Best 20th Century Conflicts Podcasts (2025)

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Kuiken and Hodges: The China Commissioners 53:06

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41m ago53:06

53:06

Mike Kuiken and Josh Hodges, two commissioners on the congressionally appointed US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, join us to discuss the recommendations of the Commission’s 2025 annual report and the state of US-China relations more broadly. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to stay updated with the latest episodes! …

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A Utah Indian Chief Controlled the 1800s Mountain West Through Slave Trading, Building Pioneer Trails, Horse Stealing, and Becoming Mormon 1:00:05

1d ago1:00:05

1:00:05

The American Indian leader Wakara was among the most influential and feared men in the nineteenth-century American West. He and his pan-tribal cavalry of horse thieves and slave traders dominated the Old Spanish Trail, the region’s most important overland route. They widened the trail and expanded its watering holes, reshaping the environmental and…

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Security Council backs Trump's Gaza plan. What could go wrong? | Rethinking Humanitarianism 57:47

2h ago57:47

57:47

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution backing US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. It authorises an "international stabilisation force", and approves a "board of peace". Essentially, this would govern Gaza, and oversee reconstruction and humanitarian aid. It also follows a playbook similar to the occupation of Iraq, warns inte…

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Why Did Rome Fall? Wrong Question. How Did it Last 2,000 Years Despite Changing its Religion, Language, and Government? 53:46

4d ago53:46

53:46

Rome began as a pagan, Latin-speaking city state in central Italy during the early Iron Age and ended as a Christian, Greek-speaking empire as the age of gunpowder dawned. Everything about it changed, except its Roman identity. This was due to a unique willingness among Romans to include new people as citizens, an openness to new ideas, and an unpa…

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Julius Ernst Jakob - A soldier in the Czech army, the German Wehrmacht and a POW during WW2 - Episode 2 of 4 46:36

25m ago46:36

46:36

Join us as Julius Jakob shares his account of what it was like to be a Czechoslovakian citizen who was forced to fight for the Wehrmacht after his country was annexed by Nazi Germany prior to WW2. Julius was a Sudaten German in Czechoslovakia who served, as a Czech citizen, in the Czech army prior to WW2. After Czechoslovakia was annexed by Germany…

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NEW! Primary Source XLV: The Travels of Wilbrand von Oldeburg 2:24

1h ago2:24

2:24

To begin with, I'd like to draw your attention to the music in this primary source. It is called J. II. 9 (Turin Codex) also known as the Cyprus Codex, an anonymous manuscript created at the Nicosia court in the early 15th century during the Frankish rule of Cyprus under the Lusignan Dynasty. It is the only known source of Western music from the re…

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The Real Deadwood: A Gold Rush Town Built in a War Zone but Obliterated in an Inferno 37:30

9d ago37:30

37:30

Gunslinging, gold-panning, stagecoach robbing, whiskey guzzling – the myth and infamy of the American West is synonymous with its most famous town: Deadwood, South Dakota. The storied mining town sprang up in early 1876 and came raining down in ashes only three years later, destined to become food for the imagination and a nostalgic landmark that n…

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Why emergency education saves lives | Rethinking Humanitarianism 44:19

6d ago44:19

44:19

When aid funding is tight, education is often cut first. But schools offer more than just learning, and communities say education is their priority. "We have to believe that survival means more than just breathing," says emergency education expert Faiza Hassan. On this episode: Why disrupted schooling is the norm as climate change worsens, and the …

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America's Pacific Dawn: The Spanish-American War Ushered In Global Reach and Savage Conflict 55:59

11d ago55:59

55:59

Clara Barton, the founder of the Red Cross, was in Havana in 1898, investigating the terrible conditions endured by Cubans whom the Spanish government had forced into concentration camps, where an estimated 425,000 people died of disease and starvation. While she was there, the American warship USS Maine exploded in Havana's harbor, which served as…

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BONUS! Armenian-Cypriots with Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra 37:53

1d ago37:53

37:53

The history of Armenians in Cyprus is traced back to centuries, shaped by waves of migration, resilience, and cultural contributions. In this episode, I sit down with Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra to explore the deep-rooted history of Armenian Cypriots, from their earliest presence on the island to their pivotal role in modern Cypriot society. We dis…

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Julius Ernst Jakob - A soldier in the Czech army, the German Wehrmacht and a POW during WW2 - Episode 1 of 4 35:11

9d ago35:11

35:11

Join us as Julius Jakob shares his account of what it was like to be a Czechoslovakian citizen who was forced to fight for the Wehrmacht after his country was annexed by Nazi Germany prior to WW2. Julius was a Sudaten German in Czechoslovakia who served, as a Czech citizen, in the Czech army prior to WW2. After Czechoslovakia was annexed by Germany…

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Glenn Diesen: Will Europe Survive? 1:01:16

4d ago1:01:16

1:01:16

Glenn Diesen, professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway and host of the Greater Eurasia Podcast, joins us to discuss the current state of affairs in Europe, including the West’s approach to the war in Ukraine, the future of integration on the continent, and the militarization of Scandinavia. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spoti…

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The Unhealed Wounds of WW2 POWs and Combat Veterans 50:10

16d ago50:10

50:10

Nearly 16.4 million Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II, and for millions of survivors, the fighting left many of them physically and mentally broken for life. There was a 25% death rate in Japanese POW camps like Bataan, where starvation and torture were rampant, and fierce battles against suicidal Imperial Japanese forces, l…

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What's behind the COP climate circus | Rethinking Humanitarianism 48:35

14h ago48:35

48:35

The UN climate summit, COP30, is getting under way in Brazil, with global temperatures rising – and global cooperation under deep strain. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the UN Secretary-General warns that the world has missed its targets to limit global temperature rise. The stakes are high. But do COP discussions match the urgency? The New…

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Robert McNamara Thought Enough Data Could Win Any War. Instead, It Led America to the Vietnam Quagmire 1:00:21

18d ago1:00:21

1:00:21

Robert S. McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense during JFK and LBJ’s administrations, and one of the chief architects of the Vietnam war, made a shocking confession in his 1995 memoir. He said “We were wrong, terribly wrong.” McNamara believed this as early as 1965, that the Vietnam War was unwinnable. Yet, instead of urging U.S. forces to exit, h…

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Betty Hayes - An actual "Rosie the Riveter"! EP 2 of 2 48:25

9d ago48:25

48:25

Welcome to Episode 2 of our two part series featuring Ms. Betty Hayes, who worked in the North American B-25 factory in Kansas City, KS during WWII. In this episode we hear more about her experiences working on the home front and learn of some accolades that she earned for her work in WWII. Support the show…

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44. Piety and Passion: Women in Medieval Cyprus with Angel Nicolaou-Konnari 1:00:42

13d ago1:00:42

1:00:42

The legal status of women in medieval Cyprus was influenced by a mix of Byzantine, Frankish, and local customs. While legal frameworks varied, women often faced limitations on property ownership and inheritance rights. However, some women managed to attain positions of influence and power, challenging traditional norms. Despite societal constraints…

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The Philistine Connection: Do the Roots of October 7 Go Back 3,000 Years? 36:24

23d ago36:24

36:24

The October 7th attacks of Hamas on Israel were an unprecedented, surprise incursion by land, sea, and air that stunned the world and prompted Israel to declare war. The attacks, which included massacres in Israeli communities and a music festival, resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and the capture of some 251 hosta…

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How to make people care? Emergency aid's marketing problem | Rethinking Humanitarianism 59:48

8d ago59:48

59:48

Global polls show citizens in many countries want their governments to fund humanitarian aid. But the US and other nations have gutted aid departments or shrunk budgets – with little public pushback. Has the aid sector gotten too wonky to connect with the public? On the podcast: Emergency aid's marketing problem, and ideas to win the battle for att…

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The Thucydides Trap: How A Rising Athens Made The Peloponnesian War Inevitable 46:29

25d ago46:29

46:29

The Peloponnesian War is considered one of the most famous wars of the ancient world not only because it was a massive and devastating conflict that reshaped the Greek world, but also because its thorough documentation by the historian Thucydides transformed how we understand history and war. On the face of it, the Peloponnesian War, fought over 20…

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Betty Hayes - An actual "Rosie the Riveter"! EP 1 of 2 45:38

15d ago45:38

45:38

Welcome listeners to Episode 1 of our 2 part series featuring an actual "Rosie the Riveter" during WWII - Ms. Betty Hayes. In this episode we meet Betty and hear about how she got involved in war effort on the home front building B-25 bombers. Support the showBy Ryan Fairfield, Tony Lupo

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Mathew Burrows: A Life in the CIA 55:45

18d ago55:45

55:45

Mathew Burrows, program lead of the Stimson Center’s Strategic Foresight Hub, joins us to discuss his career in the CIA and the National Intelligence Council, where he was the lead author of Global Trends, a non-classified report released every four years as an aid to incoming administrations. We also discuss transformative global events of recent …

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The Free French Army in North Africa, 1940-1945 49:37

21d ago49:37

49:37

One of the principal architects of Allied Victory in North Africa during World War Two was French General Louis Dio. His importance in North Africa lies in his role as a key leader of the Free French forces and a trusted subordinate to General Philippe Leclerc. He participated in every battle from Douala to the Fezzan Campaigns in the early 1940s. …

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An Inventor’s Quest to Build a Pneumatic Subway System in 1870s New York 45:11

1M ago45:11

45:11

Alfred Beach built America’s first operational subway in secret beneath 1860s Manhattan, decades before the city’s official electric subway line in 1904. He designed and commissioned a 300-foot-long, eight-foot-diameter tunnel 20 feet underground, built with a tunneling machine he invented for this purpose. The car moved quietly and silently, pushe…

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TWND and Ray Harris Jr. Discuss Top Five Nazi Blunders! Part 2 of 2 47:37

18d ago47:37

47:37

The Warrior Next Door and pleased to have collaborated with Ray Harris Jr. of The History of WW2 Podcast to discuss our Top Five Nazi Blunders of WW2! Please leave your top five on our website warriornextdoor.com or our facebook page! Support the showBy Ryan Fairfield, Tony Lupo

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Spirited Rivalry: Did Ireland or Scotland Invent Whisky? 48:53

1M ago48:53

48:53

There’s a divide between Scotland and Ireland as fierce as the Protestant/Catholic split during the Thirty Years’ War or the battles between Sunnis and Shias in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. It’s the debate over who invented whisky. Both Ireland and Scotland claim to have originated the spirit. Ireland cites its early monastic traditions and the …

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The global backlash on gender rights | Rethinking Humanitarianism 49:29

1M ago49:29

49:29

The backlash against women's and LGBTIQI+ rights is growing – part of an organised movement that goes beyond one country or one president. But as Saskia Brechenmacher says on the latest episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism, concerned people – including civil society and non-governmental organisations – can take steps to counter the threats. Guests…

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Primary Source XLIV: From the Pen of Stefano Lusignan 1:36

23d ago1:36

1:36

Stefano Lusignan (also known as Étienne de Lusignan) was a member of the Lusignan family, which ruled over Cyprus during the medieval period. He is known for his historical works, particularly his chronicles that provide valuable insights into the history and culture of Cyprus during his time. Though writing at the tail end of the Venetian Period, …

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Episode 20 - How the Greeks Invented History and Human Agency 22:37

1M ago22:37

22:37

This episode traces the pivotal shift in Greek thought from a world governed by myth and divine intervention to one rooted in systematic investigation and human agency. The early Greek heroic world, documented by Homer, was highly personalized, focused on gaining glory (kleos) through individual, often ritualistic, actions, with gods constantly int…

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Episode 19 - Enduring Patterns of Power, Conflict, and Identity 30:24

1M ago30:24

30:24

This episode explores the enduring patterns of power, conflict, and identity across history, moving from ancient empires to the modern digital age. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 is presented as a moment that, despite the complex reality of mixed nationalities defending the city, was deliberately framed by both sides as a religious clash—a simp…

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Episode 18 - Forging Order and Identity After Societal Collapse 34:12

23d ago34:12

34:12

This episode explores the human need for social and political order and how societies and individuals re-establish identity after collapse. The dramatic fall of Constantinople in 1453 is presented as a symbolic end, where Emperor Constantine's refusal to flee—a choice of legend over strategic utility—forged a potent narrative of sovereignty. His fi…

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The Horse That Ate the Legion: Rome’s Cavalry's Triumph Over the Infantry 41:21

1M ago41:21

41:21

The cavalry 'wings' that probed ahead of the Roman Army played a key role in its campaigns of conquest, masking its marching flanks and seeking to encircle enemies in battle. However, at the very beginning of Rome’s history, it didn’t even have a cavalry, and relied on Greek-style phalanx formations instead. It began as a small cavalry arm provided…

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What Will People Think? | Sara Hamdan on the Jimmy Fallon Book Club Shortlist 54:02

1M ago54:02

54:02

Author Sara Hamdan discusses her journey to becoming a published writer and the nuanced storytelling behind her book, "What Will People Think?" from its unexpected appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Book Club shortlist to navigating the complexities of Palestinian heritage in her work. Hamdan delves into the importance of collaboration in creative fields…

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TWND and Ray Harris Jr. Discuss Top Five Nazi Blunders! Part 1 of 2 59:08

1M ago59:08

59:08

The Warrior Next Door and pleased to have collaborated with Ray Harris Jr. of The History of WW2 Podcast to discuss our Top Five Nazi Blunders of WW2! Please leave your top five on our website warriornextdoor.com or our facebook page! Support the showBy Ryan Fairfield, Tony Lupo

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Episode 17 - Honor, Debt, and the Clash Between Heroes and Kings 24:03

1M ago24:03

24:03

This episode traces the profound, enduring tension between individual honor and state authority by starting with the ancient Greek epic, the Iliad. The entire conflict is fueled by Achilles' rage (menis), triggered when King Agamemnon publicly insults him by seizing his prize (timē), which was the tangible proof of his battlefield value and contrib…

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Episode 16 - Decoding the Universal Mechanics of Civilization Collapse 22:38

1M ago22:38

22:38

This episode explores the universal language of systemic failure, aiming to identify recurring vulnerabilities that lead to the collapse of complex civilizations. One major theme is internal weakness, where systems become brittle, as seen in the Inca Empire, where the political structure was driven by the rivalries of dead emperors' estates (panaca…

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Episode 15 - The Universal Operating System of Empires 28:23

1M ago28:23

28:23

This episode explores the concept of a universal administrative blueprint by comparing successes and spectacular failures across diverse historical settings to understand what makes a state function. The Byzantine Empire provides a case study in systemic administrative failure, with the long decline following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 acceler…

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Episode 14 - The Price of Centralized Power and Control 36:06

1M ago36:06

36:06

This episode examines the mechanics of centralized state control and the price paid for building vast human systems, starting with the Inca Empire, a state that achieved incredible stability and scale without money or markets. The Inca achieved this by dictatorially centralizing an existing communal labor tradition, called mita, turning it into man…

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Episode 13 - Grain Surplus Built Kings, Slavery, and the Book of the Dead 21:54

1M ago21:54

21:54

The discussion explores the dark paradox of early civilizations, arguing that the foundations of complex society in Mesopotamia and Egypt rested on the Neolithic Package—a combination of specific grains, legumes, and livestock that allowed for sustainable surplus. This grain surplus, which could be stored, created the fundamental dividing line betw…

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Episode 12 - Structural Failures That Doom Civilizations 38:01

1M ago38:01

38:01

This episode explores the structural fragility of civilizations, arguing that long-term internal decay and division often set the stage for external collapse. The fall of Constantinople serves as a prime example, where a politically and religiously fractured Byzantine state, paralyzed by internal debates over union with Rome, was easily overcome by…

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Episode 11 - The Brutal Price of Civilizational Change 33:25

1M ago33:25

33:25

The discussion explores the theme of the brutal cost of civilizational change by analyzing seemingly disparate historical and intellectual shifts. The conversation starts on the battlefield, examining the Siege of Constantinople in 1452 as an example of technological innovation—like the primitive mortar—forcing military and psychological change, le…

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Episode 10 - The Deep History of Civilization 25:08

1M ago25:08

25:08

This episode delves into the Neolithic Revolution, marking a fundamental shift in human history from mobile hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural life. The core of this revolution was the domestication of plants and animals, which provided a reliable, managed food supply, leading to an unprecedented increase in population density. This …

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Episode 9 - Planet Shapeshifters and Plague Bottlenecks 28:44

1M ago28:44

28:44

This episode covers the profound, often unexpected ways early human actions from 20,000 to 5000 BC reshaped the planet, demonstrating that humanity has been an ecological force for far longer than typically assumed. The expansion of human populations coincided with massive waves of megafauna extinction, which was not a natural event but was closely…

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Episode 8 - The Wheel, The Horse, and the Chariot 28:53

1M ago28:53

28:53

This episode traces how advancements in mobility technology—the wheel, the chariot, and the horse—were pivotal forces that both built and broke early civilizations, demonstrating the power of technological discontinuity. The invention of the spoked wheel was a game-changer, making chariots light, fast, and agile, transforming them from mere ceremon…

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Episode 7 - Imperial Chess, Siege Cannons, and the Fragile Foundations of State Power 29:01

1M ago29:01

29:01

This episode undertakes a vast historical analysis, examining the forces that build, sustain, and ultimately fracture state power, drawing examples from ancient history to the early modern period. The analysis begins with the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which was the culmination of a sophisticated geopolitical chess game where the Ottomans firs…