Phillips O’Brien, chair of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews and author of The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini, and Hitler--How War Made Them and How They Made War, joins the show to discuss the nature of strategic decision making in World War II and beyond. ▪️ Times • 01:50 Introduction • 02:48 Germany 1st debunked • 06:50 A matter of choices • 08:20 Management styles • 11:23 FDR the navalist • 14:42 Strategic balance • 16:52 The British Empire • 18:58 Churchill the shapeshifter • 26:42 Britain’s place • 29:22 Casablanca • 33:54 Making Hitler • 38:43 Firepower + racial superiority • 42:41 Delaying defeat • 44:55 A childish view of war • 46:50 Human decisions • 48:28 Stalin the survivor • 51:30 “Not nice people” Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today’s episode on our School of War Substack

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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