US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, is divided up into the following.  I will talk about each individual unit listed.Army: 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Forces (Green Berets), 160th SOAR (Night Stalkers)Navy: SEALs, and SWCCs (Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen)Air Force: Pararescuemen (PJs), Combat Controllers (CCTs)Marine Corps: Marine Force ReconJoint: Delta Force, DEVGRU, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Intelligence Support ActivityFor more information, read:US Special Forces by Samuel SouthworthChosen Soldier by Dick CouchThat Others May Live by Jack BrehmLone Survivor by Marcus LuttrellBlack Hawk Down by Mark BowdenMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Audible (visit audiblepodcast.com/militaryhistory for a free audiobook download)

US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, is divided up into the following. I will talk about each individual unit listed.<ul><li>Army: 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Forces (Green Berets), 160th SOAR (Night Stalkers)</li><li>Navy: SEALs, and SWCCs (Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen)</li><li>Air Force: Pararescuemen (PJs), Combat Controllers (CCTs)</li><li>Marine Corps: Marine Force Recon</li><li>Joint: Delta Force, DEVGRU, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Intelligence Support Activity</li></ul>For more information, read:US Special Forces by Samuel SouthworthChosen Soldier by Dick CouchThat Others May Live by Jack BrehmLone Survivor by Marcus LuttrellBlack Hawk Down by Mark Bowden Military History Podcast is sponsored by Audible (visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/audiblepodcast.com/militaryhistory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">audiblepodcast.com/militaryhistory</a> for a free audiobook download)

US Special Operations Forces

This episode answers four basic questions:Why were both North and South so unprepared for war?Which side had the initial advantage?Did the South have to secede?  Did the North have to respond with military force?Was Northern victory inevitable?For information on sources, email me.

This episode answers four basic questions: <ul><li>Why were both North and South so unprepared for war?</li><li>Which side had the initial advantage?</li><li>Did the South have to secede?  Did the North have to respond with military force?</li><li>Was Northern victory inevitable?</li></ul>For information on sources, email me.

Planning the American Civil War

Vicksburg was a Confederate fortress guarding the Mississippi River during the American Civil War.  It was the only thing stopping the Union from taking control of the all-powerful Mississippi waterway.  Although the Vicksburg Campaign is most famously associated with General Ulysses Grant (whose capture of the fortress is considered a major turning point in the war), there were many earlier Union campaigns to take control of Vicksburg.  One of these campaigns, led by Navy Admiral David Farragut, is the focus of this episode.The script for this episode was written by Jacob Bains from Texas.  If you would like to submit your own script, please send it to militaryhistorypodcast@gmail.com

Farragut and the Vicksburg Campaign

Why has democracy failed in Iraq?  Here are some potential theories, with their originators in parentheses:Modernization (Rostow, Lipset): Iraq is not wealthy, urban,modern, or secular enough to support democracy.  It has not followedthe same path to development that Western democracies have set out, andthus, it is not yet ready.Cultural (Huntington, Weber): Iraqis are not inherently suitablefor democracy, simply because their culture favors an authoritarianstyle of government.Marxist (Moore, Marx): Iraq still has a strong landed elite and aweak bourgeoisie, meaning that it is not ripe for class conflict andthus, it is not ripe for social and political developmentVoluntarist (Di Palma): Iraq lacks the strong leadership needed to usher the country into a democratic phase.Each of these theories has its flaws and counterexamples, which will bediscussed in this episode.  This is not meant to define one theory asbetter than the rest...it is simply meant to put all ideas on the table.For more information, read:Huntington's Third WaveDi Palma's To Craft DemocraciesBellin's Authoritarianism in the Middle EastColton's Putin and DemocratizationJohnson's Political Institutions and Economic PerformanceLipset's Political ManMarx's Communist ManifestoMoore's Social Origins of Dictatorship and DemocracyRostow's Stages of Economic GrowthSelbin's Revolution in the Real WorldSkocpol's Social Revolutions in the Modern WorldVarshney's India Defies the OddsWeber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Why has democracy failed in Iraq?  Here are some potential theories, with their originators in parentheses: <ul><li>Modernization (Rostow, Lipset): Iraq is not wealthy, urban, modern, or secular enough to support democracy.  It has not followed the same path to development that Western democracies have set out, and thus, it is not yet ready.</li><li>Cultural (Huntington, Weber): Iraqis are not inherently suitable for democracy, simply because their culture favors an authoritarian style of government.</li><li>Marxist (Moore, Marx): Iraq still has a strong landed elite and a weak bourgeoisie, meaning that it is not ripe for class conflict and thus, it is not ripe for social and political development</li><li>Voluntarist (Di Palma): Iraq lacks the strong leadership needed to usher the country into a democratic phase.</li></ul>Each of these theories has its flaws and counterexamples, which will be discussed in this episode.  This is not meant to define one theory as better than the rest...it is simply meant to put all ideas on the table. For more information, read: Huntington's Third Wave Di Palma's To Craft Democracies Bellin's Authoritarianism in the Middle East Colton's Putin and Democratization Johnson's Political Institutions and Economic Performance Lipset's Political Man Marx's Communist Manifesto Moore's Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy Rostow's Stages of Economic Growth Selbin's Revolution in the Real World Skocpol's Social Revolutions in the Modern World Varshney's India Defies the Odds Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Democracy in Iraq

This episode focuses on the decision-making strategies that PresidentBush used in December of 2006 before choosing to commit the troopsurge.  Things discussed include: the release of the Iraq Study GroupReport, the 2006 midterm elections, Bush's meeting with Generals Keaneand Downing, and Bush's relationship with General Petraeus andSecretary Gates.  At the end of the episode is a recap on the successof the troop surge, as well as an analysis of President Bush'sleadership during December 2006 and January 2007.For more background information on Iraq, listen to: Iraq Study GroupReport Assessment, Iraq Study Group Report Recommendations, InvadingIraq, Occupying Iraq, Iraq's Environment, and Medal of Honor in Iraq.

This episode focuses on the decision-making strategies that President Bush used in December of 2006 before choosing to commit the troop surge.  Things discussed include: the release of the Iraq Study Group Report, the 2006 midterm elections, Bush's meeting with Generals Keane and Downing, and Bush's relationship with General Petraeus and Secretary Gates.  At the end of the episode is a recap on the success of the troop surge, as well as an analysis of President Bush's leadership during December 2006 and January 2007. For more background information on Iraq, listen to: Iraq Study Group Report Assessment, Iraq Study Group Report Recommendations, Invading Iraq, Occupying Iraq, Iraq's Environment, and Medal of Honor in Iraq.

Troop Surge in Iraq

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-relatedoccurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact onmilitary operations.  At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle or a small war.  Forexample, many armies have postponed their campaigns due to inclementweather conditions, and many militaries have suffered from rampantdisease.  On the other end of the scale are thetimes when nature has so much of an impact that the fate of an entirenation or civilization is decided upon it.  Inthe words of Charles Darwin, these are times when “the war of nature”results in the downfall of one party and the rise of another.Colonization Smallpox: Rampant disease severely weakened theAztecs and Incas, allowing small bands of Spanish conquistadors (led byCortez and Pizarro, respectively) to easily overthrow two great empires.Revolutionary Wind and Fog: Heavy winds subsided after the Battleof Long Island, allowing American troops to evacuate and fight anotherday.  Their retreat was concealed by a dense fog.  Later, just beforethe Battle of Trenton, a heavy fog concealed the Americans long enoughto conduct a surprise attack which greatly boosted the morale of theContinental Army.Russian Winter: Cold temperatures forced Napoleon to retreatafter he failed to conquer Russia and find accommodations in Moscow. The lack of grass and unfrozen roads resulted in the destruction of upto 75% of Napoleon's Army as it marched back to France.For more information, read:Hopkins' The Great KillerDiamond's Guns, Germs, and SteelMcCullough's 1776Burton's Napoleon's Invasion of RussiaTolstoy's War and PeaceGeorge's Napoleon's Invasion of RussiaMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-related occurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on military operations. At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle or a small war. For example, many armies have postponed their campaigns due to inclement weather conditions, and many militaries have suffered from rampant disease. On the other end of the scale are the times when nature has so much of an impact that the fate of an entire nation or civilization is decided upon it. In the words of Charles Darwin, these are times when “the war of nature” results in the downfall of one party and the rise of another. <ul><li>Colonization Smallpox: Rampant disease severely weakened the Aztecs and Incas, allowing small bands of Spanish conquistadors (led by Cortez and Pizarro, respectively) to easily overthrow two great empires.</li><li>Revolutionary Wind and Fog: Heavy winds subsided after the Battle of Long Island, allowing American troops to evacuate and fight another day.  Their retreat was concealed by a dense fog.  Later, just before the Battle of Trenton, a heavy fog concealed the Americans long enough to conduct a surprise attack which greatly boosted the morale of the Continental Army.</li><li>Russian Winter: Cold temperatures forced Napoleon to retreat after he failed to conquer Russia and find accommodations in Moscow.  The lack of grass and unfrozen roads resulted in the destruction of up to 75% of Napoleon's Army as it marched back to France.</li></ul>For more information, read: Hopkins' The Great Killer Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel McCullough's 1776 Burton's Napoleon's Invasion of Russia Tolstoy's War and Peace George's Napoleon's Invasion of Russia Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Forces of Nature (2)

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-relatedoccurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on militaryoperations.  At the small end of thescale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle ora small war.  For example, many armieshave postponed their campaigns due to inclement weather conditions, and manymilitaries have suffered from rampant disease. On the other end of the scale are the times when nature has so much ofan impact that the fate of an entire nation or civilization is decided uponit.  In the words of Charles Darwin,these are times when “the war of nature? results in the downfall of one partyand the rise of another. Thales' Eclipse: Halted the epic Battle of Halys River, therebysaving one or both of the participants (Lydia and Media) fromdestruction.Kamikaze (Divine Wind): Created a storm that destroying the invading Mongol fleets, thereby saving Japan from foreign conquest.Athenian Typhoid: Wreaked havoc throughout Athens, contributing to its downfall in the Peloponnesian War.Bering Land Bridge: Facilitated the "invasion" of North America.Clouds over Kokura: Obscured the primary target for the "Fat Man"atomic bomb, thereby saving Kokura but resulting in the destruction ofNagasaki.Legend of Quetzacoatl: Convinced the Aztecs that Cortez was thereincarnation of Quetzacoatl, thereby facilitating the Spanish conquestof Latin America.For more information, read:Darwin's Origin of SpeciesHerodotus' HistoriesMitchell's Eclipses of the SunLamont-Brown's KamikazeDaniels' Almanac of World HistoryMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-related occurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on military operations.  At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect a battle or a small war.  For example, many armies have postponed their campaigns due to inclement weather conditions, and many militaries have suffered from rampant disease.  On the other end of the scale are the times when nature has so much of an impact that the fate of an entire nation or civilization is decided upon it.  In the words of Charles Darwin, these are times when “the war of nature? results in the downfall of one party and the rise of another. <ul><li>Thales' Eclipse: Halted the epic Battle of Halys River, thereby saving one or both of the participants (Lydia and Media) from destruction.</li><li>Kamikaze (Divine Wind): Created a storm that destroying the invading Mongol fleets, thereby saving Japan from foreign conquest.</li><li>Athenian Typhoid: Wreaked havoc throughout Athens, contributing to its downfall in the Peloponnesian War.</li><li>Bering Land Bridge: Facilitated the "invasion" of North America.</li><li>Clouds over Kokura: Obscured the primary target for the "Fat Man" atomic bomb, thereby saving Kokura but resulting in the destruction of Nagasaki.</li><li>Legend of Quetzacoatl: Convinced the Aztecs that Cortez was the reincarnation of Quetzacoatl, thereby facilitating the Spanish conquest of Latin America.</li></ul>For more information, read: Darwin's Origin of Species Herodotus' Histories Mitchell's Eclipses of the Sun Lamont-Brown's Kamikaze Daniels' Almanac of World History Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Forces of Nature (1)

This episode covers the period between Bush's declaration of "MissionAccomplished" and the change in coalition leadership (from GeneralCasey to General Petraeus).  The following major events and topics arediscussed:2003: Deaths of Saddam's two sons (Qusay and Uday), capture ofSaddam, Baathist Purge, National Museum looting, and Bremer'sdisbanding of the Iraqi Army.2004: Sectarian violence and displacement, Operation VigiliantResolve (1st Fallujah), Battle of Ramadi, Battle of Husaybah, Battle ofMosul, Operation Phanton Fury (2nd Fallujah), Blackwater USA, medals ofhonor.2005: January and December Legislative Elections, Battle of Haditha, Abu Ghraib.2006: Handing three provinces to Iraqi authority, death ofZarqawi, execution of Saddam, Al-Askari mosque bombing, OperationTogether Forward (Baghdad), Battle of Ramadi.2007: Battle of Haifa Street (Baghdad), creation of the new Counterinsurgency Field Manual (3-24).For more information, read:Iraq Study Group ReportCounterinsurgency Field Manual 3-24No End in Sight (film)http://iraq.liveleak.com/ www.iraqstatusreport.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFijzDyJnVE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfmuHr4_b8&amp;feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGQaPYzFZ8oMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

This episode covers the period between Bush's declaration of "Mission Accomplished" and the change in coalition leadership (from General Casey to General Petraeus).  The following major events and topics are discussed: <ul><li>2003: Deaths of Saddam's two sons (Qusay and Uday), capture of Saddam, Baathist Purge, National Museum looting, and Bremer's disbanding of the Iraqi Army.</li><li>2004: Sectarian violence and displacement, Operation Vigiliant Resolve (1st Fallujah), Battle of Ramadi, Battle of Husaybah, Battle of Mosul, Operation Phanton Fury (2nd Fallujah), Blackwater USA, medals of honor.</li><li>2005: January and December Legislative Elections, Battle of Haditha, Abu Ghraib.</li><li>2006: Handing three provinces to Iraqi authority, death of Zarqawi, execution of Saddam, Al-Askari mosque bombing, Operation Together Forward (Baghdad), Battle of Ramadi.</li><li>2007: Battle of Haifa Street (Baghdad), creation of the new Counterinsurgency Field Manual (3-24).</li></ul>For more information, read: Iraq Study Group Report Counterinsurgency Field Manual 3-24 No End in Sight (film) <a href="http://iraq.liveleak.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://iraq.liveleak.com/</a> <a href="http://www.iraqstatusreport.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.iraqstatusreport.com</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFijzDyJnVE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFijzDyJnVE</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfmuHr4_b8&amp;feature=related" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epfmuHr4_b8&amp;feature=related</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGQaPYzFZ8o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGQaPYzFZ8o</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Occupying Iraq (2003-2007)

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage inwar". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do wefight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Necessary:Aristotlesays in Nicomachean Ethics that "we fight war so that we may live inpeace". This notion is echoed by many other famous thinkers includingMarx (an advocate of a final proletarian revolution in order toestablish a worker's paradise) and Zoroaster (the first monotheist todiscuss the final battle of judgment between good and evil).War is Logical:UsingDarwin's logic, mankind continues to fight wars because it is the meansthrough which our species survives. Thomas Malthus adapted this into apopulation argument, stating that humans fight wars in order to keeppopulations small and manageable. Samuel Huntington took this one stepfurther by saying that war negates massive youth bulges. Lastly, JohnNash (the economist) proved, through game theory, that war is a morelogical choice than peace.War is Accidental:AJP Taylorargued that all wars are unintended and unhappy escalations of smallerconflicts. Warmongering is neither inherent nor unavoidable. Taylor'sideas link closely to the pacifistic ideas of Tolstoy and Gandhi.For more information, read:Nicomachean Ethics by AristotleCommunist Manifesto by MarxHoly Avesta, Holy Bible, Holy Qur'anOrigin of Species by DarwinAn Essay on the Principle of Population by MalthusEnvironmental Science by Richard WrightClash of Civilizations by Samuel HuntingtonMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage in war". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do we fight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Necessary:Aristotle says in Nicomachean Ethics that "we fight war so that we may live in peace". This notion is echoed by many other famous thinkers including Marx (an advocate of a final proletarian revolution in order to establish a worker's paradise) and Zoroaster (the first monotheist to discuss the final battle of judgment between good and evil).War is Logical:Using Darwin's logic, mankind continues to fight wars because it is the means through which our species survives. Thomas Malthus adapted this into a population argument, stating that humans fight wars in order to keep populations small and manageable. Samuel Huntington took this one step further by saying that war negates massive youth bulges. Lastly, John Nash (the economist) proved, through game theory, that war is a more logical choice than peace.War is Accidental:AJP Taylor argued that all wars are unintended and unhappy escalations of smaller conflicts. Warmongering is neither inherent nor unavoidable. Taylor's ideas link closely to the pacifistic ideas of Tolstoy and Gandhi.For more information, read:Nicomachean Ethics by AristotleCommunist Manifesto by MarxHoly Avesta, Holy Bible, Holy Qur'anOrigin of Species by DarwinAn Essay on the Principle of Population by MalthusEnvironmental Science by Richard WrightClash of Civilizations by Samuel HuntingtonMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

The Philosophy of War (2)

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage inwar". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do wefight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Rational:SunTzu argued that political struggles would eventually lead to armedconflict. Clausewitz took this one step further by saying that "war isa mere continuation of policy by other means". Machiavelli completedthis entire line of thought by saying that war was the most efficientmeans of attaining any political goal.War is Inevitable:Hobbesargued that humans are inherently violent. Raymond Dart and RobertArdrey found a scientific basis for this by claiming that homo sapiensbecame the dominant humanoid through their martial prowess (and we havekept this prowess ever since). Another group of philosophers believethat war can be attributed to the reckless aggression caused bytestosterone in males.For more information, read:Sun Tzu's Art of WarClausewitz's On WarMachiavelli's The PrinceMao's QuotationsHobbes' LeviathanMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage in war". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do we fight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Rational:Sun Tzu argued that political struggles would eventually lead to armed conflict. Clausewitz took this one step further by saying that "war is a mere continuation of policy by other means". Machiavelli completed this entire line of thought by saying that war was the most efficient means of attaining any political goal.War is Inevitable:Hobbes argued that humans are inherently violent. Raymond Dart and Robert Ardrey found a scientific basis for this by claiming that homo sapiens became the dominant humanoid through their martial prowess (and we have kept this prowess ever since). Another group of philosophers believe that war can be attributed to the reckless aggression caused by testosterone in males.For more information, read:Sun Tzu's Art of WarClausewitz's On WarMachiavelli's The PrinceMao's QuotationsHobbes' LeviathanMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

The Philosophy of War (1)

Bringing you the strangest anecdotes, innovative technology, and most significant events in Military History.

The hallmark of any good podcast is being able to hold the listener’s attention, and especially for history podcasts, factual accuracy.  This podcast needs more work in both areas. The speaking style is stiff, monotone, and halting. A more conversational approach would really help.

Good intentions, poor execution

Man you must be done with college now!!! How about some new podcasts

Wish u still podcasted!!

Military History Podcast

Carl Von Clausewitz was a military philosopher during the time ofNapoleon.  His most famous contribution is the book, On War, whichoutlines nine principles of war that are used in officer schools formany Western armies including the United States Army.  They are:Mass"Get there first with the most"Example: Mass-based armies of Russia (ex. infantry) and the US (ex. M4 Sherman Tanks) during WWII led to general victory        ObjectiveChoose an objective and stick with itExample: Coalition troops maintained theobjective in Operation Desert Sabre and didn't try to do too much byentering Iraq, which we now know would have caused major problems.       OffensiveSeize the InitiativeExample: General McClellan's Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War failed to seize the initiative ManeuverMove to more advantageous positionsExample: Hannibal's Army at the Battle of Cannae maneuvered around the larger Roman Army and defeated it Unity of CommandPlace your entire force under the command of a single entityExample: Japanese defenders on Iwo-Jima wastedlots of time and effort by switching commanders halfway through thepreparation effort SecurityDon't let the enemy rob you of your advantagesExample: Japanese Navy at Midway lost its element of surprise (because its communications were intercepted) and lost SimplicityKeep your plans clear and simpleExample: Guerrilla militiamen (ex. Aidid'smilitia in the Battle of Mogadishu) have a much simpler plan that theprofessional armies they have to fight SurpriseAttack when the enemy least suspects itExample: Germanic tribes slaughtered 24,000 professional Roman soldiers at the Battle of Teutoberg Forest Economy of ForceAllocate your limited forces wiselyExample: Germany Army during WWII did not get immediately overrun despite a 13million-56million numerical disadvantageFor more information, read:Armchair General: War Collegehttp://www.military-quotes.com/Clausewitz.htmHow to Make War by James DunniganOn WarMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the International Research and Publishing Corporation

Carl Von Clausewitz was a military philosopher during the time of Napoleon.  His most famous contribution is the book, On War, which outlines nine principles of war that are used in officer schools for many Western armies including the United States Army.  They are: <ul><li>Mass</li><ul><li>"Get there first with the most"</li><li>Example: Mass-based armies of Russia (ex. infantry) and the US (ex. M4 Sherman Tanks) during WWII led to general victory </li></ul> <li>Objective</li><ul><li>Choose an objective and stick with it</li><li>Example: Coalition troops maintained the objective in Operation Desert Sabre and didn't try to do too much by entering Iraq, which we now know would have caused major problems. </li></ul> <li>Offensive</li><ul><li>Seize the Initiative</li><li>Example: General McClellan's Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War failed to seize the initiative</li></ul> <li>Maneuver</li><ul><li>Move to more advantageous positions</li><li>Example: Hannibal's Army at the Battle of Cannae maneuvered around the larger Roman Army and defeated it</li></ul> <li>Unity of Command</li><ul><li>Place your entire force under the command of a single entity</li><li>Example: Japanese defenders on Iwo-Jima wasted lots of time and effort by switching commanders halfway through the preparation effort</li></ul> <li>Security</li><ul><li>Don't let the enemy rob you of your advantages</li><li>Example: Japanese Navy at Midway lost its element of surprise (because its communications were intercepted) and lost</li></ul> <li>Simplicity</li><ul><li>Keep your plans clear and simple</li><li>Example: Guerrilla militiamen (ex. Aidid's militia in the Battle of Mogadishu) have a much simpler plan that the professional armies they have to fight</li></ul> <li>Surprise</li><ul><li>Attack when the enemy least suspects it</li><li>Example: Germanic tribes slaughtered 24,000 professional Roman soldiers at the Battle of Teutoberg Forest</li></ul> <li>Economy of Force</li><ul><li>Allocate your limited forces wisely</li><li>Example: Germany Army during WWII did not get immediately overrun despite a 13million-56million numerical disadvantage</li></ul></ul>For more information, read: Armchair General: War College <a href="http://www.military-quotes.com/Clausewitz.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.military-quotes.com/Clausewitz.htm</a> How to Make War by James Dunnigan <a href="http://www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/VomKriege2/ONWARTOC2.HTML" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">On War</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a> and the <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>

Clausewitz's Principles of War

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 as France's non-citizenmilitary. Over the years, it consisted of many refugees, colonialcitizens, and people trying to start a new life. The training is hardand only one in seven applicants makes it. After they complete theirtour of duty, a Legionnaire may receive a 10-year residential permitand French citizenship.The Legion's most famous military actionwas in the Battle of Camaron in the Maximilian Affair in Mexico in1863. 62 Legionnaires were defending a convoy when they were attackedby 2,000 Mexican troops. The Legion fended off wave after wave untilthey eventually ran out of ammo. At this point, they charged with theirbayonets. Their heroic actions saved the convoy. Since then, the FrenchForeign Legion has served with honor and distinction in many majorworld conflicts including the Franco-Prussian War, WWI, WWII, VietnamWar, and Desert Storm.For more information, read:http://french-foreign-legion.com/http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/E/escape_to_the_legion/legion.htmlGalenet: French Foreign LegionMilitary History Magazine (September 2005): Intrigue Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 as France's non-citizen military. Over the years, it consisted of many refugees, colonial citizens, and people trying to start a new life. The training is hard and only one in seven applicants makes it. After they complete their tour of duty, a Legionnaire may receive a 10-year residential permit and French citizenship.The Legion's most famous military action was in the Battle of Camaron in the Maximilian Affair in Mexico in 1863. 62 Legionnaires were defending a convoy when they were attacked by 2,000 Mexican troops. The Legion fended off wave after wave until they eventually ran out of ammo. At this point, they charged with their bayonets. Their heroic actions saved the convoy. Since then, the French Foreign Legion has served with honor and distinction in many major world conflicts including the Franco-Prussian War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam War, and Desert Storm.For more information, read:<a href="http://french-foreign-legion.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://french-foreign-legion.com/</a><a href="http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/E/escape_to_the_legion/legion.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/E/escape_to_the_legion/legion.html</a><a>Galenet: French Foreign Legion</a>Military History Magazine (September 2005): Intrigue Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

French Foreign Legion

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5thcentury BC.  It was an epic war between two superpowers, and thesimilarities to the Cold War are numerous.  Since most people knowabout the Cold War, since it was so recent, I will summarize thisepisode via comparisons between it and the Peloponnesian War.This second episode covers the Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis to the surrender of Athens.The Participants:Athens/United States: wealthy, democratic, powerful navy, supported by numerous smaller states (Delian League/NATO)Initially led by Pericles/FDR: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status     Sparta/USSR: communist, totalitarian, powerful army, supported by numerous smaller states (Peloponnesian League/Warsaw Pact)Initially led by Archidamus II/Stalin: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status Thebes/China: Weaker third power allied with Sparta/USSRTimeline:Persian Wars/WWII: Sparta/USSR and Athens/USA were originally allied in the fight against Persia/AxisPentecontaetia/Berlin Blockade: Sparta/USSR and Athens/USAskirmish briefly over intermediate territory (CorinthianIsthmus/Germany)Archidamian War/Korean War: Sparta/USSR engages in a land warwith Athens/USA over intermediate territory (CorinthianIsthmus/Germany).  Results in a stalemate.Pylos Campaign/Suez Crisis: Athens/USA intervenes in territoryclose to Sparta/USSR in order to gain an economic and politicaladvantage.    Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis: Sparta/USSR sneaks into the Athens/USA sphere of influence and creates an outpost.Aegean Sea Propaganda Campaigns/Third World War: Sparta/USSRprovides support to revolutions in Athens/USA's sphere of influence.  Sicilian Expedition/Vietnam War: Athens/USA attempts to containSparta/USSR's sphere of influence and fails miserably (loses lives andmoney).Where the analogy fails:Sparta launches a successful, massive land invasion againstAthens (Problem: USSR never fought USA over Europe).  Decisive victoryat the Battle of Mantinea  Sparta destroys the entire Athenian Navy at the Battle ofAegospotami (Problem: USSR never defeated the American Navy decisively)Athens surrendered to Sparta (Problem: The US won the Cold War)So, the analogy isn't perfect, but it is still accurate in mostrespects.  After the Peloponnesian War, Thebes (the former third power)swept down and became the new superpower (over both Sparta and Athens),just like China seems to be becoming now (over the US).For more information, read: History of the Peloponnesian War by ThucydidesMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5th century BC.  It was an epic war between two superpowers, and the similarities to the Cold War are numerous.  Since most people know about the Cold War, since it was so recent, I will summarize this episode via comparisons between it and the Peloponnesian War. This second episode covers the Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis to the surrender of Athens. The Participants: <ul><li>Athens/United States: wealthy, democratic, powerful navy, supported by numerous smaller states (Delian League/NATO)</li><ul><li>Initially led by Pericles/FDR: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status </li></ul> <li>Sparta/USSR: communist, totalitarian, powerful army, supported by numerous smaller states (Peloponnesian League/Warsaw Pact)</li><ul><li>Initially led by Archidamus II/Stalin: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status</li></ul> <li>Thebes/China: Weaker third power allied with Sparta/USSR</li></ul>Timeline: <ul><li>Persian Wars/WWII: Sparta/USSR and Athens/USA were originally allied in the fight against Persia/Axis</li><li>Pentecontaetia/Berlin Blockade: Sparta/USSR and Athens/USA skirmish briefly over intermediate territory (Corinthian Isthmus/Germany)</li><li>Archidamian War/Korean War: Sparta/USSR engages in a land war with Athens/USA over intermediate territory (Corinthian Isthmus/Germany).  Results in a stalemate.</li><li>Pylos Campaign/Suez Crisis: Athens/USA intervenes in territory close to Sparta/USSR in order to gain an economic and political advantage.  </li><li>Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis: Sparta/USSR sneaks into the Athens/USA sphere of influence and creates an outpost.</li><li>Aegean Sea Propaganda Campaigns/Third World War: Sparta/USSR provides support to revolutions in Athens/USA's sphere of influence. </li><li>Sicilian Expedition/Vietnam War: Athens/USA attempts to contain Sparta/USSR's sphere of influence and fails miserably (loses lives and money).</li></ul>Where the analogy fails: <ul><li>Sparta launches a successful, massive land invasion against Athens (Problem: USSR never fought USA over Europe).  Decisive victory at the Battle of Mantinea </li><li>Sparta destroys the entire Athenian Navy at the Battle of Aegospotami (Problem: USSR never defeated the American Navy decisively)</li><li>Athens surrendered to Sparta (Problem: The US won the Cold War)</li></ul>So, the analogy isn't perfect, but it is still accurate in most respects.  After the Peloponnesian War, Thebes (the former third power) swept down and became the new superpower (over both Sparta and Athens), just like China seems to be becoming now (over the US). For more information, read: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.armchairgeneral.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General</a>

The Peloponnesian War (Part Two)

This episode is written by Russell Holman of Merrimack, New Hampshire. If you would like to submit a script to Military History Podcast,please send me an email at militaryhistorypodcast@gmail.comThe mighty American military during WWII would have been nothingwithout its surprisingly-important rationing system.  Food kept theUnited States going, so therefore, it is well worth studying. Throughout WWII and the years beyond, the US entered/exited several"eras" of rations:A RationsB RationsK RationsC RationsLRRP RationsMREsFor more information, read:http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre.htm http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations.php http://nsc.natick.army.mil/media/print/OP_Rations.pdfMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

This episode is written by Russell Holman of Merrimack, New Hampshire.  If you would like to submit a script to Military History Podcast, please send me an email at militaryhistorypodcast@gmail.com The mighty American military during WWII would have been nothing without its surprisingly-important rationing system.  Food kept the United States going, so therefore, it is well worth studying.  Throughout WWII and the years beyond, the US entered/exited several "eras" of rations: <ul><li>A Rations</li><li>B Rations</li><li>K Rations</li><li>C Rations</li><li>LRRP Rations</li><li>MREs</li></ul>For more information, read: <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre.htm</a> <a href="http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations.php</a> <a href="http://nsc.natick.army.mil/media/print/OP_Rations.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://nsc.natick.army.mil/media/print/OP_Rations.pdf</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Food of WWII

"The Most Dangerous Man in Europe" was how Eisenhower described OttoSkorzeny, Nazi Germany's most famous commando and special operationsleader.  Before he became the leader of Jagdverbande 502 (a specialoperations unit), Skorzeny fought on the Eastern Front and even won anIron Cross for bravery.His most famous mission was Operation Oak, the search and rescue ofBenito Mussolini, who had been captured and imprisoned by his rivals inthe Italy.  Skorzeny led a glider assault on Gran Sasso Mountain, whereMussolini was being held, and captured him without having to fire asingle shot.  Skorzeny brought Mussolini back to Hitler.  Hitler wasoverjoyed.  Skorzeny was tasked to lead many other commando missions including:Operation Rosselsprung: Kidnap Josip Tito (the future leader of communist Yugoslavia)Operation Panzerfaust: Kidnap the son of Miklos Horthy (king of Hungary) to persuade him to stay in the AxisOperation Greif: Infiltrate behind allied lines at the battle of the bulge and spread chaos and confusionAfter the war, Skorzeny was imprisoned in Darmstadt prison.  From theprison, he operated the ODESSA network to smuggle Nazis (out ofGermany) to safety.  He was put before a war crimes tribunal at onepoint, but he was acquitted.  On July 27th, 1948, he escaped from theprison thanks to the help of several SS colleagues (disguised inAmerican uniforms).  He then fled to Franco's Spain, Nasser's Egypt,and Peron's Argentina.  In Argentina, he fell in love with Eva Peron. At the same time, he managed to secure large portions of the Bormanntreasure, named after Martin Bormann (Hitler's secretary) who smuggledNazi wealth out of Germany just before the Third Reich's collapse.  Hedied in 1975 of cancer.For more information, read:Armchair General Magazine (October 2007): The Devil’sCommandoSkorzeny’s Special Missions by Otto Skorzenyhttp://greyfalcon.us/Otto%20Skorzeny.htm http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=133 Battle Fleet.com http://www.2worldwar2.com/otto-skorzeny.htm http://homepages.ius.edu/RVEST/SkorzenyDr2.htmMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

"The Most Dangerous Man in Europe" was how Eisenhower described Otto Skorzeny, Nazi Germany's most famous commando and special operations leader.  Before he became the leader of Jagdverbande 502 (a special operations unit), Skorzeny fought on the Eastern Front and even won an Iron Cross for bravery. His most famous mission was Operation Oak, the search and rescue of Benito Mussolini, who had been captured and imprisoned by his rivals in the Italy.  Skorzeny led a glider assault on Gran Sasso Mountain, where Mussolini was being held, and captured him without having to fire a single shot.  Skorzeny brought Mussolini back to Hitler.  Hitler was overjoyed.  Skorzeny was tasked to lead many other commando missions including: <ul><li>Operation Rosselsprung: Kidnap Josip Tito (the future leader of communist Yugoslavia)</li><li>Operation Panzerfaust: Kidnap the son of Miklos Horthy (king of Hungary) to persuade him to stay in the Axis</li><li>Operation Greif: Infiltrate behind allied lines at the battle of the bulge and spread chaos and confusion</li></ul>After the war, Skorzeny was imprisoned in Darmstadt prison.  From the prison, he operated the ODESSA network to smuggle Nazis (out of Germany) to safety.  He was put before a war crimes tribunal at one point, but he was acquitted.  On July 27th, 1948, he escaped from the prison thanks to the help of several SS colleagues (disguised in American uniforms).  He then fled to Franco's Spain, Nasser's Egypt, and Peron's Argentina.  In Argentina, he fell in love with Eva Peron.  At the same time, he managed to secure large portions of the Bormann treasure, named after Martin Bormann (Hitler's secretary) who smuggled Nazi wealth out of Germany just before the Third Reich's collapse.  He died in 1975 of cancer. For more information, read: Armchair General Magazine (October 2007): The Devil’s Commando Skorzeny’s Special Missions by Otto Skorzeny <a href="http://greyfalcon.us/Otto%20Skorzeny.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://greyfalcon.us/Otto%20Skorzeny.htm</a> <a href="http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=133" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=133</a> <a href="http://www.battle-fleet.com/pw/his/Otto%20Skorzeny%20%28Skorceny%29%20WW2%20Commandos.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Battle Fleet.com</a> <a href="http://www.2worldwar2.com/otto-skorzeny.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.2worldwar2.com/otto-skorzeny.htm</a> <a href="http://homepages.ius.edu/RVEST/SkorzenyDr2.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://homepages.ius.edu/RVEST/SkorzenyDr2.htm</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

The Most Dangerous Man in Europe

Soldiers of Fortune, orMercenaries, have been used in war since the advent of war itself. ThePersians, the Romans, the Greeks all used mercenaries in their armies.The trend continued into the middle ages when German Landsknechts andSwiss Pikemen were in high demand. Other famous mercenary groupsinclude Cossacks, Ronin, and Pirates. Now, the standarddefinition of Mercenaries is given to us by Article 47 of Protocol I ofthe 1949 Geneva Convention, which states that mercenaries are neithercombatants nor prisoners of war. Currently, the most popular form ofmercenary is the PMC (Private Military Contractor), which suppliessoldiers to governments to help them guard high profile targets, defendinstallations, train local police, and so on. Bounty Hunters are also still used by bail bondsmen to ensure that their clients go to court when they are supposed to.Soldier of Fortune Magazine is designed to be read by the mercenary.For more information, read:Military History Magazine (June 2003): Cossack Pirates in the Black Seawww.privatemilitary.orgCNN Special on MercenariesMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Soldiers of Fortune, or Mercenaries, have been used in war since the advent of war itself. The Persians, the Romans, the Greeks all used mercenaries in their armies. The trend continued into the middle ages when German Landsknechts and Swiss Pikemen were in high demand. Other famous mercenary groups include Cossacks, Ronin, and Pirates. Now, the standard definition of Mercenaries is given to us by Article 47 of Protocol I of the 1949 Geneva Convention, which states that mercenaries are neither combatants nor prisoners of war. Currently, the most popular form of mercenary is the PMC (Private Military Contractor), which supplies soldiers to governments to help them guard high profile targets, defend installations, train local police, and so on. Bounty Hunters are also still used by bail bondsmen to ensure that their clients go to court when they are supposed to.Soldier of Fortune Magazine is designed to be read by the mercenary.For more information, read:Military History Magazine (June 2003): Cossack Pirates in the Black Sea<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.privatemilitary.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.privatemilitary.org</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/o%09http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/17/spotlight/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CNN Special on Mercenaries</a>Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Soldiers of Fortune

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 History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine 

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 History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Napoleon (Major General-First Consul)

This episode begins withtwo victorious campaigns for Napoleon. The first was against theRussians and the Austrians (the Third Coalition), whom he defeated atthe Battle of Austerlitz (which is considered his greatest tacticalmasterpiece). Then, he defeated the Prussians and Russians in the Warof the Fourth Coalition at Friedland, Jena, and Eylau. However, thismarked the beginning of the end for Napoleon because he four majorcracks began to form within his empire: the failure of the ContinentalSystem against Britain, the prolonged guerilla uprising in Spain, theAustrian defense at the Battle of Wagram, and the failure of the longand harsh campaign into Russia.Once Napoleon was weak, theother nations formed a Sixth Coalition which finally defeated Napoleonat the Battle of the Nations. Napoleon lost much of his army and wasforced to abdicate once Paris was lost. He was exiled to Elba but latercame back and formed another army during the period known as the 100days. The 100 days ended with the Battle of Waterloo, in which the Dukeof Wellington (Britain) defeated Napoleon's inexperienced army.Napoleon was once again exiled, this time to St. Helena, where hestayed until his death. 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

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 Battle of Waterloo, in which the Duke of Wellington (Britain) defeated Napoleon's inexperienced army. Napoleon was once again exiled, this time to St. Helena, where he stayed until his death. 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 <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Napoleon (Emperor-Death)

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophetMohammad's top general.  Khalid commanded over 100 battles and neverlost, making him the most undefeated general in history.  He usuallyfought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as achampion dueler.  This is the first of a two-part episode.  This partwill cover Khalid's conquests of Arabia and Persia:Khalid ibn al-Walid originally fought with the Meccan Quraiysh tribeagainst Mohammad and the Muslims.  However, he converted after theBattle of the Trench and joined the forces of Mohammad.  His firstcampaign as a Muslim commander was into Ghassanid Territory to fightthe Battle of Mutah, in which he led an expert retreat after the firstthree Muslim commanders were killed.  His second campaign involvedattacking south and east in order to conquer the Arabian Peninsula.  Heparticipated in the conquest of Mecca and in the Battle of Hunayn.  After Mohammad's death, Abu Bakr took over and formed the RashidunCaliphate (the first of three great Islamic Empires with the other twobeing the Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasties).  Khalid led the campaign toreconquer all the tribes that left the Muslim confederation afterMohammad's death.  Specifically, he commanded the Muslims at the Battleof Yamama, which was fought against the "liar prophet", Musailima.After the Arabian Peninsula was retaken, Khalid was put in charge ofthe Rashidun invasion of Iraq (which was held by the SassanidPersians).  Some of the famous battles of the invasion include theBattle of Chains, the Battle of Ullais, the Battle of Hira, and theBattle of Al-Anbar.  However, the most famous is the Battle of Walaja,which is known as the eastern Battle of Cannae because of Khalid'ssuccessful double envelopment of the Persians.  To this day, Khalid andHannibal are the only ones to pull this off against a numericallysuperior force.  The Battle of Firaz is also important because Khaliddefeated a Persian army ten times his own (in numbers).  The second part of this episode will cover Khalid's exploits in Syria.For more information, read:Dictionary of Battles by David Chandlerhttp://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asp http://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htm http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25 http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htm http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walid http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htm http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206 http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspxMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophet Mohammad's top general.  Khalid commanded over 100 battles and never lost, making him the most undefeated general in history.  He usually fought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as a champion dueler.  This is the first of a two-part episode.  This part will cover Khalid's conquests of Arabia and Persia: Khalid ibn al-Walid originally fought with the Meccan Quraiysh tribe against Mohammad and the Muslims.  However, he converted after the Battle of the Trench and joined the forces of Mohammad.  His first campaign as a Muslim commander was into Ghassanid Territory to fight the Battle of Mutah, in which he led an expert retreat after the first three Muslim commanders were killed.  His second campaign involved attacking south and east in order to conquer the Arabian Peninsula.  He participated in the conquest of Mecca and in the Battle of Hunayn.  After Mohammad's death, Abu Bakr took over and formed the Rashidun Caliphate (the first of three great Islamic Empires with the other two being the Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasties).  Khalid led the campaign to reconquer all the tribes that left the Muslim confederation after Mohammad's death.  Specifically, he commanded the Muslims at the Battle of Yamama, which was fought against the "liar prophet", Musailima. After the Arabian Peninsula was retaken, Khalid was put in charge of the Rashidun invasion of Iraq (which was held by the Sassanid Persians).  Some of the famous battles of the invasion include the Battle of Chains, the Battle of Ullais, the Battle of Hira, and the Battle of Al-Anbar.  However, the most famous is the Battle of Walaja, which is known as the eastern Battle of Cannae because of Khalid's successful double envelopment of the Persians.  To this day, Khalid and Hannibal are the only ones to pull this off against a numerically superior force.  The Battle of Firaz is also important because Khalid defeated a Persian army ten times his own (in numbers).  The second part of this episode will cover Khalid's exploits in Syria. For more information, read: Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler <a href="http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asp</a> <a href="http://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htm</a> <a href="http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25</a> <a href="http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htm</a> <a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walid</a> <a href="http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htm</a> <a href="http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206</a> <a href="http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspx</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

The Sword of Allah (Part One)

Axis attacks and proposed attacks on the North American portion of theUnited States during WWII are often forgotten.  This episode explainsall of these little-known attacks:Japan:Occupied parts of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska for about one yearPlanned bombings of the Western United States via armed seaplanes    Sent 9000 bomb-filled balloons over to the United States to start forest fires/knock down power lines Germany:Created prototype long-distance bombers to bombard New York from Great BritainCreated long-range intercontinental rockets to bombard the US East CoastDeployed saboteurs in New York City via German submarines in the AtlanticAlmost attacked the Panama Canal after taking control of a Colombian airline Italy:Planned to send midget submarines and naval special forces into the Hudson RiverFor more information, read:Military History Magazine (June 2000): Aerial Attack on OregonMilitary History Magazine (August 2002): Perspectiveshttp://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,77031,00.html http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/guard-us/index.htm#contents Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the International Research and Publishing Corporation

Axis attacks and proposed attacks on the North American portion of the United States during WWII are often forgotten.  This episode explains all of these little-known attacks: <ul><li>Japan:</li><ul><li>Occupied parts of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska for about one year</li><li>Planned bombings of the Western United States via armed seaplanes </li><li>Sent 9000 bomb-filled balloons over to the United States to start forest fires/knock down power lines</li></ul> <li>Germany:</li><ul><li>Created prototype long-distance bombers to bombard New York from Great Britain</li><li>Created long-range intercontinental rockets to bombard the US East Coast</li><li>Deployed saboteurs in New York City via German submarines in the Atlantic</li><li>Almost attacked the Panama Canal after taking control of a Colombian airline</li></ul> <li>Italy:</li><ul><li>Planned to send midget submarines and naval special forces into the Hudson River</li></ul></ul>For more information, read: Military History Magazine (June 2000): Aerial Attack on Oregon Military History Magazine (August 2002): Perspectives <a href="http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,77031,00.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,77031,00.html</a> <a href="http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/guard-us/index.htm#contents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.army.mil/cmh/books/wwii/guard-us/index.htm#contents</a>  Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a> and the <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>

Axis Attacks on US Soil

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 Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler World Book (1992): Napoleon  Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine 

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 Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler World Book (1992): Napoleon Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

Napoleon (First Consul-Emperor)

Listen to "The Lion of the North"Gustavus Adolphus II the Great, the Lion of the North, was an innovatoras the king of Sweden and the commander of its armies.  His innovationsinclude the conscription system, the tribute system, the squadron-basedorganization system, the Swedish infantry weaponry, and the artilleryregiment system.  All of these useful improvements were demonstrated during the BalticCampaigns and during the Thirty Years War.  One example is the Battleof Breitenfield, in which he defeated a larger Holy Roman Empire Army,despite the fact that one of his allies fled during the battle.  He waskilled a few years later in another one of his victories, the Battle ofLutzen.  The Lion of the North (the name was given to him by Protestants inGermany) is, without a doubt, the greatest commander in Swedish historyand the greatest commander in the 1600s.  For more information, read:Military Anecdotes by Max HastingsDictionary of Battles by David ChandlerExtreme War by Terrence PoulosGalenet: Adolphus ABC-Clio: AdolphusMilitary 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 <a href="http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/History/hits?r=d&amp;origSearch=true&amp;bucket=gal&amp;o=&amp;tab=1&amp;n=10&amp;l=dR&amp;hdb=MW&amp;items=0&amp;tabMap=1&amp;c=2&amp;docNum=K1616000047&amp;sgPhrase=false&amp;locID=seat24826&amp;secondary=true&amp;t=RK&amp;s=1&amp;SU=Gustavus+Adolphus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Galenet: Adolphus</a> <a href="http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com/library/searches/searchdisplay.aspx?entryid=317182&amp;fulltext=Gustavus+Adolphus&amp;nav=non&amp;specialtopicid=-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ABC-Clio: Adolphus</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by: <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>, and <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/aam/reserves" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Axis and Allies Reserves</a>

The Lion of the North

Viktor Anatolyevich Bout is the world's most notorious arms dealersince the end of the Cold War.  His success lies in the fact thatRussia had many arms depots and planes lying around after the end ofthe arms race.  Bout was able to take advantage of this and build anair empire which could carry arms to all sides at a moments notice in areliable fashion.  Bout's clients include: the United States, theUnited Nations, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Taliban,Northern Alliance, Somalia, and so on.  Despite the INTERPOL warrantfor his arrest, Viktor Bout is still conducting both legal and illegaloperations because world leaders rely on him to do their dirty work forthem.  For more information, read:http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2006/11/09#segment68592 http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&amp;db=ulh&amp;AN=22995421&amp;site=ehost-liveMovie: Lord of War starring Nicolas CageMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and International Research and Publishing Corporation

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: <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2006/11/09#segment68592" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2006/11/09#segment68592</a> <a href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&amp;db=ulh&amp;AN=22995421&amp;site=ehost-live" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&amp;db=ulh&amp;AN=22995421&amp;site=ehost-live</a> Movie: Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a> and <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>

Merchant of Death

The following are five great traitors in American History:BenedictArnold: Conspired to hand West Point over to the British (an actionwhich would have greatly weakened the Continental's war effort duringthe American Revolution)Aaron Burr: Killed the Presidentand later conspired to rule over a Western American Empire (which wouldhave plunged the country into an East-West Civil War)John Anthony Walker: Led the Walker Spy Ring which sold ALL of the US war plans during the Vietnam War to the SovietsAldrichAmes: Revealed to the Soviets the names of ALL the American spiescurrently operating in the Soviet Union. Many of them would be killedas a result.Robert Hanssen: Revealed to the Soviets thelocation where American leaders would hide in the event of nuclear war.Also sold the US missile launch plans in the event of a nuclear war. For more information, read:US News and World Report (Jan 27, 2003): Spy Storieshttp://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.htmlhttp://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/ames/1.htmlhttp://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/walker/1.htmlhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2001-02-21-spydouble.htmMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The following are five great traitors in American History:<ul><li>Benedict Arnold: Conspired to hand West Point over to the British (an action which would have greatly weakened the Continental's war effort during the American Revolution)</li><li>Aaron Burr: Killed the President and later conspired to rule over a Western American Empire (which would have plunged the country into an East-West Civil War)</li><li>John Anthony Walker: Led the Walker Spy Ring which sold ALL of the US war plans during the Vietnam War to the Soviets</li><li>Aldrich Ames: Revealed to the Soviets the names of ALL the American spies currently operating in the Soviet Union. Many of them would be killed as a result.</li><li>Robert Hanssen: Revealed to the Soviets the location where American leaders would hide in the event of nuclear war. Also sold the US missile launch plans in the event of a nuclear war.</li></ul> For more information, read:US News and World Report (Jan 27, 2003): Spy Stories<a href="http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html</a><a href="http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/ames/1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/ames/1.html</a><a href="http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/walker/1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/walker/1.html</a><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2001-02-21-spydouble.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2001-02-21-spydouble.htm</a>Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

American Treason

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophetMohammad's top general. Khalid commanded over 100 battles and neverlost, making him the most undefeated general in history. He usuallyfought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as achampion dueler. This is the first of a two-part episode. This partwill cover Khalid's conquest of Byzantine Syria:Some famousbattles on the Syrian front include: Bosra, Ajnadayn, and Damascus. TheSiege of Damascus saw the first use of Khalid's unit of elitecavalrymen, the Mobile Guard. However, the greatest battle in thetheater was the Battle of Yarmouk. Khalid had removed from command byUmar (Abu Bakr's successor) but he still had operational commandbecause the nominal commander respected him so much. The Battle ofYarmouk was fought between 100,000 Byzantines and 30,000 Arabs along abattle line 12 miles long. After a series of significant duels(including one where Khalid personally persuaded an enemy commander toconvert to Islam), the main battle began. For the first few days, itwas a stalemate. Eventually, though, Khalid managed to maneuver hiscavalry all the way around the Byzantines and flank them.Soon after the battle, Umar, who believed that Khalid was gaining too much power, removed Khalid from command completely.For more information, read:Dictionary of Battles by David Chandlerhttp://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asphttp://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htmhttp://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htmhttp://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walidhttp://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htmhttp://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspxMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophet Mohammad's top general. Khalid commanded over 100 battles and never lost, making him the most undefeated general in history. He usually fought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as a champion dueler. This is the first of a two-part episode. This part will cover Khalid's conquest of Byzantine Syria:Some famous battles on the Syrian front include: Bosra, Ajnadayn, and Damascus. The Siege of Damascus saw the first use of Khalid's unit of elite cavalrymen, the Mobile Guard. However, the greatest battle in the theater was the Battle of Yarmouk. Khalid had removed from command by Umar (Abu Bakr's successor) but he still had operational command because the nominal commander respected him so much. The Battle of Yarmouk was fought between 100,000 Byzantines and 30,000 Arabs along a battle line 12 miles long. After a series of significant duels (including one where Khalid personally persuaded an enemy commander to convert to Islam), the main battle began. For the first few days, it was a stalemate. Eventually, though, Khalid managed to maneuver his cavalry all the way around the Byzantines and flank them.Soon after the battle, Umar, who believed that Khalid was gaining too much power, removed Khalid from command completely.For more information, read:Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler<a href="http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ezsoftech.com/islamic/ohod.asp</a><a href="http://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://islambyquestions.net/moreAbout/Hunayn.htm</a><a href="http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://islam.pakistanway.com/showtopic.aspx?topicid=266&amp;typeid=25</a><a href="http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/10_abu_bakr.htm</a><a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045249/Khalid-ibn-al-Walid</a><a href="http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Articles/companion/00_abu_bakr.htm</a><a href="http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1206</a><a href="http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.aspx</a>Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>

The Sword of Allah (Part Two)

Mao and the Chinese Communist Party's victory was both psychologicaland physical.  The psychological is a combination of power vacuum inrural China, the incompetency of the GMD, and the populist policies ofMao.  The majority of this episode is my opinion on why the finalreason is the most important.  The physical relies on 3 major campaignsconducted by the Communists: Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin.  The finalfew minutes of this episode discuss this Chinese Civil War (1945-1949).For more information, read:Mao's China and After by Maurice MeisnerDictionary of Battles by David ChandlerABC Clio: Chinese Civil WarMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by: Armchair General Magazine, International Research and Publishing Corporation, and Axis and Allies Reserves

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 <a href="http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com/library/searches/searchdisplay.aspx?entryid=309625&amp;fulltext=Chinese+Civil+war&amp;nav=non&amp;specialtopicid=-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ABC Clio: Chinese Civil War</a> Military History Podcast is sponsored by: <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>, and <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/aam/reserves" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Axis and Allies Reserves</a>

Chinese Communist Revolution

Urban warfare is adifferent style of warfare because an enemy could be hiding anywhere,each house must be cleared out individually, and no powerful weaponsmay be used out of fear for collateral damage. However, it isdisadvantageous to use because of the danger it puts your own civiliansin. Despite this, however, many weaker enemies resort to urban warfarein order to combat a powerful enemy. For this reason, the US hasdeveloped MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) training.TheBattle of Stalingrad (1942-43) in WWII is a prime example of urbanwarfare. It was initiated due to Operation Barbarossa, the German pusheastward towards Moscow. Stalingrad was a key target due to itssymbolic name and its industrial capacity. Initially, the Russiansunder Zhukov were almost completely pushed out of the city by Paulus'sSixth Army. However, powerful Russian tank, skilled Russian snipers,and masses of Russian soldiers (whose life expectancy was less than 24hours) fought back and even surrounded the Germans in Operation Uranus.Eventually, after a failed rescue attempt by Manstein's German Army,Paulus surrendered and the Russians won the battle.Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General MagazineFor more information, read:The Dictionary of Battles by David ChandlerThe Guinness Book of Military Blunders: Operation Barbarossa by Geoffrey Reganhttp://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/stalingrad/default.aspx

Urban warfare is a different style of warfare because an enemy could be hiding anywhere, each house must be cleared out individually, and no powerful weapons may be used out of fear for collateral damage. However, it is disadvantageous to use because of the danger it puts your own civilians in. Despite this, however, many weaker enemies resort to urban warfare in order to combat a powerful enemy. For this reason, the US has developed MOUT (Military Operations on Urban Terrain) training.The Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) in WWII is a prime example of urban warfare. It was initiated due to Operation Barbarossa, the German push eastward towards Moscow. Stalingrad was a key target due to its symbolic name and its industrial capacity. Initially, the Russians under Zhukov were almost completely pushed out of the city by Paulus's Sixth Army. However, powerful Russian tank, skilled Russian snipers, and masses of Russian soldiers (whose life expectancy was less than 24 hours) fought back and even surrounded the Germans in Operation Uranus. Eventually, after a failed rescue attempt by Manstein's German Army, Paulus surrendered and the Russians won the battle.Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a>For more information, read:The Dictionary of Battles by David ChandlerThe Guinness Book of Military Blunders: Operation Barbarossa by Geoffrey Reganhttp://<a href="http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/stalingrad/default.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/stalingrad/default.aspx</a>

Urban Warfare at Stalingrad

eriHistorians referenced in the episode: Gibbons, Vegetius, Bark, Toynbee, Ward-Perkins, Heather, McNeill, BuryComparisons between the fall of Rome and America now:Military ConquestRome: Conquest by Germans under Odoacer     Loss of IdentityRome: Germanization of Army and empireAmerica: Hispanic Immigration boom into army and country Loss of UnityRome: Eastern and Western Roman EmpiresAmerica: Country vs. City, Democrat vs. Republican Loss of Economic StrengthRome: Lack of gold, lack of exportable goods, income disparity    America: Outsourcing, economic decline, income disparity Loss of Military StrengthRome: Overextension, Middle East problemAmerica: Overextension, Iraq Loss of PopulationRome: Plague, Lead PoisoningAmerica: Avian Flu, Obesity Loss of Environmental SecurityRome: Salinization of North AfricaAmerica: Lack of oil security, global warming Loss of Civic Virtue:Rome: Laziness    This is purely an informational episode.  I am not trying to persuadeanybody or make any generalizations or make any predictions about thefuture.  I am trying to support famous claims, but this does not meanthat these claims are foolproof.  Feel free to comment with youropinions.For more information, read:Decline and Fall of the Roman Empireby Edward Gibbonshttp://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm2007 World AlmanacVanity Fair (October 2006): Empire FallsMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the International Research and Publishing Corporationca

eriHistorians referenced in the episode: Gibbons, Vegetius, Bark, Toynbee, Ward-Perkins, Heather, McNeill, Bury Comparisons between the fall of Rome and America now: <ul><li>Military Conquest</li><ul><li>Rome: Conquest by Germans under Odoacer </li></ul> <li>Loss of Identity</li><ul><li>Rome: Germanization of Army and empire</li><li>America: Hispanic Immigration boom into army and country</li></ul> <li>Loss of Unity</li><ul><li>Rome: Eastern and Western Roman Empires</li><li>America: Country vs. City, Democrat vs. Republican</li></ul> <li>Loss of Economic Strength</li><ul><li>Rome: Lack of gold, lack of exportable goods, income disparity </li><li>America: Outsourcing, economic decline, income disparity</li></ul> <li>Loss of Military Strength</li><ul><li>Rome: Overextension, Middle East problem</li><li>America: Overextension, Iraq</li></ul> <li>Loss of Population</li><ul><li>Rome: Plague, Lead Poisoning</li><li>America: Avian Flu, Obesity</li></ul> <li>Loss of Environmental Security</li><ul><li>Rome: Salinization of North Africa</li><li>America: Lack of oil security, global warming</li></ul> <li>Loss of Civic Virtue:</li><ul><li>Rome: Laziness </li></ul></ul>This is purely an informational episode.  I am not trying to persuade anybody or make any generalizations or make any predictions about the future.  I am trying to support famous claims, but this does not mean that these claims are foolproof.  Feel free to comment with your opinions. For more information, read: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons <a href="http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm</a> 2007 World Almanac Vanity Fair (October 2006): Empire Falls Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a> and the <a href="http://www.airwar.worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>ca

Ancient Rome and Modern America

1957 was defined by the Cold War and defined by the EisenhowerPresidency.  1957 was when Eisenhower was inaugurated for a second termin office, and during this term, the Eisenhower Doctrine (US defenseagainst all Soviet aggression), NASA, the European Economic Community,and the United States were all created.  Around this time, Eisenhowerwas also responsible for the ending of the Little Rock Nine Crisis, theend of Joseph McCarthy's Red Scare, the closing of the Science Gapbetween the US and the USSR (who was already a space power viaSputnik), the nomination of Earl Warren (14th Chief Justice), and so on.1957 was also the birth of my mom.  Happy Birthday, Mom.For more information, read:http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.htmlThe Timetables of HistoryThe World Almanac 2007The Cold War by Mike SewellMilitary History Podcast is sponsored by International Research and Publishing Corporation and Armchair General Magazine

1957 was defined by the Cold War and defined by the Eisenhower Presidency.  1957 was when Eisenhower was inaugurated for a second term in office, and during this term, the Eisenhower Doctrine (US defense against all Soviet aggression), NASA, the European Economic Community, and the United States were all created.  Around this time, Eisenhower was also responsible for the ending of the Little Rock Nine Crisis, the end of Joseph McCarthy's Red Scare, the closing of the Science Gap between the US and the USSR (who was already a space power via Sputnik), the nomination of Earl Warren (14th Chief Justice), and so on. 1957 was also the birth of my mom.  Happy Birthday, Mom. For more information, read: <a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/dwightdeisenhowerfarewell.html</a> The Timetables of History The World Almanac 2007 The Cold War by Mike Sewell Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a> and<a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Armchair General Magazine</a>

Eisenhower's 1957

China's People's Liberation Army is threatening to the United StatesArmed Forces because it is fighting a "People's War" (7 million Chinesetroops vs. 2.5 million US troops) under "modern conditions" (China'sGDP will exceed America's by 2011). China also has significantinternational backing from the UN, ASEAN, SCO, etc. Therefore, thesetwo superpowers are destined to clash in some way. When (analysis of each area is included in episode):Unconventional Warfare: US is way aheadAir Forces: US is aheadNaval Forces: US is aheadGroundForces: US is ahead, but China is quickly catching up (this means thatChina will be able to fight regional conflicts but not global ones) Where (analysis of each area is included in episode):TaiwanKazakhstanNorth KoreaMiddle EastIndiaSoutheast AsiaAccompanying powerpoint presentation is coming soon.For more information, read:http://www.comw.org/cmp/.Annual Report to Congress (2005): The Military Power of the People's Republic of China The Asian Conventional Military Balance (2006)Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the International Research and Publishing Corporation

China's People's Liberation Army is threatening to the United States Armed Forces because it is fighting a "People's War" (7 million Chinese troops vs. 2.5 million US troops) under "modern conditions" (China's GDP will exceed America's by 2011). China also has significant international backing from the UN, ASEAN, SCO, etc. Therefore, these two superpowers are destined to clash in some way. <ul><li>When (analysis of each area is included in episode):</li><ul><li>Unconventional Warfare: US is way ahead</li><li>Air Forces: US is ahead</li><li>Naval Forces: US is ahead</li><li>Ground Forces: US is ahead, but China is quickly catching up (this means that China will be able to fight regional conflicts but not global ones)</li></ul> <li>Where (analysis of each area is included in episode):</li><ul><li>Taiwan</li><li>Kazakhstan</li><li>North Korea</li><li>Middle East</li><li>India</li><li>Southeast Asia</li></ul></ul>Accompanying powerpoint presentation is coming soon. For more information, read:<a href="http://www.comw.org/cmp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.comw.org/cmp/</a>. <a href="http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/d20050719china.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Annual Report to Congress (2005): The Military Power of the People's Republic of China</a> <a href="http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/060626_asia_balance_powers.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Asian Conventional Military Balance (2006)</a>Military History Podcast is sponsored by <a href="http://www.armchairgeneral.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Armchair General Magazine</a> and the <a href="http://www.airwar-worldwar2.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Research and Publishing Corporation</a>

The Chinese PLA Threat

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