Explore every episode of the podcast Pax Americana

A discussion of the pros and cons of having a unified European military.

A discussion of the state of Germany's military three year's into the Zeitenwende.

A discussion of IDF tech, tactics, doctrine, and strategy in the Gaza War.

A discussion of the F-35, with some observations for Europeans.

A discussion of the Irish military and military policy.

A discussion of the Finnish military.

A discussion of Robert Komer's 1972 study of Vietnam, "Bureaucracy does its thing." One can find a free PDF of Komer's work here: https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R967.html

A discussion of Poland's military build up and what it means for European defense.

A discussion of Iran's military capabilities and strategy.

A discussion of a tendency for American policy makers to avoid taking advantage of potential turning points in foreign affairs.

A discussion of the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian defense policy, and Canada's strategic position.

A discussion of the Italian military and how it does so much for so little money, relatively speaking.

A discussion of the similarities and differences between the British and French Armies, and their ability to conduct a major land war.

A discussion of the state of the British Army and the dilemmas it faces.

A discussion of the difficult choices confronting the British military.

A discussion of assumptions untrue or untested that doomed the war effort.

A conversation with Phil Lieberman, rabbi, scholar, and naval officer.

A discussion of French COIN and whether it was using COIN doctrine in Mali.

I discuss with Ambassador Korhonen recent events in Mali, US policy, and the place of democracy promotion in US policy.

This is a follow up to the previous episode, "The American Way of Way," and gives the French perspective on how Americans fight. Weigley: https://amzn.to/3ygId1S Coutau-Bégarie: https://amzn.to/3A1SGPe Yakovleff: https://amzn.to/3YmogRM The American Way of War Pt. 1. https://youtu.be/-canZtfsRU8 Check out my substack: https://shurkin.substack.com/ https://twitter.com/MichaelShurkin https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shurkin-ph-d-1397641a/ Last but not least: https://www.michaelshurkin.com/

A discussion of the American Way of War. For further reading, see: https://amzn.to/3YkFkrs https://amzn.to/4d8qGb2 Check out my substack: https://shurkin.substack.com/ https://twitter.com/MichaelShurkin https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shurkin-ph-d-1397641a/ Last but not least: https://www.michaelshurkin.com/

A discussion of the realities of the African continent.

A discussion of why so many people want to believe Israel is guilty of genocide.

A discussion of nations and nation building, and why the US seems to misunderstand these things.

A discussion of why the U.S. fails in its efforts to export or support democracy abroad. Check me out at https://shurkin.substack.com/ https://michaelshurkin.com https://twitter.com/MichaelShurkin https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shurkin-ph-d-1397641a/

A discussion of the possibility and risk of a Ukrainian military victory. The full video is here: https://youtu.be/p80rTXEeYCM?si=KsblW2IKdu0SfwVY Check me out at https://shurkin.substack.com/ https://michaelshurkin.com https://twitter.com/MichaelShurkin https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-shurkin-ph-d-1397641a/

I explain that Israel can defeat Hamas in Gaza; arguments to the contrary are false.

I explain Zionism. Here's a classic reader on Zionism: https://amzn.to/3wcyjNz A reference history of Zionism: https://amzn.to/49Tmcmy Hess's Rome and Jerusalem: https://amzn.to/3WfGeEm Herzl's The Jewish State: https://amzn.to/3JA6lyj If you want to go deeper: https://amzn.to/4aOhSWM

This is a discussion of Colonel Guy Brossollet's theory of the "Non-Battle." His book, published in 1975, remains profoundly influential among French military theorists and is particularly useful for understanding General Guy Hubin.

This podcast is a conversation with General Guy Hubin. Purchase Hubin's book here: https://amzn.to/3W9iEck

A discussion of imagery and war and the effect of TikTok. The discussion touches on Ukraine and Gaza.

A discussion of recent technological innovations in naval warfare in light of the Jeune Ecole school of naval theory.

A discussion of the history of COIN doctrine and why it cannot work in a post-colonial context. Discusses Galula and Petraeus, among others. See Galula here: https://amzn.to/49ge0Mx Galula in French: https://amzn.to/498Txt9 Also see my website at https://michaelshurkin.com

A discussion of the truth behind the Palestinian Nakba and the 1947-1948 war.

An explanation of Marshal Ferdinand Foch's Principles of War. Foch was the Supreme Allied Commander in 1918 and the father of modern French military strategy.

How to think about the Israel-Hamas war using the concepts of French strategists Admiral Raoul Castex and General André Beaufre

An introduction to a key aspect of the work of France's great naval strategist Admiral Raoul Castex. The focus here is on his concept of the "servitudes."

A discussion of conventional deterrence, what it is, and how it works.

A discussion of Iran and U.S. Policy toward Iran. Why I've become an Iran hawk.

A top-end discussion of concepts that are central to naval strategy, drawing largely on French Admiral Raoul Castex.

In this episode, I introduce myself and the show.