School of War
Nebulous Media
This podcast seeks to learn what war teaches. There has been a steady decline in the study of military history and its associated theoretical discipline, strategy.This podcast seeks to fill that gap through in-depth interviews on military and diplomatic history. Our guests have included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis, and former China Select Committee chairman Mike Gallagher. We discuss the battlefield commanders, diplomats, strategists, policymakers, and statesmen who have had to make wartime decisions in the ancient and modern eras. The subject of an episode may be an historical battle, campaign, or conflict; the conduct of policy in the course of a major international incident; the work of a famous strategist; the nature of a famous weapon; or the legacy of an important military commander or political leader. Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.Visit our Substack for episode transcriptsFollow along on Instagram
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 6, 2022 • 1h 2min
Ep 52: Dr. Michael Livingston on the battle of Crécy
Dr. Michael Livingston , Professor at The Citadel and author of Crécy: Battle of Five Kings, joins the show to discuss the Hundred Years War, medieval warfare, and the English victory at the battle of Crécy.▪️Times • 01:53 Introduction• 02:33 Why Crécy• 05:53 The Hundred Years War• 10:29 The French-Scottish connection • 14:08 Why invade France at all?• 20:51 Strengths/Weaknesses• 26:00 Medieval command and control• 34:01 Crécy the legend• 38:24 French losses• 39:17 Crécy the reality• 44:29 Costly French decisions• 51:11 The King of Bohemia’s last ride• 57:52 Hundred Years War ends
Nov 29, 2022 • 1h 12min
Ep 51: Alexander Mikaberidze on Kutuzov
Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and author of Kutuzov: A Life in War and Peace, joins the show to discuss the Russian general Kutuzov, the hero of 1812.▪️Times • 00:53 Introduction • 01:31 18th century Russia • 04:00 A young officer • 08:57 Modernization • 12:11 Catherine’s wars • 14:30 International relations • 17:00 Shot in the head - twice • 22:11 Promotions • 29:18 Tolstoy’s take on Kutuzov • 32:32 Czar Alexander • 39:21 Austerlitz • 48:28 Grand strategy in 1812 • 57:21 Tolstoy and reality • 1:02:09 Legacy
Nov 22, 2022 • 43min
Ep 50: Lawrence Freedman on Command
Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and author of Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine, joins the show to discuss how politics and military command are inextricably linked.▪️Times • 01:08 Introduction• 02:01 Command • 05:44 Politics and generalship• 08:00 MacArthur myths • 11:59 Educating future commanders• 15:50 France’s end of empire• 22:57 Democratic drawbacks• 27:51 Putin’s position• 33:49 Ukraine endgame• 37:27 Better off without Putin• 39:09 Winter is coming
Nov 15, 2022 • 56min
Ep 49: William Inboden on Ronald Reagan
William Inboden, executive director and William Powers, Jr. Chair at the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin and author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink, joins the show to discuss Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy.▪️Times • 01:32 Introduction • 02:09 Inheriting détente • 06:13 The Soviet understanding • 09:56 Deterring strength, exploiting weakness • 13:42 Religious Reagan • 17:32 Bush as teammate • 20:54 Win without fighting • 25:47 Contradictions • 30:00 South and Central America • 35:35 Gorbachev • 40:23 Did Reagan’s approach work? • 43:53 Kissinger • 45:09 Reagan as manager • 50:07 Reagan’s legacy on the Right
Nov 8, 2022 • 55min
Ep 48: Ian Beckett on the Anglo-Zulu War
Ian Beckett, professor emeritus of military history at the University of Kent and author of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, joins the show to talk about the two most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War.▪️Times • 01:58 Introduction • 02:22 British interests in Zululand • 06:52 The Zulu system • 09:55 The British plan • 13:12 The horns of the buffalo • 16:49 Isandlwana • 26:44 Innate warriors • 29:14 Aftermath • 33:18 Movies and myths • 42:11 Rorke’s Drift • 48:38 Firepower wins out • 53:56 A western way of war?
Nov 1, 2022 • 53min
Ep 47: Senator Tom Cotton on American Foreign Policy
Tom Cotton, senator from Arkansas and author of Only the Strong: Reversing the Left's Plot to Sabotage American Power, joins the show to talk about U.S. foreign policy.▪️Times • 01:03 Introduction • 03:43 Formative Interests • 06:47 Bill Rood And The Distant Ramparts • 11:13 Joining The Infantry • 13:30 Iraq & Afghanistan • 18:39 Congress • 21:19 Foreign Entanglements • 25:54 Progressivism • 32:06 Vietnam • 38:52 Iran • 44:26 Withdrawal • 47:15 American Interests And The Rimland
Oct 25, 2022 • 55min
Ep 46: James M. Scott on Curtis LeMay in World War II
James M. Scott, author of Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, joins the show to talk about the World War II career of one of the most important and controversial American generals of the 20th Century, Curtis LeMay, and his leadership of the strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific. ▪️Times • 02:00 Introduction • 03:02 Teaching In Japan • 06:27 Lemay, Tireless Worker • 09:47 Bomber Vs Fighter • 11:43 Europe, B-17, and B-29 • 19:54 Hansel & O’Donnell • 30:00 LeMay Takes Over • 32:37 From Dresden To Tokyo • 35:10 On His Own Authority • 40:26 “We’ll Be Tried As War Criminals” • 43:07 Firestorm • 49:06 What Brought Peace?
Oct 18, 2022 • 55min
Ep 45: Randall Schriver on China
Randall Schriver, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific affairs and Chairman of the Project 2049 Institute, joins the show to talk about U.S.-China relations and a new project, the China Economic & Strategy Initiative. Times • 02:10 Introduction• 03:36 “Take Chinese Language” • 11:21 Why 2049?• 13:40 China In The ’90s • 18:13 Power Projection and Missiles• 28:10 The Diplomatic Situation • 35:00 Economic Entanglement • 42:44 Decoupling • 47:32 Urgency And Policy • 52:00 DeterrenceCheck out the China Economic & Strategy Initiative here - https://cesionline.org
Oct 11, 2022 • 42min
Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff
Ep 44: Jay Lockenour on Erich Ludendorff ▪️Jay Lockenour, associate professor of history at Temple University and author of Dragonslayer: The Legend of Erich Ludendorff in the Weimar Republic and Third Reich, joins the show to talk about the life of the infamous German general and politician. ▪️Times • 01:30 Introduction• 02:00 Ludendorff’s Significance• 03:08 Ludendorff’s Early Life• 05:02 Not Quite A Matinee Idol • 07:13 The German General Staff• 11:43 A General Without Portfolio• 17:50 The War And The Myth • 22:23 For The Record - The German Military Lost • 26:12 The Early 1920’s• 29:49 Erich And Adolf • 34:10 Ludendorff And The Right• 37:00 The Holocaust And Ludendorff
Sep 13, 2022 • 1h 2min
Ep 43: Eli Lake on the Bush administration in the Middle East
Eli Lake, host of The Re-Education and national security journalism fellow at the Clements Center, joins the show to talk about 9/11 and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. ▪️Times • 02:04 Introduction• 02:43 From Philly To The Middle East• 05:14 9/11• 07:49 The World Before • 09:20 No More Nation Building• 12:03 Neo-Cons Or Not• 18:09 Liberal Internationalists • 22:05 Early Mistakes• 29:08 Baking In Problems • 32:46 The Bonn Conference • 37:04 Capable Of Being Free• 41:04 Toppling Sadam - Right or Wrong? • 45:47 WMDs And Insurgency• 53:25 New Strategies • 56:51 The Surge • 59:01 The Loss Of Choice
