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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 Debat...
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 Surr...
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 A...
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 o...
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 •...
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 @Sc...
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 o...
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 •...
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 @sch...
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 ...
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:...
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 • ...
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...
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 @School...
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 ...
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 ....
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 iss...
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 @school...
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 pol...
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 • ...
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...
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 ki...
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...
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 •...
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 @schoo...
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 Foll...
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 In...
