Conversations: How We Almost Lost the Revolutionary War, w/ Rick Atkinson
Release Date: 06/06/2025
Custer's Last Stand
History Shorts
In the summer of 1876, as America celebrated its centennial, a stunning defeat unfolded on the plains of Montana. Lt. Colonel George Custer and over 200 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were wiped out by a united force of Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. Known popularly as Custer’s Last Stand, the Battle of Little Bighorn became one of the most mythologized and misunderstood clashes in American history. In this episode, we revisit the true story of Little Bighorn: the broken treaties, the clash of cultures, Custer’s fatal miscalculations, and the tactical brilliance of...
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The Kings' Crusade
History Shorts
In the wake of Jerusalem’s fall to Saladin in 1187, three of Europe’s mightiest monarchs, Richard the Lionheart of England, Philip Augustus of France, and Frederick Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire, launched an extraordinary military expedition to reclaim Christendom’s most sacred city. The Third Crusade, remembered as The Kings’ Crusade, was a clash of titans, driven by religious fervor, political ambition, and personal rivalry. In this episode, we retrace the dramatic course of this crusade, from Barbarossa’s tragic drowning to Richard’s dazzling victories, and from the...
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Conversations: The Mystery Behind Socrates' Death w/ Matt Gatton
History Shorts
Peter speaks with Matt Gatton about his newest book, The Shadows of Socrates, which reframes Socrates not merely as a martyr for free speech but as a philosophical heretic, whose intellectual rebellion against the dominant spiritual order ultimately sealed his fate. SUBSCRIBE, LEAVE A REVIEW, OR A RATING! LEARN MORE: SUPPORT THE SHOW: BUY MATT'S EPISODE SPONSOR: This Week's Peter's Top Picks from The Collector:
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The Pill, the Nurse, and the Revolution
History Shorts
Few medical breakthroughs have changed the world as profoundly as the birth control pill, and few people were as instrumental in that transformation as Margaret Sanger. In this episode, we trace the fierce, controversial, and ultimately world-shaking campaign for reproductive autonomy, from back-alley clinics and prison cells to laboratories and FDA approval. Margaret and the Pill is not just the story of a scientific invention, it’s a story of defiance, moral courage, strategic compromise, and the complicated legacy of one woman whose vision reshaped the 20th century. Topics Covered: ...
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The Last Nazi Fuhrer
History Shorts
When Adolf Hitler shot himself in a Berlin bunker, the Nazi regime didn’t die with him, not immediately. In an eerie coda to World War II, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of Germany’s deadly U-boat fleet, was named Hitler’s successor. For three surreal weeks, Dönitz led the so-called Flensburg Government, navigating the ruins of a dead empire, issuing decrees, and negotiating surrender. This episode explores how a naval officer became the last Führer of Nazi Germany, why he was chosen, what his government tried to accomplish, and how he escaped the noose at Nuremberg despite his...
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Rome's Five Good Emperors
History Shorts
For 84 remarkable years, from 96 to 180 CE, the Roman Empire was guided not by the worst instincts of autocracy, but by its best hopes. In this episode, we explore the era of The Five Good Emperors: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Chosen not by birthright but by merit, these rulers led Rome through a golden age of relative peace, prosperity, and principled governance. We’ll trace their legacies, military conquests, architectural marvels, legal reforms, philosophical meditations, and ask why, in a brutal age of emperors-gone-mad, these five men stood apart....
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The "Other" Rosa Parks
History Shorts
Before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to give up her seat in Montgomery, Alabama, there was another young woman, just 15 years old, who had done the very same thing. Her name was Claudette Colvin. In this episode, we uncover the overlooked and extraordinary story of Colvin’s defiance, arrest, and her pivotal role in the court case that would ultimately help bring down bus segregation in the South. Why was her name nearly erased from the movement? What does her story reveal about the politics of protest and the cost of courage? Join us as we explore how a teenager with fire in her heart...
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Today in Context: Iran/U.S Relations: A History
History Shorts
TODAY IN CONTEXT BONUS: The animosity between the United States and Iran is one of the most enduring geopolitical rivalries in modern history, rooted in a mix of historical grievances, ideological conflicts, and strategic competition. In this episode, we explore how this complex relationship evolved from the early 20th century to the present day. The 1953 CIA-led coup that overthrew Iran’s democratic government, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the nuclear standoff, and the rise of regional tensions have all contributed to the bitter rift between the two nations. With...
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Frozen Hell of the Chosin Reservoir
History Shorts
In the frigid mountains of North Korea in the winter of 1950, 30,000 United Nations troops, led by the U.S. Marines, faced encirclement by over 120,000 Chinese soldiers in one of the most brutal military engagements of the 20th century. The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was not just a fight for survival, it was a testament to courage, discipline, and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds and unimaginable cold. This episode chronicles the 17-day siege that came to define the Korean War and produce some of the most heroic actions in modern military history. In this episode, you’ll discover:...
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Killing Trotsky
History Shorts
On August 20, 1940, in a quiet Mexico City study, one of the last living architects of the Russian Revolution was struck down, not by a rival revolutionary, but by an ice axe wielded by a Soviet assassin. Leon Trotsky’s murder was the climax of a decades-long battle over power, ideology, and the very soul of socialism. In this gripping episode, we uncover the story behind the assassination of Leon Trotsky, his rise as Lenin’s brilliant right hand, his fall at the hands of Stalin’s machinery, and his final years in exile, hunted by the regime he once helped build. This is not just a story...
info_outlineIn this riveting episode of History Shorts, host Peter Zablocki welcomes one of America's most celebrated historians, Rick Atkinson, to discuss the second installment of his Revolutionary War trilogy: The Fate of Day. Together, they explore the pivotal years of 1777 to 1780, a period that saw both near-collapse and unexpected momentum for the American cause. Atkinson shares insights into the decisive Battles of Saratoga, the harrowing winter at Valley Forge, and the shifting loyalties in a war that was as much a civil war as it was a war for independence.
Highlights & Takeaways:
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How Atkinson transitioned from journalism to narrative military history
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Why the Battle of Saratoga marked a global turning point in the war
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The underestimated fragility of Washington’s army at Valley Forge
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The deeply divided American public and the loyalist dilemma
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Surprising archival discoveries in Windsor Castle and Ann Arbor
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Atkinson’s literary influences and writing discipline
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LEARN MORE: www.historyshortspodcast.com
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MORE ABOUT RICK: https://rickatkinson.com/aboutrick/
EPISODE SPONSOR: https://www.thecollector.com/
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