The History Network

The military history podcast specialists, looking at all aspects of war through the ages.

3507 Hanoi Hero: James Bond Stockdale 04/28/2024

3507 Hanoi Hero: James Bond Stockdale It is a rare thing that a man be awarded his country's highest award for bravery because of his actions as a Prisoner of War, but that is exactly why Air Wing Commander James Stockdale was singled out. He was the highest ranking US Prisoner of War during Vietnam from 9 September 1965 until 12 February 1973 and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his unrelenting bravery in the Hanoi Hilton. Dur: 21mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/30488568

3506 One Against Seven: Eddie Rickenbacker Proves Himself (Again) 04/14/2024

3506 One Against Seven: Eddie Rickenbacker Proves Himself (Again) By the time of America's entry into WWI in April 1917, Eddie Rickenbacker was already famous. Always obsessed with engines, he had become a mechanic to Lee Frayer in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup at the age of only 15. In 1910 he became a race-car driver himself, racing in the Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Dur: 20mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/30478158

3505 A Ruse Gone Wrong: The Battle of the Milvian Bridge 03/31/2024

3505 A Ruse Gone Wrong: The Battle of the Milvian Bridge In late October AD 312, the fate of the future of the Roman world was decided near the Pons Milvius, the Milvian Bridge (the modern Ponte Milvio, Italy), crossing the River Tiber some 5 kilometres north of Rome on the via Flaminia. The battle was the culmination of the war between rival Roman emperors, Maxentius and Constantine, to see who would dominate the western Roman Empire. Dur: 34mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/30236083

3504 Multiple firsts at the First Battle of Ypres, 1914 03/17/2024

3504 Multiple firsts at the First Battle of Ypres, 1914 The First Battle of Ypres came at the end of the strategic 'race to the sea' which occurred following the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, when allied forces halted the initial Axis advance made since the outbreak of the war. Before winter set in, several offensives were launched by both sides to try and outflank the other’s northern flank as they each moved towards the North Sea coast. Dur: 18mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/30165473

3503 The Luck of Li Guang: A Cavalryman’s Charge Through the Han-Xiongnu War 03/03/2024

3503 The Luck of Li Guang: A Cavalryman’s Charge Through the Han-Xiongnu War This episode was written by Scott Forbes Crawford. An author based in Asia, he writes about ancient and medieval history in novels and nonfiction alike. A newly published history book, The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC – 89 AD, explores a decisive conflict between China and a nomadic steppe empire through the lives of fifteen historical figures, including the subject of today’s episode. Dur: 29mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/30164288

3502 William Johnstone - Part 2 02/04/2024

3502 William Johnstone - Part 2 During the Baltic campaign of the Crimean War, in August 1854, Lieutenant John Bythesea together with Stoker William Johnstone of Her Majesty's ship HMS Arrogant performed an audacious act of bravery. This would lead to both men being awarded the Victoria Cross, among the first gazetted and earliest actions so awarded. Despite this, tragedy would soon envelop Stoker Johnstone and his story deserves to be better known. Dur: 19mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/29542238

3501 William Johnstone - Part 1 01/21/2024

3501 William Johnstone - Part 1 During the Baltic campaign of the Crimean War, in August 1854, Lieutenant John Bythesea together with Stoker William Johnstone of Her Majesty's ship HMS Arrogant performed an audacious act of bravery. This would lead to both men being awarded the Victoria Cross, among the first gazetted and earliest actions so awarded. Despite this, tragedy would soon envelop Stoker Johnstone and his story deserves to be better known. Dur: 22mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/29542143

3410 Eyewitness to war: Ammianus Marcellinus and the Siege of Amida AD 359 - Part 2 12/17/2023

3410 Eyewitness to war: Ammianus Marcellinus and the Siege of Amida AD 359 - Part 2 The legions of Magnentius and Decentius in Amida had been raised by the former usurper Magnentius (a general who usurped against Constantius in Gaul between 350 and 353) in his name and that of his brother. They were therefore a remnant of those disloyal troops, hence their stationing (a banishment) in the east. Their conduct at Amida would restore both their honour and reputation. Dur: 21mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/28843043

3409 Eyewitness to war: Ammianus Marcellinus and the Siege of Amida AD 359 - Part 1 12/03/2023

3409 Eyewitness to war: Ammianus Marcellinus and the Siege of Amida AD 359 - Part 1 In the summer of AD 359, the armies of the Sasanian Persian Shahanshah ("King of Kings"), Shapur II (r. 309-379), invaded the Roman east. This invasion was the long-cherished revenge for a humiliating peace imposed on the Persians by the Romans sixty years earlier. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus was an eyewitness to the most dramatic events of this new war, serving in the army of the emperor Constantius II (r. 337-361) as a protector domesticus, a guard cavalryman. His Res Gestae (Roman History) at this point is full of precise detail and evocative description. No action is more dramatic than the Siege of Amida. Dur: 16mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/28843003

3408 What’s in a name? The Battle of Megiddo from Thutmose III to World War One - Part 2 11/19/2023

3408 What’s in a name? The Battle of Megiddo from Thutmose III to World War One - Part 2 Our best source for Thutmose's battle of Megiddo are the Annals of Thutmose, an account kept by his scribe Tjaneni and then, almost twenty years later, inscribed into the interior walls of the sanctuary of the temple to Amun-Re at Karnak. There are other sources too. These were official documents, however, and we must be wary of 15th century BC spin. The traditional date of the battle is usually given as 1479 BC but it is more likely to date to 1457 BC - whichever year it was, it was the 23rd year of Thutmose’s reign. Dur: 24 mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/28686603

3407 What’s in a name? The Battle of Megiddo from Thutmose III to World War One - Part 1 10/15/2023

3407 What’s in a name? The Battle of Megiddo from Thutmose III to World War One - Part 1 The Battle of Megiddo, fought during the latter stages of the First World War over a week in late September 1918 against the Ottoman Turks, was so-named quite deliberately by the victorious British general, Edmund Allenby. Allenby was entirely conscious of the associations with the battles of Megiddo of the past (especially Thutmose’s famous battle although another had been fought in 609 BC) but also with Armageddon and Revelation, named after the ‘perfect’ battlefield the area around Megiddo represented. Dur: 30 mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/28279337

3406 Tackling the Takao – bravery beneath the waves of Singapore harbour 10/01/2023

3406 Tackling the Takao – bravery beneath the waves of Singapore harbour On July 31st, 1945, the Japanese cruiser Takao sat at anchor in Singapore dockyard. Little did her crew know that beneath the surface of the water, Royal Navy divers prepared to place magnetic mines which would take her out of the war. The Takao-class heavy cruiser had been a threat to US and allied forces throughout the Pacific War. She had been in action since 1941 and participated in many engagements, sinking enemy shipping and supporting various landings and evacuations. She had also survived several engagements where many other Japanese ships had been sunk. With the sinking of her three sister ships, Atago, Maya, and Chōkai in late 1944, Takao, although damaged, remained a major threat in the theatre. Dur18 mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27996810

3405 Iron Valour 09/17/2023

3405 Iron Valour Only one man has ever been awarded both the Victoria Cross and the Iron Cross - Surgeon General William Manley. In 1864 he was awarded a VC for his actions during the siege of Gate Pa during the New Zealand Wars. Then, when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870, Manley went with the British Ambulance Corps attached to the Prussian Army - in December 1870 he was awarded the Iron Cross (second class) for bravery in several engagements around Chateauneuf, Bretoncelles, Orleans, and Cravant. Dur: 21mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27966834

3404 Bushmen against the Boers – Australians in the Boer War 09/03/2023

3404 Bushmen against the Boers – Australians in the Boer War When the Second Boer War was declared on October 11th, 1899, governments of colonies from around the British Empire offered to send troops to contribute to the British war effort. This included the governments of the six colonies of Australia (Australia would not be confederated into a Commonwealth until January 1st, 1901). Among the troops sent were the 1st Tasmanian Imperial Bushmens’ Contingent, a unit whose members would be awarded two Victoria Crosses. Most of the troops the colonies of Australia contributed were mounted units, formed before departure. This was despite a decree requesting infantry contingents as being of most service and cavalry of the least. Dur: 36mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27891366

3403 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 3 08/06/2023

3403 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 3 Benedict Arnold chose treason. In a shocking turn of events, one of the most talented American generals had turned traitor. The news sent shockwaves throughout the rebellious states. Arnold became the most wanted man in America as General George Washington made it clear he wanted Arnold captured and put on trial. Arnold, however, was safely behind British lines. Left behind was the British officer sent to recruit him, John André, another victim of Arnold's greed. But that was of little concern to Arnold. Now that his treason was complete and he a Brigadier General in the British Army, his focus was on winning the war and ensuring his place in history. Dur: 15mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27666978

3402 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 2 07/23/2023

3402 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 2 Benedict Arnold spent years becoming a respectable merchant in Connecticut and the coming of the American War of Independence presented him with an opportunity to increase his standing even further. His bravery in battle was unquestioned, but his desire for reward led him to dubious actions. Congress had little money to pay the soldiers, so Arnold decided to pay himself through the sale of captured goods. His temper, greed, and arrogance created enemies within American ranks. Fellow officers wished to see him fail and forwarded complaints to Congress. The victory at Saratoga should have been Arnold’s crowning achievement, but his severe wound at the moment of triumph opened the door for his rival, Horatio Gates, to receive the credit. Dur: 24 mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27518535

3401 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 1 07/09/2023

3401 The Treason of Benedict Arnold - Part 1 Benedict Arnold, a name in the American lexicon that is synonymous with treason. History remembers Arnold solely for his attempted betrayal and his subsequent return to the American War of Independence as a British general, this was only the sudden climax to a story that saw Arnold rise from humble beginnings as an apothecary apprentice to one of the most competent generals in the Continental Army. He fought to protect his honor and was quick to challenge any perceived slight. Dur: 30mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/27398136

3310 King of the Few - Adolph 'Sailor' Malan 05/21/2023

3310 King of the Few - Adolph 'Sailor' Malan On a clear day in 1960, a conversation took place between the pilot of a South African Airways passenger aircraft and Heathrow Airport's ground control. The pilot had a special request. He wanted to do a low-level circuit in London. In turn, the tower asked the reason for the special request. The pilot simply replied…I wish to show the Sailor his London. Dur: 26mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/26864244

3309 - Bloodshed on the Blackwater - the Battle of Maldon 04/30/2023

3309 - Bloodshed on the Blackwater - the Battle of Maldon The entry for the year AD 991 in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that Olaf Tryggvason (later king of Norway) sailed with a fleet of ninety-three ships and raided the English coast. He began in Kent raiding Folkestone and then Sandwich, and then moved on to Ipswich in Suffolk. After overrunning Ipswich, the fleet moved onwards to Maldon in Essex, sailing up the River Blackwater and establishing a base at the island of Northey in early August. Dur: 20mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/26672223

3308 Fix Bayonets! An heroic old-fashioned charge in the Korean War 04/09/2023

3308 Fix Bayonets! An heroic old-fashioned charge in the Korean War 1951 had begun disastrously for the United Nations forces in Korea. On December 31st, 1950, the Chinese 13th Army breached UN defences below the 38th parallel as part of the Third Phase Campaign and, on January 3rd, Seoul was evacuated by the US Eighth Army. The Eighth Army was commanded by Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgeway, who had been in office for little over a week, taking up his command only on December 26th, 1950. Dur: 18mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/26474625

3307 The Aitape-Wewak Campaign 03/26/2023

3307 The Aitape-Wewak Campaign On their seemingly inexorable advance south in 1942, the Japanese had occupied Aitape in northern New Guinea on their advance south. Allied offensives to halt the Japanese advance began in 1943 and in April 1944 units of the United States Army, especially the 163rd Regimental Combat Team from the 41st Infantry Division landed at Aitape and retook parts of the area (centred on the Wewak airstrip). Dur: 22mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/26327013

3306 Heroism in the Hundred Days Offensive 03/12/2023

3306 Heroism in the Hundred Days Offensive On 27 September 1918, Captain Frisby and Lance Corporal Jackson led the assault against enemy machine-gun positions during the battle of the Canal du Nord, Nord-pas-de-Calais region of Northern France. Following the successes of the German Spring Offensive in March 1918, the Allies launched a series of successful counter-attacks from May to July 1918 which forced the Germans to fall back. /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/26187627

3305 The Battle of Montgisard 02/19/2023

3305 The Battle of Montgisard The battle of Montgisard (fought near Ramla in central Israel) saw the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem unexpectedly defeat the forces of Saladin. The Latins were vastly outnumbered and fought thinking that they faced certain defeat. Their victory put an end to the inexorable advances that the Muslim conqueror Saladin had won up to that point. Dur: 19mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/25961853

3304 Epaminondas of Thebes - Part 2 02/05/2023

3304 Epaminondas of Thebes - Part 2 Epaminondas' victory at Leuctra created the Theban Hegemony, a brief period where Thebes dominated Greek politics. There has always been criticism that when Thebes defeated Sparta at the battle of Leuctra they had no real plan to replace the Spartan domination of Greece with one of their own. Hence the Theban hegemony of Greece was short-lived. One consideration to keep in mine is that Thebes only sought to end Spartan domination, not replace it. By achieving that feat at Leuctra, they actually created a power vacuum (which would eventually be filled by Macedon under Philip II, achieving domination of Greece in 338). Dur: 19mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/25820247

3303 Epaminondas of Thebes - Part 1 01/22/2023

3303 Epaminondas of Thebes - Part 1 Epaminondas of Thebes is one of the greatest and most revolutionary commanders in military history, destroying the might of Sparta in a single day at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. At that battle, Epaminondas led the outnumbered Theban phalanx to an overwhelming victory over an army of feared Spartan hoplites. Theban victory that day forever changed the political map of Greece. Dur: 20mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/25668948

3302 The Battle of Alcazar 01/08/2023

3302 The Battle of Alcazar By mid-afternoon on the 4th of August 1578, three monarchs lay dead on the battlefield of Alcazar in Morocco: two Sultans and King Sebastian I of Portugal. The consequences of their deaths would resonate for decades throughout Europe and North Africa. The Battle of Alcazar is known by several names, all of which are attempts at Anglicizing the town of El-Ksar el-Kebir in Morocco where the battle was fought. It is also known, unsurprisingly, as the Battle of the Three Kings. Dur: 24mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/25491222

3301 Charles Upham VC 12/04/2022

3301 Charles Upham VC Just before his 31st birthday in September 1939, Charles Upham volunteered as a private in the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF). He had been in the Territorials but refused to join at any higher rank. He was soon singled out for his natural leadership qualities and made temporary lance corporal, but refused to attend the Officer Cadet Training Unit since he feared that such training would delay his departure for Europe. Dur: 18mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/25189287

3210 The White Death: Finnish marksman Simo Häyhä 07/31/2022

3210 The White Death: Finnish marksman Simo Häyhä Simo Häyhä tormented Soviet forces invading his native Finland between December 1939 and March 1940, killing 542 enemy soldiers in only 98 days. In the hostile, minus forty degree conditions of the Finnish winter of 1939-40, a man clad all in white lay with packed snow mounded in front of him as he awaited his enemy. The man was Simo Häyhä and he was armed with only a regulation, bolt action rifle – he preferred the standard sight as it could not fog over or catch the light and was less conspicuous than a telescopic sight. Next to him lay his sub-machinegun and he was no less deadly with that weapon. During the Winter War, Häyhä accurate sniper fire would account for almost an entire battalion of Russian soldiers. Dur: 24mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/23898876

3209 The Castilian Civil War 1350-1369 07/17/2022

3209 The Castilian Civil War 1350-1369 A bitter war between legitimate and illegitimate heirs was fought for the throne of fourteenth century Castile. The ensuing conflict pulled in many powers, large and small, including both the kingdoms of England and France. Dur: 17mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/23753429

3208 The Battle of Issus 07/03/2022

3208 The Battle of Issus At the battle of Issus, fought in early November 333 BC, Alexander faced the Persian King Darius in person for the first time. Massively outnumbered, the Macedonian army faced the numberless might of the Persian military machine. The outcome would decide the future of both the Persian and the Macedonian empire. Dur: 20mins File: .mp3 /episode/index/show/thehistorynetwork/id/23615609

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