Susie Colbourn
@susancolbourn.net
Historian at Duke. Archive enthusiast. Still writing about NATO and the politics of postwar European security.
Yeltsin torturing the metaphor.
December 23, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Yeltsin torturing the metaphor.
📍 London, United Kingdom
December 22, 2025 at 9:49 PM
📍 London, United Kingdom
“For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia.”
How Putin Got His Preferred U.S. Envoy: Come Alone, No CIA
The Kremlin fueled the rise of Trump’s friend Steve Witkoff with a prisoner release, sidelining career diplomats.
www.wsj.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:48 PM
“For three hours, Putin hosted Witkoff, who took notes as the president gave a lecture on the 1,000-year history of Russia.”
A wonderful tribute to Bill Burr — an absolute legend in our field — from Richard Immerman and @shafrhistorians.bsky.social.
In Memoriam: Bill Burr
mailchi.mp
December 14, 2025 at 3:48 PM
A wonderful tribute to Bill Burr — an absolute legend in our field — from Richard Immerman and @shafrhistorians.bsky.social.
Reposted by Susie Colbourn
Simon Miles has been named incoming director of the Duke Sanford Master of National Security Policy (MNSP) program. His five-year term will begin July 1, 2026.
A historian of strategy and diplomacy, Dr. Miles is an associate professor at the Sanford School.
Full announcement: duke.is/miles-mnsp
A historian of strategy and diplomacy, Dr. Miles is an associate professor at the Sanford School.
Full announcement: duke.is/miles-mnsp
December 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Simon Miles has been named incoming director of the Duke Sanford Master of National Security Policy (MNSP) program. His five-year term will begin July 1, 2026.
A historian of strategy and diplomacy, Dr. Miles is an associate professor at the Sanford School.
Full announcement: duke.is/miles-mnsp
A historian of strategy and diplomacy, Dr. Miles is an associate professor at the Sanford School.
Full announcement: duke.is/miles-mnsp
Luke Mergott still out here clutching the ball he intercepted in the post-game interview just to be sure Duke really beat Virginia.
December 7, 2025 at 5:08 AM
Luke Mergott still out here clutching the ball he intercepted in the post-game interview just to be sure Duke really beat Virginia.
Make that 2 of 2. Somehow.
One Duke win down today, another to go. Time to bring home that (extremely improbable) ACC championship.
December 7, 2025 at 5:05 AM
Make that 2 of 2. Somehow.
Embrace the chaos:
DUKE JUST WON THE ACC.
DUKE JUST WON THE ACC.
December 7, 2025 at 4:59 AM
Embrace the chaos:
DUKE JUST WON THE ACC.
DUKE JUST WON THE ACC.
Time for overtime in the ACC.
December 7, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Time for overtime in the ACC.
Duke is winning.
(This is football, not basketball.)
(This is football, not basketball.)
December 7, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Duke is winning.
(This is football, not basketball.)
(This is football, not basketball.)
Reposted by Susie Colbourn
The basic problem with the United States' call for Europe to lead on conventional forces while it takes care of nuclear deterrence.
It's not credible the US would fight a nuclear war over Europe if they aren't willing to contribute conventionally.
December 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The basic problem with the United States' call for Europe to lead on conventional forces while it takes care of nuclear deterrence.
One Duke win down today, another to go. Time to bring home that (extremely improbable) ACC championship.
December 6, 2025 at 7:25 PM
One Duke win down today, another to go. Time to bring home that (extremely improbable) ACC championship.
Applications are due on December 15 for the next AWC Young Scholars Conference on deterrence, diplomacy, and disarmament in the 21st century.
CALL FOR PAPERS: America's Nuclear Crossroads: Deterrence, Diplomacy, and Disarmament in the 21st Century - AWC
The America in the World Consortium invites Ph.D. students, early-career scholars, and early-career policy practitioners to submit paper proposals for a one-day conference on the multifaceted dimensio...
www.awconsortium.org
December 5, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Applications are due on December 15 for the next AWC Young Scholars Conference on deterrence, diplomacy, and disarmament in the 21st century.
Reposted by Susie Colbourn
How it started / How it's going
December 5, 2025 at 5:52 PM
How it started / How it's going
It is striking, though not surprising, how much the National Security Strategy is steeped in a narrative about how the United States has engaged in the world, based on a v. particular reading of the contemporary history of US foreign relations.
December 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM
It is striking, though not surprising, how much the National Security Strategy is steeped in a narrative about how the United States has engaged in the world, based on a v. particular reading of the contemporary history of US foreign relations.
In absolutely shocking news, it turns out that it’s difficult to have your cake and eat it too.
Top US official berates Europe over cutting American industry out of defense buildup
Washington is unhappy that some European arms programs limit U.S. participation.
www.politico.eu
December 5, 2025 at 1:08 PM
In absolutely shocking news, it turns out that it’s difficult to have your cake and eat it too.
That Duke win did a number on my nerves.
December 3, 2025 at 2:54 AM
That Duke win did a number on my nerves.
“The mission can be urgent and important — not every task in service of that mission is also urgent and important.
On top of that, “work won’t love us back” doesn’t mean we don’t love our work. It means we don’t love our work at the expense of everything else.” — @amandalitman.bsky.social
On top of that, “work won’t love us back” doesn’t mean we don’t love our work. It means we don’t love our work at the expense of everything else.” — @amandalitman.bsky.social
Work won't love you back
That doesn't mean you can't love your work! But know the limits of this love.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:45 PM
“The mission can be urgent and important — not every task in service of that mission is also urgent and important.
On top of that, “work won’t love us back” doesn’t mean we don’t love our work. It means we don’t love our work at the expense of everything else.” — @amandalitman.bsky.social
On top of that, “work won’t love us back” doesn’t mean we don’t love our work. It means we don’t love our work at the expense of everything else.” — @amandalitman.bsky.social
There's still a few days left to apply for a predoctoral or postdoctoral fellowship at one of the four schools in the America in the World Consortium.
Details:
Details:
AWC Pre- and Post- Doctoral Fellowships 2025-2026
The America in the World Consortium at Duke University, Johns Hopkins SAIS, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Florida seeks applications from current Ph.D. students for its Pred...
www.awconsortium.org
November 26, 2025 at 8:14 AM
There's still a few days left to apply for a predoctoral or postdoctoral fellowship at one of the four schools in the America in the World Consortium.
Details:
Details:
I love that the city of Prague not only painted the bridge next to the Russian Embassy blue and yellow, they’ve also renamed the road its on Street of Ukrainian Heroes and the neighboring square after Boris Nemtsov.
November 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I love that the city of Prague not only painted the bridge next to the Russian Embassy blue and yellow, they’ve also renamed the road its on Street of Ukrainian Heroes and the neighboring square after Boris Nemtsov.
📍 Prague, Czech Republic
November 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
📍 Prague, Czech Republic
In March, the America in the World Consortium will be hosting a one-day workshop for early-career scholars and practitioners on US nuclear policy in the 21st century.
Paper proposals due December 15.
www.awconsortium.org/about/call-f...
Paper proposals due December 15.
www.awconsortium.org/about/call-f...
CALL FOR PAPERS: America's Nuclear Crossroads: Deterrence, Diplomacy, and Disarmament in the 21st Century - AWC
The America in the World Consortium invites Ph.D. students, early-career scholars, and early-career policy practitioners to submit paper proposals for a one-day conference on the multifaceted dimensio...
www.awconsortium.org
November 21, 2025 at 5:08 PM
In March, the America in the World Consortium will be hosting a one-day workshop for early-career scholars and practitioners on US nuclear policy in the 21st century.
Paper proposals due December 15.
www.awconsortium.org/about/call-f...
Paper proposals due December 15.
www.awconsortium.org/about/call-f...
They don’t make gas stations like they used to.
November 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
They don’t make gas stations like they used to.
Texas seems to be missing a key thing: penalties are bad.
November 16, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Texas seems to be missing a key thing: penalties are bad.
Not a great week for Texas A&M all around, it seems.
November 15, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Not a great week for Texas A&M all around, it seems.