Key Battles of American History

In August 1914, the German army launched an invasion of Belgium as a first step to their planned march through France and capture of Paris. As the Germans swept through Belgium and advanced on the French capital, the Allies made a desperate stand along the Marne River. The resulting “Miracle on the Marne” halted the German advance and ended hopes of a quick war. What followed was the grim birth of trench warfare and a conflict that would grind on for years. In this episode, James and Sean explore the opening months of World War I in the west— from Germany’s Schlieffen Plan and France’s doomed offensives to the brutal fighting of the Battle of the Frontiers and the halting of the German onslaught.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, James and special guest Sean McIver discuss the classic 1930 anti-war film All Quiet on the Western Front. Based on the novel of the same name, All Quiet on the Western Front set the standard for all future war movies, especially those which present war in a negative light.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James explore how Europe’s fragile balance of power unraveled in 1914 — from rival alliances and Balkan tensions to the assassination in Sarajevo that sparked a global catastrophe. Join us as we discuss how in just six weeks, the Great Powers turned a regional crisis into the First World War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this kickoff to our new series on The Great War, James and Sean take a sweeping look at the state of Europe in 1914—just before the world changed forever. They explore the continent’s dominant empires, their military might, political tensions, and the fragile balance of power that had kept peace for nearly a century. From rising nationalism and colonial rivalries to the tangled web of alliances and Balkan unrest, this episode sets the stage for the regional conflict that mushroomed into the First World War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sean and James rank the top World War II fighter planes used by the Axis powers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.