The world is actually getting more peaceful. About Pinker on (declining) violence.

A review of Max Hastings general history of WWII. Suggesting that, in some important sense, both Hitler and Stalin were pursuing metaphysical goals:
Both Hitler and Stalin were after power, power so pure they could never really grasp it in the form they desired it ( Read more... )

Thinking about why nuclear terrorism has not happened (yet).

Unemployment is up, designated enlistment has been reached, so US Army admission standards are soaring:
The military is now a club that many want to join, but only few are good enough to get in.
How the US Army has adapted over the last 10 years.

Thinking about the ten years since 9/11 ( Read more... )

Great site for debunking 9/11 conspiracy theories.

What a drug cartel ambush in Mexico says about the drug wars. About corruption and the drug wars and why Texas is not Mexico.

About the importance of declarations of war for the dynamics of US politics and the effectiveness of operations.

About Israel being a case study in bigger territory does ( Read more... )

Reagan’s National Security Directive that defined US strategy and policy towards the Soviet Union. Doing a compare-and-contrast of US policy towards the Philippines in 1986 and Egypt now.

A survey of the US foreign policy issues in the lead up to Obama’s recent State of the Union address.

About Mexico’s internal wars and the sources of the ( Read more... )

Australian soldier awarded the Victoria Cross.

Nice discussion of New START.

Considering the balance of civilian and military power and interest in China.

Southern Sudan is voting to secede.

Looking at the implications of the Moscow airport attack. Putting terror attacks intelligently in context. About how the better training and marksmanship ( Read more... )

Assessing the generalship of Douglas Macarthur. Colour footage of the surrender ceremony on USS Missouri.

Report suggesting that, strategically, Russia is doing quite well post-Cold War: the case may be a bit overstated.

A nice short discussion of the fluctuating and inconsistent use of the world ‘terrorist’. Muslim Brotherhood declares war on ( Read more... )

An economist on rules versus discretion makes an observation on military history:
You see, somewhere, long ago, I read about the difference between the military methods of the Romans and those of the Hellenistic regimes set up after the conquests of Alexander the Great. Hellenistic armies, it was explained, were collections of specialists: heavy ( Read more... )

Obituary for an amazing Italian cavalry officer who led the last cavalry charge faced by the British army.

About faulty analysis from inadequate WWII statistics, using tanks and capital ships as examples.

A new book on the Eastern Front argues Stalin won because Hitler underestimated Stalin’s willingness to spend lives:
Wars have a chilling ( Read more... )

A nice post on chatting with an ordinary British squaddie on the train.

About the Anglosphere’s long tradition of (unsuccessful) intellectual dissent against (successful) war efforts which would not be tolerated in other societies.

Using a robot to clear minefields. By contrast, the Nazis used Soviet prisoners, the Soviets used Soviet citizens ( Read more... )

Text of Himmler’s 1943 Poznan speech on the extermination of the Jews. About the speech.

Arguing that brutality can be effective: what really matters is the combination of factors.

Marketing a container-launched cruise missile.

Considering the long term cycles of battles and the future of war. Arguing for a balancing rather than an enforcing ( Read more... )