The Russian Bolshevik Revolution (Lenin's Strategy) | Strategy of Protest and Revolution 4.0 [13/4/2023]

 

 

Strategy of Protest and Revolution 4.0: The Russian Bolshevik Revolution

(Lenin’s Strategy)

 

Hi, and after yet another long hiatus, welcome to Strategy Stuff. This is the fourth entry in “The Strategy of Protest and Revolution”, where we’ll look at how revolutionary and protest movements achieve success. In particular, we’ll focus on the following questions:

                 - How do activists turn public discontent into a coordinated movement?

                - What do successful movements do to achieve their goals? And

                - How have successful strategies changed over time?

 In this entry, we’ll be looking at the Russian Bolshevik Revolution from March to November 1917. It’s a long entry, so I’ve split it into two parts, each being its own video. This first part will focus on Lenin’s social movement strategy, or how Lenin planned to bring socialism to Czarist Russia.

The Naval Strategy of Alfred Thayer Mahan (12/04/2019)

The Naval Strategy of Alfred Thayer Mahan

November, 1873. The Virginius, an American ship smuggling arms to Cubans rebelling against Spain, is captured by a Spanish warship in open waters. Ignoring American protests, Spain declares the crew pirates, and swiftly executes them.

The American public demands revenge. But Washington faces an inconvenient fact: the US no longer has a ship that can defeat an ironclad on the high seas – and Spain has four. War would only place US shipping and even the US coast in dire peril.

The Virginius Affair will not only expose the US’ naval impotence, but also raises an unsettling possibility: what if a future enemy targets not just smugglers, but every US ship at sea? What will happen to the US if it is boxed within its own shores?

Sir Julian Corbett, Limited War, and a Strategy for Maritime States (21/06/2018)

Sir Julian Corbett, Limited War, and a Strategy for Maritime States

Introduction

This video will be about Sir Julian Corbett, an early 20^th Century British naval theorist, and his application of the ‘Limited War’ concept to sea power and the strategy of maritime states, which are societies closely linked with the sea. Corbett argues that maritime states should wage war in a fashion different from their continental counterparts – one based on sea control, strategic isolation, and the cost-effective application of force.

Examining Mackinder's Heartland Thesis (28/05/2017)

Examining Mackinder’s Heartland Thesis

‘Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland,

Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island,

Who rules the World-Island commands the World.’

This video will examine one of geopolitics’ most famous theories – Halford Mackinder’s ‘Heartland Thesis’. It will outline the assumptions behind the theory, go through its reasoning, and assess its recommendations and insights.

Union Strategy During the American Civil War, 1861-1865 (18/05/2017)

Union Strategy During the American Civil War

This video is about the strategies the Union adopted during the American Civil War of 1861-1865, how they evolved, and how they ultimately brought about victory over the Confederate States.