USAHEC Perspectives Lectures Series (Audio)

The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century Feb 07, 2025

As the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., USMC (Ret.), oversaw some of the most important — and controversial operations in modern U.S. military history. He had direct operational responsibility for the strikes on Qassem Soleimani and two successive leaders of ISIS, the many months of deterrence operations against Iran and its proxies, and the methodical drawdown in Iraq. He directed the noncombatant evacuation operation in Afghanistan, and our final withdrawal from that tortured country.

His book, The Melting Point has three themes which are as follows.

The first one is the importance of the primacy of civilian control of the military. The second theme is the uniqueness of being a combatant commander. Combatant commanders participate in the development of policy, although as junior partners. Finally, the third theme that McKenzie argues is that leaders matter, and the decisions they make have a profound effect on what happens on the battlefield. McKenzie provides a vivid portrait of leadership in action in one of the most volatile regions of the world.

Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. graduated from The Citadel in 1979 and was commissioned as a Marine Corps officer, beginning his notable military career as an infantry officer, which would ultimately lead to his appointment as Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

Churchill's Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm Feb 07, 2025

During the 1930s, as Europe was teetering on the brink of crisis, Winston Churchill found himself out of government and with little political influence. In these years, his country home in Kent, England, “Chartwell”, became the center of his campaign against the rising threat of Nazi Germany. Churchill invited a diverse group of trusted advisors and informants, including Albert Einstein and T. E. Lawrence, to provide him with valuable intelligence and support as he tirelessly worked to sound the alarm about the looming threat of war.

Katherine Carter's book provides a fascinating account of the remarkable but little-known meetings that took place behind closed doors at Chartwell. From high-profile figures to political leaders, diplomats to spies, Carter reveals a fascinating cast of characters who each made their mark on Churchill's thinking and political strategy. With Chartwell as his base, Churchill was able to gather critical intelligence about Germany's preparations for war, ultimately positioning himself to have a significant impact on the course of history.

George Washington Versus the Continental Army: Showdown at the New Windsor Cantonment, 1782-1783 Feb 07, 2025

Author, historian, and veteran Michael S. McGurty discusses one of the last critical moments of the Revolutionary war based on his book "George Washington Versus the Continental Army: Showdown at the New Windsor Cantonment, 1782-1783 (2023).

Southern Strategies Why the Confederacy Failed Feb 07, 2025

Noted Civil War Historian and US Army War College Professor, Dr. Christian B. Keller, discusses his analysis of the failure of Confederate strategic leadership during the American Civil War based on his two books, "The Great Partnership (2019)" and "Southern Strategies: Why the Confederacy Failed (2021)."

Connecting Latino: Military Service and Belonging in the United States Nov 20, 2023

While research has shown Latinos are highly patriotic, political rhetoric often questions their patriotism and residence in the United States. In his lecture, Dr. McGlynn will examine how Latina/Latino aspirations to demonstrate patriotism and belonging influences their experiences with military recruitment and service.

Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778 Nov 09, 2023

Supply and logistics are an integral component of military operations, which influences every aspect of military planning, operational art, and strategy. Among the many challenges faced by the fledgling Continental Army was establishing secure sources of supplies. That challenge came on top of developing effective and efficient lines of communication, creating functional and reliable transportation systems, finding reliable and secure logistical bases, and successfully managing what was often an ad-hoc and improvised supply and logistical system.

In his most recent book “Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778”, U.S. Army War College professor Dr. Ricardo Herrera outlines how this system catastrophically failed at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778. Dr. Herrera discusses the causes of this failure; and how Washington and his logisticians overcame it to enable the Continental Army to fight the British army to a standstill at Monmouth that spring. 

Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command Sep 14, 2023

Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. In this lecture historian, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers alongside diaries, letters, and memoirs of fellow officers and enlisted men, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory.

Military History for the Modern Strategist: America’s Major Wars Since 1861 Aug 21, 2023

Military expert Dr. Michael O’Hanlon examines America’s major conflicts since the mid-1800s: the Civil War, the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. O’Hanlon addresses profound questions. How successful has the United States been when it waged these wars? Were the wars avoidable? Did America’s leaders know what they were getting into when they committed to war? And what lessons does history offer for future leaders contemplating war? —including the prospects for avoiding war in the first place.

Divisions: A New History of Race and America's World War II Military May 18, 2023

America's World War II military was a force of good. While saving the world from Nazism, it also managed to unify a famously fractious American people. At least that is the story the U.S. Army put forward through wartime propaganda during WW2, and remains popular today.

In this talk, historian and George Washington University associate professor Thomas Guglielmo offers a decidedly different view. This new perspective draws from more than a decade of extensive research and stitches together stories of race and the military; of high command and ordinary GIs; of African Americans, white Americans, Japanese Americans, and more, stories which have long been told separately. Guglielmo underscores not national unities, but racist divisions as a defining feature of America’s World War II military and of the postwar world it helped to fashion.

Tactical Arrogance: British Military Disasters In The Wilderness, 1755-1777 Apr 18, 2023

Defeat is a possibility in almost any undertaking. Understanding how to turn failures into lessons learned is a key contributing skill to bringing about future success. In two of his recent books, Dr. David L. Preston, the General Mark W. Clark Distinguished Professor of History at The Citadel, provides a framework of how to draw constructive criticism out of defeat.

Both “Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution” and “The Other Face of Battle: America’s Forgotten Wars and the Experience of Combat” analyze key takeaways hidden behind the immediate sting of failure, and the dangers of not dedicating time to bring those lessons to light.

Special Episode: Steve Leonard and The Further Adventures of Doctrine Man Apr 05, 2023

This lecture was recorded at the open house for the USAHEC's newest exhibit, “Ka-Pow Boom! Understanding the Soldier Experience through Comic and Illustrative Art.” Writer, former military strategist, and U.S. Army veteran Steve Leonard delivered a presentation on his comic series “The Further Adventures of Doctrine Man” In his presentation discussed the origins and inspiration for the iconic comic strip, and the impact it’s had on the U.S. Army.

A Revolution in Dignity: Writing the Ukrainian Spirit through Fiction with Kalani Pickhart Mar 30, 2023

In her award-winning novel “I Will Die In A Foreign Land”, author Kalani Pickhart offers an opportunity to connect with the human aspect of the conflict. The novel, winner of the 2022 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, lets readers experience the complex, and often intensely personal, circumstances leading up to the conflict through the stories of its main characters.

Respect and Authority: Dick Winters, Ronald Speirs, and the Mantle of Command Feb 17, 2023

The harrowing experiences of Major Dick Winters and Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Spiers, along with their abilities to successfully lead solders, provide deep insights for anyone interested in leadership and small unit dynamics. Frederick explores the specific elements, personal and professional, which enabled Winters and Spiers to become legendary leaders.

The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution Nov 23, 2022

Lecture at the USAHEC with U.S. Army War College professor Dr. Kevin J. Weddle:

In the late summer and fall of 1777, after two years of indecisive fighting on both sides, the outcome of the American War of Independence hung in the balance. Having successfully expelled the Americans from Canada in 1776, the British were determined to end the rebellion the following year and devised what they believed a war-winning strategy, sending General John Burgoyne south to rout the Americans and take Albany. When British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga with unexpected ease in July of 1777, it looked as if it was a matter of time before they would break the rebellion in the North. Less than three and a half months later, however, a combination of the Continental Army and Militia forces, commanded by Major General Horatio Gates and inspired by the heroics of Benedict Arnold, forced Burgoyne to surrender his entire army. The American victory stunned the world and changed the course of the war.

The Allure of Battle: A History of How Wars Have Been Won and Lost Oct 14, 2022

In the lecture Dr. Nolan will discusses the misconception that major battles determine clear-cut outcomes of wars, questioning the decisive power of even the most lopsided battles and debunking the concept of prodigies and geniuses of military strategy.

Fighting in the Desert: The American Civil War in the Southwest Sep 16, 2022

On September 14, 20022 the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, presented a lecture by Pulitzer Prize nominated author Dr. Megan Kate Nelson. In this lecture, Dr. Nelson discussed the American Civil War by introducing the national conflict’s impact on Indigenous peoples in the West and analyzing the strategic connections between the Civil War, Indian War, and western expansion. In highlighting the Civil War in the West, Dr. Nelson points attention to nine charismatic individuals who fought for regional control in the West in the midst of the larger military conflict.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu

Britain at Bay Aug 26, 2022

In this lecture, Dr. Alan Allport of Syracuse University, discusses World War II’s critical first years and how the United Kingdom’s strategic and political decisions impacted the outcome of the war.

The Democratic Advantage in Great Power Competition: Perspectives Lecture Series Jun 23, 2022

On June 22, 2022 the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, presented a lecture by Georgetown University Professor, Dr. Matthew Kroenig. In this lecture, Dr.Kroenig provided an in-depth analysis of the return to great power competition and how the democratic system of the United States is advantageous compared to the autocratic systems of Russia and China.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu

The Return of Empire and Great Power Competition Perspectives Lecture Series Apr 26, 2022

April 20, 2022 – Robert D. Kaplan

On April 20, 2022 the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, presented a lecture by the New York Times bestselling

author, Robert D. Kaplan. In this lecture, Mr. Kaplan provided a ground level

geopolitical primer of great power competition and the state of Europe, the

Middle East, and Asia. He also described how second phase globalization is

different than the first and the relevance of imperialism in today’s world.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

When France Fell: Perspective Lecture Series Mar 28, 2022

February 16, 2022 – Dr. Michael Neiberg

On February 16, 2022 the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, presented a lecture by Dr. Michael Neiberg of the U.S. Army War College based on his new book, “When France Fell: The Vichy Crisis and the Fate of the Anglo-American Alliance.”. In his lecture, Dr. Neiberg provides an in-depth analysis of the repercussions of the shocking six-week defeat of France by the Nazi regime in 1940. In panic and desperation, U.S. leaders chose to recognize the collaborationist Vichy government. Dr. Neiberg explores the resulting effects on the Anglo-American alliance, the relationships with other allies, and the prosecution of the war with Germany.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Edward M. Almond and the U.S. Army: From the 92nd Infantry Division to the X Corps Nov 17, 2021

On February 6, 2020, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania welcomed USAHEC Senior Historian Dr. Michael Lynch as he presented his talk on Edward M. Almond. Lt. Gen. Edward M. Almond was one of the more controversial leaders in U.S. Army history, but his story is more nuanced than the legends indicate. He commanded the 92nd Infantry Division—one of only two complete African American divisions formed during World War II—and led it through two years of training. He did so in a time when both the Army and American society were segregated, which presented training and stationing challenges. Almond lived by the adage that “units don’t fail, leaders do,” but when the 92nd performed poorly in Italy in February 1945, he asserted that it was due to their inferiority as a race. The Almond legends highlight his shortcomings as a leader, but don’t address the maltreatment of all African American Soldiers by a separate but unequal society, and how those cultural mores affected Almond’s perspective.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Shifting the Oversight Lens on Cyberspace Operations: Perspectives Lecture Oct 20, 2021

On September 16, 2021 at 6:30PM EST, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania welcomed Prof. Amy Gaudion, of Penn State Dickinson Law, as she presented her lecture, Shifting the Oversight Lens on Cyberspace Operations. In this lecture, Prof. Gaudion examines the recent expansion of the U.S. government’s cyber authorities, to engage in both offensive and defensive measures, and explains how that expansion has coincided with a weakening and dispersion of congressional oversight mechanisms. Professor Gaudion proposes alternative mechanisms for plugging the gaps in the oversight structure and for ensuring appropriate limits on the use of cyber capabilities, considering their potential for unintended escalation, catastrophic effects, harm to third-parties, damage to diplomatic relationships, and the development of reciprocal state actions at odds with the goal of creating international norms in cyberspace.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Statecraft and Cyberspace: Is the Best Cyber-Defense a Good Cyber-Offense? Sep 13, 2021

Boy on the Bridge: Perspectives Lecture Series Sep 01, 2021

August 19, 2020 – Dr. Andrew Marble

On August 19, 2020 the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, presented a lecture by Dr. Andrew Marble of Brown University based on his new book, Boy on the Bridge: The Story of John Shalikashvili’s American Success. In his lecture, Dr. Marble tells the story of John Shalikashvili, the son of immigrants who fled Europe to the safety of the United States after World War II. Despite his underprivileged upbringing, Shalikashvili clawed his way to a Bachelor’s degree before being drafted into the Army and attending Officer Candidate School. Shalikashvili’s empathetic and collaborative approach to leadership impressed his colleagues, subordinates, and leadership alike. He demonstrated his expertise in military affairs through his ability to handle conflict, his humility, and his ability to work well with others. He rose rapidly in rank, eventually serving as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe for NATO and then as the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. In his lecture, Dr. Andrew Marble studies Shalikashvili’s leadership style through the lens of Shalikashvili’s family struggles, his career as a junior officer, and how he broke the chains of poverty to achieve the highest position in the American Armed Forces.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Ashley’s War: Perspectives Lecture Series Aug 18, 2021

November 18, 2015 - Gayle Lemmon

In 2010, the United States Army created Cultural Support Teams (CTS), a secret pilot program to insert women alongside Special Operations Soldiers battling in Afghanistan. The women of the CSTs put themselves in the line of fire to build relationships with the women of both the Afghan mountains and the tough streets of the Afghanistan cities. In November 2015, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in Carlisle, PA presented a lecture by Gayle Lemmon, author and Senior Fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, based on her book, Ashley’s War. Lemon discussed the complexities of war, as well as the stories of the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of the members of the CST team. Her talk also covered why the Army believed women could play a unique role on the Specials Ops teams.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Bugs and Nukes, Ethics and Leadership Jul 07, 2021

August 21, 2013-Dr. Conrad Crane

Though the Korean War was a limited conflict, there were many operational and technological temptations to expand it. America's allies feared the United States would again resort to atomic bombs as they did against Japan, and Communist enemies propagated elaborate accusations about the employment of biological warfare. Political and military leaders certainly considered using such weapons, though the reasons they never did are varied and complex. Dr. Conrad Crane describes the practical and ethical reasoning behind strategic leaders' decisions, particularly emphasizing the pressures they faced in a limited war with the potential to be much worse. He also discusses the research process to investigate such decision-making and the special difficulties involved in dealing with classified sources about weapons of mass destruction. The lecture is a detective story with twists and turns and more than a little luck involved.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers,researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please vist our website at www.usahec.org.

Berlin 1945: Perspectives Lecture Series Jun 02, 2021

April 22, 2021 – Mr. D.M. Giangreco

On April 22, 2021 at 6:30PM EST, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania welcomed author and scholar Mr. D.M. Giangreco as he presented his lecture, Berlin 1945: The Halt on the Elbe and the Redeployment to the Pacific. In this lecture, Mr. Giangreco discusses the steep increase in U.S. losses during the "casualty surge" of 1944-45 and its relationship to "the Berlin decision" to halt the U.S. Army’s drive into Germany instead of allowing them to push on to the German capital. Manpower needs for the planned invasion of Japan and the complex redeployment to the Pacific Theater principally drove this decision and had implications for the decision to use the atomic bomb. Mr. Giangreco highlights the ethical discussions and reasoning behind these strategic decisions, their long-lasting impact, and historical significance.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Responsible AI as Process, not Product: Perspectives Lecture Series May 05, 2021

February 18, 2021 – Dr. David Danks

On February 18, 2021, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in coordination with the Army Heritage Center Foundation, welcomed Dr. David Danks, who presented a live-streamed lecture via ZOOM that explored the critically important topic of military applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ethical questions that arise with the idea of “responsible AI." In this talk, Dr. Danks provided a short history of military AI ethics discussions and looked carefully at the nature of “responsible AI,” with a particular focus on military uses. He argued that we should focus on the processes and practices that we use to design, develop, and deploy AI-enabled systems, rather than fine-grained technical details of the systems themselves.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

How to Think Like an Officer: Perspectives Lecture Series Apr 07, 2021

March 11, 2021 – Dr. Reed Bonadonna

On March 11, 2021, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania welcomed author and scholar Dr. Reed Bonadonna to present his lecture, How to Think Like an Officer: The Officer as Visionary. In this lecture, Dr. Bonadonna argued that the military officer corps functions as a collective repository of knowledge of the nature of armed conflict, causes and consequences, and of peace and victory. An officers’ education and experience, combined with reflection, can equip them for visionary thought, a form of thinking that can enhance their role as a serving officer and as a citizen. He discussed a variety of facets of this topic, including careful consideration of the past and future, death and the officer, the "ethical turn," the problem of political engagement, the officer's dreams, and peace and conflict studies. He also examined the ways in which history and literature provided examples of the officer-as-visionary.

To learn more about the USAHEC, find education support for teachers, researchers, and soldiers, or to find more programs at the USAHEC, please visit our website at www.usahec.org.

Developing Strategists - Dr. Brooks E. Kleber Memorial Lecture Series Jun 03, 2020

May 7, 2020 - Dr. Thomas Bruscino

On May 7, 2020, at 6:30 PM EST, the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania live-streamed a lecture entitled Developing Strategists, Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Interwar Army War College by U.S. Army War College Associate Professor Dr. Thomas Bruscino. The lecture is based on a paper written by Dr. Bruscino in conjunction with the USAHEC Historical Services Division. General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, did not achieve his position or victory in World War II by accident. The overwhelming majority of senior leaders who led the United States to victory in World War II relied on world-class education and mentorship at the U.S. Army War College. Making extensive use of the Army War College’s archival records at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, Dr. Bruscino’s lecture will describe the U.S. Army War College during Eisenhower’s tenure as a student in the 1927-1928 school year. He will offer insights into professional military education at the strategic level, interwar military reform, and the professional experiences of most of the senior leaders of World War II.