Best ProfGregJackson Podcasts (2025)

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195: Holiday Special IX: Chanukah in Warsaw & Christmas in Washington, D.C. 37:25

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2d ago37:25

37:25

“This year very few Hanukkah candles were lit.” / “This is a strange Christmas Eve.” This is the story of 1941’s wartime holiday season. It’s difficult to conjure up a more miserable picture than the Warsaw Ghetto, but Jewish residents are doing their best to stay close to their faith in spite of the dismal circumstances. In a sermon that draws par…

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194: Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 1:03:23

17d ago1:03:23

1:03:23

“Man your battle stations! This is no sh*t!” This is the story of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s 7:55 on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. 183 Japanese aircraft descend on the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sailors awaken to a nightmare as “Battleship Row” becomes a graveyard, hundreds of US planes are destroyed withou…

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193: The Empire of the Rising Sun: Military Imperialism in Japan (1853–1941) 1:03:38

30d ago1:03:38

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“To be perfectly frank, the ways you and I look at the Chinese are fundamentally different. You seem to think of them as human, but I see them as pigs.” This is the origin story of the Empire of the Rising Sun. After an uninvited visit from one Commodore Matthew Perry and his four black ships, Japan opens its doors to the wider world, ending seven …

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192: A Conversation with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein: The American Revolution and WWII 57:46

1M ago57:46

57:46

Professor Greg Jackson sits down with legendary documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and his co-producer Sarah Botstein to discuss their newest film series, The American Revolution plus a conversation about their 2007 WWII series, The War. Ken and Sarah’s latest endeavor about the American War for Independence has been in production for nearly a decade,…

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Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups" 7:19

2M ago7:19

7:19

Today Professor Jackson tells the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s “Over Our Coffee Cups” weekly radio show. Starting in the fall of 1941, the First Lady took to the airwaves with this cafe-style program to provide information and comfort as the nation began mobilizing for war. This short story is an example of the extras you can get as an HTDS premium…

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191: Halloween Special V: “The War of the Worlds” on the Radio 41:50

2M ago41:50

41:50

“No more defenses. Our army is wiped out—artillery, air force, everything wiped out.” This is the story of the invasion of New Jersey. “The War of the Worlds” is a 1938 radio adaptation of an 1897 science fiction novel by H.G. Wells that details an alien invasion of Earth, a seminal work that popularized the term “Martian” and the theme of “first c…

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190: An Epilogue to US Pre-WW2 Turn from Isolationism to Interventionism and the Influential Americans in London Who Brokered the FDR-Churchill Bromance 1:10:00

2M ago1:10:00

1:10:00

Professor Jackson takes a step back to review themes from episodes 187 through 189 (War in Europe and America’s Response), specifically the slow turn from isolationism to aid via Lend-Lease, and eventually to preparing for war. Prof. Jackson’s guests are Professor Lindsey Cormack, an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of …

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189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation 1:06:16

3M ago1:06:16

1:06:16

"At long last, Mr. President.”—Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill This is the story of the second year of WWII and the United States’ response. As the war enters its second full year, things are looking dire for Britain: Germany has forced France into submission, the Blitz is in full swing, and the cash-strapped nation is running out of money to …

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The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 11:23

3M ago11:23

11:23

Professor Greg Jackson shares a personal message about our politically divided times and announces more tour dates for his live show: The Unlikely Union. This show is not recorded for the podcast. Go to HTDSpodcast.com/live-shows for more information and dates. Prof. Jackson’s national tour has already been to half of the 50 states, so-called red …

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188: World War II in Europe & The American Response (1939–40): Isolationism vs. Arsenal of Democracy 1:08:05

3M ago1:08:05

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“I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. … I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will.” This is the story of the first year of WWII in the European theater and the United States’ response. Since the days of President George Washington, the United States has largely held to George…

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187: From the Rhineland to Poland (1935–1939): Annexation, Appeasement, & the Start of World War II 1:08:46

4M ago1:08:46

1:08:46

“A great war can hardly be avoided any longer.” This is the story of Nazi Germany’s aggressive territorial expansion and the start of WWII. The Treaty of Versailles has long been a thorn in Adolf Hitler’s side. Its troublesome limits on troops and technology pose challenges for a man bent on taking lebensraum and building a Grossdeuschland by any m…

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186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin 1:06:39

4M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

“Comrade Stalin, now that he is general secretary, has concentrated immense power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be capable of exercising this power with sufficient caution.” This is the story of Joseph Stalin’s path to becoming the dictator of the USSR. Ioseb (Joseph) Jughashvili, or little “Soso,” is a good student. A choi…

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185: The Early Holocaust: From the “Jewish Question” to Kristallnacht 1:08:59

5M ago1:08:59

1:08:59

“Being a Jew is not a crime, I am not a dog.” This is the story of the start of the Holocaust. Serving as the scapegoat for everything from a disappearing child to the Black Plague, European Jews are used to “anti-Jewry.” But as the nation state rises in the modern world, it brings the so-called “Jewish Question” to the fore: can one be a faithful …

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The Unlikely Union: New Tour Dates 9:23

5M ago9:23

9:23

Professor Greg Jackson is touring the country with a live version of the podcast telling the story of The Unlikely Union of American states. Starting Sep 19, 2025 through July 4, 2026, you can hear the Professor history-tell in person, with video and live musicians. It’s not recorded for the podcast so get your tickets now at ⁠HTDSpodcast.com/live-…

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184: The Rise of Adolf Hitler: From Failure to Führer of Nazi Germany or the Third Reich 1:07:14

5M ago1:07:14

1:07:14

“There will be no more mercy now; anyone who stands in our way will be butchered.” This is the story of Adolf Hitler and the collapse of the Weimar Republic. A dropout. A failed applicant to Vienna’s prestigious Academy of Fine Arts. A decorated but low-ranking soldier who attempts to overthrow the state and is convicted of treason. But only a deca…

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183: The Origin of Fascism: “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini & the Rise of Fascist Italy 1:10:40

5M ago1:10:40

1:10:40

“Italy, Gentlemen, wants peace, wants quiet, wants work, wants calm; we will give it with love, if that be possible, or with strength, if that be necessary.” This is the story of Italy’s Benito Mussolini’s creation of fascism and rise to power in interwar Italy. Benito starts life the way his father intended—as a socialist—and the often moving, you…

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182: A Prologue to World War II: US Army Interwar Preparation 45:50

6M ago45:50

45:50

This is the story of interwar preparation–not that the United States realized it was preparing for World War II, new technologies, innovation, and a constant pushing of the limits in the 1930s did indeed help Uncle Sam prepare for the fight to come. To get us into an interwar mindset of praying for peace while preparing for war, Professor Jackson t…

ProfGregJackson Podcasts

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History That Doesn't Suck

Prof. Greg Jackson

1
195: Holiday Special IX: Chanukah in Warsaw & Christmas in Washington, D.C. 37:25

1
194: Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941 1:03:23

1
193: The Empire of the Rising Sun: Military Imperialism in Japan (1853–1941) 1:03:38

1
192: A Conversation with Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein: The American Revolution and WWII 57:46

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Bonus: Eleanor Roosevelt "Over Our Coffee Cups" 7:19

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191: Halloween Special V: “The War of the Worlds” on the Radio 41:50

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190: An Epilogue to US Pre-WW2 Turn from Isolationism to Interventionism and the Influential Americans in London Who Brokered the FDR-Churchill Bromance 1:10:00

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189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation 1:06:16

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The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 11:23

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188: World War II in Europe & The American Response (1939–40): Isolationism vs. Arsenal of Democracy 1:08:05

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187: From the Rhineland to Poland (1935–1939): Annexation, Appeasement, & the Start of World War II 1:08:46

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186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin 1:06:39

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185: The Early Holocaust: From the “Jewish Question” to Kristallnacht 1:08:59

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The Unlikely Union: New Tour Dates 9:23

1
184: The Rise of Adolf Hitler: From Failure to Führer of Nazi Germany or the Third Reich 1:07:14

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183: The Origin of Fascism: “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini & the Rise of Fascist Italy 1:10:40

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182: A Prologue to World War II: US Army Interwar Preparation 45:50