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 ...
Nov 07, 2023•46 min
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 Japa...
Oct 31, 2023•56 min
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 al...
Oct 24, 2023•47 min
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...
Oct 17, 2023•52 min
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 Redeployme...
Oct 10, 2023•54 min
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 • 47:2...
Oct 03, 2023•56 min
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 “P...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min
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:...
Sep 19, 2023•48 min
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 O...
Sep 12, 2023•54 min
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 wr...
Sep 05, 2023•45 min
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 r...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 2 min
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 rea...
Aug 22, 2023•56 min
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 Inte...
Aug 15, 2023•36 min
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 cleara...
Aug 08, 2023•44 min
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...
Aug 01, 2023•43 min
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 Heartlan...
Jul 25, 2023•48 min
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 par...
Jul 18, 2023•44 min
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...
Jul 11, 2023•49 min
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 sle...
Jul 04, 2023•50 min
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 Ukra...
Jun 27, 2023•55 min
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...
Jun 20, 2023•46 min
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 Year...
Jun 13, 2023•58 min
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 H...
Jun 06, 2023•51 min
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 inte...
May 30, 2023•53 min
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 ...
May 23, 2023•51 min
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 Surg...
May 16, 2023•47 min
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 ret...
May 09, 2023•38 min
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 Reacti...
May 02, 2023•44 min
Will Scharf, former federal prosecutor and candidate for Missouri Attorney General, joins the show to talk about how the Chinese Communist Party uses fentanyl as part of a broader strategy to pressure the United States. ▪️ Times • 01:16 Introduction • 02:19 Law enforcement and policy • 04:39 What is fentanyl? • 06:53 Violent Crimes • 09:00 Fentanyl’s strength • 12:02 Fentanyl vs opium • 13:24 Origins • 17:52 China’s role • 21:09 The Opium Wars • 25:41 The Chinese enigma • 34:13 What can we do? •...
Apr 25, 2023•46 min
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: W...
Apr 18, 2023•43 min
