DETERRENCE SCHOOL – Details, episodes & analysis

DSS doctoral student Zachary Popovich talks with John DiPirro, currently Senior Fellow for Eurasia at the American Foreign Policy Council and one of America’s top experts on the Black Sea region’s complex interplay of contested borders, economic potential, and longstanding tensions. Popovich and DiPirro take a country-by-country tour covering recent developments, including the August 2025 peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its associated “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” Listen in and get up to speed on one of the world’s most fascinating regions.  

Here's a link to DiPirro’s argument for adding a Russian containment component to US strategy more broadly in Central Asia: Rethinking Central Asia | American Foreign Policy Council

Additional Details on the Fall of Saigon–

The Story Behind the Fall of Saigon’s Most Iconic Photo 

https://www.history.com/articles/fall-of-saigon-photo-helicopter-evacuation-rooftop-1975  

The Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975: The end of the Vietnam War 

https://apimagesblog.com/historical/2020/4/24/the-fall-of-saigon-april-30-1975-the-end-of-the-vietnam-war  

Nguyen Nguyen’s Book Recommendations–

Nguyen Book Recommendation 1: The Vietnam War, by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33512518-the-vietnam-war  

Nguyen Book Recommendation 2: The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57007687-the-bomber-mafia  

Nguyen Book Recommendation 3: Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis, Bing West 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46037714-call-sign-chaos  

The Deterrence School podcast examines the rapidly changing character of war in Ukraine through the lens of drones, counter-drone technology, and artificial intelligence. Doctoral student Paul Dodge hosts Michael Hochberg, Ph.D., a technology expert, serial entrepreneur, and national security consultant. With an MS and a Ph.D. from Caltech in applied physics, Dr. Hochberg is a highly distinguished expert that is well positioned to help navigate this complex topic. Dr. Hochberg is also the President of Periplous LLC, which advises on strategy, technology, and policy (https://www.periplo.us/), and is the chairman of the board at the Mackinder Forum focused on geopolitics (https://mackinderforum.org/).

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