James Diggle, emeritus professor of Greek and Latin at Cambridge University, and John Underhill, professor of geoscience and energy transition at the University of Aberdeen, join School of War to discuss their decades-long search for the real Ithaca of Homer’s Odyssey. Based on their recent Antigone journal article, “In Search of Ithaca,” they explain why the island we’ve called Ithaca for centuries may actually be the wrong one. Can modern geology solve a 3,000-year-old mystery? Have we finally found the true home of Odysseus? And what would that mean for one of the greatest stories ever told? 02:44 – The mystery of Homer's Ithaca 04:45 – Can Homer be treated as history? 06:19 – The Bronze Age world of Odysseus 09:25 – Why modern Ithaca doesn't fit Homer's description 12:02 – Robert Bittlestone's hypothesis 17:15 – The geology expedition begins 23:17 – The million-euro search for Ithaca 28:37 – Disproving the original theory 31:19 – The geological breakthrough 35:09 – The discovery that changes everything 37:22 – Homer never actually calls Ithaca an island 41:24 – Solving a 3,000-year-old mystery 46:22 – Telemachus' journey finally makes sense 50:54 – Would Robert Bittlestone have agreed? 57:43 – The hidden cave Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, returns to School of War to examine why the war with Iran continues despite devastating military setbacks for Tehran. Is President Trump’s Iran strategy truly different from President Obama’s, or are the similarities overstated? What does the fight over the Strait of Hormuz reveal about the limits of American power? And what does this war tell us about the future of U.S. strategy in the Middle East—and its broader competition with China? 01:22 - Recap of the Iran War 06:03 - Iran's Leverage 09:05 - MoU Misunderstandings 12:28 - The Crux of the MoU Dispute 15:42 - The Nuclear Status Quo 17:58 - Iran's Degradation Since October 7 21:13 - The Democrats' View 22:02 - The Right's View 23:25 - Trump's "Obama-Style" Rhetoric 28:10 - Should America Reimpose the Blockade? 28:53 - The Drone and Ballistic Missile Problem 31:10 - Drone Warfare Has Changed Everything 32:01 - The Vulnerability of America's Gulf Allies 37:21 - Is the MoU Still in Effect? 39:34 - Why Nobody Is Buying Iranian Oil 46:32 - China and the Bigger Picture Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vance Serchuk, executive director and Partner at the KKR Global Institute, and former senior national security adviser to Senator Joe Lieberman, was uniquely positioned to witness one of the most influential partnerships in modern American foreign policy: the “Three Amigos” of John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham. What made their partnership so effective? What vision did they share for America’s role in the world? And what does the end of the “Three Amigos” mean for the future of American foreign policy? 02:21 - Lindsey Graham and the Three Amigos 10:42 - First Impressions of Lindsey Graham 13:20 - Lindsey Graham’s Sense of Humor 15:47 - Graham’s Spontaneity 21:44 - The Three Amigos’ Bond Through Travel 23:31 - Oversight on the Front Lines 24:56 - The Russian Threat 27:00 - The Three Amigos’ Shared Convictions 28:28 - Russia’s Invasion of Georgia 32:56 - Senator Graham’s Political Courage 33:27 - What Made the Three Amigos Different 37:24 - Graham’s Political Instincts 37:56 - Why the Three Amigos Worked 39:33 - The Power of Political Friendship 42:28 - Graham’s Work in the Trump Era Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward Fishman, senior fellow and director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins School of War to discuss his New York Times best-selling book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. How has the United States turned the global economy into a strategic weapon? What are the strengths and limits of sanctions? And how are China, Russia, and Iran adapting to a new era of economic warfare? 02:46 - Edward Fishman's background 04:26 - Understanding economic chokepoints 05:35 - The dollar as a strategic chokepoint 07:02 - Semiconductors as a strategic chokepoint 09:24 - The Iraq embargo and modern sanctions 11:05 - Airpower vs. economic warfare 12:14 - Are sanctions a "nuclear weapon"? 13:23 - America's sanctions strategy toward Iran 14:25 - Trump pulling out of the JCPOA 16:20 - The limits of economic warfare 18:00 - Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and the MoU 20:44 - Shadow fleets and Iranian oil 22:54 - The evolution of Russia sanctions 27:59 - China and the economic arms race 29:53 - How nations mitigate economic chokepoints 34:20 - What makes a strategic chokepoint? 39:40 - Chokepoints beyond economics 41:05 - Can Iran institutionalize control over the Strait of Hormuz? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast, or at The Free Press Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David, a U.S. military veteran who has been fighting voluntarily alongside Ukrainian forces, joins School of War to discuss how four years on the front lines have transformed modern warfare. How has combat in Ukraine changed since Russia’s 2022 invasion? Why have first-person view drones become the defining weapon of the war? What misconceptions does the West still have about the Russian military? And what lessons must the United States absorb before its next major conflict? 02:49 - David’s military history 05:56 - What brought David to Ukraine 07:37 - Russia's failed invasion of Kyiv 10:24 - How Ukraine turned the tide in 2022 17:04 - How Ukraine adapted to Russia's invasion 19:06 - America's role in Ukraine's early success 23:59 - How the battlefield has evolved since 2022 28:15 - Experiencing Russian artillery  37:22 - From artillery warfare to drone warfare 40:41 - Why FPV drones are terrifying 44:20 - The modern "gray zone"  49:26 - Why Russia is still a military threat 01:00:49 - What Ukraine must do to survive 01:11:41 - Is the U.S. military learning the right lessons? 01:15:55 - The future of warfare and America's defense industry Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Bell, historian, professor at the University of Maryland, and author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, joins School of War to discuss how the American Revolution became a global conflict that stretched from Boston to the Caribbean, Europe, India, and beyond. How did George Washington's strategy force Britain to fight a world war? Why was France's intervention decisive to American victory? And what does the revolution reveal about the nature of coalition warfare? 00:53 - Rick Bell's background 02:05 - The American Revolution was a global war 06:09 - What led to the Boston Tea Party 12:45 - Patriot motivations 14:38 - Who was Edmund Burke? 16:50 - Britain divided over the Revolution 20:47 - Why France backed the Patriots 23:45 - France and Spain vs. Britain 27:01 - The Caribbean: Britain's crown jewel 30:08 - The forgotten theater of the Revolution 35:49 - Washington's global coalition strategy 38:55 - Germany and the Hessian soldiers 41:50 - The Patriots' European officers 43:10 - The myth of guerrilla warfare 44:50 - Final thoughts Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sal Mercogliano, professor of history at Campbell University and host of the What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins the show once again to discuss Iran's renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Why is the ceasefire already beginning to unravel? What is Iran trying to accomplish by asserting control over the strait? And what could the long-term consequences be for global trade, energy markets, and freedom of navigation? 02:11 - New arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz 05:19 - Humanitarian situation for sailors 06:53 - Jobs at sea and AI 08:05 - New rounds of violence 11:02 - Route options for ships 13:30 - Why did the ceasefire break down? 15:05 - Iran asserts control over the strait 16:10 - Why were these ships targeted? 19:08 - Strait of Hormuz as a strategic choke point 21:49 - What Iran learned from the Houthis 23:21 - Why energy prices haven't spiked 28:20 - Impact on developing nations 29:13 - The endgame in the Strait of Hormuz 33:22 - U.S. naval presence in the Gulf 36:26 - Iran's maritime protection racket Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast, or at The Free Press Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. John Mitani, professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and recipient of the Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award, joins School of War to discuss the violent chimpanzee civil war he documented among the Ngogo chimpanzees in Uganda. What caused one of the world's largest chimpanzee communities to turn on itself? What does chimpanzee warfare reveal about the origins of human conflict? And what separates humans from our closest living relatives? 02:39 - How Dr. Mitani became an ape researcher 04:02 - Why chimpanzees? 05:13 - Humans' closest living relatives 08:38 - The Ngogo chimpanzees 09:31 - The chimpanzee civil war begins 13:35 - Living among wild chimpanzees 17:09 - Territorial patrols and warfare 22:34 - Why the chimpanzee community split 26:26 - How chimpanzees fight 29:14 - The strategy behind chimp warfare 31:24 - Why full stomachs lead to war 33:10 - Land, food, and reproduction 37:27 - Infanticide and the mystery of female survival 39:26 - When civil war becomes permanent 41:13 - What chimpanzees teach us about human nature Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this year, Aaron MacLean visited Ukraine, where he met with Georgian Legion commander Mamuka Mamulashvili. What happens when a boy goes to war at 14 years old? What does a lifetime of fighting Russians teach you about how they operate? And what lessons should the West be learning from war in Ukraine? 02:18 - Growing up in Soviet Georgia 03:53 - Russia's invasion of Abkhazia 07:59 - Capture and torture by Russian forces 10:24 - The First and Second Chechen Wars 13:49 - Killing a Russian soldier for the first time 17:32 - Force vs. diplomacy 18:14 - Georgia's wars with Russia 20:19 - The 2008 Russo-Georgian War 23:47 - Georgian support for Ukraine 24:39 - Mixed martial arts 29:53 - Founding the Georgian Legion 33:33 - The defense of Hostomel Airport 43:32 - How drones have transformed warfare 50:45 - Russian disinformation 52:27 - Why Ukraine will ultimately win Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor, veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and author of Courage Can Save Us, joins School of War to discuss the meaning of courage, the enduring value of service, and the challenge of bridging America’s growing political divides. What separates courage from bravery? Can military service help heal a polarized America? And what does principled leadership look like in an age of distrust? 01:28 - Murph challenge 03:08 - Rye's father and Vietnam 05:08 - Defining courage 07:57 - First to Fight 13:49 - Joining the Marines 14:22 - September 11th 17:42 - Bosnia, Africa, and Fallujah 19:16 - Marine commanders 23:52 - Life in Fallujah 26:05 - The With Honor mission 28:29 - America's polarization problem 30:05 - Veterans in politics 33:12 - The civil-military divide 37:23 - Courage in politics 41:57 - Congressman Jared Golden 44:19 - Senator Todd Young Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, returns to School of War to discuss the newly released memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. What does the deal actually say? What are its biggest strategic implications? And is it comparable to the JCPOA—or something worse? 01:19 - Paragraph 1: Lebanon and Hezbollah 09:45 - Paragraphs 2–3: Sovereignty and the 60-day clock 11:24 - Paragraph 4: Lifting the blockade 16:37 - Paragraph 5: The Strait of Hormuz 23:48 - Paragraph 6: A $300 billion reconstruction fund 33:49 - Paragraph 7: Ending all sanctions 35:43 - Paragraph 8: Nuclear weapons and enrichment 39:12 - Paragraph 9: Maintaining the status quo 40:44 - Paragraph 10: Oil waivers and sanctions relief 43:48 - Paragraph 11: Releasing frozen funds 46:56 - Paragraph 12: Monitoring compliance 47:52 - Paragraph 13: Negotiating the final deal 50:59 - Paragraph 14: A UN Security Council resolution 51:13 - Squandering battlefield leverage Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eliot Cohen, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, author of The Strategist: How to Think About War and Politics; and co-host of the Shield of the Republic podcast, joins School of War to discuss the recent agreement between the United States and Iran. Did the United States and Israel accomplish their objectives against Iran? What does the conflict reveal about the U.S. military's readiness for future wars? And did Trump negotiate from a position of strength, or squander one? 01:22 - Eliot Cohen on the war with Iran 03:34 - Judging Trump by outcomes 05:08 - A war 47 years in the making 06:45 - What we don't know about the air campaign 08:08 - Negotiating from strength? 09:10 - Trump's negotiating style 12:05 - Questions about America's conduct of the war 14:31 - The Strait of Hormuz becomes the objective 15:41 - Why the war ended when it did 17:25 - Trump and the nature of war 19:01 - Has Iran succeeded? 23:21 - The decline of the Iranian empire 28:09 - Why Trump got a bad deal 31:36 - Auditing the U.S. military 39:39 - Has warfare been transformed? 42:10 - What should America do next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arthur Herman, senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump, joins School of War to discuss how America’s Founding Fathers helped create a culture of innovation in technology, industry, and warfare. Who are the most important founders of the past and present? What lessons can they teach us about today’s revolution in warfare? And what makes American ingenuity so unique? 02:45 - Defining founders 10:56 - Technology at America's founding  13:49  - Alex Karp and the founder mindset 14:45 - The creation of Springfield Arsenal 15:40 - Thomas Jefferson and American weapons 19:10 - Today's revolution in warfare 20:53 - AI on the battlefield 21:49 - Why a strong economy matters 24:40 - China's defense industry 26:32  - American industrial policy 29:11 - Lessons from Ukraine 31:29 - Declining competition in weapons manufacturing 33:38 - The burden of weapons regulations 37:50 - Elon Musk's founder mentality 41:52 - The future of American ingenuity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ (FDD) Iran Program and a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political issues, returns to School of War to discuss the latest round of fighting between Israel and Iran. Why did this latest wave of Iranian missile attacks feel different? Why does a weakened Iran seem emboldened? Where is the regime most vulnerable? And will politics in Washington prevent the U.S. from doing what is necessary to stop it? 02:30 - Israel in Southern Lebanon 04:37 - Iran's Missile Barrage Against Israel 06:20 - FPV Drone Warfare in Lebanon 08:30 - A New Iranian Strategy? 12:16 - Cover for Terror Proxies 14:14 - The Danger of a Weakened Iran 17:44 - The Nazi Germany Comparison 21:00 - The Wehrmacht's Last Stand 22:07 - Iran's Reaction to Pressure 25:09 - Targets in Iran and Israel 30:15 - Where Is Iran Most Vulnerable? 31:47 - The Iran-Iraq War Analogy 32:44 - Exploiting Divisions in Iran 35:09 - Political Obstacles to Maximum Pressure 38:17 - Trump's Record on Iran Policy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Vinci—co-founder and CEO of Vico, an AI company that empowers judgment and analysis in finance and national security, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution—joins School of War to discuss the technological evolution of spycraft. How does an intelligence officer operate in a world of rapidly advancing technology? What happens when machines begin to assist, or even replace, human judgment? And are we being spied on constantly? 02:33 - The Job of an Intelligence Officer 03:43 - Technology and Intelligence Work 05:58 - Living Under Surveillance 07:43 - AI as an Intelligence Analyst 09:37 - The Origins of American Intelligence 10:15 - Who Was Wild Bill Donovan? 12:37 - The Modern Intelligence Community 14:25 - The Evolution of Spy Technology 16:39 - The Intelligence Gap Before 9/11 18:58 - A Mossad Chief's Critique 23:10 - The Fourth Intelligence Revolution 25:02 - AI and Autonomy 27:49 - Are We All Being Spied On? 30:05 - China's Political Warfare 34:00 - The COVID Intelligence Failure 39:59 - The Dangers of AI Language Models 48:37 - TikTok and Surveillance Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Michael Baumgartner, who represents Washington’s 5th Congressional District, joins the show from Singapore at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. What was the tone and significance of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s speech? How are the Asian economies fairing in lieu of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? And what is the future of the American-led order in East Asia? 03:07 - Tone of the Shangri-La Dialogue 05:30 - Asia and the Strait of Hormuz 09:35 - The UAE's Distance from Iran 11:47 - America's Role in Asian Security 13:06 - Asia's Reaction to Trump's China Summit 15:25 - The Diversity of Asia 16:54 - Pete Hegseth's Speech 19:07 - The CCP's Control of China 20:59 - Korean and Japanese Views on China 24:07 - Drones and Autonomous Warfare 24:50 - Vietnam's Reinvention 28:07 - Singapore-U.S. Relations 30:21 - Paused Arms Sales 34:00 - Iran and Electoral Politics Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matti Friedman is an award-winning journalist and columnist at The Free Press. He joins the show to discuss his latest book, Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe. Whom were the Zionist Jews fighting on behalf of the British during World War II? What happened to the legendary Zionist figure Hannah Senesh? And how did a war story without battlefield success help give birth to a nation? 01:45 - The scene in British Mandate Palestine 07:30 - British MI9 unit 07:38 - Jewish military units 08:41 - Rescue missions into Europe 14:21 - Secret meeting in Tel Aviv 17:29 - Palestinian Jews’ view of European Jewry 21:51 - Hannah Senesh 24:46 - Parachuting technology in WWII 26:44 - Sword of Honour trilogy 29:48 - Discrimination against Jewish agents in Europe 32:54 - Chaos at the end of WWII 34:13 - Hannah Senesh’s doomed mission 43:10 - The escape of Hannah’s mother 47:43 - The importance of heroes and myths 49:06 - Understanding Zionism  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Sullivan, former U.S. national security adviser under President Joe Biden, Kissinger professor of the practice of statecraft and world order at the Harvard Kennedy School, and co-host of The Long Game podcast, joins School of War to discuss geopolitics through the lens of today’s Democratic Party. Where do Democrats stand on China, Israel, Iran, and the war in Ukraine? 02:29 - China summit recap 04:03 - President Trump’s goals in China 05:44 - Taiwan threat level 08:50 - Democratic Party position on China 14:16 - Avoiding war with China 16:39 - Nature of competition with China 18:39 - Role of AI in power struggle 23:44 - Critique of Trump’s Iran policy 27:17 - Democratic Party position on Iran 32:30 - Iran’s nuclear program 35:25 - Democratic Party position on Israel 45:15 - Russia-Ukraine conflict 51:12 - Democratic Party restraint policies 52:56 - Weapon systems assistance for Ukraine  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, joins the show in front of a live audience to discuss the perilous moment we find ourselves in and how it all relates to history. What is the status of the Iran war? What is influencing President Donald Trump’s policymaking? How do we defeat a dangerous wave of “anti-history”? And are we on the brink of a world war, a cold war, or something in between? 03:35 - Historical analogies for today 09:51 - Short war illusion 15:14 - We’re in a Cold War II 18:12 - Putin’s essay from 2021 19:50 - Russia-Ukraine war 25:29 - The American mythos of WWII 26:58 - Anti-history 30:04 - The life work of Bill Buckley 31:37 - Return of antisemitism and socialism 32:52 - President Trump’s worldview 36:37 - The war in Iran 47:45 - The new state of warfighting 53:53 - President Trump’s treatment of Ukraine 57:17 - Risks of Taiwan conflict 01:03:57 - Limits to air power 01:06:58 - Reversal of historical revisionism 01:12:30 - Story about Aaron’s father Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Brose, president and chief strategy officer of Anduril Industries and author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, joins the show to help us evaluate American performance against Iran so far and discuss the state of defense innovation in America. What is on the cutting edge? Where are we falling behind? And what happens if the war comes home?  Times: 01:58 - Audit of Operation Epic Fury 05:04 - Munitions and weapons shortages 08:30 - New lower-cost weapons 10:56 - The Barracuda cruise missile system 15:04 - Lessons from the battlefield 15:41 - Missile defense systems 21:47 - Software, data, and AI 24:39 - Homeland defense 27:02 - Containerization 28:05 - Industrial capacity 31:36 - Bringing Americans back into defense manufacturing 34:43 - The defense budget 39:02 - Anduril fundraising Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and chairman of the Vandenberg Coalition and the Tikvah Fund, joins the show to discuss Israel, Iran, and the new power dynamics in the Middle East. What new alliances have emerged since the chaos on October 7, 2023? How has the current war with Iran reshaped the region? With a storm of competing interests, fragile partnerships, and global stakes, can stability emerge, or is the Middle East heading toward an even wider conflict? 02:10 - Israel today 04:02- Israeli airport security 05:58 - Netanyahu’s domestic political situation 09:07 - Bibi’s secret visit to the UAE 10:15 - American military aircrafts in Israel 12:01 - Israel-UAE relationship 15:57- October 7th Middle East aftermath 17:17 - Erosion of Iranian proxies 19:20 - Israeli-Saudi relationship 20:27 - Egypt’s global decline 22:24 - Turkey’s role 29:09 - Israel-Lebanon relationship 28:30 - Hezbollah factor 32:25 - How to handle Hamas 36:31 - Iran and the future of the Strait of Hormuz Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Brownback, former Kansas senator and governor, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit, and author of China’s War on Faith, joins School of War to discuss the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of religious minorities and how its domestic oppression shapes America’s broader strategic posture toward China. How is Beijing using the digital revolution as a tool of political control? Should freedom of religion be treated as a central front in the U.S.-China rivalry? With President Trump currently in China for a summit with President Xi Jinping, the world is watching a clash that extends beyond economics and military power into a conflict over faith, freedom, and the moral future of humanity. Times: 03:25 - Trump’s China summit 05:25 - Clash of civilizations 06:18 - History of Christianity in China 08:41 - Governor’s transformative past 11:07- Systems of communism 15:53 - Chinese surveillance technology 17:22 - Peter Xu history 19:40 - Dangers of the CCP 20:53 - Treatment of religious minorities 26:12 - Technologies for oppression 29:00 - Trump’s handling of disentanglement 32:25 - American religious freedom 35:20 - The Falun Gong 37:46 - Confrontation vs. accommodation  42:59 - Story of Wang Chun Yan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the president’s upcoming summit in Beijing with President Xi Jinping. What are President Trump’s goals? How will war with Iran affect the meeting? And what do these discussions mean for the future of conflict in the Indo-Pacific? 02:12 Trump’s summit with Xi Jinping 03:38 Trump’s goals at summit 04:48 China’s leverage over Iran 05:57 China’s principal interest in the Middle East 08:14 U.S. sanctions on Iran and China 10:22 China’s diversified energy imports 13:05 American-Chinese competition 15:34 Defense industrial base issues 16:03 AI factor 16:34 China’s industrial leverage 19:05 Economic showdown 24:43 The Taiwan issue 26:22 Global conflict lessons for Taiwan 28:46 Division of Taiwanese politics 31:46 Stakes for the future Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Eberstadt, the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute, joins School of War to discuss global population decline. What does a shrinking and aging population mean for the United States? What does it mean for China, whose demographic crisis may be even more severe? How could population decline reshape economic growth, military power, and geopolitical competition? And what happens to the international order when the world stops growing? 03:02 Population decline in America 006:15 Deaths exceeding births in the US 07:31 Global birth crash 14:49 Grounds for optimism 17:12 Small family trend 18:17 GDP relationship with population size 19:23  Individual prosperity vs. National strength 21:24 Rise in human life expectancy 24:36  Ben Carson’s prediction 27:11 Ukraine’s military revolution  30:47  American bad habits 33:48 AI and the labor market 37:25 Chinese depopulation crisis 48:50  What would a world war look like today? 51:48 US Alliance relationships Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, return to School of War to discuss the complicated news out of the Strait of Hormuz. What is President Donald Trump’s new plan, “Project Freedom”? Does it put the ceasefire at risk? What’s really happening in this critical waterway? Times: 02:31 - President’s statement 04:00 - Understanding Project Freedom 07:15 - Attacks against tankers 09:53 - Central Command statement 12:15 - Ceasefire breakdown 16:25 - Coordination cell or escort 18:00 - Trump buying time 20:40 - US Navy escort option 23:06 - Missile defense 24:45 - Economic impacts 27:01 - Iran under pressure 31:50 - Live news US vessel transit 34:15 - Human factor of outbound transit 37:30 - American gas production 39:28 - Predictions in America’s favor Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lance R. Blyth, command historian of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), joins School of War to discuss the evolution of North America’s air defense. How has NORAD adapted to shifting threats over the decades? Are today’s threats manageable? Are we in a new Cold War? And what can the command, with operations deep inside a Colorado mountain, teach us about defending the continent in an era of renewed great-power competition? Times: 02:04 History of NORAD 07:02 Threats of the 1950s 13:50 Sensors, effectors, and connectors 15:15 Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) 19:45 SABRE travel system 21:14 Aerospace missile warning systems 22:07 Cheyenne Mountain Complex 24:13 NORAD in films 27:56 False missile launches 31:31 Adapting to new threats 34:23 New joint surveillance system 35:19 Importance of Canada 36:21 September 11 40:21 Operation Noble Eagle 43:00 Today’s threats Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Douglas Murray, journalist and author of On Democracies and Death Cults, joins School of War to discuss the assassination attempt that we both witnessed in person at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Was there a lapse in appropriate security? Is political violence being normalized? Can it be contained? Times: 02:44 - White House Correspondents Dinner 04:38 - Shots fired 06:51 - Security at the dinner 09:58 - Bobby Kennedy and Erika Kirk 16:25 - Secret Service valor 17:25 - Israeli security style 19:42 - Trump’s ballroom 21:35 - The shooter’s manifesto 27:26 - Past American political violence 29:13 - Assassinations can change history 31:09 - Hitler comparison 34:47 - Civic hygiene 36:49 - Justifying violence on NYT podcast 40:22 - Echoes of the Russian Revolution 47:05 - Failure of the education system 54:23 - The melding of the president and media   Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Huw Davies, an associate dean and professor of British military history at King’s College London and author of several books, including The Wandering Army, joins School of War to discuss what the 18th-century British Army can teach us about modern warfare. How does battlefield failure drive military innovation? How did institutions of the past respond to change? And in an era of drones, autonomy, and AI, have we learned from the past, or are we destined to repeat it? Times: 02:40 18th century military enlightenment 06:30 War of the Austrian Succession 12:43 The British officer class 18:39 Tension between ancients and moderns 20:20 Discovering Sir Henry Clinton’s notebook 20:48 False caricature of the British Army 27:02 Challenges of North American warfare 29:32 Battle of the Monongahela 35:09 Importance of light infantry 38:17 Rifle evolution 39:00 Why armies resist change 43:40 Lessons for today 46:42 Human behavior in war 47:10 Learning curve of war technologies 49:11 Is Ukrainian drone warfare a turning point? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army (retired), Senior Fellow for Military Studies at the Lowy Institute, adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and author of the Futura Doctrina Substack joins the show to dissect the current state of the war in Iran. Is this conflict entering a postmortem phase, or are we still in the middle of it? How has America performed so far? How does this war connect to the Pacific theater? Are we adapting for a broader global conflict, and are our adversaries adapting as well? Times: 002:20 Iran war impact on Australia 05:06 American performance in this war 06:22 Israeli partnership over NATO 08:21 Strait of Hormuz closure 13:07 Is the US prepared for a long-term war? 15:50 Importance of AI 18:17 Israeli performance 18:55 Iran frustrating US objectives 19:26 Lessons for Taiwan 20:31 Does political decapitation work? 22:41 How is the Axis learning from this conflict 25:44 China’s interest in the Middle East 29:04 Grim predictions of the road ahead 30:40 Iranian hardliners 31:16 Importance of getting the strait open 34:29 Pilot rescue mission Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aviv Shapira, the co-founder and CEO of XTEND, joins the show to discuss his journey from competitive drone racing to building groundbreaking defense technology. How are drone swarms changing warfare? What are the ethical implications of AI weaponry? What happens if this technology falls into the wrong hands? And what comes next? 01:58 Aviv’s background04:46 Replay technologies08:28 VR Messi08:58 Xtend description09:55 Drone racing12:56 Headset importance14:13 Ender’s Game17:02 AI drones21:34 Tunnel warfare27:11 Diversity of drone needs30:41 Drone swarms34:16 Human machine teaming37:10 Rule of three41:52 Ethical questions44:11 Future of munitions45:26 Xtend business model49:23 Future of this technology52:22 Tech in enemy hands Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sal Mercogliano, professor of history at Campbell University and host of the What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins the show once again to discuss the naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz imposed by United States Central Command. How might this blockade unfold? Is it a tactic to bring Iran back to the negotiating table, or a step that risks igniting a new wave of conflict? We do not know how this game will end, but one thing is certain: The entire world is watching this critical waterway.  03:13 How is the blockade functioning 08:52 Trump’s messaging 10:54 Blockade is negotiating tactic 11:40 Carrier strike groups 12:12 The U.S. Navy’s run through the strait 12:39 Iranian mines 15:09 The Islamabad process 17:50 American convoying 20:01 Iranian shadow fleet 21:25 Potential blockade tactics 23:20 Boarding vessels 26:54 Merchant marine involvement 28:34 The China factor  33:08  Economic game of chicken 38:26 A return to violence Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast, or at The Free Press Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

General Michael Claesson is Sweden’s Chief of Defence Staff and Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. How did Russia’s annexation of Crimea change Sweden’s global strategy? Is Russia weaker than it appears? How strong is the American alliance with Europe? With the tectonic plates of war shifting beneath our feet, the stakes are high and the future of NATO hangs in the balance. Times: 02:46 Swedish view of the world 04:19 Crimea annexation 08:50 Geopolitical logic of joining NATO 10:10 Military background 13:48 The war in Ukraine 17:53 Lessons from the American Civil War 19:40 Drone combat 25:09 Command versus autonomy 27:09 European defense against Russia 33:14 Contested Kaliningrad 36:00 Russia’s vulnerabilities 37:19 Russia’s greyzone warfare 41:11 Europe’s role in global security 44:26 American and European alliance 45:00 The case for NATO Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast and now also on The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of FDD, joins Aaron to discuss the ceasefire negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. What are the fears surrounding the  talks? Where are the two sides close on the proposed ceasefire, and where are they miles apart? What should we look for to indicate how the talks are going? Looming over everything is the question of whether the negotiating table can, at times, be more dangerous than the battlefield. Times: 02:03 Nature of the ceasefire 04:22 Do we have the upper hand? 08:04 Trump vs. Iranian trap 09:31 Iran’s fragile position 11:49 Broader American strategy 14:59 Negotiation demands 18:57 Lebanon factor 22:48 Who is Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf? 27:45 J.D. Vance’s analogy 30:44 Strait of Hormuz 33:03 Recession fears 36:29 Hormuz circumvention 38:05 Battle for Hormuz 39:00 Global chokepoint lessons Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sal Mercogliano, professor of history at Campbell University and host of the  What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins us to discuss the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the complexities of navigating the Strait under normal and elevated circumstances. The conversation delves into the geopolitical tensions involving Iran, the impact on global shipping, and the broader implications for international trade and security. What are the challenges posed by the current conflict, the role of insurance in maritime operations, and the potential long-term effects on global trade? ▪️ Times 02:45 A regular day 07:51 Shipping lanes 11:48 In the Persian Gulf 19:13 What is actually happening? 27:00 Opening the Strait  32:30 Strategic costs  38:05 Keeping things moving 44:58 Breakdown of the Freedom of the Seas 48:32 Ghost fleets 53:13 Other chokepoints Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at FDD, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, join the show to breakdown the dramatic events of the weekend and take a look at the road ahead in the Iran War. We discuss the American F-15E shot down in Iran, and the subsequent rescue of its crew by special operations forces near Isfahan. The conversation delves into the details of the rescue operation, President Trump's demands regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the potential actions the United States might take if Iran does not comply.  ▪️ Times 03:00 Rescue 12:47 Potential nuclear raid sites 15:28 President’s deal terms 26:50 Targets and regime change 35:32 Ground options 38:28 Information gaps and what comes next Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Iran’s nuclear program survives. And while the regime has been weakened, it remains intact. So what has President Trump accomplished—and what comes next in the war? Today on School of War, we’re doing something a little different. Instead of sitting in the interviewer’s chair, as I usually do – I’m the one being interviewed. I joined Rafaela Siewert of The Free Press to talk through my current thinking on the war in Iran. ▪️ Times 02:03 Trump’s speech   05:22 Escalation       10:10 Goals  12:25 Risk and scale 15:15 Kinds of surprise 17:37 Misreading the Iranians  22:10 15 Points 25:49 Opening the Strait of Hormuz  29:24 Branding  32:44 Oil  37:15 Kharg Island 41:35 Regime alteration   44:20 Time and resources 48:49 Balance 50:11 Trump, MAGA, and the Right Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eyck Freymann, Hoover Fellow at Stanford University and author of Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China, joins the show to explain the complexities of deterrence against China, the strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and the implications of the wars in Ukraine and Iran for Taiwan. We break down China’s plausible gray-zone tactics like quarantine and coercive mobilization, and how these tools, if unchecked, could lead to a total economic or military break. Where are the vulnerabilities in the U.S. defense industrial base, in naval and trade logistics, and in missile magazine depth? ▪️ Times 01:45 No path out   04:13 Maintaining balance      10:18 Kasserine lessons 16:51 China’s possible moves in the gray-zone 22:53 More stockpiling  27:33 Invasion 34:21 Decapitation and bombardment  39:20 An economic and political problem  46:42 The Summit Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast, joins the show to break down how the U.S. and Israel are executing a 'neurological' campaign—using precision, targeted strikes on the Iranian Regime and its center of gravity. A strategy that’s as old as Clausewitz but more relevant than ever. How are the U.S. and Israel balancing the psychological impact of their precision strikes in tandem with the more traditional threat of brute force? What might this approach reveal about today’s conflicts, and how might it influence the next global showdown?  ▪️ Times 03:25 Targeting as strategy   10:40 Neurological strike      20:16 An evolution in military affairs 26:30 Adaptation  30:48 Center of gravity 39:37 The missile program Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at FDD, and Garrett Exner, adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, break down what’s really happening behind the headlines — from covert strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites to the fragile possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. How are the U.S., Israel, and Iran navigating the negotiations, and are there any operational knock-on effects? What are the realities and complexities of potential ground invasions, targeted raids, and covert operations that could shape the next phase of conflict? What are the risks of seizing Kharg Island or launching strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities?  How does the Iranian regime’s use of civilian infrastructure complicate precise strikes, and how do intelligence gaps and political signals influence U.S. decisions? What is the strategic significance of Kharg Island, what are the challenges of amphibious operations along Iran’s long coastline, and what are the odds of a ground campaign in the coming weeks?  ▪️ Times 02:42 Negotiations  09:17 U.S. options      15:35 Ground forces 18:53 M.E.U 25:35 Kharg Island 37:53 Silence on the nuclear program 45:13 JSOC 53:02 Acting with speed Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, reveals how geography and choke points have always been pivotal in global conflicts and just like the Dardanelles during WWI, today’s hotspots like the Straits of Hormuz and Taiwan remind us that some strategic challenges never change. What exactly are chokepoints and why do they matter? How do the lessons of Gallipoli and Ukraine apply to the war with Iran? How is the current situation different from the Tanker War and WWI? Can naval and air power alone open the Strait of Hormuz and keep it open? Is there a timeline for success? And what does this all mean for U.S. magazine depth, the economy, and China? ▪️ Times 02:49 Gallipoli 11:08 Unintended consequences      18:10 Ukraine 26:22 A failure of perception 31:36 The right call by Trump?  37:34 Regime alteration 47:05 Timeframes 53:33 China Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zineb Riboua, research fellow with Hudson Institute’s Center for Peace andSecurity in the Middle East, joins the show to talk about the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, focusing on China's interests and involvement. How dependent is China on the region's energy resources? How does China project power in the Middle East and in Africa? Is China benefiting or suffering from the current war? What are the geopolitical and strategic considerations for both Beijing and D.C.? Times02:19 Going badly for China06:24 Specific military goals07:47 China & the Middle East12:44 Iranian Oil15:34 Layers18:12 Trump and Xi22:54 Conditions in the Strait of Hormuz26:46 Best case/worst case scenarios29:42 Russia and Africa33:36 Strategic revenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty, joins the show to talk about the origins, evolution, and possible future of the Islamic Republic of Iran. What forces produced the 1979 revolution, and how did it reshape Iran’s political and religious order? What are the psychological and sociological impacts of this revolution? How have the regime’s leaders interpreted and sustained the revolutionary project, and what have the major challenges been? As Iran enters a new and uncertain phase under Mojtaba Khamenei, can the Islamic Republic endure, or is there a potential for future revolution in Iran? ▪️ Times 02:07 Living through the Islamic Revolution 04:12 A diverse Iran      05:50 How did the revolution succeed?  14:06 Khomeini & Khamenei 20:46 Too cautious  22:35 Dynastic succession   34:00 Iran vs. Venezuela 38:35 Regime resiliency  44:30 Beginning of the end   50:14 Threshold states Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 provide in-depth analysis of the Iran conflict. Mark gives his thoughts on naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, including their strategic implications for the progress of the war. He also discusses drone warfare, missile defense, and the broader geopolitical context. Mark also explains how Ukraine and Russia are playing growing parts in the war. ▪️ Times 02:30 A constant menace 07:34 Radar and THAAD      11:06 Hormuz 20:26 Real deterrence  31:36 Russian targeting  38:38 Conservation of resources   46:03 Life at sea Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr,  USMC (ret.), commanded US Central Command from 2019-2022. Gen. McKenzie led a distinguished 42 year career in the US Marine Corps, commanding at multiple levels and serving on the Joint Staff. In this in-depth conversation, General McKenzie shares his insights on the recent U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, strategic mistakes by Iran, and the prospects for regime change. He gives a full breakdown of Iran's military capabilities, regional dynamics, and possible future scenarios. ▪️ Times 03:45 Iranian response  07:40 Ballistic missiles      19:06 Defeating drones 22:20 Soleimani 30:31 Iranian miscalculation  32:48 War was never inevitable   36:18 Outcomes Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Kagan, senior fellow and director of the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, joins the show to discuss the war, what Ukraine can do to help the Gulf with drone defense, and the future of the Islamic Republic. ▪️ 01:51 Updates 03:29 Iranian strikes  09:15 Munitions crisis     14:28 Innovation 18:45 Isolated and weak 25:12 Arming the opposition 30:55 A dangerous game  36:22 10/7  40:21 Turkey Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to bring us the latest breakdown on the war and how long this may go on. ▪️ Times 01:52 Where are things going? 05:45 Rational strikes  09:56 A weakened positioned    16:33 Lasting change 20:13 What comes next? 26:40 Regional war 30:28 Integration  38:30 The Decider  47:32 Futures  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on the rapidly developing full-scale conflict between the United States-Israel and Iran. ▪️ Times 01:19 Iranian leaders targeted  04:48 10/7 roots  07:39 Ambitious war aims   12:41 Scope 15:59 Regime change 20:11 Iranian response 23:42 Playing with fire 28:13 Partnership Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yossi Cohen, served as the director of the Mossad from 2016 until 2021 and is the author of The Sword of Freedom: Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War. As director, he personally orchestrated some of the Mossad’s most daring operations, such as the seizure of the Iranian nuclear archives—the exposure of which was among the main factors behind the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal—and clandestine activity all over the world. ▪️ Times 01:27 Joining the Mossad 16:02 Serving behind the lines  26:31 Recruitment   32:45 HUMINT 39:50 Deciding to strike 44:36 Iran  49:51 Moral conflicts Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director (Iran Program) and Senior Fellow at FDD, joins the show to talk about the build-up of American military power in the Middle East and what it might mean for Iran and the Iranian regime. ▪️ Times 02:04 U.S. build-up 05:46 Timing  11:08 “Decisive and different”   24:41 Iranian retaliation 30:03 Targets 35:25 Ideology of the Supreme Leader  41:36 A Trump JCPOA 45:46 Regime change by air Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Laderman, associate professor at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education, joins the show to discuss parallels between Reagan’s policy towards Cold War Poland and the crisis in Iran today. ▪️ Times 02:45 Comparing Iran and Poland 05:56 Reagan’s plan  10:15 Reheating the Cold War   12:26 ’81 coup 15:53 Sanctions and pressure 20:19 Constant agitation   27:38 End of the Cold War 34:45 The violence of the Iranian regime  37:55 Structural differences    44:32 Exiled opposition Read the article discussed in the episode - Freedom for Iran: Learning From U.S. Support for Polish Anti-Communists in the 1980s Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Washington State’s 5th Congressional District joins the show to give his key takeaways from the Munich Security Conference. ▪️ Times 01:34 Getting to Munich 05:22 European attitude   14:20 AOC and recalibration   17:50 Germany returns 23:59 Rubio’s speech 30:23 Ukraine   39:22 Iran and a “good” deal Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King’s College London and author of On Strategists and Strategy: Collected Essays, 2014-2024, joins the show to talk about a lifetime among strategists, and to give an update on the war in Ukraine. ▪️ Times 02:34 Essay writing 07:49 Michael Howard  18:42 Colin Gray 23:06 Timeless aspects of strategy 26:00 The goal of SDI 36:40 Tactics   41:20 Differences between tactics and strategy 45:01 Ultimate objectives  50:08 Sensible uses of nuclear weapons   52:24 Thatcher 53:59 Harsh winter in Ukraine Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Kroenig, Professor in the Department of Government and the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, joins the show to talk about the new nuclear age the world is entering. ▪️ Times 03:27 Secret Chinese testing 07:35 Seismic monitoring and de-coupling 11:40 U.S. testing plan  15:30 Why might we need more nuclear weapons? 18:01 New START 21:23 How many nukes are needed? 27:04 If deterrence fails  30:20 Limits, if any Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beatrice Heuser, Distinguished Professor at the Brussels School of Governance in the Free University of Brussels and author of Flawed Strategy: Why Smart Leaders Make Bad Decisions, joins the show to discuss decision-making and strategic thinking. ▪️ Times 02:58 Economists and strategy 07:59 Acting rationally vs logically 15:00 Mirror imaging  20:01 How should we study strategy? 27:17 Denial 32:18 Strategic intelligence failures 36:15 Hidden causes 38:57 Everyone does it Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoff Ball, U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer, staff director for the Naval Academy’s Leadership Education and Development Division and Executive Editor of The Connecting File, joins the show to discuss the radical changes and surprising continuities in how America’s grunts will fight. ▪️ Times 02:25 The Connecting File 06:22 How is the infantry doing? 14:10 Companies of the future 23:22 Information and trust  29:57 Innovative spirit 33:30 Light Armored Recon  39:05 Drone battalions 42:24 Learning the right lessons from Ukraine Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Shedd, former Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and author of The Great Heist: China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets, joins the show to discuss Chinese spy craft. ▪️ Times 02:05 Early days 06:49 CIA 09:28 Sandinistas and revolutionaries  15:14 IC preparation  18:35 A great awakening 26:11 Industrial espionage  30:50 National Intelligence Estimate 34:11 The MSS 44:19 The culture of the 18th Bureau  50:17 Battlefield consequences  55:20 Counterarguments Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walter Russell Mead, Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Florida's Hamilton Center and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, joins the show to discuss foreign policy in the Age of Trump. ▪️ Times 03:15 An extraordinary week 05:06 The Transatlantic relationship 09:02 Turning to China  16:10 Greenland 27:03 Post-presidency Trump 32:25 Harder now 43:08 Zelenskyy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at CSIS, joins the show to talk about how America has resurrected its defense industrial base in the past and why it should be doing so now. ▪️ Times 02:55 The British in the 1930s 05:58 Roosevelt’s decision 09:48 Re-orientation  13:59 The B-29 16:00 Victory in Iraq  27:54 Skunkworks 31:30 Xi comes into power 35:07 Disadvantages 39:07 What needs to be done?  44:28 Fighting for 5% 47:43 Culture shift Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Lurie, CEO and President of Rafael USA, joins the show to explain how High Energy Lasers and Iron Beam will change missile & air defense, not to mention warfare itself, forever. ▪️ Times 02:34 The evolution of missile defense 05:09 Iron Dome & Iron Beam 08:04 How do lasers work? 15:16 Limitations 20:07 Integrating systems  25:28 Future applications  30:09 Lessons from field testing 40:15 American interest Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blake Seitz, Content Strategist at Palantir Technologies, and Mike Watson, Executive Director at The Alexander Hamilton Society, join the show to discuss America’s relationship with the world at the time of the Founding Fathers. ▪️ Times 02:45 18th Century geopolitical landscape 06:25 Yorktown 11:17 Diplomacy of the Founders  16:23 Bold rhetoric  19:37 Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists 25:45 Washington’s legacy  32:42 The roots of isolationism  36:38 Parallels and changes 44:16 What does it mean to be an American?  47:20 A grounding in history Read more - 1776: The Beginnings of American Exceptionalism Abroad Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on widespread Iranian protests, the chances of American or Israeli intervention, and what intervention might achieve. ▪️ Times 02:15 Will we strike? 05:34 New Iran talks? 07:03 Nuclear concessions?  10:35 Intervention possibilities 15:10 The Shah’s son and the Islamic regime 24:28 How do these protests compare to the past? 34:29 Public perceptions Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Venezuela’s shadow fleet, the cyber component of the Maduro raid, and the future of the U.S. Navy. ▪️ Times 03:04 Shadow Fleets 06:06 Ship Hunting  10:07 Coast Guard  12:35 Leverage and Sanctions 18:37 Planning the Maduro Raid 24:57 How We Use Cyber 28:45 Types of Risk    31:50 State of the Navy 36:56 Return of the Battleship? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran from 2019 to 2021, joins the show to discuss Venezuela and what might happen next. ▪️ Times 02:04 Snatch and Grab 05:50 Intelligence Operations 12:04 Oil 16:50 Holding the Country Together  24:16 Risks & Mistakes 30:48 Blockade 33:54 Hard To Leave    39:11 Not Iraq 41:48 Cuba 42:21 The Iranian Regime Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Jones Jr., chief pilot of experimental flight test with the Honda Aircraft Company and recently retired U.S. Air Force test pilot and special operations commander, joins the show to talk about the nature of special air operations and the extraordinary air raid that kicked off Desert Storm. ▪️ Times 02:45 9/11  05:58 Test Pilot  11:52 Special Air Operations 17:54 Two Vastly Different Experiences  21:24 Kabul 24:18 Desert Storm 32:30 Harder to See, Not Invisible    34:46 Battle Damage 39:55 September 1990 42:21 Party In 10 45:05 Navigation Technology Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director (Iran Program) and Senior Fellow at FDD, joins the show to talk about how Iran has worked to reconstitute its missile program since the summer, and what the U.S. and Israel might do to stop it. ▪️ Times 01:43 Vessel Seizure  05:45 Making a Ballistic Missile  13:06 What Modern War Looks Like 17:19 Iran’s Missile Program 21:42 Evolving Assessment 26:24 Relevance for U.S. Defense Planning 30:00 Disconnected Victories   35:04 Lessons from the 10/07 War 39:31 Bad Choices for Iran Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Passmore, professor of History at Cardiff University and author of The Maginot Line: A New History, joins the show to talk about the most elaborate fortification system of the 20th century and why it failed. ▪️ Times 02:03 Attacking the Maginot Line 05:53 Fortifications and Warfare 11:48 Flexibility vs Depth 15:38 A Total Commitment to War 19:49 French Defensive Concepts 22:42 Living in the Line 27:31 Decision in Belgium  36:22 Breaking the Enemy’s Will  39:36 Ukrainian Fortifications Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Brose, President and Chief Strategy Officer at Anduril Industries and author of The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare, joins the show to talk about American industry and the future of war. ▪️ Times 02:26 Erosion of Military Advantage 11:11 The Nature of the Problem 16:42 Consensus and Urgency 21:01 Learning the Right Lessons in Ukraine 25:32 Scaling Up for the Offense 31:23 Leveraging AI for Defense 38:07 Will Liberal Arts and Humanities Win? 41:56 Arsenal-1 47:31 Silicon Valley and Defense 52:24 Collaborative Combat Aircraft Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Cline, professor of Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies and of Anthropology at The George Washington University and author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, joins the show to break down the collapse of the Bronze Age civilization and why it matters today. ▪️ Times 02:57 Writing History for All 04:51 The Three Age System 10:32 Tin: The Oil of the Ancient World 11:37 Archeology in the Future 13:22 Bronze Age Society 21:02 The Beginning and End of History 26:07 The Sea Peoples 32:36 The Collapse  35:00 The Mystery of the Exodus 40:53 Resilience and Regeneration Post-Collapse Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran from 2019 to 2021, joins the show to discuss events in the Caribbean. ▪️ Times 01:56 Venezuela Through Multiple Administrations  06:05 Maduro 11:53 Trump to Biden 17:56 U.S. Military Capabilities  24:05 Political Justifications  30:11 The Venezuelan Opposition 35:56 Machado in Hiding 41:27 Worst Case Scenarios Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadia Schadlow, former Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy and senior fellow at Hudson Institute, joins the show to breakdown what strategic depth is and why the concept remains relevant. ▪️ Times 02:37 Unhinged, Frenetic Times 03:36 What is Strategic Depth? 07:50 A Lack of Space 12:50 Territory and War 14:55 How to Increase Time 23:18 Allies and Forward Defense 30:29 How Do You Get Freedom of Choice? 36:57 Keeping and Maintaining Strategic Depth Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roya Hakakian, author of Assassins of the Turquoise Palace and Journey from the Land of No, joins the show to discuss the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini, and how these events have shaped the world. ▪️ Times 02:56 Life Before the Revolution 11:02 Antisemitism in Revolutionary Iran 21:56 Khomeini’s Rise to Power 22:32 The Global Left and the Soviet Union 29:49 A Catastrophe of the 20th Century 37:21 The State of the Iranian Regime 42:19 The Revolution is Alive and Well 52:01 The Future of Iran and Its Leadership Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Frank Gavin, Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and Director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins University SAIS and author of Thinking Historically: A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy, joins the show to discuss the promise and perils of using history to guide today’s statecraft. ▪️ Times 02:20 Political Science vs. History 05:37 The Importance of Historical Thinking 08:13 Historical Interpretation 11:22 Counterfactuals  14:26 The Misuse of History in Policy Making 17:19 Thinking in Time 22:27 Errors When Thinking Historically 31:57 Putin’s View of History 40:01 Philosophical Understanding 47:05 Does History Have a Direction? 53:34 A Checklist for Historical Thinking Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Pack, President and CEO of Palladium Pictures LLC and director of The Last 600 Meters: The Battles of Najaf and Fallujah, joins the show to discuss his remarkable documentary of the Iraq war and the Marines and battles that it portrays. ▪️ Times 01:59 The Journey of Creating 'The Last 600 Meters' 06:24 Censored 10:55 Combat and Valor  21:06 Political Decisions and Military Strategy  26:02 The Human Experience of War  36:29 The Hell House 40:24 Beyond the Battlefield 45:42 Full Metal Jacket 50:45 The Withdrawal from Afghanistan: A New Perspective Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College London and No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One,  joins the show to discuss how the British Empire maintained the balance in Europe between the fall of Napoleon to the summer of 1914. ▪️ Times 02:59 Studying the Problem of War 06:20 British Perspectives of the European Coast 11:33 The French Likelihood of Invading Britain  21:40 The Scheldt River Estuary  30:33 Marlborough, Wellington, and Eisenhower  36:48 The 19th Century and the Rise of Steampower 47:35 Divided attention and British Mistakes of 1914 54:40 The Failure of British Strategic Off-Shore Balancing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Lee, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute,  joins the show to discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, and what it all means facing China in the Pacific. ▪️ Times 01:56 Strategic Implications of the War 03:24 The 28-Point Peace Plan 09:49 Challenges of Negotiating Peace 15:19 The Russia-China Connection 19:48 Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control 29:30 Linking Ukraine and Taiwan 35:18 Ukraine War as a Chinese Proxy Conflict Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Armstrong, Professor of Classics & Ancient History at the University of Auckland and author of Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome's Empire,  joins the show to discuss the early history of Rome, the role of family and clan in the structure of its military, the transition from monarchy to republic, and the nature of warfare during this formative period.  ▪️ Times 02:28 The Problems of Early History 06:05 Warfare in Early Rome: A Complex Picture 11:52 The Importance of Myths in Roman Identity 15:01 Aeneas and Romulus: Founding Figures of Rome 18:00 The Significance of Aeneas in Roman Culture 20:48 The Function of Rome 33:09 The Role of Land and Mobility in Early Rome 36:07 Understanding the Monarchy and Military Structure 42:32 Transition from Monarchy to Republic 53:26 The Impact of the Sack of Rome 1:01:27 Shifting Towards Imperial Ambitions Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army (retired), Senior Fellow for Military Studies the Lowy Institute and author of the Futura Doctrina substack, joins the show to discuss the current state of the Ukraine war. We cover tactical innovations, the challenges of operations and strategy, the structure of the Ukrainian military, the political landscape under Zelensky, and the industrial capabilities of both Ukraine and Russia.  ▪️ Times 00:00 State of Play 02:28 Tactical Innovations and Challenges in Ukraine 05:38 The Role of Drones 08:36 Russian Tactical Innovations and the Rubikon Units 11:45 Historical Parallels: Lessons from World War I 14:37 The Thousand Bites Approach: Russian Strategy Explained 17:46 Ukrainian Brigade Composition and Organizational Changes 23:19 Understanding the Ukrainian Military Structure 29:47 Challenges in Casualty Ratios and Manpower 37:37 Long-Range Strike Capabilities and Adaptation 40:29 Strategic Thinking in the Ukrainian Military 46:18 Industrial Base and Support Dynamics Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc Milner, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of New Brunswick and author of Second Front: Anglo-American Rivalry and the Hidden Story of the Normandy Campaign, joins the show to discuss the turbulent passing of the torch of Western hegemony during WWII.  ▪️ Times 02:50 1917 10:52 American Battle Monuments Commission 14:31 FDR and the British Empire 21:36 American views on the Nazis 30:40 FDR at the Tehran Conference 35:42 Plans Before the Invasion of France 40:48 The British Empire and National Strategy  50:25 Churchill and the Russians in 1944 56:00 A Sophisticated Understanding of Imperial Politics 01:00:18 Revisionist Views of WWII 01:06:00 Communist and Fascist Extremism Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Wright, neuroscientist and author of Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain, joins the show to explore the implications of neuroscience for warmaking.  ▪️ Times 01:20 Neurology 02:57 Intelligence Defined 07:06 Mapping the Brain 17:05 How Modeling Happens 27:15 Outthinking and Outlearning the Enemy 30:25 Prioritization and Survival 35:15 Fear and the Fall of France in 1940 44:48 Enhancing Military Training 49:47 AI and Its Impact on Human Cognition Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Aaron MacLean pays tribute to his father, World War Two and Vietnam Veteran Angus MacLean. This memorial originally ran in the publication Engelsberg Ideas.  ▪️ Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward Luce, U.S. national editor and columnist at the Financial Times and author of Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet,joins the show to discuss one of the most interesting characters of the Cold War, Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. ▪️ Times 00:00 The Life and Legacy of Zbigniew Brzezinski 02:55 Carter's Foreign Policy and Brzezinski's Influence 05:56 Contrasting Worldviews: Brzezinski vs. Kissinger 08:52 The Formative Years: War and Identity 11:35 The Cold War Landscape and Brzezinski's Rise 14:34 Order vs. Justice: Diverging Philosophies 17:55 Brzezinski's Strategic Vision for the Cold War 20:57 The Vietnam War and Its Impact on Brzezinski 23:47 Brzezinski's Approach to Foreign Policy 28:35 The Rise of Jimmy Carter and the Trilateral Commission 32:12 Carter's Foreign Policy Challenges: The Middle East and Iran 37:15 Human Rights and the Shift from Nixon to Carter 45:27 Reagan's Continuity and Change: A New Era in Foreign Policy 51:19 The Iranian Revolution and Brzezinski's Legacy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of American Compass and author of the article A Grand Strategy of Reciprocity for Foreign Affairs, joins the show to discuss how the United States should think about the current strategic moment. ▪️ Times 00:01 Introduction to Free Markets and Trade 00:43 Discussion on China and Global Strategy 02:15 Historical Context of American Grand Strategy 04:40 Assumptions about China 07:40 Strategic Competition and Spheres of Influence 10:00 Economic Decoupling and Its Challenges 13:30 Relationships with Other Countries 16:00 Concept of Reciprocity in Alliances 20:00 US-Mexico-Canada Relations and Global Implications 25:00 The Role of the Trump Administration 30:00 Future of Global Alliances 35:00 Economic and Security Strategies 40:00 Conclusion and Final Thought Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History at LSU Shreveport and contributor to An Unavoidable Evil: Siege Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (From Reason to Revolution 1721-1815),  joins the show to discuss the siege of Brăila and the lessons of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1806-1812. ▪️ Times 00:00 The Shifting Balance of Power in the Black Sea 02:00 Siege Warfare in the Age of Napoleon 04:09 Decisive Battles vs. Positional Warfare 08:30 The Evolution of Strategy: 18th to 19th Century 14:16 The Debate on Siege Tactics in the Russian Military 21:27 Kutuzov's Strategic Evolution 25:26 Geopolitical Context: Russia and the Ottoman Empire's Rivalry 31:31 The Siege of Brăila: A Military Catastrophe 38:39 The Cost of War: Casualties and Consequences 50:40 Lessons in Military Culture: Accountability and Adaptation Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joshua S. Treviño, Chief Transformation Officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and senior advisor at the America First Policy Institute, joins the show to discuss the Trump administration’s military strikes on seaborne cartel traffic and its strategy in the Western Hemisphere. ▪️ Times 00:00 Understanding U.S. Military Strategy in Venezuela 02:26 The State-Cartel Synthesis: A New Paradigm 05:30 The Role of the U.S. Military in Drug Interdiction 08:39 Legal Framework and Controversies Surrounding Military Actions 11:46 The Broader Implications of Regime Change  14:26 Divisions on the Right: Perspectives on Foreign Policy 21:50 The Strategic Implications of Military Action Against Maduro 30:19 Assessing the Venezuelan Opposition's Readiness 33:53 Colombia's Evolving Relationship with the U.S. 37:00 The Complex Dynamics of U.S.-Mexico Relations 41:55 The Threat of Cartels and Their Impact on U.S. Society Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Sobolik, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and author of Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance, joins the show to discuss the current state of relations between the U.S. and China as Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in South Korea next week. ▪️ Times 00:00 The Broader Competition: US-China Relations 02:51 Trump's Trade Strategy: A Historical Perspective 09:35 China's Strategic Objectives: Beyond Economics 14:16 Xi Jinping's Goals: The Summit Agenda 18:20 Export Controls: A New Era of Trade Tensions 22:36 The Stakes of No Deal: Economic and Strategic Implications 26:35 Decoupling from China: Challenges and Opportunities 33:05 Defining a Good Deal: Beyond Trade 37:22 TikTok: The Information Warfare Front Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julian Jackson, Emeritus Professor of Modern French History at Queen Mary University of London and author of France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain, joins the show to discuss the rise and fall of “the Lion of Verdun”; Philippe Pétain. ▪️ Times    01:06 Introduction    01:53 How Pétain became the “Hero of France” in WW1    11:32  France sues for peace with Germany in 1940    18:52 The legality of the armistice    27:49 Churchill’s take on the armistice             33:48 What Was Vichy France?    41:43 Vichy’s treatment of the Jews        53:05 Distancing France from extermination             58:13 Why does Pétain stay a servant to the Nazis    01:07:38 Vichy and Pétain on trial today             Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lance R. Blyth, command historian at the North American Aerospace Defense Command and author of Ski, Climb, Fight: The 10th Mountain Division and the Rise of Mountain Warfare, joins the show to discuss the history and tactics of fighting at altitude.        ▪️ Times     •      01:31 Introduction     •      01:41 Marine     •      04:55 L.A. riots              •      07:22 From horses to skis     •      10:13 Antecedents              •      13:56 Advantage                 •      15:40 The Germans         •      17:55 The Winter War               •      22:51 French surrender     •      25:58 Specialized divisions     •      31:37 Volunteers      •      33:49 Training     •      36:50 Delay and Italy               •      42:16 No doctrine      •      45:29 The Gothic Line     •      52:00 Success     •      55:35 Afghanistan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles C. Mann, author of “How the System Works” in The New Atlantis, joins the show to discuss the complexity and vulnerability of the hidden processes that sustain human life on our planet.       ▪️ Times     •      01:49 Introduction     •      02:31 Interconnected      •      05:43 Medical care              •      09:20 Feeding humanity     •      11:56 Three advances             •      20:42 Water                •      26:34 Energy          •      36:05 Keeping pace                •      38:35 Hurdles      •      41:12 Solutions                •      45:26 Public health          •      56:38 Concerns             Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Titterton, historian and author of Deception in Medieval Warfare: Trickery and Cunning in the Central Middle Ages, joins the show to discuss strategies and stratagems in the age of castles and knights.       ▪️ Times     •      01:29 Introduction     •      02:18 High Middle Ages     •      09:03 Oathbreakers              •      12:01 Sources     •      16:21 Doctrine             •      22:07 Bribery                •      31:23 Spies and feints         •      39:26 Plausibility                •      42:19 Professionals  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and author of Mao's Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China's Navy, joins the show to discuss how the PLA took Beijing in 1949 by subversion, and how they may yet seize Taiwan.       ▪️ Times     •      01:53 Introduction     •      03:24 Peaceful liberation     •      07:19 Planning and preparation              •      10:36 Isolation     •      17:30 A tradition of manipulation             •      23:51 True believers                •      28:23 Helpless         •      34:55 Political warfare               •      41:53 Surprise     •      47:32 Holy Grail     •      50:51 Fault lines     •      57:44 What to read? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joshua Rovner, Associate Professor in the School of International Service at American University and author of Strategy and Grand Strategy, joins the show to discuss the tension between pursuing military victory and securing a nation.       ▪️ Times     •      01:28 Introduction     •      01:35 MIT      •      05:03 Grand strategy              •      10:45 Peloponnesian War      •      18:05 Spartan strategy             •      22:34 Pericles                •      27:18 A terrible irony         •      32:43 Disastrous victory               •      41:35 British power     •      46:13 Atomic strategy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tyler Grey, Delta Force veteran and author of Forged in Chaos: A Warrior's Origin Story, joins the show to discuss his experiences as a member of the U.S. Army’s most elite combat unit, his journey as a warrior, and the continuing struggle to understand post-traumatic stress. ▪️ Times     •      01:30 Introduction     •      01:48 Bakersfield, CA      •      06:51 Predators and prey              •      10:48 Not a choice      •      17:11 Rangers             •      23:15 Elite infantry               •      28:37 9/11           •      33:43 Pakistan border              •      41:20 Sniper team     •      44:22 Luck and health           •      47:05 Master of the basics             •      51:36 Fallujah     •      54:29 Sadr City     •      01:06:16 Chaos of combat          •      01:10:01 Lost          •      01:14:26 “LTSD” Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A. Wess Mitchell, former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, historian, and author of Great Power Diplomacy: The Skill of Statecraft from Attila the Hun to Kissinger, joins the show to discuss just what diplomacy is. ▪️ Times     •      01:37 Introduction     •      02:08 Bad reutation      •      04:37 Misconceptions              •      09:35 A part of grand strategy      •      13:11 Not trickery              •      18:05 Attila the Hun               •      24:17 Appeasement           •      35:00 Other options              •      39:33 The State Department      •      44:22 Molding diplomats           •      47:31 Ukraine             •      52:47 Major risks Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army (retired), Senior Fellow for Military Studies the Lowy Institute and author of the Futura Doctrina substack, joins the show to discuss his latest piece, Translating Ukraine Lessons for the Pacific Theatre. ▪️ Times     •      01:40 Introduction     •      02:18 Translation      •      04:03 Ground forces             •      08:40 Australian defense      •      11:25 Threats from the North              •      13:25 Chinese influence               •      16:46 The mask slips           •      19:51 What we don’t know              •      24:36 The Pacific     •      32:18 Information ops            •      37:31 Corrosive influences             •      40:15 Mass Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ran Baratz, military historian and former senior Israeli official, and author of What's Wrong with the Postmodern Military?, joins the show to discuss operations in Gaza and problems with how the IDF officer corps thinks about war. ▪️ Times     •      01:37 Introduction     •      02:27 Gaza     •      06:23 Diplomatic obstacles             •      12:27 Worse than you think     •      15:28 Paradigm shift              •      30:23 Real wars              •      38:49 Art of the general            •      43:51 War as policy             •      50:00 Netanyahu Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to discuss the recent Russian drone incursions in Poland and Romania and what they mean. ▪️ Times     •      01:08 Introduction     •      01:35 What actually happened?     •      05:30 Destructive decoys             •      07:27 European moods     •      11:23 Rightwing response              •      16:32 Strategic autonomy              •      23:52 Zapad           •      30:00 On/off switch             •      33:31 Where do we stand?    Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prit Buttar, historian and author of Bagration 1944: The Great Soviet Offensive, joins the show to discuss the immense Russian campaign that broke the German Army on the Eastern Front.     ▪️ Times     •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:50 A war unto itself     •      08:02 Flanders             •      15:20 Maskirovka     •      24:35 Soviet intelligence              •      28:27 Bolshevism             •      30:22 Lebensraum          •      31:40 Bagration             •      36:14 Cracking the line            •      39:00 Warsaw Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nadège Rolland, Distinguished Fellow, China Studies, at the National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) and principal investigator for the Mapping China's Borderlands: Dashboard, joins the show to discuss the shifting visions China has of its frontiers.  ▪️ Times     •      01:35 Introduction     •      02:34 What is “China?”     •      10:26 Sovereignty             •      19:30 Double translation     •      25:25 Capillaries             •      34:37 Imperial messaging            •      42:36 Prioritization        We also discuss Nadège’s 2020 report - China's Vision for a New World Order. Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad Bowman and Ryan Brobst, senior and deputy directors of the Center on Military and Political Power at FDD, join the show to discuss the military relationships between America’s major antagonists. ▪️ Times     •      01:47 Introduction     •      02:40 Axis cooperation     •      08:02 Interoperability            •      11:19 Fighting all three     •      14:49 Potential            •      20:57 The arsenal            •      26:56 Progress     •      28:30 Budgeting      •      36:10 Will and capability             •      39:03 Harpoon Coastal Defense System           •      41:31 Per unit cost over speed     •      44:25 Buy-side issue     •      47:49 Production lessons Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaakov Katz, senior fellow at The Jewish People Policy Institute and author of While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East, joins the show to discuss Israel’s intelligence and military failures on the night of 6-7 October, 2023. ▪️ Times     •      01:35 Introduction     •      02:47 Foundational facts     •      09:45 Communication failure           •      17:39 Minority reports     •      25:40 Left alone            •      30:15 Accountability           •      39:37 Cultural costs     •      47:30 A deal Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geoffrey Wawro, founding director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas and author of The Vietnam War: A Military History,  joins the show to discuss the causes of U.S. failure in Vietnam. ▪️ Times     •      01:21 Introduction     •      01:50 Schools of thought     •      07:45 Orthodoxy           •      13:24 A war of choice     •      17:49 Ambivalence            •      20:15 Korean nightmare           •      23:53 Lessons     •      28:38 Policy makers     •      32:34 Obvious flaws        •      37:10 Ground war     •      42:21 South Vietnam      •      51:30 Certain defeat     •      56:21 Local politics Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major Geoff Ball, USMC, co-founder of the Connecting File, commanded Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines during the evacuation at Kabul International Airport in 2021, including the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate on 26 August. He shares the story of his company and their extraordinary service in Afghanistan. ▪️ Times     •      01:51 Introduction     •      02:03 The Marines     •      08:20 Quantico          •      13:07 29 Palms     •      16:32 On the job training           •      21:54 Ghost Company           •      26:44 The call     •      32:10 Isolation     •      38:30 Abbey Gate        •      46:16 Unity of effort      •      48:53 Who got through      •      51:40 The Taliban     •      52:54 26 August     •      56:52 Take command      •      59:47 No good choices     •      01:06:42 The Fallen Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Strauss, Corliss Page Dean Fellow at the Hoover Institution and author of Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire, joins the show to discuss the long, fractious, often violent relationship between Ancient Rome and her Jewish subjects.  ▪️ Times     •      01:11 Introduction     •      01:37 Rome and Parthia     •      07:50 Judea         •      12:07 Roman control      •      17:58 Jewish warfighting            •      20:20 Herod          •      26:03 The Great Revolt     •      31:06 Enter Parthia     •      33:23 The Temple        •      35:01 70 years      •      40:24 Driven out      •      42:02 Parallels with today     •      44:33 Donald Kagan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Major General Mick Ryan, Australian Army (retired), Senior Fellow for Military Studies the Lowy Institute and author of the Futura Doctrina Substack, joins the show to break down the latest on Ukraine, from the battlefield to the White House.  ▪️ Times    •       01:05 Introduction     •      02:06 The front     •      06:23 Fortress belt        •      08:38 ROI      •      10:55 Shifting feelings            •      14:41 A realistic settlement          •      20:53 After Alaska     •      23:15 Boots on the ground     •      25:45 Unpredictability          •      28:49 A different vibe      •      31:31 Stop the killing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colonel Peter Mansoor, U.S. Army (retired), General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair in Military History at The Ohio State University and authors of Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines, joins the show to discuss the largest campaign of the Pacific War, the liberation of the Philippines.  ▪️ Times     •      01:08 Introduction     •      01:30 Why West Point?     •      06:11 Petraeus        •      09:55 A huge scale      •      11:25 War Plan Orange            •      16:25 Inevitable          •      20:07 The guerrilla war     •      26:53 Mindanao & Luzon     •      31:33 Leyte Gulf         •      37:52 A do or die campaign      •      40:04 Manila      •      44:34 Command responsibility  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joel Wuthnow and Phillip Saunders, both of the  U.S. National Defense University and authors of China's Quest for Military Supremacy, join the show to discuss the origins, organization, and strategic outlook of China’s military.  ▪️ Times     •      01:22 Introduction     •      01:57 Origins     •      06:58 Crisis control        •      08:48 PLA structure      •      13:05 1960            •      20:17 Horizontal escalation         •      24:34 By land or sea     •      28:23 American resolve     •      30:54 Xi         •      36:41 A lack of experience      •      44:10 Military diplomacy     •      48:17 Reading list     •      50:43 Be unpredictable Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marc LiVecche, McDonald Distinguished Scholar of Ethics, War, and Public Life at Providence and author of The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury, joins the show to discuss Just War Theory and whether the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki fit in that framework.  ▪️ Times     •      01:23 Introduction     •      01:30 Misspent youth     •      07:51 Moral injury        •      13:27 Conflicting views     •      19:15 Richard Frank            •      28:53 Right not moral          •      39:12 Not the same     •      40:36 Gifts from heaven Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Platt, professor of Chinese history at UMass Amherst and author of The Raider: The Untold Story of a Renegade Marine and the Birth of U.S. Special Forces in World War II, joins the show to discuss the incredible life of Evans Carlson. ▪️ Times     •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:50 American quirk     •      08:14 China      •      10:18 Soviet policy      •      14:01 Nicaragua            •      16:29 Edgar Snow          •      21:11 FDR     •      24:42 8th Route Army      •      31:52 Embargo        •      38:30 Raiders     •      42:40 Makin Island     •      46:30 Force multiplier         •      52:44 1946 Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawerence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King’s College London and author of ‘The Age of Forever Wars’  in Foreign Affairs Magazine, joins the show to discuss why protracted warfare seems to be a mark of the era.   ▪️ Times     •      01:32 Introduction     •      02:01 Aligning strategy      •      04:37 Mass      •      07:14 Iraq and Afghanistan      •      11:14 Al Qaeda            •      14:25 Survive          •      17:50 Results matter     •      22:04 Trade-offs      •      27:23 Avoiding mistakes        •      32:13 Why does Putin continue?     •      38:29 Concessions Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Rabalais, litigator and author of General Fox Conner: Pershing's Chief of Operations and Eisenhower's Mentor,  joins the show to discuss the extraordinary influence of now-forgotten General Fox Connor on the outcome of WWI and Eisenhower’s career.   ▪️ Times     •      01:51 Introduction     •      03:10 Growing up with history      •      05:47 A southern story      •      07:44 West Point struggles      •      12:07 A reader            •      14:50 Coastal artillery          •      20:46 Rocks and airplanes     •      23:51 Mechanism of victory     •      27:54 WWI logistics        •      32:47 Summer 1918     •      46:03 Eisenhower     •      51:24 Panama        •      01:01:58 Foreshadowing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Will Somerindyke, Chairman of Regulus Global and CEO of UNION, joins the show to discuss rebuilding the U.S. defense industrial base. ▪️ Times     •      01:36 Introduction     •      02:35 A navy family      •      05:51 Regulus      •      08:05 American made      •      10:45 155            •      14:44 Integration          •      16:53 Supply chains     •      23:20 Demand     •      28:27 Flexibility        •      31:40 Forging vs casting     •      33:45 UNION     •      37:27 Customers        •      40:07 Mindset Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan McDermott, Army veteran of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and author of Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet,  joins the show to talk about his combat experiences. ▪️ Times      •      01:13 Introduction     •      01:55 Seeking purpose      •      04:11 West Point       •      06:48 9/11      •      08:41 3rd Infantry Division            •      10:12 Platoon tactics         •      14:51 “Crossing tonight”     •      18:08 Preparing for combat     •      23:40 Tired       •      29:37 Baghdad     •      35:51 Thunder Runs Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute, joins the show to talk about how a war with China could play out. ▪️ Times      •      01:51 Introduction     •      02:00 Submariner     •      10:10 Environmental conditions       •      12:40 State of play      •      20:04 Complacency           •      23:36 Hellscape          •      32:14 Cultural differences      •      37:20 Party control     •      43:40 Degraded environment       •      48:02 Practice now     •      51:45 Deterrence Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Lay, Senior Editor of Engelsberg Ideas and author of Providence Lost: The Rise and Fall of Cromwell's Protectorate,joins the show to talk about the turbulent age of the English Civil War, Cromwell, and the Protectorate. ▪️ Times      •      01:45 Introduction     •      02:00 17th century     •      03:51 The Thirty Years War       •      12:40 Anti-Catholicism      •      15:24 Underlying causes           •      21:46 Cromwell          •      30:34 Thatcher      •      33:04 The Rump Parliament     •      37:07 Western Design     •      54:44 Reverberations Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arnold Punaro, retired USMC Major General and author of If Confirmed: An Insider's View of the National Security Confirmation Process, joins the show to talk about his infantry service in Vietnam and his experiences serving in Washington DC. ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      05:40 5 weeks     •      10:51 Officer training       •      13:18 3/7     •      16:37 Jungle fighting           •      23:25 Wounded         •      31:32 Payback      •      36:35 Bad situation     •      40:10 Getting home      •      45:46 The Senate     •      49:28 Getting the facts     •      54:00 Service Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Samet, the George P. Shultz Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute and author of U.S. Defense Policy toward Israel: A Cold War History, joins the show to breakdown the origins of the important, if at times contentious, U.S.-Israel relationship. ▪️ Times      •      01:30 Introduction     •      02:28 1948     •      05:44 Arabist strategy       •      08:13 11 minutes     •      10:37 Looking for friends           •      15:40 Soviet-Arab relations     •      19:25 Republicans         •      25:16 Kennedy      •      29:29 Strong friends     •      32:02 Nuclear program      •      37:33 6 Day War     •      43:19 Mistake?     •      47:41 Kissinger Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcripts of episodes on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Boorman, Professor of Sociology at Yale University and author of Three Faces of Sun Tzu, joins the show to discuss the world and ideas of Sun Tzu. ▪️ Times      •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:10 “Know your enemy”     •      05:18 The Protracted Game       •      09:59 Text and application     •      16:05 Warring states           •      21:14 Chinese thinking     •      24:58 Net assessment      •      29:05 Cunning     •      32:02 Omissions      •      37:05 Memorization          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at FDD, joins the show to break down his time on the ground in Israel at the beginning of the war and what may come with the Israel-Iran ceasefire in place. ▪️ Times      •      01:27 Introduction     •      02:10 Extraction     •      05:50 Different       •      09:25 In the shelter     •      12:03 Damage taken           •      16:18 Stress     •      17:45 Getting out     •      24:57 Road ahead     •      30:40 Iranian risks     •      32:10 Hamas          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to break down America’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and what might come next. ▪️ Times      •      01:00 Reactions     •      08:00 Deception     •      12:00 More to come       •      17:00 Self-deception     •      24:00 Next few days           •      31:00 Escalation     •      34:00 Not over     •      41:00 Trump is serious     •      44:00 Restraintists          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on the Israel-Iran conflict, and the possibility of America’s intervention. ▪️ Times      •      01:00 Achievements     •      05:00 Retaliation       •      09:00 Hard math       •      16:00 Intervention     •      24:00 Outcomes           •      30:00 Ground operations     •      32:00 Another Iraq?           •      38:00 Resolve and stability      •      42:00 “Iraq Syndrome”          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleo Paskal, non-resident senior fellow at FDD and author of Crossroads of Competition, joins the show to discuss China’s campaign for influence and control at the scene of America’s bloody island-hopping campaign in WW2. ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      04:03 Pacific desert        •      07:45 Control       •      13:48 Post 1945     •      22:43 Significance           •      24:31 Yap     •      29:43 Divisions           •      32:18 Diplomatic maintenance     •      35:54 Designs     •      41:30 Strategic concerns            Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to breakdown last night’s spectacular Israeli strikes against the Iranian Regime and its nuclear program, and what comes next. ▪️ Times      •      02:00 Deception     •      06:00 Targets        •      09:00 The Scientists       •      11:00 Complacency     •      14:00 Israeli goals           •      19:00 Regime change     •      23:00 Strikes and talks           •      29:00 Drones     •      31:00 Counterpunch?          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Annie Jacobsen, journalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, joins the show to discuss nuclear weapons and their use. ▪️ Times      •      01:20 Introduction     •      02:50 Finding the music        •      07:02 Reporting      •      09:15 Hidden information     •      11:22 The scenario           •      13:50 Launch on warning     •      17:30 Villians           •      20:45 Annihilation         •      26:25 The Black Book      •      30:40 North Korea     •      34:03 Interception           •      37:42 ICBMs       •      43:39 Deterrence     •      49:29 Obama           •      52:50 Right to know       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Rabe, historian and author of The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, joins the show to discuss one of the countless, incredible stories from D-Day.  ▪️ Times      •      01:18 Introduction     •      01:25 Marine        •      02:50 Origins      •      06:48 Normandy     •      09:29 507th           •      15:20 Training     •      18:23 Overlord           •      21:21 The Villagers        •      25:20 A change in plans      •      30:07 HQ Battalion     •      36:17 Armageddon           •      39:00 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division       •      44:01 Staying behind     •      46:37 Return       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Kagan, senior fellow and the director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss Ukraine’s drone operation targeting Russia’s strategic air assets.  ▪️ Times      •      01:46 Introduction     •      02:25 What just happened?        •      07:48 Escalation risk      •      10:20 Control     •      12:39 Implications           •      21:10 Stratagems     •      24:04 Effects           •      30:40 Economic pressure        •      37:20 Continuing operations  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths & Maj. McKinsey Harb joined the show to discuss the U.S. Army’s new Field Manual 1, FM 1 -THE ARMY: A PRIMER TO OUR PROFESSION OF ARMS.  ▪️ Times      •      01:22 Introduction     •      01:51 West Point        •      05:43 Culture shift      •      08:50 FM 1     •      12:00 Ben Salomon           •      18:06 Warrior     •      24:04 Tensions           •      31:05 Recruiting       •      35:18 Leader/follower      •      42:19 Mission command       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Atkinson, historian and author of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, joins the show to discuss the causes, conduct, and epic consequences of the American Revolution.   ▪️ Times      •      02:08 Introduction     •      02:21 Journalism        •      04:30 Mogadishu      •      09:30 Lessons     •      12:49 Ideology           •      16:36 Diplomacy     •      20:21 Boston           •      22:59 “Blows must decide”       •      28:05 British strategy      •      31:27 Washington          •      36:49 Franklin in Paris     •      41:15 Friendless Britain           •      45:57 Legacy     •      51:24 250th Celebration  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Hackett, former U.S. Marine Corps interrogator and author of Theory of Irregular War, joins the show to discuss America’s post-9/11 wars and how irregular warfare works.  ▪️ Times      •      01:12 Introduction     •      01:30 A good interrogator       •      03:26 Afghanistan     •      06:15 In the interrogation room       •      12:10 The Reid Technique         •      14:27 Galula     •      17:10 A military solution           •      23:32 Voluntary acceptance       •      25:34 Irregular War      •      28:20 The war we have          •      31:33 COIN     •      36:10 Speaking the language       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert D. Kaplan, Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, joins the show to discuss the world’s current state of “permanent crisis”.  ▪️ Times      •      01:40 Introduction     •      02:00 Far Rockaway      •      04:55 Balkan Ghosts     •      08:20 Geography and technology       •      10:55 Weimar         •      13:43 Mediocrities     •      17:44 Reading deeply           •      20:30 Shakespeare       •      23:20 Where to watch      •      26:59 Xi and Taiwan          •      28:39 Sacred honor     •      31:22 Post-modern cities        •      33:28 AI and atrophy     Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Ryan, retired major general in the Australian Army and author of  The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire, joins the show to discuss the evolving battlefield and cycles of change and innovation going on in Ukraine.  ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      02:17 Touring the front      •      05:11 No place safe     •      07:01 Change       •      11:24 Wire guided drones        •      15:31 Task organization        •      20:38 Drone defense          •      22:49 Is artillery dead?     •      26:39 Rethinking procurement      •      30:34 2014          •      33:07 Putin’s objectives     •      36:05 Formula for ceasefire        •      38:02 A just solution        •      39:41 Surprise is alive and well      Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Bruscino, professor at the U.S. Army War College, and Mitchell G. Klingenberg, assistant professor at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, join the show to discuss their article "Making War Upon the Map" The U.S. Army’s Forgotten Map Problem, Meade’s Gettysburg Campaign, and Depicting Operational Art.  ▪️ Times      •      02:05 Introduction     •      03:12 What’s missing?      •      06:17 A modern problem     •      09:27 Meade takes command       •      11:29 Seeing both sides        •      15:41 South Mountain        •      22:54 Lee’s mistakes           •      30:11 Meade’s good choices      •      36:32 Mapping in 2025     •      41:51 Visualization          •      47:37 Developing doctrine Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Hillen, James C. Wheat Professor in Leadership at Hampden-Sydney College and author of The Strategy Dialogues: A Primer on Business Strategy and Strategic Management, joins the show to talk about how to think strategically in war, business, and life. ▪️ Times      •      01:55 Introduction     •      02:31 An Army start      •      05:17 Cold War ends     •      10:14 The Gulf         •      13:15 Changing styles        •      18:00 73 Easting       •      22:59 Policy and business           •      26:09 Strategos      •      29:04 In the doing     •      32:17 Inside out & outside in         •      36:41 Seeking horizons      •      42:22 Goals are not strategy     •      43:42 Call of Duty        Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Moyar, William P. Harris Chair of Military History at Hillsdale College and author of Triumph Regained: The Vietnam War, 1965-1968,  joins the show to explain the major inflection points of the Vietnam War. ▪️ Times      •      01:58 Introduction     •      02:47 The “orthodox view”      •      05:51 Dominos     •      08:41 A Maoist vision         •      12:42 1963        •      15:30 Henry Cabot Lodge       •      21:10 Slow erosion           •      24:57 Ground troops      •      30:10 Morale     •      33:39 Nixon in office         •      37:30 Triangular diplomacy      •      39:31 Vietnamization fails      •      43:09 American mistakes          •      47:31 Wanting out      •      50:10 Aftermath   Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Douglas Murray, journalist and author of On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization, joins the show for a wide ranging conversation that covers Death Cults, anti-Semitism, and recent shifts in the Right. ▪️ Times      •      01:42 Introduction     •      03:00 9/11 origins      •      09:50 It’s not 1939     •      13:45 Death cults         •      19:16 “I’m not a fascist, I’m an idealist.”        •      23:51 Vasily Grossman       •      37:05 What’s going on with the Right?          •      49:07 Nostalgia for the absolute      •      54:10 Regaining balance   Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raymond Jonas, Jon Bridgman Endowed Professor in History at the University of Washington and author of Habsburgs on the Rio Grande: The Rise and Fall of the Second Mexican Empire, joins the show to discuss a failed-but-spectacular 19th Century attempt by European powers to undermine the Monroe Doctrine. ▪️ Times      •      01:42 Introduction     •      03:31 Transatlantic relations      •      05:20 Europe distracted     •      08:39 Secession and unrest        •      12:46 Maximillian I        •      17:55 Continental powers      •      20:01 Britain, France and Spain         •      26:13 What the Americans did right      •      28:23 Napoleon III     •      30:09 Mexico and the Confederacy         •      35:20 Slavery adjacent       •      38:46 What went wrong         •      42:07 Benito Juarez    •       44:33 Maximillian’s execution    •       46:20 European alarm Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and host of The Iran Breakdown podcast, joins the show to discuss the Iranian nuclear program, where things stand with the Trump administration’s pursuit of a deal, and the prospects of an Israeli attack. ▪️ Times      •      01:33 Introduction     •      02:04 Beginnings      •      04:25 A weapon is the purpose     •      07:31 Enrichment        •      12:32 JCPOA        •      16:54 “The worst deal…”      •      18:46 Can Iran reach the U.S.?         •      23:53 Dismantle the program      •      29:01 Splitscreen     •      34:09 Risky and futile        •      41:02 Pacing   Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute, joins the show to discuss “restraintism” as a factor in Trump’s choices in the Middle East. ▪️ Times      •      01:46 Introduction     •      02:20 What is it?      •      05:01 Left, right, center      •      06:56 Syria ’07        •      11:47 Iraq Study Group        •      17:21 Populist expression      •      27:34 Balance         •      30:20 Obama v Trump      •      34:56 Oscillation     •      42:16 Back to JCPOA?         •      45:49 Snapback      •      47:44 Syria ’25     •      52:09 Iran and Turkey Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lord Andrew Roberts, the Bonnie and Tom McCloskey Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution and chair of the 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report, joins the show to discuss October 7th revisionism, the potency of antisemitism, and the strange effort to reinterpret World War II. ▪️ Times      •      01:56 Introduction     •      02:35 Why?      •     03:48 No room for debate      •      05:34 Not “accidental”        •     16:13 Cooper’s conclusions        •      20:13 Peace with Hitler      •      22:53 Destroying the foundation         •      25:06 Free speech     •      27:39 Gaza endgame Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Horn, former White House speechwriter and author of The Fate of the Generals: MacArthur, Wainwright, and the Epic Battle for the Philippines, joins the show to discuss the defeats, victories, and legacies of Douglas MacArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, the highest-ranking American POW of WWII. ▪️ Times      •      01:56 Introduction     •      04:36 Arthur MacArthur      •      09:33 The Philippines      •      16:13 Wainwright        •      18:20 War Plan Orange        •      27:06 Crisis      •      32:34 MacArthur leaves         •      35:20 Bataan and surrender        •      43:18 Captivity      •      48:34 Postwar  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and co-author of No Limits? The China-Russia Relationship and U.S. Foreign Policy, joins the show to discuss Beijing-Moscow cooperation and the prospects of the U.S. driving a wedge between them. ▪️ Times      •      02:05 Introduction     •      02:21 Sino-Soviet split      •     06:20 Spheres of influence      •      09:17 Domination       •     13:20 Stabilizing effect        •      22:15 Xi & Putin      •      28:19 Pacific expansion         •      35:20 More resources       •      41:06 America in, Russians out, Germans down Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walter Russell Mead, Alexander Hamilton Professor of Strategy and Statecraft at the University of Florida's Hamilton Center and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, joins the show to talk about the role of economic issues in Trump’s strategic views. ▪️ Times      •      01:34 Introduction     •      04:09 Mercantilism & physiocracy      •      08:50 Silicon Valley      •      14:01 Coalitions       •      16:26 How things worked        •      22:52 Post-war policy & China      •      33:17 Tariffs         •      42:50 Executive overreach      •      45:53 The dollar  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lara Burns, retired FBI Special Agent and head of terrorism research at the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University, joins the show to talk about how Islamist groups operate in the United States. ▪️ Watch the interview on YouTube - Ep 185: Lara Burns on the Hamas Threat in America ▪️ Times      •      01:32 Introduction     •      01:48 Terrorism squad     •     03:10 The Muslim Brotherhood     •      06:20 Hamas      •     14:26 The money        •      26:03 Oppressors      •      32:39 American Muslims for Palestine       •     35:18 All connected        •      43:07 Information campaign      •      50:19 Understanding      •      55:01 Fighting back Follow along on Instagram and on X @schoolofwarpod Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Burns, Assistant Professor of History at Franciscan University and author of Infantry in Battle 1733-1783 (From Reason to Revolution), joins the show to talk about how combat evolved in the decades between Marlborough and Napoleon. ▪️ Times      •     01:45 Introduction     •     02:19 1733     •     06:20 Infantry in battle     •     10:54 Achieving results       •     14:19 Tactical effectivness         •     18:40 Prussia       •     24:17 More than fear       •     29:45 Early nationalism        •     33:12 American evolution      •     38:50 Drones and prestige Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Cotton, U.S. senator from Arkansas and author of Seven Things You Can't Say About China, joins the show to talk about the CCP’s global designs. ▪️ Times      •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:30 Paying attention     •     05:38 Bipartisan     •      08:38 Early days       •     13:54 Strategic delays         •      16:13 An evil empire       •      18:45 “What’s it to us?”       •     22:04 Lynchpin        •      25:24 Splitting the axis      •      28:39 China and Ukraine     •      34:00 More dangerous Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean McMeekin, Professor of European History and Culture at Bard College and author of To Overthrow the World: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Communism, joins the show to talk about Communist approaches to foreign policy and war. ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      02:39 Communism and war     •     11:02 Giving history a shove        •      16:41 Lenin’s vision       •     20:55 A united front         •      25:54 Infiltration       •      28:45 Stalin at the helm       •     34:51 Ups and downs        •      41:10 Driving a wedge      •      43:37 “We resemble them more than they resemble us…” Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Cook, Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and author of A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity, joins the show to discuss the sudden, explosive Arab expansion of the 7th century.  ▪️ Times      •     01:46 Introduction     •     03:05 Sources     •     04:42 War and politics        •     07:32 Grass and sand       •     09:30 Self-defense         •     12:21 Ibn Khaldun      •     16:11 An Arab identity       •     18:45 Knock on effects        •     26:40 Two targets      •     28:32 The Arab way of war       •     34:50 Coming out of the desert        •     38:48 Civil war      •     42:27 Jihad Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Kotkin, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins the show to discuss how both sides have lost the Ukraine War, and the risks of various routes to peace. ▪️ Times      •      02:47 Pressuring Putin     •      12:50 A new path     •     17:07 Avoiding a debacle        •      32:43 Friends     •     38:30 Realignment     •      46:58 Articulating strategy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Strategic balance     •      16:52 The British Empire       •      18:58 Churchill the shapeshifter          •      26:42 Britain’s place     •      29:22 Casablanca      •      33:54 Making Hitler     •      38:43 Firepower + racial superiority      •      42:41 Delaying defeat     •      44:55 A childish view of war      •      46:50 Human decisions     •      48:28 Stalin the survivor     •      51:30 “Not nice people” Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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       •      28:33 Offense         •      35:05 Cyber responses     •      38:43 Public opinion      •      41:43 Defense of the homeland     •      49:30 A new kind of leader Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 The Japanese threat      •      24:20 10th Army        •      29:03 Notes for an unwritten memoir     •      31:02 Operation Causeway     •      35:47 Okinawa     •      41:52 Attrition     •      43:50 Another Anzio?     •      50:57 Homeward bound Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 transformed        •      23:00 Existential threats     •      25:25 Ukraine     •      32:31 Pressuring Putin        •      35:01 Taiwan and Japan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Struggle for power     •      20:30 Burdens of defense      •      23:25 Eurasia        •      27:50 Different politics     •      36:09 “…a kind of American realism”  Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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        •      39:03 Manned and unmanned        •      42:25 Force protection      •      45:06 Soft kills and hard kills Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 London and capture      •      36:31 Interrogation       •      42:52 Max and Regina       •      46:40 Natzweiler      •      52:29 Dachau      •      55:30 America     •      01:01:17 “Jews as fighters” Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 airbases      •      27:56 Limiting loss       •      33:38 Spruance & Mitscher      •      38:36 Japanese defense doctrine      •      45:58 Parallels today     Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      34:30 Scripted exercises          •      37:15 Managing the chaos      •      41:34 Failing constructively   Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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        •      33:55 Core interests      •      38:56 China’s end goal      •      45:37 Multilateralism        •      49:04 Risk and overextension  Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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       •      25:10 Imagining failure      •      30:24 Prospects Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 geography       •      25:56 Dreamer      •      29:50 “A war of choice…”     •      32:57 Building something new      •      34:36 Breaking point       •      38:00 King with consent      •      41:48 Harnessing strength Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 efforts     •      27:37 Heretics and heroes      •      31:22 Thinking about future war       •      35:05 A changing selection criteria      •      36:47 “The future is software defined”   Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      34:59 A powerful message     •      42:40 Striking power       •      47:27 A new “Ring of Fire” Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •    10:00 Realities and misconceptions       •    18:06 Stalemate     •    22:33 Shaping the fight      •    40:00 Reconnaissance-strike complex       •    46:38 Dotan Razili     •    50:50 Iron Dome in action     •    54:43 Sarit Zehavi     •    1:11:01 Hezbollah defeated       •    1:12:58 “Knowing but not understanding” Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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       •      26:58 Lee Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Today or tomorrow      •      39:23 Defense is cheaper, not better     •      43:21 Solutions   Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      32:21 Taking responsibility      •      37:15 Empires of nostalgia     •      44:50 Vacuum empires       •      51:05 American/Athenian policy      •      54:53 China and empire today Follow along on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebeccah 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 Downside of “no first use”       •      32:03 The nuclear triad      •      37:20 Russia and China      •      40:56 The moral argument Watch today’s episode on YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 stuff coming from?      •      23:50 Degrading the Chinese economy      •      27:33 A dream of cooperation     •      32:17 Slow the growth     •      36:08 Wargaming       •      41:41 Protraction     •      44:49 International and Congressional concerns Click the link to read the report - DEFEATING THE CCP A RUNNING START Follow along  on Instagram or YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch this episode on YouTube. 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     •      50:40 Camps     •      52:30 Crossing the Elbe      •      59:20 Interrogations     •      01:05:40 Paying back the country      •      01:08:51 Paula      •      01:14:50 Military Police and Vietnam     •      01:18:40 Angus      •      01:21:12 Lessons Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 commit to Russia?      •      36:55 Limited imaginations       •      39:03 New differences Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      27:14 Munitions scarcity      •      32:10 Russian collapse     •      36:45 Lenin returns     •      40:42 Brest-Litovsk     •      44:16 Proto-lebensraum     •      47:20 The West     •      52:30 War as a way out Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 tensions Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      55:49 The fighting     •      01:02:12 Mass and maneuver     •      01:04:44 Lee escapes Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 & manipulation      •      35:06 Weaponized supply chains     •      39:12 Getting their attention Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 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?     •      45:19 Continuity and complexity    •      49:45 Fluidity Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Infantry concerns     •      35:05 Women in the draft     •      39:12 Deterrent value     •      41:20 Sustaining industry     •      43:45 An “I” society Back to the Drafting Board Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      32:55 A “good” deal Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Drone warfare     •      35:05 Humans and machines     •      37:49 What does the Army need? Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      39:44 36,000 earths     •      42:15 Commercial incentives     •      45:05 Who has the advantage? Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 defense     •      38:42 Resources and cost Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Lynch, Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University and author of 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     •      41:31 Exile and writings      •      45:54 Good guy or bad guy? Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Is Taiwan ready?     •      30:35 Imitate Estonia     •      33:31 Sensor complexes      •      37:26 Missile defense     •      43:30 Nuclear escalation Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 methods     •      33:52 Aftermath     •      41:11 Return      •      51:00 Excite and engage Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 mythology Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      30:14 No such thing as an accidental war     •      35:44 A cognitive trap     •      39:22 Left with no choice Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 shipyards…”     •      19:37 Modernizing the nuclear arsenal     •      23:14 Force Design 2030 Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      23:05 Pursuing peace     •      26:15 Afghanistan     •      32:01 Collapse     •      37:58 A regional war Follow along on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      44:01 “A sincere security partner…”     •      46:03 The Caroline affair Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 for a bloodbath     •      38:03 Why unconditional surrender?      •      40:48 Two steps to end the war     •      46:54 A combination of forces      •      51:08 How many bombs?     •      54:01 Thinking as your enemy does Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Fighting for Grant     •      33:40 Appomattox      •      35:53 Home     •      29:31 Battle Cry of Freedom Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 weapons Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      35:43 Countering China     •      40:40 Tracing BRI back to Beijing      •      46:55 Keeping Taiwan safe Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Cyber is overhyped     •      39:56 Achieving a favorable outcome Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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       •      22:53 Rational/irrational Hitler      •      28:09 Wrapped around the rational axle         •      30:34 Fallacy of over/underestimating the adversary     •      37:53 Losing the contingency       •      41:08 Fallacies of interaction         •      45:56 Learning but not doing     •      50:53 Building defenses against fallacies Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Genocide         •      43:57 The battle of Manila     •      49:41 Suffering is the strategic aim      •      51:04 Tunnels         •      55:51 Outthinking the enemy Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Better to be near-nuclear       •      22:26 How might Putin use nuclear weapons?      •      26:04 Learning by doing     •      33:48 “It’s all happening at once”     •      41:31 Rattling the saber works       •      48:04 “We will get them back”         •      50:07 History and Strategy Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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         •      55:01 “European culturally but not Western”     Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ultimate goal         •      44:36 Why not regime change in China?     •      51:08 Henry Kissinger Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 advantages         •      36:03 Designing D-Day        •      46:58 Planning for failure Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Taft     •      38:01 No choice but to defend Korea     •      46:44 NSC-68 Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Fighting for the Persians     •      17:18 Cyrus the Younger         •      20:46 A leader emerges       •      29:41 “How was he so right?”      •      36:43 Matterhorn     •      38:33 Exile     •      42:01 An instruction on leadership     •      44:16 “There is always something there…” Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - Xenophon's Anabasis: A Socratic History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 The American dilemma       •      17:09 Fukuyama     •      21:21 Nuclear guarantees         •      25:16 The shadow of WWII       •      29:44 Flippancy and boredom      •      32:06 Détente     •      32:12 Backstabbing     •      37:52 American lecturing     •      45:39 Sources of Soviet collapse Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Follow the link to buy the book - To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 TikTok Follow along  on Instagram Read the Foreign Affairs piece here No Substitute for Victory America’s Competition With China Must Be Won, Not Managed  Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      40:31 Cat and mouse game Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      32:09 Diplomacy and a recruitment crisis     •      34:00 A brilliant military career     •      37:17 Force structure     •      41:18 Parthian Cold War Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - Iron Imperator: Roman Grand Strategy Under Tiberius Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      16:20 How did Putin get Ukraine so wrong?      •      19:49 Touch and go     •      22:45 Draft confusion     •      26:09 Battlefield evolution     •      30:42 Countermeasures     •      34:33 Washington’s tepid support     •      38:11 Possible futures      •      40:26 Trump Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      26:40 Lessons not learned     •      33:00 The Iranian nuclear umbrella Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 International law     •      35:48 Proportionality      •      39:40 A dangerous ideology   Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      45:49 Russia       •      50:50 Barbarossa bound to fail?     •      54:48 Guderian the chameleon    Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Tactical success to operational failure       •      34:07 Post-Vietnam U.S. military woes     •      37:24 Active defense        •      43:31 Skeptical of technology     •      48:07 The Defense Reform Movement        •      53:50 Iraqi Freedom Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - The Blind Strategist: John Boyd and the American Art of War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      37:33 Russian nuclear strategy       •      42:44 Extended deterrence        •      52:37 Pain tolerance    Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, what’s it to the US?      •      19:16 Options if Russia uses nuclear weapons     •      24:06 The pendulum keeps swinging       •      28:20 Washington’s confusion regarding Iran and Israel     •      31:56 Red Sea adrift     •      36:00 China and the rest     •      40:01 Pacific flashpoints    Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      19:37 Battle damage assessment and AI tracking       •      22:50 Autonomous weapons     •      27:50 Legal, ethical, and control issues     •      30:08 Battlefield applications     •      32:43 Operational ability      •      36:51 WMDs     •      40:09 Countermeasures      •      43:53 Transportable?     •      46:40 AI and nuclear weapons Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 myth of the “Clean Wehrmacht”     •      40:20 The siege      •      49:15 Who stays?     •      51:18 How did the Germans fail?      •      01:03:25 Staying vigilant Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - To Besiege a City: Leningrad 1941–42 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •      28:35 “The Houthis have friends.”       •      33:19 Danger and opportunity      •      37:20 The terms of success change     •      43:14 Solving the problem of the moment Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      27:46 Congressional oversight      •      34:30 An unfocused military     •      44:17 Not getting it done      •      47:05 “Raw and abject stupidity” Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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      •      42:49 “Almost nothing held up.”      •      44:46 Robert Rosenthal      •      48:57 Working with Tom Hanks      •      53:51 Recreating air combat      •      56:02 Gil Cohen, Greyhound, and Das Boot      •      59:44 Narrative choices     •     01:06:36 The stress of command Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Buy the book here - Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 level    32:11 Influences    37:38 Production challenges   40:25 Procedure as drama    43:50 Unique trauma    48:20 Casting Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Battleground Manila      •   30:48 Bleeding the Americans     •   34:56 Failures in China     •   40:33 Chiang Kai-shek     •   45:07 Okinawa     •   48:06 Operation Downfall     •   52:24 Revisionist and reductionist history      •   55:19 Required reading Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 purpose?     •    20:00 Massing fires     •    22:33 Defeating missile defenses     •    29:25 Scarcity and the network     •    34:12 Can the dynamic change?     •    37:13 Aircraft carriers     •    40:14 Is the U.S. Navy ready?      •    44:36 Exercises     •    47:51 Institutional knowledge     •    49:38 Is the PLAN ready? A FLEET ADRIFT: THE MOUNTING RISKS OF THE U.S. NAVY’S FORCE DEVELOPMENT Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     • 25:04 Isolationism and “wokeness”     • 33:56 Sloppy discourse     • 38:16 An echo of the ’90s     • 41:11 Progress     • 48:28 Race/Sexuality/Gender     • 55:03 A bit of Sparta in Athens Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Strategic vulnerabilities     •    38:32 Regional hegemony     •    44:51 A desire to dominate     •    48:36 A lesson and a warning  Here is a link to the article discussed today Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 geopolitics Here is a link to the article discussed today Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 “An informationized local war”     •    25:13 What matters in protracted wars     •    28:59 Innovation and adaptation     •    33:51 The role of national leadership in protracted conflict     •    38:49 Sino-U.S. competition      •    44:50 Absorbing massive casualties     •    48:06 Polybius Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Waterloo     •    33:45 Josephine and Elba     •    35:44 More Napoleon content Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •   32:03 Selective savagery      •    36:30 The Near East     •    40:15 Mamluks    •    42:03 Mongol rule     •    45:17 Lasting effects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •    25:23 Reasonableness     •    28:07 Sieges     •    32:30 Weaponizing the law     •    36:34 Perverse incentives     •    39:09 How does the law evolve? Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •    27:09 Theory vs. experience      •   32:04 Japanese success at night     •    37:59 The Italian navy     •    40:52 Long range torpedoes     •   45:27 Changes in command expectations     •    49:44 Dealing with technological changes today     •    52:36 Is the U.S. Navy the “best”? Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 enemy tune     •   42:51 The cost of being America’s ally     •    44:25 Deterrence Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 both ways      •    29:00 Israeli objectives     •   35:56 Strategic goals and military means      •    41:38 Dancing to an Iranian tune      •    46:01 Working against the clock     •   49:06 Staying informed To read the WSJ article discussed today click here Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, operational catastrophes     •    42:11 Redeployments      •    44:45 Parallels with the Yom Kippur War     •   51:07 America and Israel today To read the article discussed today click here  Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 ourselves?     •   43:23 Cracks in the Axis of Tyrannies       •    47:26 Chinese imperialism     •    52:35 Understanding ourselves abroad Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Why does Sparta matter?      •    31:56 “Putin’s completely irrational”     •   33:56 Is Realism dangerous?     •    39:17 Why do the Athenians go to Sicily?     •    44:35 Alcibiades     •    47:06 Could the Athenians have won?     •    49:11 The significance of victory Follow along  on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 military revolutions work?     •    24:49 Playing catch-up      •    27:35 The MRAP question     •   33:34 The pace of change      •    42:17 Mass and main force     •    46:12 What are we not doing that we need to be? Here is a link to the article referenced in the episode - Hudson Institute - Archipelagic Defense 2.0 Follow along on Instagram Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick Ryan, Major General (retired) in the Australian Army and author of White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan, joins the show to talk about the war today in Ukraine, the potential war in Taiwan, and the changing character of war itself. ▪️ Times      •    02:22 Introduction      •    05:49 China on Australia’s radar     •    11:56 Ukrainian progress      •    17:26 Timeframe      •   24:00 “We’re helping them tread water. We’re not helping them swim.”     •    27:37 What is China learning from Ukraine?     •    35:20 Can China pull off its own Operation Neptune?      •    41:12 Looking to the past     •   44:35 White Sun War      •    51:23 Everything new is old Follow along on Instagram http://schoolofwar.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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     •   29:49 A political scientist      •    35:10 Where might one go wrong?     •   39:03 Free security     •    42:26 Who should we be reading?  Follow along on Instagram http://schoolofwar.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wayne Lee, Bruce W. Carney Distinguished Professor of History at UNC and author of The Cutting-Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in Eastern North America, 1500-1800, joins the show to talk about war in the ‘Eastern Woodlands’, both before and after European contact. ▪️ Times      •    01:48 Introduction      •    02:50 Coincidences     •    07:19 “Woods and rivers, deer and rabbits, corn and beans”     •    12:51 Unused land     •   19:29 Sacred spaces     •    21:56 Strategic objectives     •    28:35 Why not occupy?      •    32:50 Logistics     •   41:57 The role of the prisoner      •    49:10 Something like the truth      •    54:34 Offense and defense Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London, joins the show to talk about what the status of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has to teach us about the enduring relevance of fortifications and the defense as a form of war. ▪️ Times      •    02:02 Introduction      •    02:16 Modern War     •    03:36 Counteroffensive progress     •    06:08 Tracking events     •   11:08 Russia’s defensive scheme     •    23:07 Fortified strategic complex     •    32:9 Maginot reconsidered      •    40:47 The pendulum      •   48:07 What if…  To read the article discussed on this episode click the link - Russian fortifications present an old problem for Ukraine - JULY 20, 2023 DAVID J BETZ Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Antulio J. Echevarria, General Douglas MacArthur Chair of Research at the U.S. Army War College and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the most influential military thinkers of the modern age, Antoine-Henri Jomini.  ▪️ Times      •    01:55 Introduction      •    02:22 Who was Jomini?     •    06:13 A charlatan?     •    08:57 Summary of the Art of War     •   11:50 Clausewitz vs Jomini      •    14:26 The center of gravity     •    16:03 Lines of operation     •    21:21 Regard for the enemy     •   24:44 Interpreting Napoleon      •   28:09 Mahan and Jomini     •    30:47 Air power    •   31:55 Clausewitz revival     •    34:02 Jomini today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 8th congressional district and Chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to talk about why the Korean War should be front-of-mind for American policymakers and strategists.  ▪️ Times      •    02:06 Introduction      •    04:05 Wolf-warrior diplomacy     •    10:42 A new Cold War     •    13:05 T.R. Fehrenbach     •   22:25 “This stuff matters”      •    25:25 Task Force Smith      •    29:44 Route clearances     •    31:23 Inchon     •   35:06 Truman’s failures      •    38:19 Eisenhower brings balance      •    42:24 China has gotten stronger Follow along on Instagram And here is a link to checkout the article Aaron and Mike wrote for Foreign Affairs Why America Forgets and China Remembers the Korean War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark McGrath and Brian Rivera, hosts of the No Way Out podcast, join the show to talk about strategist John 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 enemy’s loop     •    18:44 Fast transients     •    21:41 Patterns of Conflict     •   26:27 Military reformer       •    29:46 Blitzkrieg and Entebbe      •    37:43 Detractors Follow along on Instagram For more on John Boyd and from Mark and Brian check out the ​​No Way Out Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron O’Connell, Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, joins the show to talk about the “founding fathers” of 20th century geopolitical thought: Mahan, Mackinder, and Spykman.  ▪️ Times    •    01:46 Introduction      •    02:20 From Marine to scholar to the NSC     •    06:24 Alfred T. Mahan     •    12:27 Choke points, decisive battle, and battleships     •   15:45 Security through imperialism       •    18:08 Chinese Mahanians     •    20:33 China’s crowded neighborhood     •    21:27 Halford Mackinder     •   28:56 Heartland rising       •    31:36 Inner and outer crescent     •    33:01 Nicholas Spykman      •    37:55 The nature of power     •    39:03 Containment     •   42:11 The American role     •    46:22 The path of partnerships Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Edel, senior adviser and Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the founding architects of American foreign policy, John Quincy Adams.  ▪️ Times      •    01:33 Introduction      •    02:20 Democratic strategy     •    04:43 Adams     •    08:03 Early threats to the Republic     •   13:20 A potential challenger to Europe     •    18:10 Unity and strength      •    25:08 “In search of monsters to destroy”     •    30:07 British parallels      •   34:11 Slavery      •    38:36 Public service Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Hastings, journalist, military historian, and author most recently of Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962, joins the show to talk about the world’s brush with World War III.  ▪️ Times      •    01:41 Introduction      •    01:59 From journalism to history     •    07:06 Recollections     •    09:40 Castro and the Bay of Pigs     •   19:46 Overflights      •    26:46 Quarantine and blockade      •    33:45 Russian floundering     •    35:52 Dealmaking      •   40:07 Uncomfortable proximity      •    42:36 Spheres of influence Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holger Afflerbach, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Leeds and author of On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War, joins the show to talk about the origins of the First World War, how much Germany is to blame, and why the July Crisis of 1914 is relevant in 2023.  ▪️ Times      •    01:59 Introduction      •    02:46 Fritz Fischer      •    10:34 1914 and today     •    15:24 The Kaiser     •   21:54 Bethmann Hollweg     •    27:46 Military necessity     •    37:25 How did Germany lose?      •    44:10 Murderers or sleepwalkers? For context, and a better sense of the events unfolding in 1914, checkout the National World War One Museum Interactive Timeline and Summer 1914 Day By Day. Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Galeotti, director of Mayak Intelligence, host of the In Moscows’s Shadow podcast, and author of Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, joins the show to talk about the post-Cold War Russian Armed Forces. ▪️ Times      •    02:13 Introduction      •    04:26 The peak      •    10:04 In decline     •    13:04 A day in the life of a ’90s Russian soldier     •    16:23 The First Chechen War      •    21:17 Putin and Chechnya     •    24:42 Russia’s claims     •    35:10 Modernization     •    40:49 Historical karma in Ukraine     •    46:10 Big picture      •    48:20 Ukraine’s counter-offensive     •    51:49 Wagner and Prigozhin Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hew Strachan, Bishop Wardlaw Professor at the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about Carl von Clausewitz. ▪️ Times      •    02:10 Introduction      •    04:31 Serious-minded     •    09:43 On War      •    11:54 Deconstruct to construct     •    15:19 Distinctions in war      •    24:07 The American embrace of Clausewitz     •    28:00 Context is everything     •    32:14 Politics by other means     •    36:24 Clausewitz the Marxist     •    40:05 Absolute and Total Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at the Kissinger Center at Johns Hopkins SAIS and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about French grand strategy during the 16th and 17th century rivalry between the Bourbons and Habsburg Spain.  ▪️ Times      •    02:41 Introduction      •    04:35 A nagging curiosity       •    06:59 Sully at the start      •    13:27 The genesis of a struggle     •    21:19 French internal cohesion      •    26:51 Naval power     •    29:28 Religious factions and Richelieu     •    32:14 The 30 Years War and France     •    36:22 The fruits of disorder     •    41:44 Defender of the faith     •    44:41 Mazarin      •    49:48 Hegemonic France     •    53:56 Rapid-fire lessons Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 • 26:34 Hastings • 31:42 William’s victory • 36:13 Rule by castle • 39:26 Siege and counter-siege • 41:27 Normans in the Mediterranean • 47:24 “Noteworthy, not unique” Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Shih     •    29:59 Mao in ’49 and ’50     •    34:11 Chinese intervention in Korea     •    38:36 The origins of Chinese sea power      •    43:11 Amphibious operations     •    47:33 D-Day without any advantages  Andrew Rhodes Map D-Day Invasion compared to potential Taiwan Invasion Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  • 35:53 Westmoreland and attrition  • 41:42 South Vietnam  • 45:33 Parallels Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 insurgency      •    20:34 The Sunni Awakening and the Surge     •    24:32 Two different wars     •    30:51 Gilding the lily      •    37:46 The Obama Administration     •    41:42 ISIS     •    44:45 Withdrawal deadline Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 republic • 22:25 The Prince • 25:45 An early realist  • 30:35 Classical influences • 35:12 Bullish on democracy Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Reactions   • 32:18 Self-correction • 37:12 Tolerating contradictions  • 41:29 Robert Kagan • 42:43 Intellectual humility Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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?  • 38:02 The cartels • 41:03 Cui bono? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Heisenberg • 31:51 WMDs  • 35:40 Truth Serum • 39:02 From OSS to CIA Follow along on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 legacy  • 34:42 Bismarck’s wars   • 37:06 1914 vs 1940  • 40:03 Blitzkrieg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Missing ingredients in Afghanistan • 24:07 Departing Iraq • 30:05 A better outcome for Afghanistan?  • 33:33 Commitments • 38:30 China and Russia from ’01 to ’09  • 44:57 Integrating China into the international system   • 47:37 NATO expansion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? • 27:46 America starts slow • 35:35 MaArthur’s dismissal • 41:16 Could the Korean War have ended earlier?  • 45:11 What is our grand strategy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 peace • 36:29 Causes of the First Crusade • 40:36 The Crusaders • 42:32 Siege and conquest • 44:23 A Christian city • 47:31 The Crusader States  • 49:29 The Knights Templar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 or Taiwan, who gets what? • 51:38 Xi Jinping’s dilemma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  • 26:08 Dynamics in D.C.  • 28:24 Appeasement  • 35:05 Japan’s plans • 37:40 Embargoes and FDR • 42:48 Distinct parallels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 America in the Middle East  • 26:00 Why talk to the bad guys?  • 31:35 Afghanistan • 33:05 Resetting the conversation on human rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 War II - Inglorious Bastards/Patton/The Thin Red Line/Greyhound • 36:22 The Korean War - Heartbreak Ridge/The Manchurian Candidate  • 41:45 The Vietnam War - Full Metal Jacket (Hon. mention: Apocalypse Now) • 46:10 Post Cold War - Black Hawk Down/Jarhead • 49:00 Post 9/11 - 13 Hours/The Outpost/Generation Kill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 • 37:06 The Cimbri and Teutones and “Marius’s Mules”  • 43:05 Career on the rocks  • 49:02 Social War to Civil War • 56:27 “Do you dare kill Gaius Marius?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 moments of “muscle change”  • 41:33 Unable to adapt militarily   • 46:55 Lessons for America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, Clark, and Dobrynin • 33:35 Arms control  • 38:24 The end of the Cold War • 41:55 Tension as a tool Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  • 15:25 A Marine from Green Bay  • 21:16 On the ground in Iraq • 28:52 What’s the American interest in Taiwan? • 32:05 Consequences of Taiwan’s defeat • 38:21 Marine Corps force design • 41:42 The Navy’s fighting spirit • 46:31 Culture in the military Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Was 1949 preventable? • 22:32 U.S. attitudes towards Korea  • 26:25 Kim Il-sung • 28:17 Ho Chi Minh goes to Moscow • 31:08 Stopping the spread of communism  • 33:03 Reconstruction  • 35:09 Post 1955 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 The Greco-Persian Wars  • 37:00 Thermopylae • 41:32 Sparta and soft power • 45:30 “Making the time” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 The China challenge • 48:04 Sleepwalking into war? • 55:48 Where does classical realism fall short? • 01:02:10 Finding moral counsel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Costly French decisions • 51:11 The King of Bohemia’s last ride • 57:52 Hundred Years War ends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and author of Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace, joins the show to discuss the Russian general Kutuzov, the hero of 1812. ▪️ Times  • 00:53 Introduction • 01:31 18th century Russia  • 04:00 A young officer • 08:57 Modernization   • 12:11 Catherine’s wars • 14:30 International relations • 17:00 Shot in the head - twice • 22:11 Promotions • 29:18 Tolstoy’s take on Kutuzov • 32:32 Czar Alexander • 39:21 Austerlitz • 48:28 Grand strategy in 1812 • 57:21 Tolstoy and reality • 1:02:09 Legacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and author of Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine, joins the show to discuss how politics and military command are inextricably linked. ▪️ Times  • 01:08 Introduction • 02:01 Command  • 05:44 Politics and generalship • 08:00 MacArthur myths  • 11:59 Educating future commanders • 15:50 France’s end of empire • 22:57 Democratic drawbacks • 27:51 Putin’s position • 33:49 Ukraine endgame • 37:27 Better off without Putin • 39:09 Winter is coming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Inboden, executive director and William Powers, Jr. Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin and author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, joins the show to discuss Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy. ▪️ Times  • 01:32 Introduction • 02:09 Inheriting détente  • 06:13 The Soviet understanding • 09:56 Deterring strength, exploiting weakness  • 13:42 Religious Reagan • 17:32 Bush as teammate • 20:54 Win without fighting • 25:47 Contradictions • 30:00 South and Central America • 35:35 Gorbachev • 40:23 Did Reagan’s approach work? • 43:53 Kissinger • 45:09 Reagan as manager • 50:07 Reagan’s legacy on the Right Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Beckett, professor emeritus of military history at the University of Kent and author of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, joins the show to talk about the two most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War. ▪️ Times  • 01:58 Introduction • 02:22 British interests in Zululand  • 06:52 The Zulu system • 09:55 The British plan   • 13:12 The horns of the buffalo • 16:49 Isandlwana • 26:44 Innate warriors • 29:14 Aftermath • 33:18 Movies and myths • 42:11 Rorke’s Drift  • 48:38 Firepower wins out • 53:56 A western way of war? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James M. Scott, author of Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, joins the show to talk about the World War II career of one of the most important and controversial American generals of the 20th Century, Curtis LeMay, and his leadership of the strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific.   ▪️ Times  • 02:00 Introduction • 03:02 Teaching In Japan • 06:27 Lemay, Tireless Worker • 09:47 Bomber Vs Fighter  • 11:43 Europe, B-17, and B-29  • 19:54 Hansel & O’Donnell • 30:00 LeMay Takes Over  • 32:37 From Dresden To Tokyo • 35:10 On His Own Authority • 40:26 “We’ll Be Tried As War Criminals” • 43:07 Firestorm • 49:06 What Brought Peace? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randall Schriver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific affairs and Chairman of the Project 2049 Institute, joins the show to talk about U.S.-China relations and a new project, the China Economic & Strategy Initiative.  Times  • 02:10 Introduction • 03:36 “Take Chinese Language”  • 11:21 Why 2049? • 13:40 China In The ’90s  • 18:13 Power Projection and Missiles • 28:10 The Diplomatic Situation  • 35:00 Economic Entanglement  • 42:44 Decoupling  • 47:32 Urgency And Policy  • 52:00 Deterrence Check out the China Economic & Strategy Initiative here - https://cesionline.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff  ▪️ Jay Lockenour, associate professor of history at Temple University and author of Dragonslayer: The Legend of Erich Ludendorff in the Weimar Republic and Third Reich, joins the show to talk about the life of the infamous German general and politician.  ▪️ Times  • 01:30 Introduction • 02:00 Ludendorff’s Significance • 03:08 Ludendorff’s Early Life • 05:02 Not Quite A Matinee Idol  • 07:13 The German General Staff • 11:43 A General Without Portfolio • 17:50 The War And The Myth  • 22:23 For The Record - The German Military Lost  • 26:12 The Early 1920’s • 29:49 Erich And Adolf     • 34:10 Ludendorff And The Right • 37:00 The Holocaust And Ludendorff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eli Lake, host of The Re-Education and national security journalism fellow at the Clements Center, joins the show to talk about 9/11 and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.  ▪️ Times  • 02:04 Introduction • 02:43 From Philly To The Middle East • 05:14 9/11 • 07:49 The World Before  • 09:20 No More Nation Building • 12:03 Neo-Cons Or Not • 18:09 Liberal Internationalists  • 22:05 Early Mistakes • 29:08 Baking In Problems  • 32:46 The Bonn Conference     • 37:04 Capable Of Being Free • 41:04 Toppling Sadam - Right or Wrong?     • 45:47 WMDs And Insurgency • 53:25 New Strategies     • 56:51 The Surge  • 59:01 The Loss Of Choice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Easton, senior director at the Project 2049 Institute and author of The Final Struggle: Inside China’s Global Strategy, joins the show to talk about Xi Jinping, the ideology that shaped Jinping and by which he rules, and why his vision for the world should not be dismissed.  ▪️ Times  • 01:56 Introduction • 02:22 Interested In China • 05:01 Discovering Taiwan • 10:32 Perceptions Of The PRC  • 13:11 How The Chinese Government Works • 17:47 Who Is Xi Jinping? • 23:42 The Tactics Of Ideology And Control • 26:29 The “Scourge Of The Corrupt” • 29:36 Authentic Socialism • 31:25 Does China’s Communism Matter?     • 37:04 The Blending Of Communism And Nationalism • 43:04 Exporting Xi Jinping Thought     • 49:19 Absolute Control • 52:41 Does Xi Jinping Have Rivals?       • 56:04 Optimisim To Pessimism In Taiwan   • 01:04:00 It’s Not All Dark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hal Brands, Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Michael Beckley, associate professor of political science at Tufts University, join the show to talk about how an armed confrontation with China could be coming more quickly than most expect.  ▪️ Times  • 01:30 Introduction • 02:28 Danger Zone  • 05:13 A Matter Of Timing • 07:55 A Thucydides Trap? • 13:07 Historical Analogies and 1914 • 20:32 Getting To The Long Game • 25:37 Sleepwalking Into War? • 31:10 China’s Problems And Plans • 35:06 The “Lenin Trap” • 36:44 Why Does Taiwan Matter?     • 40:27 Commitments And Capabilities  • 44:37 What Will War Look Like?     • 48:24 Cold War Lessons  • 52:22 Getting Through The Danger Zone  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael S. Neiberg, Chair of War Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, joins the show to talk American policy towards Vichy France. ▪️ Times  • 01:21 Introduction • 02:15 Vichy France - An Overview • 06:38 A Phony War • 09:16 American Assumptions Pre-war • 13:09 Isolationism No Longer Works • 24:30 Roosevelt’s Policy  • 28:45 Stress In The Anglo-American Alliance • 33:03 American Vision Of A Post-War World • 36:00 Vichy Unveiled  • 39:01 Chaos In North Africa     • 43:19 Vichy’s Shame • 51:57 de Gaulle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ocie Vest, retired Marine infantry officer, joins the show to talk about his experiences as a platoon commander in the Battle of Marjah and later as a combat leader in Nimruz Province, lessons learned in training and in combat, and how the war can continue after the fighting ends. Second of a two-part conversation. ▪️ Times  • 01:27 Violent Months • 06:15 “Do Whatever Those Guys Do” • 09:42 Tactical Adaptation • 13:32 A Fighting Exit • 18:03 “That Sucked…Why’d We Want To Do That So Bad?” • 21:29 Dispersed Operations • 26:36 Nimruz Province  • 30:43 Hope For The Future • 34:39 Leadership • 36:11 Medically Retired, Twice     • 38:53 The Work Works • 45:47 “Now Its Up To Them” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Departure  • 40:49 On The Job Learning • 44:40 Marjah • 50:43 First Combat     • 59:11 Sustained Combat • 1:02:45 Different Neighborhood, Different War Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Watson, Professor of History at Goldsmiths, University of London, joins the show to talk about the Eastern Front in World War One, and how the events of 1914/15 foreshadowed tragedies to come and the crisis in Ukraine today.  ▪️ Times  • 01:43 Introduction • 02:40 WWI In The East • 05:29 Battlefield - Austria-Hungary  • 10:10 The Austro-Hungarian Army • 13:28 Coveted Galicia • 17:44 1914 - A Primordial Soup • 19:02 The Siege Begins • 26:27 Przemysl’s Defensive Plan • 29:50 The Russians Take A Direct Approach • 36:08 Inside A City Under Siege     • 40:19 Total Exhaustion  • 44:45 Military And Human Consequences • 50:00 Birthplace Of The Bloodlands • 55:09 Strange Ends Maps Courtesy of United States Military Academy West Point Eastern Europe, 1914 and Planned Army Concentration Areas in Central Europe, 1914  Operations on The Eastern Front to 20 September 1914 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-Interventionist Sentiment • 26:57 Anti-Semitism • 31:18 Roosevelt Sees Things Clearly • 35:21 A War With Germany, Not Japan     • 38:40 Catastrophic German Strategic Errors • 43:23 Hitler’s American Gamble  • 49:15 Pearl Harbor Condemned The European Jews • 53:54 Alarmingly Relevant Parallels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brendan Simms, Professor at the University of Cambridge, and his co-author, Steven McGregor, a U.S. Army vet, join the show to talk about their new book, The Silver Waterfall: How America Won the War in the Pacific at Midway. ▪️ Times  • 02:12 Introduction • 02:30 Why Write About Midway? • 05:54 Strategic Situation In The Pacific  • 08:26 Who Is Chester Nimitz?  • 11:02 Small Scale Start To The Large Scale Fight • 14:20 Intelligence Breaches And Carrier Combat  • 17:12 Dueling Carrier Doctrines  • 22:09 Lt. Dusty Kleiss On The Day Of Battle • 24:45 Hide And Seek In The Pacific Ocean • 28:45 Finding The Kido Butai At Midway • 30:53 To Dive Bomb Or Not • 32:11 Never Call Me A Hero • 33:38 A Fine Days Work  • 36:23 Preparation + Opportunity = Luck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Corbett, author of Supreme Emergency: How Britain Lives With the Bomb, joins the show to talk about what it’s like commanding one of Her Majesty’s deadliest weapons, how deterrence policy actually works, and why Britain has the Bomb. ▪️ Times  • 01:45 Introduction • 02:12 Why Join The Royal Navy? • 03:31 What’s In A Name? • 05:31 Day To Day Life  • 10:33 Disorienting Conditions  • 12:35 The Fighting Sub • 16:58 The Sound Of Silence  • 21:50 The Nuclear Triad • 24:12 Developments Under The Sea • 26:05 The British And The Bomb • 30:12 Command By Sub-Committee • 32:23 Extreme Secrecy  • 37:35 Morality In Nuclear Weapons  • 45:04 Why Should The UK Have Nukes • 50:07 Who Shouldn’t Have Nukes  • 54:46 Extended Deterrence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  • 34:10 Reading History  • 37:48 Characters Are Uncovered, Not Made • 40:19 The War Of Art • 45:52 Telling Stories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Strauss, Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, joins the show to talk about Octavian, Antony, and Cleopatra, and the battle of Actium, the clash that “made the Roman Empire”. Times  • 02:04 Introduction • 02:36 Events Leading To Actium • 07:45 What Breaks The Second Triumvirate • 13:29 Strategy Is Not Sterile  • 15:04 Antony’s Will, Octavian’s Weapon • 20:24 Caesar’s Inheritance  • 22:42 Audacious Agrippa   • 25:26 Ancient Marines And War In The Mediterranean  • 31:18 Breakout Is Victory • 38:27 Antony In Defeat • 42:16 End Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies and host of both the Cryptonite podcast and Jewish Insider’s Limited Liability podcast, joins the show to talk about economic sanctions and financial warfare. Times  • 01:30 Introduction • 08:19 The Dollar Is Still King • 10:10 Access Is Everything • 13:00 Whom Do Sanctions Effect  • 15:42 Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears A Crown • 21:50 Warfare By Other Means • 30:20 Working With Allies • 38:33 Exquisite Calibration  • 43:42 Usurping The Power Of The Dollar • 49:02 Integrated Deterrence  • 51:01 The Potency Of Sanctions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guy MacLean Rogers, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of History and Classical Studies at Wellesley College and author of For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews Against Romans, 66-74CE, joins the show to talk about the great uprising of the Jewish people against Rome—including moments that resonate to the present day, like the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem and the siege of Masada.  Times  • 02:20 Introduction • 04:21 The Jewish Revolt In Roman History  • 08:09 Flavius Josephus  • 13:41 Herod the Great  • 22:29 Little Causes, Big Revolt • 26:40 The Leadership Of Rebellion • 30:11 Jewish Strategy And Logistics • 35:03 Vespasian • 41:04 The Temple  • 50:01 The End of the Sacrificial Cult • 52:01 Destruction of the Temple • 56:00 The End Of The Revolt • 1:01:02 Josephus’ Speeches • 1:06:13 Could The Jews Have Won? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures.  Times  • 01:25 Illicit Economies • 04:13 Green Berets And CIA “Lost The Forest For The Trees” In Kunar • 06:57 Who Is Jim Gant? • 11:36 Self-Aware Proxy Warriors • 13:42 Counterinsurgency Styles and Outpost Building • 20:44 Central Government - Whether They Want It Or Not • 33:18 Cash For Calm - Paying For Peace • 37:22 War Winds Down In The Pech  • 41:30 The Afghan House Of Cards Collapses • 44:13 A Tired Afghan Army With No Good Options Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 28: Wesley Morgan on Afghanistan Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech Valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures. This episode is part 1 of 2. Times  02:52 Introduction 04:28 From Princeton to The Pech 07:25 The Age Dynamic  09:46 Fighting Styles In Helmand Province  12:42 The Episodic Nature Of Fighting In Afghanistan  13:42 The Terrain Of The Pech Valley 17:11 Seeking Bin Laden In Kunar  18:43 Kafiristan - Daniel Dravot’s Dream 20:27 Special Forces - A Tool For Every Task 24:21 The Role Of Seal Team Six and Delta Force 29:36 Seeking The Enemy  31:23 Who Was The Enemy In The Pech? 33:58 The Timber Mafia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 27: Fred Kagan on Ukraine II Fred Kagan, Senior Fellow and Director of Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss where the war in Ukraine stands, how initial Russian designs failed, and where the conflict is headed. 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 Russian Command And Control  26:29 Ukrainian Strikes On Senior Russian Officers 28:38 Russian Objectives In The South 33:06 Putin Still Seeking Total Victory? 36:42 Russian Game-plan For The South Coast 39:18 Transnistria 42:27 False Flags - Putin’s Comfort Zone 44:01 Moldovan Capabilities  47:46 Force Is A Kind Of Failure 50:47 Putin’s Options  54:48 Deterrence And Nuclear Taboos Ukraine Maps 05/02/2022 per ISW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep 26: Andrew Lambert on the Crimean War  Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College, joins the show to discuss the Crimean War, including why it shouldn’t have been called by that name. Professor Lambert also explains the relevance of the Crimean War to today’s war in Ukraine. Times  • 01:28 Introduction • 02:20 Causes of the Crimean War • 07:57 Flashpoint in the Holy Land • 12:31 Steamships and Strategy • 16:34 Functional Dysfunction in Policymaking • 21:44 Why Target Sevastopol? • 26:44 What Went Wrong • 31:47 The Press and Public Opinion • 36:31 Reading Events Incorrectly  • 38:57 The Baltic Campaign • 45:30 Mahan and Corbett Interpret the War • 48:39 Ukraine War - An Echo of the Crimean War • 55:34 Can Russia Re-Integrate Into The Global Community?  • 58:32 Will Putin Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Waller Newell, Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Carleton University, joins the show to discuss tyranny and tyrants—and Vladimir Putin in particular.  Times 02:05 Introduction 03:43 Let's talk about Vladimir Putin 05:40 What is the Russian "Soul"? 07:19 Quote from "The Russian Idea" 08:40 Who was Nikolai Berdyaev? 09:54 Is Berdyaev an influence on Aleksandr Dugin? 11:05 The West has a hard time understanding non-economic motivations. Why? 13:06 Who is Aleksandr Dugin? 15:21 “Eurasian Nationalist Bolshevism”  16:55 Rehabilitating Stalin 18:40 Are we seeing a perpetuation of Tsarist Russia? 20:40 What is fascism? 22:35 The many types of tyranny 25:12 What kind of tyrant is Putin? 26:50 Why has millenarian tyranny appeared so relatively recently in history? 29:51 The relationship between liberalism and millenarian tyranny 31:25 The next ten years in Russia 34:00 Did Putin know what he was getting himself into in Ukraine? 35:36 The prospect of Russian and Chinese collaboration in the future 36:55 Who drives Chinese policy - Xi Jinping or the Chinese Communist Party? 38:56 Staying sane while studying tyrants 42:10 What should we be reading to better recognize hostile actors for what they are? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 of empire 25:01 - How Japan modernization 26:33 - Japan's methods of rule 27:50 - American and the USSR 34:06 - World War II book recommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Holmes, the J.C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, joins the show to discuss sea power, the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of war in the Pacific Times 00:58 - Introduction  01:57 - Time spent considering Russia and the NATO alliance’s naval power 04:05 - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grand strategy 05:35 - What does Ukraine mean to Putin? 06:58 - The Crimean War  10:32 - Closing the Bosporus 16:15 - Does the war end well for Putin?  21:28 - Zelensky’s survival  23:12 - Worst-case scenario for Putin  25:43 - What the outcome in Ukraine will mean for Taiwan 28:35 - China’s challenge in Taiwan 31:02 - How security concerns in the early American Republic influence China’s thinking 35:25 - Should the United States shift national security focus to Asia?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss tank warfare from its origins to the battlefields of Ukraine Times 01:13 - Introduction 02:02 - The creation of the tank 07:48 - Parallel technological development of tanks and aircraft 14:20 - Developing thoughts on employing tanks leading into World War II 18:24 - Blitzkrieg and the role of armored vehicles, speed, and communication during invasions 24:13 - The Soviet Union's invasion of Finland 28:07 - The development of armored technology during the Arab-Israeli wars after World War II 35:06 - Russia's strategy for invasion, the likelihood of Putin overtaking Ukraine, and the future of the tank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Kroenig, Professor in the Department of Government and Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and Director of Studies at the Atlantic Council, joins the show to discuss Russian nuclear doctrine and what it means for the war in Ukraine. Times 00:49 - Introduction 01:07 - Forecasting Russia's potential gains in Ukraine 02:45 - The nuclear dimension in Ukraine 05:05 - Russian nuclear doctrine: escalate to de-escalate 10:52 - Potential U.S. responses to Russian nuclear strikes on NATO allies 12:54 - Perceptions of nuclear weapons, from the Cold War to now 15:46 - Battlefield nuclear tactics 18:32 - Russian thinking on employing chemical weapons 21:05 - U.S. nuclear weapons policy 25:44 - Scenarios when Russia would use nuclear weapons 27:16 - Putin's rationale and next steps 29:21 - Russian strikes and potential fault lines in Western unity 32:30 - U.S. reliance on Russia's brokerage of a nuclear deal with Iran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 20: Bill Roggio on Ukraine Bill Roggio, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of the Long War Journal, joins the show to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 01:10 - Introduction 7:32 - Assessing Russian objectives in Ukraine 13:25 - Russian shortfalls 23:12 - Limits on Russian resources 28:37 - Does the lack of preparation hurt Russian troops? 32:21 - No fly zones 38:36 - Escalation scenarios 43:00 - Prospects for insurgency  49:32 - How does this end? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Kagan, Director of Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss the first week of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Times: 00:42 - Introduction  01:40 - The situation at present 06:39 - Nature of original build-up of Russian forces 14:50 - Russian strategic and operational style 17:47 - Lack of political preparation 20:44 - Putin's background 24:22 - Will Russia win? 30:14 - What are Putin's weaknesses? 34:20 - What happens next if Kyiv falls? 39:41 - Impact on American national security Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bruce Jones, director of the Project on International Order and Strategy of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, joins the show to discuss seapower.  Times 00:51 - Introduction  01:17 - The importance of seapower today 06:45 - Innovation of container shipping and how that changed the global economy  12:50 - China re-enters the seas  16:54 - China’s security challenges at sea 22:44 - Shallow seas, narrow passages, and massive ships  24:06 - China’s strategic interest in Taiwan   26:10 - China’s alienation of potential allies   29:08 - American strategic view of the Pacific Ocean 34:41 - Relations between the United States and India, specifically in terms of taking on China  39:12 - Seapower theorist Alfred Thayer Mahan 44:55 - Comparing America’s quest for power at sea during the 20th century and China’s return to the sea today  48:48 - The role of oceanography in nation-state power competition Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, joins the show to discuss the Napoleonic Wars. Times 01:12 - Introduction 07:38 - How did European attitudes toward Napoleon change over his life? 13:34 - Nuances of nationalist sentiment Napoleon inspired 15:13 - Napoleonic wars, French hegemony, and geopolitics 20:23 - Napoleon's youth and the French Revolution 24:49 - Napoleon's early campaigns and his rise to power 29:16 - What is the Napoleonic way of war? 33:43 - What is Combined Arms and what are its advantages? 37:42 - What is the Eastern Question to Napoleon?  45:55 - How did Napoleon think about the Western Hemisphere?  53:46 - What remains of Napoleon's legacy after the Congress of Vienna? Link Book: The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the United States Navy prepared for war? Retired Navy Captain Gerry Roncolato joins the show to discuss the past, present, and future of American maritime power. Times 02:08 - Introduction  03:31 - Is the U.S. Navy prepared for a great-power war? 04:59 - The Navy during the Interwar Period and the Battle of Guadalcanal 09:41 - The experience of war at sea 16:30 - Historical examples—and lessons for the Navy today—in Roncolato’s article, A Warfighting Imperative: Back to Basics for the Navy 20:49 - Alarming incidents during operations at sea and underlying problems 27:23 - Are the troops adequately prepared for war at sea?  38:20 - Books aspiring officers should read 40:52 - Maneuver warfare at sea 48:20 - Managing troops in the barracks versus maneuvering men in battle  Link Roncolato’s article, A Warfighting Imperative: Back to Basics for the Navy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College, London, joins the show to discuss British strategist Julian Corbett and his vision of seapower at the turn of the 20th century. Times 01:37 - Introduction  02:02 - The British Empire during the 19th and 20th centuries 04:43 - Corbett as a lawyer, novelist, and strategist 09:05 - The Boer War and the future of the British Empire  13:26 - Corbett’s education on the principals of British power 16:12 - Britain’s power on land versus at sea  19:04 - British power in the Mediterranean  22:30 - How Corbett differentiates himself from Alfred Mahan 28:14 - The principles at the core of Corbett’s strategy  35: 56 - Maritime strategy throughout history 37:29 - An argument for a continental strategy   41:28 - What Corbett envisioned during World War I  51:43 - How Corbett’s ideas apply to British and American military strategy today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Historian Kevin Hymel joins the show to discuss the life and leadership of the American World War II general most feared by the Nazis: George S. Patton. Times 01:48 - Introduction 04:38 - Recently uncovered details about General Patton 08:38 - History’s first draft 10:51 - How Patton became one of the most famous World War II leaders 13:35 - Patton before the war 17:34 - Patton in North Africa 23:08 - Problems with General Dwight D. Eisenhower 26:55 - Patton’s leadership style 28:20 - Fighting in Tunisia  32:49 - Patton’s risk calculations 34:16 - Patton’s behavior, temperament, and treatment of other officers 43:05 - The Civil War and Patton’s strategy in North Africa 45:00 - Patton’s role in Sicily  49:49 - Shell shock and Patton's anti-Semitism 55:21 - Sicily and combat stress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Thomas Clavin joins the show to discuss the harrowing journey of Joe Moser, an American fighter pilot during World War II and the subject of Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival.  Times 01:41 - Introduction  03:33 - Why a book on Joe Moser 09:44 - The Lockheed P-38 Lightning  11:09 - August 13, 1944 13:48 - Nazis send Moser to Buchenwald 15:44 - Buchenwald and the concentration camp system 17:48 - Karl-Otto and Ilse Koch 19:36 - Life at Buchenwald 21:34 - Colonel Phil Lamason 23:00 - Hannes Trautloft and Moser’s survival 27:27 - Leaving Buchenwald  31:47 - Joe after the war Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hal Brands, the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, joins the show to discuss the Cold War's lessons for great-power rivalry today. Times 01:24 - Introduction 02:47 - Halford Mackinder and how Eurasian geopolitics framed the Cold War 05:37 - Mackinder's theory of the heartland 07:47 - China's Belt and Road Initiative as an application of Mackinder's theory 09:07 - Comparing the United States' approaches to the USSR and China 13:04 - Nuclear power during the Cold War 17:24 - How Cold War-era nuclear logic applies today 21:02 - No first use policy 26:56 - The Nixon administration's critique of containment strategy 29:58 - The collapse of the Soviet Union 32:15 - Theories of victory that led to the Vietnam War 35:08 - End of the Cold War 39:17 - Infrastructure needed to fight the Soviets in the United States, and what the U.S. needs to take on China today 44:02 - China's moves to decouple economically from the United States 46:47 - The United States' harrowing responsibility to take on adversarial powers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Matteson, Distinguished Professor of English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, joins the show to discuss how the Civil War—and in particular the fall of 1862—left its mark on the nation's culture and on some of its most famous citizens. Times 01:25 - Introduction 03:28 - Fall of 1862 09:19 - Matteson's selection of Americans included in A Worse Place Than Hell 12:17 - Oliver Wendell Holmes and the 20th Massachusetts 16:13 - John Pelham 18:23 - Holmes, Pelham, and the battle of Antietam 23:56 - Holmes, Pelham, and the battle of Fredericksburg 27:23 - Valor and luck in battle 30:22 - The 20th Massachusetts in the battle of Fredericksburg 36:38 - Walt Whitman 40:17 - Oliver Wendell Holmes Recorded December 7, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Brennan, associate professor of history at the American University in Dubai, joins the show to discuss the new Landmark edition of Xenophon's Anabasis, which he co-edits. The Anabasis, long unjustly neglected, is Xenophon's classic memoir of war and command in the lands which today constitute Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. Times 01:26 - Introduction 05:07 - Who was Xenophon 06:09 - Late 5th century Athens 09:07 - Prince Cyrus of Persia 12:17 - The Greek's position and Xenophon's rise to leadership 16:46 - The army's path though Syria, Iraq and Turkey 20:42 - The end of Xenophon's expedition 23:42 - Xenophon's lessons for military leadership today 27:40 - Importance of Xenophon's work Recorded December 9, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography David Stahel is a senior lecturer of history at the University of New South Wales in Australia. His research focuses on European military history, specifically Nazi-Soviet warfare from 1941-1945. Stahel is the author of several books, including his latest, Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941-1942. Times 01:29 - Introduction 06:33 - Germany sends troops into the Soviet Union, summer 1941 12:24 - Flaws in Germany's plan 14:50 - "Cauldron" battle 22:10 - Culpability of German soldiers for atrocities during Operation Barbarossa 26:55 - Germans cede land to the Soviet Union, winter 1941-1942 29:38 - German's defensive position and strategy during the winter 39:11 - Ideology and military strategy 45:20 - Applicable lessons to strategists today Recorded on November 23, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography H.W, Brands is the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his doctorate in history. He is the author of thirty books, including two which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize: The First American and Traitor to His Class. His latest book, released November 9, is Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution. Times 01:51- Introduction 07:36 - The sidelining of the Loyalists in American history and memory 12:53 - Individual decisions in the context of the Revolutionary War 18:42 - The Indian population and Joseph Brant 23:20 - The decision to rebel Recorded on November 9, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography John McManus is the Curators' Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. McManus completed his doctorate in military history at the University of Tennessee and is the author of more than a dozen books. His latest, Island Infernos: The US Army's Pacific War Odyssey, 1944, is the second installment of a trilogy detailing the U.S. Army's role in the Pacific theater during World War II. Times 01:12 - Introduction 03:38 - Misperceptions of the Army and Marines in Guadalcanal 08:44 - The Army's role in the Pacific 12:46 - Geography of the Pacific and dividing the theater between General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz 18:30 - Island hopping and the turning point in the Pacific theater 22:26 - The infantry's experience in combat 23:52 - The Pearl Harbor Conference and the endgame of war in the Pacific 31:55 - General Joseph Stilwell and China 38:39 - Prisoners of War in Japan 41:32 - The legacy of the War in the Pacific Recorded November 23, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography Frank Ledwidge is a senior fellow of law and strategy at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England. Ledwidge served as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve and later worked in British foreign policy, focusing on the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In 2015, Ledwidge earned his doctorate in War Studies at the King's College in London. He is the author of several books, including Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, Investment in Blood: The True Cost of Britain's Afghan War, and Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies.  Times 01:14 - Introduction 04:27 - Origins and importance of airpower in the World War I 10:43 - From air reconnaissance to air bombings 12:43 - The Interwar Period and the "prophets" of air war 17:57 - How air bombing theories influence British and American World War II strategy 22:04 - Air raid casualties 29:05 - Control of the air during the Cold War 34:49 - Perceptions of the U.S.'s mistaken bombing of the Chinese Embassy 36:49 - Airpower in modern wars 38:57 - Theories of air warfare applied to space Recorded November 2, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography Wayne Hsieh is a history professor at the United States Naval Academy. He served on the State Department's provincial reconstruction team in Iraq from 2008 to 2009 and is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the Army's Commander's Award for Civilian Service and the State Department's Meritorious Honors Award. Hsieh is the author of numerous articles and the co-author of The Savage War: A Military History of the Civil War. Times 01:17 - Introduction 06:50 - Hostility toward studying Robert E. Lee 12:50 - Lee and West Point 15:18 - Senior leadership of Confederate and Union armies at West Point 17:17 - Lee's job as a junior officer in the Army Corps of Engineers 19:17 - Lee's rise during the Mexican War 23:27 - Ulysses Grant 26:21 - Stereotypes and temperaments of Civil War leaders 31:50 - What drives Lee's tactical decision-making 34:07 - Lee's strategic mistake Recorded October 6, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography Sean McMeekin is a professor and historian who focuses on early 20th century Europe. In addition to his latest book, Stalin's War: A New History of World War II, McMeekin is the author of The Russian Revolution: A New History, July 1914: Countdown to War, and The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923, as well as several other books. McMeekin currently serves as the Francis Flournoy Professor of European History at Bard College in New York. Times 02:02 - Introduction 05:35 - The American understanding of Russia and Joseph Stalin in World War II 09:12 - Politics and Stalin's legacy 11:37 - Stalin's foreign policy prior to WWII 17:40 - Stalin secures the Japanese non-aggression pact 24:03 - The Soviets push for a war between Japan and the United States 27:29 - Harry Hopkins and the Lend-Lease Policy 33:58 - Stalin as an ally 37:17 - Demanding unconditional surrender 40:16 - Debate over what compelled the Japanese to surrender 42:03 - Reception of Stalin's War Recorded October 6, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography Andrew Roberts is a professor, author, and military historian. He's written or edited nearly 20 books, including biographies of Sir Winston Churchill and Napoleon, as well as his latest title, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. Roberts is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the War Studies Department at King’s College, London. Times 03:02- Introduction 04:05 - Why King George? 06:20 - How Britain wages war 13:39 - Party and class politics 15:44 - Britain's military strategy during the Revolutionary War 19:10 - Comparisons between the Revolution and World War II 20:30 - Fabian strategy in the Revolution 23:15 - George III's role in the War 25:52 - Forming new regiments 28:01 - What the British learn from their defeat 31:32 - Modern American portrayals of King George III 33:23 - Critiquing King George III's leadership and performance Recorded September 17, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography Daniel Bolger is a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Army. A graduate of the Citadel, Lt. General Bolger earned five bronze stars during his time in the military. He served as the commander of several units, including the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, as well as the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan. He earned a Ph.D. in military history form the University of Chicago and currently teaches at North Carolina State University. Times 02:04 - Introduction 03:15 - Why Maurice Rose? 06:30 - What we know about Rose 10:39 - Rose's Motivations and relentless leadership 12:31 - Tank divisions in World War II 17:14 - Tank warfare following D-Day and maneuvering through the bocages 22:29 - Rose's command in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket 27:06 - Exhaustion and perseverance during battle 29:55 - What it takes to be a successful commander 34:07 - The final months of the War for Rose 40:09 - Leadership in today's forces Recorded August 27, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biography H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018. He is the author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.  Times 03:10 - Introduction 04:02 - Biography 06:35 - Leading Eagle Troop 08:16 - Post Cold War preparation for Desert Shield and Desert Storm 15:17 - The Battle of the 73 Easting 23:17 - Advantages of the American military 26:12 - Overconfidence in American military dominance 29:16 - China's reaction to the Gulf War and technological development 32:30 - China's tactics 35:04 - The Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan Recorded August 31, 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An introduction to the School of War podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices