Underground Strategy

We’ve covered the Radleys, Rooseboom, and the Felix network—but in this final episode, the focus flips. What did the South African and British services actually know about these Nazi spy efforts? And more importantly—how did they respond? Evert Kleynhans takes us inside the counterintelligence war: the Royal Navy’s Y service, MI5, and the South African Postmaster General all played a role in inter...

In the second half of our series, we turn to the aftermath—Franco’s victory, the cost of silence, and the contested memory that still divides Spain. Séan Scullion returns to chart Franco’s rise from the margins to dictator. We look at how he consolidated power, erased opposition through systematic terror, and survived long enough to become a Cold War ally. From forced exiles and mass graves to Ame...

In this first of a two-part series, we unpack the political collapse and brutal realities behind one of the most significant conflicts of the 20th century—the Spanish Civil War. Séan Scullion joins us to trace the long arc leading to war: empire in decline, broken reforms, class fractures, and military coups recycled from the 19th century. From the fall of the monarchy to the Popular Front’s last...

Last episode, we met Rooseboom and the Radleys—Germany’s early spy recruits in South Africa, whose operations leaned more chaotic than covert. This time, the spotlight’s on a man with a much better spy name: Felix. Real name—Lothar Sittig. The one the British couldn’t quite pin down. After escaping internment, he linked up with the Trompke network in Mozambique and was smuggled back into South Afr...

We're back with Ben Zweibelson for part two of our deep dive into Reconceptualizing War . This episode goes even further into the deep end: war paradigms, doomsday ideologies, radical structuralism, and the philosophical divide between Ukraine vs Russia and Israel vs Hamas. Ben lays out why some conflicts can't be understood through the same lens. We get into social paradigms, interpretivi...

What if the problem isn’t that we misunderstand war—but that the frameworks we use to understand it are broken? In this episode, we sit down with Ben Zweibelson—veteran, theorist, and design troublemaker—for a deep dive into his massive new book Reconceptualizing War . This isn’t about doctrine tweaks or buzzword bingo. Ben takes a sledgehammer to the foundations, arguing that modern military thin...

In this episode, we focus on Hans Rooseboom and the Radley couple—three key figures in the early days of German espionage efforts in South Africa during the Second World War. From smuggling messages across borders to setting up radio links, their stories are strange, chaotic, and often reckless. Historian Evert Kleynhans returns to break down how Rooseboom ended up running a rogue spy ring out of...

We’re back with military historian Jack Bowsher for part two of our deep-dive into the Burma campaign. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, start there. In this episode, Jack walks us through the final stages of the campaign and gives us a preview of his upcoming book Thunder Run , focused on the dramatic Allied push through Meiktila in 1945. We talk about jungle logistics, Japanese tactics, f...

We’re heading deep into the jungles of Southeast Asia to unpack one of the most overlooked and misunderstood campaigns of the Second World War—the Burma campaign. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, military historian and author Jack Bowsher joins Max and Tony to break down the brutal terrain, Japanese tactics, and the challenges faced by the multinational Allied forces in Burma. We explore t...

This week on Underground Strategy, we’re joined by historian and author Jacqueline Reiter to explore the extraordinary life of Sir Home Riggs Popham, the naval officer at the heart of her book Quicksilver Captain. From Buenos Aires to the Cape of Good Hope, Popham was everywhere—and often where he shouldn’t have been. We unpack his role in British high strategy during the French Revolutionary and...

This episode is part of a special collaboration with Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs. This student-led episode was created as part of the postgraduate module “Contemporary Challenges of United Nations Peacekeeping (SGIA48815)” for the Class of 2025. In Part 2, we’re joined by veteran UN official and former Assistant Secretary-General Peter de Clercq, who shares d...

Military historian and author Peter Caddick-Adams joins Underground Strategy for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, legacy, and the life of Winston Churchill. We explore Churchill’s wartime decisions, his eccentric personality, his genius for messaging, and the long arc of a career that spanned cavalry charges to the nuclear age. Peter also shares firsthand insights from his time as a NATO...

In collaboration with Durham University, this special student-led episode explores contemporary challenges of United Nations peacekeeping. Recorded as part of the postgraduate module “Contemporary Challenges of United Nations Peacekeeping (SGIA48815)” at Durham’s School of Government and International Affairs, the conversation brings together real-world experience and academic insight. Max and Ton...

In this episode, Tony is catching up with Kostiantyn Koshelenko on the latest developments in Ukraine, updates on his books and ongoing work, and his personal experiences during the war. Kostiantyn Koshelenko’s Work Management in Times of War – https://amzn.to/4kF6rpY LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/in/koshelenko Instagram – https://instagram.com/k_koshelenko/ X (Twitter) – https://x.com/k_koshele...

In this episode, military historian John C. McManus joins Underground Strategy to discuss his latest book, Alamo in the Ardennes, and the brutal early fighting during the Battle of the Bulge. We focus on the often-overlooked role of the 110th Infantry Regiment, whose desperate stand helped delay the German advance toward Bastogne before the arrival of the 101st Airborne. From the shattered remnant...

Few people think of South Africa when discussing World War II at sea, but its waters played a crucial role in the global conflict. Historian Evert Kleynhans returns to Underground Strategy to uncover the forgotten story of submarine warfare, coastal defenses, and strategic shipping routes off South Africa’s coast. We explore how German U-boats and Axis surface raiders operated in the region, why t...

How does war change, and what shapes its character over time? Historian and educator Will Gordon joins Underground Strategy to discuss the changing character of war, focusing on the period from 1792 to 1945. Through the lens of his teaching, Will explores how factors like leadership, doctrine, industrialization, and alliances influenced warfare, and why different conflicts required different appro...

What makes soldiers fight—and what makes them stop? Historian, tour guide, and podcaster Tom Thorpe joins Underground Strategy to break down combat morale, motivation, and the will to fight. We discuss the psychology of combat, small-unit cohesion, leadership, and how motivation shifts across different wars and cultures. From the trenches of World War I to modern warfare, we explore how morale sha...

Former Rhodesian Selous Scout Andy Balaam returns to Underground Strategy to break down Operation Long John, one of the most significant cross-border raids into Mozambique during the Bush War. With ZANLA gaining unrestricted access to Mozambique after the Portuguese withdrawal in 1975, Rhodesian forces had to act fast. Andy shares firsthand insights into the intelligence failures, reconnaissance m...

Historian, journalist, and podcast host Desmond Latham returns to Underground Strategy for a wide-ranging discussion on warfare, history, and modern conflict. While Stalingrad was on the agenda, this episode moves beyond a single battle—covering urban warfare, women in combat, and the evolution of military doctrine. From the brutal house-to-house fighting at Stalingrad to the parallels with Mariup...

Britain’s 6th Airborne Division played a critical role in the success of D-Day and the wider Normandy campaign. Historian and author Andrew Wheale joins the show to unpack how these elite troops were formed, trained, and led into battle. His book, Ham & Jam: 6th Airborne Division in Normandy - Generating Combat Effectiveness: November 1942 – September 1944, explores the factors that shaped the...

In Part 2, we continue our hard-hitting conversation with Amos C. Fox, tackling the future of war, the myth of precision strike, and why doctrine often lags behind reality. How do modern militaries adapt—or fail to adapt—to the shifting landscape of conflict? And what lessons should we take forward from past wars into the next fight? Amos C. Fox, PhD, is a Fellow with Arizona State University'...

Today, we take a deep look into uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC), and its pivotal role in South African history. Of course, no discussion about MK is complete without exploring the leadership and legacy of Nelson Mandela. Joining us to break it all down is Professor Thula Simpson, a leading expert on South African history, award-winning author, and resea...

Amos C. Fox joins Underground Strategy to challenge conventional thinking on modern warfare. From maneuver warfare’s shaky foundations to the realities of attrition, we dig into the strategic narratives shaping today’s conflicts. Are we fighting the wars we think we are, or just the ones doctrine tells us to prepare for? Amos C. Fox, PhD, is a Fellow with Arizona State University's Future Secu...

In this second part of our conversation with Andrew Chatterton, we explore the extreme lengths Britain went to in preparing for a German invasion. From hidden resistance networks to the brutal realities of underground warfare, this episode unpacks the operations that never made the history books. We also discuss the use of women and teenagers in secret roles, the harsh choices these units had to m...