The Second World War
By Stephen Bedard
The Second World WarFeb 21, 2023
36 - Cracking the Nazi Code: A Conversation With Jason Bell
In this episode, I speak with Jason Bell, author of Cracking the Nazi Code. This book tells the true story of Winthrop Bell, a Canadian philosopher who worked for MI6 between WWI and WWII as a spy, providing important intelligence.
You can purchase this book through this Amazon affiliate link.
You can find out more about Jason Cole at his faculty page, at his personal page, and at the book page.
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35 - Operation Barbarossa: Part One
One of the major turning points of the war was Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. This had long been Hitler's plan and now it was time to put those plans into action. The first few weeks included tremendous German success. But could they maintain that momentum?
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Recommended book: Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941 (Amazon affiliate link)
34 - Operation Exporter: Britain vs France
When we think of areas of operations during the Second World War, we often do not think of the Middle East. But in the summer of 1941, there was indeed some significant combat in Syria and Lebanon. Unfortunately, it was between Britain and her Dominions and Vichy France.
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33 - The Battle of the Atlantic: Chapter One
In this first chapter of the Battle of the Atlantic, we catch up with what was happening in the Atlantic Ocean. Germany was trying to cut off Britain from all outside support by targeting shipping lanes. The Allies struggled to get the convoys to their destination from German ships, planes, and especially the dreaded U-Boats. This chapter takes us from the beginning of the war to late 1941.
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32 - Greece Lightning: The German Invasion of Greece
31 - An Unexpected Journey: A Conversation With John Livens
Imagine living through a Soviet occupation. And then having the Nazis replace the Soviets. And then having the Soviets return and eject the Nazis. And all this while only a child. John Livens shares about his experience as a boy in Latvia during the Second World War plus much more in his book An Unexpected Journey. In this episode, I talk to John about his experience during the war but his book covers much more material and is worth reading.
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30 - The April War: The Invasion of Yugoslavia
In April of 1941, Germany, along with Italian and Hungarian allies, invaded Yugoslavia. This was part of German's actions in the Balkans that would include the invasion of Greece. In this episode, we look at how that invasion went and what happened after.
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29 - The Siege of Malta
The Italians failed to take Malta. Could the Germans do better? They needed to neutralize this island to allow supplies to reach North Africa. However, the British stubbornly held onto Malta and frustrated the plans of the Axis.
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28 - Enter the Desert Fox
In a previous episode, we saw Italy struggle in its ambitions in North Africa. Could Germany succeed where Italy failed? In this episode, we look at the arrival of General Erwin Rommel and his activity with the Afrika Korps during 1941.
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27 - Catching Up With Japan: China Strikes Back
We have been focusing on Germany and Italy but what has Japan been up to? While technically not yet involved in the Second World War, they are in a fierce battle to dominate China. However, it is not going as well as they had hoped. In this episode, we catch up with Japan and what they have been up to for some of 1939-40.
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26 - Italy Swings... And Misses
Italy attempts to match their German partners by attacking in numerous places in the Mediterranean area. This includes Egypt, Malta, and Greece. While they have high hopes, each of these campaigns will leave them requiring the help of the Germans.
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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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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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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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22 - Italy Gets in the Game
So far we have been focusing on Germany but what about Italy? Mussolini still intended to build his empire. A logical place to start was British Somaliland, especially with the defeat of Britain's allies, the French.
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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.
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20 - The Battle of France is Over...
The French had fought valiantly but how how long could they resist. The Germans were using innovative tactics that the French had never conceived of. Between the panzers and the Luftwaffe, they could not catch a break. In this episode, we look at how the Battle of France ends.
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19 - The Miracle of Dunkirk
With almost a quarter of a million British troops stranded at Dunkirk, the majority of Britain's land forces, it looked like there was no hope. But then something happened. In this episode, we look at the miracle of Dunkirk, the amazing rescue that was both terrifying and inspiring.
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18 - The Fall of France
Previously, the Germans had attacked through Holland and Belgium, exactly what the Allies expected. Now, the Germans turn to their unexpected real plan, a thrust through the Ardennes Forest.
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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.
16 - Low Blow: The Invasion of the Netherlands and Belgium
The conflict in Norway between the Axis and Allies was only a taste of what was to come. France must fall. But how? The first (but not only) part of the invasion would come through the low countries of the Netherlands and Belgium. The French and British came to their aid but things didn't go the way of the Allies.
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For more resources on the Second World War, visit me here.
15 - The Vikings Get Pillaged: The Invasion of Denmark and Norway
The Second World War started with the invasion of Poland. But who was next? And what would the French and British do about it? This episode looks at the German invasion of Danish and Norway.
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14 - An Interview With Clare Mulley on the Women of World War Two
In the episode, I interview author Clare Mulley. Clare has written a couple of biographies related to the Second World War, telling stories that many of us have not heard before. You will enjoy our conversation.
Please visit Clare at her website.
Some of Clare's books:
The Woman Who Saved the Children: A Biography of Eglantyne Jebb: Founder of Save the Children
The Spy Who Loved: The Secrets and Lives of Christine Granville
The Women Who Flew for Hitler: A True Story of Soaring Ambition and Searing Rivalry
For more resources on the Second World War, visit my blog.
13 - Russian to the Finnish Line
Before there was the Battle of France, before there was the Battle of Britain, there was the Winter War. Just months after the start of the Second World War, the Soviet Union invaded Finland. But it didn't go quite the way they had hoped.
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12 - The First Month of the War
In this episode, we look at the events of the first month of the Second World War. We take a snapshot of September 1939 and see the seeds for much of what would happen throughout the rest of the war.
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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.
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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.
9 - Hitler and Stalin: A Match Made in Hell
8 - The Munich Agreement
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
6 – The Spanish Civil War
Between the First World War and the Second World War, there was another conflict that greatly impacted Europe. This was the Spanish Civil War. Although technically this was just a civil war between the Republicans and Nationalists, unofficially many of the nations that participated in the Second World War, were involved in the Spanish Civil War, at least unofficially. Hitler especially took advantage of this opportunity to perfect the strategies that he would use in the Second World War.
My recommendation for an audio book is Hell and Good Company: The Spanish Civil War and the World It Made by Richard Rhodes. From the Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-selling author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb, the remarkable story of the Spanish Civil War through the eyes of the reporters, writers, artists, doctors, and nurses who witnessed it. Get this audiobook for free with a free trial of Audible through this link
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
4 – The War That Didn’t End All Wars
It is difficult to understand the Second World War without some concept of the First World War. Many of the seeds of what happened in 1939-1945 were planted in 1914-1918. Even some of the battles were fought on the same land by the same countries led by leaders who were in both wars.
This episode provides a very broad outline of the major events of the First World War. For more details, my recommendation is Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August. You can get it as an audiobook and support this podcast at Audible.
3 – Setting the Stage: The Allies
Last time we looked at the countries that made up the Axis powers. This time we look at the Allies. The Allies are much more than just Britain, United States and the Soviet Union, even if they are considered “the Big Three.”
Understanding the position these countries were in at the start of the war prepares us for what comes next. These countries, many of which had almost nothing in common, were coming together to fight their common enemies.
I mention the China History podcast in this episode. You can find it here.
2 – Setting the Stage: The Axis Powers
In this episode, we begin to set the stage by looking at the Axis powers. What was happening in German, Italy and Japan at the time and who were their leaders? You may be surprised by how much these nations had in common and yet were different. Did you know that these nations were not on the same side in the First World War? Did you know that other countries beyond these three were part of the Axis? Find out these things in more in this episode.
A recommend resource is Travis Dow’s History of Germany 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.