History Teachers Talking

Hosted by former history teachers Thomas Reszka and Peter Zablocki, this monthly podcast brings the past into the present through lively, unscripted conversations on history, politics, pop culture, and education. It’s the kind of discussion you wish every classroom had—smart, approachable, and just unpredictable enough to keep you hooked. No lectures. No jargon. Just great history, well told.

Talking about History's Greatest Acts of Diplomacy 05/13/2026

Talking about History's Greatest Acts of Diplomacy What was the greatest act of diplomacy in world history? Was it Richard Nixon opening relations with Communist China? The Camp David Accords? The Congress of Vienna rebuilt Europe after Napoleon. Or the tense backchannel negotiations that helped prevent nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis? In the first new episode of History Teachers Talking in two years, Peter and Tom dive into the diplomatic moves that reshaped the world—sometimes quietly, sometimes dramatically, and sometimes without firing a single shot. From Cold War maneuvering and secret negotiations to overlooked “teacher flex” moments like the Helsinki Accords and the Dayton Accords, this episode explores how diplomacy has ended wars, prevented catastrophes, and changed the course of history. Because sometimes the most important victories in history happened around a table… not on a battlefield. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41196030

Talking about History's Greatest Comebacks 05/01/2026

Talking about History's Greatest Comebacks After a two-year hiatus, Peter and Tom return to the microphones to dive into one of history’s most compelling themes: comebacks. From political resurrections to military turnarounds, from personal redemption stories to moments when everything seemed lost—only to be reclaimed—this episode explores the figures and events that prove history is rarely final. But this isn’t just about Napoleon escaping exile or nations rising from collapse. It’s also about the idea that history moves in cycles—and sometimes, so do we. In a conversation that feels just like sitting back in the classroom with your favorite teachers, Peter and Tom reflect on legendary second acts, unexpected reversals, and what these stories reveal about resilience, leadership, and timing. And fittingly, this episode marks a comeback of its own: History Teachers Talking returns under the History Shorts Network, bringing the same light-hearted, insightful, and engaging discussion you remember—just with a few more stories (and maybe a few more gray hairs). Because in history, the best stories aren’t just about the rise… they’re about the return. For More Information, Visit: /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41054790

Talking about American POWs 05/02/2024

Talking about American POWs Most Americans who have been prisoners of war are ordinary people who have been placed in extraordinary circumstances by no planning of their own. Join us as we run through the history of American POWs throughout all of our conflicts. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007265

Talking about Jimmy Carter 04/19/2024

Talking about Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Yet, ironically, it is everything but those years that make him famous. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007270

Talking about Rome's Worst Emperors 03/28/2024

Talking about Rome's Worst Emperors Bad? Cruel? Weird? Ruthless? Violent? Yep, yep, yep, yep, and yep. Join us as we discuss Rome's worst Emperors! /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007275

Talking about Women's Firsts in History 03/13/2024

Talking about Women's Firsts in History In celebration of Women's History Month, join us as we discuss some of the famous firsts in women's history! /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007280

Talking about Submarine Warfare 03/01/2024

Talking about Submarine Warfare Submarines played a significant military role for the first time during the First World War and then again in the Second World War, but their history and legacy extend past way that. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007285

Talking about Forrest Gump & History 02/21/2024

Talking about Forrest Gump & History "Forrest Gump," directed by Robert Zemeckis and released in 1994, is known for cleverly integrating its titular character into various historical events and cultural phenomena. Join us as we discuss these historical and cultural events in the context of Forrest's story. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007290

Talking about Weird Sports 02/07/2024

Talking about Weird Sports Never underestimate humanity’s ability to turn the mad or the mundane into a competitive sport. Join us as we discuss some of history's (and modern times') crazy sports! /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007295

Talking about the Boston Massacre 01/26/2024

Talking about the Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre was a deadly riot that occurred on March 5, 1770, on King Street in Boston. But was there more to it than just that? /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007300

Talking about Mary Queen of Scots 01/17/2024

Talking about Mary Queen of Scots Political turmoil, religious conflicts, and tragic personal circumstances marked Mary Queen of Scots' life. Here is the story! /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007305

Talking about Japan's Unit 731 01/05/2024

Talking about Japan's Unit 731 Unit 731 was a Japanese research program during World War II that conducted horrific experiments such as infecting subjects with plague, giving subjects frostbite, and cutting people apart while alive and unsedated /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007310

Talking about (new) We Didn't Start the Fire 12/29/2023

Talking about (new) We Didn't Start the Fire This song covers the 1989 Billy Joel smash, which hit #1. The lyrics are updated to reflect the 1990s to the current day. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007315

Talking about Hirohito's Role in WWII 12/22/2023

Talking about Hirohito's Role in WWII Japan's Emperor Hirohito presided over the invasion of China, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and eventually, the Japanese surrender to the Allies. So, what role did he actually play in any of these events? /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007320

Talking about Patton 12/14/2023

Talking about Patton Here is the story of the life and death of George S. Patton Jr., one of the ablest and most controversial U.S. commanders in World War II. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007325

Talking about American Shopping Malls 12/07/2023

Talking about American Shopping Malls In the 1980s and '90s, malls dominated American social life. Today, there are dead and dying malls scattered across the country. Here is the story. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007330

Talking about American Political Parties 11/30/2023

Talking about American Political Parties Democrat or Republican, or perhaps a Whig or a Federalist? Join us as we discuss the history and evolution of America's Political Parties. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007335

Talking about Thanksgiving 11/22/2023

Talking about Thanksgiving The event that Americans commonly call the "first Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in November 1621. Here is that story and more... /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007340

Talking about Infamous Political Assassinations 11/16/2023

Talking about Infamous Political Assassinations Join us as we discuss some of the most infamous political assassinations in history whose effects stretched long after the individuals's brutal end. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007345

HTTP Lecture: The Burr Conspiracy 11/13/2023

HTTP Lecture: The Burr Conspiracy The Burr Conspiracy was a plot conceived in 1804 by then already infamous (for killing Alexander Hamilton) Vice President Arron Burr to carve out and lead a new, independent country in the Southwestern United States. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007350

Talking about the Fall of the Ottoman Empire 11/09/2023

Talking about the Fall of the Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire was once among the biggest military and economic powers in the world. So what happened? And why does it matter? /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007355

HTTP Lecture: Killing Trotsky 11/06/2023

HTTP Lecture: Killing Trotsky Here is the story of the rise and the gruesome fall of Leon Trotsky, one of the early leaders of the Russian Revolution. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007360

Talking about the Salem Witch Trials 10/31/2023

Talking about the Salem Witch Trials The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007365

HTTP Lecture: Nurse Nightingale 10/26/2023

HTTP Lecture: Nurse Nightingale Often called “the Lady with the Lamp,” Florence Nightingale was a caring nurse and a leader. In addition to writing numerous books, pamphlets, and reports on health-related issues, she is also credited with creating one of the first versions of the pie chart. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007370

Talking about the Freaky Victorian Era 10/20/2023

Talking about the Freaky Victorian Era Wife selling, mummy unwrapping, and body snatching; discover the bizarre and freaky Victorian era you never learned about in school. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007375

HTTP Lecture: The 1896 Crash at Crush 10/18/2023

HTTP Lecture: The 1896 Crash at Crush An 1896 publicity stunt of a gladiatorial battle of two steam engines that raced toward one another at full speed turned into a tragic train wreck of an idea on a fateful day near Waco, Texas. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007380

Talking about NASA Spinoffs 10/12/2023

Talking about NASA Spinoffs NASA SPINOFFS are one-time NASA technologies that benefit life on Earth in the form of commercial products. Here is a story of a few of them. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007385

HTTP Lecture: The Dancing Plague of 1518 10/06/2023

HTTP Lecture: The Dancing Plague of 1518 Scientists and historians still aren't sure what led people in Strasbourg in 1518 to dance themselves to death. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007390

Talking about the Yom Kippur War 10/04/2023

Talking about the Yom Kippur War On October 6, 1973, hoping to win back territory lost to Israel during the third Arab-Israeli war, in 1967, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated attack against Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007395

HTTP Lecture: Pancho Villa's Missing Head 09/27/2023

HTTP Lecture: Pancho Villa's Missing Head In 1926, grave robbers stole the Mexican Revolutionary Pancho Villa's skull, and its whereabouts have been a mystery ever since. /episode/index/show/669b6bd6-5962-45b7-a3fa-74a4f8d379b8/id/41007400

History Teachers Talking

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