School of War - Nebulous Media

Latest Episodes:

Ep 58: Philip Taubman on George Shultz Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Philip Taubman, lecturer at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation and author of In The Nation's Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz, joins the show to discuss the legacy of American statesmen George P. Shultz.

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Times

• 01:52 Introduction

• 02:14 First encounters with Schultz

• 06:44 An old-fashioned patriot

• 10:10 Secretary of State

• 15:38 Different approaches to defeating Communism

• 20:00 Two sides to Reagan

• 26:44 Hawks

• 31:05 Schultz, Clark, and Dobrynin

• 33:35 Arms control

• 38:24 The end of the Cold War

• 41:55 Tension as a tool

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Ep 57: Mike Gallagher on China and the U.S. Military Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Congressman Mike Gallagher, U.S. representative for Wisconsin’s 8th district and chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins the show to discuss his time as a Marine in Iraq, the dangers posed by the CCP, from Tik-Tok to maritime threats, and the crisis confronting our military’s culture.

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Times

• 01:26 Introduction

• 02:11 The China Committee

• 08:56 What’s the problem with Tik-Tok?

• 13:12 A reverse Opium War

• 15:25 A Marine from Green Bay

• 21:16 On the ground in Iraq

• 28:52 What’s the American interest in Taiwan?

• 32:05 Consequences of Taiwan’s defeat

• 38:21 Marine Corps force design

• 41:42 The Navy’s fighting spirit

• 46:31 Culture in the military

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Ep 56: Ronald H. Spector and the Chaos of Postwar Asia Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

Ronald H. Spector, Professor Emeritus of History at George Washington University and author of A Continent Erupts: Decolonization, Civil War, and Massacre in Postwar Asia, 1945-1955, joins the show to discuss the fall of Japan, the spread of Communism, and the role of the United States in postwar Asia.

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Times

• 01:34 Introduction

• 05:57 No clear plan

• 08:30 The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

• 10:51 The Indian National Army

• 12:12 Marines in North China

• 15:49 Levels of violence

• 17:24 Was 1949 preventable?

• 22:32 U.S. attitudes towards Korea

• 26:25 Kim Il-sung

• 28:17 Ho Chi Minh goes to Moscow

• 31:08 Stopping the spread of communism

• 33:03 Reconstruction

• 35:09 Post 1955

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Ep 55: Myke Cole and the Spartan Myth Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

Myke Cole, author of The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy, joins the show to discuss what most people get wrong about Sparta, arguing that Spartan warriors were neither more deadly, nor more successful in war, than other Greeks of their day.

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Times

• 01:09 Introduction

• 05:13 “Not especially tough”

• 09:17 Getting it right, not being right

• 10:48 What is the “Bronze Lie”?

• 16:57 Captured by politics

• 23:23 Who were the Spartans?

• 30:11 Spartan slavery

• 34:09 The Greco-Persian Wars

• 37:00 Thermopylae

• 41:32 Sparta and soft power

• 45:30 “Making the time”

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Ep 54: Jonathan Kirshner on Realism Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

Jonathan Kirshner, Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Boston College and author of An Unwritten Future: Realism, Uncertainty, and World Politics, joins the show to discuss realism and realists.

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Times

• 01:40 Introduction

• 02:25 What is Realism?

• 07:10 The birth of modern Realism

• 11:59 To be “scientific” and “predictive”

• 15:10 Not a rejection of social sciences

• 19:30 “Purpose matters”

• 23:40 Liberalism

• 28:04 The Twenty Years Crisis

• 36:00 Ideology matters

• 42:07 The China challenge

• 48:04 Sleepwalking into war?

• 55:48 Where does classical realism fall short?

• 01:02:10 Finding moral counsel

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Ep 53: David M. Pritchard on Athens at War Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

David M. Pritchard, Associate Professor of Greek History at the University of Queensland and author of Athenian Democracy at War, joins the show to discuss how and why ancient Athens fought its wars.

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Times

• 01:41 Introduction

• 02:3 Martial culture in Athens

• 05:08 Democracy and victory

• 11:42 Innovation and participation

• 15:38 Joining up in ancient Athens

• 19:10 Broad support for war

• 24:43 Military morality

• 30:49 Control of the battlefield is victory

• 38:28 Democracy and war today

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Ep 52: Dr. Michael Livingston on the battle of Crécy Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

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.

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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

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Ep 51: Alexander Mikaberidze on Kutuzov Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

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.

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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

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Ep 50: Lawrence Freedman on Command Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

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.

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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

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Ep 49: William Inboden on Ronald Reagan Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

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.

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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