Indo-Pacific
Power balances, maritime competition, deterrence, and flashpoints across the Indo-Pacific.
133 Dispatches
Why China May Be Running Out of Time to Invade Taiwan
Demographics, a fragile economy, and a fortifying island may have already closed China's window for a successful invasion of Taiwan.
Soviet Invasion of Manchuria: End of Imperial Japan
On August 9, 1945, as the atomic bomb obliterated Nagasaki, another cataclysmic event unfolded far to the north. The Soviet Union, having secretly amassed
The Battle of Hong Kong: The British Empire's Humiliation
How Imperial Japan overran British Hong Kong in just 17 days in December 1941, and why historians still debate whether the colony's fall was inevitable.
Snow Leopard Commandos: China's Elite Paramilitary Strike Force
Inside China's Snow Leopard Commandos — their secret origins, Olympic security role, Xinjiang operations, training regimen, and potential role in a Taiwan
Rearmament: How Japan Plans to Become a Military Superpower
How Japan plans to become the world's third-largest defense spender, acquiring counterstrike capabilities and reshaping the Asia-Pacific balance of power.
Putin and North Korea: How Russia Is Becoming a Pariah State
How Russia's desperation for artillery shells is driving Putin toward North Korea, risking global isolation and shifting the balance of power in Kim Jong
The Korean War: The Proxy War That Nearly Sparked World War III
How the 1950 invasion of South Korea became the Cold War's first proxy war and how close General MacArthur came to triggering a nuclear conflict.
Korean War: The Near-Miss of World War III
Imagine a world where the Korean War escalated into a full-blown nuclear conflict, pitting the United States and its allies against the Soviet Union and Ch
How Might a US-China War Really Start?
From the Thucydides Trap to flashpoints in Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Senkaku Islands, the potential triggers for a US-China conflict examined.
The Battle of Okinawa: The Pacific's Bloodiest Battle
How the 1945 Battle of Okinawa became the Pacific War's deadliest fight, sealed the fate of the battleship Yamato, and shaped the decision to use the atomic bomb.
Could North Korea Collapse? What Regime Implosion Would Mean for the World
Examining whether the Kim regime could fall, what triggered the DPRK's latest food crisis, and why a North Korean collapse would shake the entire world.
Frozen Conflicts: Predicting the Sites of Future Wars
Frozen conflicts from Taiwan to Kosovo to northeast Syria represent the most likely sites of future wars. Learn how these unresolved wars reignite.