School of War Ep 252: Andrew Lambert on the British Empire’s Strategic Challenges and America’s Today
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Nov 28, 2025 
In this intriguing discussion, Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History, shares his expertise on the British Empire's strategic maneuvers from Waterloo to World War One. He explores the complexities of studying war through an interdisciplinary lens and highlights the naval dominance that shaped British defense strategies. Lambert dives into critical moments and decisions leading to 1914, emphasizing the importance of the Scheldt River. He also draws parallels between Britain's historical strategies and modern U.S. dilemmas, providing a captivating look at military history and strategy.
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Channel Proximity Shapes British Strategy
- Britain faced a concentrated coastal threat: French-controlled ports like the Scheldt gave France potential invasion lift within 100 miles of London.
- Andrew Lambert argues this naval-geographic reality forced Britain into channel-focused defense and expeditionary strategy.
A Exiled Frenchman's Strategic Advice
- Charles de Maurier, a French exile, advised Britain that Napoleon was bluffing about invading England and urged offensive counterattacks.
- That advice shifted British policy from passive defense to targeted strikes like the 1809 Scheldt operation.
Trade, Navy, And Finance Interlock
- British maritime commerce and naval protection were deeply integrated institutions linking Lloyd's and the Admiralty.
- Lambert shows this civil-military-financial nexus sustained Britain’s wartime logistics and credit.
