News, Articles and Comment

The latest book reviews have been published, covering a history of those ships named HMS London, a two-volume look at the […]

As today is World Book day I have grabbed a few of my ‘go to’ favourites to celebrate the joy […]

Ed. In the Ukraine conflict both sides have a tendency to favour the optimistic appraisals of their own information echo chambers, a dangerous way to form strategy. The author compares Germany’s 1918 Spring Offensive with expected forthcoming Russian offensive operations and raises questions about Western strategy and goals. Originally published in The Article, 24 February 2023 (https://www.thearticle.com/ukraine-one-year-on-some-random-observations). A 5 minute read.

Ed. We are lookig into recording this event for the benefit of the wider NR audience.

Ed. Employing the DIME model of Diplomatic, Information, Military and Economic analysis, the author proposes that a clear-sighted view of Britain’s post-First World War priorities in the Baltic may help to chart the hazards today. 20 mins.

Ed. By the Editor – The author makes the case for renewed Royal Navy engagement with the Indo-Pacific theatre, not just in terms of military commitment, but also diplomatic positioning both in theatre and at home. A 5 minute read.

Ed. The author compares Germany’s self-defeating planning before the First World War, and the subsequent struggle to master attritional warfare, with the failure of deterrence in Ukraine and the battlefield ramifications, and makes an important historical point that bears repeating: As Moltke the Elder knew, no plan survives contact with the enemy. The dangers of attempting to force a political resolution through operational action are clear. Originally published in The Article, 1 June 2022 (https://www.thearticle.com/echoes-of-the-great-war-in-ukraine). A 10 minute read.

Ed. The author surveys the first year of the Russia-Ukraine War, from the grand strategic to the tactical and technical, always keeping the maritime dimension in mind. The lessons of the war thus far are both revealing, in terms of the weakness of unilateral military responses to strategic problems, and disconcertingly familiar from the history of Russia-Ukraine relations. A 40 minute read.

This article was updated for the Volume 111, Winter 2023, Number 1 edition of The Naval Review. Click here to […]