US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, is divided up into the following. I will talk about each individual unit listed.Army: 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Forces (Green Berets), 160th SOAR (Night Stalkers)Navy: SEALs, and SWCCs (Special Warf

Planning the American Civil War

Apr 24th, 2009 25m 37s

This episode answers four basic questions:Why were both North and South so unprepared for war?Which side had the initial advantage?Did the South have to secede? Did the North have to respond with military force?Was Northern victory inevitabl

Farragut and the Vicksburg Campaign

Jan 29th, 2009 20m 57s

Vicksburg was a Confederate fortress guarding the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was the only thing stopping the Union from taking control of the all-powerful Mississippi waterway. Although the Vicksburg Campaign is most

Democracy in Iraq

Nov 21st, 2008 14m 11s

Why has democracy failed in Iraq? Here are some potential theories, with their originators in parentheses:Modernization (Rostow, Lipset): Iraq is not wealthy, urban,modern, or secular enough to support democracy. It has not followedthe sam

Troop Surge in Iraq

Oct 19th, 2008 14m 19s

This episode focuses on the decision-making strategies that PresidentBush used in December of 2006 before choosing to commit the troopsurge. Things discussed include: the release of the Iraq Study GroupReport, the 2006 midterm elections, Bu

Forces of Nature (2)

May 24th, 2008 15m 10s

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-relatedoccurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact onmilitary operations. At the small end of the scale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect

Forces of Nature (1)

May 3rd, 2008 10m 50s

Whether they are seen as acts of God, or as simple climate-relatedoccurrences, natural events have always had a sizeable impact on militaryoperations. At the small end of thescale are the little changes in terrain or weather that may affect

Occupying Iraq (2003-2007)

Apr 19th, 2008 27m 10s

This episode covers the period between Bush's declaration of "MissionAccomplished" and the change in coalition leadership (from GeneralCasey to General Petraeus). The following major events and topics arediscussed:2003: Deaths of Saddam's

The Philosophy of War (2)

Apr 7th, 2008 15m 52s

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage inwar". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do wefight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Necessary:Aristotlesays in Nicomachean Ethics that "we fi

The Philosophy of War (1)

Mar 24th, 2008 14m 1s

According to Lawrence Keeley, "90-95% of known societies engage inwar". Why? What compels homo sapiens to kill each other? Why do wefight? Part one will describe two hypotheses.War is Rational:SunTzu argued that political struggles would eve

Joan of Arc

Mar 14th, 2008 9m 36s

Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was a poor peasant girl fromLorraine. One day, she had a vision in which three saints urged her tolead the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years' War.She traveled to Charles VII's court and was appoi

Frederick the Great

Mar 2nd, 2008 15m 13s

Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, is considered the best commanderof the European Enlightenment. Despite possessing relatively fewpeople and resources, he transformed the tiny Prussian state into agreat military power (which arguably wo

Lincoln's Assassination

Feb 18th, 2008 12m 56s

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, asouthern sympathizer and a self-proclaimed modern-day Brutus, on April14th, 1865 (five days after the end of the Civil War). Booth snuck intoLincoln's viewing Booth at the For

Crassus vs. Spartacus

Feb 9th, 2008 15m 41s

Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome. Before he joined the FirstTriumvirate with Pompey and Caesar, he struggled to make a name forhimself. His big break came with the outbreak of the Third ServileWar, when Spartacus led a slave rebellio

The Anglo-Dutch Wars

Jan 26th, 2008 19m 38s

Today's episode's script was written by Andrew Tumath of Aberdeen,United Kingdom. To submit your own script, please send them to me [email protected] Anglo-Dutch Wars were a series of thedistinct conflicts waged between

Iraq's Environment

Jan 13th, 2008 28m 35s

This episode is an analysis of the environmental impacts of the currentwar in Iraq. There are several major categories, each of which will bediscussed. This episode is meant to be an overview of therarely-discussed ecological situation in

The John McCains

Jan 1st, 2008 12m 3s

John McCain Sr: Admiral, Commander of Fast Carrier Task Force in South Pacific during WWIIJohn McCain Jr: Admiral, Commander of Pacific Command during Vietnam WarJohn McCain III: Navy aviator, shot down in Hanoi, tortured as aprisoner of war

Sports - War minus the Shooting

Dec 26th, 2007 13m 43s

The title of this episode comes from the following George Orwell quote: “Serioussport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred,jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasurein witnessing violence: i

Food of WWII

Dec 16th, 2007 19m 11s

This episode is written by Russell Holman of Merrimack, New Hampshire. If you would like to submit a script to Military History Podcast,please send me an email at [email protected] mighty American military during WWII woul

Aircraft Carriers

Dec 8th, 2007 17m 10s

Aircraft Carriers are the ultimate tool of modern power projection. They are symbols of both naval strength and air superiority. Thisepisode covers their history and their future:1840s: Balloon Carriers are invented1900s: Seaplane Carriers

War in Bosnia

Dec 2nd, 2007 10m 53s

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavian countriesbegan to divide along ethnic lines. Of the five states (Serbia andMontenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia),three of them began waging war:Serb

Operation Downfall

Nov 24th, 2007 15m 13s

Operation Downfall was the proposed invasion of mainland Japan byAllied Forces near the end of WWII. It was canceled because the atomicbombs were dropped and Japan surrendered, thereby removing the need fora military conquest. It would hav

The Peloponnesian War (Part Two)

Nov 10th, 2007 9m 42s

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5thcentury BC. It was an epic war between two superpowers, and thesimilarities to the Cold War are numerous. Since most people knowabout the Cold War, since it was so recent

The Peloponnesian War (Part One)

Nov 10th, 2007 12m 46s

The 100 Best Clips of MHP (51-100)

Nov 4th, 2007 16m 22s

This episode is the 101st episode of Military History Podcast. It is acompilation of 100 MHP clips, tidbits, and funfacts. It is split intotwo parts: this is part two. Feel free to post any clips that I failedto mention in the episode.Milit