Military History Podcast

The Iraq Study Group Report's Recommendations Sections gives a total of 79 recommendations for how the US should proceed in Iraq.  Diplomatically, the US should do more by launching the New Diplomatic Offensive accompanied by the creation of a Support Group (full of regional and world powers) in order to discuss and compromise on a variety of issues.  This support group should include Iran and Syria because, even though the White House has problems with their respective governments, both countries would benefit from negotiating since both countries put a lot of effort into Iraq.  Also, the US should threaten withdrawal whenever the Iraqi Government does not reach its benchmarks on time (these include the ratification of the Petroleum Law, the Militia Law, etc.).  Even if it does reach these benchmarks, though, the US should begin a gradual rollback of forces.  First, active combat forces should be moved into Iraqi Army Brigade protection roles, Iraqi Army training roles, and Iraqi Army support roles (Specia

The Iraq Study Group Report's Assessment section is an excellent summary of post-war Iraq.  Some topics addressed include the division of the country into Kurd, Shiite, and Sunni regions, the lack of unity in Parliament, the powerful hold that Muqtada Al-Sadr has on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the fierce fight over oil revenues, the lack of Iraq's own security force, and so on.  The Iraq Study Group is a bipartisan commission led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton.  This episode summarizes the assessment section of the Iraq Study Group Report.  The next episode will feature the Iraq Study Group's recommendations for how we should proceed. For more information, read: Iraq Study Group Report Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the International Research and Publishing Corporation

The United States Secret Service was originally founded (in 1865) as an anti-counterfeiting unit in the Treasury Department.  However, once President McKinley was assassinated, the Secret Service assumed presidential protection duties.  As of 2002, the Secret Service (Special Agents and the Uniformed Division) is part of the Department of Homeland Security.  They are also part of Marine One, Air Force One, and Cadillac One (all of which are described in this episode).  Throughout their history, the Secret Service has witnessed and/or foiled many assassination attempts including ones on: Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Ford, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush Jr.  For more information, read: http://www.secretservice.gov/ http://people.howstuffworks.com/air-force-one2.htm http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/article1135.html http://www.trumanlibrary.org/trivia/assassin.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4535911.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/georgia/story/0,,1487041,00.html The American Presidents by David Wh

Viktor Anatolyevich Bout is the world's most notorious arms dealer since the end of the Cold War.  His success lies in the fact that Russia had many arms depots and planes lying around after the end of the arms race.  Bout was able to take advantage of this and build an air empire which could carry arms to all sides at a moments notice in a reliable fashion.  Bout's clients include: the United States, the United Nations, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Taliban, Northern Alliance, Somalia, and so on.  Despite the INTERPOL warrant for his arrest, Viktor Bout is still conducting both legal and illegal operations because world leaders rely on him to do their dirty work for them.  For more information, read: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2006/11/09#segment68592 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=22995421&site=ehost-live Movie: Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and International Rese

Mao and the Chinese Communist Party's victory was both psychological and physical.  The psychological is a combination of power vacuum in rural China, the incompetency of the GMD, and the populist policies of Mao.  The majority of this episode is my opinion on why the final reason is the most important.  The physical relies on 3 major campaigns conducted by the Communists: Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin.  The final few minutes of this episode discuss this Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). For more information, read: Mao's China and After by Maurice Meisner Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler ABC Clio: Chinese Civil War Military History Podcast is sponsored by: Armchair General Magazine, International Research and Publishing Corporation, and Axis and Allies Reserves

Listen to "The Lion of the North" Gustavus Adolphus II the Great, the Lion of the North, was an innovator as the king of Sweden and the commander of its armies.  His innovations include the conscription system, the tribute system, the squadron-based organization system, the Swedish infantry weaponry, and the artillery regiment system.  All of these useful improvements were demonstrated during the Baltic Campaigns and during the Thirty Years War.  One example is the Battle of Breitenfield, in which he defeated a larger Holy Roman Empire Army, despite the fact that one of his allies fled during the battle.  He was killed a few years later in another one of his victories, the Battle of Lutzen.  The Lion of the North (the name was given to him by Protestants in Germany) is, without a doubt, the greatest commander in Swedish history and the greatest commander in the 1600s.  For more information, read: Military Anecdotes by Max Hastings Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler Extreme War by Terrence Poulos G

There have only been two medal of honor winners in Operation Iraqi Freedom thusfar (despite the Iraqi War having lasted just as long as US involvement in WWII, when there were 464 medals awarded).  They are the 3rd and 4th medals awarded since the Vietnam War. Paul Ray Smith (posthumous): Single-handedly fought off 100 enemy Iraqi Republican Guardsmen with an M2 Browning Machine Gun and essentially saved the lives of his 16 men and the 100 wounded in the nearby aid station near Saddam Hussein International Airport.Jason Dunham (posthumous): Saved the lives of his fireteam as he smothered a grenade with his head, sacrificing his life in order to stop the blast from reaching his companions.  He is the first marine to receive the medal since 1945. For more information, read: Paul Smith: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2005/Medal-of-Honor/ http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,SS_040505_Honor,00.html http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110008153 http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/paul

In the history of archery, the title for most important invention probably goes to the English Longbowmen (or the Mongolian Recurve Bow which you can learn more about in the "Mongolian Fighting Tactics" episode).  English Longbowmen brought about the end of the cavalry-dominated era and retained dominance over Europe for a period of around 300 years.  Specifically, they allowed the English to dominate the French at the battles of Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356), and Agincourt (1415).  Though the English eventually lost the Hundred Years War, the English Longbowmen still made their mark. For more information, read: http://www.student.utwente.nl/~sagi/artikel/longbow/longbow.htmlExtreme War by Terrence PoulosThe Dictionary of Battles by David ChandlerMilitary Anecdotes by Max Hastings Military History Podcast is sponsored by: Armchair General Magazine, International Research and Publishing Corporation, and Axis and Allies Reserves

Propaganda has been used in war since the beginning of war itself.  Alexander the Great used it, Genghis Khan used it, the Catholic Church used it, the American Founding Fathers used it, Joesph Goebbels of Nazi Germany used it, and the United States currently uses it. There are three types of propaganda: white, grey, and black. There are many techniques for propaganda, including: assertion, bandwagon, card stacking, glittering generalities, lesser of two evils, name calling, pinpointing the enemy, plain folks, testimonials, and transfers. For more information, read: World Book (1992): P Foreign Affairs (May/June 2006): Saddam’s Delusions http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/proptech.htm http://en.thinkexist.com/quotations/propaganda/ http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Propaganda Military History Magazine: June 2002 Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General and International Research and Publishing Corporation

The Naval Ages: Galleys, Sails, Steam, Missiles.  This episode focuses on the third naval age, the Naval Age of Steam. The Third Naval age began with ironclad battleships, also known as pre-dreadnoughts, which effectively used artillery guns, iron plating, and steam power.  The keynote war of this naval era is the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), specifically the Battles of Tsushima Strait and Port Arthur.  Once the HMS Dreadnought was created, the dreadnought battleship era of the Naval Age of Steam began.  This era would last until WWII.  The keynote battle of this era was the Battle of Jutland in WWI. The Third Naval Age ended in WWII as a result of the aircraft carrier, which replaced battleships as the principle ship of the fleet.  For more information, read: Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler World Civilizations: 9th Edition The Pacific War Companion by Daniel Marston Europe at War: A "Red Book" of the Greatest War of History Submarine by Drew Middleton Military History Podcast is sponsored b

Operation Enduring Freedom, specifically the 2001 war in Afghanistan, was the first step to President Bush's war on terror.  It is known as the greatest special forces war ever fought because of the US's heavy reliance on a few highly-trained operatives on the ground pinpointing targets for a high-tech force in the air.  The war was fought between the Coalition (consisting mostly of US forces)/Northern Alliance (Afghan rebels) and the Taliban (Afghan government)/Al Qaeda (led by Osama bin Laden).  The was was pretty much one-sided, with the Northern Alliance ground offensive easily sweeping through Kabul, the capital of the Taliban, and Kandahar, the military stronghold of the Taliban.  The one battle that the Coalition/Northern Alliance arguably lost was the Battle of Tora Bora, in which Osama bin Laden was cornered but somehow escaped. Now, it is the insurgency that is causing problems for the new government led by Hamid Karzai.  The war is seen as a "good war" by both sides of the political aisle. Fo

The Red Raiders of the 22nd Bombardment Group were involved in almost every single major action in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  Starting out as a medium bomber group (equipped with the B-25 Mitchell and the B-26 Liberator), the "silver fleet" turned into a heavy bomber ground once it was outfitted with the new B-24 Liberator heavy bomber.  The group's amazing five-year history is explained thoroughly in the book: Revenge of the Red Raiders (The Illustrated History of the 22nd Bombardment Group during WWII).  This illustrated encylopedia contains over 1000 pictures (w/detailed captions), 5 comprehensive appendices, and 624 pages of detailed (albeit thick) information.  The pros and cons of the book are discussed within the episode. Revenge of the Red Raiders can be purchased here Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and International Reserach and Publishing Corporation

This is the second part of a two part episode on military robotics:UAVs or Unmanned Aerial VehiclesRQ-2 Pioneer: Israeli/American recon UAVRQ-1 Predator: American high endurance recon UAV, armed with Hellfire missilesRQ-4 Global Hawk: American high altitude recon UAV USV or Unmanned Space VehiclesKey Hole Series: Visual Recon SatellitesMentor Satellite Series: Audio communications espionage deviceLacrosse Satellite Series: Visual Recon, can see through clouds and 10 feet of dirtGPS Satellite Series: Used by troops to pinpoint their locationsAnti-satellites: Armed with nuclear weapons, used to bring down other satellitesAnti-Anti-Satellites: Satellites armed with missiles to bring down anti-satellitesSDI Laser Satellites: Satellites that shoot down incoming missiles For more information, read:http://science.howstuffworks.com/military-robot.htmhttp://www.spawar.navy.mil/robots/How to Make War by James F. Dunniganhttp://www.npr.org/news/specials/obits/reagan/timeline.htmlMilitary History Podcast is sponsored b

Now that we are in the information age, armies everywhere have begun research on robotics, both surface ones and airborne ones.  This episode is about the surface ones. Robots are useful because they never get distracted, they never get tired, and they never get fearful.  Also, commanders don't have to worry about human loss when they are using robots.  Some of the more famous robots currently used include: MDARS: Autonomous, resembles R2D2 from Star Wars, patrols and secures DoD storage sitesTOV: Teleoperated, resembles a Humvee, used to identify enemy armor and designate air strikesTALON/SWORDS: Teleoperated, miniature tanks equipped with a variety of sensors and weaponsPackbot: Teleoperated, man-portable, durable and used to scout out the other side of a wallAUV: Autonomous, underwater, used to identify aquatic minefieldsSuper Scorpio: Teleoperated, underwater, used to recover lost naval equipment For more information, read: http://science.howstuffworks.com/military-robot.htm http://www.spawar.navy.mil/r

If you ask a historian why the study of history is important, he/she would probably respond with: "to not repeat the mistakes of the past".  This is true, history does help us improve from our mistakes.  However, we also must keep in mind that trivial events (i.e. accidents) do happen, and they do manage to alter the course of history significantly.  Therefore, this statement must be taken with a grain of salt.  For example, The powerful Persian Empire, and consequently Zoroastrianism, rose as a result of the one bodyguard peering on a Lydian king's wife naked. The legendary Roman Republic began as a result of one Roman woman getting raped by an Etruscan man.  The infamous Middle East conflict and the continued dispute over control of Jerusalem resulted from one Roman soldier accidentally dropping a torch on the Second Temple.  For more information, The Histories by Herodotus The Columbia History of the World The History of Rome by Livy War of the Jews by Josephus Military History Podcast is sponsored b

This episode begins with two victorious campaigns for Napoleon. The first was against the Russians and the Austrians (the Third Coalition), whom he defeated at the Battle of Austerlitz (which is considered his greatest tactical masterpiece). Then, he defeated the Prussians and Russians in the War of the Fourth Coalition at Friedland, Jena, and Eylau. However, this marked the beginning of the end for Napoleon because he four major cracks began to form within his empire: the failure of the Continental System against Britain, the prolonged guerilla uprising in Spain, the Austrian defense at the Battle of Wagram, and the failure of the long and harsh campaign into Russia.Once Napoleon was weak, the other nations formed a Sixth Coalition which finally defeated Napoleon at the Battle of the Nations. Napoleon lost much of his army and was forced to abdicate once Paris was lost. He was exiled to Elba but later came back and formed another army during the period known as the 100 days. The 100 days ended with the Battl

As First Consul, Napoleon set out for Italy and again defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo. Also, around this time, Napoleon became consul for life and soon after, he was crowned Emperor of France. However, as emperor, Napoleon still had problems, namely in Haiti (where a rebellion under Toussaint L'Overture had taken place). In addition to losing this war, Napoleon lost the key naval battle of Trafalgar to Lord Nelson of the British Royal Navy. This made it so that Britain would always remain a thorn in the side of Napoleon's Europe. For more information, read: Military History Magazine (February 2002): Napoleon’s Haitian Guerilla War Military History Magazine (August 1999): Final French Triumph in Egypt Military History Magazine (December 2005): Austerlitz Military History Magazine (October 2005): Nelson at Trafalgar Armchair General Magazine (July 2005) The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes by Max Hastings Extreme War by Terrence Poulos The Guinness Book of Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan Di

Napoleon's tactics and innovations (described in detail in this episode), allowed him to rule Europe for several years. This can be seen in his victorious Italian Campaign (against the First Coalition), as well as his victories in Egypt at the Pyramids and at Aboukir Peninsula. After these two great victories, Napoleon returned to France and participated in a coup which formed a consulate government with himself as the First Consul (the most powerful man in France). For more information, read: Military History Magazine (February 2002): Napoleon’s Haitian Guerilla War Military History Magazine (August 1999): Final French Triumph in Egypt Military History Magazine (December 2005): Austerlitz Military History Magazine (October 2005): Nelson at Trafalgar Armchair General Magazine (July 2005) The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes by Max Hastings Extreme War by Terrence Poulos The Guinness Book of Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler World Book (1992): Napoleon Military Histo

This episode features an overview of the French Revolution, followed by Napoleon's teenage years as a member of the Brienne Military College and the Ecole Militaire Elite School in France. After his school years, Napoleon became a captain but soon became a general after he reclaimed the French city of Toulon and saved the government from 30,000 armed insurrectionists. For more information, read: Military History Magazine (February 2002): Napoleon’s Haitian Guerilla War Military History Magazine (August 1999): Final French Triumph in Egypt Military History Magazine (December 2005): Austerlitz Military History Magazine (October 2005): Nelson at Trafalgar Armchair General Magazine (July 2005) The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes by Max Hastings Extreme War by Terrence Poulos The Guinness Book of Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler World Book (1992): Napoleon Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Six Day War of 1967 was fought between Israel and an Arab Coalition (including Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq).  Israel used the Egyptian blockade of the Straits of Tiron, the massing of Egyptian tanks against the Israeli border, the Syrian shelling of Galilee fishermen, and the Syrian plan to divert drinking water from Israel as reasons for launching their attack. Operation Focus was the Israeli air campaign, which easily wiped out the air forces of the entire Arab Coalition.  Following Operation Focus was a charge eastward into Jordan's West Bank.  The Israelis quickly captured the eastern part of the holy city of Jerusalem.  At the same time, the IDF charged southwards towards Egypt's Sinai peninsula and Gaza Strip.  The IDF, led by future prime minister Ariel Sharon, quickly dispatched the Egyptian army and conquered the entire Sinai region.  On the Syrian Front, the Israelis charged up the Syrian Golan Heights on Day 5 of the Six Day War and took them.  All four of these regions are still in dispu