Steven Lee Myers is a columnist for the New York Times and the author of The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin. Myers talks about the life and career of Vladimir Putin from his time as a KGB foreign intelligence officer to his current role as Russian president. The interview covers a wide range of Russian history from World War II to the current conflict in Ukraine.

 

Key Takeaways:

• What is a Tsar? Myers explains the historical role of a Tsar in Russia.
• Vladimir Putin’s upbringing in Leningrad what is called Saint Petersburg today. His early childhood in the Soviet Union. Putin grows up with the legacy of the “Great Patriotic War,” and is exposed to tales of “heroism and suffering.” As he prepares for a career in the KGB, Myers explains that Putin comes of age in the “high water mark” of the Soviet era.
• Inspired by a movie called The Shield and the Sword, Putin decides to join the KGB. Putin joins the foreign intelligence branch of the KGB in 1975 and is initially stationed in his home town of Leningrad. Later he is sent to Dresden in East Germany.
• Putin serves in East Germany when the Soviet Union collapses. He watches with “horror” as thousands of protestors overrun the Stasi HQ’s. However, Putin defiantly protects the KGB villa.
• As Putin returns to Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), he works for a democratic reformer named Anatoly Sobchak, and becomes Sobchak’s deputy.
• After Sobchak’s electoral defeat in 1996, Putin’s moves to Moscow. Eventually he is appointed by Boris Yeltsin to be head of the FSB, the Russian equivalent of the FBI and the domestic security branch of the former KGB.
• As Boris Yeltsin looks for a successor, he considers Putin and appoints him as prime minister as a new war in Chechnya begins.
• Putin becomes Yeltsin’s successor to the presidency. He doesn’t have a strong ideology when he becomes president. Myers characterizes his initial term as “buffet style” politics. However, Putin’s thinking is influenced by silovik thinking, which advocates for strong state security.
• Terrorism comes to Russia in the form of apartment bombings, metro attacks, the Nord-Ost Theater siege, and Beslan hostage crisis. Myers talks about the way this influenced Putin’s ideas concerning the role of the state. “He sensed weakness and didn’t want to show that weakness.”
• The Kursk submarine disaster is the first major political setback for Putin. Putin’s disdain for the media is inflamed over this incident.
• Myers talks about Putin’s growing animosity with America concerning the ABM treaty- https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/12/20011213-2.html
• Putin gives a critical speech at the 2007 Munich Conference in which Putin claims “the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way.” Myers explains that Russia thinks in terms of “spheres of influence.” Was this a warning to the West? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/12/AR2007021200555.html
• Watching the events of the Arab Spring, Putin eventually decides to intervene to support the Assad government.
• A discussion of Russia’s actions in Crimea, and the blend of “hard and soft” power to include information operations, irregular forces, and cyber operations to achieve Russian military objectives.
• Myers explains that the Ukraine is currently a “frozen conflict,” but the violence has not stopped.
• Myers discusses other issues to pay attention to such as events in Moldova and Georgia as well as disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and current protests in Belarus.

 

For more information: Check out www.professionalmilitaryeducation.com for links to articles, videos, and other helpful resources.

Be sure to follow Mr. Myers on Twitter @stevenleemyers and check out the book The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin

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S.C. Gwynne is a New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning Historian. His book, Rebel Yell, focuses on the Civil War general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Jackson was a brilliant leader and was consider a real ‘rock ‘n’ roll star,’ during the era where his bold strategic maneuvers became famous on an international level. Find out more about this fascinating man in this week’s episode!

 

Key Takeaways:

[4:35] What was Gwynne’s inspiration to writing the book?

[6:05] Who was Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson?

[13:35] Why was Jackson against the Civil War?

[21:30] When the war starts, what was Jackson’s role in the army?

[26:30] How did the weapon technology change during this time period?

[29:20] How did Jackson get to The first Bull Run?

[34:40] Jackson became a mini celebrity after the First Battle of Bull Run.

[35:25] What’s the difference between First Bull Run vs. First Manassas?

[39:25] Jackson’s men marched 700 miles in 28 days and fought 5 major engagements.

[43:35] How did Jackson achieve such maneuvers so quickly and so brightly?

[52:00] After Jackson’s Valley Campaign, Robert E. Lee and Jackson form a strong bond.[1:01:25] What was The Seven Days battle about?

[1:04:55] Gwynne asks Tim about the Marine Corps rulebook. Jackson had the flu and was falling asleep with food in his mouth. He could not effectively lead his men in that state. Would he be court marshaled in today’s time?

[1:09:35] After The Seven Days battle, Lee and Jackson are finally on the same page and head right into the jaws of the dragon.

[1:14:00] Jackson was famous for being able to move the army quickly and effectively.

[1:16:25] Jackson did tell his men to pack extremely light.

[1:19:25] How did armies gather intelligence back then?

[1:25:30] Jackson would use his own scouts to trick the enemy’s scouts and to throw off the trail of where his army was.

[1:26:05] Gwynee sets the scene for The Battle of Chancellorsville.

[1:37:45] Jackson liked to do his own reconnaissance, and, as you can imagine, his army hated that idea.

[1:42:00] What was the public’s reaction to Jackson’s death?

[1:49:00] What would have been the impact of the war if Jackson did not die?

[1:54:15] Jackson was a very religious man.

[1:59:00] There was nothing to suggest that Jackson was against the liberation of slaves, but at the same time Jackson owned 6 slaves himself.

[2:05:50] Gwynne discusses his upcoming book.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Scgwynne.com

Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S. C. Gwynne

Civilwar.org

Patrick K. O’Donnell is a combat historian, bestselling author, and public speaker. O’Donnell has written ten critically acclaimed books that recount epic, and untold, stories of American war. His most recent book, Washington’s Immortals, recounts the story of the forgotten Maryland Heroes who helped push the war onto America’s winning side and defeat the British.

 

Key Takeaways:

[4:00] Much like the rest of O’Donnell’s books, this one found him.

[6:35] Green-Wood Cemetery is a fascinating place because it held an epic battle during the Revolution where we could have lost to the British.

[9:10] These Marylanders bought the United States precious time during the war.

[11:45] O’Donnell became obsessed with uncovering the Marylanders’ story.

[14:00] Although it’s hard to confirm these numbers, but up to a 3rd (if not more) of Americans sided with the British.

[18:10] Hollywood makes fun of it, but the British army was a very strong and professional force.

[19:15] British soldiers were constantly adapting to American tactics.

[29:40] By the end of 1776, Washington and his army were in trouble because fewer men wanted to re-enlist. What did Washington do to get more men to join the army?

[39:05] The Battle of the Assunpink Creek is one of O’Donnell’s favorite untold stories.

[44:50] Washington’s leadership was what was holding everyone together, and improving morale.

[49:05] Why did Washington need the support of the French army?

[55:00] What kind of role did Thomas Paine play before the Battle of Trenton?

[58:35] Although the British had a large army, they struggled to keep control and population protection when broken up into smaller parts.

[1:07:10] During the Battle of Stony Point, American troops captured well over 600 British soldiers. In many ways, this battle was a textbook operation.

[1:15:15] O’Donnell talks about ‘Over the Mountain’ men and why the British were afraid of them.

[1:20:10] Keep in mind, there were not enough farms to feed both the American and British armies fighting in the South.

[1:21:40] General Nathanael Greene was in charge of the Washington’s Immortals to take over the South. He split his army up and called a section of them ‘The Flying Army.’

[1:31:00] Charles Cornwallis made the mistake of pursuing Greene’s army.

[1:33:30] Greene’s strategy was to basically burn the british out.

[1:39:45] Tim does a quick recap about the tactics and strategies Greene used.

[1:50:50] Where was Washington during all of this?

[2:00:00] Recognize the past is the best guide to the present and the future. Lives depend on this!

[2:01:35] Look forward to Pat’s next book about World War l.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Patrickkodonnell.com

Washington’s Immortals by Patrick O’Donnell

Joby Warrick is an American Journalist who has won two Pulitzer Prizes. His work at The Washington Post covers topics on the Middle East, diplomacy, and national security. On today’s discussion, Warrick discusses his book, Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, in greater detail, and gives some history on how ISIS began.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:55] Even though we’re not under attack, the American people are still affected by ISIS.

[6:10] Who is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, really?

[9:25] Warrick discusses Zarqawi and his relationship with his mother.

[13:45] How did prison make Zarqawi more radical?

[16:10] Prison helped form a brotherhood, a university, for a lot of these men.

[21:25] Zarqawi and his associates were disowned by Al-Qaeda because they were almost too brutal.

[22:20] ISIS and Al-Qaeda do not like each other. Al-Qaeda views them as ‘crazy heretics.’

[27:55] How was Zarqawi connected to Saddam's regime?

[32:30] The U.S. decided to wait until after after the Iraq invasion to go after Zarqawi.

[40:05] Zarqawi created a new and more brutal form of terrorism.

[47:55] Zarqawi died by the hands of American soldiers. We finally got him!

[48:20] The third part of Warrick’s book focuses on ISIS.

[48:45] If Zarqawi was neutralized, how did ISIS rise up in Syria?

[56:35] Who is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and what was his role in all of this?

[1:01:10] When ISIS takes credit for terrorist attacks/acts of violence, is it really them or are they just capitalizing on an opportunity?

[1:02:50] What is happening in Iraq right now?

[1:09:25] Warrick revisits the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and how it still applies today.

[1:12:50] Where does Jordan stand in all of this?

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Joby Warrick

Joby Warrick on Wikipedia

Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, by Jody Warrick

Gideon Rose is the editor of Foreign Affairs, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also the author of the book How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle. In this week’s episode, Mr. Rose discusses why, no matter the war, we see the same mistakes occur throughout U.S. history. The truth be told, the end state in war is often too broad. The lack of planning by civilian decision-makers based on these broad and vague terms, leads to a longer-than-necessary war that could have very well been prevented, and had lives spared. However, war is inherently political, and leaving just the violence to military officials, and politics to politicians, is not the realistic balance and conclusion we all crave.

 

Key Takeaways:

[1:55] Who is Carl Van Clausewitzian and why is he relevant to how wars end?

[3:30] What is war? Clausewitzian defined it in two different ways.

[6:25] The end state, in this case, goes beyond the physical battlefield, and it stretches into the political realm.

[6:35] Should military planners be more aware about the political ends of war, or is this a task for policy makers?

[14:10] It falls down on the military in the end. For example, the Iraq War and the mission to overthrow Saddam Hussein were well-planned on the lower levels, but incredibly poorly-planned at the higher levels.

[15:35] Retired military officials were the ones to speak up about the invasion of Iraq. They wanted to know what the end state was.

[17:10] If war is both political and military, then it’s not possible to separate the two completely, especially in times of construction.

[18:35] Military operations have their own grammar, but not their own logic.

[21:55] According to Mr. Rose’s research, civilians take their wartime responsibilities far less seriously than military officials.

[27:00] Saddam Hussein had to torture and dismember those who opposed him, even within his chain of command, and this made everyone too afraid to speak up to him. But in the U.S.? All it took was to be publicly shamed in front of a hearing, in order for military officials to not speak up to their head of command.

[30:20] It’s a hard balance to maintain. If people acted on their own accord based on what they thought was right at the time, the entire government and military system would fall apart. However, we’ve seen through World War II history that, “I was just following orders” does not hold much weight, especially when it was towards something truly evil and unethical.

[34:30] Why was General Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, absent from key decisions that were outlined in the book? What role was he playing at the time?

[42:50] Iraq was the perfect storm, but truth be told, the U.S. Government and military have made similar mistakes in every single war that we’ve fought.

[50:00] Mr. Rose understand there are difficult challenges, but why are the same mistakes happening, war after war, after war? It boils down to civilian decision-makers not doing enough serious planning towards the situation.

[50:35] It angers Mr. Rose that his civilian counterparts who helped plan some of these wars, simply just didn’t do their jobs.

[51:25] It’s imperative to take what you’re doing really, really seriously. Lives were lost and, wars were fought, that didn’t need to be, due to these mistakes.

[53:00] What examples do we have of history where policy members, civilians, and military members have worked well together?

[1:03:05] Let’s analyze how the George H.W. Bush administration handled the Gulf War. What was done right? What was done wrong?

[1:20:25] The first year of the Korean war was very dramatic and terrible, but what people don’t realize is that all those horrible things stopped after the first year. It took two extra years for negotiation, but why did it take so long when policy was already in place, years prior?

[1:27:15] When people specify what their war aims are, they often do it in a very broad way, with vague terms. This leaves room for bad planning.

[1:27:55] The common saying is, “Measure twice, cut once.” So, you’d think with a subject as important as war, people would be measuring much more than twice. The reality is, people rarely measure at all.

[1:30:45] How do you tell whether something was a good idea or not? It’s actually a very hard thing to do in retrospect.

[1:50:45] Once you’ve made terrible mistakes upon entering a country on war pretenses, it’s very hard to correct them, after the fact.

[1:50:50] The Nixon administration gets a ton of blame for how the Vietnam war was handled, but the fact is Nixon was cleaning up a mess he entered into.

[1:52:20] Mr. Rose believes Nixon handled the Vietnam war much more strategically than most would. It wasn’t a success, but Nixon could not have closed it out any better.

[1:59:10] How would Mr. Rose do things differently?

[2:00:50] Start with the endgame, and reverse-engineer the endgame that they want.

[2:03:00] It begins with professional responsibility.

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Gideon Rose

How Wars End: Why We Always Fight the Last Battle, by Gideon Rose

How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything, by Rosa Brooks

Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen, and Leadership in Wartime, by Eliot CohenOnce an Eagle by Anton MyrerFredrik Logevall