Key Battles of American History

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2004 German film Downfall, which gives an inside view of the final days of Hitler, his closest advisors, and the Third Reich itself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the early spring of 1945, the Third Reich was on its last legs. Forces of the Western Allies crossed into Germany and pushed eastward, while in eastern Germany, Soviet forces surrounded Berlin. On April 30, Hitler committed suicide, and a week later, Germany surrendered. Join Sean and James as they tell the gripping story of the last weeks of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in Europe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 2014 film Fury, which tells the story of an American tank crew fighting against stubborn German resistance during the final weeks of the European theater of World War II.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having destroyed the German Army Group Center and pushed back Army Group North and Army Group South, the Soviet Army in late 1944 and early 1945 swept through the Balkans and Poland, while thousands of German refugees fled westward. Join Sean and James as they discuss the westward drive of the Soviet juggernaut as well as the fateful February 1945 Yalta Conference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teddy Roosevelt faced many challenges at the end of his life. Racked by rheumatism, a ticking embolism, pathogens in his blood, a bad leg from an accident, and a bullet in his chest from an assassination attempt. But none of that stopped Roosevelt from attempting to reassemble the Rough Riders for a final charge against the Germans in World War One, pushing them into a likely suicide mission of a cavalry attack against 50 caliber machine guns.Suffering from grief and guilt, marginalized by world events, the great glow that had been his life was now but a dimming lantern. But TR’s final years were productive ones as well: he churned out several “instant” books that promoted U.S. entry into the Great War, and he was making plans for another run at the Presidency in 1920 at the time of his death. Indeed, his political influence was so great that his opposition to the policies of Woodrow Wilson helped the Republican Party take back the Congress in 1918. To look at Roosevelt’s final years, Scott Rank, host of History Unplugged, speaks with Bill Hazelgrove, author of “The Last Charge of the Rough Rider.” It was Roosevelt’s quest for the “vigorous life” that, ironically, may have led to his early demise at the age of sixty. "The Old Lion is dead,” TR’s son Archie cabled his brother on January 6, 1919, and so, too, ended a historic era in American life and politics. Subscribe to History Unplugged with Scott Rank:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Ysc7ZgSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3j0QRJyParthenon: https://www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-unplugged-podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1949 classic film Battleground, starring Van Johnson, which presents a surprisingly realistic depiction of the Battle of the Bulge through the lens of a single squad.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early hours of December 16, the pre-dawn stillness experienced by the thinly held American line at the eastern edge of the Ardennes Forest was shattered by a massive German offensive. After a summer of rapid advance, and a frustrating fall of dogged resistance to their advance towards the German border, American troops and leaders expected a period of winter quiet from an army that was thought to be nearly beaten. Instead, the German military offensive intended to turn the course of the war created a massive Bulge in the Allied line and became the largest, costliest land battle in American history. In this episode, Sean and James discuss the epic battle that came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1977 epic film A Bridge Too Far, which dramatizes Operation Market Garden. The movie had a big budget and an all-star cast, but does it live up to the hype? Listen and find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fall of 1944, the Allied push toward Germany began to slow down due to supply and logistical problems. The daring September offensive codenamed Operation Market Garden, designed to break the logjam, failed miserably. By the end of November, the Allied armies had settled in near the German border, hoping to soon resume offensive operations and drive into Germany. Join Sean and James as they discuss the Allies’ fall 1944 attempt to bring the war in Europe to a close.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Generally considered the one of the greatest–if not THE greatest–war movies ever made, Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film Saving Private Ryan revolutionized the genre of war movies. In this episode, Sean and James present an in-depth discussion of this modern-day classic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.