The Berlin Blockade started in June 1948, but its roots were from the failure of the Big Three, United States, Soviet Union, and United Kingdom to reach an agreement for common occupation goals in a post-war occupied Germany. Ideology differences about guaranteed no agreement, but pretending to be unified or leaving questions to be answered later guaranteed that there would be plenty of fuel to support Cold War flash points. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conducted a summit in Tianjin, northern China, on August 31-September 1, 2025. This event coincided with the China Victory Day Parade in Beijing on September 3, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II and Japan's defeat. The scheduling of these two key events allowed China's leadership to receive global dignitaries while also emphasizing the country's presence on the international stage. Various opposition political groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and media outlets took use of the opportunity to accentuate their anti-Western views, notably those directed at the United States, which were fanned by remarks by Chinese hosts. Unfortunately, the hyperbole and incessant cacophony in mainstream media coverage have masked the meeting's broader context, particularly China's obstacles and the actual outcomes of this Chinese influence campaign.Please support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and Austria’s Beate Meinl-Reisinger exchange unforced errors over NATO membership and Austrian neutrality. Even when Russia is right, they still find a way to step on a rake. Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

Under the pressure of Chinese escalation, Australia initiated its largest deployment outside the country since the East Timor crisis of 1999, conducting a joint exercise with the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

South Korea faces a security dilemma on the Korean Peninsula that cannot be easily resolved with the security options that were previously available to it.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

The People’s Republic of China joined the nuclear club on October 16, 1964, when it detonated a 22-kiloton nuclear device at its Lop Nur test site as part of Project 596. The bomb utilized 15 kilograms of weapons-grade Uranium-235, producing an explosive yield roughly equivalent to the U.S. “Fat Man” nuclear weapon dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. The Chinese nuclear program was initially supported by the Soviet Union; however, the Soviets withdrew their assistance and advisors in 1960 due to the Soviet-Sino split that year. Under Mao Zedong, the Chinese continued the program, leveraging the information, education, and equipment left behind by the Soviets to independently develop the bomb. China's subsequent nuclear policy diverged from the nuclear arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States that intensified in the 1960s and 1970s. However, it now appears that China is pursuing a nuclear weapons buildup to challenge the dominance of the U.S. and Russia.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

Project Mercury, from 1958 to 1963, led to the first crewed space voyage on May 5, 1961. President John Kennedy told Congress on May 25, 1961, that the U.S. will place a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. This ambitious aim would be fewer than nine years after the U.S. put a man in space for 15 minutes and 28 seconds. After the Soviet launch of Sputnik in October 1957, the space race became a race to the Moon between the US and the USSR. After Kennedy's statement, Project Apollo began in 1961. Mercury and Apollo failed to meet Moon-reach challenges. This required a new program to bridge Mercury's capability gap and Apollo's knowledge gap. This program was Project Gemini. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

Japan and Germany were the main Axis forces during World War II, but both nations have subsequently become economic superpowers and essential components of the Western alliance in Europe and the Pacific. In order to tackle the present security issues in their respective regions, both countries this month announced new goals for their military buildups. The goal of the projected increases will establish in both nations their biggest military forces since World War II. These new policies of Germany and Japan will see that both will have difficulties reaching their defense manpower targets, despite their lofty aspirations.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced a new arms sale to Ukraine to support its ongoing conflict with Russia. The sale allows European countries to purchase weapons and transfer them to Ukraine, and includes a 50-day deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. However, the deadline faces international opposition, with nations like North Korea and China willing to help Russia resist sanctions and continue the conflict.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the United Kingdom to strengthen relations and sign the Northwood Declaration on July 10, 2025. The declaration outlines a shared objective for both countries to collaborate on their nuclear capabilities in defense of Europe, including coordinating nuclear deterrence against extreme threats, responding to evolving threats, reaffirming the goals of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty, establishing a nuclear steering group, and addressing illegal migration.Research or support me through Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee or Ko-Fi.PatreonBuy Me A CoffeeKo-Fi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thomasleckwold.substack.com/subscribe