Mystics & Statistics

First presentation on Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862 is tomorrow (Aug. 6) at 7:00 PM

The first of seven public presentations on the Battle of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862 is tomorrow night (Aug. 6) at 7:00 PM (EST) on Zoom. They will be on zoom on every other Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST starting 6 August. They are by Dr. James Slaughter and each presentation is around 45 minutes and then the floor will then be opened to questions and discussion. We will be recording the presentations and posting them to our YouTube channel.

The schedule is (with zoom links):

1. The Strategic and Political Situation in Late Summer 1862 – 6 August:
  
2. Lee’s Invasion, South Mountain, Harper’s Ferry, and McClellan’s Response – 20 August:
 
3. The Armies on September 16, 1862 – 3 September:
 
4. The Morning Battle September 17, 1862 – 17 September:
 
5. The Afternoon and Evening September 17, 1862 – 1 October:
 
6. The Aftermath September 18 to 20 1862 – 15 October:
 
The Fourth HAAC is 21-23 October and Dr. Slaughter will be conducting a tour of the battlefield on 24 October (see below).
 

 

Other upcoming presentations and meetings:

The Fourth HAAC, 21 – 23 October. See July’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. 

Battle of Antietam by Thure de Thulstrup, 1887. This shows the charge of the Iron Brigade near the Dunker Church on the morning of September 17, 1862.

Yahoo AI and order of battle for operations near Chernihiv in 2022

Well, having some more problems with AI. I was trying to confirm for once and for all whether any elements of the Russian 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade was near Chernihiv in first six weeks of the Russo-Ukrainian War? My suspicion is that it was not although some Wikipedia-type orders of battle put it there.

I did ask Yahoo AI and it said:

———

The 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade was indeed active near Chernihiv in 2022 during the early stages of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Operational Context

  • The brigade is part of the Russian Airborne Forces and was involved in operations aimed at capturing key Ukrainian cities.
  • Chernihiv, located in northern Ukraine, was a significant target due to its strategic location.

Military Engagement

  • Reports indicate that the brigade participated in assaults and faced resistance from Ukrainian forces.
  • The fighting around Chernihiv was intense, with Ukrainian defenders successfully repelling several attacks.

Current Status

  • As of late 2022, the situation in the region evolved, with ongoing military engagements and shifting front lines.

This information is based on various military analyses and reports from the conflict.


Unfortunately, it did not give the actual sources they used. I gather anything incorrectly entered into Wikipedia results in AI responses that could be in error. I went to their Yahoo Chat and they gave three sources: 1) Siege of Chernihiv | Military Wiki | Fandom, 2) 6 months of war: How Russia got derailed in Ukraine and 3) Russian Authorities Detain, Threaten Soldiers Refusing to Fight in Ukraine – The Moscow Times.

I am still not convinced that AI is operating above the level of a bright high school student.

 

Khrushchev Quote and AI

Nikita Khrushchev is one of more interesting people of the cold war era. I found a quote of his that I wanted to use in one of my books on the current Russo-Ukranian war. The quote is “The more bombers, the less room for doves of peace.”

Great quote, it is all over the internet, but none of the references actually said when and where it was said. I am jaded enough that I never use a quote that I cannot find the source for. I could not find a source of this one.

So, not being a complete dinosaur, I decided to use Yahoo.com little AI function (chat.yahoo.com). It ended up stating:

Nikita Khrushchev famously stated, “The more bombers, the less room for doves of peace,” during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 1959. This quote reflects his critique of the arms race and the paradox of military escalation during the Cold War, emphasizing that an increase in military power diminishes the space for peaceful resolutions and diplomacy 1.

If you have more questions about Khrushchev or related topics, feel free to ask! 😊

Sources:

 

Problem solved. AI gave me date and location. But, I checked the footnote and it did not say that. So then I checked speech that he gave there: On Peaceful Co-Existence: A Collection : Хрущев, Никита Сергеевич, 1894-1971 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

On page 100 is the complete transcript of the speech he gave at the UN on September 18, 1959. It has one reference to bombers, no references to doves. It clearly was not stated in this speech.

Now, it does appear that the Yahoo AI just made up an answer. A convincing invention, and one that could have caught me out if I did not diligently crosschecked.

So, I went and searched the newspapers.com file. The Tampa Tribune in 1995 gave me the attribution “Nikita Khrushchev, speech on Moscow radio, March 14, 1958.  Aug 06, 1995, page 8 – The Tampa Tribune at Newspapers.com.

Oddly enough that was the only two papers in the newspapers.com database that repeated this quote. The Tucson Citizen in 2002 also used the quote, attributing it to “Nikita S. Khruschev, Soviet premier, 1958”.  Dec 28, 2002, page 19 – Tucson Citizen at Newspapers.com. So at least they agree on the year, even if they spell his name differently. 

Should I stop looking? I would like to find the original source or an earlier source for this quote. Not sure where to look next.

 

P.S. Just to note, Khrushchev was

1938-1947: First Secretary, Kiev City Committee

1938-1947: First Secretary, Kiev Regional Committee

1944-1947: Chairman, Ukrainian Council of Ministers

And in 1954 he was the person who transferred Sevastopol and Crimea to Ukraine. 

He, as always, has a very checkered history. This is well illustrated by his grave, done at his family’s request by a sculptor he had suppressed: Ernst Neizvestny – Wikipedia.

July’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025

The Fourth HAAC is scheduled for 21-23 October 2025. We currently have 46 presentations scheduled (and 2 group discussions). We are, of course, looking for more quality presentations. The current schedule is:

Schedule: Pike & Gallows Conference Center
Revised 6 August 2025

Day 1: Analysis of Conventional Combat

0900 – 0930 Introductory remarks – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

0930 – 1030 Studying Combat: The “Base of Sand” Problem – Dr. Shawn R. Woodford

1030 – 1130   Slouching Towards Wabash: The Withering of Historical Analysis in the American Profession of Arms – Ivan Torres (Jomini of the West, Major, U.S. Army, ret.)

1130 – 1230   History’s Lessons on Technological Surprise in War – Dr. Alexander Kott 

1230 – 1400 Lunch

1400 – 1500   The History of TND’s models and theories – Dr. Shawn R. Woodford

1500 – 1600   Temporal and Geographic Patterns of Fatal Casualty Rates in WWI and WWII – Sasho Todorov, esquire

1600 – 1700   Ground Combat Database (GCD) – Dr. Ben Connable (Battle Research Group)

1700 – 1800   Difficulties in Measuring Morale and Effectiveness – Dr. Dermot Rooney (Wapentakes) – virtual

Evening (1900): Group Dinner – Rangos

Day 2: Analysis of Unconventional Warfare

0900 – 1000    Iraq, Data, Hypotheses and Afghanistan (old) – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

1000 – 1100    Reserved for Dr. David Cuberes

1100 – 1200    The Truth About Little Big Horn Finally Comes Out – Dr. Robert Helmbold

1200 – 1300   Lunch

1300 – 1400   1916 Easter Rising – Robert A. Mosher

1400 – 1500   Terrorism and Afghanistan – Dr. Christopher Davis

1500 – 1600   Have We Figured Out How to Defeat IEDs? – Matt Matters (Col., USA, ret)

1600 – 1700   Group Discussion: The Next Middle East Wars

1700 – 1800   Price of Paradise – Dr. Iain Overton (AOAV) – virtual

Evening (1900): Group Dinner – BJs

Day 3: Other Analysis of Warfare

0900 – 1000   Summoning the specter of “Beweglichkeit”: A critical analysis of the U.S. Army’s new FM 3-0 Operations and observed Ukrainian battlefield trends – Ivan Torres (Jomini of the West, Major, U.S. Army, ret.)

1000 – 1100    open

1100 – 1200   Results from the Taiwan Analytical Efforts – Alexandru Filips

1200 – 1300 Lunch

1300 – 1400   The Hermann Goeing Division in North Africa, Sicily and Salerno 1942-1943 and Measuring Combat Effectiveness – Dr. James Slaughter

1400 – 1500   Syrskyi’s Gambit: A Critical Analysis of Ukraine’s Kursk Offensive – Ivan Torres (Jomini of the West, Major, U.S. Army, ret.)

1500 – 1600   Battle of Irpin River – Dr. Ben Connable (Battle Research Group)

1600 – 1700   Group Discussion: Russo-Ukrainian War

1700 – 1715    Closing Remarks

1715 – 1800    Revitalization of TDI – Joe Follansbee (Col., USA, ret.) 

Evening: Happy hour – Rangos

 

Schedule: Einstein Conference Room

Day 1: Naval Warfare Analysis

0930 – 1030   Naval Theory and War Causation – Alexandru Filip

1030 – 1130  Modeling ATC Amphibious Landings on Taiwan – Dr. Julian Spencer-Churchill

1130 – 1230   Modeling the Invasion of Taiwan – Chip Sayers

1230-1400   Lunch

1400 – 1500    A Review of the CSIS gaming effort – Walker Gargagliano

1500 – 1600   Taipei Has Fallen!: Wargaming the Invasion of Taiwan – Clinton Rielly – virtual

1600 – 1700 Floating Fortresses: American Carriers Invulnerability to Battle Damage – Walker Gargagliano

1700 – 1800 Temporal and Geographic Patterns of Fatal Casualty Rates in WWI and WWII (part 2 or overflow presentation) – Sasho Todorov, esquire

Day 2: Analysis of Conventional Combat

0900 – 1000   The Manoeuvre Warfare Fraud – William F. Owen – virtual?

1000 – 1100    Salvation Only in Arms: A Critical Historical Analysis of Operational Maneuver during the 1814 Campaign in France – Ivan Torres (Jomini of the West, Major, U.S. Army, ret.)

1100 – 1200   Reserved – Dr. Dermot Rooney (Wapentakes) – virtual

1200 – 1300 Lunch

1300 – 1400   Quantifying Mahan’s Hypotheses – Dr. Julian Spencer Churchill

1400 – 1500   Twenty-First Century and Great Power Competition – Matt Matters (Col., USA, ret).

1500 – 1600   Systems Analysis and Strategy – Alexandru Filip

1600 – 1700   The New Science of Evidence and Causality – Dr. Douglas Samuelson

1700 – 1800   Close Combat Overmatch Weapons (SLAMMER) – Joe Follansbee (Col., USA, ret.)

Day 2: Combat Modeling and Air Warfare Analysis

0900 – 1000   Livermore, Dupuy, and the Campaign of 1864 – John E. Horn

1000 – 1100   A demonstration of a Spreadsheet version of the TNDM – Chip Sayers

1100 – 1200   open 

1200 – 1300   Lunch

1300 – 1400   open

1400 – 1500   Aces at Kursk – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

1500 – 1600   Analysis of the P-38 and P-51 over Germany 1943-45 – Chip Sayers 

1600 – 1700  Analysis of Aerial Warfare in the Arab-Israeli Wars, 1973-1982 – Geoffrey Clark 

Day 3: Other Analysis of Warfare

0900 – 1000   Isserson: The Architect of Victory – Dr. Richard Harrison

1000 – 1100   Audacity versus Friction: Evaluating Operational Autism in Operation Barbarossa. – Dr. Robert Kirchubel and Dr. Sorin Adam Matei (Purdue)

1100 – 1200   Reserved for Dr. James Slaughter

1200 – 1300   Lunch

1300 – 1400   The Red Army’s Plans for a Preemptive Attack in 1941 – Dr. Richard Harrison

1400 – 1500   New Advances in Digital Military Cartography – Gavin Ho, Joseph Hupy, Sorin Adam Matei and Robert Kirchubel.

1500 – 1600   Arctic Defense Concerns – Alexandru Filip

1600 – 1700   open 

 

Reserve presentations:

Measuring the Value of Situational Awareness – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

Urban Warfare – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

Measuring Human Factors – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

Breakpoints – Christopher A. Lawrence (TDI)

 

 

Friday, October 11: Tour of a Civil War Battlefield – Antietam: bloodiest day of the U.S. Civil War (and in the Western Hemisphere?). – we will arrange transport there and back ($20 charge for tour).

See this link below for costs ($150), address, conference description, hotels, and call for presentations: The Fourth HAAC is scheduled for 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute

Last year’s schedule is here:  October’s Revised Schedule for the Third Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 8 – 10 October 2024 – The Dupuy Institute

All Four Presentations on the Tank Battles of the France 1940 Campaign are now on YouTube

All four presentations by Dr. James Slaughter on the tank battles in the France 1940 Campaign are on YouTube.

They are here:  Tank Battles in France 1940: WWI and the Interwar Years 

Here: Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 2): 1 September 1939 to Sedan.

Here: Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 3): Hannut and Arras 1940: A Conflict of Concepts

and here: Tank Battles in France (part 4): Dunkirk to Surrender

 

Other upcoming presentations and meetings:

Seven presentations on Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862 starting 6 August: Seven Presentations on Antietam and the Maryland Campaign Scheduled – The Dupuy Institute

The Fourth HAAC, 21 – 23 October. See June’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. 

Seven Presentations on Antietam and the Maryland Campaign Scheduled

We are scheduling seven public presentations on the Battle of Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862. They are presentations by Dr. James Slaughter and will be on zoom on every other Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST starting 6 August (there is no presentation this Wednesday, 23 July). Each presentation is around 45 minutes and then the floor will then be opened to questions and discussion. We will be recording the presentations and posting them to our YouTube channel.

The schedule is (with zoom links):

1. The Strategic and Political Situation in Late Summer 1862 – 6 August:
  
2. Lee’s Invasion, South Mountain, Harper’s Ferry, and McClellan’s Response – 20 August:
 
3. The Armies on September 16, 1862 – 3 September:
 
4. The Morning Battle September 17, 1862 – 17 September:
 
5. The Afternoon and Evening September 17, 1862 – 1 October:
 
6. The Aftermath September 18 to 20 1862 – 15 October:
 
The Fourth HAAC is 21-23 October and Dr. Slaughter will be conducting a tour of the battlefield on 24 October (see below).
 

 

Other upcoming presentations and meetings:

The Fourth HAAC, 21 – 23 October. See June’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. 

Fourth Presentation on Armor Battles in the France 1940 Campaign is this Wednesday, 9 July

The fourth and final presentation on the armor battles in the France 1940 campaign is this Wednesday, 9 July at 7:00 PM. This Zoom link is here: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81190425614?pwd=3BW63IfxFmOb6n2amggweRGCkhuG7a.1

These four presentations are conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. We did record his first three presentations and posted them to our YouTube channel. The links is here: Tank Battles in France 1940: WWI and the Interwar Years and Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 2): 1 September 1939 to Sedan and Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 3): Hannut and Arras 1940: A Conflict of Concepts.

The format is 30-45 minutes of presentation followed by questions and discussion. We are recording these presentations (I usually don’t record our community meetings).

 

Upcoming presentations and meetings:

1. Antietam 1862, a presentation by Dr. James Slaughter, 23 July, Wednesday, 7 PM. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85687632247?pwd=pf8a9lZ1DNkrK9qrxmTOgkdOHk0lOU.1

2. The Fourth HAAC, 21 – 23 October. See June’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. 

 

Third France 1940 presentation now on YouTube

The first three presentations by Dr. James Slaughter on armor battles in the France 1940 campaign are on YouTube.

They are here:  Tank Battles in France 1940: WWI and the Interwar Years 

Here: Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 2): 1 September 1939 to Sedan.

And here: Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 3): Hannut and Arras 1940: A Conflict of Concepts

Fourth and final presentation is schedule of 9 July, 7:00 PM EST. They are open invitation via Zoom. The format is 30-45 minutes of presentation followed by questions and discussion. We are recording these presentations.

Remaining presentations:

Armor Battle France 1940 – 4: 9 July, Wednesday, 7:00 PM EST: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81190425614?pwd=3BW63IfxFmOb6n2amggweRGCkhuG7a.1
 
Antietam 1862, a presentation by Dr. James Slaughter, 23 July, Wednesday, 7 PM. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85687632247?pwd=pf8a9lZ1DNkrK9qrxmTOgkdOHk0lOU.1

 

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the Fourth HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. See June’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

Third Presentation on Armor Battles in the France 1940 Campaign is this Wednesday, 25 June

The third of four presentations of the armor battles in the France 1940 campaign in this Wednesday, 25 June at 7:00 PM. This Zoom link is here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88966838721?pwd=dtOO0Nwj5yqtATPZc8mKV5b3C36Vp7.1

 

They are all conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. We did record his first two presentations. The links is here: Tank Battles in France 1940: WWI and the Interwar Years and Tank Battles in France 1940 (part 2): 1 September 1939 to Sedan.

The follow-up presentation will be two weeks later. They are open invitation via Zoom. The format is 30-45 minutes of presentation followed by questions and discussion. We are recording these presentations (I usually don’t record our community meetings).

 

Future scheduled meetings and their zoom links are:

Armor Battle France 1940 – 4: 9 July, Wednesday, 7:00 PM EST: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81190425614?pwd=3BW63IfxFmOb6n2amggweRGCkhuG7a.1
 
Antietam 1862, a presentation by Dr. James Slaughter, 23 July, Wednesday, 7 PM. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85687632247?pwd=pf8a9lZ1DNkrK9qrxmTOgkdOHk0lOU.1

 

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. See June’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.

Second Presentation on Armor Battles in the France 1940 Campaign is this Wednesday, 11 June

The second of three presentations of the armor battles in the France 1940 campaign in this Wednesday, 11 June at 7:00 PM. This Zoom link is here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83671891297?pwd=vzmJZHEZqfYBAXb0xBZukM72hyN5DA.1

They are all conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. The first one was a month ago. We did record it. The link is here: Tank Battles in France 1940: WWI and the Interwar Years. 

The next presentation, covering the fighting in May 1940 is on Wednesday, 11 June, at 7:00 PM EST. The follow-up presentation will be two weeks later. They are open invitation via Zoom. The format is 30-45 minutes of presentation followed by questions and discussion. We are recording these presentations (I usually don’t record our community meetings).

The schedule and zoom links are:

Armor Battles France 1940 – 2: 11 June, Wednesday, 7:00 PM EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83671891297?pwd=vzmJZHEZqfYBAXb0xBZukM72hyN5DA.1

Armor Battles France 1940 – 3: 25 June, Wednesday, 7:00 PM EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88966838721?pwd=dtOO0Nwj5yqtATPZc8mKV5b3C36Vp7.1

Antietam 1862: 9 July, Wednesday, 7:00 PM EST

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85687632247?pwd=pf8a9lZ1DNkrK9qrxmTOgkdOHk0lOU.1

 

We do offer a guided tour of the Antietam battlefield at the end of the HAAC conference on Friday October 24. It will also be conducted by Dr. James Slaughter. See April’s Schedule for the Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) 21 – 23 October 2025 – The Dupuy Institute and Fourth Historical Analysis Annual Conference (HAAC) Tickets, Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite.