History of the Second World War

Latest Episodes:

Interview 50: Defenders of the Reich with Robert Forsyth Nov 16, 2025

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This time I was joined by Robert Forsyth to discuss his new book Defenders of the Reich: The Luftwaffe's War Against America's Bombers which you can purchase from Osprey publishing here: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/defenders-of-the-reich-9781472862860/

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239: North Africa 1940 Pt. 3 - Italy Attacks Nov 12, 2025

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The first shots have been fired in the desert war! This episode covers the opening moves of the North African campaign in 1940. From small-scale raids and skirmishes to the first major Italian offensive, we'll see how both sides tested each other's strengths and weaknesses. While the Italians pushed into Egypt, their advance was hampered by logistical problems and a determined, if small, British resistance. The stage is set for a dramatic confrontation in the desert.

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Interview 49: Rhineland: Hitlers Last Defence 1944-45 with Anthony Tucker-Jones Nov 09, 2025

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This time I was joined by Anthony Tucker-Jones to discuss his new book Rhineland: Hitlers Last Defence 1944-45 which covers the Allied efforts in late 1944 and early 1945 to move their forces into western Germany.

Buy the Book: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/rhineland-9781472859921/

Used code WorldWar20 to get 20% off and Free Shipping!

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238: North Africa 1940 Pt. 2 - The Key to Empire Nov 05, 2025

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While the Italians were preparing for war, what were the British doing? This episode dives into the British perspective on the North African campaign in 1940. We'll explore the strategic importance of the Suez Canal, the desperate attempts to keep Italy out of the war, and the state of the British army in Egypt. Led by the often-underestimated General Wavell, the British were about to embark on a campaign that would defy all expectations.

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Interview 48: Flying with the 384th Bomb Group with Hans Smith Nov 02, 2025

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In this interview I was joined by Hans Smith to talk about his book Bombs Away: A B-17b Pilot's 'Small' Part in a Big War which covers the experiences of his Great Uncle Herbert Small who flew with the 384th Bomb Group during the war.

Bombs Away can be purchased here: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=mP2MsCJWp54htljFc6ecBoyyXdmJ2aZaV9857QcJ7WN

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237: North Africa 1940 Pt. 1 - Italian Aspirations Oct 29, 2025

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In the summer of 1940, with the fall of France, the war in North Africa began in earnest. On one side, the Italian army in Libya, massive in number but beset by industrial and logistical problems. On the other, a small British force in Egypt, tasked with defending the Suez Canal. This episode explores the Italian war effort in the opening months of the North African campaign, from the strategic decisions made in Rome to the realities of the desert war. Was the Italian army a paper tiger, or a force to be reckoned with?

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Interview 47: Advance Britannia with Dr. Alan Allport Oct 26, 2025

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This time I was joined by Dr. Alan Allport to discuss his new book: Advance Britannia: The Epic Story of the Second World War, 1942-1945

You can order the book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/548833/advance-britannia-by-alan-allport/

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Summary 7: The Spanish Civil War Oct 22, 2025

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This summary episode explores the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the devastating conflict that served as a bloody rehearsal for World War II where competing political ideologies clashed with deadly consequences. Born from the collapse of Spain's military dictatorship and the struggle of the Second Spanish Republic against economic depression and social upheaval, the war erupted when General Francisco Franco launched a military coup from Spanish Morocco in July 1936. What followed was a brutal three-year conflict that split Spain between Franco's Nationalists—backed by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany—and the Republican Popular Front, a fractured coalition of republicans, communists, and anarchists supported by the Soviet Union and international volunteers in the famous International Brigades. The episode traces key battles from the siege of Madrid to the terror bombing of Guernica, while examining how internal divisions among the Republicans, particularly the violent May 1937 clashes between communists and anarchists in Barcelona, fatally weakened their cause. Ultimately, Franco's victory came at the cost of 350,000 lives and left Spain devastated, leading to decades of dictatorship while providing the major European powers with military experience and technology testing that would shape the coming world war—though each nation would learn selective lessons that suited their existing beliefs rather than the full reality of modern warfare.

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Interview 46: Into the Reich with Prit Buttar Oct 19, 2025

Show notes

Prit Buttar joins the podcast for the second time to discuss his recently released book for Osprey Publishing titled Into the Reich: The Red Army's Advance to the Oder in 1945.

You can find out more about the book, and purchase your own copy here: https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/into-the-reich-9781472866998/

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Summary 6: The Rise of Mussolini Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

This summary episode revisits the rise of Italian fascism and Benito Mussolini's path to power during the tumultuous early 1920s. Born from Italy's sense of betrayal after World War I—when promised territorial gains in the Mediterranean never materialized—the fascist movement gained momentum as a bulwark against the growing Communist threat. Led by military veterans discharged into a war-ravaged economy, fascist squads found support among industrialists and political elites who saw them as the only force capable of matching Communist passion and violence. Mussolini's dramatic March on Rome in October 1922 proved to be a strategic masterstroke that, despite being poorly organized, succeeded when King Victor Emmanuel III chose not to declare martial law, instead appointing Mussolini as Prime Minister of Europe's first fascist government. What followed was a gradual consolidation of power, marked by the rigged 1924 elections under the Acerbo Law and the pivotal Matteotti murder, after which Mussolini fully embraced fascist violence and began reshaping Italian society. The episode traces how Mussolini's expansionist ambitions led to costly adventures in Ethiopia and the Spanish Civil War, ultimately leaving Italy militarily weakened and economically strained just as it prepared to enter World War II as Germany's junior partner—setting the stage for an even greater disaster than the first world war.

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