History of the Second World War

By Wesley LivesaySociety & Culture Documentary History

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History of the Second World War episodes

October 24 Listener Questions Pt. 9
More listener questions!

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29 min
October 22 280: North Africa '41 Pt. 2 - Opposing Forces and Mersa Brega
As German forces arrive in North Africa, the situation inherited from Operation Compass and the terrain of Cyrenaica shape the opening of Erwin Rommel's campaign. This episode examines the overstretched British position, the vital role and limitations of Italian forces, and Rommel's first advance from El Agheila toward Mersa el Brega.

Credit Logo image: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-783-0150-28 / Valtingojer / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5477801

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26 min
October 14 279: North Africa '41 Pt. 1 - Why Are the Germans Here?
German forces arrived in North Africa in February 1941 to shore up Italy’s collapsing position, but the limited mission conceived in Berlin soon collided with Erwin Rommel’s far more ambitious plans. This episode examines the creation of the Afrika Korps, the uneasy German-Italian command arrangement, the arrival of German ground and air units in Libya, and the supply problems that would shape every Axis advance across the desert—setting the stage for both Rommel’s legend and the long campaign ahead.

Credit Logo image: By Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-783-0150-28 / Valtingojer / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5477801

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26 min
October 07 278: The War At Sea '41 Pt. 16 - The End of the Surface Raiders
News of Bismarck's sinking brings celebration in London, but the sailors struggling in the cold Atlantic face a desperate fight for survival. This episode examines the rescue effort, the Royal Navy's reckoning with the loss of Hood, the German leadership's response to the failed operation, and how the destruction of Bismarck helped bring the era of German surface raiding in the Atlantic to an end.

Credit Logo Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924

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25 min
October 02 Listener Questions Pt. 8
More strategic bombing discussion, how did merchant shipping work, occupied economies, and more.

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24 min
September 30 277: War at Sea '41 Pt. 15 - The End of the Bismarck
After days of pursuit, King George V and Rodney finally close with the crippled Bismarck in the stormy Atlantic. This episode follows the brutal final battle from the opening salvos through the destruction of Bismarck's guns and superstructure, the British battleships' point-blank bombardment, and Dorsetshire's torpedo attack as Germany's most powerful warship slips beneath the waves.

Credit Logo Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924

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22 min
September 23 276: War at Sea '41 Pt. 14 - Wounded Beast
With Bismarck crippled and unable to steer after the Ark Royal's torpedo attack, the German battleship's crew struggles through flooding, failed repairs, and growing exhaustion while both German commanders ashore and British forces at sea prepare for the inevitable final encounter. This episode follows the messages that revealed the ship's desperate condition, the nighttime attacks by Captain Vian's destroyers—including Piorun's bold challenge—and the convergence of King George V and Rodney before the battle that would end Operation Rheinübung.

Credit Logo Image: ⁠⁠https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924

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24 min
September 16 275: War at Sea '41 Pt. 13 - Lucky Strike
After Bismarck slips away from her British pursuers, the Royal Navy launches a desperate search before dwindling fuel supplies force the chase to end. This episode follows the intelligence breakthrough that reveals the battleship's course, the Ark Royal Swordfish strike that mistakenly attacks HMS Sheffield, and the second attack that cripples Bismarck's steering and seals her fate.
Credit Logo Image: ⁠https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924

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30 min
September 11 Listener Questions. Pt 7
Greece, First World War Blockade Breaking, Crete, and WW2 Main Battery shell reliability.

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26 min
September 09 274: War at Sea '41 Pt. 12 - On a Wing and a Prayer
With Bismarck damaged and making for France, the Royal Navy concentrated an enormous collection of ships to contain and destroy her while Admiral Lütjens worked to release Prinz Eugen and escape his pursuers. This episode follows Bismarck’s clash with the shadowing force, the inexperienced aircrews of HMS Victorious launching their torpedo attack, and the maneuver that finally allowed the German battleship to disappear from British radar.

Credit Logo Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/state_library_south_australia/3331881750/in/album-72157623232407924

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25 min

About History of the Second World War

From the publisher's feed

History of the Second World War is a weekly podcast which will cover World War 2, beginning with the tumultuous years after the First World War, continuing into the descent into war during the 1930s,…