The Department of War Studies, King's College London, focuses on promoting understanding of war, conflict and international security. The podcasts highlight the department's research and teaching activities. They also cover events the department organises for its students and the public. DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in these podcasts are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

Podcast

Events

Playlist for all matters naval and maritime at Kings College London.

It was established in 2001 and has been named in honour of the founding father of naval history, Professor Sir John Knox Laughton (1830-1915), who taught at the College between 1885 and 1914 and before that at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. This initiative builds on a tradition of excellence in the subject going back over a century, and demonstrates King's leadership in the field. The Laughton Unit is also a core component in the College wide engagement with the history of war and strategic studies.

The Laughton Unit educates and researches in the field of naval history and maritime strategy to support and shape the evolution of naval history as a tool across a broad spectrum of disciplines and debates in the world around us. It is the aim of this unit to further naval history and maritime strategic theory through academic leadership, teaching, research, publication, events and  activities. The unit teaches naval history and maritime strategy within the broader context of War Studies to undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. The Laughton Unit provides the ideal basis for original and challenging research on all aspects of naval history, sea power studies and strategy, preparing the next generation of thinkers from all around the world, ready and able, for a spectrum of career possibilities and destinations.

The unit supports a broad range of academic activity in naval history, from individual staff research projects, research groups and networks through collaborative ventures and lectures to international conferences.

Laughton Unit  [Naval History and Maritime Strategic Research]

The Wargaming Network (WN) is a research group within the School of Security Studies that aims to advance the theory and application of wargaming as a method of inquiry and as a method of learning and teaching. The WN builds on a rich history of King’s wargaming activities and serves as a hub for the growing community of King’s students and staff studying, researching and applying wargames and simulations. It seeks to engage and convene world-class wargaming scholars, practitioners and emerging talent.

In line with King’s 2029 Vision, the WN seeks to:

Educate to inspire and improve by advancing and democratising wargaming education,
Research to inform and innovate by developing wargaming as an academic discipline, and
Serve to shape and transform by applying wargaming to generate and deliver big ideas in service to society.
The WN engages in 5 types of activities. It convenes public lectures and workshops; enables King’s faculty, staff and post-graduate student research; trains rapporteurs and analysts for analytical wargaming; supports the testing and execution of wargames for King’s faculty, staff and partners; and organises networking events.

King's College London Wargaming Network

Throughout October and November we're bringing you the special podcast mini-series ‘Climate Change and National Security’, in the run up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), hosted by the Environmental and Security Research Group in the School of the Security Studies.

How do different states view the relationship between climate and security? Is there a best practice for climate security and a sense of momentum as we move into COP26? Should we be worried about the securitisation of the climate agenda?

In the first of this five part mini-series Climate Change and National Security, Professor Matt McDonald from the University of Queensland and Dr Duraid Jalili from the King's Environmental Security Research Group consider different governmental responses to climate change and national security from '50,000 feet’.

Government responses to climate change and national security

What's the UN's role in addressing the security risks of climate change? And what are the obstacles faced by UN bodies in meeting these challenges? 

In the second episode of this five-part mini-series on Climate Change and National Security, Dr Duraid Jalili from the King’s Environmental Security Research Group and Professor Matt McDonald from the University of Queensland, speak to Dr Lucile Maertens, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.

As a leading expert on the actions being taken by international organisations relating to climate change and securitisation, Dr Maertens will discuss the ways in which the climate change agenda is being driven at the UN and the obstacles affecting the implementation of these principles.

From the fear that bringing climate change at the UN Security Council will give too much power for the UN over national sovereignty, to the ignorance, competition and collaboration of different UN entities, she shares how much the UN is engaging with wider perspectives on the security implications of climate change, beyond its potential status as a driver of conflict

Drivers and obstacles of the UN Climate Change Agenda

A century ago in 1922, British historian and strategist Sir Julian Corbett died. Sir Julian’s contribution as a historian places him amongst the great scholars and thinkers of military history and strategic studies, alongside the likes of theorist Carl Von Clauzwitz.  

This episode features Professor Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, on his new book 'The British Way of War, Julian Corbett and the Battle for a National Strategy'. 

He talks to guest presenter Dr James W E Smith, a researcher in the Department of War Studies, about why Corbett ranks amongst the greats of military strategic studies, and how he coined the concept of a ‘British way of war’. Lambert discusses how Corbett's ideas were catastrophically ignored in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War, but went on to help shape Britain’s naval successes in the Second World War. 

Professor Lambert also shares the importance Sir Julian placed on history, as a tool in the intellectual armour of militaries, and his mastery in garnering useful insight from studying Britain’s military past to create a national strategy for Britain.

Although Corbett would eventually fall from recognition, a century on, Lambert argues, Corbett’s importance as a historian and strategist is finally being recognised more and made accessible to the public.      

You can find out more about his publication on the Yale University Press website: https://yalebooks.co.uk/display.asp?k=9780300250732

The British way of war, Julian Corbett and national strategy with Professor Andrew Lambert

**World We Got This Podcast: How cyber operations, social media & artificial intelligence are changing warfare**

Today and next week we’re sharing another podcast series with you, which features some of our academics from the School of Security Studies. 

The Podcast – 'World We Got This' is produced the Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy at King’s College London, and looks at the complex issues we face in the world today, asking those researching and studying these global challenges about the impacts they are having on society – and what we can do to help overcome them.

In today’s episode Dr Tim Stevens and Dr Kenneth Payne from the School of Security Studies look at how cyber operations, social media and artificial intelligence are changing the nature of warfare. 

We hope you enjoy the podcast, and if you want to listen to more episodes and subscribe, just search for the World We Go This Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts or find out more on the website: kcl.ac.uk/world-we-got-this

World We Got This: How cyber operations, social media & artificial intelligence are changing warfare

**World We Got This Podcast: The role of space in modern-day warfare
**

Continuing on from last week we’re sharing another episode of the World We Got this podcast, produced the Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy at King’s, which features some of our academics from the School of Security Studies.

This episode, the second on the changing face of war, looks at how countries around the world and private individuals are expanding their activities into space and how closely these are linked to what is happening on Earth.

Dr Sophy Antrobus, Dr Mark Hilborne and Julia Balm, from the School of Security, also explore whether we need to put in safeguards now, how we can learn lessons from the past and why we should encourage international collaboration to ensure space doesn’t become dangerous overcrowded by satellites and space debris.

The World We Got This Podcast is produced the Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy at King’s College London, and looks at the complex issues we face in the world today, asking those researching and studying these global challenges about the impacts they are having on society – and what we can do to help overcome them.

We hope you enjoy the podcast, and if you want to listen to more episodes and subscribe, just search for the World We Go This Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts, or find out more on the website: kcl.ac.uk/world-we-got-this

World We Got This: The role of space in modern-day warfare

What’s happening on the ground in Ukraine? Why has Russia’s hopes of a swift, decisive victory turned into a long, drawn-out, brutal war of attrition? How has Russia revised it’s strategy and tactics, as Putin loses interest in a diplomatic solution with Ukraine? Is a nuclear, chemical or biological attack still likely? Can Putin be put on trial for Russia’s alleged war crimes? 

Two months on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we’ve gone back to experts in the School of Security Studies to get their take on how the war is unravelling and get answers to the many questions that have arisen since the war began. 

This episode was taken from a webinar recorded at the end of April. You can watch the full video including questions and answers from the audience on the War Studies Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLAIzmrMZ-U

The war in Ukraine explained: More from our experts

There are around 150 incidents of unauthorised activities involving nuclear and radioactive materials reported each year, including smuggling and theft. Why is this a grave issue of concern? How do we find those responsible? And who’s job is it to stop these materials going outside of regulatory control? 
 
David Smith, Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London and an expert in nuclear forensics, answers these questions. He gives us an insight into the life of a nuclear forensic scientist and touches on some of the biggest nuclear security challenges in recent years, such as how the war in Ukraine has impacted the safety of nuclear facilities and undermined the policing of nuclear trafficking in the region, the impact of Covid 19 on nuclear security protocols, and the risks posed by climate change.

Nuclear forensics: investigating threats to nuclear security with David Smith

Why did the United States become involved in Vietnam? To combat communism, evidently. But just how did a Southeast Asian French colony already devastated by two wars become an existential threat?

The Vietnam war is one of the most studied diplomatic and security conundrums of international history, political science, international relations and statecraft. Yet less is known about the actual origins of this conflict, which was the continuation of a French colonial conflict.

In this episode Dr Pablo de Orellana, Lecturer in International Relations in the Department of War Studies, discusses his book the 'Road to Vietnam', which explores how the United States was persuaded to stake its diplomatic and economic might to support France's war to retain it's colony in Indochina, after which the French withdrew in 1954 and it became an American burden. 

Focusing on the diplomatic texts of France, Vietnam the USA and UK during this period, he traces the evolutions of the descriptions and narratives of the peoples and countries implicated, and how this produced understandings of the war, its participants and their motives.

The Road to Vietnam with Dr Pablo de Orellana

Over the winter of 2019 in India, 519 riots took place causing mass casualties and deaths. This in part was a reaction to the introduction of the Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA), government legislation that enabled non-Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to become Indian citizens. The exclusion of Muslims was seen by many as a fundamental challenge to principles of secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution, resulting in violent altercations between protestors, the police and Hindu nationalists. Yet, this was not the only cause. Far removed from CAA agitations, political violence in a variety of forms was waged across India and their neighbouring countries. 

75 years since the Partition of the India, we speak to Dr Adnan Naseemullah, Reader in International Politics in the Department of War Studies, to explore the roots of political violence across India, Pakistan and Bangledesh. Discussing his new book, ‘Patchwork States: The Historical Roots of Subnational Conflict and Competition in South Asia’, he argues that the enduring differences in state capacity and state-society relations, built during the colonial period, continue to shape patterns of political violence across the Indian subcontinent. 

In bridging the gap between the past and present, he asks us to think critically about the legacy of colonial rule and the state in modern-day conflicts, while keeping in mind that history is not determinative.

Patchwork States: The roots of political violence in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

What drives one person to violence and another to peace? How does experience of trauma lead to radicalisation? Are there interventions that can help deflect people from trajectories of extremism? These are some of the questions that researchers at the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) programme at King’s College London are trying to answer.

In this episode Dr Nafees Hamid and Dr Fiona McEwen introduce the work being done as part of the XCEPT programme at King’s College London and give us a glimpse of what’s to come. 
 
Funded by UK aid, XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour, and to propose interventions and policies that can bring about peace. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org

Breaking cycles of conflict

Trauma interventions in fragile areas can help to break cycles of conflict, because we know that exposure to violence causes trauma, but that trauma can also cause violence. But these interventions are often delivered for only a narrow group of people deemed to be ‘worthy’ of them. In reality, the distinction between victim and perpetrator in conflict-affected populations isn’t quite so clear cut.

In this episode of the ‘Breaking Cycles of Conflict’ mini-series, Dr Gina Vale interviews Dr Alison Brettle about her research into trauma interventions. Dr Brettle explains what programmes work best in fragile and conflict-affected areas and why the international donor and policy communities need to broaden their conceptualisation of who should be allowed to participate in interventions.

This research is being undertaken as part of a UK aid funded project called XCEPT, which aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org

Do trauma interventions work?

A translator’s job is to take something in one language and convert it to another – but when you’re translating the stories of people affected by conflict, how do you ensure your own feelings don’t get in the way? 

In this episode, Mohamad El Kari, translator on the XCEPT project, speaks about the personal and professional challenges he faces in the course of his work. He explores the importance of understanding local culture, the need to remain sensitive to different interpretations of a word or phrase, and the ethical and moral difficulties that arise when working in the context of a conflict. Mohamad also turns to the issue of wellbeing, highlighting the emotional toll that a translator can face when working with stories of conflict trauma. 

This research is being undertaken as part of the XCEPT research programme, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies. XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org.

Translating the stories of conflict-affected populations

Dr Christopher Hobbs, Deputy Director for Knowledge Transfer at the department's Centre for Science and Security Studies talks about his work on nuclear security education. 
BBC Newsnight's diplomatic and defence editor Mark Urban gave this year's War Studies lecture. We have a clip here in which he discusses his experience of covering the Iraq war. His lecture on War and the British media is available in full on our YouTube Channel.  
MA students Luciana Tellez and Hillary Briffa talk about the 2014 Conflict, Security and Development Conference on 'Organised Crime in Conflict Zones'. 
We also have details of next week's events. 
Presented by Jayne Peake  
DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

2013/14 podcasts: Hobbs on Nuclear security education / Urban on UK & media

Elmar Theveßen, Deputy Editor and Head of News and Current Affairs of German public television ZDF talks to MA student Jonathan Noy about Prism, the NSA and US intelligence in the wake of the Snowden leaks. Elmar spoke at a meeting of the Study Group on Intelligence at RUSI. Elmar Theveßen has also authored five books: Schläfer mitten unter uns (2002), Die Bush-Bilanz (2004), Terroralarm (2005), Al-Quaida: Wissen, was stimmt (2009), and Nine Eleven: Der Tag, der die Welt veränderte (2011). 
Jonathan Noy also talked to Dr Adam Svendson who is an intelligence and defence strategist, educator, researcher, and Associate Consultant at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, Denmark (www.cifs.dk). His publications include the books: 'Intelligence Cooperation and the War on Terror: Anglo-American Security Relations after 9/11' (Routledge, 2010), 'Understanding the Globalization of Intelligence', and 'The Professionalization of Intelligence Cooperation: Fashioning Method Out of Mayhem', both (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012). And: 'Where are they now?" 
Jenny Tobias, MA Conflict, Security and Development (2012), talks about her job at the International Committee of the Red Cross. 
Jayne Peake provides details of next week's events. 
Presented by Dr Peter Busch  
DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in this podcast are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

2013/14 podcasts: PRISM, TEMPORA, ENDGAME

How has the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant impacted nuclear security and safety?

In this podcast episode we explore nuclear security and safety and the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with Dr Ross Peel, a Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies and the Centre for Science & Security Studies.

Nuclear security and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with Dr Ross Peel

What would Trump’s return to the White House mean for Ukraine’s future and Europe’s security? How might his strategy for the war in Ukraine differ from the current administration’s? Can he deliver on his pledge to end the conflict quickly, and what might his approach involve?
 
In this episode, Dr Charlie Laderman, Dr Ruth Deyermond and Dr Barbara Zanchetta—Senior Lecturers in the Department of War Studies—delve into Trump’s stance on NATO, US-Russia relations, and his evolving approach to China, Iran and North Korea. They discuss how a second Trump term could reshape the war in Ukraine and leave a lasting impact on global security.

Trump and the future of the Russia-Ukraine war

What does the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime mean for the future of Syria and the broader Middle East? How might the rise of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani reshape Syria’s governance and regional alliances? Can the rebel leader overcome immense challenges to stabilise the country, or will his leadership lead to further turmoil? 

In this episode, Dr Shiraz Maher, Senior Lecturer, Dr Craig Larkin, Reader in Middle East Politics and Peace and Conflict Studies, and Siba Madwar, a journalist from Aleppo and PhD student in the Department of War Studies, discuss the dramatic collapse of Assad’s forces and its implications for international dynamics. They delve into Jolani’s vision for a rebuilt Syria, the power vacuum left by Assad’s departure, and how these developments could reshape alliances, challenge regional stability and alter the global security landscape.

The fall of Assad and its impact on international dynamics

What does the future of Australia's defence strategy look like in the face of rising geopolitical tensions? How are shifting dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic influencing Australia’s approach to security? What role do partnerships like AUKUS play in shaping Australia’s military readiness for both the present and future? 

In this episode, Admiral David Johnston AC RAN, the Australian Chief of the Defence Force, joins Professor Alessio Patalano to discuss these pressing issues. They explore the shrinking strategic warning time, the growing convergence of powers like China, Russia, and North Korea, and how Australia’s geographic position shapes its approach to defence. Admiral Johnston also reflects on the important role of universities in shaping international security.

This episode of the King’s War Studies Podcast is in collaboration with Security & Defence PLuS, a trilateral university partnership between King’s, Arizona State University and UNSW. 

Eyes on the Indo-Pacific: Australia’s defence strategy

In December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria was overthrown. Today, Ahmed al-Sharaa is acting as the interim president of Syria, at the head of a new transitional government.

What will the future look like for Syria under its new leader? Will the coalition of rebel factions be able to work together to build a stable future for Syrians?

Dr Nafees Hamid, Dr Rahaf Aldoughli, Nils Mallock and Broderick McDonald discuss their research surveying and interviewing Syrian rebel fighters both before and after the fall of Assad, sharing insights into the motivations and values of Syria’s new rulers.

*This episode was recorded before the announcement of the new government. Follow ICSR_Centre on X to stay up to date with this research.

This research is being undertaken as part of a project called XCEPT, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.

XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org.

From rebels to rulers: Who are Syria’s new leaders?

How did Cold War intelligence operations shape postcolonial India’s domestic politics and international alignments? Why did Western agencies prioritise relationships with Indian counterparts while publicly decrying non-alignment? And what can today’s policymakers learn from the legacies of covert cooperation in the Global South?

In this episode, Dr Paul McGarr, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies in the Department of War Studies, discusses his latest book Spying in South Asia. He explores the complex, often contradictory intelligence relationships between post-independence India and agencies such as MI5, MI6 and the CIA. From clandestine support to Cold War defections, and from covert propaganda campaigns to today's intelligence partnerships, Dr McGarr traces how secrecy, sovereignty and strategic necessity shaped India’s place in global affairs—and continues to inform the geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific today.

Spying in South Asia: Cold War intelligence and the making of modern India

How did communist Czechoslovakia become a hub for Cold War terrorists like Carlos the Jackal and Abu Daoud? And what can today’s intelligence professionals learn from its uneasy covert alliances?
 
In this episode, Dr Daniela Richterova, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies, joins Dorothea Gioe, Visiting Research Fellow at the King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence, to discuss her new book Watching the Jackals. Drawing on newly declassified archives, she reveals how Czechoslovakia’s State Security Service (StB) navigated its complex, and often contradictory, ties with radical non-state actors—and how those Cold War entanglements still echo in today’s security landscape.

Watching the Jackals: Cold War terror, espionage, and Prague’s secret role

In this episode, Dr Tiffany Fairey, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies, and Dr Pamina Firchow, Associate Professor at Brandeis University, join Professor Rachel Kerr, Professor of War and Society at the Department of War Studies, to delve into their groundbreaking research that uses photography and community-defined indicators to rethink peace from the ground up.

To coincide with the large-scale Imaging Peace street exhibition on The Strand and drawing on their work in Colombia, they explore how participatory methods like photovoice and Everyday Peace Indicators empower communities to shape their own visions of peace—challenging traditional research models and transforming peacebuilding practices in the process.

Websites:
Imaging Peace: https://imagingpeace.org/
Everyday Peace Indicators: https://www.everydaypeaceindicators.org/
Peace Photography: A Guide: https://imagingpeace.org/index.php/peace-photography-guide/

Articles:
Photography and everyday peacebuilding. Examining the impact of photographing everyday peace in Colombia: 
https://bit.ly/43XGE4F

Images and indicators: mixing participatory methods to build inclusive rigour: 
https://bit.ly/4kIMs9i

Imaging Peace: Photographing everyday peace

In this episode, investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan—both Visiting Fellows at the Department of War Studies—join Dr Daniela Richterová, Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, to discuss their new book, Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation.
 
The book reflects on a generation of young Russians who came of age in the hopeful yet turbulent 1990s. In the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, many embraced the promise of reform and openness. But economic turmoil, war and terrorism soon reshaped the country, as the state moved steadily toward authoritarianism.

Blending personal narrative with political analysis, Andrei and Irina explore how a once close-knit group of friends—united by shared ideals—fractured under the pressure of Putin’s rise. Some aligned with the regime; others, like the authors, chose exile. Drawing on two decades of reporting, they examine the rise of Russia’s security state and the moral decisions that shaped their generation.

Our Dear Friends in Moscow: Journalism, fear, and betrayal in the age of Putin

In this episode, Professor Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies, joins Dr Huw Dylan, Reader in Intelligence Studies and International Security, to delve into Tim’s new book, The Spy and the Devil: The Untold Story of the MI6 Agent Who Penetrated Hitler’s Inner Circle. They discuss the remarkable story of Baron William de Ropp—MI6’s key source inside Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Tim shares how de Ropp, a little-known Baltic German aristocrat, became responsible for over 70% of British intelligence reporting on Nazi Germany before World War II. Fluent in four languages and able to move through elite German circles undetected, de Ropp developed close ties with senior Nazis like Alfred Rosenberg—and even secured face time with Adolf Hitler himself.

Tim and Huw explore how de Ropp’s intelligence work marked a turning point for MI6, transforming it from a low-level, tactical service into a strategic intelligence agency. They also explore the risks of improvisational espionage, the moral ambiguities of cultivating Nazi contacts, and how the agency learned—often painfully—how to run a new kind of agent.

The Spy and the Devil: The forgotten MI6 agent who changed British intelligence

In this episode, Professor Andrew Lambert FKC, Laughton Professor of Naval History, Geoff Browell, Head of Heritage Collections, and Angus Hui, curator of the D-Day Hong Kong, explore the untold story of 24 Chinese naval officers who trained with the Royal Navy during World War II and took part in the D-Day landings.

Angus discusses the fascinating discovery of a personal diary from one of these officers, providing a rare, first-hand account of their training, military operations and experiences.

The episode also delves into the broader historical context of China’s naval rebuilding efforts during the war, the officers' contributions and their post-war journeys. This conversation sheds light on an important yet often overlooked chapter of naval history and World War II.

You can find more information about the exhibition here:
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/lost-found-in-hong-kong-the-unsung-chinese-heroes-at-d-day

The untold story of Chinese naval officers in D-Day

In this episode, Dr Tim Stevens, co-editor of the Research Handbook on Cyberwarfare, explores the evolving realities of cyber warfare and its growing impact on global security. He discusses the challenges of defining cyberwarfare, tracing its development from early military computing to today’s complex cyber operations across a distinct digital battlespace.
 
The conversation examines the key players in cyberwarfare—from states to non-state actors and cybercriminal groups—their motivations, tactics, and the broader consequences of their actions on critical infrastructure and civilian life. Dr Stevens also addresses the difficulties of international regulation in cyberspace and the ethical dilemmas that arise when cyber operations blur the lines between military and civilian targets.

Inside cyberwarfare: Navigating the digital battlefield

In this episode, Dr Gary Buck, author of A Risk Too Far: A Psychological Autopsy of the Planning for Arnhem, joins Dr Huw Dylan to explore the human factors behind one of WWII’s most daring operations. Drawing on his expertise in operational psychology, Dr Buck reveals how stress, ambition and personality shaped the decisions of commanders like Montgomery, Browning and Urquhart during Operation Market Garden.

Through this psychological lens, the episode uncovers how bias, rivalry and pressure influenced Allied command—and how the mind can be as decisive a battlefield as any fought on land or air.

A Risk Too Far: The Psychology Behind Operation Market Garden

In this episode, Professor Roddy Brett, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of the Global Insecurities Centre at the University of Bristol, joins Dr Nafees Hamid, Co-PI of the XCEPT research programme, to discuss his new book, ‘Victim-Centred Peacemaking: Colombia's Santos-FARC-EP Peace Process’. 

Professor Brett reveals how the victims’ delegations changed the dynamics of the Santos-FARC-EP peace process, transforming victim-perpetrator relations and ultimately shaping the final agreement, which was signed in 2016. At a time when the number of civilian casualties in armed conflict is rising around the world, the Santos-FARC example offers valuable insights into how to effectively involve victims in peacemaking. 

Professor Brett’s book is available from Bristol University Press:
https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/victim-centred-peacemaking 

This episode has been produced as part of the Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) programme, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies. 

XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. 
Find out more at www.xcept-research.org

Victim-centred peacemaking: How victim inclusion shaped Colombia’s Santos-FARC peace process

This episode introduces The Helsinki Brief, a podcast mini-series on Finnish intelligence and security. Hosted by Dr Paul McGarr of King’s College London, the discussion features Hannamiina Tanninen, an analyst at Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO), about the role and structure of civil intelligence in Finland. 

The discussion covers SUPO’s legal mandate, core functions such as counterterrorism, counterespionage, cyber intelligence and security vetting, and its cooperation with domestic and international partners. The episode also addresses key security threats, including terrorism, cyber activity and state-based intelligence operations, as well as public trust, recruitment and oversight within Finland’s intelligence system.

The Helsinki Brief: Inside Finnish Intelligence and Security

In this week’s episode, we explore how the public should understand and respond to risk. Dr Brooke Rogers explains how risk is understood from a practitioners point of view and how the public’s understanding may differ. In addition, Dr Rogers elaborates on the rationale behind public transport campaigns, such as ‘Run! Hide! Tell!’ and ‘See it! Say it! Sorted.’, and how these campaigns contribute to protecting public spaces.  

Dr Brooke Rogers is a Reader in Risk and Terror in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London and co-directer of the MA programme in Terrorism, Security and Society. She is a social psychologist interested in risk and crisis communication, perceptions of risk, and health outcomes in response to extreme event. The majority of her projects investigate public and practitioner responses to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) terrorist incidents (i.e. Home Office, PIRATE, CIE Toolkit, PRACTICE and Deloitte). 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON

THE WAR IS IN THE MOUNTAINS

Judith Matloff teaches conflict reporting at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and has been writing about international affairs for 30 years. In her lecture, she explores why, despite being home to only ten percent of the world’s population, mountains are host to a strikingly disproportionate share of its conflicts.

Location: Pyramid Room ( K4U.04) 4th floor Strand Campus
When: 27/04/2017 (18:00-19:30)
Registration URL: http://bit.ly/2nfdqtf
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/events/eventsrecords/The-War-is-in-the-Mountains.aspx

PASSCHENDAELE - A NEW HISTORY

Between July and November 1917, in a small corner of Belgium, more than 500,000 men were killed or maimed, gassed or drowned - and many of the bodies were never found. The Ypres offensive represents the modern impression of the First World War: splintered trees, water-filled craters and muddy shell-holes.
The climax was one of the worst battles of both world wars: Passchendaele. The village fell eventually, only for the whole offensive to be called off. But, as Nick Lloyd shows, notably through previously unexamined German documents, it put the Allies nearer to a major turning point in the war than we have ever imagined.

Location: War Studies Meeting Room (K6.07)
When: 04/05/2017 (17:30-19:00)
Registration URL: http://bit.ly/2nDPjI1
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/events/eventsrecords/Passchendaele-A-New-History-Book-Launch.aspx


CHOCOLATE OF PEACE

Join us for a screening and discussion of 'Chocolate of Peace (Cacao Defying Violence)' with producer and co-director, Gwen Burnye-at. Chocolate of Peace depicts the Colombian Peace Community of San José de Apartadó’s experiences of resistance, via a journey through their processes of organic chocolate production.

Location: Anatomy Lecture Theatre (K.6.29) Strand Campus
When: 04/05/2017 (18:30-20:00)
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/events/eventsrecords/Chocolate-of-Peace.aspx




This podcast was produced by Ivan Seifert.

Podcast: Risk and Terror

Recorded: 10/05/2018

Speaker: Benjamin W. D. Redding, University of Warwick

Abstract: 

Between the 20th and 30th of August 1546, Claude d’Annebault, Admiral of France, visited London as an honorary ambassador following the signing of the Treaty of Ardres. After a major French naval invasion attempt in the previous year, it was appropriate that d’Annebault’s entrance via the Thames was planned to include a ceremonial presentation of England’s naval resources. 

Bio: 

Dr Redding defended his doctoral thesis at the University of Warwick in March 2017. The project assessed the relationship between navy and state in the early modern period and argued that naval advances should always be considered within their broader international context. His article ‘English Naval Expansion under the French Threat, 1556-64’ was published in November 2016 in the International Journal of Maritime History. Current research interests include the role of visual culture in early modern naval developments and a reassessment of the fall of Calais in January 1558.
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This event is being hosted by the Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War.
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Maritime Seminars 2017-2018:  Pageantry and Diplomacy in the late-Henrician Navy

Professor Andrew Lambert and Professor Eric Grove discuss the development of discipline of naval history and its relationship with military history, Kings College London and War Studies.

Department of War Studies' Podcast

Laughton Paper 2012: The Navy & War Studies

Kings Maritime Seminar Series 2017-2018. Helen Sellers presents on the topic of 'Australia and India at Sea: The Contemporary Security implications of Two Maritime Histories from ancient to modern times.'. The seminar took place on the 7th December 2017 in the Department of War Studies, Kings College London.

Maritime Seminars 2017-2018: Australia and India at Sea: Contemporary Security, Helen Sellers

Laughton Occasional Paper, James W.E. Smith details discussions points over the challenges naval historians faced post 1945 when attempting to communicate the value of the study of history when considering future defence policy and maritime strategy.

DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in these podcasts are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

Laughton Paper 2017: Studying Naval History Matters to the Modern Navy by James W.E. Smith

Date of Recording: 21/11/2018

Description: Andrew Lambert, author of The Challenge: Britain Against America in the Naval War of 1812—winner of the prestigious Anderson Medal—turns his attention to Athens, Carthage, Venice, the Dutch Republic, and Britain, examining how their identities as “seapowers” informed their actions and enabled them to achieve success disproportionate to their size. Lambert demonstrates how creating maritime identities made these states more dynamic, open, and inclusive than their lumbering continental rivals. Only when they forgot this aspect of their identity did these nations begin to decline. Recognizing that the United States and China are modern naval powers—rather than seapowers—is essential to understanding current affairs, as well as the long-term trends in world history. This volume is a highly original “big think” analysis of five states whose success—and eventual failure—is a subject of enduring interest, by a scholar at the top of his game.  Andrew Lambert is Laughton Professor of Naval History at King’s College, London, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
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For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at KCL.AC.UK/WARSTUDIES

Event: Seapower States

Date of Recording: 07/12/2018

Description:

Dr Peter Perla, 'The Art and Science of Wargaming to Innovate and Educate in an Era of Strategic Competition'

What can we know about pressing security challenges through wargaming? How do we know?

To mark the establishment of a new Wargaming Network, the School of Security Studies is launching a public lecture series on wargaming. The lectures will examine fundamental challenges for adapting wargaming theory and practice to usefully address contemporary security problems facing the UK and its NATO allies.

The UK and its NATO allies have revived their interest in wargaming as a tool for strategic, operational and technological innovation in a new strategic environment marked by the return of major power competition. While the value of wargaming as a method for learning and teaching is well-accepted, its value as a rigorous academic method of inquiry is still largely contested.

Dr Perla will re-examine the fundamental theoretical debate of whether wargaming should be considered an art or a science in the context of the changed security environment. The aim of the talk is to bring wargaming theory and practice to a new multi-disciplinary epistemological ground that would enable its useful contribution to advancing knowledge, informing policy and furthering education.

Event: The Art and Science of Wargaming (KCL Wargaming Network Inaugural Lecture)

Date of Recording: 16/01/2019

Description:

While a renaissance in wargaming is currently underway across the political, military, educational, and commercial sectors, there is no academic discipline dedicated to the study and practice of wargaming. While wargame design, research and execution is advancing, a lack of integration limits the impact of these innovative activities. And although the body of scholarly work on wargaming is growing, it has yet to be drawn together to develop best-practice guidance for research and teaching.

In this public lecture, Dr Yuna Wong (RAND) discusses how we can build an integrated, globally-recognised academic field in which knowledge about wargaming may be produced, preserved, and transmitted. She addresses the questions: Why do we need an academic discipline of wargaming? What concrete steps can we take in the short and medium terms to establish such a discipline? What obstacles might we face in this endeavour?
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For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies or follow us on Twitter @warstudies.

Event: Developing an Academic Discipline of Wargaming

Date of Recording: 02/04/2019

Description:

Air Marshal Edward Stringer, the Director General of Joint Force Development and the Defence Academy, will kickstart the week with a public lecture, part of the WN’s inaugural wargaming lecture series. He will discuss the need for a reinvigorated wargaming effort in the UK and among NATO allies to support robust analysis and innovation in the context of the new strategic challenges facing the alliance. In this lecture he will discuss three sets of questions:

1. What new analytical requirements does the changing security environment present to the UK and its allies? What is the value of wargaming as part of the broader analytical toolkit in meeting these requirements? 

2. What has the UK done to reinvigorate wargaming as a tool for strategic and operational analysis? 

3. How should the current practice of wargaming adapt to meet the new policy requirements? What could the policy, professional wargaming and academic communities do to further the utility of wargaming?

Professor Wyn Bowen, head of the School of Security Studies, will deliver welcome remarks. Ivanka Barzashka, founder and co-director of the Wargaming Network, will chair the lecture.

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For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies

Event: Advancing the UK’s Analytical Tools to Address Strategic Competition and Modern Deterrence

Throughout history, conflict and war have created conditions in which enslavement thrives. In turn, slavery has featured centrally in many conflicts as both a strategic goal and a means of waging war.

Professor Kevin Bales will present the findings to date of a major research project at the Rights Lab (University of Nottingham) exploring the links between slavery and war. This project seeks to map the connections between slavery and conflict, determining how incidences and patterns of enslavement vary depending on the forms of conflict, levels of intensity and duration, and the nature of the combatants and their objectives.

This event was hosted by the Centre for Strand Strategy https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/kcl-centre-for-grand-strategy

Event: Strategic and Tactical Slavery in War

King's College London event recording from 22 January 2020 entitled: 'Applying Insights from the UK-Ireland split in 1921 to Post-Brexit UK-EU Relations.' Panellists included Dr. Bill Kissane (LSE), Prof. Mary Daly (Univ. College Dublin) and Brendan Simms (Univ. of Cambridge).

Event: Applying Insights from the UK-Ireland Split in 1921 to Post - Brexit UK-EU Relations

What should be done after the end of a repressive regime or a civil war? How can bitter divisions be resolved in a way that combines reconciliation with accountability? These are typical questions within the field of transitional justice, but each of them is complex and contested and discussed in a wide range of disciplines.  Michael Newman draws on his new book, Transitional Justice: Contending with the Past, to explore some of the major debates and themes.

Michael Newman is Emeritus Professor at London Metropolitan University, He has been teaching ‘War, Peace and World Order’, at NYU London since 2011. This talk is part of the War Crimes Spring Term Seminar Series at King's College London.

Event: Michael Newman - Transitional Justice: Contending with the Past

In this latest event recording, Professor Brendan Simms of the University of Cambridge discusses his new biography of Adolf Hitler,  entitled Hitler: A Global Biography. He argues that contrary to past accounts, Hitler was driven by a desire to confront the United States and capitalism more broadly.

Event: Brendan Simms - Hitler: A  Global Biography

William Fenrick, former military lawyer and legal adviser for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) reflects on his experience at varying stages of his career within the field of international criminal justice. 

This event took place at the Department of War Studies, King's College London and was entitled: 'Putting Law into War: Reflections on the Birth of International Criminal Justice at the ICTY.

Event: Reflections on the Birth of International Criminal Justice at the ICTY

We have a report on right-wing 'radicalisation' on platforms like 4chan with insights from our colleague Dr Thomas Colley. We also talk to Sanjana Balu, the department's student experience and outreach officer. Adam caught up with two students and asked them about adapting to study from home. Presented by Adam Beswick, Dr Peter Busch and Sally Horspool.

Podcast: student experience / report on 4chan and 'radicalisation'

In this episode of our War Studies 'at home' series we talk to IR student Aanvi who organised a visit to the EU and January (see also her blogpost: https://kingsthinktank.com/2020/02/07/eu-brussels-visit/#more-2951
Dr Matt Moran, co-director of the Department's Centre for Science and Security talks about his research on Open Source Intelligence and Big Data (his article: with C Hobbs and C Eldridge: ‘Fusing algorithms and analysts’: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02684527.2017.1406677
And Adam tells us more about his Instagram story (the department on Instagram: kcl_warstudies). Presented by Adam Beswick, Peter Busch, Sally Horspool

Podcast: OSINT analysts and algorithms /DWS students at EU Brexit vote/ DWS on Instagram

Dr Rudra Chaudhuri, Director of Carnegie India and Senior Lecturer in the department joins us from Delhi and gives his insights on the COVID-19 crisis in India. Find out more on https://carnegieindia.org
And third-year students Kleber and Cassy talk about a student trip to Second World War battlefields in Italy earlier this year. Presented by Adam Beswick, Peter Busch and Sally Horspool.

Podcast: India and COVID-19 / student trip to WW2 battlefields

This is the part 1 of a 2 part special podcast series produced by BA IR students Julia Thommessen and Adam Beswick. In these podcasts King's students discuss different perspectives on COVID-19 and share their experiences. And as an Easter bonus: Sally shares her blueberry muffin recipe. Hosted by Adam Beswick, Peter Busch and Sally Horspool.

Podcast: Perspectives on COVID-19 (part one)

This is the part 2 of a 2 part special podcast series produced by BA IR students Julia Thommessen and Adam Beswick. In these podcasts King's students discuss different perspectives on COVID-19 and share their experiences. And as an Easter bonus: Sally shares her blueberry muffin recipe. Hosted by Adam Beswick, Peter Busch and Sally Horspool.

Podcast: Perspectives on COVID-19 (part two)

The new strategic environment brings with it many new challenges: a renewal of major power rivalry, long-term strategic competition, the emergence of one and possibly more nuclear-armed regional challengers, and the possibility of regional conventional wars under the nuclear shadow, among many others. To meet these challenges, the U.S. National Defense Strategy of 2018 calls for efforts to “out-think, out-maneuver, out-partner, and out-innovate” potential adversaries, all as part of a more “competitive mindset” for the United States and its allies and partners.

What can wargaming contribute to out-competing potential adversaries? How can it become more effective in developing theories of victory and success? Roberts will explore these questions from his perspective as analyst and former senior policymaker.

About the Speakers

Dr Brad Roberts is director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. From April 2009 to March 2013 he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy. In this role, he served as policy director of the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review and Ballistic Missile Defense Review. From September 2013 through December 2014, Dr. Roberts was a consulting professor and William Perry Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Dr. Roberts was a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses and an adjunct professor at George Washington University.

Ivanka Barzashka, Director of the King's Wargaming Network, chaired the lecture.

The event, which was recorded in April 2020, is part of the King's Wargaming Network Public Lecture Series. The 2019/20 lectures examine how experts are building the future of wargaming to advance analytical wargaming and to develop wargaming education.

Event: The Future of Wargaming - innovating to out-think and out-compete

Recorded June 2020.
 
This webinar features Matthew B. Caffrey Jr., who provides wargame support to the United States Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Material Command, Air Staff and NATO.

We now know we live in a world where a novel illness can take lives, livelihoods and liberties worldwide with rapid speed. At the same time, the character of war is evolving in novel and dangerous ways that are not fully known.

Wargaming can help decision makers better understand and address new challenges in a complex and uncertain environment, but reaping these benefits requires the right organisational structures and processes.

For almost 40 years, Matthew B. Caffrey Jr. has been building organisations to help adapt wargaming to meet evolving threats and opportunities.

During the lecture, he will addressed the following questions:
How have wargaming structures adapted in the past to respond to changes in the strategic environment?

What institutional adaptations are currently underway in the United States and NATO?

What more can and should be done to increase the utility of wargaming to address the full set of threats facing NATO allies?
Ivanka Barzashka, Director of the King's Wargaming Network, chaired the lecture.

About the speaker:

Matthew B. Caffrey Jr. provides wargame support to the United States Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Material Command, Air Staff and to NATO.

In 1993 he helped found the Connections interdisciplinary wargaming conference. Since then Connections has grown to be held in six nations, including Connections UK, at King's College London from 2013-2019.

He authored On Wargaming, how wargames have shaped our past and can shape our futures, published by the US Naval War College Press in 2019.

A retired Colonel, US Air Force Reserve, he served with the US Air Staff’s Checkmate Division and at the major command, wing, group and squadron levels. His civilian positions include Professor of Wargaming and Campaign Planning at the US Air Force Command and Staff College and Research Assistant for Wargaming at the USAF’s School for Advanced Airpower Studies.

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The event is part of the King's Wargaming Network Public Lecture Series. The 2019/20 lectures feature speakers who are building the future of wargaming to usefully address contemporary security problems facing the UK and its NATO allies.

Event: Wargaming in a Post-Pandemic World: Adapting Institutions to Out-Think and Out-Partner

Welcome to the War Studies podcast. We bring you world-leading research from the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, the largest community of scholars in the world dedicated to the study of all aspects of security, defence and international relations. We aim to explore the complex realm of conflict and uncover the challenges at the heart of navigating world affairs and diplomatic relations, because we believe the study of war is fundamental to understanding the world we live in and the world we want to live in.

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please rate and review us on your preferred podcast provider – it really helps us reach more listeners. 

The School of Security Studies harnesses the depth and breadth of expertise across War Studies and Defence Studies to produce world-leading research and teaching on issues of global security that develops new empirical knowledge, employs innovative theory, and addresses vital policy issues. 

Visit our website: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/security-studies

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DISCLAIMER: Any information, statements or opinions contained in these podcasts are those of the individual speakers. They do not represent the opinions of the Department of War Studies or King's College London.

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