(Host: Lucy) 
What ties together a Revolutionary War hero, a Hollywood film director, and twentieth-century Poland’s quest for political independence? The Kościuszko Squadron was an international flying squad, whose airmen included former prisoners of war, idealistic Americans, and international adventurers. The Polish-Soviet War is a conflict that, having taken place in the shadow of the First World War, is largely overlooked in the US today. But at the time, the conflict and the Kościuszko Squadron, named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, generated international enthusiasm and publications from Polish-American presses. This podcast explores this flamboyant, neglected history.

Kościuszko Squadron

Footnoting History is a bi-weekly podcast series dedicated to overlooked, popularly unknown, and exciting stories plucked from the footnotes of history. For further reading suggestions, information about our hosts, our complete episode archive, and more visit us at FootnotingHistory.com!

History

Society & Culture

(Host: Christine) In the late 1800s, a dog called Owney became a star as he won over the hearts of postal workers across the United States and sometimes, even, beyond. This episode is all about Owney, his adventures, the souvenirs he collected, and his revered place in postal history.

Owney: Star Pup of the US Railway Mail Service

(Host: Samantha)
If you've watched any significant number of crime dramas you've almost certainly come across a coroner who was probably presented as an experienced medical examiner who, if the hero is lucky, has unearthed a key piece of evidence to solve the case. But did you know that coroners have been investigating death since the end of the twelfth century? Learn more right now on Footnoting History.

Medieval Coroners

(Host: Kristin) 
Clothes and hair are among the most famous things about Marie Antoinette. But who were the designers behind the drama and what happened to them after the Revolution? And how did anyone actually wear – or afford – their creations? Find out this week on Footnoting History!

Dressing Marie Antoinette

(Host: Lucy)
How much is it impossible to know about an icon? This episode investigates Tadeusz Kościuszko’s place in historical memory. From the early 19th century onwards, myths coalesced around him and his role in the Polish struggle for independence. Paradoxically, his contemporary fame can make it harder for historians to find facts. As a disabled war veteran who fought for racial and religious equality, moreover, Kościuszko is a figure more complex than the heroic narratives that have often formed around him.

Tadeusz Kościuszko, Part II: ​Life and Legend

(Host: Lucy)
Tadeusz Kościuszko was a leader in the Age of Revolutions, lending strategic expertise to the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and trying on no fewer than three occasions to secure lasting independence for his native Poland. He also managed to personally offend Napoleon. This podcast gets into lost love, international politics, peasants with pitchforks, the anti-slavery movement, and why Kościuszko crossed the Atlantic so many times.

Kościuszko Squadron

Download our free app to listen on your phone