land versus sea     •      13:09 Authoritarianism       •      17:40 Strug

Feb 4, • 38:09

Ep 173: Tom Karako on America’s Iron Dome

Ep 173: Tom Karako on America’s Iron Dome

Tom Karako, Senior Fellow and Director of the Missile Defense Project at CSIS, joins the show to discuss what President Trump’s executive order on missile defense portends.▪️Times     •      01:15 Introduction    •      02:08 Dawn of missile defense     •     05:50 Ups and downs    •      10:40 Arguments against     •      14:50 Capabilities      •      18:45 A layered defense    •      22:20 Cost     •      26:42 Tried and tested      •      28:21 A “Pearl Harbor” Pearl Harbor Follow along on I

Jan 31, • 30:30

Ep 172: Eric Chewning and Tom Moore on the Warship Production Crisis

Ep 172: Eric Chewning and Tom Moore on the Warship Production Crisis

Eric Chewning and Thomas Moore of HII join the show to discuss America’s military shipbuilding challenges, and their potential solutions.▪️Times     •      01:32 Introduction    •      01:55 Origins     •     07:08 An eroded defense industrial base     •      10:20 Shipbuilding in 2025      •      17:11 Deindustrialization      •      21:46 Learning curves    •      27:00 Contract economics     •      32:26 Japan and South Korea      •      37:39 Thinking about the whole problem       •

Jan 28, • 47:33

Ep 171: I Am André: German Jew, French Resistance Fighter, British Spy

Ep 171: I Am André: German Jew, French Resistance Fighter, British Spy

Diana Mara Henry and Gabe Scheinmann join the show to discuss the new book I Am André: German Jew, French Resistance Fighter, British Spy, which charts the astonishing, brave, and tragic World War II career of ‘André’ Joseph Scheinmann.▪️Times     •      01:50 Introduction    •      03:01 The story of a fighter     •     09:26 Born in Munich       •      11:87 Citizen without a country     •      17:08 Liaison to the High Command      •      21:46 MI6      •      25:20 Spycraft     •      30:27

Jan 24, • 1:05:14

Ep 170: Evan Mawdsley on WW2 in the Central Pacific

Ep 170: Evan Mawdsley on WW2 in the Central Pacific

Evan Mawdsley, Honorary Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow and author of Supremacy at Sea: Task Force 58 and the Central Pacific Victory, joins the show to discuss the successful 1944 U.S. naval campaign through the Central Pacific in World War II.▪️Times     •      01:36 Introduction    •      02:27 The Central Pacific     •      11:15 Carrier air power     •     14:31 Embracing the task force       •      20:00 Replenishment at sea     •      24:28 A campaign for airbase

Jan 21, • 50:04

Ep 169: Dmitry Filipoff on Naval Warfare in 2025

Ep 169: Dmitry Filipoff on Naval Warfare in 2025

Dmitry Filipoff, associate research analyst at the Center for Navy Analyses, joins the show to discuss the U.S. Navy surface component and the grave challenges it faces.▪️Times     •      01:19 Introduction    •      02:09 Lessons from the Red Sea     •      06:35 Friendly fire      •      10:55 Depletion       •      13:45 2027      •      18:07 How do fleets fight?     •      21:47 Scope and scale       •      24:57 “Catastrophic destruction”     •      29:00 The first few hours    •      34:3

Jan 14, • 46:10

Ep 168: Nadège Rolland on China’s Vision of Strategic Space

Ep 168: Nadège Rolland on China’s Vision of Strategic Space

Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow, China Studies, at the National Bureau of Asian Research and author of Mapping China's Strategic Space, joins the show to discuss how to better understand the geopolitical premises of China’s strategic elites.▪️Times     •      01:36 Introduction    •      02:04 Strategic space     •      05:05 Mao’s strategic vision      •      11:12 Origin points      •      17:10 Geopolitical dimensions     •      20:25 Finding answers     •      26:35 Encirclement       •

Jan 7, • 53:46

Ep 167: Dan Blumenthal and Kyle Balzer on China’s Nuclear Buildup

Ep 167: Dan Blumenthal and Kyle Balzer on China’s Nuclear Buildup

Dan Blumenthal and Kyle Balzer, co-authors of The True Aims of China’s Nuclear Buildup for Foreign Affairs, join the show to discuss the geopolitical implications of China’s increasing and diversifying nuclear arsenal. ▪️Times     •      01:24 Introduction    •      02:40 China’s buildup     •      05:05 American perception      •     07:28 What is nuclear strategy?       •      11:49 Geopolitical vision     •      16:28 Shaping the world order     •      18:41 Restoring American credibility

Dec 24, 2024 • 33:33

Ep 166: Rachel Kousser on Alexander the Great

Ep 166: Rachel Kousser on Alexander the Great

Rachel Kousser, professor of Classics and Art History at the City University of New York and author of Alexander at the End of the World, joins the show to talk about the violent, brilliant, complex career of Alexander the Great.▪️Times     •      01:27 Introduction    •      01:59 Early years and conquest    •      05:45 Pragmatic opportunist      •     09:20 Persepolis burning       •      11:48 Darius     •      14:36 Alexander in the field     •      19:30 Understanding the geograph

Dec 20, 2024 • 45:57

Ep 165: Shyam Sankar on a Defense Reformation

Ep 165: Shyam Sankar on a Defense Reformation

Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Palantir Technologies, joins the show to explain the broken Defense Department acquisition process and how he believes it can be fixed.▪️Times     •      01:24 Introduction    •      01:39 Employee #13     •      03:14 Palantir     •      06:22 Monopsony      •      11:18 Messy and chaotic     •      14:40 Dual purpose companies     •      17:18 The buying process     •      23:50 Pushback    •      25:59 Competing e

Dec 17, 2024 • 39:18

Ep 164: Mark Dubowitz on Syria’s Collapse

Ep 164: Mark Dubowitz on Syria’s Collapse

Mark Dubowitz, chief executive officer of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to break down the collapse of the Assad regime and the implications for Israel, Turkey, and Iran.▪️Times     •      01:23 Introduction    •      02:49 What happened?      •      05:04 Rebels     •     08:17 Risk assessment      •      11:30 Factions    •      17:10 Extremists and radicals     •      19:15 “Our enemies lie to us…”      •      24:19 Defensive reshuffle    •      29:11 Nuclear Iran    •

Dec 11, 2024 • 51:33

Ep 163: School of War Goes to Israel—Lessons from a Savage Year

Ep 163: School of War Goes to Israel—Lessons from a Savage Year

Host Aaron MacLean recently embedded with the Israeli Defense Forces and saw firsthand Israel’s war with Iranian proxy groups Hezbollah and Hamas. What lessons can Americans learn from Israel’s year of fighting for its survival? ▪️Times   •      03:28 The North     •    04:26 Metula     •    07:45 Yishai Ben Zion     •    10:00 Realities and misconceptions      •    18:06 Stalemate    •    22:33 Shaping the fight     •    40:00 Reconnaissance-strike complex      •    46:38 Dotan Razili    •    5

Dec 10, 2024 • 1:17:58

Ep 162: Michael Leggiere on Military History on Campus

Ep 162: Michael Leggiere on Military History on Campus

Michael Leggiere, Professor of Humanities at the University of Florida and editor of War Studies Journal 1, joins the show to discuss the sad state of military history in higher education.▪️Times     •      01:17 Introduction     •      02:48 Military history in academia     •      03:53 PME     •     05:22 What is “new” military history?      •      11:55 “History shouldn’t be a mystery”    •      17:55 The Journal    •      20:45 Suggested pieces      •      24:32 Napoleon      •

Dec 6, 2024 • 29:15

Ep 161: Mackenzie Eaglen on China’s Military Spending and Ours

Ep 161: Mackenzie Eaglen on China’s Military Spending and Ours

Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow at AEI and author of Keeping Up with the Pacing Threat: Unveiling the True Size of Beijing’s Military Spending, joins the show to discuss the dire situation the U.S. defense budget is in. ▪️Times     •      01:22 Introduction     •      02:48 Keeping up     •      05:26 China’s spending     •     10:01 Equipment costs      •      13:46 “Stealing our stuff”    •      18:25 5 alarm fire    •      20:32 U.S. budget truths      •      24:50 BCA 101     •      31:32 To

Dec 3, 2024 • 49:05

Ep 160: Thomas Barfield on Empire and Imperial Strategies Today

Ep 160: Thomas Barfield on Empire and Imperial Strategies Today

Thomas Barfield, Professor and Chairman of the Anthropology Department at Boston University and author of Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History, joins the show to discuss empire.  ▪️Times     •      01:15 Introduction     •      03:20 Understanding Afghanistan     •      05:15 Classifying empires     •     09:59 Failures and features      •      12:24 Borders    •      15:30 Exogenous empires    •      21:36 Brits and Athenians      •      26:40 Vulture empires     •      32:2

Nov 26, 2024 • 58:33

Ep 159: Rebecca Heinrichs on the Morality of Nuclear Weapons

Ep 159: Rebecca Heinrichs on the Morality of Nuclear Weapons

Rebecca Heinrichs, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of Duty to Deter: American Nuclear Deterrence and the Just War Doctrine, joins the show to make the moral argument for why the United States should modernize and grow its nuclear arsenal. ▪️Times     •      01:15 Introduction     •      01:48 A net good    •      04:50 Tactical nuclear weapons    •     10:25 The argument of disarmament     •      14:03 Cold War strategy    •      19:53 Capability and will    •      26:06 Downsid

Nov 19, 2024 • 44:51

Ep 158: Randall Schriver and Dan Blumenthal on an Economic Strategy for China

Ep 158: Randall Schriver and Dan Blumenthal on an Economic Strategy for China

Randall Schriver, Chairman of the Board at The Project 2049 Institute, and Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, join the show to discuss a road map for economic competition—and warfare—between the U.S. and China. ▪️Times     •      01:55 Introduction     •      02:30 Planning for economic warfare    •      06:27 Endstate    •     10:18 Leadership    •      12:21 NSDD    •      14:59 Starting points    •      17:10 Decoupling      •      20:03 Where is the

Nov 12, 2024 • 48:23

Ep 157: Frank Cohn—Veterans Day Special

Ep 157: Frank Cohn—Veterans Day Special

Frank Cohn joins the show to talk about his life: fleeing Hitler’s Germany, his return as a U.S. soldier tasked with hunting Nazi’s, his service in Vietnam, and more.▪️Times     •      01:55 Introduction     •      02:15 A Nazi in the classroom    •      05:47 Martin and Ruth    •     17:35 Leaving Germany    •      19:22 New York City    •      22:50 Pearl Harbor    •      30:47 Back to Europe      •      35:30 Nazi Hunter     •      39:48 POW for a moment     •      42:32 The Dutch lady    •

Nov 8, 2024 • 1:27:18

Ep 156: Nicholas Eberstadt on North Koreans in Russia

Ep 156: Nicholas Eberstadt on North Koreans in Russia

Nicholas Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the North Korean regime and the geopolitical impact of its decision to send troops to support Russia in Ukraine.▪️Times     •      01:36 Introduction     •      01:49 Finding North Korea    •      04:00 The Sung dynasty    •     09:24 Beijing and Moscow    •      14:43 Kim Jong Il    •      22:14 Mackinder’s World-Island    •      26:29 Interconnected     •      33:18 Why co

Nov 5, 2024 • 43:45

Ep 155: Nick Lloyd on World War I’s Eastern Front

Ep 155: Nick Lloyd on World War I’s Eastern Front

Nick Lloyd, Professor of Modern Warfare in the Defence Studies at King’s College London and author of The Eastern Front: A History of the Great War, 1914-1918, joins the show to discuss the critical role of the eastern front in World War I.▪️Times     •      01:43 Introduction     •      02:09 “The soul of the war”    •      04:00 Before the fighting    •     05:59 War aims    •      10:51 Tannenberg    •      15:54 Hindenburg and Ludendorff    •      19:57 Scale    •      22:40 Combat    •

Oct 29, 2024 • 55:24

Ep 154: Ben Noon on the U.S.-China Chip Wars

Ep 154: Ben Noon on the U.S.-China Chip Wars

Ben Noon of the Vandenberg Coalition writes about US-China rivalry and geopolitics. He joins the show to discuss the critical fight for semiconductor dominance.▪️Times     •      01:38 Introduction     •      02:15 Semiconductors     •      05:49 Legacy and advanced chips    •     09:47 China’s chip script    •      14:21 What’s the big deal?     •      19:20 Trade policy    •      25:11 Containment    •      28:10 Ratcheting up tensionsFollow along  on InstagramFind a transcript of today’s epis

Oct 22, 2024 • 30:30

Ep 153: Scott Hartwig on the Battle of Antietam

Ep 153: Scott Hartwig on the Battle of Antietam

Scott Hartwig, author ofI Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign, joins the show to discuss the single bloodiest day in American military history, the Battle of Antietam. ▪️ Times      •      01:46 Introduction      •      02:19 Why Antietam?     •      09:09 Sourcing history     •     12:45 Limited to total war     •      21:24 McClellan      •      28:00 Lee in Maryland      •      34:57 Geography      •      46:20 South Mountain to Antietam

Oct 18, 2024 • 1:17:05

Ep 152: Jacqueline Deal on China’s Strategy

Ep 152: Jacqueline Deal on China’s Strategy

Jacqueline Deal, President and CEO of the Long Term Strategy Group and recently the author of the article Competing against Ourselves: How U.S. Policy Strengthens China, joins the show to discuss U.S.-China competition.▪️Times     •      01:15 Introduction     •      01:53 Net assessment    •      04:32 China’s view    •     08:20 Is entanglement the goal?    •      14:34 Changing the global balance    •      21:45 Communism     •      25:47 “Their own worst enemy”    •      30:12 CCP & manipula

Oct 15, 2024 • 41:52

Ep 151: Nicholas Morton on the Crusades

Ep 151: Nicholas Morton on the Crusades

Nicholas Morton, Senior Lecturer in History, Nottingham Trent University and author of The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187, joins the show to discuss the the Crusades.▪️Times     •      01:25 Introduction     •      02:21 What were the Crusades?    •      07:30 Franks and Turks    •     09:57 Combat    •      14:01 50/50    •      19:48 Sieges    •      23:47 Others    •      31:31 Seljuks    •      36:50 Crusader States    •      41:28 Why did they fail?    •

Oct 11, 2024 • 52:06

Ep 150: Katherine Kuzminski on the Draft

Ep 150: Katherine Kuzminski on the Draft

Katherine Kuzminski, Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at CNAS, joins the show to discuss recruiting and mass mobilization in the event of war.▪️Times     •      01:33 Introduction     •      02:08 Why worry about mobilization?    •      03:54 Meeting the threshold     •     06:58 Low yield    •      11:37 A loss of identity    •      15:42 Aging up    •      21:38 The Russian model     •      23:55 Israeli lessons    •      26:38 Working with what we have    •      32:05 I

Oct 8, 2024 • 46:02

Ep 149: Mark Dubowitz on the Iran-Israel War

Ep 149: Mark Dubowitz on the Iran-Israel War

Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to help us understand breaking developments in the war between Israel, Iran, and Iran’s regional proxies.▪️Times     •      01:41 Introduction     •      02:24 Iran’s missile attack    •      03:56 Iranian intentions    •     06:34 Options    •      11:27 Iranian concerns    •      14:59 Ring of fire    •      19:10 Near term calculus     •      23:49 Regime change    •      28:52 Reagan strategy    •      32

Oct 1, 2024 • 37:14

Ep 148: Alex Miller on Battlefield Technology

Ep 148: Alex Miller on Battlefield Technology

Alex Miller, Senior Advisor for Science and Technology and the CTO to the Chief of Staff of the Army, joins the show to talk about how we are preparing to fight on the battlefields of the future—which are here today.▪️Times     •      01:17 Introduction     •      01:32 CTO    •      04:48 Scale/E.W./drones    •     09:06 How we buy     •      13:07 Transforming in Contact    •      18:15 Electronic warfare    •      22:37 Defensive spectrum     •      25:20 An invisible world    •      28:12 Dr

Oct 1, 2024 • 41:26

Ep 147: Frank Ledwidge on War in Space

Ep 147: Frank Ledwidge on War in Space

Frank Ledwidge, Senior Fellow in Air Power and International Security at the Royal Air Force College and author of Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies, joins the show to talk about warfare’s next frontier, space. ▪️Times     •      01:40 Introduction     •      03:24 Thinking about space    •      09:09 More than a conduit    •     14:15 ASAT     •      19:55 Space domain awareness    •      26:20 Directed energy and nuclear weapons    •      31:16 Congested/competitive/contested     •

Sep 27, 2024 • 53:17

Ep 146: Eric Edelman and Thomas Mahnken on America’s Defense Strategy Crisis

Ep 146: Eric Edelman and Thomas Mahnken on America’s Defense Strategy Crisis

Eric Edelman and Thomas Mahnken of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments join the show to talk about what our defense establishment has gotten right, and wrong, in planning for the next war. ▪️Times     •      02:10 Introduction     •      02:43 National Defense Strategy    •      06:58 Continuity between administrations    •     08:55 Multiple theater force construct     •      17:31 “A flawed net assessment”     •      28:30 An imbalance of power    •      34:46 Favoring the defen

Sep 24, 2024 • 45:18

Ep 145: Christopher Lynch on Machiavelli at War

Ep 145: Christopher Lynch on Machiavelli at War

Christopher Lynch, Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University and contributor to Machiavelli on War, joins the show to talk about renaissance warfare and Niccolò Machiavelli.▪️Times     •      01:20 Introduction     •      01:56 Machiavelli’s world    •      03:52 French invasion    •     07:08 Republicanism     •      13:42 Mercenary armies     •      22:50 Time in office    •      27:30 Battle    •      33:17 Resurrecting Rome and Greece    •      38:00 Catastrophic endings

Sep 20, 2024 • 48:19

Ep 144: Mark Montgomery on Defending Taiwan (Boiling Moat #2)

Ep 144: Mark Montgomery on Defending Taiwan (Boiling Moat #2)

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at FDD and contributor to The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan, joins the show to talk about Taiwan, tensions in the South China Sea, and more.▪️Times     •      01:27 Introduction     •      02:00 Why the Navy?    •      04:05 PACOM    •     06:53 Working with Senator McCain     •      10:51 Resource prioritization     •      15:19 Shortsighted decisions    •      19:56 Sink China’s Navy    •      25:30

Sep 17, 2024 • 54:48

Ep 143: Sabin Howard on WWI, Art, and Honoring Veterans

Ep 143: Sabin Howard on WWI, Art, and Honoring Veterans

Sabin Howard, sculptor of A Soldier’s Journey, the central feature of the new World War I Memorial in Washington, DC, joins the show to talk about his work and the art of memorializing war and honoring veterans.▪️Times     •      01:50 Introduction     •      02:07 Becoming an artist    •      07:03 Spiritually classical    •     10:04 WWI     •      14:24 Getting it right    •      18:35 Daughter and father    •      21:37 The ordeal    •      25:00 The charging man     •      28:18 Modern meth

Sep 13, 2024 • 58:38

Ep 142: Andrew Roberts Debunks Darryl Cooper on Winston Churchill

Ep 142: Andrew Roberts Debunks Darryl Cooper on Winston Churchill

Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, joins the show to give his thoughts on Tucker Carlson’s controversial guest Darryl Cooper.▪️Times     •      01:25 Introduction     •      02:34 Churchill the villain    •      05:20 Pat Buchanan    •     08:57 Dragging America into war     •      14:50 Barbarossa    •      20:06 “Mr. Cooper simply can’t have read Mein Kampf…”    •      21:37 Terror bombings    •      24:19 Dog whistles     •      26:11 Founding mythologyFollow along  on

Sep 10, 2024 • 29:29

Ep 141: Matt Pottinger on the Defense of Taiwan (Boiling Moat #1)

Ep 141: Matt Pottinger on the Defense of Taiwan (Boiling Moat #1)

Matt Pottinger, distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, Chairman of FDD’s China Program, and author of The Boiling Moat: Urgent Steps to Defend Taiwan, joins the show to talk about how a war over Taiwan might start and how it may be prevented.▪️Times     •      01:13 Introduction     •      03:11 The Boiling Moat    •      04:54 Is Xi serious?    •      11:35 How to deter China     •      17:40 Out with the old, in with the new    •      24:30 Mapping the scenarios    •      30:

Sep 3, 2024 • 43:19

Ep 140: Roger Wicker on Defense Spending and Peace through Strength

Ep 140: Roger Wicker on Defense Spending and Peace through Strength

Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joins the show to discuss his plan to spend five percent of America’s GDP on defense. Click the link to read more Peace through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military ▪️Times     •      01:31 Introduction     •      01:40 Service years    •      04:39 3% vs 5%    •      9:00 Peace through Strength       •      12:50 More money, more problems?    •      16:40 “Let’s get some more

Aug 27, 2024 • 24:26

Ep 139: Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. on CENTCOM

Ep 139: Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. on CENTCOM

General Kenneth F. McKenzie, USMC, retired as the fourteenth commander of U.S. Central Command in 2022 and is the author of The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century (https://a.co/d/a2RmIDK). He joins the show to talk about the strategic significance of the Middle East.▪️Times     •      01:16 Introduction     •      01:38 The Citadel    •      04:15 The humanities    •      10:00 Central Command       •      13:43 Thinking globally    •      17:53 Iran pushes back    •      23

Aug 20, 2024 • 41:18

Ep 138: Joshua S. Treviño on the Southern Border Crisis

Ep 138: Joshua S. Treviño on the Southern Border Crisis

Joshua S. Treviño, Chief of Intelligence and Research and the Director for Texas Identity at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, joins the show to talk about the crisis on the U.S. southern border.▪️Times     •      01:28 Introduction     •      02:03 “The border itself is insecure…”    •      06:06 Immigration is not the issue     •      08:58 Texas remembers        •      21:44 The Mexican side    •      31:34 WWI in Mexico    •      32:25 PRC and cartels    •      39:24 DoD and the border

Aug 13, 2024 • 48:57

Ep 137: Richard Frank on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and World War II’s Endgame

Ep 137: Richard Frank on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and World War II’s Endgame

Richard Frank, historian and author of Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire and Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War: July 1937-May 1942, joins the show to talk about the controversial legacy of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.▪️Times     •      02:05 Introduction     •      02:15 Soldier/Lawyer/Historian    •      09:19 Early controversy     •      14:55 Counting all the dead        •      21:54 Contemplating invasion    •      30:10 1:1 ratio, recipe fo

Aug 6, 2024 • 57:41

Ep 136: Ronald C. White on Joshua Chamberlain

Ep 136: Ronald C. White on Joshua Chamberlain

Ronald C. White, Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum and author of On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, joins the show to talk about the hero of Little Round Top, Joshua L. Chamberlain.▪️Times     •      01:37 Introduction     •      01:51 Why Chamberlain?    •      09:01 Fighting for the Union     •      14:05 The 20th Maine      •      18:10 Arriving at Gettysburg    •      21:34 The 15th & 47th Alabama     •      24:25 “Bayonets”    •      29:31 Fighti

Aug 2, 2024 • 43:24

Ep 135: Rich Goldberg on Israel‘a Northern Crisis

Ep 135: Rich Goldberg on Israel‘a Northern Crisis

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to talk about the expanding war between Israel and Iran.▪️Times     •      01:40 Introduction     •      03:30 Where things stand    •      15:25 Israeli expectations     •      24:44 Retaliation      •      31:39 Iran’s strategic concept    •      36:16 American interests    •      44:20 Projection    •      50:36 Once Iran has nuclear weaponsFollow along  on InstagramFind a transcript of today’s episode

Jul 30, 2024 • 53:18

Ep Ep 134: Michael Sobolik on China’s Geostrategy

Ep Ep 134: Michael Sobolik on China’s Geostrategy

Michael Sobolik, author of Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance and Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, joins the show to talk about China.▪️Times     •      01:38 Introduction     •      04:29 Belt and Road    •      07:54 The Beginning     •      13:12 Chinese imperialism    •      20:50 Mackinder’s math    •      25:19 Nazi geostrategic thinking    •      28:21 Spykman and BRI    •      31:42 Imperialism is not a relic    •

Jul 23, 2024 • 50:28

Ep 133: James Holland on World War II in Italy, 1943

Ep 133: James Holland on World War II in Italy, 1943

James Holland, author of The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 and host of the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast, joins the show to talk about the Allied campaign in Italy.▪️Times     •      02:08 Introduction     •      04:23 “No greater moment of human drama…”    •      11:08 Why go into Italy at all?    •      18:24 Mission to Rome      •      29:33 Baytown and Avalanche    •      32:10 Salerno    •      36:25 rethinking Mark Clark    •      40:50 Very hard fighting      Follow al

Jul 19, 2024 • 43:45

Ep 132: Michael Kofman on the Battlefield in Ukraine (War in Ukraine #4)

Ep 132: Michael Kofman on the Battlefield in Ukraine (War in Ukraine #4)

Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about the operational phases of the war in Ukraine.▪️Times     •      01:28 Introduction     •      02:14 A case of “Two Wars”     •      09:37 Operating on assumptions    •      14:54 Contingency and structure    •      23:41 Figuring things out in the field      •      31:22

Jul 16, 2024 • 47:33

Ep 131: Thomas Mahnken on Strategic Fallacies (War in Ukraine #3)

Ep 131: Thomas Mahnken on Strategic Fallacies (War in Ukraine #3)

Thomas Mahnken, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about how strategic fallacies have played a role in Ukraine.▪️Times     •      01:33 Introduction     •      02:30 Fallacies of rationality     •      05:36 Is war irrational?     •      10:02 Germany willed WWI to happen    •      15:40 Fallacy of the irrational/hyper-rational adversary      •

Jul 9, 2024 • 55:11

Ep 130: John Spencer on Israel’s Unprecedented War (or, Urban Warfare 101)

Ep 130: John Spencer on Israel’s Unprecedented War (or, Urban Warfare 101)

John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and host of the Urban Warfare Project, joins the show to talk about urban combat and how Israel is fighting an unprecedented war against Hamas with justice and humanity.▪️Times     •      01:50 Introduction     •      02:08 Fighting and teaching    •      09:31 Changes in urban warfare    •      17:14 Terrain still matters    •      21:54 Israel’s unprecedented war      •      26:11 Learning on the ground     •      33:24 G

Jul 2, 2024 • 58:58

Ep 129: Frank Gavin on Nuclear Strategy and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #2)

Ep 129: Frank Gavin on Nuclear Strategy and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #2)

Frank Gavin, the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about nuclear strategy and the war in Ukraine. ▪️ Times      •      01:36 Introduction      •      01:53 What are nuclear weapons for?     •      04:15 Pervasive but not used     •      09:53 Invasion insurance     •      17:58 Be

Jun 25, 2024 • 53:21

Ep 128: Stephen Kotkin on Russia and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #1)

Ep 128: Stephen Kotkin on Russia and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #1)

Stephen Kotkin, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about the war in Ukraine and what the endgame might look like.▪️Times     •      02:24 Introduction     •      05:09 Four victories    •      11:48 “Winning only on Twitter”    •      22:36 10/7 and Ukraine    •      28:27 Regime change in Russia      •      37:03 Keeping allies      •      45:24 Renting land armies

Jun 18, 2024 • 58:38

Ep 127: Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine on the Failed Pivot to Asia

Ep 127: Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine on the Failed Pivot to Asia

Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine, authors of Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, join the show to talk about America’s failed pivot to Asia and why they think it still needs to happen.▪️Times     •      01:59 Introduction     •      03:10 Was the pivot serious?    •      07:40 Absent compulsion    •      13:25 War in Europe?    •      22:46 Changes to the plan      •      28:28 A bigger budget     •      32:23 Domestic resistance to TPP        •      38:25 The ult

Jun 11, 2024 • 54:08

Ep 126: Michel Paradis on D-Day and Eisenhower

Ep 126: Michel Paradis on D-Day and Eisenhower

Michel Paradis—litigator, national security law scholar, and author of The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower—joins the show to talk about D-Day and the man behind the invasion, Dwight Eisenhower.▪️Times     •      01:49 Introduction     •      01:56 “Wildly under appreciated”    •      05:17 Upbringing      •      11:40 Seeing the world as it is    •      15:01 Not that long ago      •      22:14 British vs American plans    •      32:50 Using strategic

Jun 4, 2024 • 49:36

Ep 125: Nick Bunker on America and the Early Cold War

Ep 125: Nick Bunker on America and the Early Cold War

Nick Bunker, journalist and author of In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950, joins the show to talk about the first decade of the Cold War.▪️Times     •      01:36 Introduction     •      02:26 Countdown to war    •      05:17 Biden and Truman      •      09:05 A failure of American policy?    •      13:09 Present at the Creation      •      21:16 Stalin’s view of the world    •      25:50 Stalin and China        •      30:44 Developing nuclear thinking      •      32:39 Robert Ta

May 28, 2024 • 52:30

Ep 124: Shane Brennan on Xenophon and Leadership

Ep 124: Shane Brennan on Xenophon and Leadership

Shane Brennan, Associate Professor of History and Classics at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh and author of Xenophon's Anabasis: A Socratic History, joins the show to talk about why the Anabasis remains an important part of the Western canon of military writing.▪️Times     •      01:30 Introduction     •      02:05 Dubai to Bangladesh    •      05:37 Xenophon’s start      •      09:25 Several levels of failure    •      12:37 “An exemplary Socratic student”      •      14:40 Fightin

May 21, 2024 • 45:38

Ep 123: Sergey Radchenko on Soviet Motivations in the Cold War

Ep 123: Sergey Radchenko on Soviet Motivations in the Cold War

Sergey Radchenko, Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power, joins the show to talk about the strategic aims of the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War and how the Soviets attempted to run the world.▪️Times     •      01:17 Introduction     •      02:32 A novel argument    •      08:36 Power and recognition      •      11:51 Who started the Cold War?    •      14:55

May 14, 2024 • 49:32

Ep 122: Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger on a Victory Strategy for China

Ep 122: Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger on a Victory Strategy for China

Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger join the show to discuss their recent Foreign Affairs essay on the need for a victory strategy in America’s cold war with China.▪️ Times     •      01:53 Introduction     •      03:25 Meeting in Iraq    •      07:43 “There are bad guys…”    •      13:15 Why detente isn’t working      •      23:45 Real statesmanship?    •      32:12 Rearm/Reduce/Recruit     •      35:20 TikTokFollow along  on InstagramRead the Foreign Affairs piece here No Substitute for Victory

May 7, 2024 • 36:30

Ep 121: Andy Lowery on Drones and Directed Energy

Ep 121: Andy Lowery on Drones and Directed Energy

Andy Lowery, CEO of EPIRUS and a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, joins the show to talk about directed energy weapons on the modern battlefield. ▪️  Times      •      01:45 Introduction      •      02:02 Before EPIRUS     •      06:29 Drones on the battlefield     •      13:30 Current countermeasures      •      19:40 An answer for autonomy     •      21:32 How does it all work?      •      29:54 Beam specs      •      33:45 Sci-fi but familiar     •      38:11 Gallium nitride     •

Apr 30, 2024 • 47:59

Ep 120: Iskander Rehman on the Emperor Tiberius and American Primacy

Ep 120: Iskander Rehman on the Emperor Tiberius and American Primacy

Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at the Johns Hopkins SAIS Kissinger Center and author of Iron Imperator: Roman Grand Strategy Under Tiberius, joins the show to talk about the military career and statecraft of Tiberius and what his career has to teach us today.▪️ Times     •      02:32 Introduction     •      03:29 The Pentagon and Rome    •      07:29 Why Tiberius?    •      15:04 Parallels     •      18:26 Germania    •      22:38 Roman criticism     •      28:03 Auxiliaries and proxies

Apr 23, 2024 • 44:12

Ep 119: Yaroslav Trofimov on the War in Ukraine

Ep 119: Yaroslav Trofimov on the War in Ukraine

Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign-affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal and author of Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence, joins the show to talk about the early days of Russia’s war in Ukraine, how the battlefield has evolved, and where the war may be headed.▪️ Times     •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:06 Growing up Ukranian    •      05:03 The collapse of Kabul    •      07:40 Leadership counts     •      10:14 Zelensky    •      16

Apr 16, 2024 • 45:15

Ep 118: Michael Doran on Is Hamas Winning?

Ep 118: Michael Doran on Is Hamas Winning?

Michael Doran, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute and co-host of the podcast Counterbalance, joins the show to talk about the Israel-Hamas war and the broader regional competition with Iran.▪️ Times     •      02:04 Introduction     •      04:01 Is Hamas winning?    •      10:29 Fighting the clocks    •      13:10 Defeat from the jaws of victory     •      18:24 An Iranian-American conflict    •      22:44 Managing decline

Apr 9, 2024 • 36:42

Ep 117: Shlomo Brody on the Ethics of War

Ep 117: Shlomo Brody on the Ethics of War

Rabbi Shlomo Brody, executive director of Ematai and author of Ethics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality, joins the show to talk about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the Jewish tradition of military ethics.▪️ Times     •      01:28 Introduction     •      04:04 Just war    •      07:27 The Bible as a framework    •      13:34 International service     •      18:33 Reprisals    •      21:37 Purity of arms     •      27:09 Collateral damage    •      33:41 Internation

Apr 2, 2024 • 45:41

Ep 116: David Stahel on Guderian and Hitler’s Panzer Generals

Ep 116: David Stahel on Guderian and Hitler’s Panzer Generals

David Stahel, associate professor of history at the University of New South Wales and author of Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded, joins the show to talk about Heinz Guderian, the myth and the man.▪️ Times     •      01:38 Introduction     •      02:57 Diving into the letters    •      08:43 Debunking    •      15:30 A sinister figure      •      19:39 Achtung - Panzer!      •      27:37 Guderian the Nazi     •      33:42 Poland and France     •      45

Mar 26, 2024 • 1:03:04

Ep 115: Stephen Robinson on the Case against John Boyd

Ep 115: Stephen Robinson on the Case against John Boyd

Stephen Robinson, author of The Blind Strategist: John Boyd and the American Art of War, joins the show to talk about Boyd, the man who developed the concept of “maneuver warfare,” and what Boyd may have gotten wrong.▪️ Times     •      01:21 Introduction     •      02:24 “A genuine polymath”    •      04:20 The OODA Loop    •      07:39 J.F.C. Fuller and B.H. Liddell Hart      •      13:28 The conventional blitzkrieg      •      19:26 Maneuver warfare     •      25:01 Cannae     •      29:07 Ta

Mar 19, 2024 • 56:07

Ep 114: Eric Edelman on the Foundations of Nuclear Strategy (New Makers of Modern Strategy #11)

Ep 114: Eric Edelman on the Foundations of Nuclear Strategy (New Makers of Modern Strategy #11)

Eric Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Ambassador to Turkey and Finland, joins the show to talk about how nuclear strategic thinking began and how those debates resonate today. ▪️  Times      •      01:47 Introduction      •      02:45 Oppenheimer’s Borden in reality     •      07:00 Brodie and The Absolute Power     •      11:12 Deterrence before Hiroshima      •      13:15 Blackett and Fear, War, and the Bomb       •      19:40 Counter-value vs counter-force      •

Mar 12, 2024 • 56:41

Ep 113: Rebeccah Heinrichs on Today’s Crisis of American Deterrence

Ep 113: Rebeccah Heinrichs on Today’s Crisis of American Deterrence

Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative, joins the show to talk about the state of U.S. deterrence of Russia, Iran, and China—and what Washington could be doing better.▪️ Times     •      01:42 Introduction     •      02:18 Conventional and strategic deterrence    •      04:06 A failure of strategic deterrence    •      09:38 Integrated deterrence     •      13:33 Putin is committed to the bit      •      15:36 If Russia wins,

Mar 5, 2024 • 43:32

Ep 112: Paul Scharre on AI 101

Ep 112: Paul Scharre on AI 101

Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS and author of Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, joins the show to talk about how AI will change the battlefield.▪️ Times     •      01:38 Introduction     •      01:54 Becoming a Ranger    •      03:48 A defining moment     •      07:25 A historical parallel for AI    •      11:16 Hardware     •      14:10 “Taiwan is the Saudi Arabia of chips”     •      16:20 Military applications    •      19:

Feb 27, 2024 • 49:44

Ep 111: Prit Buttar on the Siege of Leningrad and War in the East

Ep 111: Prit Buttar on the Siege of Leningrad and War in the East

Prit Buttar, historian and author of To Besiege a City: Leningrad 1941–42, joins the show to talk about the siege of Leningrad and about the nature of war on the Eastern Front. ▪️ Times     •      01:56 Introduction     •      02:10 A familiar story    •      06:09 Themes of the Eastern Front     •      13:19 From Tsar to Stalin to Putin    •      11:10 Barbarosa     •      19:45 An immense scale     •      27:29 Doctrinal failure    •      33:17 Inside the Russian mindset      •      37:21 The

Feb 20, 2024 • 1:07:11

Ep 110: Thomas Mahnken on Net Assessment

Ep 110: Thomas Mahnken on Net Assessment

Thomas Mahnken, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, joins the show to talk about net assessment and the future of war.▪️ Times     •      01:39 Introduction     •      02:02 An interesting journey    •      03:33 The Office of Net Assessment     •      09:49 A tool, not a solution     •      13:19 Both quantity and quality matter     •      15:05 Soviet thinking     •      19:20 Leveraging insight     •      23:11 Potential outcomes    •

Feb 13, 2024 • 46:31

Ep 109: John Noonan on Nuclear Weapons and Policy

Ep 109: John Noonan on Nuclear Weapons and Policy

John Noonan, senior advisor at POLARIS National Security, joins the show to talk about all things nuclear; the life of a missileer, the current U.S. arsenal and its production problems, the strategy of deterrence, and how Congressional oversight helps/hinders good government. ▪️ Times     •      01:34 Introduction     •      02:04 VMI and the Air Force    •      05:13 Missileers     •      11:25 Targets of significance     •      16:33 Atrophy     •      22:18 Production problems     •      27:4

Feb 6, 2024 • 55:23

Ep 108: Donald L. Miller on Masters of the Air

Ep 108: Donald L. Miller on Masters of the Air

Donald L. Miller, historian and author of Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, the book behind Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, joins the show to talk about the air war over Europe during WWII.▪️ Times     •      01 :41 Introduction     •      02:12 Growing up “surrounded by the war”    •      15:35 Both sides are losing     •      25:23 Highest percentage of casualties    •      34:36 Mass vs mass     •      37:20 A new battlefield     •      42:

Jan 30, 2024 • 1:10:52

Ep 107: John Orloff on Masters of the Air

Ep 107: John Orloff on Masters of the Air

John Orloff, creator, writer and co-executive producer of Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, joins Aaron to talk about the new show highlighting the WWII experiences of the men of the 100th Bomb Group, a part of the 8th Air Force’s strategic bombing campaign over Europe. Masters of the Air streams January 26th only on Apple TV+.▪️Times    02:25 Introduction    03:00 Getting started   05:45 Band of Brothers    12:56 Finding the story   19:44 Masters of the Air    24:37 Core characters    30:12 Group

Jan 23, 2024 • 52:08

Ep 106: John McManus on the U.S. Army’s Pacific War

Ep 106: John McManus on the U.S. Army’s Pacific War

John McManus, author of To the End of the Earth: The US Army and the Downfall of Japan, 1945 and host of the We Have Ways of Making You Talk in the USA podcast, joins the show to talk about why the U.S. Army’s war in the Pacific during WWII merit deeper study and recognition.▪️Times     •   02:12 Introduction     •   03:57 Lessons to be learned    •   05:32 The Army from Pearl to Tokyo     •   08:50 Winds of change    •   14:07 Europe first     •   21:16 Taiwan or the Philippines?     •   27:55

Jan 16, 2024 • 1:01:59

Ep 105: Dmitry Filipoff on Modern Naval Tactics

Ep 105: Dmitry Filipoff on Modern Naval Tactics

Dmitry Filipoff, head of online content at the Center for International Maritime Security, joins the show to talk about modern naval tactics and the readiness of the U.S. Navy for a surface engagement with the PLA Navy.▪️Times     •    01:26 Introduction     •    02:48 Evolution in naval warfare    •    05:46 Historical comps     •    08:01 Lessons from the Red Sea    •    09:37 Anti-ship missiles    •    12:16 DMO - Distributed Maritime Operations     •    15:00 What is the surface Navy’s purpo

Jan 9, 2024 • 52:33

Ep 104: Peter Feaver on “Wokeness,” Politics, and the Military

Ep 104: Peter Feaver on “Wokeness,” Politics, and the Military

Peter Feaver, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Duke University and author of Thanks For Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military, joins the show to talk about the state of civil-military relations in America, and to call for a truce on the issue of “wokism.”▪️Times     •    01:46 Introduction     •    2:40 Precedents    •    4:18 Citizen soldier to today     •   11:40 Expanding fissures    •    18:46 Downsides to a high approval rating

Jan 2, 2024 • 59:38

Ep 103: Sean Mirski on American Hegemony

Ep 103: Sean Mirski on American Hegemony

Sean Mirski, author of We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus, joins the show to talk about how the United States came to its global position and China’s attempts to match it.▪️Times     •    01:40 Introduction     •    2:22 An accidental project    •    6:41 The view from Washington     •    13:18 American paranoia    •    16:43 Post Civil War Mexico    •    22:04 Smedley Butler    •    24:46 The problem of order    •   31:12 After WWI    •   33:04 S

Dec 19, 2023 • 52:04

Ep 102: Paul Edgar on the Warfare of the Ancient Near East

Ep 102: Paul Edgar on the Warfare of the Ancient Near East

Paul Edgar, Executive Director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a scholar of ancient Near Eastern warfare, joins the show to talk about war and peace in the old days—the very old days.▪️Times     •    02:58 Introduction     •    10:07 Olmsted    •    16:00 The Bronze Age    •   22:07 Verifying history    •    27:12 Idrimi    •    35:03 How did they fight?    •    39:46 Tactics of the time    •   42:34 Continuities in

Dec 12, 2023 • 47:31

Ep 101: Iskander Rehman on Wars of Protraction

Ep 101: Iskander Rehman on Wars of Protraction

Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at SAIS’s Kissinger Center and author of Planning for Protraction: A Historically Informed Approach to Great-power War and Sino-US Competition, joins the show to talk about how future wars might be more a test of national endurance than expected. ▪️ Times      •    01:56 Introduction      •    04:01 Sharp and short wars     •    09:07 After the first salvo     •    12:33 Geography as a predictor     •    15:21 Will nuclear deterrence work?     •    21:16 “A

Dec 5, 2023 • 50:07

Ep 100: Alexander Mikaberidze on Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

Ep 100: Alexander Mikaberidze on Ridley Scott’s Napoleon

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University and author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, joins the show to talk about director Ridley Scott’s Napoleon.▪️Times     •    02:54 Introduction     •    04:52 First reactions    •    08:18 Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon    •    15:12 Propaganda of the time    •    17:14 No invention needed    •    21:22 Wellington and Talleyrand    •    23:24 Napoleon: Master Tactician    •    27:35

Nov 28, 2023 • 45:45

Ep 99: Nicholas Morton on the Mongol Invasions

Ep 99: Nicholas Morton on the Mongol Invasions

Nicholas Morton, associate professor of history at Nottingham Trent University and author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East, joins the show to talk about the Mongol invasions.▪️Times     •    01:40 Introduction     •    02:15 Central Asia before the Mongols    •    04:15 Mongol methods    •    09:15 Sailing the Eurasian Steppe    •   13:54 Temujin    •    18:38 A dearth of sources    •    21:50 Khwarazmian Empire    •    26:40 The Mongol secret    •   32:

Nov 21, 2023 • 49:27

Ep 98: Matthew Waxman on the Israel, Hamas, and the Law of Armed Conflict

Ep 98: Matthew Waxman on the Israel, Hamas, and the Law of Armed Conflict

Matthew Waxman, Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, joins the show to talk about what’s lawful on the battlefield, what’s not, and how the laws of war apply to Israel and Hamas.▪️Times     •    01:49 Introduction     •    02:25 What is the law of war?    •    05:05 How does it all work?    •    08:15 What does it matter?    •    11:06 A rule of law society    •    12:16 10/7     •    15:14 Military necessity vs humanitarian interest    •    19:54 Bright line rules    •    25:

Nov 14, 2023 • 41:40

Ep 97: Edward Luttwak on the IDF and the War in Israel

Ep 97: Edward Luttwak on the IDF and the War in Israel

Edward Luttwak, strategist and co-author of The Art of Military Innovation: Lessons from the Israel Defense Forces, joins the show to talk about the research and development methods of the IDF and events on the ground in Israel. ▪️ Times      •    01:51 Introduction      •    03:05 R&D the IDF way     •    21:30 Evaluating Israel’s strategy     •    25:30 Stopping the clock     •   29:51 Downside of discipline      •    34:07 Macro-innovation     •    39:26 Iran     •    43:21 Qatar Follow alon

Nov 7, 2023 • 46:25

Ep 96: Vincent O’Hara and Trent Hone on Naval Combat at Night

Ep 96: Vincent O’Hara and Trent Hone on Naval Combat at Night

Vincent O’Hara and Trent Hone, naval historians and co-editors of Fighting in the Dark: Naval Combat at Night, 1904-1944, join the show to talk about how naval warfare was transformed by technology that made possible night combat at sea.▪️Times     •    02:01 Introduction     •    03:35 Night combat pre-19th century    •    06:02 Why do we fight at night?    •    09:30 Getting close in    •   13:47 Different approaches     •    19:28 German naval thinking pre-WWI    •    22:05 Jutland and after

Oct 31, 2023 • 56:13

Ep 95: Richard Goldberg on the War in Israel & American Strategy

Ep 95: Richard Goldberg on the War in Israel & American Strategy

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at Foundation for Defense of Democracies and co-host of Jewish Insider’s Limited Liability podcast, joins the show to talk about the war in Israel, Iran’s objectives, and America’s.▪️Times     •    01:41 Introduction     •    02:22 Sit Rep 10/23    •    12:05 Confused messaging from Washington    •    20:21 Too clever by half    •   24:54 Owner operated proxies?    •    32:40 What does Iran want    •    35:51 Volatile Israeli politics    •    40:52 Dancing to the en

Oct 24, 2023 • 47:19

Ep 94: Jonathan Schanzer on the War in Israel & Hamas

Ep 94: Jonathan Schanzer on the War in Israel & Hamas

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to talk about the state of the war in Israel, the history of Hamas and its campaign to eradicate the Jewish state, and Israel’s plans to end the cycle forever.▪️Times     •    01:41 Introduction     •    02:24 The situation today    •    04:55 Gaza’s terrain    •    09:27 Focusing on the north    •   12:51 Gaza in Arab politics    •    18:41 Iranian support    •    25:41 Walls can work

Oct 17, 2023 • 52:05

Ep 93: Michael Doran on the War in Israel & Ghosts of 1973

Ep 93: Michael Doran on the War in Israel & Ghosts of 1973

Michael Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to talk about Iran-backed Hamas’ savage attack on Israel, how we can expect Israel to act in Gaza, prospects for escalation, and the echoes of 1973.▪️Times     •    02:33 Introduction     •    03:16 10/7    •    08:51 Potential Israeli objectives in Gaza    •    20:18 A regional war?    •   27:20 Iranian objectives    •    34:28 Intelligence failures, operatio

Oct 10, 2023 • 53:53

Ep 92: Cliff May on Defending Democracies

Ep 92: Cliff May on Defending Democracies

Cliff May, founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to talk about the neo-imperialism of America’s adversaries and what defending democracy requires. ▪️ Times      •    02:22 Introduction      •    02:39 Taking on Jon Stewart     •    06:50 Starting in the Soviet Union     •    12:26 Policy activism     •   20:11 Foundation for Defense of Democracies      •    26:31 Ending tyranny     •    34:53 The people have to want it     •    41:05 Are we misleading

Oct 3, 2023 • 56:05

Ep 91: Paul Rahe on Sparta’s Grand Strategy

Ep 91: Paul Rahe on Sparta’s Grand Strategy

Paul Rahe, Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College, and author of Sparta's Sicilian Proxy War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 418-413 BC, joins the show to talk about proxy wars, the strategy of Sparta, and the role of regimes in the shaping of foreign policy.▪️Times     •    01:37 Introduction     •    06:43 Donald Kagan    •    08:32 The Spartan point of view    •   11:59 Why change the perspective?    •    17:30 Sparta’s goals    •    24:59

Sep 26, 2023 • 52:19

Ep 90: Andrew Krepinevich on Military Revolutions

Ep 90: Andrew Krepinevich on Military Revolutions

Andrew Krepinevich, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of The Origins of Victory: How Disruptive Military Innovation Determines the Fates of Great Powers, joins the show to talk about how to interpret and think about military revolutions of the past and how that can help us forecast the shape of war in the future.▪️Times     •    01:35 Introduction     •    02:50 Andy Marshall     •    07:45 A diagnostic outlook    •   10:11 The military technical revolution    •    19:14 How do mi

Sep 19, 2023 • 48:19

Ep 89: Mick Ryan on Ukraine, Taiwan, and Future War

Ep 89: Mick Ryan on Ukraine, Taiwan, and Future War

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?

Sep 12, 2023 • 54:20

Ep 88: John H. Maurer on Alfred Thayer Mahan (New Makers of Modern Strategy #10)

Ep 88: John H. Maurer on Alfred Thayer Mahan (New Makers of Modern Strategy #10)

John H. Maurer, the Alfred Thayer Mahan Professor of Sea Power and Grand Strategy at the Naval War College and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about Mahan and his relevance today.▪️Times     •    01:30 Introduction     •    02:06 Mahan struck from the syllabus    •    06:30 Early writings    •    09:19 Looking out at the world     •   12:17 Six elements of seapower    •    15:01 Arming for peace    •    20:35 Corbett     •    22:54 The 18th century     •   29

Sep 5, 2023 • 45:06

Ep 87: Wayne Lee on Native American Warfare

Ep 87: Wayne Lee on Native American Warfare

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

Aug 29, 2023 • 1:02:22

Ep 86: David Betz on Ukraine’s Counteroffensive and Russia’s Defense

Ep 86: David Betz on Ukraine’s Counteroffensive and Russia’s Defense

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 reconsi

Aug 22, 2023 • 55:42

Ep 85: Antulio J. Echevarria on Jomini (New Makers of Modern Strategy #9)

Ep 85: Antulio J. Echevarria on Jomini (New Makers of Modern Strategy #9)

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 operatio

Aug 15, 2023 • 35:39

Ep 84: Mike Gallagher on the Korean War and Confronting China Today

Ep 84: Mike Gallagher on the Korean War and Confronting China 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

Aug 8, 2023 • 44:12

Ep 84: Brian Rivera and Mark McGrath on John Boyd

Ep 84: Brian Rivera and Mark McGrath on John Boyd

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    •

Aug 1, 2023 • 43:28

Ep 83: Aaron O’Connell on 'Geopolitics 101'

Ep 83: Aaron O’Connell on 'Geopolitics 101'

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 neig

Jul 25, 2023 • 48:08

Ep 82: Charles Edel on John Quincy Adams (New Makers of Modern Strategy #8)

Ep 82: Charles Edel on John Quincy Adams (New Makers of Modern Strategy #8)

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

Jul 18, 2023 • 44:21

Ep 81: Max Hastings on the Cuban Missile Crisis

Ep 81: Max Hastings on the Cuban Missile Crisis

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:

Jul 11, 2023 • 48:52

Ep 80: Holger Afflerbach on How Germany Lost WWI

Ep 80: Holger Afflerbach on How Germany Lost WWI

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     •

Jul 4, 2023 • 49:30

Ep 79: Mark Galeotti on Russia’s Military

Ep 79: Mark Galeotti on Russia’s Military

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 Hist

Jun 27, 2023 • 55:14

Ep 78: Hew Strachan on Clausewitz (New Makers of Modern Strategy #7)

Ep 78: Hew Strachan on Clausewitz (New Makers of Modern Strategy #7)

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 oth

Jun 20, 2023 • 45:33

Ep 76: Iskander Rehman on Sully, Richelieu, and Mazarin (New Makers of Modern Strategy #6)

Ep 76: Iskander Rehman on Sully, Richelieu, and Mazarin (New Makers of Modern Strategy #6)

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

Jun 13, 2023 • 57:55

Ep 76: Levi Roach on the Normans

Ep 76: Levi Roach on the Normans

Levi Roach, Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of Exeter and author of Empires of the Normans: Conquerors of Europe, joins the show to talk about the rise, violent spread, and ultimate normalization of the group of Viking raiders know as the Normans.  ▪️Times  • 01:25 Introduction  • 01:53 Who were the Normans?   • 06:40 Transformations • 11:41 Parallel outbursts • 14:35 “If a Frank is your neighbor, he’s not your friend” • 16:01 Towards 1066 • 22:20 Dukes and kings • 26:3

Jun 6, 2023 • 50:51

Ep 75: Toshi Yoshihara on Sun Tzu (New Makers of Modern Strategy #5)

Ep 75: Toshi Yoshihara on Sun Tzu (New Makers of Modern Strategy #5)

Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, author of Mao’s Army Goes to Sea, and contributor to the New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about Sun Tzu and Mao’s strategic thought.▪️Times     •    02:14 Introduction     •    02:33 Who was Sun Tzu?      •    05:38 Spring and Autumn     •    08:27 Legitimizing the text    •    11:18 Rational analysis     •    13:51 Clausewitz versus Sun Tzu    •    20:28 A dangerous optimism     •    24:40

May 30, 2023 • 52:30

Ep 74: Mark Moyar on Vietnam (New Makers of Modern Strategy #4)

Ep 74: Mark Moyar on Vietnam (New Makers of Modern Strategy #4)

Mark Moyar, the William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College, author of Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968 and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to reconsider the history of the Vietnam War.▪️Times • 01:53 Introduction • 04:30 Beginnings • 08:43 Early success • 12:23 Fallout from the coup• 14:00 LBJ takes over • 19:06 Domino theory• 22:20 China and Vietnam • 25:40 Buying time• 28:23 Johnson and McNamara• 34:22 Maintaining the shield • 35:5

May 23, 2023 • 50:57

Ep 73: Carter Malkasian on Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency (New Makers of Modern Strategy #3)

Ep 73: Carter Malkasian on Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency (New Makers of Modern Strategy #3)

Carter Malkasian, chair of the Defense Analysis Department at the Naval Postgraduate School and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about counterterrorism and counterinsurgency since 9/11.▪️Times     •    01:39 Introduction     •    02:01 From academia to Garmsir     •    03:48 Center for Naval Analysis     •    05:45 Two faces of the same coin    •    08:51 Counterterrorism vs counterinsurgency     •    13:00 McChrystal and Petraeus    •    16:29 Types of insurg

May 16, 2023 • 47:09

Ep 72: Matthew Kroenig on Machiavelli  (New Makers of Modern Strategy #2)

Ep 72: Matthew Kroenig on Machiavelli (New Makers of Modern Strategy #2)

Matthew Kroenig, professor in the Department of Government and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and contributor to the New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the most influential strategic thinkers of all time, Niccolo Machiavelli.▪️Times • 02:21 Introduction • 03:52 Teaching Machiavelli • 05:38 Machiavelli’s relevance• 07:49 Who was Niccolo?• 10:00 A lasting effect • 12:16 The Art of War• 15:52 A bad reputation• 19:58 A return to

May 9, 2023 • 37:49

Ep 71: John Gaddis on Strategy (New Makers of Modern Strategy #1)

Ep 71: John Gaddis on Strategy (New Makers of Modern Strategy #1)

John Gaddis, Robert A. Lovett Professor of Military & Naval History at Yale University and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about the foundations of strategic thought.▪️Times  • 02:01 Introduction  • 02:42 Makers of Modern Strategy  • 05:21 Democracy and strategy  • 07:42 Do authoritarians do strategy better? • 10:32 A guide for future action • 14:19 Grammar and logic • 17:42 Ecological sensitivity • 21:00 Maintain credibility  • 23:25 NSC-68 • 28:04 Reactio

May 2, 2023 • 43:55

Ep 70: Will Scharf on China’s Fentanyl War on America

Ep 70: Will Scharf on China’s Fentanyl War on America

Will Scharf, former federal prosecutor and candidate for Missouri Attorney General, joins the show to talk about how the Chinese Communist Party uses fentanyl as part of a broader strategy to pressure the United States.▪️Times  • 01:16 Introduction  • 02:19 Law enforcement and policy • 04:39 What is fentanyl?  • 06:53 Violent Crimes • 09:00 Fentanyl’s strength • 12:02 Fentanyl vs opium • 13:24 Origins • 17:52 China’s role • 21:09 The Opium Wars  • 25:41 The Chinese enigma  • 34:13 What can we do

Apr 25, 2023 • 45:56

Ep 69: John Lisle on the OSS and "Dirty Tricks"

Ep 69: John Lisle on the OSS and "Dirty Tricks"

John Lisle, a historian of science and the American intelligence community and author of The Dirty Tricks Department, joins the show to talk about the World War Two-era Office of Strategic Services and its Research and Development Branch.▪️Times • 01:44 Introduction • 02:10 “Wild Bill” Donovan• 05:54 Donovan’s style • 08:53 Stanley Lovell• 12:35 An unconventional training process• 16:40 Explosive pancake batter• 19:24 Limpet mines and Java Man• 23:33 A meaningful legacy?• 27:34 Target: Werner He

Apr 18, 2023 • 42:33

Ep 68: Peter H. Wilson on the Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples

Ep 68: Peter H. Wilson on the Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples

Peter H. Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War at All Souls, Oxford, and author of Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples since 1500, joins the show to talk about Germany, Germans, and German-speakers at war.▪️Times  • 01:52 Introduction  • 03:07 A dominance myth?  • 06:58 The Holy Roman Empire  • 10:33 HRE longevity • 12:38 The Thirty Years War • 15:31 Westphalia • 21:24 Prussia rising • 24:09 Prussia and Austria  • 27:56 Napoleon  • 31:43 The Imperial lega

Apr 11, 2023 • 42:27

Ep 67: Stephen J. Hadley on George W. Bush’s Foreign Policy

Ep 67: Stephen J. Hadley on George W. Bush’s Foreign Policy

Stephen J. Hadley, National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush and lead editor of Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama, joins the show to talk about the lasting effects of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the Bush administration’s dealings with Russia and China.▪️Times  • 01:38 Introduction  • 02:03 Transitions • 06:41 Russia and China then and now  • 08:45 Democratic values and our interests • 15:20 Democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan • 19:39 Missi

Apr 4, 2023 • 51:55

Ep 66: Michael E. O’Hanlon on Military History and Modern Strategy

Ep 66: Michael E. O’Hanlon on Military History and Modern Strategy

Michael E. O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution and author of Military History for the Modern Strategist: America’s Major Wars Since 1861, joins the show to talk about how the patterns of military history can shed light on today’s concerns.▪️Times  • 01:16 Introduction  • 01:50 Military history for the modern strategist • 05:16 Is military history relevant?  • 09:05 Lessons from the Civil War • 22:47 Could the South have succeeded? • 27:

Mar 28, 2023 • 48:02

Ep 65: John Hosler on Jerusalem

Ep 65: John Hosler on Jerusalem

John Hosler, Professor of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and author of Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace, joins the show to talk about the wars, and the peace, of medieval Jerusalem.▪️Times  • 01:26 Introduction  • 01:46 Why care about medieval military history? • 07:22 What is it about Jerusalem?  • 12:45 Continuities • 16:19 The Byzantines and the Jews • 23:54 The Arabs arrive  • 29:42 An “evidentiary problem” • 33:59 Three hundred years of

Mar 21, 2023 • 51:43

Ep 64: Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan on China’s Three Strategies for Taiwan

Ep 64: Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan on China’s Three Strategies for Taiwan

Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute join the show to talk about the three strategies that China can use to seize control of Taiwan.▪️Times  • 01:40 China’s three approaches on Taiwan  • 02:09 Persuasion • 07:35 Complimentary campaigns  • 10:34 Dominance of discourse power • 14:40 Talk, talk, fight, fight • 18:45 Coercion  • 26:51 Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan  • 30:02 Compellence • 35:24 CSIS war game conclusions  • 42:33 Fighting for themselves • 46:48 Ukraine o

Mar 14, 2023 • 55:05

Ep 63: Steve Kemper on Interwar Japan

Ep 63: Steve Kemper on Interwar Japan

Steve Kemper, author most recently of Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor, joins the show to talk about the political chaos in Tokyo in the years leading up to WWII and the man that tried to keep the peace, U.S. AmbassadorJoseph C. Grew.▪️Times  • 01:18 Introduction  • 01:50 Who was Joseph C. Grew?  • 04:36 Japanese politics in the ’30s  • 07:30 Imperial Army vs Imperial Navy • 11:00 First impressions • 17:31 Insurrection  • 22:12 Drifting towards war  • 26

Feb 28, 2023 • 46:32

Ep 62: Mike Pompeo on American Foreign Policy

Ep 62: Mike Pompeo on American Foreign Policy

Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and author of Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love, joins the show to talk about American foreign policy and his service in the Trump administration.Watch this video on YouTube.▪️Times  • 01:13 Introduction  • 02:12 Chinese surveillance balloons  • 05:01 Chinese espionage “inside the gates”  • 07:19 Meeting Xi Jinping  • 10:25 “Mushy Middle” diplomacy  • 15:58 Republicans and Russia  • 20:18 Am

Feb 21, 2023 • 36:06

Ep 61: Sonny Bunch on War Movies

Ep 61: Sonny Bunch on War Movies

Sonny Bunch, contributing columnist at the Washington Post and culture editor for The Bulwark, where he hosts The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood newsletter and podcast and Across the Movie Aisle, joins the show to talk about the best American war movies.▪️Times  • 01:35 Introduction • 02:16 What is a war movie? • 07:55 The Revolutionary War - The Patriot/John Adams • 13:15 The Civil War - Glory/Gettysburg • 16:56 World War I - Paths of Glory/Lawerence of Arabia (Hon. mention: Sgt. York) • 26:30 World

Feb 14, 2023 • 55:39

Ep 60: Marc Hyden on Gaius Marius

Ep 60: Marc Hyden on Gaius Marius

Marc Hyden, Director of State Government Affairs at R Street and author of Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Saviour, joins the show to discuss the life of one of the Roman Republic’s most innovative and controversial generals: Gaius Marius.▪️Times  • 01:33 Introduction • 01:46 An interest in Rome • 04:06 Growing pains • 06:36 The man born in Arpinum • 09:46 Serving in the legions • 11:37 Jugurtha  • 13:25 Roman politics   • 20:31 Marius in Numidia  • 28:51 Sulla and political reform •

Feb 7, 2023 • 1:02:42

Ep 59: James Lacey on Roman Strategy

Ep 59: James Lacey on Roman Strategy

James Lacey, the Major General Matthew C. Horner Chair of War Studies at Marine Corps University and author of Rome: Strategy of Empire, joins the show to discuss the grand strategy of the Roman Empire.▪️Times  • 01:33 Introduction • 01:59 A lover of history • 05:12 The “Plato to NATO” historian  • 08:40 Edward Luttwak  • 13:20 The Romans “obviously had a strategy” • 21:02 Speaking from historical silence • 26:27 The Republic vs the Empire   • 32:50 Cost benefit analysis in Rome • 35:57 Three mo

Jan 31, 2023 • 52:13

Ep 58: Philip Taubman on George Shultz

Ep 58: Philip Taubman on George Shultz

Philip Taubman, lecturer at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation and author of In The Nation's Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz, joins the show to discuss the legacy of American statesmen George P. Shultz.▪️Times  • 01:52 Introduction • 02:14 First encounters with Schultz • 06:44 An old-fashioned patriot  • 10:10 Secretary of State  • 15:38 Different approaches to defeating Communism  • 20:00 Two sides to Reagan  • 26:44 Hawks • 31:05 Schultz, Cl

Jan 24, 2023 • 45:07

Ep 57: Mike Gallagher on China and the U.S. Military

Ep 57: Mike Gallagher on China and the U.S. Military

Congressman Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin’s 8th district and chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to discuss his time as a Marine in Iraq, the dangers posed by the CCP, from Tik-Tok to maritime threats, and the crisis confronting our military’s culture.▪️Times • 01:26 Introduction• 02:11 The China Committee• 08:56 What’s the problem with Tik-Tok?• 13:12 A reverse Opium War • 15:2

Jan 17, 2023 • 51:32

Ep 56: Ronald H. Spector and the Chaos of Postwar Asia

Ep 56: Ronald H. Spector and the Chaos of Postwar Asia

Ronald H. Spector, Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University and author of A Continent Erupts: Decolonization, Civil War, and Massacre in Postwar Asia, 1945-1955, joins the show to discuss the fall of Japan, the spread of Communism, and the role of the United States in postwar Asia.▪️Times • 01:34 Introduction• 05:57 No clear plan• 08:30 The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere• 10:51 The Indian National Army • 12:12 Marines in North China • 15:49 Levels of violence• 17:24

Jan 10, 2023 • 36:10

Ep 55: Myke Cole and the Spartan Myth

Ep 55: Myke Cole and the Spartan Myth

Myke Cole, author of The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy, joins the show to discuss what most people get wrong about Sparta, arguing that Spartan warriors were neither more deadly, nor more successful in war, than other Greeks of their day.▪️Times  • 01:09 Introduction • 05:13 “Not especially tough” • 09:17 Getting it right, not being right • 10:48 What is the “Bronze Lie”?  • 16:57 Captured by politics • 23:23 Who were the Spartans? • 30:11 Spartan slavery  • 34:09

Jan 3, 2023 • 52:47

Ep 54: Jonathan Kirshner on Realism

Ep 54: Jonathan Kirshner on Realism

Jonathan Kirshner, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Boston College and author of An Unwritten Future: Realism, Uncertainty, and World Politics, joins the show to discuss realism and realists.▪️Times• 01:40 Introduction• 02:25 What is Realism?• 07:10 The birth of modern Realism• 11:59 To be “scientific” and “predictive” • 15:10 Not a rejection of social sciences• 19:30 “Purpose matters”• 23:40 Liberalism • 28:04 The Twenty Years Crisis • 36:00 Ideology matters• 42:07 Th

Dec 20, 2022 • 1:03:39

Ep 53: David M. Pritchard on Athens at War

Ep 53: David M. Pritchard on Athens at War

David M. Pritchard, Associate Professor of Greek History at the University of Queensland and author of Athenian Democracy at War, joins the show to discuss how and why ancient Athens fought its wars.▪️Times • 01:41 Introduction• 02:3 Martial culture in Athens• 05:08 Democracy and victory• 11:42 Innovation and participation• 15:38 Joining up in ancient Athens• 19:10 Broad support for war• 24:43 Military morality • 30:49 Control of the battlefield is victory• 38:28 Democracy and war today

Dec 13, 2022 • 43:43

Ep 52: Dr. Michael Livingston on the battle of Crécy

Ep 52: Dr. Michael Livingston on the battle of Crécy

Dr. Michael Livingston , Professor at The Citadel and author of Crécy: Battle of Five Kings, joins the show to discuss the Hundred Years War, medieval warfare, and the English victory at the battle of Crécy.▪️Times • 01:53 Introduction• 02:33 Why Crécy• 05:53 The Hundred Years War• 10:29 The French-Scottish connection • 14:08 Why invade France at all?• 20:51 Strengths/Weaknesses• 26:00 Medieval command and control• 34:01 Crécy the legend• 38:24 French losses• 39:17 Crécy the reality• 44:29 Costl

Dec 6, 2022 • 1:02:27

Ep 51: Alexander Mikaberidze on Kutuzov

Ep 51: Alexander Mikaberidze on Kutuzov

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 • 32:3

Nov 29, 2022 • 1:12:13

Ep 50: Lawrence Freedman on Command

Ep 50: Lawrence Freedman on Command

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 Bett

Nov 22, 2022 • 42:48

Ep 49: William Inboden on Ronald Reagan

Ep 49: William Inboden on Ronald Reagan

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 withou

Nov 15, 2022 • 55:37

Ep 48: Ian Beckett on the Anglo-Zulu War

Ep 48: Ian Beckett on the Anglo-Zulu War

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

Nov 8, 2022 • 55:16

Ep 47: Senator Tom Cotton on American Foreign Policy

Ep 47: Senator Tom Cotton on American Foreign Policy

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

Nov 1, 2022 • 52:39

Ep 46: James M. Scott on Curtis LeMay in World War II

Ep 46: James M. Scott on Curtis LeMay in World War II

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’Do

Oct 25, 2022 • 54:52

Ep 45: Randall Schriver on China

Ep 45: Randall Schriver on China

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 Deterrenc

Oct 18, 2022 • 54:41

Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff

Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff

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 Wa

Oct 11, 2022 • 42:18

Ep 43: Eli Lake on the Bush administration in the Middle East

Ep 43: Eli Lake on the Bush administration in the Middle East

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 -

Sep 13, 2022 • 1:01:36

Ep 42: Ian Easton on Xi Jinping and the CCP’s Grand Strategy

Ep 42: Ian Easton on Xi Jinping and the CCP’s Grand Strategy

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

Sep 6, 2022 • 1:06:42

Ep 41: Hal Brands and Michael Beckley on China

Ep 41: Hal Brands and Michael Beckley on China

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

Aug 30, 2022 • 55:55

Ep 40: Michael S. Neiberg on Vichy France

Ep 40: Michael S. Neiberg on Vichy France

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

Aug 9, 2022 • 56:15

Ep 39: Ocie Vest on the Marine Corps’ War in Afghanistan, Part 2 of 2

Ep 39: Ocie Vest on the Marine Corps’ War in Afghanistan, Part 2 of 2

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 Dispers

Aug 2, 2022 • 46:50

Ep 38: Ocie Vest on the Marine Corps’ War in Afghanistan, Part 1 of 2

Ep 38: Ocie Vest on the Marine Corps’ War in Afghanistan, Part 1 of 2

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.▪️Times  • 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 Dep

Jul 26, 2022 • 1:12:09

Ep 37: Alexander Watson on WWI’s Siege of Przemysl and the Making of Europe’s Bloodlands

Ep 37: Alexander Watson on WWI’s Siege of Przemysl and the Making of Europe’s Bloodlands

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 T

Jul 19, 2022 • 1:00:45

Ep 36: Charlie Laderman on Hitler’s Decision to Declare War on America

Ep 36: Charlie Laderman on Hitler’s Decision to Declare War on America

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.▪️Times • 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-Interventi

Jul 12, 2022 • 59:38

Ep 35: Brendan Simms and Steven McGregor on the Battle of Midway

Ep 35: Brendan Simms and Steven McGregor on the Battle of Midway

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  •

Jun 28, 2022 • 38:27

Ep 34: Andrew Corbett on Britain’s Nukes

Ep 34: Andrew Corbett on Britain’s Nukes

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

Jun 21, 2022 • 58:05

Ep 33: Steven Pressfield on the Truth about War

Ep 33: Steven Pressfield on the Truth about War

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” .▪️Times  • 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  • 3

Jun 14, 2022 • 47:41

Ep 32: Barry S. Strauss on Actium

Ep 32: Barry S. Strauss on Actium

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 Me

Jun 7, 2022 • 48:54

Ep 31: Rich Goldberg on Economic Sanctions and Financial Warfare

Ep 31: Rich Goldberg on Economic Sanctions and Financial Warfare

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 Usurpi

May 31, 2022 • 58:20

Ep 30: Guy MacLean Rogers on The Jewish Revolt

Ep 30: Guy MacLean Rogers on The Jewish Revolt

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

May 24, 2022 • 1:09:08

Ep 29: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan, Part 2 of 2

Ep 29: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan, Part 2 of 2

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

May 17, 2022 • 47:38

Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan, Part 1 of 2

Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan, Part 1 of 2

Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on AfghanistanWesley 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

May 10, 2022 • 35:48

Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine II

Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine II

Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine IIFred 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.Times  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

May 3, 2022 • 56:54

Ep 26: Andrew Lambert on the Crimean War

Ep 26: Andrew Lambert on the Crimean War

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 Policy

Apr 26, 2022 • 1:03:18

Ep. 25: Waller Newell on Putin and Tyranny

Ep. 25: Waller Newell on Putin and Tyranny

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 “Euras

Apr 12, 2022 • 44:54

Ep. 24: Richard Overy on World War II

Ep. 24: Richard Overy on World War II

Richard Overy, professor of history at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss World War II and the wars of imperial aggression.Times 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

Apr 5, 2022 • 38:57

Ep. 23: James Holmes on Sea Power

Ep. 23: James Holmes on Sea Power

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 sur

Mar 29, 2022 • 41:49

Ep. 22: Jeremy Black on Tank Warfare

Ep. 22: Jeremy Black on Tank Warfare

Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss tank warfare from its origins to the battlefields of UkraineTimes 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 -

Mar 23, 2022 • 48:57

Ep. 21: Matthew Kroenig on Ukraine and Putin’s Nuclear Weapons

Ep. 21: Matthew Kroenig on Ukraine and Putin’s Nuclear Weapons

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 Russ

Mar 16, 2022 • 36:34

Ep. 20: Bill Roggio on Ukraine

Ep. 20: Bill Roggio on Ukraine

Ep. 20: Bill Roggio on UkraineBill 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 - Introduction7:32 - Assessing Russian objectives in Ukraine13:25 - Russian shortfalls23:12 - Limits on Russian resources28:37 - Does the lack of preparation hurt Russian troops?32:21 - No fly zones38:36 - Escalation scenarios43:00 - Prospects for insurgency 49:32 - How does this end?

Mar 9, 2022 • 54:42

Ep. 19: Fred Kagan on Ukraine

Ep. 19: Fred Kagan on Ukraine

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 present06:39 - Nature of original build-up of Russian forces14:50 - Russian strategic and operational style17:47 - Lack of political preparation20:44 - Putin's background24:22 - 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

Mar 3, 2022 • 44:33

Ep. 18: Bruce Jones on Seapower

Ep. 18: Bruce Jones on Seapower

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

Feb 22, 2022 • 53:08

Ep. 17: Alexander Mikaberidze on Napoleon

Ep. 17: Alexander Mikaberidze on Napoleon

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:

Feb 15, 2022 • 1:01:19

Ep. 16: Gerry Roncolato on the U.S. Navy

Ep. 16: Gerry Roncolato on the U.S. Navy

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:

Feb 8, 2022 • 56:01

Ep. 15: Andrew Lambert on Julian Corbett

Ep. 15: Andrew Lambert on Julian Corbett

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:

Feb 1, 2022 • 58:28

Ep. 14: Kevin Hymel on General George S. Patton

Ep. 14: Kevin Hymel on General George S. Patton

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

Jan 25, 2022 • 59:26

Ep. 13: Thomas Clavin on Joe Moser

Ep. 13: Thomas Clavin on Joe Moser

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

Jan 18, 2022 • 36:58

Ep. 13: Thomas Clavin on Joe Moser

Ep. 13: Thomas Clavin on Joe Moser

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 Lightening 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 Lightening  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 2

Jan 18, 2022 • 36:58

Ep. 12: Hal Brands on the Cold War

Ep. 12: Hal Brands on the Cold 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' approa

Jan 11, 2022 • 50:24

Ep. 11: John Matteson on the Civil War's Cultural Impact

Ep. 11: John Matteson on the Civil War's Cultural Impact

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 Antie

Jan 4, 2022 • 45:02

Ep. 10: Shane Brennan on Xenophon

Ep. 10: Shane Brennan on Xenophon

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 leadershi

Dec 21, 2021 • 33:15

Ep. 9: David Stahel on the Eastern Front in WWII

Ep. 9: David Stahel on the Eastern Front in WWII

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 -

Dec 14, 2021 • 48:24

Ep. 8: H.W. Brands on the Patriots and the Loyalists

Ep. 8: H.W. Brands on the Patriots and the Loyalists

BiographyH.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 1

Dec 7, 2021 • 32:13

Ep. 7: John McManus on the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II

Ep. 7: John McManus on the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II

BiographyJohn 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 - Mispercepti

Nov 30, 2021 • 45:21

Ep. 7: John McManus on the Army in the Pacific during World War II

Ep. 7: John McManus on the Army in the Pacific during World War II

Biography John McManus is the Curator's 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 - Mispe

Nov 30, 2021 • 45:21

Ep. 6: Frank Ledwidge on Airpower

Ep. 6: Frank Ledwidge on Airpower

BiographyFrank 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: T

Nov 23, 2021 • 41:21

Ep. 6: Frank Ledwidge on Aerial Warfare

Ep. 6: Frank Ledwidge on Aerial Warfare

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

Nov 23, 2021 • 41:21

Ep. 5: Wayne Hsieh on Robert E. Lee

Ep. 5: Wayne Hsieh on Robert E. Lee

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 - Hostili

Nov 16, 2021 • 36:27

Ep. 4: Sean McMeekin on Stalin and World War II

Ep. 4: Sean McMeekin on Stalin and World War II

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 Y

Nov 9, 2021 • 44:01

Ep. 3: Andrew Roberts on King George III

Ep. 3: Andrew Roberts on King George III

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 -

Nov 2, 2021 • 35:45

Ep. 2: Daniel Bolger on Maurice Rose

Ep. 2: Daniel Bolger on Maurice Rose

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

Oct 26, 2021 • 43:14

Ep. 1: H.R. McMaster on the Gulf War

Ep. 1: H.R. McMaster on the Gulf War

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 Jo

Oct 19, 2021 • 44:17

Trailer

Trailer

An introduction to the School of War podcast

Oct 6, 2021 • 1:44

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