This episode is the 101st episode of Military History Podcast. It is a compilation of 100 MHP clips, tidbits, and funfacts. It is split into two parts: this is part two.  Feel free to post any clips that I failed to mention in the episode. Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

This episode is the 100th episode of Military History Podcast.  It is a compilation of 100 MHP clips, tidbits, and funfacts.  It is split into two parts: this is part one. Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the US Navy Reserve

The Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 1917) was a turning point in WWI. It was the first great allied victory. It also continues to be the greatest event in modern Canada's military history. The 100,000 Canadians of the Canadian Corps were commanded by Arthur Currie. Currie began numerous preparations including: Giving maps to all Canadian troops, not just the officersTraining all Canadian troops on a replica of Vimy RidgeBuilding an elaborate tunnel system underneath no man's land in order to...

"The Most Dangerous Man in Europe" was how Eisenhower described Otto Skorzeny, Nazi Germany's most famous commando and special operations leader.  Before he became the leader of Jagdverbande 502 (a special operations unit), Skorzeny fought on the Eastern Front and even won an Iron Cross for bravery. His most famous mission was Operation Oak, the search and rescue of Benito Mussolini, who had been captured and imprisoned by his rivals in the Italy.  Skorzeny led a glider assault on Gran...

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophet Mohammad's top general. Khalid commanded over 100 battles and never lost, making him the most undefeated general in history. He usually fought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as a champion dueler. This is the first of a two-part episode. This part will cover Khalid's conquest of Byzantine Syria: Some famous battles on the Syrian front include: Bosra, Ajnadayn, and Damascus. The Siege of Damascus saw the first...

The Sword of Allah refers to Khalid ibn al-Walid, the prophet Mohammad's top general.  Khalid commanded over 100 battles and never lost, making him the most undefeated general in history.  He usually fought in the front lines either as a cavalry commander or as a champion dueler.  This is the first of a two-part episode.  This part will cover Khalid's conquests of Arabia and Persia: Khalid ibn al-Walid originally fought with the Meccan Quraiysh tribe against Mohammad and the Muslims. ...

Warsaw is the capital of Poland.  It's motto is "Contemnit Procellas", which means "it defies the storms".  It is a fitting motto because Warsaw continues to be the site of many uprisings, rebellions, and power shifts.  Two of them were especially devastating: Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943): Led by Mordecai Anielewicz of the ZOB and the ZZW.  1000 Jewish resistance fighters vs. 2842 German SS forces.  Jews are defeated, and deportations to extermination camps continue.  Warsaw Uprising...

The Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was founded in 1958 in order to ensure that the science gap remained in the US's favor.  Many great empires, such as the Mongols, Chinese, Ottomans, Mughals, and later, the Soviets, fell from grace because they missed out on major military revolutions, such as the Gunpowder Revolution, the Two Industrial Revolutions, and the Information Revolution.  America was determined to not let it happen to them.  Since its...

This episode is a summary of the USS Scorpion incident of 1968 and a review of the book, Scorpion Down, by Ed Offley (Published by Perseus Books). The USS Scorpion, a Skipjack-class nuclear submarine, was heading from the Mediterranean Sea to Norfolk, Virginia, when it mysteriously sank, making it only the second nuclear submarine that the US Navy has ever lost. The US Navy and other authors claimed that the USS Scorpion and its 99 crew members were lost because of a weapons accident or...

Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States.  He had the fourth highest rank of all the presidents, below Washington, Eisenhower, and Grant.  He is also considered to be the nation's ninth greatest president, after Lincoln, FDR, Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, and Truman.  Therefore, he is the second greatest warrior-president in US History, after only George Washington, himself. Andrew Jackson's military career began in the War of 1812.  First, he defeated...

As Supreme Allied Commander of the Southwest Pacific Area, Douglas MacArthur led an island-hopping campaign (Operation Cartwheel) known as "hit em where they aint".  He avoided major Japanese garrisons and conquered from Australia, up through New Guinea, and to the Philippines.  Upon wading ashore at Leyte during the Battle of Leyte, he proclaimed "I have returned".  MacArthur was chosen to lead Operation Downfall (the invasion of Japan), but the war ended before the campaign began.  After...

Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1880.  He was the grandson of a former governor of Wisconsin, and the son of a medal-of-honor-winning military governor of the Philippines.  He attended West Point and graduated first in his class.  After a brief stint as an aide to his father, he became the chief of staff of the 42nd Rainbow Infantry Division in France during WWI.  He led the division through the Meuse-Argonne Offensive and the Battle of St. Mihiel.  During the war, he...

The British Empire is the largest (14.1 million square miles) and most populous (532 million people) empire in history. It is the reason why English is one of the world's most important languages, why 1/3 of the world drives on the left, and why much of the world uses the parliamentary system. Another testament to its power is the fact that one of its former colonies, the United States of America, is the current hyperpower. In addition to colonizing the British Isles and North America...

The British Empire is the largest (14.1 million square miles) and most populous (532 million people) empire in history.  It is the reason why English is one of the world's most important languages, why 1/3 of the world drives on the left, and why much of the world uses the parliamentary system.  Another testament to its power is the fact that one of its former colonies, the United States of America, is the current hyperpower. The British Empire began in 1066 with the Battle of Hastings,...

Blitzkrieg (lightning war) was the military doctrine of Germany during the first half of WWII.  It consisted of an all-mechanized army blowing through the enemy lines (via air support and artillery support) so fast that the enemy would be overwhelmed and defeated.  Blitzkrieg relied on a highly mobile and highly professional army.  It was developed after WWII by Heinz Guderian, author of Achtung: Panzer. Blitzkrieg warfare was applied in five major places: Spanish Civil War, Invasion of...

The Falklands War is one of the few modern wars between two modern adversaries (in this case, Argentina and Britain).  The war was over the Falkland Islands, off of the southeastern coast of Argentina which Britain held and Argentina claimed. General Leopold Galtieri, leader of Argentina, decided to act because he needed something to justify his military government.  He launched Operation Azul to successfully capture the islands.  Margaret Thatcher, leader of Britain, decided to respond...

The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), also known as Saddam's Qadisiyyah, the Holy Defense, and the Iraqi-Imposed War, had a devastating effect on both participants.  The war features many attacks and counterattacks, though in the end, nothing changed.  Some causes of the war include: Khuzestan Border DisputeStruggle for Middle Eastern SupremacySunni vs. Shiite SchismShatt al-Arab Waterway DisputeIranian-sponsored assassination attempt against Tariq Aziz (Iraqi minister) Iraq's invasion of Iran...

Nader Shah was the founder of the Afsharid Dynasty of Persia, lasting from 1736 to 1747.  During this time, this "second Alexander" returned Persia to its Sassanid-era borders.  After pushing the anti-Safavid Afghan invaders out of Persia, Nader invaded Afghanistan and took the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, and Lahore.  In the western theater, Nader Shah gained many cities from Ottoman Mesopotamia, including Najaf, Karbala, and Basra.  However, he was stopped at the walls of Baghdad.  In the...

Niccolo Machiavelli was a political and military philosopher around 1500AD in Florence, Italy during the Italian Renaissance.  His name is associated with shrewd, cunning rule.  His most famous work, The Prince, features many tips for princes to conquer territory (whether it is decentralized, or centralized): Destroy the previous hereditary lineAttack the strong, leave the weakAct unilaterallyLive in the conquered territorySend in colonists rather than soldiersCommit all crimes...

Shamil Basayev became involved in the nearby Dagestan War after he lost his bid for president. This prompted Vladimir Putin to launch the Second Chechen War, which successfully reclaimed Grozny for the Russians. Since then, Chechnya has been officially under Russian control, but there is still a strong insurgency. In 2003, Shamil's subordinate launched an attack on a theater in Moscow. 850 hostages were taken and demands were made (the Chechens wanted an immediate Russian withdrawal from...

Shamil Basayev is a politician and self-proclaimed terrorist fighting for Chechnya's independence from Russia. Chechnya is a small Muslim republic in southern Russia. Basayev has ties to Al Qaeda, the Mujahideen, and many other terrorist networks. He was active in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, where his Abkhaz Battalion helped to fight off the Georgian Army. This Abkhaz Battalion was then brought back to defend Chechnya's capitol city of Grozny. Shamil held off Russia's invading force (which...

This episode was written by Brian Liddicoat, a real estate attorney in Northern California. The words �Groom Lake� and �Area 51� have achieved an almost myth-like quality thanks to interest in UFOs and shows like the X-Files. But the real history of this base is even more interesting than the fiction. The names �Area 51� and �Groom Lake� refer to a large flight test base in the Nevada Desert, about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. The facility was originally built by Lockheed...

This episode will only cover the period between March 2003 and May 1 2003. Reasons for Invading Iraq: Iraq's possession of WMDs Saddam's link to Al QaedaIraq's failure to respect no-fly zonesTyrannical part of the Axis of Evil The United States Congress supported military action against Iraq, but the UN did not approve of it. The US launched Operation Cobra II with the coalition of the willing (consisting of 49 countries) and many military contractors.  The main invasion was in the South,...

The French Foreign Legion was founded in 1831 as France's non-citizen military. Over the years, it consisted of many refugees, colonial citizens, and people trying to start a new life. The training is hard and only one in seven applicants makes it. After they complete their tour of duty, a Legionnaire may receive a 10-year residential permit and French citizenship. The Legion's most famous military action was in the Battle of Camaron in the Maximilian Affair in Mexico in 1863. 62...

The Pacific Northwest has many military facilities.  Washington State, specifically, has: Naval Base Kitsap: Holds nuclear submarines, a carrier battle group, and a navy region command centerNaval Station Everett: Holds a carrier battle groupMcChord Air Force Base: Holds a Western Air Defense Sector command centerFairchild Air Force Base: Holds nuclear transport aircraftFort Lewis: Holds the I Corps command center and stryker brigadesHanford Site: Held plutonium production facilities and is...