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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

9:20

Counter-terrorism In Practice (E121)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/11/17

In the last few episodes, I explained that international terrorism can be considered a war form and how it has been practiced through history. I described that, according to international law, terrorism is a crime and should be addressed as such. I also described how criminal laws are frequently inadequate to deal with terrorism used as a form of warfare. This leads to the question of how states deal with this in practice.The information in these podcasts is solely my own opinion and do not

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9:30

Combatting International Terrorism (E120),

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/10/14

If terrorism, unlawfully attacking civilian targets to achieve a political outcome, is a modern war form, a different manner of armed conflict. When terrorist attacks are planned, organized, and operate from a foreign country, or otherwise use that country as a safe haven, what are the options of the attacked State in using military force to fight this new form of armed conflict? This episode of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare looks at the authority and limitations of the war making powers of a

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8:35

Terrorism and War (E119)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/10/04

I decided to change the trajectory of this series. Rather than continue with the history of terrorism, I am jumping ahead to how terrorism fits within the overarching philosophy of war. The manifestation of terrorism as it has evolved in the past century is not inconsistent with our understanding of war. Understanding that will help us to understand the ways and means to defeat it.The information in these podcasts is solely my own opinion and do not represent the position of the U.S. Government,

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7:06

Is Terrorism Ancient or a Modern Development? (E118)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/09/27

This continues my description of terrorism and warfare. The previous episode defined terrorism. This episode traces terroristic attacks from the Bible to the First World War and how it differed from modern terrorism. World War One had profound impacts on almost every aspects of human civilization and this included the use of terror to achieve political ends.The information in these podcasts is solely my own opinion and do not represent the position of the U.S. Government, the Department of

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8:50

The Ancient Art of Modern Terrorism (E117)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/09/22

What is terrorism? Is it something as old as warfare or something that has changed the nature of war? Is fighting terrorism the same as counterinsurgency? Despite more than two decades of the so-called War on Terror, we seem no closer to ending terrorism that we were when the Black September group attacked the Olympic Village in 1972. Before we can propose solutions to a problem, we must start by defining the problem. According to Socrates, the first step in defining a problem is defining terms

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8:01

Can There be Peace in Gaza (E116)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/09/05

I am reluctant to post much of anything about the current armed conflict in Gaza. As the saying goes, the first casualty in war is the truth, and the truth of this saying is manifest in Gaza. It is almost impossible to separate information from information operations by either side. The International Committee of the Red Cross cites allegations of grave beaches of the law of war by both sides. In previous episodes I described how war crimes make reaching peace even more difficult than it usually is

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07:45

A Modest Proposal for Peace in Ukraine (E115)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/08/28

It seems that the time has come in Putin’s war on Ukraine that both sides indicate a willingness to negotiate. But negotiate what? This episode moves on from what is necessary for a sustainable peace, what Putin’s real goals are in his war on Ukraine, and propose a possible path forward. I introduced this possible path in In Episode 104. This episode sets that idea in the context of the previous two episodes and the recent political and military developments.Music: Copland, A. & United States

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08:28

What does Putin want? (E114)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/08/24

Although diplomacy should not end when fighting begins, there are two conditions in war where one or more parties will seek to negotiate peace. One is when victory looks improbable, the other is when it looks certain. Which of these conditions is emerging in Ukraine? More importantly, which of these two conditions does Putin perceive as operative? In either condition, is negotiation leading to a sustainable peace realistic? Answering that question requires understanding what Putin really wants from

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08:19

Pope Leo and Ending War

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/08/15

Recently, Pope Leo XIV used the anniversary of the atomic bombing that ended WW2 to call for the rejection of war as a means to resolve conflicts. In ending war, or keeping war from breaking out, we must remember that war is a tool for resolving pre-existing conflicts. Ending war requires identifying and resolving those conflicts so that they do not become the seeds for future wars.Music: Liszt, Les Preludes, US Marine Corp Band (Public Domain)

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06:14

Putin's Sledgehammer (E112)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/05/28

Putin’s Sledgehammer: The Wagner Group and Russia’s Collapse into Mercenary Chaos, by Professor Candace Rondeaux is a must read for anyone interested learning how Russia came to rely on mercenary-like organizations in its global strategy and how it has used them. This book is not just about Yevgeny Prigozhin and Wagner, not even about Russia's other quasi-mercenary actors. It is an excellent summary of how Russia has come to be what it is since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The opening section

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08:38

Nations, States, and Countries (E111)

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/05/21

I am picking up my podcast series where I left off, addressing the challenges of peace. War is an act of violence among nations or states, affecting entire countries. These terms, nations, states, and countries are not synonymous. Confusing these terms leads to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or can be used to create misperceptions. In this episode I try to clarify the difference among nations, states, and countries. Understanding the differences and relationships among these terms is important

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08:59

Moving Forward with the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare...

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/03/04

Now that I have laid the groundwork for what I think everyone needs to know about war, I can digress and address current topics of interest, placing them in the framework of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. In this podcast I build on the topic of peace in the last episode to address current developments regarding Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor. Putin cannot be rewarded for his violations of international law, the laws and customs of war, both jus ad bellum and jus in bello, and threatening the

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08:16

E109: Peace, Peace, When There Is No Peace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/02/04

In my closing podcast summarizing the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare I review key points from Episodes 91-96 about peace, with an application to current events. When we are trying to figure out conflict termination the take-away should be that peace after war depends on:Jus ad bellum and jus in bello. The material evils of war are only justified to correct an injustice so great that the continued harm of that injustice is worse than the harm caused by that war. The cure cannot be worse than the

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08:20

War is a Political Instrument

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2025/01/10

After taking a Christmas break, I am picking up on my summaries of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare. In the previous episode, I described the nature of war as violence intended to compel an opponent to submit to your will. Although this idea is described by Carl von Clausewitz in his magnum opus, On War, the Prussian philosopher of war is best known for the aphorism that war is a continuation of politics by other means. It is a catchy phrase, but that translation leaves a lot to be desired and

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08:59

E107: The Unchanging Nature of War

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/12/14

In this second episode of my summary series, I address the Nature of War. That nature is violence directed at an opponent to coerce him to submit to your will. This violence has always been the nature of war and it will always be so. Further, this violence must be so painful to your opponent that he will prefer submitting to your will rather than continuing to resist. How you apply that violence and where the pain must be applied changes with time, technology, and culture. Further, the tools to

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07:58

E106: Summarizing the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare,...

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/12/07

For a little more than five years and 105 episodes, I have been podcasting on what I believe everyone can and should know about war and sometimes more specifically the characteristics of the persistent conflict we see in the world around us. Almost every week, something develops that want to explain by placing it within the context of the enduring nature of war – and the pursuit of peace. That said, I think that I have just about said everything that needs to be said explaining what war is, how it

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05:10

E104 Plan B: Rejecting Peace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/11/20

In a recent episode of my podcast series of “The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare” (E104) I described possibilities for an end to the fighting in Ukraine. Of course, any end to any armed conflict requires the agreement of both (or all) parties to the conflict. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is no different. It is entirely possible, perhaps likely, that one party does not want an end to the fighting. The other party, on the other hand, is not willing to accept peace, or even an armistice that rewards an

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08:43

E105 Contractors on the Battlefield

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/11/17

Last week, I attended the annual “Summit” meeting of the International Stability Operations Association, or #ISOA. This association includes 200 private corporations that support U.S. and friendly government engagement across the spectrum of stability, conflict, and post conflict operations. Presentations included speakers from the US Departments of Defense, State, Justice, Commerce, and USAID. Other speakers included representatives of the Ukrainian government, experts in cyber technology and

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07:31

E104: The Potential for Peace

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/11/08

Is a negotiated peace possible, or even desirable between Russia and Ukraine? How can this be done without validating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and encouragement of future aggression? These are critical questions to address as the incoming U.S. administration states that negotiating an end to that war and our involvement in it as one of its first priorities.As usual, the opinions in these podcasts are my own and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Department of Defense, anyone else

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10:47

E103: Proportionality in Contemporary War

The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare ·

2024/10/18

We often hear that this or that military attack caused disproportionate civilian casualties. Most often, these accusations are directed against Israel, when they are not directed against the United States. I will be generous and presume that most of these accusations are based on a misconception of what proportionality in armed conflict means, and how it is different from proportionate use of force civil or human rights law circumstances. Proportionality in war is the subject of this episode of the

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