Tag Archives: Hubris

Putin’s magic wears off: 2016 the Donbas

Posted on June 27, 2026 by odeboyz

The 2014 attack on the Crimea was an overwhelming success. Putin’s advisors fell over themselves to say that he was a genius and naturally he believed them. In 2016 Russia attack the eastern Ukrainian region, the Donbas. This is populated … Continue reading →

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Iran and the Bible: Podcast

Posted on May 1, 2026 by odeboyz

The Bible seems like an unlikely place to find good advice on the conduct of a war in 2026 but nonetheless it is valuable. The David and Goliath story, 1 Samuel 17: 1-58, explains why the weak sometimes beat the … Continue reading →

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Gerald Ratner: Honesty Isn’t Always the Best Policy

Posted on July 10, 2024 by odeboyz

Gerald rejected his grammar school to work on his father’s stall in London’s famous Petticoat Lane market. It was a cut-throat trading environment where traders were predators. He loved it. Gerald worked the crowds, seducing them into buying his goods. … Continue reading →

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Isaac Newton and Other Failures

Posted on April 17, 2024 by odeboyz

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”Winston Churchill People who triumph over failure are the stuff of legends. Seemingly they possess a recipe: “If you do as I do then good things will be yours!” … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Hilary Mantel ~ The Mirror and the Light (2020)

Posted on June 1, 2020 by odeboyz

The scale of the success of the Thomas Cromwell trilogy is that it’s a 2112 page story about a Tudor civil servant. Cromwell’s speciality was as a courtier and sycophant endlessly grovelling to Henry VIII. He was also a ruthless … Continue reading →

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The Strategic Context of Operation Barbarossa: June 22nd 1941

Posted on September 28, 2018 by odeboyz

“With Russia smashed, Britain’s last hope would be shattered. Germany then will be master of Europe and the Balkans. Decision: Russia’s destruction must therefore be made a part of this struggle. Spring 1941…If we start in May 1941, we would … Continue reading →

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The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939: Bismarck’s Final Triumph

Posted on April 15, 2016 by odeboyz

The most audacious diplomatic pact of the twentieth century was between Nazi Germany and the USSR: the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (23rd Aug 1939). It was audacious but stood in the tradition of German foreign policy established by Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck’s … Continue reading →

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