School of War

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 •...

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...

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...

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...

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 O...

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 Ex...

Peter H. Wilson, Chichele Professor of the History of War at All Souls, Oxford, and author of Iron and Blood: A Military History of the German-Speaking Peoples since 1500, joins the show to talk about Germany, Germans, and German-speakers at war. ▪️ Times  • 01:52 Introduction  • 03:07 A dominance myth?  • 06:58 The Holy Roman Empire  • 10:33 HRE longevity • 12:38 The Thirty Years War • 15:31 West...

Stephen J. Hadley, National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush and lead editor of Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama, joins the show to talk about the lasting effects of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the Bush administration’s dealings with Russia and China. ▪️ Times  • 01:38 Introduction  • 02:03 Transitions • 06:41 Russia and China then and no...

Michael E. O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution and author of Military History for the Modern Strategist: America’s Major Wars Since 1861, joins the show to talk about how the patterns of military history can shed light on today’s concerns. ▪️ Times  • 01:16 Introduction  • 01:50 Military history for the modern strategist • 05:16 Is milita...

John Hosler, Professor of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and author of Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace, joins the show to talk about the wars, and the peace, of medieval Jerusalem. ▪️ Times  • 01:26 Introduction  • 01:46 Why care about medieval military history? • 07:22 What is it about Jerusalem?  • 12:45 Continuities • 16:19 The Byzantines a...

Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute join the show to talk about the three strategies that China can use to seize control of Taiwan. ▪️ Times  • 01:40 China’s three approaches on Taiwan  • 02:09 Persuasion • 07:35 Complimentary campaigns  • 10:34 Dominance of discourse power • 14:40 Talk, talk, fight, fight • 18:45 Coercion  • 26:51 Speaker Pelosi's trip to Taiwan  •...

Steve Kemper, author most recently of Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor, joins the show to talk about the political chaos in Tokyo in the years leading up to WWII and the man that tried to keep the peace, U.S. AmbassadorJoseph C. Grew. ▪️ Times  • 01:18 Introduction  • 01:50 Who was Joseph C. Grew?  • 04:36 Japanese politics in the ’30s  • 07:30 Imperial Ar...

Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and author of Never Give an Inch: Fighting for the America I Love, joins the show to talk about American foreign policy and his service in the Trump administration. Watch this video on YouTube. ▪️ Times  • 01:13 Introduction  • 02:12 Chinese surveillance balloons  • 05:01 Chinese espionage “inside the gates”  •...

Sonny Bunch, contributing columnist at the Washington Post and culture editor for The Bulwark, where he hosts The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood newsletter and podcast and Across the Movie Aisle, joins the show to talk about the best American war movies. ▪️ Times  • 01:35 Introduction • 02:16 What is a war movie? • 07:55 The Revolutionary War - The Patriot/John Adams • 13:15 The Civil War - Glory/Getty...

Marc Hyden, Director of State Government Affairs at R Street and author of Gaius Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Saviour, joins the show to discuss the life of one of the Roman Republic’s most innovative and controversial generals: Gaius Marius. ▪️ Times  • 01:33 Introduction • 01:46 An interest in Rome • 04:06 Growing pains • 06:36 The man born in Arpinum • 09:46 Serving in the legions • 11:3...

James Lacey, the Major General Matthew C. Horner Chair of War Studies at Marine Corps University and author of Rome: Strategy of Empire, joins the show to discuss the grand strategy of the Roman Empire. ▪️ Times  • 01:33 Introduction • 01:59 A lover of history • 05:12 The “Plato to NATO” historian  • 08:40 Edward Luttwak  • 13:20 The Romans “obviously had a strategy” • 21:02 Speaking from historic...

Philip Taubman, lecturer at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation and author of In The Nation's Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz, joins the show to discuss the legacy of American statesmen George P. Shultz. ▪️ Times  • 01:52 Introduction • 02:14 First encounters with Schultz • 06:44 An old-fashioned patriot  • 10:10 Secretary of State  • 15:38 Diffe...

Congressman Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin’s 8th district and chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to discuss his time as a Marine in Iraq, the dangers posed by the CCP, from Tik-Tok to maritime threats, and the crisis confronting our military’s culture. ▪️ Times  • 01:26 Introducti...

Ronald H. Spector, Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University and author of A Continent Erupts: Decolonization, Civil War, and Massacre in Postwar Asia, 1945-1955, joins the show to discuss the fall of Japan, the spread of Communism, and the role of the United States in postwar Asia. ▪️ Times  • 01:34 Introduction • 05:57 No clear plan • 08:30 The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity...

Myke Cole, author of The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy, joins the show to discuss what most people get wrong about Sparta, arguing that Spartan warriors were neither more deadly, nor more successful in war, than other Greeks of their day. ▪️ Times  • 01:09 Introduction • 05:13 “Not especially tough” • 09:17 Getting it right, not being right • 10:48 What is the “Bronz...

Jonathan Kirshner, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Boston College and author of An Unwritten Future: Realism, Uncertainty, and World Politics, joins the show to discuss realism and realists. ▪️ Times • 01:40 Introduction • 02:25 What is Realism? • 07:10 The birth of modern Realism • 11:59 To be “scientific” and “predictive”  • 15:10 Not a rejection of social sciences •...

David M. Pritchard, Associate Professor of Greek History at the University of Queensland and author of Athenian Democracy at War, joins the show to discuss how and why ancient Athens fought its wars. ▪️ Times  • 01:41 Introduction • 02:3 Martial culture in Athens • 05:08 Democracy and victory • 11:42 Innovation and participation • 15:38 Joining up in ancient Athens • 19:10 Broad support for war •...

Dr. Michael Livingston , Professor at The Citadel and author of Crécy: Battle of Five Kings, joins the show to discuss the Hundred Years War, medieval warfare, and the English victory at the battle of Crécy. ▪️ Times  • 01:53 Introduction • 02:33 Why Crécy • 05:53 The Hundred Years War • 10:29 The French-Scottish connection  • 14:08 Why invade France at all? • 20:51 Strengths/Weaknesses • 26:00 Me...

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and author of Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace, joins the show to discuss the Russian general Kutuzov, the hero of 1812. ▪️ Times  • 00:53 Introduction • 01:31 18th century Russia  • 04:00 A young officer • 08:57 Modernization   • 12:11 Catherine’s wars • 14:30 International...

Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and author of Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine, joins the show to discuss how politics and military command are inextricably linked. ▪️ Times  • 01:08 Introduction • 02:01 Command  • 05:44 Politics and generalship • 08:00 MacArthur myths  • 11:59 Educating future commanders • 15:50 F...