Commentary

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a liberated Kherson city in southern Ukraine in mid-November, he declared that Ukraine’s victory there marked “the beginning of the end of the war.” Though much remains to be seen,…

When the National Socialists assumed power in Germany in 1933 and ushered in a series of laws that segregated Jews from “Aryan” society, most Jews believed that the Nazi regime would not remain in power for long. It was not until the “Night…

Editor’s Note: In honor of Christmas, we proudly publish the text of Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe’s 1944 Christmas letter to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. An image of the letter can be found here. Read the…

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2019. The story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is often considered “played out,” especially in historical circles, but it is a compelling tale; its best and most impactful role is on…

In internet forums over the past several weeks, Islamic State members have expressed cautious optimism about the benefits of a potential Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria. For the group’s scattered fighters, further Turkish…

Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part series. The first was published yesterday. This scenario may sound immediately familiar to War on the Rocks readers: in the midst of an animated discussion at a work function, your…

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series. In the winter of 1935, a freshman senator from Missouri arrived in the district of Columbia after having driven cross-country for over a thousand miles. With almost no legislative…

In the past three decades, four militaries and insurgent groups bracket fired American forces deployed abroad. In three cases, this ended badly for the attacker. The Islamic State, the Taliban, and the Wagner Group all suffered from…

Instead of embracing either strategic clarity or strategic ambiguity on Taiwan, the United States has now ended up with a very non-strategic form of ambiguity. Facing the dual challenge of deterring a Chinese invasion without encouraging…

Over the past year, Washington has helped rally Europe to support Ukraine’s heroic defense of its sovereignty. Yet amidst the enthusiasm that this has generated, some observers remain concerned that the war in Europe will distract the…