We speak with Bence Nemeth from King's College London about his article, "How a US 'Suez Moment' Could Hollow the US Alliance System." The discussion covers the historical context, theoretical framework, and potential scenarios that could unfold if US military primacy were to decline. Hosts: Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Ryan Vest Producer: Jordan Morning
Tyler Bowen from the US Naval War College joins us to discuss his recent TNSR article " Threading the Needle: The Logic of Conventional Coercion in Nuclear Crises." We discuss the renewed interest in nuclear deterrence given recent global security developments such as Russia's war in Ukraine and China's nuclear expansion. The conversation also explores the challenges and frameworks, particularly Bowen's "conventional options theory," key historical case studies involving nuclear crises, and thei...
Dr. Marina Henke, a professor at the Hertie School in Berlin and visiting professor at SAIS Johns Hopkins, discusses the motivations for writing her article "Best Practices in Grand Strategy Design," inspired by Germany's strategic reorientation post-Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She delves into the definition of grand strategy, its critical components, real-world applications, and the importance of continuous strategic updates. The discussion also critiques common flaws in recent grand strategy...
Sheena Chestnut Greitens sat down with Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha, the Republic of Korea's ambassador to the United States. Recorded before a live audience at The University of Texas at Austin on December 3, the conversation explores the deepening alignment between Seoul and Washington. Ambassador Kang and Dr. Greitens discuss the implementation of the recent $350 billion Korean government-led investment in the United States, focusing on seven key sectors including shipbuilding, semiconductors, a...
Dr. Carter Malkasian joins us to explore how the "democratization of violence"—driven by the availability of assault rifles and explosives—empowered non-state actors and challenged state authority throughout the Cold War. The conversation also addresses the role of Islam in legitimizing non-state violence and how foreign intervention accelerated these trends. Malkasian's latest article, "Wars of the Greater Middle East, 1945–92," is featured in TNSR Volume 9, Issue 1....
Dr. Joshua Geltzer, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Legal Advisor to the National Security Council, shares his extensive experience on two crucial topics: artificial intelligence in national security and the evolving policies surrounding hostage recovery. He offers an in-depth look into both the potential and challenges of AI and the heart-wrenching yet vital efforts in recovering American hostages and detainees.
We sit down with Dartmouth national security scholars Jennifer Lind and Michael Mastanduno as they compare Cold War export control strategies with modern attempts to limit China's access to sensitive US technologies. They delve into three key lessons from the historical CoCom regime, discuss the evolving technological competition with China, and reflect on the feasibility of current US policies. Their article "Hard Then, Harder Now: CoCom's Lessons and the Challenge of Crafting Effective Export ...
Lauren Sukin (University of Oxford) and Nicola Leveringhaus (King's College London) join us to discuss the evolving global landscape of nuclear security. Together, we examine the roundtable essays featured in TNSR Volume 8, Issue 4, focusing on shifts in nuclear politics catalyzed by China's rise, changing domestic politics, and increased multipolar competition. The discussion delves into the interconnectedness of global nuclear dynamics, the importance of domestic political drivers, and the imp...
Chris Walsh and Igor Khrestin from the George W. Bush Institute join Ryan Vest and Sheena Chestnut Greitens for this discussion dealing with the historical context and current challenges in U.S. policy toward North Korea. They touch on the role of human rights and democracy, the impact of China's and Russia's support for North Korea, and potential strategies for future administrations. Along with former Senator Cory Gardner, Walsh and Khrestin co-authored the article "US Policy Toward North Kore...
This episode features Dr. Jeffrey Friedman discussing his study on overconfidence among 2,000 national security officials, revealing that even seasoned professionals misjudge uncertainty, often being correct only 57% of the time when 90% confident. Friedman explains that this bias stems from a lack of structured feedback and inherent cognitive tendencies, rather than a lack of expertise. He highlights the surprising finding that just two minutes of targeted training can significantly improve calibration, emphasizing the need for institutionalizing such feedback to enhance decision-making in high-stakes environments.
Mariya Grinberg, assistant professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, speaks with us on the topic of her new book, "Trade in War: Economic Cooperation Across Enemy Lines." In our talk she challenges the conventional wisdom that states stop trading during wartime. We discuss her 'wartime trade theory,' exploring how states balance military benefits and economic costs. The conversation also touches on modern applications, such as the US-China relationship and the ...
We engage with Erica Lonergan and Jack Snyder, authors of "Cultural Change in Military Organizations: Hackers and Warriors in the US Army." The discussion delves into the fusion of cyber and traditional military cultures within the U.S. Army, focusing on the creation of the Cyber Corps and its implications for national security. The conversation highlights the backstory, challenges, and future of integrating a cyber warrior ethos into the military, sparking considerations for a potential new ind...
Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Ryan Vest chat with Richard Maass on the topics of his article, "Legal Deterrence by Denial: Strategic Initiative and International Law in the Gray Zone," featured in Volume 8, Issue 3 of TNSR. Their conversation spans topics such as the importance of defining gray zone aggression, criminalizing tactics, and improving enforcement and attribution to deter such activities. They also touch on real-world examples of gray zone tactics by countries like Russia, China, and ...
In this episode, Ryan Vest and Sheena Chestnut Greitens are joined by Jon Caverley, an esteemed national security and China scholar, to discuss his article, "So What? Reassessing the Military Implications of Chinese Control of Taiwan," featured in Volume 8, Issue 3 of TNSR . Jon, a professor of strategic and operational research at the United States Naval War College, shares his insights on the military ramifications of a Chinese-controlled Taiwan and its strategic importance. This enlightening ...
Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Ryan Vest interview Herb Lin, a national security expert from Stanford University. They discuss his article, "Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons: A Commonsense Approach to Understanding Costs and Benefits," and explore the complex interplay between AI, nuclear strategy, and human control. Read the article: https://tnsr.org/2025/06/artificial-intelligence-and-nuclear-weapons-a-commonsense-approach-to-understanding-costs-and-benefits/...
In this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, co-hosts Ryan Vest and Sheena Chestnut Greitens interview scholars Nicholas Anderson and Daryl Press about their article, "Lost Seoul? Assessing Pyongyang's Other Deterrent," featured in Volume 8, Issue 3 of the Texas National Security Review. Anderson and Press challenge the conventional wisdom that North Korean artillery could devastate Seoul during a conflict. They discuss the origins of their research, the methodology behind their military campaign anal...
TNSR was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Joseph Nye on May 6. He was a titan in the field of national security, a gifted professor, a dedicated servant of the people, and a great friend. In honor of his life's work, we are re-airing an episode of Horns of a Dilemma from last year when Frank Gavin, Chair of the TNSR editorial board, sat down with Nye to discuss his memoir and a range of other historical and contemporary topics.
In this special episode of Horns of a Dilemma , Rick Landgraf talks with Jane Vaynman and Tristan Volpe, co-authors of " Dual Use Deception: How Technology Shapes Cooperation in International Relations ," published in the journal International Organization . The study won IO's 2023 Robert O. Keohane Award for best research article published by an untenured scholar....
Rick Landgraf talks with Jeffrey Ding, author of " Machine Failing: How Systems Acquisition and Software Development Flaws Contribute to Military Accidents ," featured in Volume 8, Issue 1 of the Texas National Security Review . They discuss how flaws in the U.S. military's systems acquisitions process can lead to accidents.
Rick Landgraf talks with Andrew Forney, author of " Davy Crockett and the Boy Scouts: The Korean War and Mismanaging Protracted Conflict ," featured in Volume 8, Issue 1 of the Texas National Security Review . They discuss how a series of strategic force management decisions undermined the ability of the United States to militarily coerce China and North Korea.
Kerry Anderson talks with Gokul Sahni, author of "The Main Drivers of Soviet Foreign Policy Towards India, 1955–1991," published in Volume 8, Issue 1 of the Texas National Security Review . They discuss the historical evolution of Soviet-India relations and what lessons it might provide for current geopolitics.
Marshall Kosloff talks with Charles Edel about reactions to Trump's election in Australia and New Zealand and the future of the Indo-Pacific region.
Marshall Kosloff talks with Paul Sparrow about his book, "Awakening the Spirit of America: FDR's War of Words with Charles Lindbergh and the Battle to Save Democracy."
TNSR Managing Editor Rick Landgraf sits down with Mauro Gilli to discuss the effect of climate change on the detection range of submarines.
Marshall Kosloff talks with Stacie Pettyjohn about the roles of uncrewed systems and artificial intelligence in shaping the future of war.
Kerry Anderson, TNSR Production Editor, talks with Ketian Zhang about her article for TNSR , " Just Do It: Explaining the Characteristics and Rationale of Chinese Economic Sanctions ." Zhang, an assistant professor of international security in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University , highlights that China imposes sanctions differently than Western states tend to do, including taking a more ambiguous approach....
Access decisions play a crucial role in large-scale conflicts and yet the decision-making process of potential host nations has largely been unexplored. Rick talks with TNSR author Emily Ellinger about how leaders consider regime survival, economic repercussions, and potential retaliation when making access decisions.
On Sept. 19, Dr. Olivia Cheung, Research Fellow at the China Institute at SOAS University of London, spoke about her book, The Political Thought of Xi Jinping , co-authored with Steve Tsang.
On Sept. 17, at the University of Texas at Austin, General (Ret.) Kenneth F. "Frank" McKenzie Jr. spoke about his book, "The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century." This discussion, moderated by Joseph Maguire, covers Gen. McKenzie's military career, with a particular focus on his time as commander of U.S. Central Command – which included the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the assassination of Qasem Soleimani.
TNSR Managing Editor Rick Landgraf talks with Charles Ziegler about his latest article, Filling the Void Left by Great-Power Retrenchment: Russia, Central Asia, and the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan . Charles and Rick discuss how the Central Asian countries have reacted to the withdrawal, how Russia has tried to reassert itself in the region, and why China might eventually supplant Russia as the regional hegemon....
