School of War - Nebulous Media

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 8: H.W. Brands on the Patriots and the Loyalists Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Biography

H.W, Brands is the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his doctorate in history. He is the author of thirty books, including two which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize: The First American and Traitor to His Class. His latest book, released November 9, is Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution.

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01:51- Introduction
07:36 - The sidelining of the Loyalists in American history and memory
12:53 - Individual decisions in the context of the Revolutionary War
18:42 - The Indian population and Joseph Brant
23:20 - The decision to rebel

Recorded on November 9, 2021

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Ep. 7: John McManus on the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

Biography

John McManus is the Curators' Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. McManus completed his doctorate in military history at the University of Tennessee and is the author of more than a dozen books. His latest, Island Infernos: The US Army's Pacific War Odyssey, 1944, is the second installment of a trilogy detailing the U.S. Army's role in the Pacific theater during World War II.

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01:12 - Introduction
03:38 - Misperceptions of the Army and Marines in Guadalcanal
08:44 - The Army's role in the Pacific
12:46 - Geography of the Pacific and dividing the theater between General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz
18:30 - Island hopping and the turning point in the Pacific theater
22:26 - The infantry's experience in combat
23:52 - The Pearl Harbor Conference and the endgame of war in the Pacific
31:55 - General Joseph Stilwell and China
38:39 - Prisoners of War in Japan
41:32 - The legacy of the War in the Pacific

Recorded November 23, 2021

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Ep. 6: Frank Ledwidge on Airpower Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Biography

Frank Ledwidge is a senior fellow of law and strategy at the Royal Air Force College in Cranwell, England. Ledwidge served as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve and later worked in British foreign policy, focusing on the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In 2015, Ledwidge earned his doctorate in War Studies at the King's College in London. He is the author of several books, including Losing Small Wars: British Military Failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, Investment in Blood: The True Cost of Britain's Afghan War, and Aerial Warfare: The Battle for the Skies.

Times

01:14 - Introduction
04:27 - Origins and importance of airpower in the World War I
10:43 - From air reconnaissance to air bombings
12:43 - The Interwar Period and the "prophets" of air war
17:57 - How air bombing theories influence British and American World War II strategy
22:04 - Air raid casualties
29:05 - Control of the air during the Cold War
34:49 - Perceptions of the U.S.'s mistaken bombing of the Chinese Embassy
36:49 - Airpower in modern wars
38:57 - Theories of air warfare applied to space

Recorded November 2, 2021

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Ep. 5: Wayne Hsieh on Robert E. Lee Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Biography

Wayne Hsieh is a history professor at the United States Naval Academy. He served on the State Department's provincial reconstruction team in Iraq from 2008 to 2009 and is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the Army's Commander's Award for Civilian Service and the State Department's Meritorious Honors Award. Hsieh is the author of numerous articles and the co-author of The Savage War: A Military History of the Civil War.

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01:17 - Introduction
06:50 - Hostility toward studying Robert E. Lee
12:50 - Lee and West Point
15:18 - Senior leadership of Confederate and Union armies at West Point
17:17 - Lee's job as a junior officer in the Army Corps of Engineers
19:17 - Lee's rise during the Mexican War
23:27 - Ulysses Grant
26:21 - Stereotypes and temperaments of Civil War leaders
31:50 - What drives Lee's tactical decision-making
34:07 - Lee's strategic mistake

Recorded October 6, 2021

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Ep. 4: Sean McMeekin on Stalin and World War II Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Biography

Sean McMeekin is a professor and historian who focuses on early 20th century Europe. In addition to his latest book, Stalin's War: A New History of World War II, McMeekin is the author of The Russian Revolution: A New History, July 1914: Countdown to War, and The Ottoman Endgame: War, Revolution, and the Making of the Modern Middle East, 1908 - 1923, as well as several other books. McMeekin currently serves as the Francis Flournoy Professor of European History at Bard College in New York.

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02:02 - Introduction
05:35 - The American understanding of Russia and Joseph Stalin in World War II
09:12 - Politics and Stalin's legacy
11:37 - Stalin's foreign policy prior to WWII
17:40 - Stalin secures the Japanese non-aggression pact
24:03 - The Soviets push for a war between Japan and the United States
27:29 - Harry Hopkins and the Lend-Lease Policy
33:58 - Stalin as an ally
37:17 - Demanding unconditional surrender
40:16 - Debate over what compelled the Japanese to surrender
42:03 - Reception of Stalin's War

Recorded October 6, 2021

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Ep. 3: Andrew Roberts on King George III Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Biography

Andrew Roberts is a professor, author, and military historian. He's written or edited nearly 20 books, including biographies of Sir Winston Churchill and Napoleon, as well as his latest title, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. Roberts is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the War Studies Department at King’s College, London.

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03:02- Introduction
04:05 - Why King George?
06:20 - How Britain wages war
13:39 - Party and class politics
15:44 - Britain's military strategy during the Revolutionary War
19:10 - Comparisons between the Revolution and World War II
20:30 - Fabian strategy in the Revolution
23:15 - George III's role in the War
25:52 - Forming new regiments
28:01 - What the British learn from their defeat
31:32 - Modern American portrayals of King George III
33:23 - Critiquing King George III's leadership and performance

Recorded September 17, 2021

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Ep. 2: Daniel Bolger on Maurice Rose Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

Biography

Daniel Bolger is a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Army. A graduate of the Citadel, Lt. General Bolger earned five bronze stars during his time in the military. He served as the commander of several units, including the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, as well as the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan. He earned a Ph.D. in military history form the University of Chicago and currently teaches at North Carolina State University.

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02:04 - Introduction
03:15 - Why Maurice Rose?
06:30 - What we know about Rose
10:39 - Rose's Motivations and relentless leadership
12:31 - Tank divisions in World War II
17:14 - Tank warfare following D-Day and maneuvering through the bocages
22:29 - Rose's command in the Battle of the Falaise Pocket
27:06 - Exhaustion and perseverance during battle
29:55 - What it takes to be a successful commander
34:07 - The final months of the War for Rose
40:09 - Leadership in today's forces

Recorded August 27, 2021

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Ep. 1: H.R. McMaster on the Gulf War Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Biography

H. R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was the 26th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

He is the author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.

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