Best Statesmen Media Podcasts (2024)

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Ep 134: Michael Sobolik on China’s Geostrategy 50:28

3h ago50:28

50:28

Michael Sobolik, author of Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance and Senior Fellow in Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, joins the show to talk about China. ▪️ Times • 01:38 Introduction • 04:29 Belt and Road • 07:54 The Beginning • 13:12 Chinese imperialism • 20:50 Mackinder’s math • 25:19 Nazi …

1
Ep 133: James Holland on World War II in Italy, 1943 43:45

2h ago43:45

43:45

James Holland, author of The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943 and host of the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast, joins the show to talk about the Allied campaign in Italy. ▪️ Times • 02:08 Introduction • 04:23 “No greater moment of human drama…” • 11:08 Why go into Italy at all? • 18:24 Mission to Rome • 29:33 Baytown and Avalanche • 3…

1
Ep 132: Michael Kofman on the Battlefield in Ukraine (War in Ukraine #4) 47:33

41m ago47:33

47:33

Michael Kofman, Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about the operational phases of the war in Ukraine. ▪️ Times • 01:28 Introduction • 02:14 A case of “Two Wars” • 09:37 Operatin…

1
Ep 131: Thomas Mahnken on Strategic Fallacies (War in Ukraine #3) 55:11

4d ago55:11

55:11

Thomas Mahnken, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about how strategic fallacies have played a role in Ukraine. ▪️ Times • 01:33 Introduction • 02:30 Fallacies of rationality • 05:36 Is war irration…

1
Ep 130: John Spencer on Israel’s Unprecedented War (or, Urban Warfare 101) 58:58

25d ago58:58

58:58

John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and host of the Urban Warfare Project, joins the show to talk about urban combat and how Israel is fighting an unprecedented war against Hamas with justice and humanity. ▪️ Times • 01:50 Introduction • 02:08 Fighting and teaching • 09:31 Changes in urban warfare • 17:14 Terrai…

1
Ep 129: Frank Gavin on Nuclear Strategy and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #2) 53:21

28d ago53:21

53:21

Frank Gavin, the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about nuclear strategy and the war in Ukraine. ▪️ Times • 01:36 Introduction • 0…

1
Ep 128: Stephen Kotkin on Russia and Ukraine (War in Ukraine #1) 58:38

25d ago58:38

58:38

Stephen Kotkin, Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and contributor to War in Ukraine: Conflict, Strategy, and the Return of a Fractured World, joins the show to talk about the war in Ukraine and what the endgame might look like. ▪️ Times • 02:24 Introduction • 05:09 Four victories • 11:48 “Winning only on Twitter” • 22:36 10/7 and U…

1
Ep 127: Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine on the Failed Pivot to Asia 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

Robert Blackwill & Richard Fontaine, authors of Lost Decade: The US Pivot to Asia and the Rise of Chinese Power, join the show to talk about America’s failed pivot to Asia and why they think it still needs to happen. ▪️ Times • 01:59 Introduction • 03:10 Was the pivot serious? • 07:40 Absent compulsion • 13:25 War in Europe? • 22:46 Changes to the …

1
Ep 126: Michel Paradis on D-Day and Eisenhower 49:36

2M ago49:36

49:36

Michel Paradis—litigator, national security law scholar, and author of The Light of Battle: Eisenhower, D-Day, and the Birth of the American Superpower—joins the show to talk about D-Day and the man behind the invasion, Dwight Eisenhower. ▪️ Times • 01:49 Introduction • 01:56 “Wildly under appreciated” • 05:17 Upbringing • 11:40 Seeing the world as…

1
Ep 125: Nick Bunker on America and the Early Cold War 52:30

2M ago52:30

52:30

Nick Bunker, journalist and author of In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950, joins the show to talk about the first decade of the Cold War. ▪️ Times • 01:36 Introduction • 02:26 Countdown to war • 05:17 Biden and Truman • 09:05 A failure of American policy? • 13:09 Present at the Creation • 21:16 Stalin’s view of the world • 25:50 St…

1
Ep 124: Shane Brennan on Xenophon and Leadership 45:38

2M ago45:38

45:38

Shane Brennan, Associate Professor of History and Classics at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh and author of Xenophon's Anabasis: A Socratic History, joins the show to talk about why the Anabasis remains an important part of the Western canon of military writing. ▪️ Times • 01:30 Introduction • 02:05 Dubai to Bangladesh • 05:37 Xenophon…

1
Ep 123: Sergey Radchenko on Soviet Motivations in the Cold War 49:32

2M ago49:32

49:32

Sergey Radchenko, Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power, joins the show to talk about the strategic aims of the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War and how the Soviets attempted to run the world. ▪️ Times • 01:17 In…

1
Ep 122: Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger on a Victory Strategy for China 36:30

2M ago36:30

36:30

Mike Gallagher and Matt Pottinger join the show to discuss their recent Foreign Affairs essay on the need for a victory strategy in America’s cold war with China. ▪️ Times • 01:53 Introduction • 03:25 Meeting in Iraq • 07:43 “There are bad guys…” • 13:15 Why detente isn’t working • 23:45 Real statesmanship? • 32:12 Rearm/Reduce/Recruit • 35:20 TikT…

1
Ep 121: Andy Lowery on Drones and Directed Energy 47:59

3M ago47:59

47:59

Andy Lowery, CEO of EPIRUS and a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, joins the show to talk about directed energy weapons on the modern battlefield. ▪️ Times • 01:45 Introduction • 02:02 Before EPIRUS • 06:29 Drones on the battlefield • 13:30 Current countermeasures • 19:40 An answer for autonomy • 21:32 How does it all work? • 29:54 Beam specs…

1
Ep 120: Iskander Rehman on the Emperor Tiberius and American Primacy 44:12

3M ago44:12

44:12

Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at the Johns Hopkins SAIS Kissinger Center and author of Iron Imperator: Roman Grand Strategy Under Tiberius, joins the show to talk about the military career and statecraft of Tiberius and what his career has to teach us today. ▪️ Times • 02:32 Introduction • 03:29 The Pentagon and Rome • 07:29 Why Tiberius? …

1
Ep 119: Yaroslav Trofimov on the War in Ukraine 45:15

3M ago45:15

45:15

Yaroslav Trofimov, chief foreign-affairs correspondent at The Wall Street Journal and author of Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence, joins the show to talk about the early days of Russia’s war in Ukraine, how the battlefield has evolved, and where the war may be headed. ▪️ Times • 01:48 Introduction • 02:…

1
Ep 118: Michael Doran on Is Hamas Winning? 36:42

3M ago36:42

36:42

Michael Doran, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute and co-host of the podcast Counterbalance, joins the show to talk about the Israel-Hamas war and the broader regional competition with Iran. ▪️ Times • 02:04 Introduction • 04:01 Is Hamas winning? • 10:29 Fighting the clocks • 1…

1
Ep 117: Shlomo Brody on the Ethics of War 45:41

4M ago45:41

45:41

Rabbi Shlomo Brody, executive director of Ematai and author of Ethics of Our Fighters: A Jewish View on War and Morality, joins the show to talk about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the Jewish tradition of military ethics. ▪️ Times • 01:28 Introduction • 04:04 Just war • 07:27 The Bible as a framework • 13:34 International service • 1…

1
Ep 116: David Stahel on Guderian and Hitler’s Panzer Generals 1:03:04

4M ago1:03:04

1:03:04

David Stahel, associate professor of history at the University of New South Wales and author of Hitler's Panzer Generals: Guderian, Hoepner, Reinhardt and Schmidt Unguarded, joins the show to talk about Heinz Guderian, the myth and the man. ▪️ Times • 01:38 Introduction • 02:57 Diving into the letters • 08:43 Debunking • 15:30 A sinister figure • 1…

1
Ep 115: Stephen Robinson on the Case against John Boyd 56:07

4M ago56:07

56:07

Stephen Robinson, author of The Blind Strategist: John Boyd and the American Art of War, joins the show to talk about Boyd, the man who developed the concept of “maneuver warfare,” and what Boyd may have gotten wrong. ▪️ Times • 01:21 Introduction • 02:24 “A genuine polymath” • 04:20 The OODA Loop • 07:39 J.F.C. Fuller and B.H. Liddell Hart • 13:28…

1
Ep 114: Eric Edelman on the Foundations of Nuclear Strategy (New Makers of Modern Strategy #11) 56:41

4M ago56:41

56:41

Eric Edelman, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Ambassador to Turkey and Finland, joins the show to talk about how nuclear strategic thinking began and how those debates resonate today. ▪️ Times • 01:47 Introduction • 02:45 Oppenheimer’s Borden in reality • 07:00 Brodie and The Absolute Power • 11:12 Deterrence before Hiroshima • 13:…

1
Ep 113: Rebeccah Heinrichs on Today’s Crisis of American Deterrence 43:32

5M ago43:32

43:32

Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative, joins the show to talk about the state of U.S. deterrence of Russia, Iran, and China—and what Washington could be doing better. ▪️ Times • 01:42 Introduction • 02:18 Conventional and strategic deterrence • 04:06 A failure of strategic dete…

1
Ep 112: Paul Scharre on AI 101 49:44

5M ago49:44

49:44

Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at CNAS and author of Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, joins the show to talk about how AI will change the battlefield. ▪️ Times • 01:38 Introduction • 01:54 Becoming a Ranger • 03:48 A defining moment • 07:25 A historical parallel for AI • 11:16 Hardware…

1
Ep 111: Prit Buttar on the Siege of Leningrad and War in the East 1:07:11

5M ago1:07:11

1:07:11

Prit Buttar, historian and author of To Besiege a City: Leningrad 1941–42, joins the show to talk about the siege of Leningrad and about the nature of war on the Eastern Front. ▪️ Times • 01:56 Introduction • 02:10 A familiar story • 06:09 Themes of the Eastern Front • 13:19 From Tsar to Stalin to Putin • 11:10 Barbarosa • 19:45 An immense scale • …

1
Ep 110: Thomas Mahnken on Net Assessment 46:31

6M ago46:31

46:31

Thomas Mahnken, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, joins the show to talk about net assessment and the future of war. ▪️ Times • 01:39 Introduction • 02:02 An interesting journey • 03:33 The Office of Net Assessment • 09:49 A tool, not a solution • 13:19 Both quantity and quality matter • 15…

1
Ep 109: John Noonan on Nuclear Weapons and Policy 55:23

6M ago55:23

55:23

John Noonan, senior advisor at POLARIS National Security, joins the show to talk about all things nuclear; the life of a missileer, the current U.S. arsenal and its production problems, the strategy of deterrence, and how Congressional oversight helps/hinders good government. ▪️ Times • 01:34 Introduction • 02:04 VMI and the Air Force • 05:13 Missi…

1
Ep 108: Donald L. Miller on Masters of the Air 1:10:52

6M ago1:10:52

1:10:52

Donald L. Miller, historian and author of Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, the book behind Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, joins the show to talk about the air war over Europe during WWII. ▪️ Times • 01 :41 Introduction • 02:12 Growing up “surrounded by the war” • 15:35 Both sides are losing • 2…

1
Ep 107: John Orloff on Masters of the Air 52:08

6M ago52:08

52:08

John Orloff, creator, writer and co-executive producer of Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, joins Aaron to talk about the new show highlighting the WWII experiences of the men of the 100th Bomb Group, a part of the 8th Air Force’s strategic bombing campaign over Europe. Masters of the Air streams January 26th only on Apple TV+. ▪️ Times 02:25 Introdu…

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Ep 106: John McManus on the U.S. Army’s Pacific War 1:01:59

6M ago1:01:59

1:01:59

John McManus, author of To the End of the Earth: The US Army and the Downfall of Japan, 1945 and host of the We Have Ways of Making You Talk in the USA podcast, joins the show to talk about why the U.S. Army’s war in the Pacific during WWII merit deeper study and recognition. ▪️ Times • 02:12 Introduction • 03:57 Lessons to be learned • 05:32 The A…

1
Ep 105: Dmitry Filipoff on Modern Naval Tactics 52:33

7M ago52:33

52:33

Dmitry Filipoff, head of online content at the Center for International Maritime Security, joins the show to talk about modern naval tactics and the readiness of the U.S. Navy for a surface engagement with the PLA Navy. ▪️ Times • 01:26 Introduction • 02:48 Evolution in naval warfare • 05:46 Historical comps • 08:01 Lessons from the Red Sea • 09:37…

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Ep 104: Peter Feaver on “Wokeness,” Politics, and the Military 59:38

7M ago59:38

59:38

Peter Feaver, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Duke University and author of Thanks For Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military, joins the show to talk about the state of civil-military relations in America, and to call for a truce on the issue of “wokism.” ▪️ Times • 01:46 Introduction •…

1
Ep 103: Sean Mirski on American Hegemony 52:04

7M ago52:04

52:04

Sean Mirski, author of We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus, joins the show to talk about how the United States came to its global position and China’s attempts to match it. ▪️ Times • 01:40 Introduction • 2:22 An accidental project • 6:41 The view from Washington • 13:18 American paranoia • 16:43 Post…

1
Ep 102: Paul Edgar on the Warfare of the Ancient Near East 47:31

8M ago47:31

47:31

Paul Edgar, Executive Director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a scholar of ancient Near Eastern warfare, joins the show to talk about war and peace in the old days—the very old days. ▪️ Times • 02:58 Introduction • 10:07 Olmsted • 16:00 The Bronze Age • 22:07 Verifying…

1
Ep 101: Iskander Rehman on Wars of Protraction 50:07

8M ago50:07

50:07

Iskander Rehman, Ax:son Johnson Fellow at SAIS’s Kissinger Center and author of Planning for Protraction: A Historically Informed Approach to Great-power War and Sino-US Competition, joins the show to talk about how future wars might be more a test of national endurance than expected. ▪️ Times • 01:56 Introduction • 04:01 Sharp and short wars • 09:…

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Ep 100: Alexander Mikaberidze on Ridley Scott’s Napoleon 45:45

8M ago45:45

45:45

Alexander Mikaberidze, Professor of History and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University and author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, joins the show to talk about director Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. ▪️ Times • 02:54 Introduction • 04:52 First reactions • 08:18 Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon • 15:12 Propaganda of the time • 1…

1
Ep 99: Nicholas Morton on the Mongol Invasions 49:27

8M ago49:27

49:27

Nicholas Morton, associate professor of history at Nottingham Trent University and author of The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East, joins the show to talk about the Mongol invasions. ▪️ Times • 01:40 Introduction • 02:15 Central Asia before the Mongols • 04:15 Mongol methods • 09:15 Sailing the Eurasian Steppe • 13…

1
Ep 98: Matthew Waxman on the Israel, Hamas, and the Law of Armed Conflict 41:40

9M ago41:40

41:40

Matthew Waxman, Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, joins the show to talk about what’s lawful on the battlefield, what’s not, and how the laws of war apply to Israel and Hamas. ▪️ Times • 01:49 Introduction • 02:25 What is the law of war? • 05:05 How does it all work? • 08:15 What does it matter? • 11:06 A rule of law society •…

1
Ep 97: Edward Luttwak on the IDF and the War in Israel 46:25

9M ago46:25

46:25

Edward Luttwak, strategist and co-author of The Art of Military Innovation: Lessons from the Israel Defense Forces, joins the show to talk about the research and development methods of the IDF and events on the ground in Israel. ▪️ Times • 01:51 Introduction • 03:05 R&D the IDF way • 21:30 Evaluating Israel’s strategy • 25:30 Stopping the clock • 2…

1
Ep 96: Vincent O’Hara and Trent Hone on Naval Combat at Night 56:13

9M ago56:13

56:13

Vincent O’Hara and Trent Hone, naval historians and co-editors of Fighting in the Dark: Naval Combat at Night, 1904-1944, join the show to talk about how naval warfare was transformed by technology that made possible night combat at sea. ▪️ Times • 02:01 Introduction • 03:35 Night combat pre-19th century • 06:02 Why do we fight at night? • 09:30 Ge…

1
Ep 95: Richard Goldberg on the War in Israel & American Strategy 47:19

9M ago47:19

47:19

Rich Goldberg, senior advisor at Foundation for Defense of Democracies and co-host of Jewish Insider’s Limited Liability podcast, joins the show to talk about the war in Israel, Iran’s objectives, and America’s. ▪️ Times • 01:41 Introduction • 02:22 Sit Rep 10/23 • 12:05 Confused messaging from Washington • 20:21 Too clever by half • 24:54 Owner op…

1
Ep 94: Jonathan Schanzer on the War in Israel & Hamas 52:05

10M ago52:05

52:05

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to talk about the state of the war in Israel, the history of Hamas and its campaign to eradicate the Jewish state, and Israel’s plans to end the cycle forever. ▪️ Times • 01:41 Introduction • 02:24 The situation today • 04:55 Gaza’s terrai…

1
Ep 93: Michael Doran on the War in Israel & Ghosts of 1973 53:53

10M ago53:53

53:53

Michael Doran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, joins the show to talk about Iran-backed Hamas’ savage attack on Israel, how we can expect Israel to act in Gaza, prospects for escalation, and the echoes of 1973. ▪️ Times • 02:33 Introduction • 03:16 10/7 • 08:51 Potential Is…

1
Ep 92: Cliff May on Defending Democracies 56:05

10M ago56:05

56:05

Cliff May, founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joins the show to talk about the neo-imperialism of America’s adversaries and what defending democracy requires. ▪️ Times • 02:22 Introduction • 02:39 Taking on Jon Stewart • 06:50 Starting in the Soviet Union • 12:26 Policy activism • 20:11 Foundation for Defense of Dem…

1
Ep 91: Paul Rahe on Sparta’s Grand Strategy 52:19

10M ago52:19

52:19

Paul Rahe, Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in the Western Heritage at Hillsdale College, and author of Sparta's Sicilian Proxy War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta, 418-413 BC, joins the show to talk about proxy wars, the strategy of Sparta, and the role of regimes in the shaping of foreign policy. ▪️ Times • 01:37 Introduction • 06:4…

1
Ep 90: Andrew Krepinevich on Military Revolutions 48:19

10M ago48:19

48:19

Andrew Krepinevich, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of The Origins of Victory: How Disruptive Military Innovation Determines the Fates of Great Powers, joins the show to talk about how to interpret and think about military revolutions of the past and how that can help us forecast the shape of war in the future. ▪️ Times • 01:35 Int…

1
Ep 89: Mick Ryan on Ukraine, Taiwan, and Future War 54:20

11M ago54:20

54:20

Mick Ryan, Major General (retired) in the Australian Army and author of White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan, joins the show to talk about the war today in Ukraine, the potential war in Taiwan, and the changing character of war itself. ▪️ Times • 02:22 Introduction • 05:49 China on Australia’s radar • 11:56 Ukrainian progress • 17:26 Timeframe • …

1
Ep 88: John H. Maurer on Alfred Thayer Mahan (New Makers of Modern Strategy #10) 45:06

11M ago45:06

45:06

John H. Maurer, the Alfred Thayer Mahan Professor of Sea Power and Grand Strategy at the Naval War College and contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about Mahan and his relevance today. ▪️ Times • 01:30 Introduction • 02:06 Mahan struck from the syllabus • 06:30 Early writings • 09:19 Looking out at the world • 12:17 …

1
Ep 87: Wayne Lee on Native American Warfare 1:02:22

11M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Wayne Lee, Bruce W. Carney Distinguished Professor of History at UNC and author of The Cutting-Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in Eastern North America, 1500-1800, joins the show to talk about war in the ‘Eastern Woodlands’, both before and after European contact. ▪️ Times • 01:48 Introduction • 02:50 Coincidences • 07:19 “Woods and rivers, deer and ra…

1
Ep 86: David Betz on Ukraine’s Counteroffensive and Russia’s Defense 55:42

11M ago55:42

55:42

David Betz, Professor of War in the Modern World at King’s College London, joins the show to talk about what the status of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has to teach us about the enduring relevance of fortifications and the defense as a form of war. ▪️ Times • 02:02 Introduction • 02:16 Modern War • 03:36 Counteroffensive progress • 06:08 Tracking…

1
Ep 85: Antulio J. Echevarria on Jomini (New Makers of Modern Strategy #9) 35:39

12M ago35:39

35:39

Antulio J. Echevarria, General Douglas MacArthur Chair of Research at the U.S. Army War College and a contributor to New Makers of Modern Strategy, joins the show to talk about one of the most influential military thinkers of the modern age, Antoine-Henri Jomini. ▪️ Times • 01:55 Introduction • 02:22 Who was Jomini? • 06:13 A charlatan? • 08:57 Sum…

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