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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**REMEMBER, 1956 - The Eventful Year is out NOW! 1956 is a brand new original series examining the eventful aftermath of the Korean War. Stalin was dead, the West was facing numerous troubles, and everything seemed in flux. It is an incredible story, and I really enjoyed researching it. It is absolutely free to listen to the first few episodes of 1956, but it is in a brand new podcast feed! 4 episodes in total and more to come are on the way, so please do follow these links so that you can subscribe and enjoy this underrated story.
The following episodes are available to all:
What is 1956?
1956 Part 1 Introduction
1956 Episode 1.1: Death of a Comrade
1956 Episode 1.2: There Can Be Only One!
To find on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/1956-the-eventful-year/id1351213922
To find on Acast: https://www.acast.com/1956eventfulyear
Please do stop by - there's so much to see and hear in this series, and already I have heard great things from several listeners and Patrons alike! Thankssss! :D
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In Episode 12, A Treaty of 'Friendship', we examine Mao Zedong's visit to Moscow reaching its conclusion. The long awaited treaty, so long feared in the US, was concluded on 14th February. Yet, while on the surface, the agreement was steeped in mutual cooperation and Sino-Soviet happiness, the truth was far more complex, and far less warm.
Under the surface, Stalin had already set the ball rolling for a war in Korea by providing Kim Il-Sung with thousands of new experienced soldiers, freshly returned from their campaigns in China. This sudden influx of experienced and enthusiastic veterans meant that Kim was in a position to invade the South, at least, so he thought. To Mao Zedong, this meant a whole load of bad things, but above all, it meant complications and security problems for his fledgling People's Republic.
Having sown this seed in the background, Stalin was bound to see it bear fruit in the near future, and he found that Mao was a great deal more suspicious of him when they met in late January to conclude their long awaited deal. The rumour and whispers about Stalin's moves and the dangers these posed Mao compelled the Chinese leader to change his stance in many, almost hilarious respects. While Stalin, altered also by the events he was setting in motion, had changed his tune as well. The Treaty of Friendship, while lamented in Washington, was as much a blessing as a curse for Mao - above all, it now meant that the race was on to make war against Taiwan before there was war in Korea. The problem being, Stalin had his hands all over the necessary equipment, and he was in total control
*****
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This is a VERY detailed episode, and can be best divided into three parts.
1) Explaining the different NSC reports and papers, and how they were reconciled as new developments affected a change in US foreign policy.
2) Stalin's decision to walk out of the UN Security Council, and why he did it!
3) Acheson's speech to the National Press Club on 12th January 1950 - so long lambasted as an example of the Secretary of State's carelessness, but in actual fact representing a veiled attempt to appeal to Mao Zedong.
As detailed as it is, it's also chock full of fascinating info, so listen in!
Episode 11: Coming Full Circle ties together the last six episodes that examined the Sino-Soviet and Sino-American relations in their different boxes. The countless ways in which American, Soviet and Chinese interests overlapped in the world made hammering out satisfactory deals somewhat difficult, but as 1950 dawned, the Chinese were finally closing in on signing the deal with the Soviets, but not if Dean Acheson had anything to say about it!
In the course of his last efforts to drive that wedge between China and Russia, Acheson performed the now infamous speech at the National Press Club on 12th January 1950. Ever since that moment, Acheson came to be regarded as the man who led the world to believe that the US did not care about South Korea, and thus he is sometimes criticised for giving the green light to Kim Il-sung, who interpreted his speech as saying that Washington would leave Seoul to its fate. The reality, as we'll discover, was a bit more complicated, FAR more interesting and had, at its goal, the friendship of China.
Acheson was not going down without a fight, but within days, everything he held to be true about American foreign policy would change. See how such an incredible story unfolded, in our latest episode of the Korean War!
******
Music used:
"Smoky Mountain Blues" by Wallace Chains, released in 1939. Available:http://www.museumsyndicate.com/item.php?item=82680
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Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 10: Sino-American Talks Part 2 concludes our take on where the Sino-American diplomacy led as 1949 became 1950. It provides a crucial bit of background to how the US reacted to the actual signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty, so make sure you have a listen in, and as always, be sure to let me know what you all thought!
The increasing supremacy of the communists, as well as the difficulties posed by the British, were among the complications that the Truman administration faced when its face, Dean Acheson, (pictured here at work with NATO) attempted to continue with the wedge approach. As we learned last time, Acheson believed that only by accepting the facts of the day and abandoning the doomed Chiang Kai-shek could US interests in Asia and across the world be upheld. Unless America abandoned Chiang, it could never pose as a friend to Mao, and thus Acheson attempted, in a last ditch effort in autumn 1949, to be that friend.
Mao was in indeed looking for a friend, but as we have learned, Acheson's efforts came as too little too late. Worse, the Soviets managed to detonate their own atom bomb in August, reducing the American supremacy in world affairs. Pressure was mounting on Acheson to wrest something from Mao, just as it was mounting on Mao to reach an agreement with Stalin. As we know, only one of these outcomes could come to pass, and Beijing would side with their ideological allies rather than the suspicious Washington.
Acheson didn't know it yet, but his failure here would lead him to trumpet an even more radical policy than appeasing the Chinese. If the Soviets and Chinese wanted to be in cahoots, then America would allow it and confront the problem head on, but first she needed to re-arm. The march towards Korea was beginning.
*******
Music used:
"Goodnight Angeline", by the Four Harmony Kings, in 1921. This gem can be found by going to: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Four_Harmony_Kings/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02032015/Goodnight_Angeline_-_The_Four_Harmony_Kings
Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/
Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.
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Support us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails
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Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/
Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 9: Sino-American Talks Part 1 introduces us to the OTHER side of Chinese diplomacy between 1949-50; that involving the US, and how Washington attempted to wrest some benefit out of the rapidly changing situation in China, as the Republican/Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek suffered successive defeats at Mao's hands.
The US would attempt to drive a wedge between the USSR and the PRC during 1949 - a policy which we know, in light of the signing of the Sino-Soviet alliance, eventually failed, but this was not from lack of trying! To set the proper for context for the radical change in American foreign policy which emerged in spring 1950, it is necessary here to detail what came before. I hope you guys enjoy our examination of a period of post-war American diplomacy which is largely skimmed over today.
At the head of this wedge strategy was the Secretary of State Dean Acheson (pictured), who rebelled against the policy insisted upon by the right of centre Republicans that wanted the US to fight for Chiang Kai-shek. Acheson was adamant that only through the appeasement of the communist Chinese, through a realistic approach to their civil war, and through an appraisal of the advantages the US had over the Chinese, could the feared Sino-Soviet agreement be prevented. Time would show, as we know, that Acheson, as well as his peers, were wrong on all accounts.
This episode, much like the previous take on Sino-Soviet relations, forms a critically important building block, and is a necessary scene setting step towards the REALLY juicy stuff in early 1950, so I hope you enjoy it!
******
Music used:
"Casey Jones", by Mr and Mrs Byron Coffin, released in 1939. Available:http://www.loc.gov/…/pres…/activities/songs/audio/song1a.mp3
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Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.
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Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/
Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Yay! We've finally had a Q & A, where you guys sent me a variety of lovely questions and I did my best to answer! Within are such questions as:
What part of the KW do you find most fascinating? What have been your top 3 topics you have covered in order from 1-3? How do you decide what to cover? Is there any historical topic you just will not touch, under any circumstances? What would you consider a good day’s work in terms of your production schedule? What got you first interested in history? If you could have a Guinness with any historical figure and ask them any question, who would you choose and what would you ask? Will you ever meet your fans in the US?
AND SO MUCH MORE!
A huge thanksss to all of you that sent me questions over the last few weeks - and remember that we're reading out our new Patrons at the end, so stick around for your well-deserved fame!
************
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Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon!
Patreon: www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails
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Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 8: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 4 is the final episode examining the scene in Moscow, where the defining alliance between the Chinese Communists and the Soviet Union was signed. It took a great deal of compromise...or wait, no it didn't. It required a lot of trust...no wait, that's not right either. Em, it was mutually beneficial to both sides thanks to a whole load of scheming and power plays? Yes that's a bit more accurate. The Sino-Soviet alliance wasn't your typical alliance - it was forged by two paranoid entities at a time when each party seriously mistrusted the other.
Within this episode, we are confronted by Stalin's changing policy towards Korea, as his own policy aims seemed in jeopardy if the Chinese managed to forge a deal with the West. At the core of Stalin's concerns was that his own influence would be diluted even if the Chinese managed to forge an alliance with Moscow, as American aid or agreements could replace those of the Soviet variety. To intercept this challenge to his supremacy, Stalin began to set in motion plans which would lead directly to the outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula six months later. This episode is thus a critically important one if we are to understand Stalin's mindset and his overall policy aims. Here we discover exactly how responsible Stalin was for the conflict that followed, so I hope you enjoy it!
******
Music used:
"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral", by Chauncey Olcott, an Irish tune originating in 1913, but popularised by Bing Crosby in the 1940s. You can find it here:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chauncey_Olcott/
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Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.
Join us on Patreon for $2 a month to access ad-free episodes earlier than normal listeners, or for $5 to access an hour of extra content every month! https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails
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Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 7: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 3 picks up in this developing story, as the Chinese and Soviets cautiously move ever closer to one another in world affairs. Stalin's mission was clear. He welcomed Mao Zedong to Moscow in December 1949, in the midst of rumours that the Sino-Soviet bloc were keen to furnish some kind of alliance. Stalin, much like Mao, wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and would put up several obstacles to the successful conclusion of an alliance treaty, blaming Yalt, the West, the Americans and bad weather instead of his own personal intransigence.
Mao would have to persevere if he wanted the alliance that he had travelled to Moscow to acquire. Much still needed to be done though, and in this penultimate episode analysing these talks, we see the thorny issues like Manchuria, the Soviet occupation of naval bases and the provision of resources to the Chinese in the context of the early Cold War. I hope you'll join me then, as we continue to countdown towards the cementing of one of the most important alliances signed in the 20th century.
****
Music used:
"My Creole Sue", a 1909 track by the Columbia Quartet, available:
http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Columbia_Quartette/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02032015/My_Creole_Sue_-_Columbia_Quartette
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Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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IMP: Liu Shaoqi is Liu 'Shao-Chi' - NOT Liu 'Shao-Kwee'. Apologies for the mispronunciation! Love me anyway?
Episode 6: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 2, continues the story from where we left off last time. The Chinese communists launch their final great offensive of the civil war against the Nationalists from April 1949, as Stalin watches his old strategy crumble. Faced with the emergence of a dominant Chinese Communist Party, rather than the divided Chinese state that he desired, how would Stalin respond?
In the event, he welcomed Mao's ally Liu Shaoqi to Moscow in summer 1949 to talk through some important issues, and pave the way for a deeper friendship between the two communist regimes. Even at this stage, with both parties harbouring great and conflicting ambitions, success or alliance were by no means certain outcomes. Much, it seemed, still needed to be done.
*******
Music used:
'Cotton Eye Joe' by Elmo Newcomer, a 1948 song which can be found here:https://www.loc.gov/item/lomaxbib000040/
Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/
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Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 5: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 1 examines, as you may have guessed, the detailed and complex Sino-Soviet relationship, as we build towards the signing of the Sino-Soviet alliance in February 1950. Much like Stalin and Mao had much to do before that alliance was signed, so we have much to cover before we can get to that point in our narrative, and this episode here provides a good deal of background to the Sino-Soviet relationship in the late 1940s.
*****
Music used:
I used the song 'Maria' by Clarice Vance, which was released in 1905 originally but which enjoyed a great deal of popularity throughout the 1960s. You can find this gem here: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Clarice_Vance/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_04212015/Maria_-_Clarice_Vance
Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/
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Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/
Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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Episode 4: The Cat's Mao looks at Mao Zedong, the man, the myth, the legend, the disgusting, horrible war criminal and mass murderer who...ahem. Sorry about that. Mao Zedong remains a controversial figure to this day. Some believe China would never have recovered in the manner that it did, and that China would never be the power that it is today, without Mao Zedong at the helm. At the same time, while some are content to name fast food restaurants after him, others decry his responsibility, both directly and indirectly, for the loss of millions of lives - figures too difficult to pin down, but certainly high enough to qualify him in the rank of mass murderers alongside Stalin and Hitler.
Indeed, controversy followed Mao, but in this episode we do our best to dispense with what Mao would DO, and focus instead on what the leader of the Chinese Communist Party actually DID. To find out, we look at his birth, his growth, his involvement in the civil wars, in the wars against the Japanese and then in the last phase of the civil war in the late 1940s, whereupon he would be pushed into a position of power arguably never attained by a Chinese figure since the all-powerful Emperors of yore. As was customary though, Mao's power disguised the bare facts of his country's vulnerability and devastation, themes which we will grapple with over the coming episodes.
*****
Music used:
Chinese National Anthem: http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media.php?id=4045
Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/
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Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/
Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D
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