This podcast by the professors of the Strategy and Policy (S&P) Department at the U.S. Naval War College mirrors the week-to-week case studies in the S&P curric...
In this episode Jon O’Gorman hosts Andrew Stigler, Timothy Shultz, and Phil Haun in a discussion about airpower. They begin by looking at the theorical basis of airpower and the thoughts of Giulio Douhet and John Warden. Next, they move to the other theorists on use of airpower and theory of victory of airpower alone. They question if the U.S Airforce are still believers in the winning from the air alone theory. Then we look at cases studies where airpower was used in various degrees to attempt to achieve victory such as WWII, Vietnam, 1990 Gulf War, and Kosovo in 1999. We end with a contemporary use of technology and airpower in Ukraine, how the Russians have used airpower, and what this might mean for the future.
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Episode 34: The CNO Fellows – Admiral Barrera
In this episode Jon O’Gorman talks with Admiral Guillermo Barrera (ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations for the Columbian Navy. Admiral Barrera discusses his time as a naval officer, his time as a former student at the U.S. Naval War College, and his role now as a “CNO Fellow” and senior mentor here. We speak about how his study of strategy as a student aided his role as CNO during the Colombian counterinsurgency against the FARC rebels in the early 2000s. Admiral Barrera has worked in the CNO fellow program for 12 years and is now a U.S. citizen.
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Episode 33: Karl Von Clausewitz
In this episode, Jon O’Gorman hosts Vanya Bellinger in discussing the author of "On War." First, we discuss if Clausewitz was a product or a critic of the Prussian military reform movement. We then move to the importantance of studying Clausewitz's experience as an officer and military practitioner to understand his theory. We talk about Clausewitz relationship to mentor Prussian Gen. Scharnhorst. We also speak about the Prussian military reform school that helped beat Napoleon and why the same school failed so spectacularly in the first half of the twentieth century with the Schlieffen Plan. Lastly, we talk about Marie Von Clausewitz and her relationship with her husband and the book On War.
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Episode 32: Urban Warfare
In this episode Jon O’Gorman hosts David Stone, Timothy Hoyt and Nicholas Sarantakes to explore the question, "When does it makes strategic sense to fight in a city?" We begin by discussing our theorist's opinion about the theory behind the issue, in particular why fighting in cites might or might not make sense from a strategic perspective. We then examine some particular examples, including, among others, Ireland in 1916, Manilla in 1944 and Stalingrad in 1942.
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Episode 31: The China-Taiwan Challenge
In this episode Jon O’Gorman hosts members of the U.S. Naval War College faculty who are subject matter experts on China, Taiwan and U.S policy making; First, from the Strategy and Policy Department, Andrew “Dex” Wilson, second Paul J. Smith from the National Security Affairs Department, lastly, Colin Jackson, Chair of the Strategic and Operational Research Department and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia at the Pentagon. They begin by discussing the U.S. Policy towards Taiwan and the Chinese view of it. Next they debate why the rhetoric on both sides seems to be heating up in the current weeks. Next, they move to discussing the value of the object for both the Chinese and U.S, what the rational calculus is like for both parties views, and their assessments on conflict. Lastly, the guests debate how President Xi can be deterred from overt aggressive action and how the fate of Taiwan may be tied to the fate of Ukraine.
This podcast by the professors of the Strategy and Policy (S&P) Department at the U.S. Naval War College mirrors the week-to-week case studies in the S&P curriculum. Strategic questions are discussed and debated, covering the case backgrounds, how the historic strategic theories match the cases, and how strategy could best be applied. Finally, the case studies are viewed against contemporary strategic global challenges.
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