School of War

Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops adored him. His generals, meanwhile, were another story. In his new book, Napoleon and His Marshals, Lord Andrew Roberts details the lives of the 26 marshals who conquered Europe—and the micromanaging boss who couldn’t stop undermining them. Roberts joins Aaron MacLean to explore the military genius, rivalries, and leadership failures that shaped Napoleon’s empire, before turning to the recent unrest in France, rising political extremism, and the country’s uncertain political future.

02:29 – The French Army Before Napoleon
04:17 – The French Revolution and Napoleon's Rise
02:29 – The French Army Before Napoleon04:17 – The French Revolution and Napoleon's Rise05:51 – The Wars Against Napoleon07:30 – How Napoleon Revolutionized Warfare11:03 – Meet Napoleon's Marshals12:29 – Napoleon's Military Meritocracy16:24 – Napoleon's Micromanagement Problem19:24 – Berthier: Napoleon's Brilliant Chief of Staff23:13 – Rivalries Among Napoleon's Generals27:25 – The Marshal Who Turned Against Napoleon31:01 – Napoleon's Greatest Leadership Lessons32:06 – Riots in Modern France
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Yuval Levin ranks AI among the most important political questions facing the country, one with “no left and right.” Just last week, the midterms saw voters push back against artificial intelligence in a series of referenda—but the question of its place in American life is far from settled. Today, Levin joins School of War to discuss what he learned during a recent visit to Anthropic, how the debate over AI defies traditional left-right political divisions, and how the technology threatens the development of the next generation of American leaders, including within the military.

02:05 AI and the Professions

03:47 What Is AGI?

07:50 Inside Anthropic

12:27 Can AI Improve Itself?

20:27 AI’s Limitations

24:34 AI and Creativity

28:11 The Threat to Excellence

31:32 AI and Military Leadership

35:23 The Crisis of Expertise

39:44 The Military’s Advantage

48:18 AI, Politics, and China

51:52 Take the Long Way

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Is it a plane or a helicopter? The MV-22 Osprey has features from both, but that’s not what makes it one of the most controversial aircraft in the American military. Its history of deadly crashes has earned it a reputation as a dangerous machine, but former Marine Corps pilot Bubba Scott takes a different view Today, Scott joins School of War to explain why he believes the Osprey is “unfairly maligned,” what makes it so revolutionary, why the Marine Corps depends on it, and what it takes to fly one of the most demanding aircraft in military aviation. From a terrifying near-collision to harrowing nighttime landings, Scott offers a rare look inside the cockpit—and the extraordinary skill, training, and leadership required to operate at the limits of modern military aviation.

04:11 – Becoming a Marine Osprey Pilot

09:05 – A Lesson in Marine Corps Toughness

12:54 – Why the Military Needed the Osprey

18:54 – Operation Eagle Claw and the Osprey's Mission

24:07 – Is the Osprey Really Dangerous?

27:07 – The Osprey's Safety Record

30:46 – What Is It Like to Fly an Osprey?

34:34 – The Challenges of Flying the Osprey

38:56 – A Near-Fatal Midair Collision

46:35 – America's Night-Flying Capabilities

50:18 – American Military Excellence

52:20 – Leadership Lessons From the Cockpit

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Reporting from northern Israel, Aaron sits down with two unidentified Israeli army officers and Druze community leader Tamir Murad to explore the threats facing the country’s northern frontier. From drones changing the battlefield to the plight of Syria’s Druze, their conversations reveal how closely war touches everyday life. As one Israeli army officer puts it, “There’s no distance between the front line and home. Home is the front line.”

01:10 — Tamir Morad on Israel’s Druze

02:50 — Four generations of service

07:28 — October 7

11:02 — Hezbollah rockets and tunnels

13:55 — Majdal Shams and Druze identity

17:29 — Violence in Suwayda

25:06 — A Druze state?

36:28 — Israeli officers on the 1973 war

39:57 — Lessons from Ukraine

42:07 — Hezbollah’s drones

50:02 — AI on the battlefield

54:15 — Israel’s Syrian buffer zone

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Will Iran cost Republicans the midterms? What happens when half of the GOP turns against Israel? Middle East expert Mike Doran returns to School of War for a wide-ranging discussion of these questions as the midterms threaten to widen divisions on the American right over foreign policy. Taking aim at Tucker Carlson’s influence, Doran argues that the consequences of this divide reach far beyond Israel: “It sets us against ourselves, Americans against Americans, conservatives against conservatives.” He and Aaron MacLean explore the stakes of another escalation with Iran and when it might unfold, the future of America’s alliances, and what it all means for 2028.

03:59 Trump’s Next Move on Iran

11:29 Can Trump Force a Deal?

17:24 What Iran Really Wants

20:26 Is Renewed War Inevitable?

26:58 Targeting Iran’s Refineries

30:36 Trump, Putin, and Russian Oil

37:55 Israel and Turkey’s Rivalry

45:05 The Fight Over Syria

51:35 The Right Turns on Israel

53:19 The Debate With the NatCons

1:00:09 What Should Conservatives Defend?

1:10:56 Can America Find the Center?

This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com.

This episode of School of War is also brought to you by Stratolaunch, a leading pure-play hypersonics company. Stratolaunch helps the U.S. and its allies move new hypersonic technologies from concept to capability, faster and cheaper. Learn more about how Stratolaunch is accelerating the future of hypersonics at Stratolaunch.com.

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