Christian Tripodi

Dr. Christian Tripodi is a Reader in Irregular Warfare at King's College London's Defence Studies Department, part of the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy. He also serves as Head of Graduate Studies for the Defence Studies Department and is an adjunct scholar at the Modern War Institute, West Point. He holds a PhD from King's College London's Department of War Studies.

His research focuses on irregular warfare, particularly the knowledge systems used by Western militaries in conflict zones and the unintended consequences of military interventions. Key areas include modern counterinsurgency strategies, Western interventions in Iraq/Afghanistan (2001-2014), influence operations, and historical cases of 19th-20th century irregular warfare.

Recent publications include The Unknown Enemy: Counterinsurgency and the Illusion of Control (2021, Cambridge University Press), analyzing military strategy failures. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary security challenges, emphasizing lessons from colonial and modern conflicts.

He has led projects such as The political officer and British tribal control on the Western Frontier of India 1877-1947, exploring colonial administrative strategies. Active in academic engagement, he participates in conferences like the Society for Military History and delivers keynotes on topics like tribal governance and counterinsurgency history.

Dr. Tripodi currently advises on security policy through platforms like Defence in Depth and the Modern War Institute. His affiliations include the Sir Michael Howard Centre for the History of War, which he contributes to through research and event organization.