Stay ConnectedWDF examines how wars broke out, how they were concluded, and their consequences. Expect juicy diplomacy, sneaky intrigue, fascinating characters, and incredible drama. By Dr Zack Twamley, qualified history nerd.
Current Series: The July Crisis
Patreon Series: The Age of Bismarck
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After an interesting prelude, we are finally ready to tackle the main event of our series - the Suez Crisis. In this introductory episode, we explain what's in store, who to prepare for, what we're wary of and exactly why you should be excited for part 2 of this eventful series. Remember, the first two episodes will be out for FREE in line with getting everyone in the mood, but be sure to head over to our Patreon page to access all 20 of these episodes in full. For only a fiver a month, all of this and more could be yours.
For those interested, make sure and track down the 1956 bibliography from the section of our website.
Thankssss history friends, and stay tuned!
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The fire by rank tactic used by Europeans in the 18th and 19th centuries had surprising beginnings, as we learn in this episode. While key military thinkers like Maurice of Nassau in the Netherlands played a pivotal role in changing how infantry were viewed and used on the battlefield, it is highly likely that he acquired inspiration for these ideas not just from Europe’s Ancient past, but also from Asian innovations many thousands of miles away.
The adoption of the musket on a wide scale and its incorporation into the infantry-based armies of the 1500s was a process made into legend by the Spanish, who achieved their supremacy on the continent with the tercio formations – pikemen squares surrounded by musketmen, with a secure centre and the capacity to meet any challenge, be it man or beast, on the field.
This tercio formation granted the Spanish stunning victories, from Pavia in 1525, all the way up to Nordlingen in 1634. Yet, as a tactic, it was gradually dying, to be replaced by Maurice of Nassau’s innovations in the fire by rank approach. In this tactic, men would line up as a group of musketmen several ranks deep. The front rank would discharge their weapons and march to the back of their unit to reload, with the second rank following suit, and so on. In this way, a constant volley of fire would be poured into the enemy – in this case the vaunted Spanish tercio formations, with devastating results.
This tactic harnessed the potential for superior firepower which the musket could boast, and it ensured that further innovations were possible. In this episode we trace the development of this idea from its unlikely beginnings, and in the next episode, we will see it in action for the first time. Make sure you join us for this fascinating look at European warfare in the 17th century history friends! Thanksss!
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Episode 34: Building Inchon examines the extensive diplomatic and political preparation which the Truman administration engaged with in the weeks before MacArthur’s landing at Inchon on 15th September 1950. Truman was forced to deal with several issues, including the independently minded actions of some of his own personnel, like the Secretary of Defence, who would be forced to resign. We see a new policy report NSC 81 come to the fore, even while it didn’t promise a whole lot it still managed to please the British and French, which was its primary goal.
Meanwhile, Mao and Stalin’s cynical approach to Kim Il-sung’s precarious position became clear as August became September. As Stalin’s support of North Korea slackened, the Soviet leader became focused instead with building towards his political strategy and end goal of bringing China into conflict with the West. Mao on the other hand was determined to wait until the landings at Inchon took place, landings which he almost certainly expected, so that it would be easier to swoop into North Korea and re-orientate the loyalties of that state in its moment of desperation.
Thus the Americans were allowed to plan for their famed amphibious landing in peace, and General MacArthur moved forward with his finest hour unaware that he was as much of a pawn in the wider game as Kim Il-sung had been. It was up to MacArthur now to turn the tide and open the next phase of this conflict, and the General proved more than up to the task.
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Music used
“You’re a Grand Old Rag” by Billy Murray in 1906. Available: https://archive.org/details/GrandOldRag-BillyMurray9256
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Episode 33: Chinese Chequers continues where we left off last time, as the implications of the American approach to Korea and Taiwan are heavily felt in Beijing. Mao now had reason to believe that the war could be turned to his advantage, and that a Chinese orientated Korean satellite on the sensitive border region was worth fighting for. It would also demonstrate the Chinese strength, and give Mao a chance to pose as a defender of communism, which was important for his reputation and self-image both at home and abroad.
First, we examine a different but revealing new development in the United Nations, as India takes the lead in proposing a ceasefire arrangement. Predictably, this proposal failed, but it anticipated India’s later activism in the name of a Korean peace deal, and to some American figures, Chinese willingness to discuss the measure signified that communism was not universal in its foreign policy. Far from following the same policy, China and the Soviets would pursue their own interests, and in early July Mao, unlike Stalin, was still willing to talk about peace, especially if such a deal enabled Chinese Communist representatives to sit in the UN General Assembly for the first time.
In the meantime, Mao prepared for the worst, but it wasn’t until mid-August that the American intention to unify the peninsula was announced. This carefully timed announcement, coming as it did when the allied perimeter at Pusan was judged secure, forced Mao to dispense with peace talks and compelled him to advance his plans for an invasion of the North in support of Kim Il-sung. Now that the American-led UN coalition would be seeking the expulsion of Kim’s regime, Mao knew he could not allow the allies to succeed, for it would be disastrous to Chinese security and prestige. At the same time though, the Truman administration continued to send Mao mixed signals, as the countdown towards the Inchon landings began.
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Music used:
“Go To Work You Jerk”, by Benny Bell released in 1948, available: https://archive.org/details/BennyBell
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Episode 32: Chinese Whispers follows on from Truman’s speech requesting those yummy defence budget increases, by rolling our coverage back to the immediate aftermath of the American intentions to intervene which were announced on 26th June 1950. For Mao Zedong, our main focus for the next two episodes, the really aggravating aspect of Washington’s policy wasn’t that the Yanks were suddenly supporting Seoul with more enthusiasm – it was instead the fact that America now identified Taiwan as being part of this policy of support. They moved their fleet in between the Taiwan Straits, it was said, to prevent Chiang Kai-shek from intervening and breaking open the limited war, but Mao read between the lines, and believed that the act was done to interfere and jeopardise Chinese Communist interests, rather than protect the fragile Asian peace.
Here we examine the Chinese leader’s fears and plans during the first half of 1950 and then his responses to the numerous challenges to the Chinese position immediately after the outbreak of the war. We question what the Chinese planned to do in Korea, how they viewed the conflict and what Beijing expected the US to do. We also see how transparent the allied plans for Korea were, and how MacArthur’s supposedly top secret brainchild was so well-known, even the Times was hinting at an Inchon landing to turn the tables against Pyongyang. Under such circumstances, and in light of what we’ve learned in the last few episodes, Mao’s attitude towards Korea suffered a series of shocks, and before long Stalin was requesting that the Chinese intervene in force to aid the Northern invasion which he had helped to sabotage.
This episode collects together several threads then, and sees the Americans resume their more belligerent policy towards the Chinese after some weeks of appeasement; in early August, MacArthur appeared on Taiwan and began to converse with Mao’s mortal enemy Chiang Kai-shek. The message was clear – the US was not a friend of Beijing, and the US knew how to hurt the Chinese. Mao began to prepare for intervention, and in the process walked right into the trap so carefully laid by both the Soviets and Americans.
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Music used:
“Mama Goes Where Papa Goes”, by Isabelle Patricola, released in 1923, available: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Isabelle_Patricola/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_04072015/Mama_Goes_Where_Papa_Goes_-_Isabelle_Patricola
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Episode 31: Laying Down The Gauntlet looks at the other side of the coin and how the Americans reacted to the developing war in the late summer of 1950. MacArthur attempted to follow War Plan SL-17, which stipulated that a landing at Inchon should take place in response to a Northern surge down the peninsula, but problems existed in this plan, and MacArthur faced a conundrum throughout July 1950 as he tried to adapt to the curious nature of the communist advance. Pusan, it was clear, would be the holding action, and the test of allied mettle before reinforcements arrived.
What was also clear in the Truman administration was that the time was right to present its first of many appeals to the public and to Congress. The policy aim of NSC 68 and the requirements within the defence budget necessitated that the President acted fast and did not hesitate to request, in consideration of the urgent state of affairs in Korea, some emergency funding increases. In addition, the apparently contradictory policy of appeasement towards the Chinese was adopted.
This, as we’ll see, was pursued only because of the momentary vulnerability of the defenders at Pusan – if the Chinese intervened now, in late July-early August, all would surely be lost. Far better it would be to see the Chinese involve themselves AFTER the reinforcements had arrived and triumphs had been achieved. This, indeed, was the outcome eventually reaches. Little did Mao Zedong know, while he cautiously welcomed the allied approaches and watched the conflict unfold on the peninsula somewhat nervously, that all was proceeding according to the plans of everyone but his own.
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Music used:
“While They Were Dancing Around”, by Eddie Morton released in 1914. Available: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Eddie_Morton/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_04282015/While_They_Were_Dancing_Around_-_Eddie_Morton
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We return with part 6 of our series on 17th century warfare, and in this episode we have something very special for you guys – an examination of the sick man of Europe, before he was sick, but when he was certainly maligned and looked down upon. For some time, it has been supposed that the Ottoman Empire could not keep pace with Western Europe, and that her eclipse by the West European powers in the 1700s was an inevitable, rational process which can be partially explained by the Turk’s reluctance to accept new technological advances. Yet, as we’ll learn here, this generalisation against the Turks is as unfair as it is unfounded.
The Ottoman Empire possessed one of the most advanced organisational and administrative systems in the world at the dawn of the 17th century. She was equipped with some of the most educated military minds, and had on site some of the best facilities for producing the weapons of war which he soldiers needed. This was not a sick man of Europe, nor did the patient show any signs of illness – far from it. The Turk was the envy of the continent thanks to the immense successes and accomplishments of her Sultans and soldiers, and it was partially to explain away these successes that the more unflattering myths about the Turk’s barbarity did the rounds.
In this episode we’ll learn what the Turk was truly capable of, and why he made use of certain weapons which were shown to be obsolete in other parts of Europe. The Military Revolution, as we’ll see, was not the blanket theory which could be universally applied to all – advancements in technology did not arrive evenly to the continent, and even when they did, these advancements were affected by the circumstances on the ground, and issues as simple as whether Tartars were more comfortable firing a technically obsolete bow, than picking up a more ‘modern’ carbine. So I hope you’ll join me here history friends, while we examine the Turk’s prowess in the detail it deserves. Thanksss!
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Episode 30: Unfriendly Fire switches gears from the Anglo-American to the Asian angle in the war. We encounter some more controversial points, as we learn just how instrumental Stalin was in blunting the force of the North Korean People's Army, as he manipulated the situation to acquire the war he wanted. Stalin was creating in Korea a war which would draw the allies in further, and which would force the Chinese to respond. With this in mind, he couldn't afford to watch the North actually push the allies off the peninsula and effectively win the war.
In previous episodes, we've made the point that Stalin wanted a certain kind of war, but in my mind, this evidence here proves that Stalin was utterly committed to sabotaging Kim Il-sung after leading him to believe that the war would take a certain shape. Kim, much like the Chinese and Stalin believed, the Americans, were pawns in his game to gather greater power and influence for himself. We thus see for ourselves that the Northern failures were less to do with allied preparations or Northern mistakes, but Stalin's deliberate actions. Controversial for sure, but in this window of time that the North had to close the war in its favour, Stalin needed to be sure that everything went according to plan, and that the war would not end just yet.
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Music used:
We return to the American Heart Association and Jo Stafford for another another song, and you can find the collection of audio I used for that series here: https://archive.org/details/1950-1959RadioNews
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You can find American Moments here.
It's a history podcast bringing you more of the history from America which you love, but may have forgotten...
Episode 28: London Stalling, introduces us to the British participation in the Korean War, and how utterly transfixed on the American partnership Clement Atlee's administration was. A guiding reason why the British and their Commonwealth allies took part in the Korean War can be explained by the Anglo-American partnership, and the pressures felt in London to support Washington in Asia, even though their policies and interests frequently conflicted there.
Several times, British and American allies butted heads over what to do in Korea, and the issue of how far to proceed once across the border and into North Korea was a very hot, sensitive topic as well. Once the Chinese intervened, the British felt all of their aims go up in smoke, and wished only to end the war as quickly as possible so that the defence of Western Europe could properly be organised. Rearmament, unlike in the US, was not a net positive for British policymakers, but a terrible cost, and it led to skimping on other plans such as the NHS in the name of the increasingly unpopular war. In this first of two part examination of the Anglo-American relationship in the Korean War, we see that initial optimism and passion for defending a victim of aggression soon degenerated into a campaign of diplomatic self-interest, and then into a dreary, messy stalemate which the British found they could not escape from.
Yet, in summer 1950, it could not be known where the war would end up, and positivity, twinned with the defence of its ally's interests, moved the British government to invest itself heavily in Korea, even while the shadow of the Second World War still loomed large and visibly in the British consciousness, not to mention in the every day lives of its citizens. The British had won World War 2, but they had been made to feel like a defeated nation ever since. Now their government, for a variety of reasons, had committed itself to yet another conflict which it could not afford. This was a July Crisis in 1950, but it was one of a very different nature to that experienced 36 years before.
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Music used:
"I Can't Escape From You", by Bing Crosby, released in 1936. Available:https://archive.org/…/78_i-cant-escape-from-you_bing-crosby…
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