Category: Uncategorized
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3605 – The Battle of the Granicus
“In the Spring of 334 BC, the 22-year-old Macedonian king, Alexander III (r. 336–323 BC – not yet ‘the Great’), invaded the vast Achaemenid Persian Empire with an elite but small army of some 30-40,000 veteran infantry and only 5,000 cavalry. This invasion was the culmination of almost a century of pressure for some Greek…
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Leningrad 1943–44
During the Second World War, the people of Leningrad endured a brutal 900-day siege, facing relentless bombing, shelling, and starvation. In early 1943, the Red Army broke through the blockade, marking a crucial turning point. Despite setbacks, the Soviet forces and civilians held firm, and by late 1943, the Germans, weakened by harsh conditions, began…
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The Battle of Midway
In April 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet was at the height of its power, having delivered a crushing blow to the US Navy at Pearl Harbor just months earlier. This fleet spearheaded Japan’s aggressive expansion through Southeast Asia and unleashed havoc across the South Pacific. However, the tides of war were soon to…
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3603 – Italian Invasion of British Somaliland
“The Italian invasion of British Somaliland is an often-overlooked action of the Second World War. Although small and a backwater of the British empire, the region would see several significant firsts of the Second World War. The loss of the colony in mid-1940 was the first significant loss of British colonial territory during the war.…
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3602 – Heroics of the Second Anglo-Afghan War
‘Among the many brave acts of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (November 1878-September 1880), sixteen were awarded the Victoria Cross. Among this relatively small collection of awards, however, are several remarkable circumstances. The war saw the last Victoria Cross awarded to a civilian and the same award was the first to a clergyman (Reverend James Adams).…
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From the Soviet Gulag to Arnhem
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, it wasn’t the Germans who first uprooted Stanislaw Kulik and his family—it was the Russians. Deported to a Siberian Gulag, Stanislaw’s fate took a dramatic turn in 1941 when the Germans launched their invasion of the Soviet Union. Suddenly, the Russians released their Polish captives, and Stanislaw embarked on…
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Tank Warfare in Burma
When we think of the fighting in the Far East between Britain, her allies, and the Japanese, we often picture thick jungles, impossibly steep hills, and dense terrain. This has led to the common perception of it being an infantryman’s war. However, armour played a crucial and often overlooked role in this theatre of war.…
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Truman and the Decision to Drop the Bomb
It was only as Harry S. Truman was sworn in as the 33rd president of the United States that he was told of the Manhattan Project. In this episode, we embark on a journey through one of the most controversial and consequential decisions in modern history: Truman’s choice to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and…
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AW317 – Gladiator II
In this episode, the team turn their attention to the silver screen with a look at the newly released trailer for “Gladiator II.” Join them as they explore this long-awaited sequel’s historical inspirations, artistic choices, and potential accuracies and liberties.
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Hearts of Steel: One sailor’s Journey with the Royal Navy
In this episode of the WW2 podcast, we’ll explore the Royal Navy from 1918 to the end of the Second World War and one man’s career. Not an officer, but a regular sailor: Herbert Leeder, who chalk up 27 years of service. Following the career of one sailor is an interesting way to view the…