The John Batchelor Show

Neil Lanctot covers the winter of 1915–1916, when TR championed the "preparedness" movement, arguing that the U.S.was dangerously vulnerable with only 100,000 men in its army. Wilson, feeling the political pressure, launched a speaking tour through the Midwest to sell a defense buildup, using the analogy that he could not keep "sparks" from a world on fire from hitting the American roof. While TR maneuvered for the 1916 Republican nomination, the peace movement suffered a major blow via Henry Ford's "Peace Ship." Ford funded an expedition of neutrals to Europe to stop the war, but it became a disorganized PR disaster that made pacifism appear foolish to the public. Jane Addams, though intending to go, fell ill and missed the voyage—a stroke of luck that saved her from the ensuing ridicule. Despite the internal chaos of the peace movement, Wilson eventually secured a defense buildup package in the summer of 1916. (4)

Neil Lanctot examines the May 7, 1915, sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine, which killed over 100 Americans and sparked a massive crisis for American progressivism. Wilson's advisor, Colonel House, urged severing ties with Germany—a move that typically signaled war—but Wilson resisted, famously declaring that a nation could be "too proud to fight." This restraint infuriated TR, who was simultaneously fighting a high-stakes libel trial against Republican boss William Barnes. TR argued that losing national self-respect was worse than war, though he acknowledged the U.S. was militarily unprepared. Internal administration tension peaked when Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan, a staunch pacifist and ally of Addams, resigned in protest, believing Wilson's diplomatic notes to Germany were too provocative. During this turmoil, the newly married Edith Bolling Wilson began asserting her influence, successfully maneuvering to diminish Colonel House's role by sowing doubt about his loyalty in Wilson's mind. (3)

Neil Lanctot turns to early 1915, when the Great War had stabilized into a brutal stalemate in Europe while Americaremained neutral under Wilson. Jane Addams, horrified by the massacre, organized the Women's Peace Party to act as a pressure group for peace. Her subsequent trip to Europe to meet with heads of state in Berlin, Paris, and London was a remarkable act of "amateur diplomacy," though her message was often distorted by hostile American newspapers. TRvehemently opposed her efforts, writing a public letter that derided the peace advocates as "foolish women" and argued they should focus on Belgian relief instead. While Addams navigated the complexities of international diplomacy, President Wilson became "obsessed" with Edith Bolling Galt following the death of his first wife. Wilson's intense courtship and eventual marriage in 1915 occurred privately, even as the world war began to encroach on American neutrality via German submarine warfare. (2)

Neil Lanctot, author of The Approaching Storm: Roosevelt, Wilson, Addams, and Their Clash Over America's Future, introduces the three primary figures of the narrative in 1912: Jane Addams, Theodore Roosevelt (TR), and Woodrow Wilson. All three identified as progressives, though their interpretations of the movement differed significantly. Addams, a world-renowned social reformer and founder of Hull House, broke tradition by nominating TR for the presidency under the new Progressive Party. She viewed progressivism through the lens of social justice, suffrage, and labor reform. TR, at 53, had transformed into a "radical" progressive, advocating for aggressive corporate reform and women's suffrage to align with a changing nation. Meanwhile, Woodrow Wilson, the scholarly Governor of New Jersey, focused on economic progressivism and the Jeffersonian ideal of breaking up trusts. Despite their shared intellectual depth and elite educations, the three leaders possessed vastly different temperaments, ranging from Roosevelt's "freakish" photographic memory to Wilson's more labored academic style. (1)

Barry Strauss follows Octavian's advance on Egypt after Actium, securing the loyalty of Eastern kings. Cleopatraattempts to build a new fleet in the Red Sea to escape to India, but her plans are thwarted. In Alexandria, a complex negotiation unfolds as Antony and Cleopatra separately communicate with Octavian, often lying to each other. Antony, increasingly desperate, challenges Octavian to single combat, which is ignored. On August 1, 30 BC, after his troops defect, Antony commits suicide upon hearing a false report of Cleopatra's death. Days later, Cleopatra also commits suicide to avoid being paraded in Octavian's triumph, potentially using a cobra. Octavian immediately secures his power by killing Caesarion, Caesar's young heir, asserting himself as the "one and only son" of Julius Caesar. (7)

Barry Strauss narrates the naval Battle of Actium, which begins on September 2, 31 BC. Antony and Cleopatracommand approximately 230 ships against Octavian and Agrippa's fleet of nearly 400. Facing starvation due to Agrippa's blockade, Antony and Cleopatra decide on a breakout battle to escape by sea with their treasury. During the battle, Cleopatra's flagship, flying a purple sail, breaks through a gap in the Roman line. Antony follows her in a smaller ship, abandoning his fleet and army in a move that Strauss describes as a devastating blow to his Roman honor. Despite their leaders' flight, Antony's men continue to fight until Octavian uses fire arrows to destroy their remaining ships. The lovers escape south toward Alexandria, but Antony is left in a state of deep melancholy after deserting his troops. (6)

Barry Strauss shifts the conflict to the western coast of Greece, where Antony and Cleopatra's massive fleet waits at Actium. Strauss emphasizes that while tactics are for amateurs, logistics are for professionals. Marcus Agrippa executes a brilliant logistical strike by capturing Methone, a vital supply base on the southwestern coast of Greece. This amphibious landing, conducted under the cover of a quarter moon, cuts Antony's essential supply line from Egypt. Antony, stationed further north at Patrae, fails to react effectively to this "one-two punch." While Agrippa disrupts the rear, Octavian moves his fleet north of Actium, effectively trapping Antony's forces. Strauss notes the strangeness of Antony's decision to wait for the enemy rather than invading Italy, suggesting he may have lost his nerve or been constrained by the propaganda risk Cleopatra posed. (5)

Barry Strauss examines Mark Antony's critical "unforced error" of 33 BC: divorcing Octavia, Octavian's sister. This move provides Octavian with a massive propaganda victory, allowing him to frame Antony as having betrayed Rome for an Egyptian queen. Strauss explains the divorce was a "credible commitment" by Antony to show his Eastern supporters he was fully committed to the coming conflict. Despite advice from his experienced admiral, Ahenobarbus, to leave Cleopatra behind, Antony refuses because she controls the treasury and the Egyptian navy. While Antony may have preferred a campaign against Parthia, Octavian forces his hand by declaring war. Antony's decision to bring Cleopatra into the war effort is anathema to Romans, who view her as a foreign invader. This sets the stage for confrontation, with Octavian relying on the tactical genius of Marcus Agrippa. (4)

Barry Strauss traces the fracturing of the Second Triumvirate as Octavian utilizes his sister, Octavia, who marries Antony to seal a peace treaty in 40 BC. While depicted as a devoted housewife, Strauss suggests she remained loyal to Octavian, potentially providing intelligence. In Rome, Octavian builds power by marrying into the high nobility and cultivating talent, specifically his "secret weapon," Marcus Agrippa. Agrippa, a brilliant military strategist, builds a new navy to defeat Sextus Pompey, a naval threat based in Sicily. Meanwhile, Antony's reputation suffers after a failed campaign against the Parthian Empire, resulting in the loss of 25% of his army. By 33 BC, the triumvirate expires, and Octavian launches an information war. He portrays Antony as an "unmanned" traitor enslaved by Cleopatra, mocking his adoption of Eastern luxuries like mosquito nets. (3)

Barry Strauss introduces Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt and member of the Ptolemaic dynasty founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals. Strauss describes Alexandria as the Mediterranean's greatest metropolis and a wealthy cultural hub. Cleopatra is depicted as a "tough player" who survived deadly family intrigues to rule Egypt. When she meets Antony in 41 BC at Tarsus, she dazzles him with a spectacular, perfumed arrival on a barge. Antony views Cleopatra not just as a lover, but as a vital financial resource for his Eastern ambitions. A key point of contention is Caesarion, Cleopatra's son, whom many believed was the child of Julius Caesar. Octavian's later propaganda painted the East as "effeminate" compared to Roman manliness. To demonstrate her immense wealth, Cleopatra famously dissolved a priceless pearl in vinegar during an extravagant dinner. (2)