School of War

Michael Sobolik, Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, discusses China's geostrategy. Topics include Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese imperialism, historical geopolitical theories, and strategies for countering China. The podcast explores China's expansion in key regions, the implications of BRI, and debates on deterring war with China in the Western Pacific.

Author James Holland, known for The Savage Storm, discusses the Allied campaign in Italy. Topics include the decision to invade Italy, the mission to Rome, battles at Baytown and Salerno, and reevaluating Mark Clark's leadership.

Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discusses operational phases of the war in Ukraine - 'Two Wars,' assumptions, contingency, structure, field challenges, cyber overhype, and achieving favorable outcomes

Thomas Mahnken, President of CSBA, discusses strategic fallacies in warfare focusing on rationality, Hitler's actions, and dangers of under/overestimating adversaries. He challenges war being solely irrational, emphasizing the need for accurate strategic assessments.

John Spencer, an expert in urban warfare, discusses Israel's unique war against Hamas with a focus on justice and humanity. The conversation delves into changes in urban warfare, the significance of terrain, learning on the ground, the battle of Manila, and outthinking the enemy with innovative strategies like tunnels.

Frank Gavin, a nuclear strategy expert, discusses the role of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war. Topics include invasion insurance, Putin's potential use of nuclear weapons, and the effectiveness of saber-rattling. Gavin highlights historical contexts and the impact of nuclear strategies on global politics.

Stephen Kotkin discusses the war in Ukraine, major victories, regime change in Russia, and the cultural identity of Europe. Topics include Ukraine's defense, revitalizing NATO, humiliating Russia, and maintaining alliances during negotiations with authoritarian regimes like China.

Authors Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine discuss America's failed pivot to Asia, challenges in US trade policy, navigating strategy towards China, US values-based approach, and Henry Kissinger's views on US-China relations.

Michel Paradis—litigator, national security law scholar, and author of The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower—joins the show to talk about D-Day and the man behind the invasion, Dwight Eisenhower.▪️Times     •      01:49 Introduction     •      01:56 “Wildly under appreciated”    •      05:17 Upbringing      •      11:40 Seeing the world as it is    •      15:01 Not that long ago      •      22:14 British vs American plans    •      32:50 Using strategic advantages        •      36:03 Designing D-Day       •      46:58 Planning for failureFollow along  on InstagramFind a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War SubstackFollow the link to buy the book - The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower

Journalist and author Nick Bunker discusses America's early Cold War era, including Truman, Stalin, nuclear thinking, and the need to defend Korea. The podcast draws parallels between historical events and current US-China relations, focusing on Asia and Europe.