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Below are all subscriber-exclusive Dispatches in reverse-chronological order. The first section of each is free to read for non-subscribers.

A War on Many Stages: Theater Strategies and the War of the Spanish Succession

BCD
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Feb 8
A War on Many Stages: Theater Strategies and the War of the Spanish Succession

On 1 November 1700, Charles II of Spain died without issue. He had long been suffering from an extended illness, and his last years were occupied with the question of succession. The two leading candidates were from the great rival houses of Europe: his Habsburg cousin Archduke Charles (son of Emperor Leopold of Austria) and his Bourbon nephew Philip of Anjou (grandson of Louis XIV of France). Philip ultimately won out, ending the longstanding antagonism between Spain and France. This drastically altered the balance of power in Europe, setting in motion a series of events that led to the longest and most destructive war in the reign of Louis XIV.

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Red Commissars of the Serene Republic: The Venetian Way of War

BCD
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Jan 13
Red Commissars of the Serene Republic: The Venetian Way of War

The gap between operations and strategy is the hardest to span. Although military questions are ultimately subordinate to political prerogatives, generals and politicians must in some sense meet as counterparts of two equal domains. While generals have risen through the ranks and understand the problems facing their own subordinates, the apprenticeship for political leadership only rarely affords them any deep understanding of military affairs. Generals may similarly misunderstand why political prerogatives override operational considerations and fail to adapt their operations accordingly.

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Grand Strategy on the Political Stage: America in the War of 1812

BCD
·
November 30, 2024
Grand Strategy on the Political Stage: America in the War of 1812

Between 1812 and 1814, a coalition slowly mobilized to defeat Napoleon. It began with Russia fighting alone against the French invasion, supported by British subsidies and operations in Spain. Sweden and Prussia joined soon after, followed by Austria and a slew of smaller states. In just under two years, the Sixth Coalition drove the

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Crowning the King of Battle: Field Artillery in the Italian Wars

BCD
·
October 30, 2024
Crowning the King of Battle: Field Artillery in the Italian Wars

This piece focuses on several key battles during the Italian Wars. For more on the broader tactical developments and general history of the period, I recommend Frederick Taylor’s The Art of War in Italy: 1494-1529, which paid Dispatch subscribers receive free.

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The Rappahannock Line: Mobile Warfare Along a Frozen Front

BCD
·
June 1, 2024
The Rappahannock Line: Mobile Warfare Along a Frozen Front

For the first three years of the American Civil War, the Rappahannock River was the effective boundary between North and South. Even as the war sprawled halfway across the North American continent, the attention of most observers remained focused on northern Virginia. This was the crucial theater, the contested ground between Washington, DC and Richmond, where the war was most likely to be decided. As such, operational considerations in this sector took on an outsized importance, shaping both sides’ strategies. And of these, the greatest was the Rappahannock: a modest river of some 300 kilometers in length.

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Venice and the Problem of Grand Strategy

BCD
·
April 26, 2024
Venice and the Problem of Grand Strategy

The last two decades of the 15th century saw the Venetian empire at its peak. Domination of the Mediterranean spice trade turned Venice into the most important commercial hub in Europe, drawing a steady stream of gold and silver into its coffers. This wealth was built upon sea power: the Venetian navy was the strongest of any European power, outfitted with the best ships and sailors in the world. At home, Venice enjoyed domestic tranquility, suggested by the name

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The Fighting March: Operational Mobility During the Crusades

BCD
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March 21, 2024
The Fighting March: Operational Mobility During the Crusades

Operational mobility is a universal challenge in war. Enemy action, supply problems, transportation breakdowns all compound one another to make simple things difficult. By the same token, these impediments create an opportunity: whichever side can overcome them gains an enormous advantage over its adversary.

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The Northern Front: Trench Warfare in the 18th Century

BCD
·
February 6, 2024
The Northern Front: Trench Warfare in the 18th Century

Artillery flies over the heads of soldiers huddling in the trenches as they steel themselves for what is to come. These men have fought countless similar actions over the past few years, each time hoping to pierce the enemy’s lines and bring the war to an end. But each time their hopes are dashed: they make only incremental progress at great cost in blood, and the enemy always manages to fall back on even stronger positions. Lulled by the sounds of their guns pounding the enemy’s positions, the soldiers’ reveries are interrupted by the sergeant’s whistle. With a shout, they leap as one over the top and charge across open ground. Many are cut down in the hail of fire that greets them, but most make it to the enemy trenches. Their firearms become melee weapons as they stab, shove, and club the defenders, cries in English, French, and German rising above the din.

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