Author: John Spencer

Breaking NATO’s Cult of the Urban Offense

John Spencer, Stuart Lyle and Jayson Geroux | 08.16.25 | Urban Warfare Project

In doctrine, dogma dies hard. Nowhere is this more evident than in NATO’s enduring obsession with...

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Urban Warfare Project Podcast: The 2005 Battle of Tal Afar, with Retired Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster

John Spencer | 07.18.25 | Urban Warfare Project Podcast

In 2005, then Colonel H. R. McMaster commanded the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment during the Battle...

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Urban Warfare Project Podcast: The Future of Autonomous Policing

John Spencer | 06.06.25 | Urban Warfare Project Podcast

In this episode of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, John Spencer is joined by Captain Ryan...

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Learning to Learn: Lessons for the US Army from the Israel Defense Forces’ Wartime Adaption

John Spencer | 05.21.25 | Commentary & Analysis

In war, survival often depends not just on strength or firepower, but on how fast an army can...

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A Clausewitzian Lens on Modern Urban Warfare

John Spencer | 05.13.25 | Commentary & Analysis

Among Carl von Clausewitz’s many poignant dictums, the most commonly cited is undoubtedly that...

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The articles and other content which appear on the Modern War Institute website are unofficial expressions of opinion. The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.

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