In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we speak with Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, for a wide-ranging and unusually candid conversation about the state of democracy, the duty of military leaders, the future of Ukraine’s defence, and the global challenge posed by modern autocracies.
General Hodges reflects on the oath he took, how its meaning evolved across his career, and why he believes that oath is under greater strain today than at any time in his service. He discusses the pressures facing serving officers, the erosion of norms inside American civil-military relations, and the emerging patterns of authoritarian coordination described by Anne Applebaum.
The conversation moves from U.S. internal challenges to the war in Ukraine, where Hodges sets out:
• why Ukraine’s victory matters strategically to Europe, the U.S., and global security
• how Russia’s “grey zone” tactics shape the conflict
• what he believes Ukraine’s theory of victory now is
• the critical role of long-range strike capability, air defence, and defence-industrial innovation
• how Ukraine must address manpower, training culture, and leadership development
• lessons U.S. and European militaries should be drawing from the war
We also explore the values at stake: freedom and democracy. Hodges speaks frankly about what these terms mean: trust, responsibility, and the struggle to keep institutions healthy.
The episode closes with two key questions:
• What can ordinary citizens do to defend democracy?
• And what message does General Hodges have for dictators, and for those who enable them?
This is one of the most comprehensive and sober assessments yet on the global contest between democratic systems and authoritarian regimes.
About General Ben Hodges
Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (2014–2017), a West Point graduate, and one of the leading Western voices on European security and the war in Ukraine.
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