A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast

In September 1944 defeat looked not only likely but imminent for the German Army. And It was at that point that Adolf Hitler told his generals that he was going to launch a winter offensive that would turn the war around. A BETTER PEACE welcomes David Hogan, Director of Histories at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. In our first ever phone interview David joins our own Podcast Editor Ron Granieri to discuss the Battle of the Bulge and its 75th anniversary. Referred to as “the greatest American battle of the war” by Winston Churchill, the six week long Ardennes Offensive occurred from 6 December 1944 to 25 January 1945 and was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front. Dense forests and frigid winter conditions contributed to it being the costliest battle fought by the Americans in WWII. By the time it was over, the path to V-E day was in sight. David W. Hogan, Jr. is the Director of Histories at the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He is the author of A Command Post at War: First Army HQ in Europe, 1943-1945; Centuries of Service: The U.S. Army, 1775-2005; and Raiders or Elite Infantry? The U.S. Army Rangers from Dieppe to Grenada. He is currently working on a biography of General of the Army Omar N. Bradley. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: U.S. Army engineers emerge from the woods from defensive positions after fighting in the vicinity of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge. Photo Credit: U.S. Army Photo

Perhaps the biggest most powerful thing they can do is in the field of logistics. They can be prepared for the reception, staging and onward movement and integration of forces. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Paul T. Mikolashek and Gregory Cantwell to the studio to discuss the modern theater army. The two join Managing Editor Buck Haberichter to examine the importance of the  Army component in stage setting operations in any given theater. As the former Commander of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (C/CFLCC) during Operation Enduring Freedom, Mikolashek brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. And Cantwell's role as the director of the CFLCC course makes him uniquely qualified to discuss modern Army doctrine on the subject. Lt. General (R) Paul T. Mikolashek served as Inspector General, U.S. Army as well as the Commanding General, Third United States Army/Army Forces Central Command. As Coalition Land Forces Component Commander he commanded all ground forces in Afghanistan and the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom. Gregory Cantwell is a retired Army Colonel and is the Director of the Joint Forces Land Component Commander (JFLCC) Course at the U.S. Army War College. Buck Haberichter is the Managing Editor of the WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Credit: Clip Art Library

A BETTER PEACE welcomes award winning and internationally renowned author Margaret MacMillan. Perhaps best known for her study and writings of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, she joins our own Michael Neiberg to discuss her journey as an academic and an author. Faced with multiple rejection letters MacMillan recounts how what she affectionately refers to as "her obsession" was finally published.

When the local belligerents are still willing to fight and they've not stopped the war, dropping peacekeeping forces in the middle of that is not a recipe for immediate success. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Dr. Paul Williams from the Elliot School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Williams, an academic expert and consultant in the politics and effectiveness of peace operations, joins podcast editor Ron Granieri to discuss the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM.) Created in 2007, the multi-national peacekeeping task force is a study in political relations, matters of trust, and regional cooperation in the face of a terrorist threat.     Dr. Paul Williams is Professor of International Affairs in the Elliot School of International Affairs at the George Washinton University and associate director of the Security Policies Studies MA Program. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: A member of the Uganda People’s Defence Force assists in parking a convoy of armored troop carrying vehicles provided by the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of State as they are driven into the UPDF compound, Mogadishu International Airport, Somalia, Sept. 25, 2017. The contribution comes with spare parts for the vehicles and a maintenance team assigned to train personnel for timely repairs Photo Credit: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond

Quite frankly a number of times in [Lee's] career he debates getting out of the Army to pursue other interests. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Paul Springer to the studio to discuss the influence of the West Point class of 1829. Springer joins our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to examine the unique experiences of this cohort, and how it influenced, not only their development as leaders, but several generations of officers to follow. Many of these men impacted the country not only through their military service, but also as captains of industry and through civil service as well. Paul Springer is a Professor of Comparative Military History at the Air Command and Staff College. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Image of United States Military Academy aka West Point stamp, 5-cents, Issued: May 26, 1937 Photo Credit: U.S. Post Office; Smithsonian National Postal Museum, Bureau of Engraving and Printing; Imaging by Gwillhickers

A BETTER PEACE welcomes Gail Fisher and Joel Hillison into the studio to examine the DoD's approach towards gaining and sustaining the competitive advantage over adversaries across the spectrum of competition. The DoD has no specific doctrine regarding this topic and all too often the response to the challenge falls to the acquisition community in the form of newer cutting edge technology. Fisher argues that while technology is a piece of the puzzle, the larger picture requires so much more. At any given time the DoD can be engaged with a competitor, an adversary, anywhere from cooperation through competition and into armed conflict. Download COL Fisher's paper Colonel Gail Fisher is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and currently serves on the Joint Staff in the Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate. Joel Hillison is Professor of National Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College. Buck Haberichter is the Managing Editor of the WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: An F-35A Lightning II pilot turns his aircraft along the yellow taxi line on the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr. Photo Credit:  U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.

I'm using Kennedy's life to tell the story of America's rise, first to great power status and then superpower status. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Pulitzer Prize winning author Fredrik Logevall to discuss his newest project, a two-volume biography of John F. Kennedy. Logevall joins Michael Neiberg in the studio as they discuss the complexity of writing a biography. They relate thoughts behind research efforts, organization and prioritization of themes and interests and just how much information can be covered in a mere 500,000 words.     Fredrik Logevall is a Swedish-American historian and educator at Harvard University, where he is the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and professor of history in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Michael Neiberg is the Chair of War Studies at the U.S. Army War College. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: John F. Kennedy poses at The Hague, Netherlands, during his tour of Europe. Photo Credit: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston., Public Domain Other releases in the "On Writing" series: COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELS (RE-RELEASE)ON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECT (RE-RELEASE)FIGHTING TOGETHER: THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP IN WORLD WAR II(ON WRITING)THE SCHOLAR AND THE STRATEGIST:SIR HEW STRACHAN(ON WRITING)COLONELS WRITING FOR COLONELSON WRITING: MILITARY AUTHORS AND THE HARDING PROJECTUNDERSTANDING RUSSIAN CULTURE: JADE McGLYNN(ON WRITING)CHINA’S SHIFTING HISTORY: STEPHEN PLATT (ON WRITING)UNDERSTANDING CHINA THROUGH ITS RECRAFTED PAST: RANA MITTER (ON WRITING)WRITING ON A DEADLINE: SHASHANK JOSHI (ON WRITING)REAGAN AS THE PEACEMAKER: WILL INBODEN(ON WRITING)RUSSIAN IMPERIAL HISTORY-THEN AND NOW: ALEXANDER MIKABERIDZE(ON WRITING)TAKING COMMAND: TAMI DAVIS BIDDLE(ON WRITING)HOW TO WRITE THE HISTORY THAT HASN’T ENDED: IAN ONA JOHNSON(ON WRITING)AS TIME GOES BY: UNDERSTANDING FREE & VICHY FRANCE (ON WRITING)SHIFTING MENTAL GEARS: PHILIP CAPUTO (ON WRITING)GENERAL HISTORY: H.R. McMASTER (ON WRITING)WHEN A GENERAL WRITES FOR THE GENERALIST (ON WRITING)THE VALUE OF WRITTEN THOUGHT: STEPHEN VOGEL (ON WRITING)TWO AUTHORS UNDER THE SAME ROOF (ON WRITING)THE MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: ALEXANDRA RICHIE (ON WRITING)FACT AND FICTION: THE RECOUNTING OF WWII WITH JAMES HOLLAND (ON WRITING)THE U.S. ARMY IN THE 20TH CENTURY: AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LINN (ON WRITING)LIBERATION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE LIBERATED (ON WRITING)PARIS 1919: A CONVERSATION WITH MARGARET MACMILLAN (ON WRITING)FINDING “WOW” MOMENTS (AND OTHER WRITING TIPS FOR SENIOR LEADERS) (ON WRITING)THE ART OF WRITING HISTORY (ON WRITING)

One of the things we're trying to do is encourage people...to start talking about older books, older readings, older things that are lost or never really well known that really should have been. A BETTER PEACE welcomes WAR ROOM editors Tom Bruscino and Jon Klug to explain the drive and desire behind the DUSTY SHELVES series. Podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates the discussion as all three examine some of their favorite and not-so-favorite historical works that deserve another look with fresh eyes. Thomas Bruscino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Military, Strategy, Planning and Operations at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of the DUSTY SHELVES series. Colonel Jon Klug, U.S. Army, is an Army Strategist and military historian and he is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of New Brunswick as well as an Associate Editor for WAR ROOM.  Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. Known to be a voracious reader and considered by many as a great thinker of the 20th century, he is seen here in his Sagamore Hill study contemplating one of the many offerings in his personal library. Photo Credit: Waldon Fawcett, Library of Congress c 16 March 1903, Public Domain Other releases in the "Dusty Shelves" series: BOOK LOVERS NEED APPLY: A DUSTY SHELVES PODCASTHOW A HOMING PIGEON SAVED THE LOST BATTALION OF WORLD WAR I (DUSTY SHELVES)COOK’S ‘MIDNIGHT DRAWINGS’ AND THEIR HAUNTING VIEWS OF WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)BUILDING THE CONTINENTAL ARMY: VON STEUBEN’S “BLUE BOOK” (DUSTY SHELVES)RECEIPT: BOMB, ATOMIC, 1 EACH (DUSTY SHELVES)NSC-68: THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT SHAPED THE COLD WAR (DUSTY SHELVES)RIDGWAY’S MEMO: “WHY WE ARE HERE” (DUSTY SHELVES)

We need to go back and think big, and We need to think big fast.   A BETTER PEACE welcomes Major General Eirik Kristoffersen, Chief of the Norwegian Army, to the studio to discuss his perspectives on strategic leadership. Major General Kristoffersen was in Carlisle to attend his induction into the International Fellows Hall of Fame at the U.S. Army War College. He becomes the 69th International Fellow to receive the honor. During the podcast he addresses the nature of the NATO alliance and the historical importance of allies to the country of Norway as well as the complicated relationship with its neighbor Russia. A BETTER PEACE podcast editor Ron Granieri moderates.     Maj. Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen is the Chief of Staff Norwegian Army and a distinguished member of the U.S. Army War College Resident Class of 2015. Ron Granieri is an Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor of A BETTER PEACE. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Members of the Norwegian Home Guard Quick Reaction Force stopped by a main battle tank live-fire range in Rena, Norway, Feb. 18, 2016. The U.S. Marines and Norwegians are preparing for Exercise Cold Response 16, which will bring together 12 NATO Allied and partner nations and approximately 16,000 troops in order to enhance joint crisis response capabilities in cold weather environments. Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Chad McMeen, USMC Other releases in the "Leader's Perspectives" series: A CONVERSATION WITH THE HONORABLE MELISSA DALTON OF DEFENSE POLICYCAMPAIGNING IN THE PACIFIC: A CONVERSATION WITH GEN FLYNNA TRANSATLANTIC PERSPECTIVE ON NATO (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)OBSERVATIONS FROM NATO’S NORTHERN FRONT (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)ALLIES ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING SPACE SECURE (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)TENSIONS AND PARADOXES FACING SENIOR LEADERS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEADING AND WINNING IN GREAT POWER COMPETITION (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE CLASSICS (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)WHAT IT TAKES FOR COLONELS TO BE SUCCESSFUL (LEADER PERSPECTIVES)BALANCING BETWEEN CIVILIAN LIFE AND SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD“WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON’T GET YOU THERE” — AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES FOR LEADERSWHEN THE MILITARY IS NOT IN CHARGE: DEFENSE SUPPORT TO CIVIL AUTHORITIESWHAT DOES ‘SUCCESS’ MEAN AS A STRATEGIC LEADER?STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND CHANGING THE US ARMY IN EUROPETHE CHALLENGES OF SENIOR LEADER COMMUNICATIONTHE SENIOR NCO AS A STRATEGIC LEADERSTRATEGIC LEADERSHIP FROM AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVEWHAT DO THE BRITS THINK OF AMERICAN OFFICERS?PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP — GEN. ROBIN RAND, U.S. AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMANDGROWING AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING CAPACITY

What are the costs for the U.S. of losing the war? And it's a sort of uncomfortable conversation in some ways because the answer may be not all that much. A BETTER PEACE returns with our three scholars of the American War in Vietnam and Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to examine the Tet Offensive and its significance in the Vietnam War in Episode 2. Bob Brigham, Hang Ngyuen and Greg Daddis continue the discussion about what we know, and more importantly, what we don't know about the period from 1968-1973 and how it affected U.S. and Vietnamese policy, strategy and tactics.   Robert K. Brigham is the Shirley Ecker Boskey Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College, USA. He is the author of numerous publications on American foreign relations. Gregory Daddis is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army and a Professor for the History Department in the Chapman University. Lien-Hang T. Nguyen is the Dorothy Borg Associate Professor in the History of the United States and East Asia. She specializes in the Vietnam War, U.S.-Southeast Asian relations, and the global Cold War. Jacqueline E. Whitt is Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description:  A VNAF UH-1H Huey loaded with Vietnamese evacuees on the deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41) during Operation Frequent Wind, 29 April 1975 Photo Credit: U.S. Navy Photo Episode 1