6 Ukraine War Preamble, 2014–15 In February 2014, Russian armed forces took Crimea from Ukraine in a quick, bloodless and smoothly professional operation. It was an impressive demonstration of Russian capabilities, so different from the botched operations in Chechnya in 1994–96 and 2000–09. The question therefore arises: how did that same Russian military manage to maneuver itself into a quagmire starting 2022? By Javier Romero Muñoz

18 The Albigensian Crusade France was not a unified country at the end of the 12 century. In the south, it remained a collection of duchies and counties whose rulers behaved like independent monarchs. It was under those circumstances the Cathar heresy appeared across Languedoc. It thrived as an expression of independence and the unsettled relationship with the Roman church. Eight church councils condemned them. Here is our analy- sis of the crusade that followed. By John Walker

16 On Design By Joseph Miranda 50 Work in Progress: 11 Days War: WWI East Front, 1918 51 WWI: American Airpower in the Saint-Mihiel Offensive, 1918 By Joseph Miranda 52 Did You Know? By Joseph Miranda

26 17 Century Barbary Corsairs In 1609, King Phillip III of Spain expelled 300,000 Moriscos from that country. Many of them had guided or provided intelligence to the Barbary corsairs when they attacked the Spanish coast. Some 13,000 settled at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River in Morocco in the twin cities of Salé and New Salé (Rabat). They turned privateering into the main business of the region. By Patrick S. Baker

54 Flashpoints • Russians in Libya & Sudan By Javier Romero Muñoz • Can Ukraine Fight Without US Intelligence? By Gilberto Villahermosa • Syria By Andrew Mulholland • China’s Surprise Naval Drill By Patrick S. Baker

38 The Brusilov Offensive The Brusilov offensive of 1916 was a major Russian attack against the Central Powers that resulted in heavy losses for both sides. The core premise of the doctrine for it included overwhelming fi repower and maintenance of the tempo of advance to achieve deep penetration of enemy territory. The attack’s out- come infl uenced future Red Army doctrine, as well as the postwar map of Central Eastern Europe. By Allyn Vannoy

58 For Your Information • Tomyris of the Massagetae By Stephen D. Lutz • The Battle of North Point By Issac Mounce • U-boats at Castries By Vernie Liebl 70 Media Reviews By John D. Burtt 72 Mega Feedback Survey 78 The Long Tradition