Best Nomadic Ground Podcasts (2026)

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S8 Ep274: COMMERCE AND THE ORIGINS OF THE FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. The Anglo-German Fellowship was headquartered at the Metropole Hotel in London in 1935, immediately attracting major business ... 5:55

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15m ago5:55

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COMMERCE AND THE ORIGINS OF THE FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. The Anglo-German Fellowship was headquartered at the Metropole Hotel in London in 1935, immediately attracting major business interests, including Unilever, which had vast assets in Germany and sought to avoid war to protect its commercial empire. While business leaders were initi…

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S8 Ep274: THE AMATEUR SPIES AND THE 1934 DINNER Colleague Charles Spicer. In December 1934, Ernest Tennant, a British banker deeply scarred by the loss of friends and family in the First World War, attended ... 11:55

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THE AMATEUR SPIES AND THE 1934 DINNER Colleague Charles Spicer. In December 1934, Ernest Tennant, a British banker deeply scarred by the loss of friends and family in the First World War, attended a pivotal dinner in Berlin with Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Tennant, along with fellow protagonist Philip Conwell-Evans, sought to prevent a…

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S8 Ep273: THE 1975 COLLAPSE AND THE WAR'S STRATEGIC FAILURE Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Following the 1973 peace deal and US withdrawal, Congressional aid to South Vietnam plummeted, leaving the ARVN deprived ... 8:45

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THE 1975 COLLAPSE AND THE WAR'S STRATEGIC FAILURE Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Following the 1973 peace deal and US withdrawal, Congressional aid to South Vietnam plummeted, leaving the ARVN deprived of essential logistics and air support. When the NVA launched their final offensive in 1975, the US did not intervene, leading to a chaotic collapse of t…

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S8 Ep273: LAM SON 719 AND THE FAILURE OF VIETNAMIZATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. The 1971 invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) exposed the failure of Vietnamization, as South Vietnamese troops were routed without ... 10:55

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LAM SON 719 AND THE FAILURE OF VIETNAMIZATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. The 1971 invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) exposed the failure of Vietnamization, as South Vietnamese troops were routed without USground support, proving they lacked the leadership and logistics to fight alone. By 1972, only massive American air power, reinstated by Nixon during …

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S8 Ep273: THE CAMBODIAN INCURSION AND DOMESTIC UNREST Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1970, Nixon authorized an incursion into Cambodia to destroy NVA sanctuaries and supply lines, but the operation failed ... 6:55

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THE CAMBODIAN INCURSION AND DOMESTIC UNREST Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1970, Nixonauthorized an incursion into Cambodia to destroy NVA sanctuaries and supply lines, but the operation failed strategically as the enemy simply retreated deeper into the country and returned later. While the invasion widened the war and ignited massive domestic unrest…

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S8 Ep273: NIXON'S SABOTAGE AND HAMBURGER HILL Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Richard Nixon won the 1968 election by using Henry Kissinger to secretly sabotage LBJ's peace talks, eventually accepting the same ... 10:54

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NIXON'S SABOTAGE AND HAMBURGER HILL Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Richard Nixon won the 1968 election by using Henry Kissinger to secretly sabotage LBJ's peace talks, eventually accepting the same terms in 1973 after four more years of bloodshed. Once in power, Nixon's continuation of "search and destroy" tactics led to the Battle of Hamburger Hill in …

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S8 Ep273: THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive to deliver a knockout blow; while a military disaster for the communists ... 9:30

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THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1968, North Vietnamlaunched the Tet Offensive to deliver a knockout blow; while a military disaster for the communists, the televised breach of the US Embassy shattered American claims of progress and turned public opinion. Simultaneously, the siege of Khe Sanh symbolized the …

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S8 Ep273: SEARCH AND DESTROY AND THE FAILURE OF ATTRITION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. General Westmoreland implemented a strategy of attrition aimed at reaching a "crossover point" where enemies were killed ... 10:10

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SEARCH AND DESTROY AND THE FAILURE OF ATTRITION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. General Westmoreland implemented a strategy of attrition aimed at reaching a "crossover point" where enemies were killed faster than they could be replaced, requiring the construction of massive infrastructure and thousands of firebases. However, this "search and destroy" tac…

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S8 Ep273: THE BATTLE OF IA DRANG AND NVA ADAPTATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1965, the US introduced combat troops and air mobility tactics, showcased at the Battle of Ia Drang, where General Westmoreland ... 7:59

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THE BATTLE OF IA DRANG AND NVA ADAPTATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1965, the US introduced combat troops and air mobility tactics, showcased at the Battle of Ia Drang, where General Westmoreland used infantry as "tethered goats" to draw the enemy out for destruction by artillery. However, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) quickly adapted by "hugg…

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S8 Ep273: VIETNAM AS A POLITICAL WAR AND THE GULF OF TONKIN DECEPTION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Geoffrey Wawro explains that the Vietnam War was a political war of choice, where the Johnson administration ... 9:50

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VIETNAM AS A POLITICAL WAR AND THE GULF OF TONKIN DECEPTION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Geoffrey Wawro explains that the Vietnam War was a political war of choice, where the Johnson administration manipulated the Gulf of Tonkin incident to secure a "blank check" from Congress. The administration presented a US-provoked skirmish and a fictitious secon…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA'S REDEMPTION AT THE WORLD BANK Colleague William Taubman. After leaving the Defense Department, McNamara sought redemption as President of the World Bank, shifting its focus to aiding ... 7:25

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MCNAMARA'S REDEMPTION AT THE WORLD BANK Colleague William Taubman. After leaving the Defense Department, McNamara sought redemption as President of the World Bank, shifting its focus to aiding the "poorest of the poor" and combating diseases like river blindness. He viewed this humanitarian work as an attempt to explain the lives lost in Vietnam, l…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA'S PRIVATE TURN AGAINST THE WAR Colleague William Taubman. By 1966, McNamara had privately turned against the war, confessing to aide John McNaughton his desperate desire to "bring the ... 12:15

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MCNAMARA'S PRIVATE TURN AGAINST THE WAR Colleague William Taubman. By 1966, McNamara had privately turned against the war, confessing to aide John McNaughton his desperate desire to "bring the boys home," yet he maintained public support for the conflict out of loyalty to the presidency. He faced intense anti-war hostility, including a confrontatio…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA, THE KENNEDYS, AND JACKIE'S PLEA Colleague William Taubman. Fearing a political challenge from Robert Kennedy in 1964, Johnson used McNamara to monitor the Kennedys' intentions, specifically ... 7:59

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MCNAMARA, THE KENNEDYS, AND JACKIE'S PLEA Colleague William Taubman. Fearing a political challenge from Robert Kennedy in 1964, Johnson used McNamara to monitor the Kennedys' intentions, specifically sending him to determine if Jackie Kennedy would publicly support an RFK nomination. Despite acting as Johnson'sagent, McNamara maintained a deep, emo…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA AND JOHNSON'S DANGEROUS FEEDBACK LOOP Colleague William Taubman. Following JFK's assassination, Lyndon Johnson retained McNamara, relying on his efficiency and self-confidence to counter ... 9:50

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MCNAMARA AND JOHNSON'S DANGEROUS FEEDBACK LOOP Colleague William Taubman. Following JFK's assassination, Lyndon Johnson retained McNamara, relying on his efficiency and self-confidence to counter his own insecurities and depressive episodes. A dangerous feedback loop developed where McNamara, eager to please his new boss, adopted Johnson's "tone fo…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA JOINS THE KENNEDY CABINET Colleague William Taubman. In 1960, Robert Kennedy and Sargent Shriver recruited a reluctant McNamara for the Kennedy cabinet; despite McNamara's insistence ... 8:20

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MCNAMARA JOINS THE KENNEDY CABINET Colleague William Taubman. In 1960, Robert Kennedy and Sargent Shriver recruited a reluctant McNamara for the Kennedy cabinet; despite McNamara's insistence that he was unqualified for the Treasury or Defense posts, he agreed to meet the President-elect. He accepted the position of Secretary of Defense on the cond…

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S8 Ep272: THE WHIZ KIDS AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY Colleague William Taubman. After the war, Tex Thornton recruited McNamara as part of the "Whiz Kids" team to modernize Ford Motor Company using statistical ... 11:25

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THE WHIZ KIDS AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY Colleague William Taubman. After the war, Tex Thorntonrecruited McNamara as part of the "Whiz Kids" team to modernize Ford Motor Company using statistical control methods, a role in which McNamara excelled and eventually rose to the presidency. Unlike his peers who settled in the executive enclave of Grosse Poin…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA'S ACADEMIC BRILLIANCE AND PERSONAL DRIVE Colleague William Taubman. Taubman details McNamara's academic brilliance, noting his induction into Phi Beta Kappa at Berkeley and his status ... 8:25

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MCNAMARA'S ACADEMIC BRILLIANCE AND PERSONAL DRIVE Colleague William Taubman. Taubmandetails McNamara's academic brilliance, noting his induction into Phi Beta Kappa at Berkeley and his status as the top student at Harvard Business School, where he sought to combine business with public service. His drive was shaped by a cold father and a mother who…

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S8 Ep272: MCNAMARA'S ROLE IN THE FIREBOMBING OF TOKYO Colleague William Taubman. William Taubman discusses Robert McNamara's service in the Pacific during World War II, specifically his role as a statistician ... 9:24

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MCNAMARA'S ROLE IN THE FIREBOMBING OF TOKYO Colleague William Taubman. William Taubmandiscusses Robert McNamara's service in the Pacific during World War II, specifically his role as a statistician under General Curtis LeMay in the Marianas. McNamara's analysis revealed that B-29 bombers were missing targets because they flew too high, advising LeM…

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S8 Ep271: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Professor William Taubman discusses his new book, McNamara at War, recounting a vivid episode from 1967-68. McNamara traveled to Harvard Yard to address students but ... 2:24

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Professor William Taubman discusses his new book, McNamara at War, recounting a vivid episode from 1967-68. McNamara traveled to Harvard Yard to address students but unexpectedly encountered a hostile anti-war mob, a surprising confrontation that the professor remembers vividly to this day. 1962. JFK AND BOB MCNAMARA VISI…

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S8 Ep271: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Historian Geoffrey Wawro details how North Vietnamese troops used human wave attacks to "cling" to American perimeters. By holding Americans "by the belt," they neutralized ... 1:00

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Historian Geoffrey Wawro details how North Vietnamese troops used human wave attacks to "cling" to American perimeters. By holding Americans "by the belt," they neutralized US artillery and air power, making it impossible for the US to bomb the enemy without hitting their own troops. 1968 WIA RETURNS.…

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S8 Ep271: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Geoffrey Wawro argues Nixon's diplomacy with Mao focused specifically on achieving peace in Vietnam rather than just triangulating superpowers. Following North Vietnamese ... 1:44

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: Geoffrey Wawro argues Nixon's diplomacy with Mao focused specifically on achieving peace in Vietnam rather than just triangulating superpowers. Following North Vietnamese refusal to bow to these plans, Nixon authorized the devastating Linebacker II bombing campaign, aiming to destroy Hanoi. 1972 LINEBACKER ORDNANCE…

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What is the World’s Best Citizenship Combo? 16:00

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Here’s a question that sounds simple until you really try answering it: What’s the world’s best citizenship combo? View the full article here. Subscribe to the IMI Daily newsletter here.By Christian Henrik Nesheim

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S8 Ep270: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE FAILED OSTER CONSPIRACY OF 1938 Colleague Charles Spicer. Charles Spicer discusses the 1938 Oster Conspiracy, a plot by Hitler's opponents to utilize police and ... 2:24

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE FAILED OSTER CONSPIRACY OF 1938 Colleague Charles Spicer. Charles Spicer discusses the 1938 Oster Conspiracy, a plot by Hitler's opponents to utilize police and army units to arrest him. This coup depended on Hitler attacking Czechoslovakia, but Neville Chamberlain's arrival and appeasement policy destroyed the conspir…

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S8 Ep270: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE RHINELAND Colleague Charles Spicer. In 1936, Hitler violated treaties by moving troops into the Rhineland. Despite prior warnings, London ... 3:16

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE RHINELAND Colleague Charles Spicer. In 1936, Hitler violated treaties by moving troops into the Rhineland. Despite prior warnings, London and Parisfailed to react due to prevailing pacifist sentiment. Spicer explains that because Hitler's soldiers lacked live ammunition, standing up to this ag…

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S8 Ep270: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT RIBBENTROP'S DESCENT FROM ANGLOPHILE TO ENEMY Colleague Charles Spicer. Joachim von Ribbentrop served as Hitler's ambassador to Britain, initially acting as a sophisticated ... 3:02

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT RIBBENTROP'S DESCENT FROM ANGLOPHILE TO ENEMY Colleague Charles Spicer. Joachim von Ribbentrop served as Hitler's ambassador to Britain, initially acting as a sophisticated Anglophile. However, after social gaffes and influence from his wife, his admiration turned to vitriolic hatred. Spicerdetails how this irrational shif…

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S8 Ep270: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT UNILEVER AND THE ANGLO-GERMAN FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. Corporations like Unilever, fearing war and seeking to protect massive profits, formed the Anglo-German ... 3:14

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT UNILEVER AND THE ANGLO-GERMAN FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. Corporations like Unilever, fearing war and seeking to protect massive profits, formed the Anglo-German Fellowship to maintain dialogue with Berlin. Spicer explains how business leaders, hoping to "civilize" the Nazis, misinterpreted events like the Night o…