Harvest of Mars: History and War

“The generation to which I belong has a bad conscience.” - Marc Bloch, 1940 In the episode, we take a look at the fall of France to Nazi Germany during WWII.  Although the German Blitzkrieg has a reputation for being a military powerhouse, the reality is that the Allied forces were stronger on paper.  Not only did the Allies lose, but they also did so in spectacular fashion as France surrendered a...

“I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” - Winston Churchill An examination in the rise of Russia from Mongol tributary vassal to global superpower reveals underlying weaknesses that gives insight into its decision to invade Ukraine and why its military has performed f...

“With 2000 years of examples behind us we have no excuse when fighting, for not fighting well.” - T.E Lawrence Focusing mostly on the United States, the episode explores issues such as the high rate of suicides among veterans, and why US policy makers and the general public have a poor understanding of military affairs.