Dole Institute

The Case for Limited War: European Military Treatises through Machiavelli
2026-03-04 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Warfare in the European Middle Ages (c. 500-1500) can be broadly characterized as limited: limited objectives, limited budgets, and limited size of armies. Despite medieval society having an overall martial culture, these factors conspired to make warfare episodic, defensively oriented, and positional in character. This lecture will explore the intellectual underpinnings of medieval limited war by surveying the major writers on the subject, including Vegetius, Maurice, Leo VI, Nikephoros Phokas, John of Salisbury, Giles of Rome, Honoré Bouvet, Christine de Pizan, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

John D. Hosler (Ph.D. University of Delaware) is a Professor of Military History at the Command and General Staff College. Before coming to Fort Leavenworth, he was a tenured Full Professor of History at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. An expert on medieval warfare in Europe and the Near East, he is the author or editor of nine books, including The Third Crusade, 1189-1192 (2025), the Routledge Handbook of Medieval Military Strategy (2024), Jerusalem Falls: Seven Centuries of War and Peace (2022), and The Siege of Acre ( 2018). He is a book series editor of “War and Conflict in Premodern Societies” for ARC Humanities Press and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is currently writing his tenth book, a world history of the relic of the True Cross in war from A.D. 325-2025, for Yale University Press.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Spring 2026 Dole Forum Programming
2026-03-05 19:00 - 20:15 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
The full roster for our Spring 2026 Dole Forum Programming is coming soon. Save the date to join us at the Dole Institute of Politics for this program on Thursday, Mar. 5 at 7 p.m. All events will be available to stream live on our YouTube channel.

Liberty In a Pluralistic Society
2026-03-25 16:00 - 17:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Liberty is America’s founding ideal, bursting from our shores and spreading to nations far and near. But, our own story is rife with contradictions and presents challenges even today as we balance the desires of a changing society. How do we balance competing ideas of liberty in a pluralistic country? How can we secure this most American of ideals for all within our nation?

Jeff King serves as the executive vice president of the Rodel Institute, where he founded and runs fellowships for judges of all ideological persuasions, as well as bipartisan groups of elected officials, to explore ways that leaders can transcend differences to promote judicial independence and cross-party dialogue. A former Kansas Senator (R) representing southeastern Kansas, Jeff worked extensively on criminal justice issues, pension reform, education finance and tax policy as chair of the Senate Judiciary, Pension, and Rules committees. A former Tenth Circuit clerk and president of the Appellate Section of the Kansas Bar, Jeff has handled over 60 appeals across the country on issues of school finance, trust, state government and constitutional law. He holds degrees from Brown University, Yale Law School, and the University of Cambridge.
Mark McCormick is a New York Times bestselling author with nearly 30 years of experience as a reporter, editor, and columnist. He most recently served as the inaugural executive director of the Kansas Black Leadership Council and deputy director of the ACLU of Kansas. He also served for a total of six years as executive director of The Kansas African American Museum. An alum of the University of Kansas, McCormick is a trustee of the William Allen White School of Journalism at KU, served as a professional in residence at the University of Oklahoma, and was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly to two Kansas state commissions, including the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. He has earned numerous awards and recognitions over his career and was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame last year.

The Maginot Line
2026-04-01 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
The Maginot Line has assumed a mythical status as the height of French interwar doctrinal stagnation. The reality, however, is that the Maginot Line represented a potential solution to the difficult French strategic position. Dr. Cameron Zinsou of the Command and General Staff College shows how its development, manning, and the debates about the Line shaped and prepared French military and civilian thought in the leadup to the Second World War.

Dr. Cameron Zinsou is an Assistant Professor of History in the Department of Military History at the Command and General Staff College. His research focuses on the intersection of occupation, requisitions, civil/military relations, and citizenship in World War II France. Dr. Zinsou has a manuscript under contract with the University Press of Kansas, Occupied: Requisitions, Meaning, and the French Experience during World War II. He has also featured on numerous media platforms including multiple podcasts and the Smithsonian Channel’s documentary series World War II Battles in Color and has publications in the New York Times and War on the Rocks.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

The 2026 Easter Egg Roll with Dole
2026-04-04 10:00 - 13:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Come one, come all, for the Dole Institute’s Easter Egg Roll with Dole! Join us on Saturday, April 19, for a morning of family fun, including a White House-style egg roll race, egg hunt, games, crafts, and more. The event is free and open to the public, and will go on rain or shine.

Learn more about this event by visiting our website.

A Republic, If You Can Keep It
2026-04-08 16:00 - 17:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Ben Franklin promised us unparalleled freedom with burdens to uphold it, never before placed upon a citizenry. What was this novel form of government bestowed on our young nation and what have we, as a free people, done to keep it? What burdens do we share, what challenges do we face, and what actions must we take to keep the American republic strong for another 250 years?

Jeff King serves as the executive vice president of the Rodel Institute, where he founded and runs fellowships for judges of all ideological persuasions, as well as bipartisan groups of elected officials, to explore ways that leaders can transcend differences to promote judicial independence and cross-party dialogue. A former Kansas Senator (R) representing southeastern Kansas, Jeff worked extensively on criminal justice issues, pension reform, education finance and tax policy as chair of the Senate Judiciary, Pension, and Rules committees. A former Tenth Circuit clerk and president of the Appellate Section of the Kansas Bar, Jeff has handled over 60 appeals across the country on issues of school finance, trust, state government and constitutional law. He holds degrees from Brown University, Yale Law School, and the University of Cambridge.
Mark McCormick is a New York Times bestselling author with nearly 30 years of experience as a reporter, editor, and columnist. He most recently served as the inaugural executive director of the Kansas Black Leadership Council and deputy director of the ACLU of Kansas. He also served for a total of six years as executive director of The Kansas African American Museum. An alum of the University of Kansas, McCormick is a trustee of the William Allen White School of Journalism at KU, served as a professional in residence at the University of Oklahoma, and was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly to two Kansas state commissions, including the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. He has earned numerous awards and recognitions over his career and was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame last year.

The 2026 Dole Lecture
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Lied Center of Kansas, 1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
The 2026 Dole Lecture honoree will be announced soon. Save the date to join us at the Lied Center of Kansas on Monday, April 13 at 7 p.m. This event will be available to stream live on our YouTube channel.

About the Dole Lecture
Each spring, the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics commemorates the date on which Senator Bob Dole was critically wounded while serving in Italy during World War II. To honor Senator Dole’s courageous recovery and commitment to serve the nation, we welcome a guest to the Institute who embodies the commitments that Senator Dole held throughout his career in public service.

The Counselors
2026-04-23 18:30 - 20:30 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
More information about the Spring 2026 edition of The Counselors is coming soon. Save the date to join us at the Dole Institute on Thursday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. This event will be available to stream live on our YouTube channel.

Join Dole Institute Visiting Fellows and attorneys Ed Duckers and Pedro Irigonegaray for the next edition of The Counselors—an engaging program featuring debates on contemporary topics.

This program is presented in partnership with the Washburn University School of Law

The Pursuit of Happiness: Is America Still the Land of Opportunity?
2026-04-29 16:00 - 17:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
We live in a land of unprecedented wealth and success. Yet, America is plagued with economic disparities and despair – a place where our “happiness” ranks only 24th among developed nations. Our Founding Fathers built a land of remarkable opportunity that elevated the lives of billions globally. Is the American dream alive today? What does it look like? How can we elevate it to foster happiness in generations to come?

Jeff King serves as the executive vice president of the Rodel Institute, where he founded and runs fellowships for judges of all ideological persuasions, as well as bipartisan groups of elected officials, to explore ways that leaders can transcend differences to promote judicial independence and cross-party dialogue. A former Kansas Senator (R) representing southeastern Kansas, Jeff worked extensively on criminal justice issues, pension reform, education finance and tax policy as chair of the Senate Judiciary, Pension, and Rules committees. A former Tenth Circuit clerk and president of the Appellate Section of the Kansas Bar, Jeff has handled over 60 appeals across the country on issues of school finance, trust, state government and constitutional law. He holds degrees from Brown University, Yale Law School, and the University of Cambridge.
Mark McCormick is a New York Times bestselling author with nearly 30 years of experience as a reporter, editor, and columnist. He most recently served as the inaugural executive director of the Kansas Black Leadership Council and deputy director of the ACLU of Kansas. He also served for a total of six years as executive director of The Kansas African American Museum. An alum of the University of Kansas, McCormick is a trustee of the William Allen White School of Journalism at KU, served as a professional in residence at the University of Oklahoma, and was appointed by Governor Laura Kelly to two Kansas state commissions, including the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. He has earned numerous awards and recognitions over his career and was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame last year.

The Operational Perspective: American Observations of the Franco-Prussian War
2026-05-06 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
This presentation examines the experiences of American military and political figures who were present in France for the Prussian victory in 1870-71 over Napoleon III, as well as the observations of newspaper editors and columnists in the United States opining on military events overseas. Some of these observers were veterans of the American Civil War. Their commentary offers a window into how warfare in Europe, including the innovations of Helmuth von Moltke and the Prussian army, compared with American understandings of large-scale military operations.

Zachery A. Fry is an associate professor of military history at the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the author of A Republic in the Ranks: Loyalty and Dissent in the Army of the Potomac (University of North Carolina Press, 2020). He taught history previously at the U.S. Military Academy West Point. Fry’s research focuses on politics in Civil War armies, and his work has received the Coffman Prize from the Society for Military History, the Hay-Nicolay Prize from the Abraham Lincoln Institute / Abraham Lincoln Association, and the Hubbell Prize from Civil War History.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Napoleon: The Man and the Method
2026-06-03 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Napoleon remains a character of endless fascination, even more than two centuries after his death. The God of War, as one biographer identified him, conquered much of Europe before his ultimate downfall, and is often counted with Alexander the Great and Caesar as one of the greatest military minds in human history. This talk will discuss the personality behind the historical figure and examine the methods that enabled him to achieve what he did.

Dr. Jonathan Abel is an Associate Professor of Military History at the US Army Command and General Staff College, where he teaches courses on French history as well as Greece and Rome and wargaming. He received his PhD from the Military History Center at the University of North Texas in 2014, and he is the author of several works on the eighteenth-century French army.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Saving the Army: Washington at the Battle of Long Island
2026-08-05 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Following the Declaration of Independence from Great Britian, the United States’ Continental Army under the leadership of George Washington attempted to defend New York City in August of 1776. During the Battle of Long Island, the leadership and actions of George Washington would save his army from capture and defeat and ultimately preserve the cause for independence.

Patrick Howlett is a 2006 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point where he studied History and is currently still serving as an active-duty officer in the United States Army. He currently is an instructor of Military History at the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth and is enrolled in the doctoral program in history at Kansas State University.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

U.S. Strategy and Sherman’s Savannah Campaign
2026-09-02 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
Perhaps the most memorable campaign that underpinned US Army LTG Ulysses S. Grant’s military strategy of 1864, MG William Tecumseh Sherman’s Savannah Campaign exhausted the Southern Confederacy and hastened an end to the American Civil War. The “March to the Sea” has inspired mixed mythologies of the war: it became synonymous in the Lost Cause with devastation and destruction, a misleading interpretation that has proven resilient even in US military circles. In point of fact, Sherman’s campaign was restrained in its conduct despite achieving lasting and significant effects, foremost among them, the destruction of racial slavery in the United States.

Mitchell G. Klingenberg is an assistant professor in the Department of Military History at the US Army Command and General Staff College. Previously, he served on the faculties of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the US Army War College. He is the author of numerous articles and reviews, a monograph on the China Campaign of 1900, and shorter pieces of military history. His writings have been published in numerous venues, including American Nineteenth Century History, Civil War History, The International Journal of Military History and Historiography, the Modern War Institute at West Point, and War on the Rocks.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Clausewitz, Mao, and Operational Art
2026-10-07 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
More information on this Ft. Leavenworth Series program is coming soon. Save the date to join us at the Dole Institute of Politics on the first Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. All events will be available to stream live on our YouTube channel.

Martin G. Clemis is an associate professor in the Department of Military History at the Command and General Staff College. He is the author of The Control War: The Struggle for South Vietnam, 1968-1975 (University of Oklahoma Press, 2018), and a contributing author in Beyond the Quagmire: New Interpretations of the Vietnam Conflict (University of North Texas Press, 2019), Drawdowns: The American Way of Postwar (New York University Press, 2017), and War and Geography: The Spatiality of Organized Mass Violence (Ferdinand Schoningh, 2017). Martin has had articles published in Army History and Small Wars and Insurgencies.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Jomini and the Foundations of Modern War
2026-11-04 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
More information on this Ft. Leavenworth Series program is coming soon. Save the date to join us at the Dole Institute of Politics on the first Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. All events will be available to stream live on our YouTube channel.

Dr. Sean N. Kalic is a Cold War historian. He lectures and publishes widely on topics such as U.S. space policy, the Cold War, the post-Cold War security environment, and transnational terrorism. Prior to CGSC, he taught at Youngstown State University, Kansas State University, and Norwich University. He has presented lectures for the U.S. Navy War College’s Fleet Seminar Program, The Slovenian General Staff, The Slovenian Command and General Staff College, The U.S. Army’s Futures Command, as well as numerous international conferences. He has taught in the Department of Military History at the US Army Command and General Staff College since 2004.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.

Soviet Interwar Years Theory and Doctrine
2026-12-02 15:00 - 16:00 | The Dole Institute of Politics, 2350 Petefish Drive, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States
The First World War brought enormous changes to the battlefield that all combatants struggled to master. After the war’s end, military officers began to try to understand what would be needed to succeed in the next war, in the Soviet Union no less than anywhere else. While the Red Army has been often seen as thoughtless, throwing men relentlessly into the meatgrinder of combat, its officer developed one of the most sophisticated understandings of what modern war would entail in the period between the wars, setting them up for success against the eventual German invasion. This talk examines Soviet doctrine in the interwar period, how it outthought and outfought its German adversary, and how it made significant contributions to modern military theory.

Benjamin M. Schneider is an assistant professor in the Department of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He has held fellowships at the U.S. Naval War College, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the U.S. Army Center of Military History. He received his doctorate from George Mason University in 2019, and his research has appeared in The Journal of Contemporary History and War In History. His book American War Crimes in the Second World War: The Failure of Military Justice is forthcoming with Oxford University Press.
The Ft. Leavenworth Series is an annual roster of lectures focusing on significant historical events, usually with an emphasis on military history. Each lecture is presented by faculty from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Established by General William Tecumseh Sherman in 1881, the CGSC is the graduate college for U.S. Army and sister service officers. The esteemed faculty and guests of the CGSC provide unique and captivating insights into the history of military conflict from the ancient to the modern ages at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency.
