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PODCAST

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare

Chris Mayer National Security and Strategy Consultant

Exploring changes in the practice of war while the fundamental nature and principles of war are unchanging. Includes mercenaries, PMSC, Hybrid Warfare, revolution in military affairs. For in-depth information see my blog at blog.ctmayer.net

government social sciences

All Episodes

08:29

E102: Catching Up

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/09/29

What is the common theme to mercenaries, natural resources, hypersonic missiles, Gaza, and exploding pagers? I can think of several, but in a recent conversation with a colleague of mine, that common thread was challenges to the Law of War, or International Humanitarian Law. Can the notion of the law of war even survive in modern manifestations of armed conflict? I think it can, and it is just as important, if not more so, than in the mythical era of conventional war.As usual, the views in these

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08:52

E101: Second Battle of Kursk, Part 2

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/09/06

The fighting in the Kursk Oblast is still ongoing, and it would be much to soon to derive any lessons to be learned from this event. This episode picks up from the previous episode, examining how this campaign might offer examples of concepts presented in previous podcasts of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. Ukraine continues maneuver warfare at the tactical level, although as of this writing, nothing approaching the level of decisive action. Russia continues its World War I style offensive in the

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08:41

E100: The Second Battle of Kursk

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/08/17

The war in Ukraine has taken a very interesting, and I think, exciting turn of events. The advent of combined arms maneuver warfare reminiscent of armored offensives in that region eight decades ago. It is impossible to conduct an in-depth analysis at this time. There is too much going on and we really know little about order of battle or Ukrainian objectives. StilI, I felt the need to talk about this ongoing battle for a several reasons. Most important of these is that it is an example of the type

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09:20

E99: Applying Friction and the Trinity for...

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/08/11

Clausewitz’s descriptions of friction, taken with the often antagonistic interplay among his trinity of passion, policy, and probability, keep war in theory separate from war in practice. How does this look in real war? In this episode, I make my best guess about how friction and chaotic trinity might affect Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.If you missed the previous two episodes, I recommend that you take the time to do so before listening to this one. E97: Friction in

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08:11

The Paradoxical Trinity of War (and Peace)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/07/19

Clausewitz wrote that there are three forces at work when a nation goes to war: “unbridled passion,” reason, and the play of chance and probability. Things only work well when each of these is held in equilibrium by the other two. The people, the government, and the military represent these forces and the government should, in theory, maintain that equilibrium. In practice, this never happens. Instead, the interplay among these is random and seemingly chaotic. Each aspect of the nation and the force

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08:07

E97: Friction in War

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/07/14

War is really very simple, but Clausewitz cautioned that by saying that in war, even the simplest thing is difficult, sometime insurmountable. This idea, which he called “Friction” he maintained was the one thing that made war in theory different from war in practice. The elements that create friction in war also apply to the effort to move from war to peace; and the primary source of friction? Human nature.Music: Wagner, R. and the USMC Band, Siegfried’s Funeral (Public Domain) The Army Strings,

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08:12

E96: What is Peace?

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/06/28

If the only acceptable outcome of war is a peace, and the only sustainable peace is a just peace, then it is essential to answer the question, “what is peace?” This is a simple question, but without a simple answer. It has been debated from Plato up until the present day. This lack of definition may be one reason why the transition from war to peace is so difficult.Music: Holst, G: The Planets, Mars, the Bringer of War (Internet Archive:

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08:01

E95: Justum Pacem

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/06/17

The subject of Just War, or Justum Bellum, is a frequent topic in these podcasts. If, however, the only acceptable justification for any war is to establish a more just and lasting peace, shouldn’t there be a similar framework for Just Peace, or Justum Pacem? Just War theory goes back to Plato and Aristotle, but Just Peace thinking is a product of the last century. Despite a lack of concrete formulation, past examples of successful post-conflict transitions included efforts to establish a just

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06:58

E94: Fighting a War that leads to Peaace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/06/11

In Chapter 17 of the Prince, Nicolo Machiavelli wrote that a prince ought to desire to be thought of as clement and not cruel. It is more important, he said, to generate a respectful fear which, in then end, is actually more merciful than those who pursue reputations of mercy. Under no circumstances, however, should the prince become hated. This concept also applies to war, moving from war to peace, and the justice sustained peace requires.Music: Traditional, The Army Strings, Garryowen (Public

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08:04

E93 Starting on the Path to Peace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/06/03

Just as it takes two parties to agree to fight a war, it takes both parties to agree to peace. Getting both warring parties to agree to peace sometimes requires a third party. This third party provides “good offices” to help both sides agree on what peace should look like. It also helps when each party understands the political objectives of the others – and the “disinterested” third party has its political objectives, too! Music: Wagner, R. and USMC Band, Siegfried Funeral and Goetterdammurung

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08:01

E92 Deciding to End War

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/05/26

Ending a war begins when one side or the other believes that the cost of continuing to fight exceeds any expectations of success. This could be a simple cost benefit calculation, it could be that continuing to fight after a major defeat is unlikely to bring success, or that the war aims have already been achieved and any further violence is unjustified. In each case, one side or another has to make the decision to seek peace, or at least to end the fighting. That decision, however necessary, is only

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06:19

E91 From War to Peace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/05/18

My podcasts on The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare presented the elements of war that I think every citizen should know in holding our elected representatives responsible for decisions about going to and prosecuting war. The time has come in this series to move from war to peace. The most important consideration in going to and in prosecuting war is that it is the only way to correct a grave injustice and bring about a more just and lasting peace. Correcting this grave injustice must outweigh the

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07:46

Thucydudes and the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/03/21

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” So begins L.P. Hartley’s book, The Go-Between. Although the way people do things changes over time, what they do remains largely the same. War and politics are human endeavors, and human nature is unchanging. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the nature of war and politics is also unchanging. That is the point of these podcasts. The first objective history of war, the war between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC was

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08:23

E89 Sun Who?

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/03/10

“Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” My purpose in my podcasts of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. But who is Sun Tzu, and how is what he said relevant to modern warfare?Music: Holst, G., The Planets: Mars, Bringer of War (Internet Archives) Kiilstofte, J., The Cavalry, Machinamasound (Licensed)

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08:14

E88: Who is thes Clausewitz Guy?

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/02/15

Who is this Clausewitz guy?The Army War College studies many different theories and theorists of war, from Thucydides of ancient Athens, Sun Tzu of Wu Dynasty in China, to Machiavelli, Mitchell, and present day theorists. One name stands out among the others, the early 19th century enlightenment era military philosopher, the Prussian Major General and War College Director, Carl von Clausewitz. It is not just the US Army War College. Russian and Chinese military teaching also centers on his ideas

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08:04

E87: Identifying the End State

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/01/27

There are more than 110 armed conflicts in the world today.[1] Ending any one of them requires more than a simple cease fire, it requires knowing what each side intends to achieve by the conflict. This is even true when the participants may not fully understand the end state they are seeking. This includes the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Without addressing those desired end states any ceasefire merely gives time for the warring parties to refit for the next battles. Whenever our

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07:57

E86: Is an End State Important?

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/01/21

If I initiate a war, it seems logical that I would know why I am starting that war and what I expect to achieve by it. It might also be helpful if I let my opponent know that, too, as it may help limit the intensity duration, and long-term effects of that war. Why that is and how that does or doesn’t reflect reality is the subject of this and following episodes of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. These podcasts are not monetized or subsidized in any way, nor do they represent anyone’s opinion but

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08:19

E85: Naming the Rose Part 5 -- Why don’t we take action?

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/01/14

The Wagner Group is only one of about two dozen Russian sponsored semi-private military companies conducting combat operations in Ukraine, Africa, and elsewhere. If the operations of the companies violate relevant national and international laws, why aren’t criminal charges being filed against Wagner, affiliated entities, and its operatives? I believe that the answer is more political than legal. I address what some of these political considerations may be in this episode of the Ancient Art of

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08:00

E84: Naming the Rose, Part 4 -- Tools for Accountability

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/01/06

If we can agree that Russian mercenary-like organizations do not meet the legal criteria of being mercenaries, nor are they legitimate members of the armed forces, then their participation in combat must be illegitimate and their actions criminal. The question remains how to hold those criminal combatants accountable under law. This episode explores the tools for such accountability. Disclaimer: The information in these podcasts do not represent the positions of any organization I am or ever have

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07:11

Naming the Rose Part 3

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2023/12/15

If the Wagner Group and two dozen or so similar Russian paramilitary forces are not mercenaries, not PMSCs, not militia or volunteer corps, then what are they? If the term terrorist to too vague and a criminal organization insufficient, then what can we call them that facilitates accountability for their criminal behavior? Maybe, jut calling them criminals is enough. In Part 3 I propose calling them for what they are, criminals. I will follow this in the next and final episode of this series by

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