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...
Jul 25, 2025•1 hr 6 min
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 epis...
Jul 22, 2025•42 min
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 tran...
Jul 18, 2025•38 min
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 @S...
Jul 15, 2025•58 min
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 @schoo...
Jul 08, 2025•58 min
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 o...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 1 min
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 • ...
Jul 01, 2025•54 min
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...
Jun 27, 2025•39 min
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 toda...
Jun 24, 2025•36 min
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 ...
Jun 22, 2025•45 min
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...
Jun 20, 2025•43 min
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 @Schoo...
Jun 17, 2025•50 min
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 S...
Jun 13, 2025•31 min
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 YouTub...
Jun 10, 2025•55 min
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 •...
Jun 06, 2025•51 min
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 episod...
Jun 03, 2025•43 min
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...
May 30, 2025•46 min
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:...
May 27, 2025•54 min
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 Inst...
May 23, 2025•41 min
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-moder...
May 20, 2025•38 min
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 objective...
May 13, 2025•42 min
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 mistake...
May 09, 2025•51 min
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 • 36:4...
May 06, 2025•47 min
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 Ame...
May 02, 2025•54 min
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 Foll...
Apr 29, 2025•56 min
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 ...
Apr 25, 2025•48 min
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 ...
Apr 22, 2025•46 min
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 ...
Apr 15, 2025•55 min
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 spee...
Apr 11, 2025•32 min
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 • 43:1...
Apr 08, 2025•53 min
