War Studies

In this episode, Professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies, joins Dr Huw Dylan, Reader in Intelligence Studies and International Security, to delve into Tim’s new book, The Spy and the Devil: The Untold Story of the MI6 Agent Who Penetrated Hitler’s Inner Circle. They discuss the remarkable story of Baron William de Ropp—MI6’s key source inside Nazi Germany...

In this episode, investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan—both Visiting Fellows at the Department of War Studies—join Dr Daniela Richterová, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, to discuss their new book, Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation. The book reflects on a generation of young Russians who came of age in the hopeful yet turbulent 1990s....

In this episode, Dr Tiffany Fairey, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies, and Dr Pamina Firchow, Associate Professor at Brandeis University, join Professor Rachel Kerr, Professor of War and Society at the Department of War Studies, to delve into their groundbreaking research that uses photography and community-defined indicators to rethink peace from the ground up. To coincide w...

How did communist Czechoslovakia become a hub for Cold War terrorists like Carlos the Jackal and Abu Daoud? And what can today’s intelligence professionals learn from its uneasy covert alliances? In this episode, Dr Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies, joins Dorothea Gioe, Visiting Research Fellow at the King’s Centre for the Study of Intell...

How did Cold War intelligence operations shape postcolonial India’s domestic politics and international alignments? Why did Western agencies prioritise relationships with Indian counterparts while publicly decrying non-alignment? And what can today’s policymakers learn from the legacies of covert cooperation in the Global South? In this episode, Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies in...

In December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria was overthrown. Today, Ahmed al-Sharaa is acting as the interim president of Syria, at the head of a new transitional government. What will the future look like for Syria under its new leader? Will the coalition of rebel factions be able to work together to build a stable future for Syrians? Dr Nafees Hamid, Dr Rahaf Aldoughli, Nils Mallock and Broderick...

In 2016, the Colombian government signed a historic peace agreement with guerilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC. The agreement brought an end to 52 years of war, but today, eight years after the agreement was ratified, Colombia is still not at peace. In this episode, Dr Nafees Hamid and Dr Andrés Casas discuss the motivations of guerilla group members in Colo...

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) is considered a key player in Iran’s Axis of Resistance, and its connection to the state security forces in Iraq has raised concerns about its access to power and position. But the IRI isn’t a cohesive organisation; it’s made up of armed factions which have their own agendas and domestic interests to pursue, and not all of these align with Iran’s. In this episo...

What does the future of Australia's defence strategy look like in the face of rising geopolitical tensions? How are shifting dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic influencing Australia’s approach to security? What role do partnerships like AUKUS play in shaping Australia’s military readiness for both the present and future? In this episode, Admiral David Johnston AC RAN, the Australian Ch...

What does the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime mean for the future of Syria and the broader Middle East? How might the rise of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani reshape Syria’s governance and regional alliances? Can the rebel leader overcome immense challenges to stabilise the country, or will his leadership lead to further turmoil? In this episode, Dr Shiraz Maher, Senior Lecturer, Dr Craig Larkin, Reader i...

In 2014, the self-styled Islamic State committed genocide against the Yezidi population in Iraq. To mark the anniversary of the genocide, Dr Inna Rudolf speaks to renowned Yezidi human rights advocate Mirza Dinnayi about what life is like for the Yezidi community 10 years on from the genocide. Inna and Mirza discuss justice and accountability, the geopolitical situation in the Yezidis’ ancestral h...

What would Trump’s return to the White House mean for Ukraine’s future and Europe’s security? How might his strategy for the war in Ukraine differ from the current administration’s? Can he deliver on his pledge to end the conflict quickly, and what might his approach involve? In this episode, Dr Charlie Laderman, Dr Ruth Deyermond and Dr Barbara Zanchetta—Senior Lecturers in the Department of War...

How is open-source data being used to uncover threats to human security, and what ethical challenges do practitioners face when working with open-source intelligence? In this episode, we delve into these questions with Henrietta Wilson, Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Science & Security Studies, King’s College London. Henrietta, co-editor of the recently published book ‘Open-Source Inve...

What makes Taiwan such a crucial flashpoint in global politics? How has its historical journey shaped its current role on the world stage? In this special 'War Studies Podcast Live' episode, Dr Charlie Laderman, Senior Lecturer in International History, talks with Professor Sulmaan Khan of Tufts University about his latest book, ‘The Struggle for Taiwan’. From Taiwan’s significance during World Wa...

Are we witnessing the decline of Western power and influence? What could this mean for the future of the global order? In this episode, Dr. Samir Puri—former UK diplomat and Visiting Lecturer in the Department of War Studies—delves into these critical questions and more. We discuss his new book, Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing, and explore the shifting dynamics of a world where Western...

Why do groups enter into conflict when a peaceful resolution could be reached? Dr Nafees Hamid interviews Dr Hannes Rusch about his work examining the ‘logic’ of intergroup conflict. Dr Rusch talks us through the basic models which explain why groups might choose conflict, and highlights key questions that remain unanswered by the research. This research is being undertaken as part of a project ca...

*This episode was recorded in early March 2024, before the recent escalation of violence in Sudan. South Sudan may be the youngest country in the world, but it’s already undergone a huge amount of violence – and the ongoing civil war in Sudan looks set to bring further instability. In this episode, Dr Costanza Torre and Dr Fiona McEwen discuss XCEPT’s research in South Sudan, which aims to underst...

What makes a person or a community resilient to violent extremism? Are these inherent characteristics or are they something that can be taught? ‘Resilience’ has become a buzzword in the field of countering violent extremism (CVE), but how useful is it? In this episode, Federica Calissano interviews Dr Nafees Hamid about the benefits and drawbacks of CVE initiatives which focus on building resilien...

After two decades of violent conflict in the city of Mosul, Iraq, Dr Omar Mohammed, founder of the Mosul Eye organisation, started a tree-planting initiative to help bring communities together. In the United States, Dr Marc Zimmerman examined how greening and improvement initiatives reduced crime in cities that had suffered economic decline. In this episode, Dr Omar Mohammed and Dr Marc Zimmerman,...

How has the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant impacted nuclear security and safety? In this podcast episode we explore nuclear security and safety and the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with Dr Ross Peel, a Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies and the Centre for Science & Security Studies.

Wargaming has surged in popularity in recent years, drawing substantial financial backing from militaries, governments and the private sector alike. But what are wargames and how are they being used within the defence industry to navigate present and future conflicts? In this episode, Dr David Banks, Lecturer in Wargaming and co-director of King's Wargaming Network at King’s College London, guides...

“So far, six million Ukrainians are estimated to have left the country to flee Russia's full-scale invasion. And because of military service requirements in Ukraine, most of these refugees are women. In some host countries, such as Italy, Poland and Estonia, the share of women among Ukrainian refugees exceeds 80%”, says Dr Daryna Dvornichenko a Visiting Research Fellow at The Dickson Poon School o...

**We're bringing you a special episode of the World: we got this podcast** As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, there is also ongoing fighting in Gaza, attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and subsequent US and UK air strikes. This has prompted some to warn we are moving from a post-war to a pre-war world. In this latest episode, Dr Marina Miron, a post-doctoral researcher in the Departme...

Series: Breaking Cycles of Conflict As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate, Dr Craig Larkin and Bronte Philips reflect on what this means for the people of Lebanon. They explore how the escalation of violence is reigniting traumatic memories of conflict with Israel, how past experiences are shaping attitudes in the present, and why the current conflict risks cementing t...

Tens of thousands of children currently live in dire conditions in Al Hol camp in Syria – and there are concerns this makes them vulnerable to radicalisation and recruitment. But what is the evidence behind this? Caterina Ceccarelli examines what we know about the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and violent extremism, and explores the pathways by which experiencing tough and pote...