Spanish Civil War with Séan Scullion – Part 1

In the first of our Fortress Britain episodes, we step back from the secret guerrilla units and look at the bigger picture—how ready was the UK, really, to stop a German invasion in 1940?Andrew Chatterton returns to break down Britain’s physical defenses—from the rapid construction of stop lines and pillboxes to the strategic thinking behind them. We talk about how much of the country was actually covered, why mobility was so limited, and how even a random brick hut on the coast fits into a much larger defense plan. It wasn’t just Home Guard with pitchforks—there was real doctrine, structure, and urgency.We also look at the overlooked air and naval elements: radar, decoy airfields, and the sheer power of the Royal Navy—along with the PR, panic, and practical improvisation that shaped the public's view of the war.Andrew’s workFortress Britain: 1940 – https://amzn.to/3Sd5iJ4Britain’s Secret Defences – https://amzn.to/4jYuT4xInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/historicalandrewX – https://x.com/Chats1More from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re joined by Roman Kuzyuk, First Deputy CEO of Viysktorgservice and co-author of Management in Times of War. Roman brings a unique mix of experience to the table—from corporate governance and martial arts to frontline logistics within Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.We explore the transformation of Ukraine’s defense sector, the challenges of legacy systems, and the ongoing fight to establish integrity and effectiveness within state institutions. Roman speaks openly about veterans' futures, the limits of reform, and the deeper personal mission that drives him through war and bureaucracy alike.We also dive into his fiction writing, why he chose a detective novel to explain real-world corporate dysfunction, and how martial arts shaped his view on leadership, balance, and power.This isn’t theory—it’s real-world warfighting, organizational struggle, and national survival, told by someone living it every day.Books by Roman KuzyukManagement in Times of War (English) – https://amzn.to/44SdXbxLedarskap i krigstider (Swedish edition) – https://www.bokus.com/bok/9789177415527/ledarskap-i-krigstider-erfarenheter-fran-krigets-ukraina/Connect with Roman KuzyukLinkedIn – https://ua.linkedin.com/in/roman-kuzyukFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/roman.kuzyuk.2025/More from Underground StrategyJoin the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.comDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve covered the Radleys, Rooseboom, and the Felix network—but in this final episode, the focus flips.What did the South African and British services actually know about these Nazi spy efforts? And more importantly—how did they respond?Evert Kleynhans takes us inside the counterintelligence war: the Royal Navy’s Y service, MI5, and the South African Postmaster General all played a role in intercepting transmissions, triangulating hidden radios, and watching the Ossewabrandwag from the inside. They were reading the messages. They had the direction-finding gear. And they still couldn’t shut it down.We get into why—factionalism, political hesitation, and sabotage from within. And we follow the trail beyond the war, all the way to the abandoned treason cases, buried archives, and the intelligence files that were meant to be erased.The spy rings may have fizzled, but the fallout never really ended.Evert’s workHitler’s South African Spies by Evert Kleynhans – https://amzn.to/43u79jpMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second half of our series, we turn to the aftermath—Franco’s victory, the cost of silence, and the contested memory that still divides Spain.Séan Scullion returns to chart Franco’s rise from the margins to dictator. We look at how he consolidated power, erased opposition through systematic terror, and survived long enough to become a Cold War ally. From forced exiles and mass graves to American base deals and a Vatican-blessed crusade, this episode unpacks how Franco shaped Spain’s future—and why it remains unresolved today.We also talk about Séan’s book Españoles contra el nazismo, which is the Spanish translation of his earlier release Churchill’s Spaniards, and how the expanded edition reflects new discoveries and family stories that emerged after publication.Séan’s workEspañoles contra el nazismo (Spanish edition of Churchill’s Spaniards, out June 4) – https://amzn.to/3ROJXFIChurchill’s Spaniards – https://amzn.to/4j2bsqAInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/sean.scullion/X – https://x.com/sean_f_scullionMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first of a two-part series, we unpack the political collapse and brutal realities behind one of the most significant conflicts of the 20th century—the Spanish Civil War.Séan Scullion joins us to trace the long arc leading to war: empire in decline, broken reforms, class fractures, and military coups recycled from the 19th century. From the fall of the monarchy to the Popular Front’s last stand, we walk through the key players, failed power grabs, and shifting momentum between Republican and Nationalist forces between 1936 and 1939.We also get into Franco’s rapid rise, foreign intervention, and why Madrid never quite fell—even when the war was lost.Part one ends just before the reckoning. In part two, we turn to Franco’s legacy and how Spain still wrestles with its memory.Séan’s workEspañoles contra el nazismo (June 4 release) – https://amzn.to/3ROJXFIChurchill’s Spaniards – https://amzn.to/4j2bsqAInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/sean.scullion/X – https://x.com/sean_f_scullionMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last episode, we met Rooseboom and the Radleys—Germany’s early spy recruits in South Africa, whose operations leaned more chaotic than covert.This time, the spotlight’s on a man with a much better spy name: Felix. Real name—Lothar Sittig. The one the British couldn’t quite pin down. After escaping internment, he linked up with the Trompke network in Mozambique and was smuggled back into South Africa to help build a direct radio line to Berlin.Evert Kleynhans walks us through how the Ossewabrandwag backed the effort, how the transmitter was built using stolen medical gear, and why British intelligence already knew what was coming. We also get into the kind of intelligence they passed along—some of it credible, some of it questionable, and some of it just… potatoes.Part two of a three-part series on Nazi espionage in South Africa.Evert’s workHitler’s South African Spies by Evert Kleynhans – https://amzn.to/43u79jpMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back with Ben Zweibelson for part two of our deep dive into Reconceptualizing War. This episode goes even further into the deep end: war paradigms, doomsday ideologies, radical structuralism, and the philosophical divide between Ukraine vs Russia and Israel vs Hamas.Ben lays out why some conflicts can't be understood through the same lens. We get into social paradigms, interpretivism, and how even Clausewitz is being bent to fit frames he never intended. From AI to Marxist theory, this is war philosophy at its most dangerous and thought-provoking.We also ask the important stuff: which war theorist would Ben grab a drink with? And what does strategic success actually mean in a world of flawed assumptions?If part one cracked the surface, this one digs through the foundations. It might leave you with more questions than answers—and that’s the point.Ben's WorkReconceptualizing War – https://amzn.to/4jFUZZYTwitter - https://x.com/BZweibelsonMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the problem isn’t that we misunderstand war—but that the frameworks we use to understand it are broken?In this episode, we sit down with Ben Zweibelson—veteran, theorist, and design troublemaker—for a deep dive into his massive new book Reconceptualizing War. This isn’t about doctrine tweaks or buzzword bingo. Ben takes a sledgehammer to the foundations, arguing that modern military thinking is stuck in rigid, outdated paradigms that can’t explain how war really works.We talk about how childhood art projects shaped his career, why veterans struggle with identity, and what happens when you tell your boss in Kabul that their beloved center of gravity is nonsense. From Clausewitz to Sun Tzu, Marx to Mao, Ben tears into war theory with philosophical tools most strategists are too scared to touch.This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. If you're tired of the same recycled thinking, you’ll want to hear this.Ben’s WorkReconceptualizing War – https://amzn.to/4jFUZZYTwitter - https://x.com/BZweibelsonMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we focus on Hans Rooseboom and the Radley couple—three key figures in the early days of German espionage efforts in South Africa during the Second World War. From smuggling messages across borders to setting up radio links, their stories are strange, chaotic, and often reckless.Historian Evert Kleynhans returns to break down how Rooseboom ended up running a rogue spy ring out of Johannesburg, how the Radleys got pulled into German intelligence from a radio station job in Berlin, and why none of it went according to plan.Part one of a three-part series on Nazi espionage in South Africa.Evert´s workHitler’s South African Spies by Evert Kleynhans – https://amzn.to/43u79jpMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re back with military historian Jack Bowsher for part two of our deep-dive into the Burma campaign. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, start there.In this episode, Jack walks us through the final stages of the campaign and gives us a preview of his upcoming book Thunder Run, focused on the dramatic Allied push through Meiktila in 1945. We talk about jungle logistics, Japanese tactics, forgotten battles, and why Burma remains one of the least understood fronts of the Second World War.We also unpack the significance of multicultural forces, the evolution of Indian armoured regiments, and how post-war memory continues to shape the story of this campaign.Jack’s workForgotten Armour: Tank Warfare in Burma – https://amzn.to/4ctduydThunder Run (pre-order) – https://www.chiselbury.co.uk/coming-soon/p/thunder-run-meiktila-1945-by-jack-bowsherA War of Empires by Rob Lyman - https://amzn.to/3GgPfapInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/historybowsh/The Forgotten War Podcast: Burma Campaign WW2 - https://shows.acast.com/the-forgotten-war-podMore from Underground StrategyDiscover Number 788 – https://amzn.to/3BQGmm7Join the mission – https://undergroundstrategy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.