For more than a year now, the world has watched as Ukrainian cities have become unrecognizable, transformed by the destruction of the ongoing war triggered by Russia's invasion. Bucha, Mariupol, Kherson, Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Bakhmut—these are just a few among many cities that, when the fighting ends, will face the monumental task of rebuilding. To better understand what that task involves, John Spencer is joined on this episode by retired Colonel Leonard DeFrancisci. A Marine Corps officer, he led a civil affairs detachment during the Second Battle of Fallujah and participated in the massive coalition effort to rebuild the city after the intense fighting and major destruction of the urban battle. He describes that effort in a conversation rich with lessons that will be important when the challenge of rebuilding Ukrainian cities comes.
In this episode, Canadian Army Major Jayson Geroux joins to discuss the 1943 Battle of Ortona. Sometimes called the “Italian Stalingrad,” the battle took...
In this episode, the first in a two-part series, John Spencer is joined by retired Maj. Gen. Yom Tov Tamir. He served a long...
In this episode, John Spencer is joined by Dr. Saskia Sassen, the Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University. She is the...