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German soldiers beside a tank during World War II (German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons).
German soldiers beside a tank during World War II (German Federal Archives via Wikimedia Commons).

WWII query: Why did France surrender so quickly while Russia held out for years?

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

Deputy National Security Ben Rhodes edits President Barack Obama's speech aboard Air Force One (Pete Souza/White House/Flickr)
Deputy National Security Ben Rhodes edits President Barack Obama's speech aboard Air Force One (Pete Souza/White House/Flickr)

A stunning profile of Ben Rhodes, the asshole who is the president’s foreign policy guru

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly speaks during a White House briefing Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly speaks during a White House briefing Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

An Old Colonel Looks at General Kelly

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside Secretary of Defense James Mattis at a cabinet meeting in the White House on Dec. 6, 2017. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside Secretary of Defense James Mattis at a cabinet meeting in the White House on Dec. 6, 2017. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Mattis as defense secretary: What it means for us, for the military, and for Trump

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan arrives at Combat Outpost Sharp in the Garmsir District. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released via Wikimedia Commons)
U.S. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan arrives at Combat Outpost Sharp in the Garmsir District. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released via Wikimedia Commons)
Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz meets Chinese President Xi Jinping after a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on March 13, 2014 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz meets Chinese President Xi Jinping after a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on March 13, 2014 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

What Would a Saudi-Iran War Look Like? Don’t look now, but it is already here

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts

(Flickr/DVIDSHUB)
(Flickr/DVIDSHUB)

We’re getting out of the Marines because we wanted to be part of an elite force

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

U.S. Joint Forces Command Commander James Mattis speaks during the 2010 Atlantic Council awards dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on April 28, 2010 in Washington, D.C. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)
U.S. Joint Forces Command Commander James Mattis speaks during the 2010 Atlantic Council awards dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on April 28, 2010 in Washington, D.C. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

The ouster of Mattis: Some follow-up details and a White House response

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

Topographic map of North Korea. (Wikimedia Commons)
Topographic map of North Korea. (Wikimedia Commons)

Why ‘5027’ is a number you should know: How war in Korea might unfold

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

A German designed Leopard AS1 Gun Tank from the Australian 1st Armored Regiment at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia. (U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons)
A German designed Leopard AS1 Gun Tank from the Australian 1st Armored Regiment at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia. (U.S. Navy/Wikimedia Commons)

Hey, shut up about being the best military in the world, because we might not be (A)

After eight years at Foreign Policy, here are the ten most popular Best Defense posts.

(Cover of Illusions of Victory by Carter Malkasian. Publisher: Oxford University Press. )
(Cover of Illusions of Victory by Carter Malkasian. Publisher: Oxford University Press. )

Excerpt From ‘Illusions of Victory’: Here’s Why the Iraqi Awakening Broke Down

In Iraq, the U.S invasion toppled over society and let sectarian dynamics run their course.

The cover of "Enlisting Faith." (Harvard University Press)
The cover of "Enlisting Faith." (Harvard University Press)
A rainbow glows in the sky behind trees in blossom on April 11, 2012 over the city of Geneva.  (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
A rainbow glows in the sky behind trees in blossom on April 11, 2012 over the city of Geneva. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)

Reading Rainbow: Take a Look

With the holidays upon us, a collection of military and history books worth checking out.

A damaged circuitboard. (Flickr)
A damaged circuitboard. (Flickr)

Learning to Fight When Screens Go Dark

If we woke up tomorrow and found that none of our laptops, iPhones, iPads, or personal assistants worked, what would we do?

(Flickr via davidneubert.com)
(Flickr via davidneubert.com)
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China, Ukraine, and How Biden Plans to Balance Both

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Can U.S. President Joe Biden really support Ukraine against Russia for “as long as it takes,” as he has pledged? Congressional support for this aid has largely been bipartisan and wide-r...Show more

Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.
Protesters gather during a rally against the government's controversial judicial overhaul bill in Tel Aviv on March 18.

Ehud Barak on Israel’s Escalating Crisis

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Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been protesting weekly against their government’s plans to overhaul—and weaken—the country’s judiciary. Several former military officials have ...Show more

BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Inside China’s ‘Two Sessions’

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Every year, the top Chinese legislative and advisory bodies meet for two weeks to rubber-stamp decisions already made by the Chinese Communist Party. It’s called the “two sessions,” ...Show more

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