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The Second World War

The Second World War

By Stephen Bedard

A Podcast all about the second world war hosted by Stephen Bedard.
Currently playing episode

36 - Cracking the Nazi Code: A Conversation With Jason Bell

The Second World WarMar 13, 2024

00:00
51:04
36 - Cracking the Nazi Code: A Conversation With Jason Bell
Mar 13, 202451:04
35 - Operation Barbarossa: Part One
Feb 08, 202417:12
34 - Operation Exporter: Britain vs France
Sep 02, 202312:05
33 - The Battle of the Atlantic: Chapter One
Jun 17, 202314:51
32 - Greece Lightning: The German Invasion of Greece
Feb 21, 202310:40
31 - An Unexpected Journey: A Conversation With John Livens
Aug 06, 202234:41
30 - The April War: The Invasion of Yugoslavia
Jul 13, 202214:12
29 - The Siege of Malta
Jun 24, 202210:03
28 - Enter the Desert Fox
May 24, 202212:12
27 - Catching Up With Japan: China Strikes Back
May 05, 202211:12
26 - Italy Swings... And Misses
Apr 13, 202218:27
25 - A Pope in Wartime: Pius XII

25 - A Pope in Wartime: Pius XII

Pope Pius XII was the pope during the Second World War. There is controversy over how he responded to the crisis. Should he have openly opposed Nazism or should he have positioned himself strategically for later negotiations? This is a special crossover episode between the Second World War Podcast and the History of Christianity Podcast.

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Feb 17, 202210:33
24 - Italy Goes For Egypt

24 - Italy Goes For Egypt

Italy was able to take British Somaliland. Could they duplicate that success with Egypt? They would soon find that Britain was much more motivated to hold onto Egypt. For more resources, please visit my website.

This episode is brought to you by Pair.

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Jan 13, 202208:55
23 - The Able Queen: A Conversation With Rainy Horvath

23 - The Able Queen: A Conversation With Rainy Horvath

In this episode, I talk to Rainy Horvath, who published the memoirs of her father who was a "hump pilot" during the Second World War. In this episode, you will hear about a theatre of the war and a type of mission that does not get talked about enough. Make sure to visit Rainy at her website.

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Dec 16, 202126:10
22 - Italy Gets in the Game
Nov 18, 202107:02
21 - The Battle of Britain

21 - The Battle of Britain

France has fallen. Is it Britain's turn next? Germany plans Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of Britain. But to be successful, the Luftwaffe will need to eliminate the RAF. This is the Battle of Britain.

Visit me at my website.

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You can also support me through Patreon.

Oct 25, 202110:57
20 - The Battle of France is Over...
Oct 07, 202111:36
19 - The Miracle of Dunkirk
Oct 01, 202122:48
18 - The Fall of France
Jul 15, 202112:54
17 - Last Flight to Stalingrad: A Conversation with Graham Hurley

17 - Last Flight to Stalingrad: A Conversation with Graham Hurley

In this episode, I talk to Graham Hurley, author of Last Flight to Stalingrad. Our talk ranges from the role of propaganda to the battle of Stalingrad. Make sure to visit Graham' website and find more on Military History here

Jun 26, 202142:16
16 - Low Blow: The Invasion of the Netherlands and Belgium
Mar 18, 202112:43
15 - The Vikings Get Pillaged: The Invasion of Denmark and Norway
Sep 02, 202010:22
14 - An Interview With Clare Mulley on the Women of World War Two
Jul 18, 202031:04
13 - Russian to the Finnish Line
Apr 20, 202011:24
12 - The First Month of the War
Feb 13, 202009:25
11 - And So It Begins

11 - And So It Begins

The beginning of the Second World War is generally understood as being at the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in September, 1939. Hitler created an excuse for invading and unleashed his forces on an outdated Polish army. Even knowing that Britain and France would not accept this, Hitler took this step, confident in the weakness of his enemies and the protection of his non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union.

The world would never be the same.

My recommended audiobook is:

The Nazi Invasion of Poland: The History of the Campaign That Started World War II

"The object of the war is...to physically destroy the enemy. That is why I have prepared, for the moment only in the East, my 'Death's Head' formations with orders to kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of Polish descent or language. Only in this way can we obtain the living space we need." (Hitler, August 1939)

Throughout 1938 and 1939, conflict broke out across Europe after the social and economic disorder brought about by World War I helped the Nazis rise to power in Germany. In 1937, Adolf Hitler declared the Treaty of Versailles void and began aggressively annexing parts of the European continent. Europe's attempts to appease him, most notably at Munich in 1938, failed as Nazi Germany swallowed up Austria and Czechoslovakia by 1939. Italy was on the march as well, invading Albania in April of 1939. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, was Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1 of that year. Two days later, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany, and World War II began in earnest.

Of course, as most people now know, the invasion of Poland was merely the preface to the Nazi blitzkrieg of most of Western Europe, which would include Denmark, Belgium, and France by the summer of 1940. The resistance put up by these countries is often portrayed as weak, and the narrative is that the British stood alone in 1940 against the Nazi onslaught, defending the British Isles during the Battle of Britain and preventing a potential German invasion.

Download this audiobook for FREE with a FREE trial of Audible.

Jun 05, 201914:10
10 - Japan and Italy at the Dawn of the Second World War

10 - Japan and Italy at the Dawn of the Second World War

The Second World War really starts with the German invasion of Poland. But what were Japan and Italy up to as Germany was preparing to invade? This episode looks at what was happening in China and Ethiopia in the mid to late 1930s.

Feb 21, 201914:23
9 - Hitler and Stalin: A Match Made in Hell

9 - Hitler and Stalin: A Match Made in Hell

Can we think of two greater monsters of the 20th century than that of Hitler and Stalin. Although the Second World War ended with them as bitter enemies, it began with them in cooperation. This episode looks at what led to the nonaggression pact.
Nov 15, 201812:56
8 - The Munich Agreement

8 - The Munich Agreement

The German invasion of Czechoslovakia was a turning point in Hitler's acts of aggression. This was the necessary step to transition from annexing fellow Germans in Austria to invading the non-German Poland, thus starting the Second World War.
Aug 21, 201812:47
7 – The Rape of Austria

7 – The Rape of Austria

Although the Second World War really begins with the invasion of Poland, Germany’s expansion began earlier with the annexation of Austria. This event, which Churchill described as “the rape of Austria,” was the first real glimpse of what Hitler intended for Eur

Apr 17, 201809:14
6 – The Spanish Civil War
Mar 20, 201809:31
5 – Interview With Travis Dow on the German Context

5 – Interview With Travis Dow on the German Context

When it comes to history, context is everything. Thankfully, we are blessed with great historical resources, including the German background. In this episode, I talk to Travis Dow, the host of the History of Germany podcast (and many more). We discuss some of what was happening in Germany between the wars, including attitudes toward communism and Judaism (make sure to listen to his episode on antisemitism). I’m always amazed at how much knowledge Travis has over such a wide span of German history.

I would encourage you to check out Travis at his website and start listening to his podcast.

My recommendation for this episode is William Shirer’s Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the defi

Feb 27, 201844:59
4 – The War That Didn’t End All Wars
Feb 15, 201811:31
3 – Setting the Stage: The Allies
Jan 31, 201811:49
2 – Setting the Stage: The Axis Powers
Jan 18, 201809:22
1 – Introduction to the Podcast

1 – Introduction to the Podcast

In this first episode, I share a little about myself and the direction of this podcast. In the episode, I mention the podcast by Ray Harris, Jr. You can find the History of WWII Podcast here. You should really check it out, it is quite good. However, I intend for my podcast to be somewhat different, reflecting my personality and interests.

I hope that you will journey with me as we look at the Second World War and all of the events surrounding it. You can find out more about me at my main website.

Jan 09, 201803:13