History with Mark Bielski

Tune in for a more conversational discussion of history with historian Mark Bielski and his guests. We all know there was a war and who was president, but what about the spies, the intrigues, the deceptions and the backstories? What about learning about the occasional farcical or comedic decisions made by serious figures and their sometime tragic results? By telling the untold tales of our past, Mark Bielski is committed to making history come alive for future generations.

U.S. Grant's Civil War Spy Network 04/30/2020

U.S. Grant's Civil War Spy Network /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/14218142

Women in History 04/02/2020

Women in History /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/13818890

Kate Tietzen: Struggles in the Middle East 02/26/2020

Kate Tietzen: Struggles in the Middle East /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/13318163

Women in the Civil War: Gen. Jack Mountcastle 02/12/2020

Women in the Civil War: Gen. Jack Mountcastle /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/13131596

Vince Dooley: The South Carolina Liberty Trail 02/06/2020

Vince Dooley: The South Carolina Liberty Trail /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/13037936

January Historical Events 01/22/2020

January Historical Events Often we think that historically, not much has happened in the middle of winter. However, that's far from the truth. From Charlemagne to Henry VIII, Secession in the Civil War to the Soviets battling the Finns in the snow during WWII, there has been a lot of historical heat generated in January over the centuries. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/12852434

Wartime Christmas 12/12/2019

Wartime Christmas Mark looks at some examples of how Christmas was observed during wartime over the last three centuries. From merciful nurses making wounded and sick soldiers more comfortable with what limited means they had, to ersatz reindeer in the Civil War, and how a grant for leave could be the greatest Christmas gift a soldier could hope to receive. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/12378458

The Civil War's Environmental Impact 11/07/2019

The Civil War's Environmental Impact What was the environmental impact of the Civil War? Considering that a battle was a major man-made disaster, someone had to take care of the biological mess that resulted. Countless dead bodies of men, horses and mules and amputated limbs were left behind. Whole armies encamped and left spills of gunpowder, lead and other substances. Human and animal waste and polluted water remained for the local people who had to go on with their lives. We discuss the environment in certain areas after major battles of the Civil War and the positive results that our parks and preserved battlefields have yielded. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/11938412

Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis 10/03/2019

Cold War: Cuban Missile Crisis We return to a discussion of the Cold War and the origins of the conflict between superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Mark pays special attention to the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. This was the two-week confrontation that kept the world on edge and in fear of escalating tensions that could lead to nuclear war. American President John F. Kennedy was in a stand-off with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Kennedy’s goal: make Moscow remove nuclear-armed missiles from the island nation of Cuba. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/11500478

The Cold War in Europe with Steve Bourque 09/05/2019

The Cold War in Europe with Steve Bourque In continuing the Cold War Series, Steve Bourque joins Mark to discuss his experiences in the U.S. Army during those years. We get the perspectives of a young enlisted man stationed in western Europe during the Cold War. We also get to look at the situation from another vantage point—when he returned later as an intelligence officer. The tactical approach to keeping Europe safe and how American and NATO forces counter a threat from the Soviet Union during those uncertain times come to light in the discussion. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/11137046

Soviet Naval Challenge in the Cold War : Part II with Reid Senter 08/22/2019

Soviet Naval Challenge in the Cold War : Part II with Reid Senter We return to the Cold War with Part II of the Soviet Naval challenge. This time we cover surface operations and Mark speaks with Reid Senter who served in the Mediterranean. They discuss various aspects of serving in an Amphibious Ready Group, facing the Soviet Navy whose main interest was protecting the “Motherland,” and the Walker treachery. Reid, points out that Soviet ships were always “bristling” with extra arms and equipment, possibly needed because of questionable reliability. As a U.S. Navy Captain (retired), he also gives a tip of the hat to the professionalism and quality of the young men serving in today’s Navy. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10946141

The Soviet Naval Challenge in the Cold War with John Lindstedt 08/15/2019

The Soviet Naval Challenge in the Cold War with John Lindstedt Mark speaks with John Lindstedt, who was a junior officer serving aboard a nuclear submarine in the Cold War years. They discuss the qualifications and training involved, the constant readiness, and the differences between U.S. and Soviet vessels. They also highlight the ever-present threat of the Soviet Navy in the Mediterranean aided by the treachery of John Walker and his career of passing classified information to his masters in the Kremlin. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10883863

LIfe in Jefferson Davis' Navy 07/01/2019

LIfe in Jefferson Davis' Navy Dr. Barbara Brooks Tomblin discusses her recent book, Life in Jefferson Davis’ Navy. She addresses every aspect of the officers and men who served in the Confederate Navy—from the daily life of the sailors to the combat they endured. Through diaries, letters and newspaper accounts, we get a view of the wartime experiences on the gunboats, ironclads and sailing vessels in the Civil War. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10358126

Part II: Normandy and Brittany 1944 with Mort Sheffloe 06/20/2019

Part II: Normandy and Brittany 1944 with Mort Sheffloe Combat veteran Mort Sheffloe continues his discussion with Mark about Mort’s WWII experiences in Normandy and Brittany in 1944. Mort talks about Operation Cobra and being shot by a German sniper near Brest. He talks about his near fatal wounding, medical evacuation and recuperation. This is Part II of a two-part episode, and completes our series on D-Day and Operation Overlord in June 1944 /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10211219

Normandy and Brittany 1944: WWII Vet Mort Sheffloe 06/13/2019

Normandy and Brittany 1944: WWII Vet Mort Sheffloe Continuing our series on D-Day and Operation Overlord in June 1944, Mark relives his visit to Normandy with WWII Veteran, Mort Sheffloe. They discuss Mort’s experiences in Normandy and Brittany in 1944 on Omaha and Utah Beaches and in various cafés. Mort describes the actions as well as his near fatal wounding by a German sniper’s bullet. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10133939

75th Anniversary of D-Day: The Beach Landings 06/06/2019

75th Anniversary of D-Day: The Beach Landings On this 75th Anniversary of the D-Day, we continue with the discussion about launching the invasion and the beach landings on that day. Mark speaks with historian Marty Morgan and they give special attention to the Americans storming the formidable German positions at Omaha Beach and the fierce struggle that took place there. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/10075814

Airborne: The D-Day Invasion 05/30/2019

Airborne: The D-Day Invasion In continuing our study of D-Day for this 75th Anniversary Year, Mark talks about the invasion airborne operations. He and guest historian, Marty Morgan, discuss some of the actions and details of the paratroopers, including “the greatest feat of flying in the Second World War.” /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9972320

Operation Overlord Part II: Deception 05/23/2019

Operation Overlord Part II: Deception Mark discusses the intricate deception plans that the Allies employed to confuse Nazi Germany about the location of the D-Day invasion. Will it be Pas de Calais as Hitler declares so convincingly? Or even Norway? Eisenhower is sure of one thing: it must succeed. There is no Plan B. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9887129

Garth Ennis: "The Night Witches" 04/18/2019

Garth Ennis: "The Night Witches" Renown Graphic novelist, Garth Ennis, visits with Mark to discuss his new release, The Night Witches, a book about the young women who flew night bombing raids for the Red Army in WWII. As the German army smashes deep in to the Soviet Union and the Red Army retreats in disarray, teenager Anna Kharkhova quickly grows into a hardened combat veteran flying obsolete bi-planes. As death and destruction grows exponentially, she deals not only with the Nazi enemy, but the terrifying threat of her country’s secret police. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9436625

The Civil War in April 04/11/2019

The Civil War in April During the Civil War, April lived up to the moniker later bestowed by T.S. Eliot as the “Cruelest Month.” The start of hostilities at Fort Sumter in 1861 initiated the war that defined America and President Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 both occurred in April. The Battle of Shiloh and the Fall of New Orleans both in 1862, certainly proved to be cataclysmic events. Shiloh was so bloody and destructive that it set the stage for the terrible things to come. Later that month, the Fall of New Orleans proved to be a mortal blow for the Confederacy. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9347048

Admiral Gorshkov 03/28/2019

Admiral Gorshkov Mark returns to the Cold War in this interview with Admiral Thomas Brooks about his co-written book, "Admiral Gorshkov: The Man Who Challenged the U.S. Navy." They discuss the man who led the Soviet Union's Navy for 30 years. He survived Stalin’s purges, fought the Nazis in WWII and engaged the American Navy in a tactical chess match until his retirement in 1985. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9167024

March Events: French and Indian to Civil Wars 03/21/2019

March Events: French and Indian to Civil Wars Mark covers some key historical events that took place in March, the month that comes in “like a lion” and goes out “like a lamb.” We see that this may depend upon where and when. George Washington in 1777, may have felt threatened by the British lion. Or the British soldiers in the French and Indian War had a rough St. Patrick’s day at Fort William Henry ten years earlier. In the Civil War, one might say Nathaniel Banks went into his Red River Campaign thinking he was a lion, but definitely finished as a slaughtered lamb. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/9081548

Leadership: Band of Brothers 03/14/2019

Leadership: Band of Brothers Historian Chris Anderson joins Mark to discuss leadership and the company that became known as the Band of Brothers, Easy Company of the 101st Airborne in WWII. As an expert and interviewer of that close-knot group of veterans, Chris highlights Major Dick Winters, their commander. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8997482

Civil War Medicine II 03/07/2019

Civil War Medicine II Dr. Kenneth Rettig joins Mark again to discuss medicine during the Civil War. They look into a comparison of medical techniques, remedies and emergency treatments then and in the modern military. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8904458

Civil War: New Orleans Prepares 02/07/2019

Civil War: New Orleans Prepares New Orleans during the Civil War is Mark’s topic. In 1861, the City of New Orleans prepared for an imminent invasion by Union forces. As crisis loomed, leadership, politics and military shortcomings became evident. A bright spot is the Confederate victory at Manassas in Virginia, where native-son P.G.T. Beauregard leads the army and the Louisiana boys show prowess and prove their mettle. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8545532

Winter Events in History 01/31/2019

Winter Events in History Mark reviews some significant events that occurred at this time of the year in history. We go from the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century to Europe’s worst winter in history in 1940. The Civil War was brewing as the states of the Deep South seceded to form the Confederacy in 1861 and the last battle of the War of 1812 that took place right downriver from the city of New Orleans. We see Finland stand up to the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution and we even share a few notes about collaboration and treachery. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8460686

Cold War In The Middle East 01/24/2019

Cold War In The Middle East Cold War studies often focus on events in Europe. However, the Cold War quietly and sometimes loudly raged in the Middle East. Numerous political, religious and ethnic factions struggled for power while the U.S. and the Soviet Union maneuvered to exert influence and control in the region—whether behind the scenes or overtly. Mark asked Kate Tietzen to return for a discussion of the turmoil in Middle East during the difficult years following WWII to the final days of the USSR. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8384933

Smoke "Em If You Got "Em 01/17/2019

Smoke "Em If You Got "Em I interview Joel Bius about his new book: Smoke Em If You Got “Em: The Rise and Fall of the Military Cigarette Ration. It is a treatise on the relationship between the American Military-Industrial complex and the cigarette. The book tells the story of how the cigarette and the soldier relationship evolved, developed and devolved during the twentieth century—and the consequences. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/8284742

Christmas In Wartime 12/20/2018

Christmas In Wartime Christmas during wartime, just as in life, shines with a different glow than that in more peaceful years. Luxuries are often non-existent and even basics are scarce but soldiers and civilians find ways to celebrate. This week on History with Mark Bielski, I look at the holidays in difficult times from the crowning of William the Conqueror in 1066 to USO Shows for American soldiers. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/7982342

Jefferson Davis: His Final Days and Passing in New Orleans 12/13/2018

Jefferson Davis: His Final Days and Passing in New Orleans Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, died in New Orleans in December 1889. Mark talks with Mrs. Gladys LeBreton, whose grandfather was a friend of Davis’. As a child, Mrs. LeBreton’s mother lived in the home where Davis stayed and was there when he passed away. Mrs. LeBreton relates the story of his final days. /episode/index/show/historywithmarkbielski/id/7898018

History with Mark Bielski

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