In Episode 2 of A Red Line in the Sand, a companion podcast to the book of the same title, author David Andelman goes back to the beginning. He explains where red lines came from in the first place and how the concept evolved.

The origin of red lines takes us back to the Bible, the Indian epic Ramayana, and the charge of the Light Brigade and the Crimean War. These strategic lines turned red and grew thanks to the Red Line Agreement in the Middle East and Adolf Hitler’s drive towards World War II in Europe.