Korean War Podcast

In the summer of 1948, Stalin decides to cut road, rail and river transport into West Berlin, to force the Western allies out of the City.  However the Americans and British began an operation to supply West Berlin by air transport.  The story and biography of the so called 'Candy Bomber'.

The story of how the Soviets occupied Eastern Europe at the end of the Second World War.  Stalin effectively runs an empire that runs from Central Europe to the Pacific Ocean an empire greater than that of any Russian Czar.  The story of how in 1948 the Czech Communist gain power in that country.  A biography of the Czech Communist leader Gottwald. 

Lack of support from Stalin forces Tito to withdraw from Trieste in 1945.  However in 1946 a crisis over control of the city flares up after the Yugoslavs shot down two American planes, war seems possible.  However Stalin refuse to back Tito who is forced to back down.  A further crisis over Trieste occurs in 1953 when the Americans and British agree to hand the City over to the Italians.

At the end of the Second World War Churchill and Truman agree to send the Second New Zealand Division on a race to reach the city of Trieste before the Yugoslav Communist can reach.  However the Yugoslav Communist do capture Trieste and a battle with the remaining German forces.  A biography of General Peter Drapsin the commander of the Yugoslav Fourth Army whose troops occupy Trieste. 

The largest and mostly costly battle of the Greek Civil War takes places in August 1949 in the Vitsi and Grammos mountain range, it results in a victory for the Greek Government forces.  The Greek Communists could have carried on the war but Stalin has the Albanian and Bulgarian Governments disarm the Greek Communists due to his fears of provoking an alliance between Greece, Yugoslavia and the United States which could bring down the Communist regime in Albania.  A brief history of Greece since the Civil War and the story of how the key Greek figures of the war carried on after the war.

The most important factor in the defeat of the Greek Communist was the spilt between Yugoslavian leader Tito and Stalin.  A biography of Tito and a the nature of the spilt.  The Greek Communist support Stalin in the dispute and in July 1949 the Yugoslavs close the border and close down Greek Communist bases in Yugoslavia.  The military campaign in the summer of 1949 is told and the preparations for the major Battle of Grammos which features in the next episode.

The Communist Democratic army of Greece launches a conversational war offensives against several Greek towns, however they are badly beaten at the Battle for the town of Florina in Northern Greece.  Field Marshall Papagos becomes the commander of the Greek Government's National Army, he introduces reforms to make the military high command more effective, his biography is given.  The Greek National Army forms elite Mountain Raider companies to fight the Communist guerrillas in the mountains.

The Communist Democratic Army of Greece is reorganised to take part in conversational warfare.  The Greek Government's National Army receives weapons and equipment from the American Government.  The murder of American journalist George Polk, his biography is given.  The Greek National Army wins an important victory in Peloponnese defeating the Communist guerrilla forces there. 

In 1947 the Greek Civil War becomes much more intense and wider in scale than in 1946.  American military advisors find the Greek National Army in a poor state to fight a guerrilla war against the Communists.  A major Greek National Army offensive in Central and Northern Greece fails to dislodge the Communists.  Greek King George II dies in April 1947 and is succeeded by his brother King Paul, a biography of the new king.  The Greek Communist Party decides to full back the war but the leadership of the Communists disagree as to strategy as to fight a guerrilla war or a conversational war.   

The United States Government replaces the British Government has the main backer of the Greek Government.  In March 1947 President Harry S Truman addresses congress to announce large scale help in terms of money and weapons for both Greece and Turkey.  Part of that speech that deals with Greece is used.  American military advisors arrive in Greece, they find that Greek National in poor shape to face the Communist menace.  In 1948 the United States government will offer further aid to Greece and other Western European countries as part of the Marshall Plan.