Confused Heap of Facts

Dec 01 2024 65 ep. 64 mins 11

Confused Heap of Facts Podcast artwork

Historians from the CGSC Department of Military History discuss topics in military history, ranging from antiquity to the near-present.

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Episode 64 – Special Guest Dr. Sam Watson

Dec 01 2024 51 mins

Drs. Jonathan Abel and Bill Nance sit down with special guest Dr. Sam Watson from the US Military Academy at West Point. They have a wide-ranging discussion on officers in the early US republic and the state of military history today. “History is only a confused heap of facts.” – Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield Host: Dr. Jonathan Abel, CGSC DMH DMH Podcast Team

Episode 63 – He Who Desires Peace, Let Him Prepare for War:” Hosler Talks Vegetius

Nov 01 2024 65 mins

Dr. Jonathan Abel is joined by Dr. John Hosler to discuss the Roman military theorist Vegetius. They discuss Vegetius’s work and its themes. They trace its transmission and influence through the medieval period. They examine its use in early modern France. They conclude by discussing one of the major misuses of Vegetius and similar works. “History is only a confused heap of f

Episode 62 – Clemis on Twentieth-Century Vietnamese Politics

Oct 01 2024 64 mins

Drs. Jonathan Abel and Bill Nance continue their discussions about Vietnam with Dr. Martin Clemis. They dive into Vietnamese politics throughout the twentieth century. They begin with major influences on Vietnam like China, France, Marxism, and Buddhism. They detail how politics evolved throughout the century, particularly in the North. They explain how America’s Vietnam War shap

Episode 61.5 – Schedule Announcement

A short of announcement that we'll be moving to a once-a-month model for CHF instead of the twice -a-month.

Episode 61 – Brown on Eisenhower’s New Look

Sep 15 2024 76 mins

Dr. Jonathan Abel is joined by Dr. Gates Brown to discuss Eisenhower’s New Look policy. They outline the background to Eisenhower’s strategic views via the late 1940s and early 1950s. They explain what Eisenhower’s approach to deterrence was via the New Look and Massive Retaliation. They explore the responses within the Army, particularly the Pentomic Division, to that policy

Episode 60 – Rafuse on the 1862 Valley Campaign

Sep 01 2024 57 mins

Dr. Jonathan Abel is joined by Dr. Bill Nance to discuss the 1862 Valley Campaign of the U.S. Civil War with Dr. Ethan Rafuse. They discuss the background of the campaign and how it fit into the other Union efforts that spring. They detail the fighting in the valley and how Union efforts failed. They conclude with lessons from the campaign, including Stonewall Jackson’s operation

Episode 59 – Abel on Early Modern European Military Theorists

Aug 15 2024 65 mins

Dr. Bill Nance interviews Dr. Jonathan Abel about military theory during the early modern period, especially in France. They discuss the gap in knowledge between Machiavelli and Clausewitz that many modern students of the subject have, and how it developed. They detail the theorists who worked between those periods and how theory evolved. They talk about the Military Enlightenment

Episode 58 - Kuehn talks JC Wiley

Aug 01 2024 60 mins

Dr. Jonathan Abel is joined by Dr. Bill Nance and guest Dr. John Kuehn to talk about an under appreciated theorist: JC Wiley. They discuss his background and how it shaped his theory. They note his service record in World War II, including his participation in the foundation of the Combat Information Center (CIC). They then explore his theories, including how strategy relates to th

Episode 57 – Clemis on Dau Tranh

Jul 15 2024 61 mins

Drs. Jonathan Abel and Bill Nance sit down with Dr. Martin Clemis to discuss Vietnamese communist strategy in the Vietnam War, especially what is known as “dau tranh.” Clemis describes the holistic communist approach that stymied efforts by the French, Americans, and Chinese to defeat it. He traces its origins in Marxism and Maoism, and he discusses how it functioned. Finally,

Episode 56 – Nagel on Race Relations in the US Army 1900-1918

Jul 01 2024 63 mins

Drs. Jonathan Abel and Bill Nance are back with Dr. Amanda Nagel to talk race relations in the US Army in the early twentieth century. The dig into social and military issues as Jim Crow began its long reign in the US, including the Army. They detail the struggle of Black American officers to find justice and equity in the Army leading into World War I. They discuss some of the inf