Posts Tagged ‘world war II’
“It’s a Wonderful Life” Myths and Urban Legends: 2021 Encore!
Imagine being tortured by wartime memories. Explosions, death, mutilated bodies (some of them friends of yours), all the screaming. Now, imagine them coming from a very confined and dangerous place. I’ve always thought that being in a warplane or submarine would add the extra stress of being trapped, and not even being able to contemplate…
Read MoreRichard Tregaskis: Reporting under Fire from Guadalcanal to Vietnam
Historian Ray Boomhower, one of our most popular guests, tells us the story of war correspondent Richard Tregaskis, who put his life on the line many times to bring Americans the stories of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Listen and learn how important war correspondents are to our history! Episode #429 — Buzzkill Bookshelf…
Read MoreAmericans “Bailing Out” the French Myth
Did the United States really “bail the French out in two world wars,” or is it a blustering, bigoted myth? Professor Phil Nash joins us to discuss what actually happened in World Wars I and II, and whether the United States was “bailing out” the French or repaying a major debt from the American Revolution.…
Read MoreHitler’s Rise to Power
In this Professor Buzzkill episode we examine the many myths surrounding Adolf Hitler’s rise from Chancellor to the outbreak of World War II. These include: how Nazi Germany functioned; the myth of purely tyrannical dictatorship; and the myth of an efficient, orderly dictatorship. We also explore Hitler’s genuine popularity, and explain the successes of Hitler’s…
Read MoreOtto and Elise Hampel: “Ordinary” Resisters to Hitler’s Regime
Otto and Elise Hampel were a working-class German couple who wrote postcards denouncing Hitler’s government and left them in public places around Berlin during World War II. Professor Philip Nash explains their significance in a combined Man Crush Monday/Woman Crush Wednesday! Episode 415 —Buzzkill Bookshelf Hans Fallada, Alone in Berlin Alone in Berlin takes place…
Read MoreThe Munich Crisis, 1938
The Munich Crisis of 1938 had major diplomatic and political effects. It was also a “people’s crisis,” and an event that gripped the world. Join Professors Richard Toye, Julie Gottlieb, and Daniel Hucker as they present new research and findings about this prelude to World War II. Episode #408 —Buzzkill Bookshelf The Munich Crisis, politics…
Read MoreAppeasement and “Guilty Women” in Inter-War Britain
Professor Julie Gottlieb deepens our understanding of the crisis between World War I and World War 2 in Britain. She shows us how crucial female public opinion was to the development of foreign policy during this period. Chamberlain, Churchill, Munich, and appeasement are better-illuminated light by her new research and interpretations. Join us for a…
Read MoreDaughters of Yalta: the Churchills, the Roosevelts, and the Harrimans in 1945
Catherine Grace Katz joins us to tell the story of three intelligent and glamorous young women (Sarah Churchill, Anna Roosevelt, and Kathleen Harriman) who accompanied their famous fathers to the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and how they affected the conference and its fateful reverberations in the waning days of World War II. Episode #404.…
Read More“It’s a Wonderful Life” Myths and Urban Legends
Imagine being tortured by wartime memories. Explosions, death, mutilated bodies (some of them friends of yours), all the screaming. Now, imagine them coming from a very confined and dangerous place. I’ve always thought that being in a warplane or submarine would add the extra stress of being trapped, and not even being able to contemplate…
Read MoreChristmas: Commercialism, FDR, the Nazis, and Beyond!
Professor Philip Nash explains the complexities of the celebration and commercialism of Christmas — from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia to the Victorian era to the Nazi period and beyond! Listen to the best explanation of the history of modern Christmas that you’re gonna find this side of Bethlehem! Episode #387 —Buzzkill Bookshelf Gerry Bowler,…
Read More