News, Articles and Comment

In this third instalment of his history of the Royal Navy’s Naval Brigades during the 19th century, the author reflects on the legacy of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and demonstrates the lessons learned since the Crimean War. A 20 minute read.

The latest book reviews have been published, covering the development of French naval policy between 1870 and 1918, and the Ocean-class […]

Nearly a year ago, General Sir Robert Fry recognized the profound geopolitical implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In light of the failures of the Global War on Terrorism, serious threats have emerged to the international order. A 10 minute read. Originally published 21 March 2022 in The Article (https://www.thearticle.com/war-no-longer-politics-by-other-means-clausewitz-fukuyama-and-ukraine)

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

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.