The Secrets of Statecraft

Catherine Ostler joins Andrew Roberts to discuss her new book The Renoir Girls, which unravels the extraordinary true story behind Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s famous portraits of the Cahen d’Anvers sisters — a tale that stretches from the glittering salons of Belle Époque Paris and the fury of the Dreyfus Affair to Nazi-occupied France and Auschwitz concentration camp. Blending art, aristocracy, scandal, betrayal, and survival, Ostler reveals how one wealthy Jewish family became caught in the violent currents of French anti-Semitism, while the paintings themselves survived war, looting, and exile to become silent witnesses to one of Europe’s darkest centuries.

Daniel Hannan joins Secrets of Statecraft and starts with a major announcement: his appointment as the new director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the pioneering free-market think tank founded in 1955. Hannan reflects on the intellectual legacy of the IEA and argues that the case for free markets, once broadly accepted, must now be made all over again in an age drifting back toward statism. The conversation ranges widely—from the resurgence of protectionism and the erosion of economic literacy to the failures of modern political leadership, the legacy of Brexit, and the cultural forces shaping today’s electorate. Along the way, Hannan explores the deep roots of conservatism, the challenges of defending free trade in an intuitive protectionist world, and the urgent need to reintroduce fundamental economic truths to a new generation.

Christian Brose is the president and chief strategy officer at Anduril Industries (the American defense technology company that builds advanced military systems using artificial intelligence, robotics, and software-driven platforms). He’s also the author of The Kill Chain. In this interview, he argues that despite massive defense spending, the United States is dangerously unprepared for a prolonged, high-intensity war, having built a military optimized for short conflicts with expensive, hard-to-replace weapons rather than sustained attrition. He explains how decades of procurement choices, limited industrial capacity, and lack of competition have left munitions stockpiles thin, while emerging conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the growing importance of mass, low-cost, and autonomous systems. The conversation explores the need for a new “high-low mix” of capabilities, the transformative but still cautious role of AI in warfare, and the strategic challenge posed by China’s industrial model, ultimately concluding that the core issue is not just process but leadership—the willingness to rethink assumptions and rapidly adapt to the changing character of war.

Shay Khatiri returns to Secrets of Statecraft to examine the internal dynamics of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the current context of war, protest, and long-term political decay. Reflecting on his experience in the 2009 Green Movement and subsequent exile, Khatiri argues that the regime has evolved into a security state dominated by military interests, while losing both public trust and religious legitimacy. The discussion explores the prospects for regime change, the role of opposition figures, the risks of civil conflict, and the broader geopolitical implications—including Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. A detailed and sobering assessment of Iran’s present—and its uncertain future.

Andrew Roberts sits down with Oxford theologian and historian Nigel Biggar to explore the personal and intellectual firestorm surrounding his work on empire, colonialism, and reparations. Biggar recounts how his “Ethics and Empire” project triggered a coordinated campaign to shut it down, how a major publisher canceled his book at the last minute, and how it ultimately went on to become a bestseller. Along the way, he challenges what he calls the “tyranny of imaginary guilt” shaping modern debates about Britain’s past, questions the case for reparations, and reflects on the broader implications for academic freedom, free speech, and the politics of history in the West today.