World War Two

S04 E39 · 2021-09-04 · 18 min

Week 158 - This War is Three Years Old - WW2 - September 4, 1942

As the war turns three there is is no slacking in the fighting. Erwin Rommel launches another Axis attack in North Africa, but it is foiled in only days, though the Axis are advancing in the Caucasus as well as on Stalingrad, where the fight for the suburbs is now beginning. They're also advancing in the South Pacific, as the Japanese fight their way along the Kokoda Trail.

S04 E40 · 2021-09-11 · 15 min

Week 159 - Hitler Finally Fed Up with his Army - WW2 - September 11, 1942

Adolf Hitler sacks Wilhelm List, Army Group Commander in the Caucasus. His replacement does not have military command experience. The fighting there is still successful this week, though, as is the advance through the suburbs of Stalingrad. The Japanese are advancing along the Kokoda Trail and on Guadalcanal, but the Axis attacks in North Africa have failed badly.

S04 E41 · 2021-09-18 · 13 min

Week 159B - Stalingrad, Hitler's Obsession - WW2 - September 13, 1942

Here's an extra weekly episode for you. The suburbs of Stalingrad have fallen and the fight for the city proper is about to begin, but before it does, three conferences take place that will decide the scope, the tactics, and the strategy of this battle.

S04 E42 · 2021-09-18 · 20 min

Week 160 - Stalingrad Falls? - WW2 - September 18, 1942

It's a big week, but by now they all are. The fighting in Stalingrad is intense, the fighting on Guadalcanal is intense, and the US loses a carrier in the Pacific. And the German quest for oil in the Caucasus... how's that going again?

S04 E43 · 2021-09-25 · 17 min

Week 161 - Stalingrad, Factory by Factory, Room by Room - WW2 - September 25, 1942

Franz Halder, German Army Chief of Staff since the war began, loses his job this week, but the offensive this summer has failed to gain any of its objectives and someone has to take the blame. In the Caucasus it's slowing to a crawl, and in Stalingrad the fighting is now block by block. Meanwhile, the Japanese are making new plans for a big offensive of their own, to take Guadalcanal once and for all.

S04 E44 · 2021-10-02 · 19 min

Week 162 - This is Russia, The Soviet Thermopylae - WW2 - October 2, 1942

The fighting for Stalingrad continues, but the Soviets forces are split and the Volga is on fire. In the Caucasus, the Axis forces for the most part are being held in check- at one point a single Soviet battalion holds off an entire Army Corps- but they're being pushed back on the Kokoda Trail in the South Seas.

S04 E45 · 2021-10-09 · 18 min

Week 163 - Stalingrad Thunderdome: Paulus vs. Chuikov! - WW2 - October 9, 1942

Things are looking pretty grim for Vassily Chuikov's 62nd Army in Stalingrad this week, as the German 6th Army launches its biggest series of attacks so far. The Axis are unable to get anywhere in the Caucasus, though, and the American Marines win a local victory over the Japanese on Guadalcanal, but everyone's thoughts there are on reinforcing and more reinforcing.

S04 E46 · 2021-10-16 · 20 min

Week 164 - Stalingrad, Stalingrad, No Retreat! - WW2 - October 16, 1942

The Americans win a naval victory off Guadalcanal and even manage to reinforce the Marines there with the first Army units to arrive, but as the week ends the Japanese launch a major offensive on the island. Meanwhile far across the globe, Adolf Hitler orders that all German offensive operations except those at Stalingrad and in the Caucasus cease. There is plenty to do in Stalingrad, though, because this week all hell breaks loose there.

S04 E47 · 2021-10-23 · 18 min

Week 165 - Showdown at El Alamein - WW2 - October 23, 1942

Could this be the beginning of the big break in North Africa? The Allies have the men, the armor, and the fuel... they just have to deal with the Axis minefields to try and get started. And the Axis are throwing ever more men at Stalingrad as the Soviets grimly hold on. Another roller coaster of a week.

S04 E48 · 2021-10-30 · 20 min

Week 166 - Nazi General Dies of Heart Attack - WW2 - October 30, 1942

The Allies may be on the verge of a breakthrough in North Africa, but they're losing at sea to the Japanese this week, and the Axis are also advancing in the Caucasus, though the street by street struggle at Stalingrad continues as always.

S04 E49 · 2021-11-06 · 18 min

Week 167 - The Allies Break Through! - WW2 - November 6, 1942

After all these months of fighting, the British 8th Army breaks through Erwin Rommel's Axis positions in North Africa, but the Allies have even bigger plans for that theater of war- a huge invasion of Vichy French North Africa to take place next week. The Soviets also have a plan for a huge invasion to take place very soon near Stalingrad, though the fighting in the city itself sees a lull the second half of this week.

S04 E50 · 2021-11-13 · 22 min

Week 168 - Axis and Allies Both Invade France - WW2 - November 13, 1942

Operation Torch goes off this week, the Allied invasion of French Northwest Africa, but this prompts the Germans to invade European France. This is the Allies first combined major offensive in the Western Hemisphere. The Germans launch another offensive of their own this week, though- Operation Hubertus in Stalingrad. And in the South Pacific, a major naval battle begins off Guadalcanal.

S04 E51 · 2021-11-20 · 19 min

Week 169 - The Red Army Kicks Ass - Operation Uranus! - WW2 - November 20th, 1942

After months of stubborn defense the time has finally come for the Soviet Counterstroke, but is it in time to save Stalingrad? And can the Allies reach Tunis and take all of North Africa before the Axis can reinforce?

S04 E52 · 2021-11-27 · 21 min

Week 170 - Bigger Than Uranus? - Mars - WW2 - November 27, 1942

Last week’s counterattack was just the beginning, for the Soviets launch another giant offensive this week. And things look bad for the Axis powers in the south of the USSR. Meanwhile in France, the French scuttle their navy rather than allow it to fall into German hands.

S04 E53 · 2021-12-04 · 19 min

Week 171 - Axis Armies Facing Starvation - WW2 - December 4, 1942

The Soviets have launched offensives on the entire eastern front and by now hundreds of thousands of men are surrounded at Stalingrad. The Japanese win a battle at sea, but are losing a war of attrition.

S04 E54 · 2021-12-11 · 20 min

Week 172 - One Year Since Pearl Harbour - WW2 - December 11, 1942

The Japanese try and fail to supply their starving soldiers. The Allies fail to break through in Tunisia and New Guinea. The fighting in the USSR is bloody, but the Axis prepare for a new offensive there.

S04 E55 · 2021-12-18 · 17 min

Week 173 - Guadalcanal Life Expectancy: 30 Days - WW2 - December 18, 1942

Just a few weeks ago massive offensives were launched in North Africa and the Soviet Union, against the Axis. These operations and offensives have now morphed into fully fledged campaigns, and the nature of these theatres of the war has been transformed.

S04 E56 · 2021-12-25 · 19 min

Week 174 - A Red Christmas - WW2 - December 25, 1942

The Soviet offensive Operation Mars is over; it has failed, but Operation Little Saturn has been such a success that the Axis are forced to cancel their own Operation, Winter Storm, which was to relieve the troops trapped in Stalingrad. They remain trapped because Adolf Hitler has now forbidden them from trying to break out. The Allies run into tough Axis defense in both Tunisia and on Guadalcanal, and a French bigwig is assassinated.

S05 E01 · 2022-01-01 · 20 min

Week 175 - And Now It's 1943... - WW2 - January 1st, 1943

The attrition cannot continue so the Japanese decide they will evacuate Guadalcanal, conceding the Solomon Islands to the Allies. The Allies are also conceding the Caucasus, and a naval battle in the far north convinces Hitler that he should scrap the entire German surface fleet. 1943 begins ominously for the Axis.

S05 E02 · 2022-01-08 · 17 min

Week 176 - A Soviet Offensive Along the Entire Front? - WW2 - January 8th, 1943

Things look grim for the Germans, surrounded at Velikie Luki and Stalingrad and with no real help of relief. The Soviets are, in fact, making plans for attacks all along the front, as are the Americans to push the Japanese off of Guadalcanal.

S05 E03 · 2022-01-15 · 20 min

Week 177 - Food for Leningrad, Breaking the Siege! - WW2 - January 15th, 1943

Soviet attacks are launched this week to destroy the Hungarians, all while the German desperation at Stalingrad and Velikie Luki continues, but in the far north the Soviets have broken through the siege of Leningrad after 16 months. And the Casablanca Conference begins, a meeting to guide the war’s future progress.

S05 E04 · 2022-01-22 · 20 min

Week 178 - Hitler's Interference is Losing the War - WW2 - January 22, 1943

This is a rough week for the Germans- their trapped garrison at Velikie Luki is liquidated, and their trapped army at Stalingrad is... well, it isn't going well for them. In fact, it isn't going well for the Axis anywhere this week, being pushed back or retreating in New Guinea, the Caucasus, North Africa, and on Guadalcanal. Berlin is even bombed this week as well.

S05 E05 · 2022-01-29 · 20 min

Week 179 - Time to Fire Rommel? - WW2 - January 29, 1943

The Allies are unable to win in Tunisia, though further east Bernard Montgomery has achieved his goal of driving the enemy out of Libya. To the west, the Casablanca Conference comes to its end and the Allies write a list of their war priorities. The Soviets, however, are on the move everywhere, closing in on Stalingrad, and launching new operations up and down the eastern front, to the dismay and detriment of the Axis forces.

S05 E06 · 2022-01-30 · 15 min

Week 179B - Stalingrad: Endgame - WW2 - January 31, 1943

The Allies are unable to win in Tunisia, though further east Bernard Montgomery has achieved his goal of driving the enemy out of Libya. To the west, the Casablanca Conference comes to its end and the Allies write a list of their war priorities. The Soviets, however, are on the move everywhere, closing in on Stalingrad, and launching new operations up and down the eastern front, to the dismay and detriment of the Axis forces.

S05 E07 · 2022-02-05 · 21 min

Week 180 - Guadalcanal, A New Offensive - WW2 - February 5, 1943

This week sees the 10th anniversary of Hitler's ascension to power in Germany, but while there may be celebrations and speeches in Germany, the Battle of Stalingrad comes to its end with the surrender of the German 6th Army. The Soviets are on the move all over, launching yet more winter offensives. It is the Axis who are attacking in Tunisia, and in the Solomon Islands... well, the Allies aren't sure what the Japanese are up to.

S05 E08 · 2022-02-05 · 16 min

Week 181 - Victory at Guadalcanal - WW2 - February 12, 1943

Operation KE, the Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal, concludes this week and the campaign has been a big loss for the Japanese. The Axis forces are also withdrawing- and the Red Army advancing- in the Donbas and the Caucasus, closing in on both Kharkov and Rostov. And a front that's been quiet for a while, the Burma front, begins heating up again with an Allied advance out of India.

S05 E09 · 2022-02-19 · 17 min

Week 182 - Can the Red Army Capture Hitler? - WW2 - February 19, 1943

The Red Army liberates both Rostov and Kharkov this week, but their advancing spearheads are close to an even bigger prize, Adolf Hitler himself. It is the Axis, however, who are both advancing and consolidating in Tunisia, and gearing up for new offensive actions next week.

S05 E10 · 2022-02-26 · 18 min

Week 183 - The Blitzkrieg is Back - WW2 - February 26, 1943

Erich von Manstein's Axis counterattack on the Eastern Front begins this week and right away smashes through the Red Army lines, threatening all the recent Soviet gains. The Allies- the Americans- also suffer a big defeat in Tunisia at the Kasserine Pass, though in the Pacific it is the Americans who occupy the Russell Islands.

S05 E11 · 2022-03-05 · 19 min

Week 184 - Another Naval Disaster for Japan - WW2 - March 5, 1943

The Japanese again fail to reinforce New Guinea, losing many transport ships, and their forces there are ever more isolated. In Tunisia the Axis lose a bunch of new Tiger tanks, but in the Soviet Union it is the Axis forces that are on the offensive as Erich von Manstein's offensive continues.

S05 E12 · 2022-03-12 · 16 min

Week 185 - Rommel Leaves Africa - March 12, 1943

Erwin Rommel loses his command and leaves Tunisia, while change in American command there puts George Patton in charge. On the ground the Axis lose the Battle of Medenine, but in the Soviet Union, Axis forces are on the move and heading for Kharkov.

S05 E13 · 2022-03-19 · 19 min

Week 186 - Kharkov Falls Once Again - WW2 - March 19, 1943

The twin prizes of Kharkov and Belgorod fall to Erich von Manstein's German forces this week, but this is a week of preparations- the Americans and New Zealanders are on the move in North Africa so everyone can attack next week, and in the USSR Hitler plans for the Kursk salient to be eliminated. He might not survive to see that happen, since there is an attempt on his life- a failed one- this week, and there may well be more to come.

S05 E14 · 2022-03-26 · 19 min

Week 187 - American Army Finally Does Something Right - WW2 - March 26, 1943

The British are attacking the Mareth Line in North Africa while the Americans hit the Axis flank, but the Allies are withdrawing in Burma. It's the Germans who are pulling back in the USSR, though, and there is another attempt from within German Command to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

S05 E15 · 2022-04-01 · 10 min

Week 187B - The End of Hydra? - WW2 - April 1, 1943

The phantom submarine that has been savaging both Japanese and Allied shipping in the South Pacific is tracked to Hydra Island, Baron von Strucker's base. The fighting for it is a tough hand-to-hand combat, as Japanese and American soldiers ally with each other in the face of a common enemy.

S05 E16 · 2022-04-02 · 18 min

Week 188 - Patton Has a Plan, and it's Bad - WW2 - April 2, 1943

American attacks in Tunisia meet with local disaster, but in general the Axis forces are withdrawing there. The Allies learn about the German rocketry plans this week, and both sides are making plans for action in the Pacific.

S05 E17 · 2022-04-09 · 18 min

Week 189 - Mussolini is Tired of War - WW2 - April 9th, 1943

Adolf Hitler meets with Benito Mussolini to hopefully restore his flagging morale and convince him that the Axis can hold out in North Africa, but the situation there grows more precarious and this week there the Allies advancing from the west and the east link up for the first time. The Axis are also holding out in the Caucasus, as new Soviet attacks to take Krymskaya begin.

S05 E18 · 2022-04-16 · 19 min

Week 190 - Kursk - The Next Great Battle? - WW2 - April 16, 1943

The Allies have one chance left to catch the Axis forces in Tunisia before they can reach the Tunis defences, in the USSR both the Axis and Soviets are making plans for a fight near Kursk, and in the skies, in the South Pacific a Japanese aerial offensive ends and Yamamoto himself flies off to congratulate his pilots.

S05 E19 · 2022-04-23 · 19 min

Week 191 - Ladies and Gentlemen, We Got Him - Yamamoto - WW2 - April 23, 1943

The mastermind of Pearl Harbor meets his fate this week in the Solomons, as do a great many Italian airmen and sailors in the Mediterranean in the Palm Sunday Massacre trying to supply the desperate Axis forces in Tunisia.

S05 E20 · 2022-04-30 · 17 min

Week 192 - The Race for Tunisia Turns into a Crawl - WW2 - April 30, 1943

The Allies launch a deception operation to hide their intent of soon attacking Sicily, but first, they'll actually have to secure Tunisia, and it is slow going. A German offensive in the Caucasus grinds to a halt, and German U-Boats are suddenly finding themselves unable to destroy Allied shipping in the Atlantic.

S05 E21 · 2022-05-07 · 17 min

Week 193 - Kilroy was Here! The Fall of Tunis - WW2 - May 7, 1943

Tunis falls to the Allies, but the Axis are still fighting back from their little corner of Tunisia. There is more of the seemingly endless fighting in the Kuban in the Caucasus, and the Chinese Theater comes to life with a new Japanese offensive.

S05 E22 · 2022-05-14 · 17 min

Week 194 - The End of the War in Africa - WW2 - May 14, 1943

With the end of the Tunisian Campaign, the Allies have won the war for the African Continent. What next? They meet at the Trident Conference in Washington DC to try and figure that out. Meanwhile, the fight in the field continues - in Burma, the Aleutians, China, and the Kuban.

S05 E23 · 2022-05-21 · 16 min

Week 195 - Wrapping up the North African Campaign - WW2 - May 21, 1943

The Allies have won the battle for Africa, but now they have nearly 250,000 POWs to care for, and do not have the facilities to do so. The Trident Conference continues in Washington to try and decide the direction of the Allied war effort, but they launch the Dambuster Raids this week in Germany to try and cripple German water power - and thus, industry - with a new type of bomb.

S05 E24 · 2022-05-28 · 18 min

Week 196 - Black May, Nazi Subs Defeated - WW2 - May 28, 1943

German Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz orders the U-Boats to leave the Atlantic this week; the losses lately have just been too great for their patrols to continue there. There is active fighting in China, the Aleutians, and the Kuban, and there are special weapons tests in the skies over Germany.

S05 E25 · 2022-06-04 · 19 min

Week 197 - Banzai Charges in Alaska - WW2 - June 4, 1943

The Chinese defeat the Japanese at Shipai Fortress and the Americans maul the Japanese in the Aleutians. The Japanese are also worried about the possibility of the USSR joining the war against them. Meanwhile the Allies still plan to invade Sicily, but have no idea what they'll do after that.

S05 E26 · 2022-06-11 · 17 min

Week 198 - Eisenhower Lays Out His Plans for Sicily - WW2 - June 11, 1943

The Allies bomb Mediterranean islands in preparation for their invasion of Sicily next month; they also prepare a lot of deceptions to mislead the enemy as to where they will attack. The German plans for the summer offensive against the Kursk Salient are ever more concrete, and in the field this week, the Chinese stop the Japanese offensive cold.

S05 E27 · 2022-06-18 · 17 min

Week 199 - Kursk: Soviets Dig-In for Blitzkrieg - WW2 - June 18, 1943

The Soviets have put civilians to work by the hundreds of thousands, building line after line of defenses in the Kursk Salient, where they are sure the Germans are soon to attack. Meanwhile the Allies are making moves in preparations for two big upcoming offensives of their own- in Sicily and the Central Solomon Islands.

S05 E28 · 2022-06-25 · 17 min

Week 200 - Two Hundred Weeks of War - WW2 - June 25, 1943

The Allies make some preliminary moves ahead of their next big operation in the Solomon Island as well as a few before their impending invasion of Sicily. Meanwhile, in the Soviet Union, Soviet citizens are laying over a million mines in anticipation of the impending German attack at Kursk.

S05 E29 · 2022-07-02 · 16 min

Week 201 - Tougher than Guadalcanal: New Georgia - July 2, 1943

The Allies begin the next phase of their Solomon Islands offensives, the invasion of New Georgia, even as the regional fighting continues on New Guinea. Adolf Hitler schedules his summer Kursk offensive for July 5th, and the Allied invasion of Sicily is set for July 10th.

S05 E30 · 2022-07-10 · 21 min

Week 202 - Kursk, When Titans Clash - July 9, 1943

Adolf Hitler launches his huge summer offensive in the USSR, Operation Citadel, known as the Battle of Kursk. Men in the millions clash. The Allies New Georgia campaign continues in the Solomons, both on land and with fighting at sea this week, and the preliminary actions begin for the Allied invasion of Sicily, scheduled to go off tomorrow

S05 E31 · 2022-07-13 · 17 min

Week 202 B - Prokhorovka: An Avalanche of Armor - WW2 - July 13, 1943

As dawn broke on 12th July 1943, the spearheads of the German II SS Panzer Corps and the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army were shuffling into their positions. The battle of Zitadelle was entering a pivotal moment. Would the elite of the German Panzers finally achieve a breakthrough into open country? Or would the might of the Soviet Tank Army break them in a pre-emptive attack? The battle and fate of Operation Zitadelle was to be decided in front of a small village called Prokhorovka.

S05 E32 · 2022-07-16 · 21 min

Week 203 - Who Let the Dogs Out?! - The Invasion of Sicily - WW2 - July 16, 1943

The Allies have begun their fight to take back Western Europe with Operation Husky. That's not the only news though. They are also trying to extend their foothold in the Solomons, and Germany and the USSR continue smashing into one another at Kursk.

S05 E33 · 2022-07-23 · 17 min

Week 204 - After a Victory at Kursk, The Soviets Attack Everywhere - WW2 - July 23, 1943

The Allied invasion of Italy powers on and puts the future of a key axis power at play. In the USSR, the Soviets have learnt to deal with German offensives, as the Wehrmacht struggles to make a dent.

S05 E34 · 2022-07-30 · 16 min

Week 205 - Mussolini Falls from Power - WW2 - July 30, 1943

The Allied advance on Sicily continues, though they're really gearing up for operations next week. The Soviet advances around in the USSR and in New Georgia also continue, with the enemy deciding to withdraw in both; Allied firebombing kills tens of thousands of German civilians, but the big news is still the fall of Benito Mussolini from power in Italy.

S05 E35 · 2022-08-06 · 20 min

Week 206 - Allied Tidal Wave in Romania - WW2 - August 6, 1943

The Allies bomb the Romanian oil fields, a major Axis source of oil, but it does not go well for the attackers. They do advance in both Sicily and the Solomon Islands- where a future President has one heck of an adventure, and in the USSR a huge Soviet counter offensive begins, taking Belgorod after just a few days and threatening Kharkov.

S05 E36 · 2022-08-13 · 20 min

Week 207 - Manstein Goes Great War Style - WW2 - August 13, 1943

From Sicily to Spas-Demensk, the Axis continue conceding ground to the Allies this week. But the fighting is still tough. The Wehrmacht has halted the Red Army offensive in the Kuban, and the British and American Armies have neither the strength nor the willpower to press the advantage against Axis troops retreating to the Italian mainland.

S05 E37 · 2022-08-20 · 19 min

Week 208 - Sicily Liberated; Italy in the Firing Line - WW2 - August 20, 1943

The British and Americans race for Messina to complete the conquest of Sicily- who will reach it first? On New Guinea, the Allies destroy a substantial Japanese air force; there are several major Allied air raids over Europe, the fighting in the USSR around Kharkov is brutal and costly for both sides, and a secret Allied leadership conference in Quebec begins to determine the course of the war. Busy week.

S05 E38 · 2022-08-27 · 20 min

Week 209 - Kharkov Changes Hands for the Fourth Time - WW2 - August 27, 1943

As the war grows ever more ferocious, some people are unfortunate enough to see the front line arrive to their villages, towns, and cities multiple times.

S05 E39 · 2022-09-03 · 16 min

Week 210 - The War is Four Years Old this Week - WW2 - September 3, 1943

Four years of war and no real end in sight, but as the week ends the Allies land their first troops on Italy, actively committing themselves to a front in Western Europe. In the USSR the Soviets are taking heavy casualties but still pushing back the enemy with big partisan help and in Pacific plans are made for offensive against yet more Japanese held islands.

S05 E40 · 2022-09-10 · 15 min

Week 211 - The Allies' Latest Victory - WW2 - September 1943

Dwight Eisenhower publicly announces the secret armistice signed last week, and Italy is now officially out of the war. The Italian Fleet sails for Malta and Allied captivity. The Allies have landed in force in Southern Italy and they do face some heavy opposition from German forces- who have no intention of giving up Italy. In the USSR, though, the Soviets continue liberating territory all over Ukraine as they force the Germans back to the Dnieper River.

S05 E41 · 2022-09-17 · 18 min

Week 212 - Jailbreak! Mussolini on the Loose Again! - WW2 - September 17, 1943

S05 E42 · 2022-09-24 · 19 min

Week 213 - Red Army Reaches the Dnieper - WW2 - September 24, 1943

Benito Mussolini proclaims a new fascist republic in Italy, but this time it is a full puppet state to Germany. There is scattered fighting around Italy and the Dodecanese- including a massacre of Italian POWs, but the big Allied advances this week are the Australians in New Guinea and the Soviets retaking their own territory. They take ground, in fact, from near Smolensk all the way south to the Sea of Azov.

S05 E43 · 2022-10-01 · 20 min

Week 214 - Smolensk and Naples Liberated! Both in Ruins - WW2 - October 1, 1943

Major prizes are taken by the Allies this week on two fronts- Naples in Italy and Smolensk in the USSR, but they are advancing all over the Eastern Front, across the Italian peninsula, and in the South Seas, but the enemy is leaving a trail of destruction as he pulls back.

S05 E44 · 2022-10-08 · 17 min

Week 215 - Could the Soviets Cut Off Crimea? - WW2 - October 8, 1943

The Germans booby-trapped Naples when they evacuated last week and local civilians now pay the price. In the Mediterranean, Kos falls to the Germans while Corsica is liberated by the French. There is action all along the Dnieper in the USSR, and the Australians advance in New Guinea, and the Japanese evacuate Vella Lavella in the Solomons.

S05 E45 · 2022-10-15 · 19 min

Week 216 - Zaporizhzhia! - WW2 - October 15, 1943

The Allies begin an aerial bombing campaign against the Japanese base at Rabaul. It has big success, though Allied bombing in Europe this week achieves big failure. The Allied advance in Italy is slowing down to a crawl, but in the USSR the advance across the Dnieper continues, specifically at the Zaporozhe bridgehead.

S05 E46 · 2022-10-22 · 17 min

Week 217 - Stalin Agrees to the United Nations - WW2 - October 22, 1943

A Conference in Moscow lays out some postwar plans of the Allies, but the war has to be won first. The Allies fight their way across both the Dnieper and Volturno Rivers, but the going looks like it's going to be tougher after the crossings. Meanwhile, in the South Seas the Japanese change plans in the face of Allied advances over there.

S05 E47 · 2022-10-29 · 19 min

Week 218 - Fresh German Armour in the USSR! - WW2 - October 29, 1943

Erich von Manstein finally gets the reserve armor he's been begging Hitler for, so he can carry out his counteroffensive in Ukraine. The Soviets are still on the move themselves though. In Italy, though, the Allies are moving at a crawl since the Germans have mined and booby trapped everything. There's also new action in the Solomons and a celebration in Japan.

S05 E48 · 2022-11-05 · 20 min

Week 219 - Allies Launch New Phase in Pacific War - WW2 - November 5, 1943

The Allies hit the beaches of Bougainville, largest and last of the Solomon Islands. They create and expand a beachhead there and also win battles there at sea and in the skies. In the USSSR, the Soviets are closing in on Kiev and in the south have isolated the Crimea, but in spite of that, Adolf Hitler issues a new directive that Germany's focus for the future should be in the west and the threat of an Allied invasion there.

S05 E49 · 2022-11-12 · 18 min

Week 220 - Kiev Liberated! Celebrations in Moscow! - WW2 - November 12, 1943

The Red Army has driven the Axis forces out of Kiev, third largest city in the USSR. The Allies are also advancing, albeit slowly and at great cost, in Italy, but in the South Pacific, they launch a massive air strike against Rabaul... and what is the result? Watch and find out.

S05 E50 · 2022-11-19 · 18 min

Week 221 - A Conspiracy to Kill America's President? - WW2 - November 19, 1943

A torpedo attack against the President; a Marine invasion in the central Pacific that turns very bloody in a hurry; German counterattacks in the Soviet Union; a bombing raid in Italy against a secret weapons site- all of that this week.

S05 E51 · 2022-11-26 · 23 min

Week 222 - The Costliest Day in US Marine History - WW" - November 26, 1943

The Americans attack the Gilbert Islands this week, and though they successfully take Tarawa and Makin Atolls, it is VERY costly in lives, and show that the Japanese are not going to be defeated easily. They also have a naval battle in the Solomons. Fighting continues in the Soviet Union and Italy, and an Allied conference takes place in Cairo, a prelude for a major one in Teheran next week.

S05 E52 · 2022-12-03 · 19 min

Week 223 - Operation Overlord Confirmed at Teheran - WW2 - December 3, 1943

The Teheran Conference is in full swing and the Allied leadership and plan for a cross channel invasion of Europe is agreed upon by Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt. There are new Allied attacks across Italy, but further at Bari a German air raid releases deadly poison gas.

S05 E53 · 2022-12-10 · 19 min

Week 224 - An Amphibious Landing to Take Rome? - WW2 - December 10, 1943

There are plans afoot to hit the enemy from behind in Italy. Allied leaders are meeting again in Cairo to go over other plans, notably what to do about China and Burma. There is active fighting on two fronts in Italy too, though this week it doesn't go particularly well for the Allies. Attacks in the USSR are unsuccessful for the Soviets, but do well for the Germans, and there are Allied attacks by air in the Marshall Islands and over France.

S05 E54 · 2022-12-17 · 19 min

Week 225 - A Super Bomber to Break Japan - WW2 - December 17, 1943

This war has now lasted as long as the Great War did, but there's no signs of it slowing. The Soviets have three offensives going on on the Eastern Front, in Italy the Allies are attacking at San Pietro and over the Moro River, in the Pacific there are Allied landings on New Britain, but in Pacific Command, the big talk is all about a new super bomber.

S05 E55 · 2022-12-24 · 20 min

Week 226 - Stalin's Christmas Surprise - Major Offensive to Come - WW2 - December 24, 1943

Twas the night before Christmas and the war was grinding on. The Moro River Campaign continues in Italy with Canadian infantry pushing past the Gully and into 'Little Stalingrad'. Generally, the Allied advance to Rome is turning into a stalemate though, but Winston Churchill still believes an amphibious landing is the way to break this. Joseph Stalin also has some pretty big plans to bring the USSR back to its pre-Barbarossa borders. In the Pacific, there is attrition over Rabaul and stalemate on Bougainville.

S05 E56 · 2022-12-31 · 18 min

Week 227 - Canadians Take Little Stalingrad - WW2 - December 31, 1943

1943 reaches its end with no end in sight for the war. In Italy, the Canadians take Ortona after bloody close fighting, the US Marines advance on New Britain, and a new Soviet offensive makes huge gains in the USSR. This isn't enough for the Allies, though, who have a big shake up in their European Command to help prepare for future attacks.

S06 E01 · 2023-01-07 · 17 min

Week 228 - "Russians 27 Miles from Poland" - WW2 - January 7, 1944

That's what the headlines say as the Red Army continues its advance in Ukraine. There are also plans afoot for a northern offensive to end the siege of Leningrad. There are also plans afoot for an Allied amphibious attack in Italy at Anzio. Both of these are set to go off within a couple weeks, so January promises to be full of active conflict.

S06 E02 · 2023-01-14 · 18 min

Week 229 - Time to Liberate Leningrad! - January 14, 1944

Three Soviet Fronts launch major offensives to try and finally free Leningrad, under siege for nearly two and a half years now. The Soviets are, in fact, making attacks along most of the Eastern Front. In the South Pacific, the Allies step up their aerial assault to wreck Rabaul's air power, thus neutralizing it as a base.

S06 E03 · 2023-01-21 · 18 min

Week 230 - Monte Cassino, the Battle Begins - WW2 - January 21, 1944

The Allies have reached the linchpin of the German defenses in Italy, but a first attack proves disastrous. It does, though, divert troops from where they soon plan to make landings behind enemy lines. Meanwhile in the USSR, the huge Soviet offensive in the north makes great gains against the stunned Axis forces.

S06 E04 · 2023-01-28 · 19 min

Week 231 - Anzio Begins - Allies Already Pinned Down - WW2 - January 28, 1944

Some big news is the Allies amphibious offensive to hit the Germans behind their lines at Anzio in Italy, some other big news is that after nearly two and a half years, the Soviets have broken the siege of Leningrad and their twin northern offensives keep pushing back the enemy. Yet more big news is that the Soviets have managed to surround and cut off over 50,000 Axis troops near Korsun. This is one big week of action!

S06 E05 · 2023-02-04 · 21 min

Week 232 - Leningrad: NO STEP BACK! - WW2 - February 4, 1944

The Allies begin a new operation in the Pacific this week: assaulting the Marshall Islands. They also make big attacks from their beachhead in Italy at Anzio, but these are called off after only a few days in the face of heavy enemy resistance. However, in the USSR there's several successes against the Axis, as they are pushed back both in the far north and the far south of the front, and still surrounded near Korsun.

S06 E06 · 2023-02-11 · 20 min

Week 233 - German Desperation in Korsun Pocket - February 11, 1944

It is crisis mode in the Korsun Pocket this week for the Axis troops surrounded, but they are also losing ground all over the Eastern Front this week, including the big prize of Nikopol. In Italy, it is a different story as the Germans play offense at Anzio, though with only small gains.

S06 E07 · 2023-02-18 · 21 min

Week 234 - The Destruction of Mote Cassino - WW2 - February 18, 1944

The Allies bomb the monastery atop Monte Cassino in Italy, but just to the Northwest it's the Germans attacking them at Anzio this week. In the Soviet Union, the Axis break out of the Korsun Pocket, but at great cost, and in the Pacific comes a major Allied raid on the Japanese base at Truk and landings on Eniwetok Atoll.

S06 E08 · 2023-02-25 · 21 min

Week 235 - Tojo Takes Control - WW2 - February 25, 1944

Now that the Americans have seized the Marshall Islands, they can bypass the Japanese base at Truk. This impels Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to shake up both army and navy command, and he even takes personal control over the Japanese Army. On the Anzio Front, Lucian Truscott replaces John Lucas as Allied Commander. In the field, the Allies win a big victory in Burma, and in Ukraine, the Soviets are still on the move.

S06 E09 · 2023-03-04 · 18 min

Week 236 - MacArthur and Nimitz Go Head-to-Head - WW" - March 4, 1944

The American attacks against the Admiralty Islands are successful, but this causes real tensions between Commanders Douglas MacArthur and Chester Nimitz. Much of this week is taken up by planning and meetings on both sides, actually- Adolf Hitler plans the occupation of Hungary, Josef Stalin plans new offensives in Ukraine, and the Allies plan to reconfigure their whole front in Italy. It's all the prelude to an explosion of action.

S06 E10 · 2023-03-11 · 22 min

Week 237 - Zhukov Hits the Ground Running - WW2 - Marc 11, 1944

The Soviets launch not one, not two, but three offensives in Ukraine this week, designed to destroy the entire southern wing of the German forces. The Japanese counterattack against the Americans on Bougainville finally begins after months of preparations, but there are more Japanese attacks elsewhere that get going: the operation to invade India.

S06 E11 · 2023-03-18 · 20 min

Week 238 - The Japanese Invade India! - WW2 - March 18, 1944

Operation U-Go, Renya Mutaguchi's invasion of India, is in full swing this week, as his men aim at Imphal and Kohima; three Soviets Fronts batter their way through the Axis positions all over Ukraine; and there is a huge Allied bombing campaign at Cassino in Italy, which mistakenly kills a lot of Allied soldiers. That's one busy week.

S06 E12 · 2023-03-25 · 20 min

Week 239 - Germany Invades Hungary - WW2 - March 25, 1944

Germany occupies Hungary this week to prevent any possible Hungarian defection from the war, the Soviets continue pushing back the Axis in Ukraine, pressing them ever more toward Romania, the Japanese advance on Imphal and Kohima continues, but Allied attacks in Italy and Japanese ones on Bougainville come to their ends.

S06 E13 · 2023-04-01 · 21 min

Week 240 - Goodbye Manstein... Hello Model - WW" - April 1, 1944

As the Allies prepare to close in on Germany from all fronts, a shake up of the German military leadership can only achieve so much...

S06 E14 · 2023-04-08 · 22 min

Week 241 - New Offensive in the Crimea - WW2 - April 8, 1944

The Soviets are finally going to try and push the Axis out of Sevastopol and the Crimea. They also continue to drive the Axis back in Transnistria. Over in Burma and Northeastern India, the Japanese have the Allies under siege at not one, but two towns, and are also attacking Imphal from several points, but the Japanese have way bigger future plans up their sleeves in China.

S06 E15 · 2023-04-15 · 22 min

Week 242 - 4,000 German Teens Trapped in Tarnopol - WW2 - April 15, 1944

Thousands of German soldiers, mostly new teenage recruits, are obeying Hitler's 'Fortress Directive' and are surrounded in Tarnopol; it does not go well for them. German forces in Ukraine manage to all pull back across the Dniester, but they are under serious pressure in the Crimea. Meanwhile, in India, the Japanese siege of Kohima continues, and in China they are poised to launch a gigantic offensive.

S06 E16 · 2023-04-22 · 19 min

Week 243 - The Biggest Offensive in Japanese History - WW2 - April 22, 1944

Japan Launches Operation Ichigo in China, their largest offensive of the war... or ever, but over in India things are not going well for the Japanese at Imphal and Kohima. The Allies also launch attacks on the Japanese at Hollandia, while over in the Crimea, the German defenses at Sevastopol are cracking under Soviet pressure.

S06 E17 · 2023-04-29 · 22 min

Week 244 - Germany's Existential Crisis - WW2 - April 29, 1944

The fighting at Kohima is up close, personal, and vicious, as it is at Imphal. The Allies consolidate their gains at Hollandia, the Japanese are advancing in Central China, and it seems like the Chinese Nationalist Army has lost the support of the civilian population. This might not surprise you when we take a closer look.

S06 E18 · 2023-05-06 · 21 min

Week 245 - Total Chaos on the Chinese Front! - WW2 - May6, 1944

A command crisis in the Chinese Nationalist Army benefits the Japanese invaders, in Italy, Mark Clark spends his birthday planning new offensives, the Japanese are pushing for Imphal, and the Soviets for Sevastopol- another busy week of the war!

S06 E19 · 2023-05-13 · 22 min

Week 246 - Victory at Sevastopol! - WW2 - May 13, 1944

The Soviets push the Axis out of the Crimea this week once and for all. In Italy, the Allies launch a major offensive, and the French make a breakthrough there by week's end. In China, the Japanese are aiming at Luoyang, but in India at Kohima they're slowly being pushed back.

S06 E20 · 2023-05-20 · 21 min

Week 247 - The Fall of Monte Cassino - WW2 - May 20, 1944

In Italy, the Allies finally overcome Monte Cassino and break through the Gustav Line; in Burma Merrill's Marauders surprise the Japanese and take Myitkyina Airfield; in China, it's the Japanese who are playing offense, as Operation Ichi Go and the siege of Luoyang continue. That's the field action, but there's big planning behind the scenes for major June offensives going on by both the Western Allies and the Soviets.

S06 E21 · 2023-05-27 · 19 min

Week 248 - Breakout from Anzio! - WW2 - May 27, 1944

After four month, the Allies breakout from their bridgehead at Anzio and meet with the advancing troops heading north after the fall of Monte Cassino last week. The Japanese begin phase two of their big operation in China, and both the Soviets and the Western Allies continue making plans for their massive June offensives to squeeze the Axis from both sides of Europe.

S06 E22 · 2023-06-04 · 22 min

Week 249 - The Allies are Driving for Rome - WW2 - June 3, 1944

The Allies head north in Italy after the fall of Monte Cassino last week; the Japanese head south in China in a new phase of their offensive; and the Soviets and the Western Allies make ever more concrete plans for their huge offensives, to go off very soon.

S06 E23 · 2023-06-10 · 24 min

Week 250 - The Invasion of Normandy Begins! - WW2 - June 10, 1944

The Allies' gigantic, amphibious invasion of France begins and by the end of the week they've carved out a decent sized beachhead. Meanwhile in Italy the Allied advance takes Rome. The Soviets are launching new attacks of their own- now against the Finns, and the Japanese at Kohima... have just plain had enough.

S06 E24 · 2023-06-17 · 22 min

Week 251 - Titanic Clash Looms in Pacific - WW2 - June 17, 1944

Japanese and American navies are heading for a showdown in the Philippine Sea, even as American forces land on Saipan in the Marianas in force. The Japanese have Changsha under siege in China, the Allies advance in both Normandy and Italy, the Soviets advance in Finland, and the massive Soviet summer operation is coming together and will begin in a matter of days.

S06 E25 · 2023-06-24 · 24 min

Week 252 - The Greatest Pincer Movement in Military History - WW2 - June 24, 1944

The Red Army surges forward in Operation Bagration, a mighty new offensive to destroy German Army Group Centre. Fighting continues in Normandy, Italy, and Finland. The United States Navy tears the heart out of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Philippine Sea even as the Imperial Japanese Army has success in China. The British and Indian armies lift the siege of Kohima.

S06 E26 · 2023-07-01 · 25 min

Week 253 - Allies Liberate Cherbourg - WW2 - July 1, 1944

Several weeks after the invasion of Normandy began, the Allies finally take a port city there, though the actual harbor has been destroyed. On Saipan the Americans have the advantage, in Finland, the Soviets do, but the big news is the Soviet destruction of huge chunks of German Army Group Center, demolishing entire Army Corps, and surrounding tens of thousands of the enemy.

S06 E27 · 2023-07-08 · 24 min

Week 254 - The Destruction of Army Group Centre - WW2 - July 8, 1944

Operation Bagration continues, smashing the armies of German Army Group Center and taking ever more territory including the prize of Minsk; on Saipan the Americans have taken most of the island when the Japanese resort to a huge suicidal banzai charge to try and turn the tide; and in Normandy new attacks begin try to finally take Caen and St. Lo.

S06 E28 · 2023-07-15 · 21 min

Week 255 - Mass Suicide on Saipan - WW2 - July15, 1944

Japanese troops and civilians commit mass suicide rather than surrender to the Americans in the Marianas; in Normandy, Caen has finally fallen to the Allies though the fight for St. Lo is not over; the Soviet offensives in the north take Vilnius and the fighting continues up in Finland, but the big eastern front news is the mighty new Soviet offensive in Western Ukraine.

S06 E29 · 2023-07-22 · 24 min

Week 256 - Sayonara Tojo - WW2 - July 22, 1944

This week, Adolf Hitler is blown up and Hideki Tojo steps down. In the Pacific, the Americans land on Guam and prepare for hard fighting. In France, the Americans take Saint-Lô and British and German armored forces clash around Caen. In the East, the Red Army enters Latvia, tears a gap in Army Group North, and reaches the gates of Lvov.

S06 E30 · 2023-07-29 · 23 min

Week 257 - Bradley Unleashes His Cobra - WW2 - July 29, 1944

Operation Cobra is the drop that finally opens the floodgates and the Allies make a breakthrough in Normandy; up in the Baltics the Soviets take Shaulyai, Dvinsk, and finally Narva, though their big prize this week is Lvov further south. This happens during the Poles' Lvov Uprising, which ends badly for the Poles. Things also go badly for the Japanese on Guam, though, as their assault this week devastates their own troops.

S06 E31 · 2023-08-05 · 25 min

Week 258 - The Warsaw Uprising Begins! - WW2 - August 5, 1944

As the Red Army closes in on Warsaw, the Polish Home Army in the city rises up against the German forces. Up in the north the Red Army takes Kaunas. The Allies take Florence in Italy this week, well, half of it, and in France break out of Normandy and into Brittany. The Allies also finally take Myitkyina in Burma after many weeks of siege, and in the Marianas take Tinian and nearly finish taking Guam. And in Finland the President resigns, which could have serious implications for Finland remaining in the war.

S06 E32 · 2023-08-12 · 26 min

Week 259 - Panzer Revenge in Normandy - WW2 - August 12, 1944

The Germans launch a counter attack to sabotage the Allied positions in France. In the Baltics the Soviet advances grind to a halt, but the Soviets are busy making plans to invade Romania in the south. Meanwhile in the center the Warsaw Uprising continues. Across the world the siege of Hengyang comes to its end with a Japanese victory, but the Battle for Guam ends with a Japanese loss.

S06 E33 · 2023-08-19 · 24 min

Week 260 - Hitler Has A Bad Day - WW2 August 19, 1944

This week the Allies invade Southern France, and do so very successfully. They're also successful in the north, closing the Falaise gap and trapping huge numbers of Germans. In the East, however, the Germans manage to stop the Soviet drive on Riga with a counter attack, and in Warsaw they continue to brutally put down the Warsaw Uprising.

S06 E34 · 2023-08-26 · 25 min

Week 261 - The Liberation of Paris - WW2 - August 26, 1944

Paris is liberated by the Allies, a symbolic act that causes the world to rejoice. Something far more important to the course of the war, though, happens this week in Romania. The Allies continue to advance in the south of France and begin a new offensive in Italy, though the Pacific War has quietened down once again.

S06 E35 · 2023-09-02 · 23 min

Week 262 - The War is Five Years Old - WW2 - September 2, 1944

Five years of war and no real end in sight, though the Allies sure seem to have the upper hand at the moment. Romania is coming under the Soviet thumb and Red Army troops are at Bulgaria's borders, the Allies enter Belgium and also take ports in the south of France. A Slovak National Uprising begins against the Germans, and the Warsaw Uprising against them continues, but in China it is plans for defense being made against the advancing Japanese.

S06 E36 · 2023-09-09 · 25 min

Week 263 - Bulgaria at War with Everyone - September 9, 1944

This week the USSR invades Bulgaria... who've also declared war on Germany, and who are still at war with the US and Britain, so Bulgaria is briefly technically at war with all four at once. Finland signs a ceasefire, the Germans are pulling out of Greece, the Warsaw and Slovak Uprisings continue, Belgium is mostly liberated, and across the world, the Japanese enter Guangxi, and there are American plans to liberate the Philippines.

S06 E37 · 2023-09-16 · 25 min

Week 264 - The Ballad of Chiang and Vinegar Joe - WW2 - September 16, 1944

The Japanese attacks in Guangxi worry Joe Stilwell enough that he gets FDR to issue an ultimatum to Chiang Kai-Shek, in France the Allied invasion forces that hit the north and south coasts finally link up, the Warsaw Uprising continues, and the US Marines land on Peleliu and Angaur.

S06 E38 · 2023-09-23 · 26 min

Week 265 - Operation Market Garden Begins - WW2 - September 23, 1944

Monty's Operation(s) Market Garden, to drop men deep in the German rear in the Netherlands and secure a series of bridges, begins this week, but has serious trouble. In Italy the Allies take Rimini and San Marino, but over in the south seas in Peleliu the Americans have serious problems with the Japanese resistance. Finland and the USSR sign an armistice, and in Estonia the Soviets take Tallinn, and there are Soviet plans being made to enter Yugoslavia.

S06 E39 · 2023-09-30 · 26 min

Week 266 - The End of Market Garden - WW2 - September 30, 1944

This week, Operation Market Garden comes to its unsuccessful conclusion, but there's a lot more going on- the Soviets launch an offensive in the Estonian Archipelago, the Warsaw Uprising is on the ropes, the Allies advance in Italy, the Americans on Peleliu, and Tito and Stalin make plans to clear Yugoslavia of the enemy.

S06 E40 · 2023-10-07 · 28 min

Week 267 - The End of the Warsaw Uprising - WW2 - October 7, 1944

The Warsaw Uprising comes to its conclusion, a tragic one for the Poles. In the field in Europe, there are Allied attacks toward Aachen, Bologna, and Debrecen, while in China the Japanese have begun a new phase of their Ichi Go Offensive.

S06 E41 · 2023-10-14 · 26 min

Week 268 - The Isolation of Army Group North - WW2 - October 14, 1944

Churchill and Stalin meet at the Moscow Conference and talk about future 'spheres of influence' in the Balkans. They also make plans for the future of Poland. In the field the Soviet Red Army completes the isolation of Army Group North and also advances in Hungary and Yugoslavia. The Allies enter Aachen in the west and cross the Rubicon in italy. The Americans are still fighting the Japanese on Peleliu, and this week also make raids against Japanese airfields ahead of next week's invasion of the Philippines.

S06 E42 · 2023-10-21 · 26 min

Week 269 - SS Commando Coup in Hungary - WW2 - October 21, 1944

The Germans engineer a coup in Hungary to keep the Hungarian army in the war, but the Allies have finally entered Germany in force, taking Aachen in the west. The Soviets liberate Belgrade in the east, and launch new attacks in Baltics, and at the other end of the world come American landings in the Philippines, and the recall of Vinegar Joe Stilwell from China.

S06 E43 · 2023-10-28 · 27 min

Week 270 - The Battle of Leyte Gulf - WW2 - October 28, 1944

This is it - the big showdown between US and Japanese Navies, and the largest naval battle ever fought in terms of total tonnage. American landings on Leyte itself are still in progress, and the Soviets' Debrecen Operation comes to its end.

S06 E44 · 2023-11-04 · 24 min

Week 271 - Stalin says, "Bring me Budapest!" - WW2 - November 4, 1944

Josef Stalin wants Rodion Malinovsky to attack Budapest without delay, but this might cause problems for the Soviets. In the west, the Canadians fight to clear Antwerp port while Hitler makes plans for a December counteroffensive. The Slovak Uprising comes to an end, the Germans are withdrawing from Finland, and in China the Japanese have reached Guilin and Liuzhou.

S06 E45 · 2023-11-11 · 26 min

Week 272 - The Futile Fight in Hurtgen Forest - WW2 - November 11, 1944

The struggle for Hurtgen forest, one tiny piece at a time, continues. The Allies have, however, secured Walcheren Island, and also launch Operation Queen to try and reach and cross the Roer River, and further south even launch a new offensive aiming for Metz . Things are not going well for the Americans on Leyte, though, but they're even worse for the Chinese as both Guilin and Liuzhou fall to the Japanese. As for the Soviets, they are busy making big plans for a gigantic offensive to drive in to Germany when the new year comes.

S06 E46 · 2023-11-18 · 27 min

Week 273 - How Himmler Learned to Love the Russians - WW2 - November 18, 1944

Heinrich Himmler wants to build an Army of Soviet POWs, but that has some problems; Patrick Hurley becomes US Ambassador to China, but even before that he's in hot water with Chiang Kai-Shek; and in the field in the west, the Allies launch Operation Queen to try to cross the Roer River and reach the Rhine.

S06 E47 · 2023-11-25 · 24 min

Week 274 - General Patton's Metz Obsession - WW2 - November 25, 1944

Metz finally falls to Patton's 3rd Army, but boy, it's taken some time. To the south, the Allies also take Belfort and Strasbourg, and to the north Operation Queen continues trying to reach the Roer River. The Soviets complete their conquest of the islands in the Gulf of Riga and continue advancing in Hungary to the south, but it's the Axis Powers- the Japanese- who are advancing in China, taking Dushan and Nanning.

S06 E48 · 2023-12-02 · 24 min

Week 275 - Was Hurtgen Forest Worth It? - WW2 - December 2, 1944

The bulk of the fight for Hürtgen Forest is now over, and today we look at the results. We also look at Soviet plans for their January offensive. In the field this week, the Red Army is still fighting in Hungary, the Allies are still trying to reach the Roer River in the west, and in the Pacific Theater the kamikaze menace is wreaking havoc with Allied scheduling.

S06 E49 · 2023-12-09 · 26 min

Week 276 - Can the Americans Stop the Kamikazes? - WW2 - December 9, 1944

This is a very busy week of the war. In the west, the Americans manage to reach the Roer River in force, but haven't taken any of its dams; in Italy, the Allies liberate Ravenna; the Soviet advance in Hungary continues, and the Soviets even set up a new Hungarian government; martial law is declared in Greece; the Japanese make a corridor to Indochina; the fighting on Leyte continues, and the kamikaze menace becomes ever more worrisome.

S06 E50 · 2023-12-16 · 27 min

Week 277 - The Battle of the Bulge Begins - WW2 - December 16, 1944

Adolf Hitler's Ardennes counteroffensive finally goes off this week, and it does indeed catch the Allies by surprise, and they suspend other offensive operations in the west. They are still attacking in Italy, and the Soviets are still advancing in Hungary, trying to cut off Budapest. In the Far East, there are Allied landings on Mindoro, and they are also on the march in Burma, hoping to pin down the enemy.

S06 E51 · 2023-12-23 · 30 min

Week 278 - The Siege of Bastogne Begins - WW2 - December 23, 1944

The German Ardennes Offensive, called by the Allies the Battle of the Bulge, is in full swing in Luxembourg and Belgium this week, and the Germans have the key junction town of Bastogne under siege. On the Allied side there comes a large American surrender, plans for counterattacks, and tension growing between British and American Commands. The fight in both Italy and the Philippines continues, and in Hungary the Soviets have nearly surrounded Budapest.

S06 E52 · 2023-12-30 · 27 min

Week 279 - Budapest Under Siege - WW2 - December 30, 1944

In the west, the Allies break the siege of Bastogne, but the fight for the Ardennes continues. and British Commander Bernard Montgomery is maneuvering to take command of the Western Front ground forces. In Hungary Budapest is cut off by the Soviets and under siege, with hundreds of thousands of civilians still in the city. The fight in italy is winding down for the winter, but the fight in the Philippines continues. In fact, American landings on Luzon are planned to go off soon.

S07 E01 · 2024-01-06 · 25 min

Week 280 - 1945 Begins! - January 6, 1945

The Germans launch a new offensive, Operation Nordwind, in Alsace, even as their offensive in the Ardennes is stalled. The Allies in the west don't just have to fight these, they are also having serious issues amongst themselves in High Command that threaten their unity. The siege of Budapest is in full swing and is a hard, fought, bloody battle, and the Soviets and the Americans have big plans for new offensives soon to kick off in Eastern Europe and the Philippines (respectively).

S07 E02 · 2024-01-13 · 23 min

Week 281 - Soviet and American Massive Attacks - WW2 - January 13, 1945

In the East, the Soviets launch a massive series of new offensives. In the West, Monty holds an ill-judged press conference about the Battle of the Bulge. Operation Nordwind, the German offensive in Alsace, continues. In Hungary, there’s house to house fighting as the Red Army besieges Budapest. In Asia, the Allies wrestle with the Kamikazes, begin their landings on Luzon, and advance in Burma.

S07 E03 · 2024-01-20

Week 282 - The Red Army Overruns Poland! - WW2 - January 20, 1945

The huge new Soviet offensives charge ahead this week, taking Warsaw and Krakow; in the west the Battle of the Bulge is officially called over... though there is still fighting there. On Luzon, the Americans push out of their beachhead, though there is heavy fighting to secure their flank.

S07 E04 · 2024-01-27 · 27 min

Week 283 - Himmler Takes Command - WW2 - January 27, 1945

A new German Army Group has been formed, tasked with protecting the Reich from the east and commanded by none other than Heinrich Himmler, who has never held such a command. The Soviets are really on the move in the east and have even begun reaching the prewar German border. In the west the Allies have cleared the Roer Triangle and are also working hard to eliminate the Colmar Pocket. In the Far East the Americans are advancing on Luzon, and in Burma the Allies have success on the Arakan and the Shwebo Plain, and finally manage to re open the Burma Road with China.

S07 E05 · 2024-02-03 · 26 min

Week 284 - Is the Red Army too Fast for It's Own Good - WW2 - February 3, 1945

Soviet forces have reached the old German border in force, however, logistical issues and a strong enemy presence possibly threatening their flanks means that a drive on Berlin may not be doable just now. Heinrich Himmler is in charge of the new Army Group to defend the Reich, and he has a host of problems. On the Western Front, the Allies finally eliminated the Colmar Pocket, and in the Philippines, the American advance reaches Manila, and the battle for the city is about to begin.

S07 E06 · 2024-02-11 · 28 min

Week 285 - The Battle of Manila Begins - WW2 - February 10, 1945

The American advance on Luzon has reached the Philippine capital, and it looks like they have a real fight on their hands with the Japanese there. There are supposed to be two new Allied operations starting in Western Europe, but one is delayed by flooding. The Allies do manage to eliminate the Colmar Pocket in the west, though. On the Eastern Front, there are new Soviet attacks in Pomerania and East Prussia, as well as out of the Steinau Bridgehead to the south, and in Budapest, it looks like the Soviet siege might soon end in victory.

S07 E07 · 2024-02-17 · 26 min

Week 286 - German Counterattack in Pomerania - WW2 - February 17, 1945

The Germans finally launch a counterattack into the Soviet flanks, but it does not go as well as was as hoped: The Siege of Budapest comes to an end, also not well for the Germans. The Soviets have now also surrounded Breslau. In Burma, the Allies cross the Irrawaddy River, in the Philippines the fight for Manila continues, and in the Pacific preparations are underway for an American invasion of Iwo Jima Island.

S07 E08 · 2024-02-24 · 25 min

Week 287 - Iwo Jima! - WW2 - February 24, 1945

This week the Battle of Iwo Jima begins and American forces raise the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi. Elsewhere, the Allies fight the stiff Japanese defences in Manila. The Red Army continues fighting through East Prussia and Pomerania as Stalin plans the next stage of the advance on the Reich. There are Allied advances in Western Europe and Italy too.

S07 E09 · 2024-03-02 · 24 min

Week 288 - Allied Deception Surrounds Japanese in Burma - WW2 - March 02, 1945

Bill Slim's master plan is near fruition and the Japanese are surrounded at Meiktila in Burma. The Allies have also nearly cleared Manila on Luzon, but the fighting on Iwo Jima is just growing in intensity. In Europe, the Soviets are still on the move in Poland, though attacking now to the north, but in Hungary it's the Germans who are making plans for a new offensive. The big news on the Western Front is the Allies reaching the Rhine, though how they'll cross that mighty river is anyone's guess.

S07 E10 · 2024-03-09 · 27 min

Week 289 - German Blunder Hands Allies a Rhine Crossing - WW2 - March 09, 1945

The Allies manage to take an intact bridge over the mighty Rhine at Remagen, a major piece of luck; the Germans launch a new offensive in Hungary, and the Allies end one in Italy. Over in Burma, Meiktila falls, sabotaging the entire Japanese supply system for the country, and on Iwo Jima the fight continues, bloodier than ever for both sides.

S07 E11 · 2024-03-16 · 26 min

Week 290 - Smiling Albert Takes Command - WW2 - March 16, 1945

After the Allies took a Rhine Bridge last week, Adolf Hitler has again shuffled his commanders, moving Kesselring to the west. Meanwhile, the German offensive in Hungary comes to its end- and it does not end well for the Germans. The Japanese are nearly defeated Iwo Jima, are feeling a bit of desperation in Burma, but are far, far from defeated on Luzon.

S07 E12 · 2024-03-23 · 25 min

Week 291 - Chiang versus Mountbatten - WW2 - March 23, 1945

Chiang Kai-Shek is demanding his Chinese troops back from Burma, but this doesn't fit well with Mountbatten's plans for the region. In Burma, Bill Slim's forces liberate Mandalay this week and make plans to head south for Rangoon. There's also friction elsewhere in Allied command- between the Soviets and the Western Allies- over Italy. In the field in Europe, the Soviets advance all along the eastern front, and in the west, the Allies secure another Rhine crossing, and they also launch a double operation to send even more men across the river in force.

S07 E13 · 2024-03-30 · 28 min

Week 292 - Allies Charge Forward from the Rhine! - WW2 - March 30, 1945

All along the Western Front the Allies break out in force, invading German territory and receiving German surrenders by the thousands. In the east, the Soviets take Danzig and Gdynia, and rout the Germans in Hungary. There's a new Japanese offensive in China, though the fight on Iwo Jima ends with a Japanese defeat.

S07 E14 · 2024-04-06 · 28 min

Week 293 - The Battle of Okinawa Begins - WW2 - April 06, 1945

It's the next step toward invading Japan's Home Islands- invading Okinawa, and it begins April 1st. Advances are easy by land, but at sea the kamikaze menace is in full swing. In Burma, plans are made to liberate Rangoon; in the west hundreds of thousands of Germans are surrounded in the Ruhr; and in the east, the Soviets begin assaults on Königsberg and Vienna.

S07 E15 · 2024-04-13 · 28 min

Week 294 - Soviets Take Vienna and Königsberg - WW2 - April 13, 1945

The prizes of Vienna and Königsberg fall to the Soviets as they continue what seems an inexorable advance. In the West the Allies advance to the Elbe River, but there they are stopped by command. The big news in their national papers this week is the death of American President Franklin Roosevelt, which provokes rejoicing in Hitler's bunker. The Allied fighting dash for Rangoon continues in Burma, as does the American advance on Okinawa, although Japanese resistance is stiffening and they are beginning counterattacks.

S07 E16 · 2024-04-16 · 16 min

Week 294B - Soviet Berlin Offensive Begins - WW2 - April 16, 1945

The final Soviet assault on Berlin begins today. The Soviets have two million men supported by tens of thousands of guns, tanks, and aircraft. Opposite them stand millions of men and boys of the German Wehrmacht, Waffen SS, Volkssturm, and Hitler Youth. The forces of Nazism are weakened and disorganised but determined to fight on as long as possible.

S07 E17 · 2024-04-20 · 29 min

Week 295 - 300,000 Germans Surrender in the Ruhr - WW2 - April 20, 1945

The Soviet drive on Berlin continues, but it is now very much a race between the forces of Georgy Zhukov and those of Ivan Konev. In the west, over 300,000 Germans surrender to the Allies as the Ruhr Pocket is eliminated, though there are advances by all Allied armies this week on the whole Western Front. There is even an Allied breakthrough in Italy, though on Okinawa American attacks get nowhere. The Japanese are advancing in China, and in Burma the Allied drive for Rangoon continues.

S07 E18 · 2024-04-27 · 27 min

Week 296 - The Battle of Berlin! - WW2 - April 27, 1945

The Battle for the German capital rages on all week, as the Soviets get ever closer to the Reich Chancellery, under which lies Hitler's bunker. Berlin is surrounded, but can it be relieved? There are also Allied advances in East Prussia, Czechoslovakia, and in Western Germany, but beyond that, it looks like the Axis lines have completely collapsed in Italy. The Allies are also advancing- and quickly- in Burma toward Rangoon, though not much at all on Okinawa, and it is the Japanese who are on the move in Western Hunan. It's a real rollercoaster of a week.

S07 E19 · 2024-04-30 · 34 min

Week 296B - The Death of Adolf Hitler - WW2 - April 30, 1945

Europe is broken, its cities in ruins and millions have died in war and genocide. The world has risen against the Nazi threat, and now the Nazi leader cowers in bunker under Berlin - this is how Adolf Hitler's last 15 weeks unfold, and why he ultimately chooses suicide to escape responsibility for his actions.

S07 E20 · 2024-05-04 · 43 min

Week 297 - Allied Victory in Berlin, Italy, and Burma! - WW2 - May 4, 1945

So much goes on this week, and this is the longest episode of the war by like 15 minutes. But there's so much to cover! The Battle of Berlin ends; the war in Italy ends; the war in Burma ends- well, it ends officially, though there are still tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers scattered around Burma. And there's a whole lot more to these stores and a whole lot more stories this week in the war. You can't miss this one.

S07 E21 · 2024-05-05 · 13 min

297B - Germans and Americans fighting side by side! - WW2 - May 5, 1945

I don't want to give too much away about this extra regular episode here in the description, but it's true- German and American soldiers fought side by side in the waning days of the European part of WW2, and not just once! And the second time is an all-time great tale of adventure.

S07 E22 · 2024-05-11 · 29 min

Week 298 - Germany Surrenders! - WW2 - May 11, 1945

Germany signs not one, but two unconditional surrenders and the war in Europe is officially over... although that does not mean that all the fighting in Europe is, for there is fighting and surrenders all over Europe all week. The Japanese launch a counteroffensive on Okinawa; the Chinese launch one in Western Hunan; the Australians advance on Borneo and New Guinea; and the fight continues on Luzon in the Philippines, so there is still an awful lot of the world war to come, even with the end of the war in Europe.

S07 E23 · 2024-05-18 · 27 min

Week 299 - Kamikazes versus Admirals! - WW2 - May 18, 1945

The kamikaze menace continues unabated, with suicide flyers hitting not one but two Admirals's flagships. There's plenty of fighting on land, though, as the Americans advance on Okinawa and take a dam on Luzon to try and solve the Manila water crisis, but even after last week's German surrender there is also still scattered fighting in Europe.

S07 E24 · 2024-05-25 · 23 min

Week 300 - The Last Battles in Europe - WW2 - May 25, 1945

This week, the fighting in Europe finally comes to an end and the Allies round up more leading Nazis including Heinrich Himmler and Karl Doenitz. In Asia, the fighting continues on Okinawa even as the Japanese start pulling back. The Australians continue fighting on Tarakan, and the Chinese are victorious in western Hunan.

S07 E25 · 2024-06-01 · 19 min

Week 301 - Japan vows to fight to the end! - WW2 - June 1, 1945

This week President Truman and his aides meet to discuss the use of the atomic bomb. In Japan, the imperial government vows to fight on even as Yokohama is turned to ash by firebombing. On Okinawa, Japanese 32nd Army withdraws from the defences of Shuri Castle but there is still plenty of hard fighting left for the Americans. There are US Navy command reshuffles and the stage is set for an Allied conference in Potsdam.

S07 E26 · 2024-06-08 · 24 min

Week 302 - Operation Downfall: 2 Million Men to Invade Japan - WW2 - June 8, 1945

The plans to invade the Japanese Home Islands in the fall grow ever more concrete, with the main issue being not just how to transport men by the millions around the world, but where to put them once they get there. On land the fight continues in Okinawa and the Philippines, and at sea the American fleet is savaged by a typhoon for the second time in six months.

S07 E27 · 2024-06-15 · 25 min

Week 303 - Mao Tightens His Grip - WW2 - June 15, 1945

After several weeks of the Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong's power has consolidated to the point that it is absolute. All pledge loyalty Mao, and his infallibility shall not be questioned. Meanwhile the war goes on in the field with Australian landings on Brunei, continuing fighting on Okinawa, and the last part of Europe- in the Netherlands- liberated from Axis control.

S07 E28 · 2024-06-22 · 21 min

Week 304 - Okinawa Ends - WW2 - June 22, 1945

Mitsuru Ushijima's forces are defeated and the Battle of Okinawa is officially over. However, since most of the Japanese fought to the death, victory comes at a bloody cost- over 50,000 US casualties and over 100,000 Japanese and also possibly that many Okinawan deaths. The fight on North Borneo continues, there's a raid on Wake Island, and the Japanese powers that be meet to actually discuss making some sort of peace with the Allies.

S07 E29 · 2024-06-29 · 17 min

Week 305 - Operation Olympic - 100,000 US casualties in 60 days? - WW2 - June 29, 1945

The casualty projections for the planned November invasion of Kyushu, Japan are in... or are they? They might have been 'massaged' a little to sell the operation more easily. The fight in the field still goes on, though, with parachutes flying over Luzon as more American troops land, and an Australian advance on Borneo.

S07 E30 · 2024-07-06 · 20 min

Week 306 - Aussies Land on Borneo - WW2 - July 6, 1945

Australian forces land at Balikpapan to hopefully secure the oil facilities there; In Burma, the Japanese try a diversion to allow some troops to escape the country, but the timing is not what it should be; in the Philippines there is an American landing on Mindanao, but behind the scenes there are those wondering if they really need to push Japan for complete unconditional surrender.

S07 E31 · 2024-07-13 · 22 min

Week 307 - Japan's New Defense plan, 100 million dead - WW2 - July 13, 1945

Japan is aware that soon enough the Allies will invade the Home Islands, and they will mobilize absolutely everything and everyone they can for their defense plan, "The Glorious Death of the 100 Million". In the meantime, Allied carrier forces keep hitting them, the Australian advance on Borneo continues, the Chinese advance on Guilin continues, the Allied rebuilding of Okinawa continues, and American preparations are nearly complete for a test detonation of an atomic bomb.

S07 E32 · 2024-07-20 · 17 min

Week 308 - The Atomic Age Begins! - WW2 - July 20, 1945

This week the Americans explode a nuclear bomb at the Trinity Test in New Mexico. The plan is to possibly use more such bombs against targets in Japan. US President Harry Truman is meanwhile in Germany for the Potsdam Conference with other Allied leaders to hammer out some details of the postwar global order. The active war continues, of course, in Burma, Borneo, the Philippines, and China, with the Japanese being defeated everywhere.

S07 E33 · 2024-07-27 · 22 min

Week 309 - Allies Issue Potsdam Declaration - WW2 - July 27, 1945

China, Britain, and the US issue a Declaration demanding Japan's unconditional surrender, and promising complete destruction if this does not happen and happen soon. The plan is to for the Americans to use their atomic bombs on Japan if she does not comply, but by the end of the week the Japanese have not replied. They still have hopes for the Soviets to mediate some sort sort of peace. What they don't have is a navy, as its final destruction comes this week.

S07 E34 · 2024-08-03 · 21 min

Week 310 - Mokusatsu! - WW2 - August 3, 1945

The Japanese reaction to the Allied ultimatum for unconditional surrender is... mokusatsu. This can be translated several ways, but all involve not giving a response. Meanwhile, materials for atomic bombs to be dropped on Japan are delivered to Tinian, though the ship making the delivery is sunk by a Japanese submarine days afterward. The active war continues in Burma and China, and the Potsdam Conference ends in Germany with the map of Poland very much re-drawn.

S07 E35 · 2024-08-10 · 22 min

Week 311 - The US drops two atomic bombs on Japan - WW2 - August 10, 1945

This week atomic bombs are for the first time in history dropped on cities- Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. The bombs kill over 100,000 people and flatten large parts of the urban area. The Japanese government is actually meeting while the second bomb is dropped to consider their response to the first and to the demands for unconditional surrender. The response is not just to that first bomb, though, for on the 8th the Soviets tell the Japanese not only that they will not help them negotiate some sort of settled peace with the other Allies, they too are declaring war on Japan, and indeed invade Manchuria. With two atomic bombs and an invasion instead of mediating help, Japanese Emperor Hirohito cuts off any debate and says that Japan will surrender. This could happen next week.

S07 E36 · 2024-08-17 · 23 min

Week 312 - Hirohito Announces Surrender - War Continous - WW2 - August 17, 1945

Hirohito broadcasts Japan's surrender to the world- despite an attempted to coup to prevent it from happening, and much of the world celebrates, but the war isn't really over. The Soviets are busy invading Manchuria, and there's revolution in Vietnam and Indonesia.

S07 E37 · 2024-08-24 · 16 min

Week 313 - Soviet Victory in Manchuria - WW2 - August 24, 1945

The Soviet Red Army completes its conquest of Manchuria and the northern half of Korea this week, although Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender already last week. Behind the scenes are machinations going on by Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong that they hope will lead to a Communist China in future. Vietnam might well be going communist right now, though, for the August revolution continues with the Viet Minh taking ever more control.

S07 E38 · 2024-08-31 · 17 min

Week 314 - Can Chiang and Mao Unite China? - WW2 - August 31, 1945

Mao Zedong takes his first ever journey by plane to go and meet with Chiang Kai-Shek. They begin what will be several weeks of talks and negotiations. However, Chiang is not aware that Josef Stalin is lurking in the background. And the Soviet Red Army is lurking in Manchuria, having defeated the Japanese there, and are giving tacit support to the Chinese Communists, whose power base is very strong in the north. As for Japan, a motley collection of Allied fleets arrives in Tokyo Bay, for Japan's surrender document is to be officially signed two days from now.

S07 E39 · 2024-09-02 · 22 min

Week 314B - The End of World War Two - WW2 - September 2, 1945

The Japanese sign the official document of surrender and the Second World War is over. There are still some Japanese garrisons yet to surrender, but they begin doing so one after the other. However, war is not over- and there is serious foreboding for future events in places like Vietnam and China - where Mao Zedong is meeting with Chiang Kai-Shek, even as Josef Stalin lurks in the background to secure Soviet interests no matter which Chinese regime comes out on top.

S08 E01 · 2024-09-07 · 28 min

Hitler’s Victory in Thüringen - Rise of Hitler 01, January 1930

In this issue of the Weimar Wire, we dive deep into the critical events of January 1930. Political violence in the streets, uncertainty over the nation’s very character and Nazis entering a governing coalition provide a veritable treasure trove of political intrigue, hidden aspirations, and grand schemes.

S08 E02 · 2024-09-21 · 24 min

How to Make a Nazi Martyr - Rise of Hitler 02, February 1930

In this issue of the Weimar Wire, we dive deep into the critical events of February 1930. Political violence continues to claim victims on the streets, the future Polish-German relationship is up in the air, the other powers bicker at the London Naval conference, all the while, the current Government struggles to fill a ginormous budget hole.

S08 E03 · 2024-10-05 · 26 min

Will the President Abolish Democracy? - Rise of Hitler 03, March 1930

In the March 1930 Issue of the Weimar Wire Chancellor Muller resigns, the coalition government collapses, and Heinrich Brüning tries to build a new cabinet amidst street violence and political chaos. With the Nazis and Communists gaining strength, will Brüning succeed, or is the Weimar Republic heading for disaster?

S08 E04 · 2024-10-19 · 25 min

Nazi Conspiracies Everywhere - Rise of Hitler 04, April 1930

Join us for the May 1930 edition of the Weimar Wire, where we cover violent communist Youth Day demonstrations, a tough first month for new German chancellor Bruning, crazy Nazi conspiracy theories, and a whole lot more.

S08 E05 · 2024-11-02 · 23 min

Unholy Alliance topples Saxony - Rise of Hitler 05, May 1930

May 1930 brings political upheaval to the Weimar Republic, with the French deciding to leave the Rhineland, violent clashes between Communists and Nazis, and a surprising alliance that dissolves Saxony’s government. See how these events unfold and shape Germany’s current political landscape.

S08 E06 · 2024-11-16 · 22 min

Nazi Uniforms banned across three States - Rise of Hitler 06, June 1930

In June 1930, the Weimar Republic faces escalating tensions as Nazi uniforms are banned in three states to curb political violence. The French withdrawal from the Rhineland marks a major milestone while Saxony’s elections leave the state in political deadlock. Meanwhile, Chancellor Brüning battles to save his government amidst growing financial turmoil and party divisions.

S08 E07 · 2024-12-07 · 27 min

President Hindenburg dissolves the Reichstag - Rise of Hitler 07, July 1930

July 1930 sees the Weimar Republic facing unprecedented turmoil. From Brüning’s budget crisis and the Reichstag’s dissolution to Nazi and Communist clashes with state governments, Germany braces for a pivotal election in September. This episode unpacks the month’s chaos, political maneuvers, and the rising tensions tearing the Republic apart.

S08 E08 · 2024-12-19 · 28 min

Election Fever - Rise of Hitler 08, August 1930

August 1930 brings Germany to a critical juncture as parties prepare for the September elections. Amid street violence, bans on political uniforms, and soaring unemployment, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This episode unpacks the campaign strategies, shifting alliances, and rising tensions shaping the Republic’s future.

S08 E09 · 2025-01-09 · 23 min

Germany Votes – Rise of Hitler 09, September 1930

The September 1930 elections reshape Germany’s political landscape. With surging support for extremists like the Nazis and Communists, and declining votes for democratic parties, Weimar faces a deeply polarized future. This episode breaks down the results, voter shifts, and what this means for the Republic.

S08 E10 · 2025-01-28 · 26 min

Hitler Testifies, Brüning Battles On - Rise of Hitler 10, October 1930

October 1930 brings more unrest to Weimar Germany. Chancellor Brüning survives no-confidence votes, while Nazi and Communist clashes escalate into chaos. Berlin sees mass protests, Jewish businesses attacked, and rumors of a Nazi-Soviet conspiracy swirl.

S08 E11 · 2025-02-13 · 26 min

Disarmament Talks, Budget Battles, and Student Duels – Rise of Hitler 09, November 1930

November 1930 sees Germany caught between political instability and international disputes. Brüning fights to pass his controversial budget while Germany’s push for global disarmament meets French resistance and Nazi outrage. Meanwhile, Hitler restructures the SA and SS, student duels make headlines, and Berlin’s police chief is attacked in court.

S08 E12 · 2025-03-20 · 26 min

How One Movie Drove Hitler’s Men Crazy - Rise of Hitler 12, December 1930

December 1930 plunges Germany deeper into chaos. Nazis and Communists join forces against Chancellor Brüning’s emergency decrees, while a shocking court decision boosts Hitler’s power. Violent riots erupt over the film “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and police uncover a terrifying communist bomb plot aimed at sparking civil war. With extremism rising, is Weimar democracy heading for disaster?

S08 E13 · 2025-03-22 · 27 min

The Man Hitler Needs for Civil War, Ernst Röhm Returns! - Rise of Hitler 13, January 1931

January 1931 starts with violence, economic collapse, and Nazi upheaval in Germany. Hitler secretly meets with army chief Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord, while Ernst Röhm returns to take command of the Nazi paramilitary SA. As hundreds of thousands of miners face mass layoffs and brutal crackdowns, the republic’s future hangs in the balance—how long can democracy hold on?

S08 E14 · 2025-04-10 · 23 min

Nazis and Communists Unite Against Weimar – Rise of Hitler 14, February 1931

February 1931 sees unprecedented chaos in Germany’s parliament as Nazis and Communists stage a dramatic walkout, ironically enabling democratic parties to pass reforms unopposed. Meanwhile, Hitler pushes eastward expansion, Berlin bans extremist newspapers—including Goebbels’ “Der Angriff”—and Röhm militarizes the Nazi SA. With democracy under strain and political extremes emboldened, what’s next for the Weimar Republic?

S08 E15 · 2025-04-24 · 24 min

Is Anschluss Back on the Menu? - Rise of Hitler 15, March 1931

March 1931 sees President Hindenburg unleash a controversial emergency decree, suspending key civil liberties to crush political violence in Germany. Meanwhile, Hitler promises legality but openly prepares the SA for the “Third Reich,” and the Nazi coalition in Thuringia collapses dramatically. Germany’s proposed customs union with Austria sparks international alarm—could this trigger another European conflict?

S08 E16 · 2025-05-08 · 22 min

Nazi vs. Nazi - The Rebellion Within - Rise of Hitler 16, April 1931

April 1931 plunges Hitler’s Nazis into crisis as SA leader Walter Stennes leads a dramatic internal revolt, challenging Hitler’s oath to legality. Meanwhile the Nazis loose their only ministerial post and President Hindenburg’s emergency decree intensifies clashes with communists, leading to mass arrests during banned protests.

S08 E17 · 2025-05-22 · 25 min

Did Germany Just Choose a King? – Rise of Hitler 17, May 1931

May 1931: 150,000 Stahlhelm men parade through Breslau before Crown Prince Wilhelm and other imperial relics, reviving monarchist hopes. Hitler hails his SA and calls for eastern expansion. But it’s economic collapse that dominates—Austria’s top bank nears default, threatening Germany’s own system. As Berlin pushes for a reparations pause and clings to its customs union with Vienna, France stands firm. And in Oldenburg, the Nazis take their first Landtag.

S08 E18 · 2025-06-05 · 25 min

The US President Saves Germany - Rise of Hitler 18, June 1931

In June 1931, Germany teeters on the edge of collapse—facing riots, unemployment, and a banking crisis. Amidst chaos and international pressure, US President Herbert Hoover offers a dramatic moratorium on war debts, giving Germany a critical lifeline. Can this American intervention stabilize the Weimar Republic, or is disaster still on the horizon? Explore how global politics, economic turmoil, and desperate diplomacy shape a nation’s fate.

S08 E19 · 2025-06-26 · 25 min

Germany’s Constitution, Erotica, and a Pastor’s Dignity - Rise of Hitler 19, July 1931

A rogue preacher breaks into the Reichstag and steals silverware, banned erotica, and the 1848 German Constitution. As Germany’s banks collapse and panic spreads, the press is captivated by the strange tale of Walter Wohlgemuth: pastor, thief, and accidental symbol of a republic in crisis.

S08 E20 · 2025-07-31 · 23 min

When Stalin and Hitler Teamed Up – Prussia 1931 - Rise of Hitler 20, August 1931

August 1931: Prussia becomes the battleground as a bizarre alliance of Nazis, Communists (under Stalin’s orders), right-wing elites, and President Hindenburg tries to topple Germany’s last major democracy. With foreign meddling, political violence, and backroom deals, the fate of the Weimar Republic hangs by a thread. Against all odds, the democratic coalition prevails—at least for now. But with chaos spreading and the world watching, can democracy survive the next assault?

S08 E21 · 2025-08-07 · 21 min

Hitler’s Niece and the Violence Tearing Germany Apart - Rise of Hitler 21, September 1931

September 1931: Berlin descends into chaos as Nazis unleash a violent pogrom on Jewish New Year—while the police stand by. The scandal of the Kurfürstendamm riot rocks Germany, but the month’s headlines don’t stop there: Hitler’s niece is found dead under mysterious circumstances, France’s leaders visit Berlin to a frosty reception, and Japanese troops invade Manchuria. Extremists surge at the polls as democracy teeters—can the Republic survive?

S08 E22 · 2025-12-06 · 23 min

Can Hitler Be Tamed? - October-December 1931

The so-called 'Boxheim Papers' are leaked to the public this fall. These outline what the Nazi Party would do should there be a Communist coup; it involves a lot of people being shot or starved, and paints a rather haunting picture of what Nazi rule may be like in general. The Nazi Party, though, continues to grow in popularity, and President Hindenburg even meets with Adolf Hitler for the first time, indicating to the country and the army that Hitler is no longer an upstart, but a legitimate political force.

S08 E23 · 2025-12-13 · 22 min

Hitler Becomes a German - January-March 1932

The big news this winter is the German Presidential elections, held now in March for the first time since 1932, which pit current President Paul von Hindenburg against Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. Hitler, though, must become a German citizen before he can run; he been stateless since he gave up his Austrian citizenship seven years ago. The campaigns are quite different, but both effective, and the German people head for the polls.

S08 E24 · 2025-12-20 · 23 min

The Fall of Chancellor Bruning - April-June 1932

The runoff elections for German President give Paul von Hindenburg a strong victory over Adolf Hitler, and convince the Bruning government to try to reign in the Nazis by banning the SA and SS. However, Kurt von Schleicher has managed to convince Hindenburg that Bruning is a liability and by the end of May, Bruning is out and Schleicher has maneuvered Franz von Papen into the post of Chancellor. The Reichstag is dissolved, the ban is lifted, and who knows where Germany is headed!

S08 E25 · 2026-01-03 · 25 min

The Nazis Win Big at the Polls! - July-September 1932

July starts with ever more violence in the streets of Germany, which Chancellor von Papen uses as an excuse to take state control of Prussia, the largest German state. All this comes ahead of the July elections, in which the Nazi Party is the big winner, now the largest party in Germany and Party Leader Adolf Hitler someone that no one in politics can any longer ignore, including President Hindenburg. This summer really is a summer of drama and intrigue.

S08 E26 · 2026-01-11 · 25 min

Nazis Are the Big Losers - October-December 1932

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party are forced to hit the campaign trail yet again for yet another round of elections. All this campaigning has seriously drained their finances, so they expect it to do some real good. Unfortunately for them, the November elections are very disappointing for the Nazi Party, and they lose a lot of seats in the Reichstag. Adolf Hitler is still demanding that President Hindenburg make him Chancellor, but the President still refuses time and again, although Hindenburg does have his hands full with two other Chancellors- Franz von Papen and Kurt von Schleicher, and their endless political intriguing.

S08 E27 · 2026-01-17 · 15 min

Who Will Be Chancellor? - January 1933

Back to monthly coverage for this month, because too much is happening in Germany just now. Franz Von Papen meets with Adolf Hitler as 1933 gets going, both of them scheming against Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher. Could they possible form a coalition government with a majority of the Reichstag? Can they even trust each other? Also, who is this von Ribbentrop character? And what's up with President Hindenburg's son Oskar? So much going on this month, and when it all reaches its head.... just... wow!

S09 E01 · 2026-01-31 · 17 min

How to End Democracy in 60 Days - Death of Democracy Q1 1933

This episode of the history documentary series “Death of Democracy" covers Q1 1933 with Hitler’s appointment as chancellor, the Reichstag Fire, Reichstag Fire Decree, Enabling Act, rise of Nazi terror, Gleichschaltung, and media control, explaining how Weimar Germany’s democracy collapsed in just sixty days.

S09 E02 · 2026-02-07 · 17 min

How Legal Immunity Becomes Absolute Power - Q2 1933

In spring 1933, Nazi Germany shows how dictatorship becomes normal. This episode of Death of Democracy follows the regime’s second quarter in power, from the first state-organized antisemitic boycott to the destruction of free trade unions and the takeover of the courts. Step by step, democratic institutions are hollowed out through fear, legality, and propaganda. Death of Democracy reveals how tyranny doesn’t arrive overnight—it is made to feel ordinary.

S09 E03 · 2026-02-14 · 18 min

How to Make the Economy Look Better Than It Is - Q3 1933

Death of Democracy returns to Nazi Germany in Q3 1933. See Hitler enforce one‑party rule, sign the Reichskonkordat, tighten propaganda and press control, and expand work programs that feed rearmament. From July to September, follow the legal and cultural Gleichschaltung that normalizes terror and reshapes Europe’s future in this episode.

S09 E04 · 2026-02-21 · 15 min

How to Use a Tariff War to Disrupt the World - Q4 1933

In Q4 1933 Hitler pivots Nazi Germany from internal takeover to outward defiance. The London Economic Conference collapses and the tariff truce unravels, Hitler withdraws from the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations—then stages the November 12 plebiscite and one‑party Reichstag election to claim the nation stands behind him. As Goebbels tightens propaganda and press control through the Editors’ Law (Schriftleitergesetz) and daily directives, the Winter Relief campaign turns “charity” into social pressure and Volksgemeinschaft theater. In December, Reichsbank president Hjalmar Schacht hardens the transfer moratorium to conserve foreign currency for raw materials and rearmament. Using contemporary voices, this episode shows how isolation, manipulation, and “unity” accelerate Europe toward a pre‑war era.

S09 E05 · 2026-02-28 · 18 min

How to Not Clean up the Swamp - Q1 1934

In Q1 1934, Nazi Germany reaches a breaking point. In this episode of Death of Democracy, Hitler codifies central control with the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich, crushing what remains of federalism. Abroad, the German–Polish Non‑Aggression Pact (January 26, 1934) shocks Europe while rearmament continues behind a diplomatic mask. Inside the Reich, the real story is the power struggle: SA chief Ernst Röhm demands a “people’s militia,” forcing Hitler to choose the Reichswehr over the stormtroopers—setting the stage for the Night of the Long Knives. As Himmler expands SS power and Goebbels tightens the propaganda screw, even historic liberal papers like the Vossische Zeitungdisappear. Meanwhile, unemployment falls toward three million amid manipulated statistics, wage freezes, shortages, and a looming foreign‑currency crisis. Watch, then comment: what warning signs do you see when “order” is used to justify permanent power?

S09 E06 · 2026-03-07 · 17 min

How to Serve Retribution and Become Popular - Q2 1934

In the spring of 1934, Nazi Germany stands on the edge of internal collapse. In this episode of Death of Democracy, we follow the escalating conflict between Adolf Hitler, the SA stormtroopers, and the German Army that culminates in the Night of the Long Knives. As economic cracks appear behind the Nazi “recovery,” Joseph Goebbels launches propaganda campaigns against critics while Heinrich Himmler expands SS power over the Gestapo. When Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen publicly challenges the regime, Hitler moves decisively. On June 30, 1934, the Nazi leader unleashes a purge that eliminates Ernst Röhm, the SA leadership, and political rivals—consolidating absolute power. Using contemporary voices from Martha Dodd, Victor Klemperer, and underground SPD reports, this episode explores how terror, propaganda, and political maneuvering reshaped Germany in just a few months—and paved the way for dictatorship.

S09 E07 · 2026-03-14 · 17 min

How to Go From President to King - Death of Democracy 07 - Q3 1934

In Q3 1934, Adolf Hitler completed the transformation of Nazi Germany from a dictatorship into an absolute Führer state. In this episode of Death of Democracy, we examine the aftermath of the Night of the Long Knives, the destruction of the SA leadership, and the consolidation of Hitler’s personal rule after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg.

S09 E08 · 2026-03-21 · 16 min

How To Indoctrinate the Children - Q4 1934

In this episode of Death of Democracy, we examine Germany in the final quarter of 1934, as Adolf Hitler tightens his grip on power after Hindenburg’s death and prepares the Reich for the next stage of Nazi rule. Behind a façade of order, the regime accelerates secret rearmament, deepens propaganda and youth indoctrination, pushes Jews further out of public life, and turns universities, schools, and culture into instruments of ideological control. This documentary explores Nazi Germany in late 1934 through the looming Saar plebiscite, the growth of the Hitler myth, rising public frustration with local Nazi officials, and the regime’s deeper preparation for dictatorship, expansion, and war. If you are interested in Hitler, Nazi propaganda, rearmament, antisemitism, the Saar vote, and the collapse of democracy in Germany, this episode provides the critical context.

S09 E09 · 2026-03-28 · 16 min

How Radio Killed Democracy - Death of Democracy 09 - Q1 1935

Radio did not just spread Nazi propaganda — it helped make dictatorship feel normal. This episode of Death of Democracy follows the decisive first quarter of 1935: the Saar vote, Göring’s admission of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s open defiance of Versailles, and the growing power of the Gestapo. While Nazi propaganda promised pride, unity, and national revival, civil liberties were collapsing, Jews were being isolated, and Germany was being prepared for war. How did propaganda become so effective? How did radio help turn fear, resentment, and nationalism into obedience? And how did so many people support a regime that was already dismantling the rule of law? This is the story of how radio helped kill democracy in Nazi Germany.

S09 E10 · 2026-04-04 · 16 min

How To Distract From the Economy - Q2 1935

June 1935: Adolf Hitler reassures the world with promises of peace - while secretly accelerating Germany’s path to war. in this episode of Death of Democracy, we examine how Hitler manipulated international diplomacy and domestic opinion in the second quarter of 1935. From the collapse of the Stresa Front to the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, foreign leaders were drawn into a dangerous illusion. Meanwhile, inside Germany, antisemitic violence escalated, press censorship intensified under Joseph Goebbels, and economic realities worsened under Hjalmar Schacht’s policies. Drawing on firsthand accounts from William L. Shirer and Victor Klemperer, this episode reveals a society caught between fear, propaganda, and growing dictatorship. How did Hitler convince both his people and world leaders that he wanted peace - while preparing for war?

S09 E11 · 2026-04-11 · 18 min

How to Legalize Scapegoating - Q3 1935

Nuremberg Laws explained: how Nazi Germany turned antisemitic street violence into state policy in 1935. In this episode, Spartacus Olsson reports from Berlin on the third quarter of 1935, when the Kurfürstendamm riots, Goebbels’ propaganda campaigns, and Hitler’s regime culminated in the passage of the Nuremberg Laws. This historical analysis breaks down how the Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor stripped German Jews of civil rights, redefined citizenship around “German blood,” and replaced chaotic mob violence with systematic bureaucratic persecution. The video also explores the role of Joseph Goebbels, the SA, the coming 1936 Berlin Olympics, Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, worsening shortages in the Nazi economy, and the collapse of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in the Third Reich.

S09 E12 · 2026-04-18 · 17 min

How to Tank the Economy for War - Q4 1935

Nazi Germany in late 1935 was becoming more ruthless, more militarized, and more dangerous. In this episode, Spartacus Olsson reports from Berlin on the final months of 1935, when Hitler’s regime tightened its grip through food shortages, propaganda, rearmament, and the continued implementation of the Nuremberg Laws. As ordinary Germans faced rising prices, scarce meat and butter, and mounting pressure to sacrifice for the Reich, the Nazi state pushed its “guns before butter” economy even further. We examine the “fat gap,” Winter Relief, Eintopfsonntag, and the growing burden placed on German families while resources were diverted to war preparation.

S09 E13 · 2026-04-25 · 17 min

How to Stage (and Win) an International Crisis - Q1 1936

In early 1936, Adolf Hitler took one of the greatest risks of his rule—sending German troops into the demilitarized Rhineland in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact. It was a gamble that could have triggered immediate war. Instead, it became a turning point that transformed Hitler from a powerful dictator into a figure many Germans saw as a national savior.

S09 E14 · 2026-05-02 · 17 min

How to Declare a Live Person Legally Dead - Q2 1936

In Q2 1936, Adolf Hitler consolidated power after the Rhineland gamble, tightening the machinery of dictatorship while projecting strength abroad. As Hermann Göring took control of Germany’s economic lifelines and Heinrich Himmler centralized the police, the regime accelerated its transformation into a fully integrated police state. Behind Olympic pageantry and propaganda triumphs like Max Schmeling’s victory, the Nazi system deepened repression. Courts enforced the Nuremberg Laws with chilling logic, reducing Jewish citizens to a state of “civil death,” while Joseph Goebbels expanded total control over media and public discourse.

S09 E15 · 2026-05-09 · 17 min

How to Make Nazi Germany Look Normal - Q3 1936

Berlin, September 30, 1936. Under the Olympic flame, Nazi Germany staged one of the most successful propaganda spectacles of the twentieth century. Foreign visitors saw order, ceremony, technology, pageantry, and athletic triumph. But behind the facade, the regime hid antisemitic persecution, rounded up Sinti and Roma, intensified police repression, intervened in the Spanish Civil War, and moved toward a massive new war economy. In this episode, Spartacus Olsson looks back at the third quarter of 1936: the Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens’ victories, Hitler’s secret war memorandum, the Four-Year Plan, Nazi propaganda, Germany’s growing involvement in Spain, and the dictatorship’s attempt to sell peace to the world while preparing for conquest. The Olympics gave Hitler international validation. The Four-Year Plan revealed what he truly intended.