(There were some technical difficulties with this post when it first went live. They should be resolved now. My apologies for anyone who got multiple email updates as a result of efforts to get the post working.) This week we're going to look at everyone's favorite kind of armored fighting vehicle, the tank. In part … Continue reading Collections: When is a ‘Tank’ Not a Tank?
Tag: Doctrine
Miscellanea: A Very Short Glossary of Military Terminology
For this week, I wanted to expand a bit on a comment I made on Twitter expressing some frustration at the failure of journalists attempting to cover the war in Ukraine (and thus interpret military experts for a lay audience) to master some of the key military terminology being used and to convey its actual … Continue reading Miscellanea: A Very Short Glossary of Military Terminology
Collections: No Man’s Land, Part II: Breaking the Stalemate
Last time, we introduced the factors that created the trench stalemate in the First World War and we also laid out why the popular 'easy answer' of simply going on the defensive and letting the enemy attack themselves to death was not only not a viable strategy in theory but in fact a strategy which … Continue reading Collections: No Man’s Land, Part II: Breaking the Stalemate
Collections: Why Don’t We Use Chemical Weapons Anymore?
This week, we're going to talk briefly about why 'we' - and by 'we' here, I mean the top-tier of modern militaries - have generally eschewed the systematic or widespread use of chemical weapons after the First World War. And before you begin writing your comment, please note that the mountain of caveats that statement … Continue reading Collections: Why Don’t We Use Chemical Weapons Anymore?
Fireside Friday: March 6, 2020
Alright folks, grab a seat, get warm. Let's chat. Yes, that is me. Yes, that is actually how I look. I'm sorry too. We're now looking at the tenth month of A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry. As with any new project, no plan quite survives contact with the enemy. As I write this, we've just … Continue reading Fireside Friday: March 6, 2020