History Shorts

When the American Civil War ended, the fighting was over—but for thousands of families, the agony had only just begun. Sons, husbands, and brothers had vanished without a trace, leaving loved ones desperate for answers the government could not provide.

In this episode of History Shorts, we tell the remarkable story of Clara Barton and her creation of the Missing Soldiers Office in Washington. Best known today as the founder of the American Red Cross, Barton first devoted herself to one of the Civil War's most heartbreaking challenges: identifying the missing. Working from a modest office, she answered tens of thousands of letters, searched military records, corresponded with former soldiers, and helped families discover the fate of loved ones who had simply disappeared into the chaos of war.

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In the 1970s, a tiny electronic device sparked one of the most unexpected battles in education. It wasn't over politics, funding, or curriculum. It was over whether students should be allowed to use calculators.

In this episode of History Shorts, we explore the surprising controversy known as the "Calculator Wars." As handheld calculators became affordable and classrooms across America began adopting them, many teachers feared students would lose the ability to perform basic arithmetic, think critically, or truly understand mathematics. The debate became so heated that, at one national mathematics education conference, protesters picketed their own professional gathering, arguing that calculators threatened the very future of math education.

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I'm delighted to be joined by acclaimed historian and author Jane Rogoyska.

In her powerful new book, Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War, Jane tells the extraordinary true story of one iconic Parisian hotel — the Hôtel Lutetia — and uses it as a haunting window into the human drama of World War II.

Once a glamorous Left Bank landmark and favorite haunt of artists and writers like Picasso, Matisse, James Joyce, and André Gide, the Lutetia became a refuge for German exiles and anti-Nazi dissidents fleeing Hitler in the 1930s. Then, during the Nazi occupation of Paris, it was seized and transformed into the headquarters of the Abwehr — the German military intelligence service. After liberation, it took on one final, heartbreaking role as a repatriation center for survivors returning from concentration camps.

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One of the most famous pieces of furniture in the world wasn't built for a president. It was built from the timbers of a ship that refused to die.

In this episode of History Shorts, we uncover the remarkable journey of the Resolute Desk, the iconic centerpiece of the Oval Office. Its story begins not in Washington, but in the frozen Arctic, where the British exploration ship HMS Resolute became trapped in the ice and was abandoned by its crew. Miraculously, the ship drifted free, was discovered by an American whaling vessel, and returned to Britain as a gesture of goodwill between two former enemies.

Years later, when the aging vessel was retired, Queen Victoria commissioned a magnificent desk crafted from its oak timbers and presented it as a gift to Rutherford B. Hayes.

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Every December, millions of bright red poinsettias decorate homes, churches, and holiday tables around the world. Few people realize that the beloved Christmas plant is named after an American diplomat—and that his greatest legacy may have been one of the strangest diplomatic disasters in U.S. history.

In this episode of History Shorts, we explore the remarkable story of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to independent Mexico. While serving abroad, Poinsett introduced the vibrant red plant to the United States, forever linking his name to the holiday season. But his political career south of the border proved far less successful. His repeated interference in Mexico's internal affairs became so notorious that Mexicans coined a new word—poinsettismo—to describe foreign meddling in another nation's politics.

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In the years after World War I, millions of people of African descent dreamed of a future free from colonialism, discrimination, and racial oppression. No one embodied that dream more boldly than Marcus Garvey.

In this episode of History Shorts, we tell the remarkable story of the Black Star Line, the ambitious shipping company Garvey created to connect people of African descent across the globe. Promising economic independence and a pathway toward Black self-determination, the Black Star Line became the centerpiece of Garvey's global movement. Thousands invested their savings, hoping the fleet would transform a vision of unity into reality.

But turning a dream into a business proved far more difficult than inspiring a movement.

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In this timely episode, we sit down with #1 New York Times bestselling author Tom Clavin to discuss his gripping new book Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull.

Marking the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn (the Battle of the Greasy Grass), Tom delivers a fresh, balanced retelling through 95 vivid vignettes. We explore the vengeance cycles, leadership clashes, myths vs. reality, and the devastating long-term impact on the Plains Indians — from stunning Native victory to the tragedy at Wounded Knee.

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Hollywood remembers Merrill's Marauders as fearless jungle fighters. The reality was far harsher.

In this episode of History Shorts, we follow the elite American unit that marched roughly 750 miles behind Japanese lines through the jungles of Burma during World War II. Battling impossible terrain, monsoon rains, malaria, dysentery, exhaustion, and constant combat, the Marauders pushed toward the strategic airfield at Myitkyina under conditions few soldiers have ever endured.

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In the spring of 1933, thousands of Soviet citizens were dumped onto a small island in Siberia with virtually nothing—no food, no tools, no shelter, and no realistic chance of survival.

In this episode of History Shorts, we uncover the horrifying story of Nazino Island, later known as "Cannibal Island." Intended as part of Joseph Stalin's vast deportation system, the experiment quickly descended into unimaginable chaos. Starvation, disease, violence, exposure, and documented cases of cannibalism claimed thousands of lives in just a matter of weeks, while armed guards prevented escape.

For decades, Soviet authorities buried the truth. Only years later did investigators piece together what had happened on this isolated island in the Ob River.

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Today I'm honored to be joined by one of the world's foremost historians of modern international relations, Professor Odd Arne Westad. He is a Professor of History at Yale University, and the author of several landmark books, including the acclaimed The Cold War: A World History.

His latest book, The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History, is a timely and urgent warning about the rising dangers of Great Power competition in our multipolar world.

Today we'll discuss the striking parallels with the period before 1914, the major flashpoints that worry him most, the impact of new technologies on warfare, and what practical steps we can take to avoid catastrophe.

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