Charlie Thomas
@cthomasjamh.bsky.social
Professor, African Military Historian, Co-Editor of the Journal of African Military History. Opinions expressed are solely mine. My book, Ujamaa’s Army, is available now!! https://www.ohioswallow.com/9780821425596/ujamaas-army
Pinned
Charlie Thomas
@cthomasjamh.bsky.social
· Nov 12
"But Charlie!" you may say, "why should *I* care about the Tanzania People's Defence Force!?" Well let me tell you a few cool things about them!
1. Following independence most African states just inherited whatever colonial troops existed as their militaries. This often led to coups and mutinies.
1. Following independence most African states just inherited whatever colonial troops existed as their militaries. This often led to coups and mutinies.
Whooooo! Although I know other folks have already gotten it, my author copies finally arrived. It's been a long road and it still feels unreal to actually have the physical copies in hand!
For all my new followers, hello! I am a historian of African militaries and African military history- and I recently published a book on the Tanzania People's Defence Forces' fascinating history! Here's a thread about why you should read it! bsky.app/profile/ctho...
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Reports of gunfire in Caracas, Venezuela.
January 6, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Reports of gunfire in Caracas, Venezuela.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
It’s genuinely wild that the United States spent decades building an elaborate rules-based international order which de facto cemented its permanent status as the dominant global hegemon, sustained by ideology rather than might, and now is just blowing it all up for literally no reason
January 6, 2026 at 12:35 AM
It’s genuinely wild that the United States spent decades building an elaborate rules-based international order which de facto cemented its permanent status as the dominant global hegemon, sustained by ideology rather than might, and now is just blowing it all up for literally no reason
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Just what the heatland voted for. Subsidizing oil companies colonizing a country where their kids may be sent off to protect.
TRUMP: MAY SUBSIDIZE OIL COMPANIES REBUILDING IN VENEZUELA: NBC
January 5, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Just what the heatland voted for. Subsidizing oil companies colonizing a country where their kids may be sent off to protect.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
War game in the style of Papers, Please
You're a staff officer charged with wrangling NCOs, processing (possibly faulty) intelligence, and managing requisition requests for more ammunition (there is no 155mm in this sector, they gave us drones that don't work)
You're a staff officer charged with wrangling NCOs, processing (possibly faulty) intelligence, and managing requisition requests for more ammunition (there is no 155mm in this sector, they gave us drones that don't work)
leaning into something that includes more of the drudgery of military life from a role-playing perspective and has less emphasis on twitch action violence could possibly reinvigorate it
January 5, 2026 at 8:33 PM
War game in the style of Papers, Please
You're a staff officer charged with wrangling NCOs, processing (possibly faulty) intelligence, and managing requisition requests for more ammunition (there is no 155mm in this sector, they gave us drones that don't work)
You're a staff officer charged with wrangling NCOs, processing (possibly faulty) intelligence, and managing requisition requests for more ammunition (there is no 155mm in this sector, they gave us drones that don't work)
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Colonization, fascism, genocide: the generation of the 1940s-1960s, broadly speaking, learned all of these things were bad for pragmatic AND moral reasons. Now as that generation passes, it’s easy for privileged people to forget the pragmatic lessons, and see the moral lessons just as weakness.
“But why would we study colonialism? Why study empire?!”
Fucking Christ.
January 5, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Colonization, fascism, genocide: the generation of the 1940s-1960s, broadly speaking, learned all of these things were bad for pragmatic AND moral reasons. Now as that generation passes, it’s easy for privileged people to forget the pragmatic lessons, and see the moral lessons just as weakness.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
love to see a government account whining to the manager of hotels
January 5, 2026 at 7:53 PM
love to see a government account whining to the manager of hotels
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Rereading Clausewitz for the first time in a while and this line hits so different now than it did either in undergrad or grad school.
The Old Prussian has so many bangers, eh, @deadcarl.bsky.social ?!
The Old Prussian has so many bangers, eh, @deadcarl.bsky.social ?!
January 5, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Rereading Clausewitz for the first time in a while and this line hits so different now than it did either in undergrad or grad school.
The Old Prussian has so many bangers, eh, @deadcarl.bsky.social ?!
The Old Prussian has so many bangers, eh, @deadcarl.bsky.social ?!
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
this is too frivolous, but Tim Walz could retire and host a NPR Car-Talk/Home Repair type show for a decade, easy
January 5, 2026 at 7:01 PM
this is too frivolous, but Tim Walz could retire and host a NPR Car-Talk/Home Repair type show for a decade, easy
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Dancing With Clouds & Light
Spectacular, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, for the first #MountainMonday of 2026.
Magallanes & Chilean Antarctica, Chile
🧭 51°10'29" S 72°57'42" W
#photography #landscape #originalcontent #travel #offthebeatenpath #TRLT #mountains #Patagonia #chile
Spectacular, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, for the first #MountainMonday of 2026.
Magallanes & Chilean Antarctica, Chile
🧭 51°10'29" S 72°57'42" W
#photography #landscape #originalcontent #travel #offthebeatenpath #TRLT #mountains #Patagonia #chile
January 5, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Dancing With Clouds & Light
Spectacular, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, for the first #MountainMonday of 2026.
Magallanes & Chilean Antarctica, Chile
🧭 51°10'29" S 72°57'42" W
#photography #landscape #originalcontent #travel #offthebeatenpath #TRLT #mountains #Patagonia #chile
Spectacular, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, for the first #MountainMonday of 2026.
Magallanes & Chilean Antarctica, Chile
🧭 51°10'29" S 72°57'42" W
#photography #landscape #originalcontent #travel #offthebeatenpath #TRLT #mountains #Patagonia #chile
“But why would we study colonialism? Why study empire?!”
January 5, 2026 at 6:50 PM
“But why would we study colonialism? Why study empire?!”
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
The British Army continued to encourage the equine-soldier bond during the SWW by making each gunner personally responsible for his mule. Here a gunner of 1st Mountain Bty RA and his mule sharing a special moment whilst on exercise in Scotland, 1942. 🥰 #MuleMonday
📸 IWM H 23679
📸 IWM H 23679
January 5, 2026 at 6:48 PM
The British Army continued to encourage the equine-soldier bond during the SWW by making each gunner personally responsible for his mule. Here a gunner of 1st Mountain Bty RA and his mule sharing a special moment whilst on exercise in Scotland, 1942. 🥰 #MuleMonday
📸 IWM H 23679
📸 IWM H 23679
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
guys whats going on in the marketing and branding world
January 5, 2026 at 6:28 PM
guys whats going on in the marketing and branding world
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
the man who created the largest empire in history
January 5, 2026 at 1:01 PM
the man who created the largest empire in history
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
“Sir what’s your response to criticism” who gives a shit
So many in media are ill-equipped to interview officials about what’s happening because they begin with the presumption of legitimacy and don’t know enough about history or U.S. foreign policy to foment intelligent pushback and hold officials accountable.
January 5, 2026 at 1:25 PM
“Sir what’s your response to criticism” who gives a shit
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Plain and simple my politics is that nobody should be wealthy enough to make their insecurities my problem.
January 5, 2026 at 3:38 AM
Plain and simple my politics is that nobody should be wealthy enough to make their insecurities my problem.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Pork was the glue keeping it all together.
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
January 5, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Pork was the glue keeping it all together.
Just digging up the sentiment that academia is a meritocracy, popping that coffin open, and driving a stake through its heart before lighting it on fire.
John Mearsheimer, Oct. 3 2024: "I think that Biden's basic instincts are those of a warmonger, and I think that's not true of Trump. I think Trump is not that interested in fighting wars."
January 4, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Just digging up the sentiment that academia is a meritocracy, popping that coffin open, and driving a stake through its heart before lighting it on fire.
Another fantastic reaction image captured from one of @jamellebouie.net's video content. The man is a treasure and these past 24 hours' videos have been a gold mine.
January 4, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Another fantastic reaction image captured from one of @jamellebouie.net's video content. The man is a treasure and these past 24 hours' videos have been a gold mine.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
The thing is that he does not retain any options regarding this. Even if you accept that there was legal precedent to rendition Maduro—there is no possible AUMF that covers the military occupation of Venezuela.
There is straightforwardly no legal authorization for the President to do any of this.
There is straightforwardly no legal authorization for the President to do any of this.
BRENNAN: To be clear, there is no plan for US occupation of this country of nearly 30 million people?
MARCO RUBIO: The president always retains optionality on anything and on all of these matters
MARCO RUBIO: The president always retains optionality on anything and on all of these matters
January 4, 2026 at 3:54 PM
The thing is that he does not retain any options regarding this. Even if you accept that there was legal precedent to rendition Maduro—there is no possible AUMF that covers the military occupation of Venezuela.
There is straightforwardly no legal authorization for the President to do any of this.
There is straightforwardly no legal authorization for the President to do any of this.
Renata is one of the best historians I know on Latin America’s turbulent history with the US, particularly in the Cold War and beyond, so this thread will be useful for folks that want a longer term perspective and context on the recent events.
Looking to understand the long history behind the US attack on Venezuela? Here are a few introductory-level reading recommendations from a professor and historian of US-Latin American Relations: (1/5)
🗃️ #history
1. Kyle Longley's "In the Eagle's Shadow: The United States and Latin America"
🗃️ #history
1. Kyle Longley's "In the Eagle's Shadow: The United States and Latin America"
January 4, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Renata is one of the best historians I know on Latin America’s turbulent history with the US, particularly in the Cold War and beyond, so this thread will be useful for folks that want a longer term perspective and context on the recent events.
January 4, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
If laws only apply to "good" people they aren't laws. That's as true for international laws as it is for domestic.
January 4, 2026 at 3:56 PM
If laws only apply to "good" people they aren't laws. That's as true for international laws as it is for domestic.
Reposted by Charlie Thomas
Nothing in the constitution says the executive needs congressional authority to kidnap a head of state and coerce the remaining government’s actions on threat of bombing.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Why wasn't congressional authorization necessary?
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
January 4, 2026 at 4:52 PM
Nothing in the constitution says the executive needs congressional authority to kidnap a head of state and coerce the remaining government’s actions on threat of bombing.