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 De...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 12 min
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 Ta...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 1 min
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-Int...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr
Brendan Simms, Professor at the University of Cambridge , and his co-author, Steven McGregor, a U.S. Army vet, join the show to talk about their new book, The Silver Waterfall: How America Won the War in the Pacific at Midway . ▪️ Times • 02:12 Introduction • 02:30 Why Write About Midway? • 05:54 Strategic Situation In The Pacific • 08:26 Who Is Chester Nimitz? • 11:02 Small Scale Start To The Large Scale Fight • 14:20 Intelligence Breaches And Carrier Combat • 17:12 Dueling Carrier Doctrines • ...
Jun 28, 2022•38 min
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...
Jun 21, 2022•58 min
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 ...
Jun 14, 2022•48 min
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 Medite...
Jun 07, 2022•49 min
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...
May 31, 2022•58 min
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 • 1...
May 24, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Wesley Morgan, journalist and author of The Hardest Place: The American Military Adrift in Afghanistan's Pech Valley, joins the show to discuss his experiences in the Pech valley, one of Afghanistan’s most contested battlegrounds, and to talk about the U.S. counterinsurgency’s successes and failures. Times • 01:25 Illicit Economies • 04:13 Green Berets And CIA “Lost The Forest For The Trees” In Kunar • 06:57 Who Is Jim Gant? • 11:36 Self-Aware Proxy Warriors • 13:42 Counterinsurgency Styles and ...
May 17, 2022•48 min
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 E...
May 10, 2022•36 min
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 R...
May 03, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 P...
Apr 26, 2022•1 hr 3 min
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 “Eurasi...
Apr 12, 2022•45 min
Richard Overy, professor of history at the University of Exeter, joins the show to discuss World War II and the wars of imperial aggression. Times 02:23 - Introduction 04:24 - Imperialism prior to World War II 06:00 - Nations as empires 08:32 -Traditional imperialism versus the Axis Powers' concept 11:02 - Who is Halford Mackinder? 13:14 - The development of Germany's vision of empire 14:36 - German war aims in World War I and World War II 17:02 - Germany and the East 22:16 - The Japanese vision...
Apr 05, 2022•39 min
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 surviv...
Mar 29, 2022•42 min
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 - T...
Mar 23, 2022•49 min
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 nu...
Mar 16, 2022•37 min
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?...
Mar 09, 2022•55 min
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 sec...
Mar 03, 2022•45 min
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 26:1...
Feb 22, 2022•53 min
Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and the Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University-Shreveport, joins the show to discuss the Napoleonic Wars. Times 01:12 - Introduction 07:38 - How did European attitudes toward Napoleon change over his life? 13:34 - Nuances of nationalist sentiment Napoleon inspired 15:13 - Napoleonic wars, French hegemony, and geopolitics 20:23 - Napoleon's youth and the French Revolution 24:49 - Napoleon's early campaigns and his rise to power 29...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Is the United States Navy prepared for war? Retired Navy Captain Gerry Roncolato joins the show to discuss the past, present, and future of American maritime power. Times 02:08 - Introduction 03:31 - Is the U.S. Navy prepared for a great-power war? 04:59 - The Navy during the Interwar Period and the Battle of Guadalcanal 09:41 - The experience of war at sea 16:30 - Historical examples—and lessons for the Navy today—in Roncolato’s article, A Warfighting Imperative: Back to Basics for the Navy 20:...
Feb 08, 2022•56 min
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 16:1...
Feb 01, 2022•58 min
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 i...
Jan 25, 2022•59 min
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 P...
Jan 18, 2022•37 min
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' appro...
Jan 11, 2022•50 min
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 Antiet...
Jan 04, 2022•45 min
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 leaders...
Dec 21, 2021•33 min
Biography David Stahel is a senior lecturer of history at the University of New South Wales in Australia. His research focuses on European military history, specifically Nazi-Soviet warfare from 1941-1945. Stahel is the author of several books, including his latest, Retreat from Moscow: A New History of Germany's Winter Campaign, 1941-1942. Times 01:29 - Introduction 06:33 - Germany sends troops into the Soviet Union, summer 1941 12:24 - Flaws in Germany's plan 14:50 - "Cauldron" battle 22:10 - ...
Dec 14, 2021•48 min
