Best Internationalsecurity Podcasts (2023)

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Confronting Saddam Hussein 48:19

12h ago48:19

48:19

On this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Melvyn Leffler talks about his book, Confronting Saddam Hussein: George W. Bush and the Invasion of Iraq. Leffler discusses why he decided to write a book about the invasion of Iraq and how he went about doing so. He then outlined what he learned about this period of American history and how President Bush hel…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 33: Talking Through Space 29:42

1d ago29:42

29:42

Space-enabled communications are vital to modern military operations. But it's not just the military that benefits from satellite communications; it's also governments, doctors and other emergency first responders. Rory Welch, Head of Global Government at IntelSat, discusses the various applications of satellite communications, as well as how the s…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 32: NATO’s Air and Space Lessons from Ukraine 30:40

28d ago30:40

30:40

Are we back to counting tanks and trenches? Do the air and space domains matter in the context of the war in Ukraine? Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Air Command at Ramstein Air Base, explains why air superiority matters and why access to space and the capabilities it enables is so important. We discuss the lessons le…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 31: Indian Space Policy 29:15

2M ago29:15

29:15

Compared to the likes of the US, Russia and China, India's place among the preeminent space powers is often forgotten, despite its rich history in the domain dating back to the 1950s. Dr Namrata Goswami, Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, shares with us her research into India's space diplomacy, it…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 30: Russia: First into Space, and the First Out? 28:07

3M ago28:07

28:07

Russia was the first nation to enter space with satellite 'Sputnik' in 1957. Now, however, the Russian space industry seems to struggle to even maintain its current constellations, let alone contribute to future growth. Further, Russian troops do not seem adequately trained to integrate with space capabilities. Anna Maria Wårlind from the Swedish D…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 29: Moving from Geopolitics to ‘Astropolitics’ 25:01

4M ago25:01

25:01

Tim Marshall, author of the Prisoners of Geography series, joins us to discuss the geopolitics of space – ‘astropolitics’. But what is astropolitics exactly? And in the geography of space, what are the most contested areas? Marshall talks to us about why the South Pole of the Moon could be of future economic importance, and why commercial entities …

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Nuclear Club 43:43

5M ago43:43

43:43

On this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Jonathan Hunt talks about his book, The Nuclear Club: How America and the World Policed the Atom from Hiroshima to Vietnam. Hunt starts out with an anecdote about the origins of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty under U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Special Assistant for National Security Affairs W…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Lessons From A White House Intelligence Briefer 36:42

5M ago36:42

36:42

On this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration Beth Sanner delivers a candid and enriching lecture about being an intelligence professional at the highest level in the White House. Among many duties, this job involved serving as U.S. President Donald Trump's intelligence briefer. Ms. S…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
European Security After the War in Ukraine 37:04

5M ago37:04

37:04

On this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, William Inboden, editor-in-chief of the Texas National Security Review and executive director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin, sat down with Amb. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former United States senator from Texas and, later, the U.S. permanent representative to NATO…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 28: To Own, or to Collaborate and Access? That is the Question 25:47

5M ago25:47

25:47

Is the UK taking the space threat seriously? How does one protect space assets from threats and balance reliance on commercial providers with the ’price point’ and broader financial burdens inherent in sovereign infrastructures? Nik Smith, Regional Director UK & Europe at Lockheed Martin Space, talks to us about space threats, lessons from Ukraine,…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Reagan's War Stories 29:04

5M ago29:04

29:04

In this week’s Horns of a Dilemma, Maj. Ben Griffin, the Chief of the Military History Division at West Point, discusses his new book, Reagan's War Stories: A Cold War Presidency. In the book, Ben tells three stories about United States President Ronald Reagan, the President who ushered in the end of the Cold War. The book touches on Reagan’s relat…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Bureau of Things That Keep You Up At Night 32:03

6M ago32:03

32:03

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ann Ganzer of the State Department's Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation recently visited the University of Texas, Austin. In this episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Ganzer sits down with Clements Center Associate Director Paul Edgar to discuss many of the issues she discussed with student…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 27: Space During the Cold War: The Strategic Defense Initiative 26:11

6M ago26:11

26:11

In 1983, US President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative, which became known as the ‘Star Wars’ programme. But was it really all about space? Dr Aaron Bateman, Assistant Professor of History and International Affairs at George Washington University (GWU) and member of the Space Policy Institute within the Elliott School of Int…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Corps Capabilities: Redesigning the Marine Corps for the Modern Indo-Pacific 1:00:14

6M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Marine Corps Gen. (Ret) Robert Neller joins University of Texas, Austin Professor Paul Pope to discuss the recent force structure and doctrine changes in the Marine Corps, intended to create a force ready to fight a war with China. Neller begins with a basic overview of the contemporary security environ…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Hard Power, Hard Choices, and Cold, Hard Cash 1:10:43

7M ago1:10:43

1:10:43

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, Mackenzie Eaglen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, addresses the challenging questions of how to allocate defense spending to meet American strategic interests around the globe. Eaglen discusses the relationship between strategy and budget, as well as how "reality always gets a vote…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Dealers in Hope? Leadership in the Russia-Ukraine War 46:15

7M ago46:15

46:15

Napoleon once said that leaders are "dealers in hope." While such a label might seem to fit Ukrainian President Vlodymyr Zelensky, it fits more awkwardly on Russian President Vladimir Putin. How has the leadership of these two men shaped the onset and current progress of the Russian invasion of Ukraine? Would the invasion have happened at all, or i…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Hard Politics of Soft Power 29:07

7M ago29:07

29:07

In this week's Horns of a Dilemma, Daniel Runde of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, speaks about his new book, The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power. Liberals and conservatives are frequently divided over foreign policy preferences, with conservatives favoring hard power, such as military might,…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Transition in a Time of Transition 43:54

7M ago43:54

43:54

The turnover between U.S. presidential administrations can be a time of uncertainty and vulnerability. In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, we hear from former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley, who discusses the forthcoming volume, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama. This book, a collection of tra…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 26: Making History: Helen Sharman's Spaceflight 28:40

7M ago28:40

28:40

With her eight-day mission in 1991, Helen Sharman became the first British person in space. She also became the first woman aboard the Mir Space Station. In this episode, Helen reflects on her training in Star City, and ponders what value human spaceflight brings to us and the evolution of safety in space missions. Looking ahead, what will happen t…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
A Hard Act to Follow: Explaining Authoritarian Succession 36:21

8M ago36:21

36:21

A year ago, as Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine was proving not to be the quick and easy victory Vladimir Putin had expected, some observers speculated that the bungled decision to invade his neighbor could be Putin's undoing. The idea of a Russian state without Putin raised alluring prospects of reform. In this week's Horns of a Dilemma, America…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
What Happens if the Balloon Goes Up With China? 49:45

8M ago49:45

49:45

In this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma, we listen to a discussion between Will Inboden, executive director of the Clements Center at the University of Texas, Austin, and Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. Brands and Inboden discuss a book wri…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Truth Shall Set You Free: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the Cold War 1:03:01

8M ago1:03:01

1:03:01

On this week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma Clement Center Senior National Security Fellow Mark Pomar, who helped to oversee the Russian language broadcasts of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty during the Cold War, discusses his book, Cold War Radio: The Russian Broadcasts of Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Pomar is joined …

W

War in Space

1
Episode 25: Tech vs Strategy? The Beginnings of the US Space Force 28:13

8M ago28:13

28:13

What is the main driver of change - technology or strategy? Which one should it be? Kim Crider, former US Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and current Managing Director, AI Innovation for National Security and Defence at Deloitte, talks to us about the early days of the US Space Force and how one integrates tech, science and mili…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Contradictions of J. Edgar Hoover 52:22

8M ago52:22

52:22

Many great figures in American history are full of contradictions. Thomas Jefferson wrote stirringly about liberty while owning human beings as property. Woodrow Wilson was both the idealistic author of the 14 Points, and a racist who re-segregated the federal work force. But few figures in American history embody as many contradictions as the two …

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Arc of a Covenant 41:12

9M ago41:12

41:12

This week's episode of Horns of a Dilemma features author and public intellectual Walter Russell Mead speaking about his book, The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People. As Mead discusses, the trope that American foreign policy toward Israel can be explained by the outsized influence of Jewish people in Ame…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Reconstructing the Roots of January 6 56:45

9M ago56:45

56:45

On the second anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, Horns of a Dilemma features a talk by University of Texas, Austin Professor Jeremi Suri about his new book, Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy. In seeking to understand the events of January 6, 2021, Suri looks to the American Civil War and the period …

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Dauntless Courage at Midway 40:20

9M ago40:20

40:20

Many stories of the Battle of Midway highlight the role of cryptography in breaking Japanese codes and the herculean effort to repair USS Yorktown after the battle of the Coral Sea so that she could participate in the battle. In this week's Horns of a Dilemma, author Steven McGregor highlights a less-known but equally important aspect: the SBD Daun…

W

War in Space

1
Episode 24: Ukraine: The First Commercial Space War? 31:49

9M ago31:49

31:49

With private space tech companies such as Starlink and Maxar making headlines during the Ukraine war, how have they affected the battlefield? And to what extent is the involvement of private companies new? Professor Jeremy Grunert, Assistant Professor of Law at the US Air Force Academy, answers these questions and more in the context of internation…

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
The Ghost of Missiles Past 46:10

10M ago46:10

46:10

The deployment of the Soviet SS-20 missile system in the 1970s and 1980s, and U.S. plans to deploy the Pershing II and Ground Launched Cruise Missile in response, spurred a crisis within NATO over U.S. nuclear deterrence in Europe. Susan Colbourn, associate director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies at Duke University's Sanford School …

H

Horns of a Dilemma

1
Freedom and the Rule of Law 35:35

10M ago35:35

35:35

Nathan Law first came to international prominence as a student leader of the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong in 2014. In the years that followed, he was elected as the youngest parliamentarian in Hong Kong's history, debarred from holding office, convicted for his activities in leading student protests, jailed, released, and exiled--all before his 3…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Internationalsecurity Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Horns of a Dilemma

Texas National Security Network

1
War in Space

The Royal United Services Institute

1
Confronting Saddam Hussein 48:19

1
Episode 33: Talking Through Space 29:42

1
Episode 32: NATO’s Air and Space Lessons from Ukraine 30:40

1
Episode 31: Indian Space Policy 29:15

1
Episode 30: Russia: First into Space, and the First Out? 28:07

1
Episode 29: Moving from Geopolitics to ‘Astropolitics’ 25:01

1
The Nuclear Club 43:43

1
Lessons From A White House Intelligence Briefer 36:42

1
European Security After the War in Ukraine 37:04

1
Episode 28: To Own, or to Collaborate and Access? That is the Question 25:47

1
Reagan's War Stories 29:04

1
The Bureau of Things That Keep You Up At Night 32:03

1
Episode 27: Space During the Cold War: The Strategic Defense Initiative 26:11

1
Corps Capabilities: Redesigning the Marine Corps for the Modern Indo-Pacific 1:00:14

1
Hard Power, Hard Choices, and Cold, Hard Cash 1:10:43

1
Dealers in Hope? Leadership in the Russia-Ukraine War 46:15

1
The Hard Politics of Soft Power 29:07

1
Transition in a Time of Transition 43:54

1
Episode 26: Making History: Helen Sharman's Spaceflight 28:40

1
A Hard Act to Follow: Explaining Authoritarian Succession 36:21

1
What Happens if the Balloon Goes Up With China? 49:45

1
The Truth Shall Set You Free: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in the Cold War 1:03:01

1
Episode 25: Tech vs Strategy? The Beginnings of the US Space Force 28:13

1
The Contradictions of J. Edgar Hoover 52:22

1
The Arc of a Covenant 41:12

1
Reconstructing the Roots of January 6 56:45

1
Dauntless Courage at Midway 40:20

1
Episode 24: Ukraine: The First Commercial Space War? 31:49

1
The Ghost of Missiles Past 46:10

1
Freedom and the Rule of Law 35:35

Quick Reference Guide