Podcast
School of War
Hosted by The Free Press · EN
In School of War, CBS News National Security Analyst and Free Press columnist Aaron MacLean sits down with secretaries of state, top military historians, war planners, and key political decision-makers to help understand the lessons of war.
Tune in as School of War takes you to the front lines.
Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Visit our Substack for episode transcripts
Follow along on Instagram
57episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The American Revolution Was a World War, with Richard Bell
4d ago00:48:15Tap to summarizeRichard Bell, historian, professor at the University of Maryland, and author of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, joins School of War to discuss how the American Revolution became a global conflict that stretched from Boston to the Caribbean, Europe, India, and beyond. How did George Washington's strategy force Britain to fight a world war? Why was France's intervention decisive to American victory? And what does the revolution reveal about the nature of coalition warfare? 00:53 - Rick Bell's background 02:05 - The American Revolution was a global war 06:09 - What led to the Boston Tea Party 12:45 - Patriot motivations 14:38 - Who was Edmund Burke? 16:50 - Britain divided over the Revolution 20:47 - Why France backed the Patriots 23:45 - France and Spain vs. Britain 27:01 - The Caribbean: Britain's crown jewel 30:08 - The forgotten theater of the Revolution 35:49 - Washington's global coalition strategy 38:55 - Germany and the Hessian soldiers 41:50 - The Patriots' European officers 43:10 - The myth of guerrilla warfare 44:50 - Final thoughts Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →One Battle of Hormuz After Another, with Sal Mercogliano
1w ago00:42:24Tap to summarizeSal Mercogliano, professor of history at Campbell University and host of the What’s Going on with Shipping YouTube channel, joins the show once again to discuss Iran's renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Why is the ceasefire already beginning to unravel? What is Iran trying to accomplish by asserting control over the strait? And what could the long-term consequences be for global trade, energy markets, and freedom of navigation? 02:11 - New arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz 05:19 - Humanitarian situation for sailors 06:53 - Jobs at sea and AI 08:05 - New rounds of violence 11:02 - Route options for ships 13:30 - Why did the ceasefire break down? 15:05 - Iran asserts control over the strait 16:10 - Why were these ships targeted? 19:08 - Strait of Hormuz as a strategic choke point 21:49 - What Iran learned from the Houthis 23:21 - Why energy prices haven't spiked 28:20 - Impact on developing nations 29:13 - The endgame in the Strait of Hormuz 33:22 - U.S. naval presence in the Gulf 36:26 - Iran's maritime protection racket Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast, or at The Free Press Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Why Chimpanzees Go to War, with John Mitani
2w ago00:49:27Tap to summarizeDr. John Mitani, professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and recipient of the Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award, joins School of War to discuss the violent chimpanzee civil war he documented among the Ngogo chimpanzees in Uganda. What caused one of the world's largest chimpanzee communities to turn on itself? What does chimpanzee warfare reveal about the origins of human conflict? And what separates humans from our closest living relatives? 02:39 - How Dr. Mitani became an ape researcher 04:02 - Why chimpanzees? 05:13 - Humans' closest living relatives 08:38 - The Ngogo chimpanzees 09:31 - The chimpanzee civil war begins 13:35 - Living among wild chimpanzees 17:09 - Territorial patrols and warfare 22:34 - Why the chimpanzee community split 26:26 - How chimpanzees fight 29:14 - The strategy behind chimp warfare 31:24 - Why full stomachs lead to war 33:10 - Land, food, and reproduction 37:27 - Infanticide and the mystery of female survival 39:26 - When civil war becomes permanent 41:13 - What chimpanzees teach us about human nature Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →From Teenage Soldier to Commander in Ukraine, with Mamuka Mamulashvili
2w ago00:56:05Tap to summarizeEarlier this year, Aaron MacLean visited Ukraine, where he met with Georgian Legion commander Mamuka Mamulashvili. What happens when a boy goes to war at 14 years old? What does a lifetime of fighting Russians teach you about how they operate? And what lessons should the West be learning from war in Ukraine? 02:18 - Growing up in Soviet Georgia 03:53 - Russia's invasion of Abkhazia 07:59 - Capture and torture by Russian forces 10:24 - The First and Second Chechen Wars 13:49 - Killing a Russian soldier for the first time 17:32 - Force vs. diplomacy 18:14 - Georgia's wars with Russia 20:19 - The 2008 Russo-Georgian War 23:47 - Georgian support for Ukraine 24:39 - Mixed martial arts 29:53 - Founding the Georgian Legion 33:33 - The defense of Hostomel Airport 43:32 - How drones have transformed warfare 50:45 - Russian disinformation 52:27 - Why Ukraine will ultimately win Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Can Courage Save America? With Rye Barcott
3w ago00:48:52Tap to summarizeRye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor, veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and author of Courage Can Save Us, joins School of War to discuss the meaning of courage, the enduring value of service, and the challenge of bridging America’s growing political divides. What separates courage from bravery? Can military service help heal a polarized America? And what does principled leadership look like in an age of distrust? 01:28 - Murph challenge 03:08 - Rye's father and Vietnam 05:08 - Defining courage 07:57 - First to Fight 13:49 - Joining the Marines 14:22 - September 11th 17:42 - Bosnia, Africa, and Fallujah 19:16 - Marine commanders 23:52 - Life in Fallujah 26:05 - The With Honor mission 28:29 - America's polarization problem 30:05 - Veterans in politics 33:12 - The civil-military divide 37:23 - Courage in politics 41:57 - Congressman Jared Golden 44:19 - Senator Todd Young Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Reading Trump’s Iran Deal So You Don’t Have To, with Mark Dubowitz
3w ago00:55:54Tap to summarizeMark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, returns to School of War to discuss the newly released memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. What does the deal actually say? What are its biggest strategic implications? And is it comparable to the JCPOA—or something worse? 01:19 - Paragraph 1: Lebanon and Hezbollah 09:45 - Paragraphs 2–3: Sovereignty and the 60-day clock 11:24 - Paragraph 4: Lifting the blockade 16:37 - Paragraph 5: The Strait of Hormuz 23:48 - Paragraph 6: A $300 billion reconstruction fund 33:49 - Paragraph 7: Ending all sanctions 35:43 - Paragraph 8: Nuclear weapons and enrichment 39:12 - Paragraph 9: Maintaining the status quo 40:44 - Paragraph 10: Oil waivers and sanctions relief 43:48 - Paragraph 11: Releasing frozen funds 46:56 - Paragraph 12: Monitoring compliance 47:52 - Paragraph 13: Negotiating the final deal 50:59 - Paragraph 14: A UN Security Council resolution 51:13 - Squandering battlefield leverage Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Auditing the Iran War, with Eliot Cohen
3w ago00:45:59Tap to summarizeEliot Cohen, Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, author of The Strategist: How to Think About War and Politics; and co-host of the Shield of the Republic podcast, joins School of War to discuss the recent agreement between the United States and Iran. Did the United States and Israel accomplish their objectives against Iran? What does the conflict reveal about the U.S. military's readiness for future wars? And did Trump negotiate from a position of strength, or squander one? 01:22 - Eliot Cohen on the war with Iran 03:34 - Judging Trump by outcomes 05:08 - A war 47 years in the making 06:45 - What we don't know about the air campaign 08:08 - Negotiating from strength? 09:10 - Trump's negotiating style 12:05 - Questions about America's conduct of the war 14:31 - The Strait of Hormuz becomes the objective 15:41 - Why the war ended when it did 17:25 - Trump and the nature of war 19:01 - Has Iran succeeded? 23:21 - The decline of the Iranian empire 28:09 - Why Trump got a bad deal 31:36 - Auditing the U.S. military 39:39 - Has warfare been transformed? 42:10 - What should America do next? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →The Start-Up Spirit Behind America's Founding, with Arthur Herman
4w ago00:49:05Tap to summarizeArthur Herman, senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Founder’s Fire: From 1776 to the Age of Trump, joins School of War to discuss how America’s Founding Fathers helped create a culture of innovation in technology, industry, and warfare. Who are the most important founders of the past and present? What lessons can they teach us about today’s revolution in warfare? And what makes American ingenuity so unique? 02:45 - Defining founders 10:56 - Technology at America's founding 13:49 - Alex Karp and the founder mindset 14:45 - The creation of Springfield Arsenal 15:40 - Thomas Jefferson and American weapons 19:10 - Today's revolution in warfare 20:53 - AI on the battlefield 21:49 - Why a strong economy matters 24:40 - China's defense industry 26:32 - American industrial policy 29:11 - Lessons from Ukraine 31:29 - Declining competition in weapons manufacturing 33:38 - The burden of weapons regulations 37:50 - Elon Musk's founder mentality 41:52 - The future of American ingenuity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Why a Weakened Iran Remains Dangerous, with Behnam Ben Taleblu
4w ago00:43:16Tap to summarizeBehnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ (FDD) Iran Program and a senior fellow specializing in Iranian security and political issues, returns to School of War to discuss the latest round of fighting between Israel and Iran. Why did this latest wave of Iranian missile attacks feel different? Why does a weakened Iran seem emboldened? Where is the regime most vulnerable? And will politics in Washington prevent the U.S. from doing what is necessary to stop it? 02:30 - Israel in Southern Lebanon 04:37 - Iran's Missile Barrage Against Israel 06:20 - FPV Drone Warfare in Lebanon 08:30 - A New Iranian Strategy? 12:16 - Cover for Terror Proxies 14:14 - The Danger of a Weakened Iran 17:44 - The Nazi Germany Comparison 21:00 - The Wehrmacht's Last Stand 22:07 - Iran's Reaction to Pressure 25:09 - Targets in Iran and Israel 30:15 - Where Is Iran Most Vulnerable? 31:47 - The Iran-Iraq War Analogy 32:44 - Exploiting Divisions in Iran 35:09 - Political Obstacles to Maximum Pressure 38:17 - Trump's Record on Iran Policy Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →The AI Arms Race: Can Our Intel Community Keep Up? With Anthony Vinci
Jun 500:56:05Tap to summarizeAnthony Vinci—co-founder and CEO of Vico, an AI company that empowers judgment and analysis in finance and national security, and author of The Fourth Intelligence Revolution—joins School of War to discuss the technological evolution of spycraft. How does an intelligence officer operate in a world of rapidly advancing technology? What happens when machines begin to assist, or even replace, human judgment? And are we being spied on constantly? 02:33 - The Job of an Intelligence Officer 03:43 - Technology and Intelligence Work 05:58 - Living Under Surveillance 07:43 - AI as an Intelligence Analyst 09:37 - The Origins of American Intelligence 10:15 - Who Was Wild Bill Donovan? 12:37 - The Modern Intelligence Community 14:25 - The Evolution of Spy Technology 16:39 - The Intelligence Gap Before 9/11 18:58 - A Mossad Chief's Critique 23:10 - The Fourth Intelligence Revolution 25:02 - AI and Autonomy 27:49 - Are We All Being Spied On? 30:05 - China's Political Warfare 34:00 - The COVID Intelligence Failure 39:59 - The Dangers of AI Language Models 48:37 - TikTok and Surveillance Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more at The Free Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →