The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare

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E65: The Battlefield Staff Ride May 20, 2023

Show notes

Why do we study old battles? Historic examples of strategy help us to understand enduring lessons about why nations win or don’t win wars. But historic battles and campaigns were fought using weapons, tactics, and other technology that have little relevance to modern warfare. What is the value in studying them and if we should, then how should we go about it? This episode describes one technique: the Battlefield Staff Ride.

The views in these podcasts are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or any other organization I have been associated with.

Music: Liszt, Les Preludes, perfomed by the USMC Band. Public Domain

E64 Military Coup d’États Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

In Episode 64, Why Wagner, I said one possible risk associated the Wagner Group is the potential that, like previous elite and ostensibly politically reliable mercenary forces, Wagner could be a threat to the Russian government. But what is the likelihood of that happening? This episode explores how military or paramilitary forces might turn on their own governments in a coup d’état.

Disclaimer: The views in these podcasts are my own and do not represent the official position of any organization I might be affiliated with.

Music: Liszt: Les Preludes, recorded by the USMC Band. Public Domain

E63: Why Wagner? Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

In the past few months, Moscow has used the Wagner Group as the centerpiece in recent military operations in Ukraine. This is very different from how Wagner has been used in Africa. Why is Putin giving a quasi-mercenary organization such a central and visible role in its war with Ukraine? There could be different reasons, each of which present advantages and significant risks: risks for Putin, for Russia, for Ukraine, and for future conflict and conflict resolution.

Music: Liszt, Les Preludes; recorded by the USMC Band. Music and recording in Public Domain.

E62: Mercenaries, Terrorism, and War Crimes Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

The difference between war and terrorism is that war is, in theory, governed by international law, whereas terrorism is criminal in nature and execution. So where does that leave the use of mercenaries in modern warfare, and particularly the infamous Wagner Group? Are they terrorists? Are they legitimate combatants? Are they both or something else? Can official designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization close an accountability gap?

These episodes are not monetized or sponsored, so if you would like these episodes to continue, if you think these are worthwhile, then hit the like button and share the podcast.

For more information see:

The Department of Defense Law of War Manual, 2015

The Lawfare Blog: It’s Time to Designate the Wagner as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, June 30, 2022, https://www.lawfareblog.com/its-time-designate-wagner-group-foreign-terrorist-organization

Music:

Les Preludes: Liszt; Recorded by USMC Band (Public Domain)

Mecenaries: Per Killstofte/Machinasound (Licensed)

E61: War and Terrorism Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

If there is one thing that pacifists and generals agree on, it is that war is terrible. The dictionary definition of terrible is “causing terror.” If war, by its very nature, causes terror, then what is the difference between war and terrorism? I explore that in this episode, leading up to the next episode, where I will apply this information to the war in Ukraine. That is the subject of the next few episodes of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. If you think these podcasts are worth listening to, please hit like.

Disclaimer: The information in these podcasts is my own analysis and opinion and does not represent the views of the Department of Defense or any organization I am or have been affiliated with.

E60: The Myth of Limited War Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

What if I told you that neither Total War or Limited War reflect reality? Further that the West's concept of limited war only limits the ability of states to achieve the only acceptable goal of any war?

For further reading:

Stoker, Donald, Why America Loses Wars: Limited War and US Strategy from the Korean War to the present, ISBN978-1-009-22086-6

Summers, Harry, , On Strategy ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0891415637

E59: Conventional Warfare is NOT Dead Nov 20, 2022

Show notes

With the current war in Ukraine, it may seem obvious that conventional war is still important. But less than a year ago, many prominent military experts said otherwise. Some writers and opinion leaders still maintain that the current conflict is an exception, an aberration, and focusing on conventional war, or traditional warfare does not prepare us for future conflict. They are wrong.

E58: Is Combat Aviation Still Relevant? Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Twitter and You Tube can present an inaccurate picture of modern warfare. In the previous Podcast, I described how the tank continues to be relevant on the modern battlefield, despite social media images. This same social media depicts Combat aviation of all varieties falling from the sky on a daily basis, without apparent battlefield effect. Col. Jayson Altieri, US Army Retired, and instructor at the US Air War College joins me for an open discussion on the use and misuse of combat aviation in modern warfare.

The Tank is NOT Dead, Long Live the Tank! Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

Video clips show Russian tanks in Ukraine blowing up after being hit by various anti-tank guided missiles. Moscow has lost so many tanks that some reports say they are forced to pull obsolete models from reserve stocks or even museums. The conclusion in popular media is that the tank is dead, obsolete as a weapon of modern combat. I think that the tank is as important today as any time in history. Like all previous times in history, it is a matter of how it is used -- or misused.

Also please check out "No the Tank is Not Dead" by "The Chieftan: at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI7T650RTT8

E56: The Law of War; I’m not dead yet! Jun 12, 2022

Show notes

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine disproves many recent predictions about the future of war. This includes the predictions about the death of the law of war. The perception of the legitimacy of war depends in large part on seemingly ancient notions of Jus Ad Bellum and Jus in Bello. The war in Ukraine shows that legitimacy, or loss of legitimacy, has serious consequences.

For more information on the material in this podcast see:

“The End of History”: https://www.c-span.org/video/?24282-1/the-end-history-man

“The Laws of War on Land”: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=B06FB334DC14CBD1C12563CD00515767

“Should the Laws of War Apply to Terrorists?” https://www.jstor.org/stable/25658249

“On the Nature of War”: Helmuth von Moltke: http://www.gwpda.org/1914m/moltke.html

Defense Department Law of War Manual: https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/DoD Law of War Manual - June 2015 Updated Dec 2016.pdf?ver=2016-12-13-172036-190

"Russia’s military is incompetent. That makes it more dangerous." https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/03/17/russia-military-failing-dangerous/

Col. Christopher T. Mayer, US Army Retired, is a former instructor of the US Army Command and General Staff College and the Naval War College, guest lecturer on national security at academic institutions in the United States and Europe, and developed operational and organizational concepts for future warfare. He is a veteran of combat operations in Iraq and peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Balkans.

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