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Modern War Institute

Modern War Institute

Modern War Institute at West Point 231 Episodes Oct 14, 2026

The Modern War Institute Podcast, produced with the generous support of the West Point Class of 1974, is the flagship podcast of the Modern War Institute at West Point. It features discussions with guests including senior military leaders, scholars, and others on the most important issues related to modern military conflict.

Episodes

The MWI Book Club
The MWI Book Club Oct 14, 2026 01:31:13 An Army that reads is an Army better prepared to fight and win its nation’s wars. When the stakes on the battlefield are life and death, victory or defeat, the force that brings more knowledge, more wisdom, and better understanding to the fight has a distinct advantage. And reading is a key means of building that advantage. That’s why we recently launch
Operation Vivaldi
Operation Vivaldi Oct 7, 2026 00:45:21 For years now, the war in Ukraine has been fought on a largely static battlefield—characterized by attrition, with little opportunity for maneuver, and with only incremental changes to the front lines. But recently, seemingly out of nowhere, Ukrainian forces began recapturing territory held by occupying Russian forces. The gains steadily accrued until,
How Commanders Win Wars
How Commanders Win Wars Aug 5, 2026 00:52:14 How did George Washington overcome virtually every material disadvantage to defeat the British during the Revolutionary War? How did Ulysses S. Grant turn the tides of the Civil War in the Union’s favor in the crucial year of 1864? How did Dwight Eisenhower manage the overwhelming personal burden of leading the Allied invasion of Europe? The answers to
NATO's Ankara Summit
NATO's Ankara Summit Jul 10, 2026 00:40:08 NATO just wrapped up its 2026 summit in Ankara, Turkey. Over two days of meetings and other events, the leaders of the alliance's thirty-two member states discussed a range of issues and challenges facing the alliance. But what did we actually learn from the summit? In a period that has been marked by intra-alliance friction, were there signs of closing
Logistics, Landpower, and Large-Scale Combat
Logistics, Landpower, and Large-Scale Combat Jun 24, 2026 00:55:11 For years of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, US Army forces, along with their joint and coalition counterparts, benefits from a logistics enterprise that ensured every supply need was met. That enterprise—extending from installations at home, through sea and air lines, and all the way to small units in contact—operated largely without disru
The Future of the All-Volunteer Force
The Future of the All-Volunteer Force Jun 10, 2026 00:58:38 In 1973, the US military took an enormously consequential step when it adopted an all-volunteer force model. That decision has produced the most professional, capable joint force in history. But it hasn’t come without costs—from the large budgets required to maintain it to a shrinking recruitment base that has serious implications for civil-military rel
Putin’s Intelligence Services
Putin’s Intelligence Services May 29, 2026 00:37:32 Shortly after taking power in Moscow, Vladimir Putin began consolidating his authority over the Russian intelligence services that had long been deeply embedded in Russian and Soviet politics and a pervasive influence in society. The degree to which he succeeded was striking, ultimately transforming them into organizational assets that remained effectiv
The Weapons Defining the Iran Conflict
The Weapons Defining the Iran Conflict Mar 11, 2026 00:23:48 For more than a week, the United States and Israel have struck a wide range of targets in Iran with air and missile strikes. Iran’s response has included missile and drone attacks against targets in neighboring states in the Middle East—both US military and diplomatic facilities and public sites including Dubai’s airport. What weapons, on both sides of
The Iran Conflict's Strategic Dimension
The Iran Conflict's Strategic Dimension Mar 8, 2026 01:05:43 What were the strategic calculations that drove the United States and Israel to launch a military operation aimed at a wide range of targets in Iran? And are the fundamental objectives of the two partners fully aligned? Inside Iran, as the regime's resilience and the military's capability are under more pressure than they have been in decades, how are i
What to Make of the New National Defense Strategy
What to Make of the New National Defense Strategy Jan 31, 2026 01:22:53 The United States has a new National Defense Strategy. Released about every four years, the document offers a window into the way senior defense officials view the global threat environment and identify US defense objectives. But how will the new strategy be interpreted by allies and partners? What about adversaries and competitors? And does formally de
Analyzing Operation Absolute Resolve
Analyzing Operation Absolute Resolve Jan 13, 2026 00:46:16 Examined exclusively as a military operation, the US raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a stunning success. In the course of just a few hours, the force package launched, accomplished its objective, and returned to base. But before that could happen, planning and rehearsals that likely took place for months set the stage for the
Training, Education, and the Modern Battlefield
Training, Education, and the Modern Battlefield Dec 4, 2025 00:54:06 Both training and education have always been key elements of the US Army’s readiness. But as new battlefield challenges arise and new technologies emerge, the character of warfare is changing—and it’s changing faster than ever. Keeping up with those changes—and keeping ahead of adversaries we might fight—means that we have to get training and education

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