School of War

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 Surrounding Military Actions 11:46 The Broader Implications of Regime Change  14:26 Divisions on the Right: Perspectives on Foreign Policy 21:50 The Strategic Implications of Military Action Against Maduro 30:19 Assessing the Venezuelan Opposition's Readiness 33:53 Colombia's Evolving Relationship with the U.S. 37:00 The Complex Dynamics of U.S.-Mexico Relations 41:55 The Threat of Cartels and Their Impact on U.S. Society Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 Agenda 18:20 Export Controls: A New Era of Trade Tensions 22:36 The Stakes of No Deal: Economic and Strategic Implications 26:35 Decoupling from China: Challenges and Opportunities 33:05 Defining a Good Deal: Beyond Trade 37:22 TikTok: The Information Warfare Front Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 of the Jews        53:05 Distancing France from extermination             58:13 Why does Pétain stay a servant to the Nazis    01:07:38 Vichy and Pétain on trial today             Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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      •      33:49 Training     •      36:50 Delay and Italy               •      42:16 No doctrine      •      45:29 The Gothic Line     •      52:00 Success     •      55:35 Afghanistan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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               •      41:53 Surprise     •      47:32 Holy Grail     •      50:51 Fault lines     •      57:44 What to read? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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           •      47:05 Master of the basics             •      51:36 Fallujah     •      54:29 Sadr City     •      01:06:16 Chaos of combat          •      01:10:01 Lost          •      01:14:26 “LTSD” Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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           •      47:31 Ukraine             •      52:47 Major risks Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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            •      37:31 Corrosive influences             •      40:15 Mass Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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. Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 issue     •      47:49 Production lessons Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 politics Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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        •      46:16 Unity of effort      •      48:53 Who got through      •      51:40 The Taliban     •      52:54 26 August     •      56:52 Take command      •      59:47 No good choices     •      01:06:42 The Fallen Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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      •      40:24 Driven out      •      42:02 Parallels with today     •      44:33 Donald Kagan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 killing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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     •      31:33 Leyte Gulf         •      37:52 A do or die campaign      •      40:04 Manila      •      44:34 Command responsibility  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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     •      50:43 Be unpredictable Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

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 Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Steven Rabalais, litigator and author of General Fox Conner: Pershing's Chief of Operations and Eisenhower's Mentor,  joins the show to discuss the extraordinary influence of now-forgotten General Fox Connor on the outcome of WWI and Eisenhower's career.   ▪️ Times     •      01:51 Introduction     •      03:10 Growing up with history      •      05:47 A southern story      •      07:44 West Point struggles      •      12:07 A reader            •      14:50 Coastal artillery          •      20:46 Rocks and airplanes     •      23:51 Mechanism of victory     •      27:54 WWI logistics        •      32:47 Summer 1918     •      46:03 Eisenhower     •      51:24 Panama        •      01:01:58 Foreshadowing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Will Somerindyke, Chairman of Regulus Global and CEO of UNION, joins the show to discuss rebuilding the U.S. defense industrial base. ▪️ Times     •      01:36 Introduction     •      02:35 A navy family      •      05:51 Regulus      •      08:05 American made      •      10:45 155            •      14:44 Integration          •      16:53 Supply chains     •      23:20 Demand     •      28:27 Flexibility        •      31:40 Forging vs casting     •      33:45 UNION     •      37:27 Customers        •      40:07 Mindset Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Ryan McDermott, Army veteran of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and author of Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet,  joins the show to talk about his combat experiences. ▪️ Times      •      01:13 Introduction     •      01:55 Seeking purpose      •      04:11 West Point       •      06:48 9/11      •      08:41 3rd Infantry Division            •      10:12 Platoon tactics         •      14:51 “Crossing tonight”     •      18:08 Preparing for combat     •      23:40 Tired       •      29:37 Baghdad     •      35:51 Thunder Runs Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute, joins the show to talk about how a war with China could play out. ▪️ Times      •      01:51 Introduction     •      02:00 Submariner     •      10:10 Environmental conditions       •      12:40 State of play      •      20:04 Complacency           •      23:36 Hellscape          •      32:14 Cultural differences      •      37:20 Party control     •      43:40 Degraded environment       •      48:02 Practice now     •      51:45 Deterrence Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Paul Lay, Senior Editor of Engelsberg Ideas and author of Providence Lost: The Rise and Fall of Cromwell's Protectorate,joins the show to talk about the turbulent age of the English Civil War, Cromwell, and the Protectorate. ▪️ Times      •      01:45 Introduction     •      02:00 17th century     •      03:51 The Thirty Years War       •      12:40 Anti-Catholicism      •      15:24 Underlying causes           •      21:46 Cromwell          •      30:34 Thatcher      •      33:04 The Rump Parliament     •      37:07 Western Design     •      54:44 Reverberations Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Arnold Punaro, retired USMC Major General and author of If Confirmed: An Insider's View of the National Security Confirmation Process, joins the show to talk about his infantry service in Vietnam and his experiences serving in Washington DC. ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      05:40 5 weeks     •      10:51 Officer training       •      13:18 3/7     •      16:37 Jungle fighting           •      23:25 Wounded         •      31:32 Payback      •      36:35 Bad situation     •      40:10 Getting home      •      45:46 The Senate     •      49:28 Getting the facts     •      54:00 Service Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Daniel Samet, the George P. Shultz Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute and author of U.S. Defense Policy toward Israel: A Cold War History, joins the show to breakdown the origins of the important, if at times contentious, U.S.-Israel relationship. ▪️ Times      •      01:30 Introduction     •      02:28 1948     •      05:44 Arabist strategy       •      08:13 11 minutes     •      10:37 Looking for friends           •      15:40 Soviet-Arab relations     •      19:25 Republicans         •      25:16 Kennedy      •      29:29 Strong friends     •      32:02 Nuclear program      •      37:33 6 Day War     •      43:19 Mistake?     •      47:41 Kissinger Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcripts of episodes on our School of War Substack

Scott Boorman, Professor of Sociology at Yale University and author of Three Faces of Sun Tzu, joins the show to discuss the world and ideas of Sun Tzu. ▪️ Times      •      01:48 Introduction     •      02:10 “Know your enemy”     •      05:18 The Protracted Game       •      09:59 Text and application     •      16:05 Warring states           •      21:14 Chinese thinking     •      24:58 Net assessment      •      29:05 Cunning     •      32:02 Omissions      •      37:05 Memorization          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at FDD, joins the show to break down his time on the ground in Israel at the beginning of the war and what may come with the Israel-Iran ceasefire in place. ▪️ Times      •      01:27 Introduction     •      02:10 Extraction     •      05:50 Different       •      09:25 In the shelter     •      12:03 Damage taken           •      16:18 Stress     •      17:45 Getting out     •      24:57 Road ahead     •      30:40 Iranian risks     •      32:10 Hamas          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Mike Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to break down America's strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities and what might come next. ▪️ Times      •      01:00 Reactions     •      08:00 Deception     •      12:00 More to come       •      17:00 Self-deception     •      24:00 Next few days           •      31:00 Escalation     •      34:00 Not over     •      41:00 Trump is serious     •      44:00 Restraintists          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on the Israel-Iran conflict, and the possibility of America's intervention. ▪️ Times      •      01:00 Achievements     •      05:00 Retaliation       •      09:00 Hard math       •      16:00 Intervention     •      24:00 Outcomes           •      30:00 Ground operations     •      32:00 Another Iraq?           •      38:00 Resolve and stability      •      42:00 “Iraq Syndrome”          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Cleo Paskal, non-resident senior fellow at FDD and author of Crossroads of Competition, joins the show to discuss China's campaign for influence and control at the scene of America's bloody island-hopping campaign in WW2. ▪️ Times      •      01:35 Introduction     •      04:03 Pacific desert        •      07:45 Control       •      13:48 Post 1945     •      22:43 Significance           •      24:31 Yap     •      29:43 Divisions           •      32:18 Diplomatic maintenance     •      35:54 Designs     •      41:30 Strategic concerns            Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to breakdown last night's spectacular Israeli strikes against the Iranian Regime and its nuclear program, and what comes next. ▪️ Times      •      02:00 Deception     •      06:00 Targets        •      09:00 The Scientists       •      11:00 Complacency     •      14:00 Israeli goals           •      19:00 Regime change     •      23:00 Strikes and talks           •      29:00 Drones     •      31:00 Counterpunch?          Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Annie Jacobsen, journalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, joins the show to discuss nuclear weapons and their use. ▪️ Times      •      01:20 Introduction     •      02:50 Finding the music        •      07:02 Reporting      •      09:15 Hidden information     •      11:22 The scenario           •      13:50 Launch on warning     •      17:30 Villians           •      20:45 Annihilation         •      26:25 The Black Book      •      30:40 North Korea     •      34:03 Interception           •      37:42 ICBMs       •      43:39 Deterrence     •      49:29 Obama           •      52:50 Right to know       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Stephen Rabe, historian and author of The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, joins the show to discuss one of the countless, incredible stories from D-Day.  ▪️ Times      •      01:18 Introduction     •      01:25 Marine        •      02:50 Origins      •      06:48 Normandy     •      09:29 507th           •      15:20 Training     •      18:23 Overlord           •      21:21 The Villagers        •      25:20 A change in plans      •      30:07 HQ Battalion     •      36:17 Armageddon           •      39:00 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division       •      44:01 Staying behind     •      46:37 Return       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Fred Kagan, senior fellow and the director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss Ukraine's drone operation targeting Russia's strategic air assets.  ▪️ Times      •      01:46 Introduction     •      02:25 What just happened?        •      07:48 Escalation risk      •      10:20 Control     •      12:39 Implications           •      21:10 Stratagems     •      24:04 Effects           •      30:40 Economic pressure        •      37:20 Continuing operations  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths & Maj. McKinsey Harb joined the show to discuss the U.S. Army's new Field Manual 1, FM 1 -THE ARMY: A PRIMER TO OUR PROFESSION OF ARMS.  ▪️ Times      •      01:22 Introduction     •      01:51 West Point        •      05:43 Culture shift      •      08:50 FM 1     •      12:00 Ben Salomon           •      18:06 Warrior     •      24:04 Tensions           •      31:05 Recruiting       •      35:18 Leader/follower      •      42:19 Mission command      

Rick Atkinson, historian and author of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, joins the show to discuss the causes, conduct, and epic consequences of the American Revolution.   ▪️ Times      •      02:08 Introduction     •      02:21 Journalism        •      04:30 Mogadishu      •      09:30 Lessons     •      12:49 Ideology           •      16:36 Diplomacy     •      20:21 Boston           •      22:59 “Blows must decide”       •      28:05 British strategy      •      31:27 Washington          •      36:49 Franklin in Paris     •      41:15 Friendless Britain           •      45:57 Legacy     •      51:24 250th Celebration  Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Jonathan Hackett, former U.S. Marine Corps interrogator and author of Theory of Irregular War, joins the show to discuss America's post-9/11 wars and how irregular warfare works.  ▪️ Times      •      01:12 Introduction     •      01:30 A good interrogator       •      03:26 Afghanistan     •      06:15 In the interrogation room       •      12:10 The Reid Technique         •      14:27 Galula     •      17:10 A military solution           •      23:32 Voluntary acceptance       •      25:34 Irregular War      •      28:20 The war we have          •      31:33 COIN     •      36:10 Speaking the language       Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Robert D. Kaplan, Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, joins the show to discuss the world's current state of “permanent crisis”.  ▪️ Times      •      01:40 Introduction     •      02:00 Far Rockaway      •      04:55 Balkan Ghosts     •      08:20 Geography and technology       •      10:55 Weimar         •      13:43 Mediocrities     •      17:44 Reading deeply           •      20:30 Shakespeare       •      23:20 Where to watch      •      26:59 Xi and Taiwan          •      28:39 Sacred honor     •      31:22 Post-modern cities        •      33:28 AI and atrophy     Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack