Recent Publications

Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service – Fourth Edition
April 7, 2023 — Diplomacy Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service – Fourth Edition by Harry W. Kopp and John K. Naland | Reviewed by Christopher Sandrolini, Foreign Service Officer and professor, US Army War College | Like the military, American diplomacy predates the federal government. Career Diplomacy describes the US Foreign Service’s history... MORE

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews: Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service – Fourth Edition

On “The Grand Strategy of Gertrude Bell”: From the Arab Bureau to the Creation of Iraq
March 29, 2023 — The remarkable life of early-twentieth-century British adventurer Gertrude Bell has been well documented through her biographies and numerous travel books. Bell’s role as a grand strategist for the British government in the Middle East during World War I and the postwar period, however, is surprisingly understudied. Investigating Gertrude Bell as both a military strategist and a grand strategist offers important insights into... MORE

SSI Live 98 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine
March 17, 2023 — With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess outlook for Ukraine? Is there reason for Kyiv – or Moscow – to be optimistic, given the current trajectory? And what can we make of potential Chinese involvement? In this third (of three) SSI Live podcast marking one year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, ... MORE

Review and Reply: On “Why America’s Army Can’t Win America’s Wars”
March 13, 2023 — Since achieving victory in World War II, the United States military has a less than enviable combat record in irregular warfare. This exchange provides differing perspectives on where past decisions and doctrines have led to defeat and where they may have succeeded if given more time or executed differently. This episode responds to John A. Nagl’s article, “Why America’s Army Can’t Win America’s Wars,” published in the Autumn 2022 issue of Parameters (vol. 52, no. 3). ... MORE

SSI Live 97 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of the EU
March 9, 2023 — One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of the EU – With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess the role of the European Union (EU)? Have its diplomatic, political, economic, and military responses to the war met expectations? What remains to be done and what impediments stand in the way? ... MORE

SSI Live 96 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of Latin America
March 8, 2023 — With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, it’s clear that economic sanctions against Russia as well as the provision of military equipment and other materiel have formed the centerpieces of the Western response to Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion. Yet the global south, including Latin America, remains conspicuously... MORE

PRC Engagement with Central America – An Update (on CEEP)
March 7, 2023 — R. Evan Ellis Central America has become a strategic area for China’s activities both because of its proximity to the United States and because of the economic, commercial and logistical momentum developed in recent years. Likewise, this region is important to expand Chinese geopolitical influence on the case of Taiwan, due to the interest of... MORE

Challenges and Threats to Security in Latin America (ceeep.mil.pe)
March 6, 2023 — Latin America faces a complex economic, social and political context with strong implications for the radicalization of society, the erosion of institutions, and the reduction of economic prospects, undermining its commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Although this phenomenon is not exclusive to Latin America, it seems that this region is experiencing the beginning of a chain of events that could negatively impact the countries that integrate it... MORE

Parameters | Spring 2023
March 3, 2023 — The US Army War College has published The US Army War College Quarterly – Parameters, a refereed journal for contributions concerning contemporary strategy and Landpower, since 1971. Parameters is a product line of the US Army War College Press, which publishes and disseminates research and analysis for Army leaders and other defense experts in multiple forms... MORE

“NATO Space Critical Infrastructure” from Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield (NATO COE-DAT Handbook 2)
February 27, 2023 — Every day, malicious actors target emerging technologies and medical resilience or seek to wreak havoc in the wake of disasters brought on by climate change, energy insecurity, and supply-chain disruptions. Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield is a handbook on how to strengthen critical infrastructure resilience in an era of emerging threats. The counterterrorism research produced for this volume is in alignment... MORE

Countering Terrorism on Tomorrow’s Battlefield (NATO COE-DAT Handbook 2)
February 23, 2023 — Conversations on Strategy, Conversations on Strategy Podcast, Dr. Sarah J. Lohmann... MORE

“Afghanistan: The Logic of Failing Fast and Slow”
February 19, 2023 — In the fifth installment of the SRAD Director’s Corner, “Afghanistan: The Logic of Failing, Fast and Slow,” George Shatzer focuses on the failure of the US-led war and reconstruction campaign in Afghanistan. He reviews The Forty-year War in Afghanistan: A Chronicle Foretold by Tariq Ali and The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan by Elliot Ackerman. He brings personal experience to bear in his review, painting a picture of why the United States failed in Afghanistan and posing these failures as lessons that must be learned before the next war. The books also provide insights for strategists attempting to plan for security in the region... MORE