President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a

southern sympathizer and a self-proclaimed modern-day Brutus, on April

14th, 1865 (five days after the end of the Civil War). Booth snuck into

Lincoln's viewing Booth at the Ford's Theater while Lincoln was

watching "Our American Cousin" and shot him in the back of the head.

Booth then jumped down onto the stage and ran out the back door. The

ensuing manhunt eventually caught up with him in the swamps of the

Potomac River. He was shot, and his co-conspirators were hanged.

The event has many interesting stories associated with it:

• Lincoln

had a dream in which he walked into the East Room of the White House

and saw a casket. He asked the soldiers why there was a casket and the

soldiers told him that the President had been assassinated. He had the

dream three days before being assassinated.

Robert Todd

Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's son, stood by his father's body as he passed

away. Strangely, Robert Todd Lincoln would also stand by the sides of

Presidents Garfield and McKinley (both shot by assassins) as they lay

dying.

Robert Todd Lincoln once fell onto the train tracks but was saved by Edwin Booth, John's brother.

Boston Corbett, the soldier who fatally wounded Booth, shot him in the exact same spot that Booth shot Lincoln.

There are also several conspiracy theories about the Lincoln Assassination:

• Vice

President Johnson indirectly communicated with Booth on the day of the

assassination. He stood to gain the most from the death of Lincoln.

Confederate

Secretary of State Judah Benjamin might have ordered the assassination

of the opposing head of state for tactical reasons. Benjamin destroyed

all of his records after the surrender, and then fled to England and

never returned.

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton disliked Lincoln

for his moderate stance on many issues. Stanton prevented Ulysses Grant

(and his military escort) from attending "Our American Cousin" with

Lincoln (and potentially saving his life). He also lowered security on

the bridge that Booth used to flee into Maryland. He also destroyed a

few pages of Booth's diary before it was used as evidence in court.

For more information, read:
The American Presidents by David Whitney
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (The History Channel)
The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told by Rick Beyer
http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton/Lincoln.html

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John McCain Sr: Admiral, Commander of Fast Carrier Task Force in South Pacific during WWII

John McCain Jr: Admiral, Commander of Pacific Command during Vietnam War

John McCain III: Navy aviator, shot down in Hanoi, tortured as a

prisoner of war for 5.5 years, currently running for Republican

nomination for President of the United States

Other presidential candidates with military experience are:

For more information, read:

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198503/delenda.est.carthago.htm

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jsmccain.htm

www.realclearpolitics.com

http://www.azcentral.com/news/specials/mccain/articles/0301mccainbio-chapter3.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/politics/15mccain.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1198992044-jBYur2uP0d4d90Hp7uLjtA

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The title of this episode comes from the following George Orwell quote: “Serious

sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred,

jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasure

in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting."

This is meant to be a fun episode on the similarities between football, chess, and war. Please take each analogy with a grain of salt.

Football (two armies fighting to reach the opposing camp/end zone):

• Kick-off Team: Skirmishers
• Quarterback: Tactical Commander
• Head Coach: Strategic Commander
• Halfback: Light Infantry Reserves
• Fullback: Heavy Infantry Reserves
• Tight End: Heavy Cavalry
• Linemen (offensive and defensive): Heavy Infantry
• Wide Receivers: Light Cavalry
• Cornerbacks: Light Cavalry
• Linebackers: Light Infantry
• Safeties: Heavy Cavalry
• Kicker: Artillery

Chess (two armies fighting to defeat the opposing commander):

• Pawns: Heavy Infantry
• Rooks: Artillery
• Knights: Light Cavalry
• Bishops: Light Infantry
• Queen: Heavy Cavalry
• King: Tactical Commander

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

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]

The mighty American military during WWII would have been nothing

without its surprisingly-important rationing system.  Food kept the

United States going, so therefore, it is well worth studying. 

Throughout WWII and the years beyond, the US entered/exited several

"eras" of rations:

For more information, read:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre.htm

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations.php

http://nsc.natick.army.mil/media/print/OP_Rations.pdf

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavian countries

began to divide along ethnic lines.  Of the five states (Serbia and

Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia),

three of them began waging war:

Initially, both Croatia and Serbia desired to take land from Bosnia. 

However, as the war progressed, Croatia took the side of Bosnia in

order to push Serbia out of the region.  Ethnic cleansing (especially

by the Serbs) was commonplace, and it wasn't until Croatian

intervention (on the ground with Operation Storm) and NATO intervention

(in the air with Operation Deliberate Resolve) that the war slowed

down.  Eventually, after a four-year long siege of Sarajevo (the

Bosnian capital), the Dayton Accords were signed.

However, the ethnic cleansing continued, most notably at Kosovo.  After

another NATO intervention led by General Wesley Clark, peace was

restored again.

For more information, read:

My Life by Bill Clinton

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1280328.stm

http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/bosnia.htm

The Statesman's Yearbook 2006

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Operation Downfall was the proposed invasion of mainland Japan by

Allied Forces near the end of WWII.  It was canceled because the atomic

bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered, thereby removing the need for

a military conquest.  It would have been the largest amphibious

invasion in history, and it would have been the first time that a

foreign power had set foot on mainland Japanese soil (in the country's

2500 year history). 

Operation Downfall had two parts: Operation Olympic (Nov 1945) and

Operation Coronet (March 1946).  Both were commanded by MacArthur and

supported by Nimitz.  Operation Olympic involved the I, V, IX, and XI

Corps storming the beaches of Kyushu (the southern main island) and

taking airbases to support Operation Coronet.  Operation Coronet

involved the First Army and the Eighth Army, as well as numerous

British Commonwealth units, storming the beaches of Honshu near the

capital city of Tokyo. 

On the opposing side was Operation Ketsu Go, the Japanese defense of

its main islands.  Most of Japan's forces (air and ground) were focused

on the island of Kyushu.  Also, tens of millions of Japanese civilians

(all able-bodied civilians, men and women) were trained in basic

martial arts in order to repel the invasion.  In addition, the Japanese

government created numerous suicide units to repel the invasion. 

All in all, it would have been one of the bloodiest battles in

history.  An estimated 1 million Americans and 10 million Japanese

would have lost their lives. 

For more information, read:

The Japanese Army Handbook by George Forty

The Pacific War Companion by Daniel Marston

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5th

century BC.  It was an epic war between two superpowers, and the

similarities to the Cold War are numerous.  Since most people know

about the Cold War, since it was so recent, I will summarize this

episode via comparisons between it and the Peloponnesian War.

This second episode covers the Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis to the surrender of Athens.

The Participants:

Timeline:

skirmish briefly over intermediate territory (Corinthian

Isthmus/Germany)

Archidamian War/Korean War: Sparta/USSR engages in a land war

with Athens/USA over intermediate territory (Corinthian

Isthmus/Germany).  Results in a stalemate.

Pylos Campaign/Suez Crisis: Athens/USA intervenes in territory

close to Sparta/USSR in order to gain an economic and political

advantage. 

Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis: Sparta/USSR sneaks into the Athens/USA sphere of influence and creates an outpost.

Aegean Sea Propaganda Campaigns/Third World War: Sparta/USSR

provides support to revolutions in Athens/USA's sphere of influence.

Sicilian Expedition/Vietnam War: Athens/USA attempts to contain

Sparta/USSR's sphere of influence and fails miserably (loses lives and

money).

Where the analogy fails:

Athens (Problem: USSR never fought USA over Europe).  Decisive victory

at the Battle of Mantinea

Sparta destroys the entire Athenian Navy at the Battle of

Aegospotami (Problem: USSR never defeated the American Navy decisively)

Athens surrendered to Sparta (Problem: The US won the Cold War)

So, the analogy isn't perfect, but it is still accurate in most

respects.  After the Peloponnesian War, Thebes (the former third power)

swept down and became the new superpower (over both Sparta and Athens),

just like China seems to be becoming now (over the US).

For more information, read: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5th

century BC.  It was an epic war between two superpowers, and the

similarities to the Cold War are numerous.  Since most people know

about the Cold War, since it was so recent, I will summarize this

episode via comparisons between it and the Peloponnesian War.

This first episode covers the beginning through the Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Participants:

Timeline:

skirmish briefly over intermediate territory (Corinthian

Isthmus/Germany)

Archidamian War/Korean War: Sparta/USSR engages in a land war

with Athens/USA over intermediate territory (Corinthian

Isthmus/Germany).  Results in a stalemate.

Pylos Campaign/Suez Crisis: Athens/USA intervenes in territory

close to Sparta/USSR in order to gain an economic and political

advantage. 

Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis: Sparta/USSR sneaks into the Athens/USA sphere of influence and creates an outpost.

Aegean Sea Propaganda Campaigns/Third World War: Sparta/USSR

provides support to revolutions in Athens/USA's sphere of influence.

Sicilian Expedition/Vietnam War: Athens/USA attempts to contain

Sparta/USSR's sphere of influence and fails miserably (loses lives and

money).

Where the analogy fails:

Athens (Problem: USSR never fought USA over Europe).  Decisive victory

at the Battle of Mantinea

Sparta destroys the entire Athenian Navy at the Battle of

Aegospotami (Problem: USSR never defeated the American Navy decisively)

Athens surrendered to Sparta (Problem: The US won the Cold War)

So, the analogy isn't perfect, but it is still accurate in most

respects.  After the Peloponnesian War, Thebes (the former third power)

swept down and became the new superpower (over both Sparta and Athens),

just like China seems to be becoming now (over the US).

For more information, read: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General

This episode is the 101st episode of Military History Podcast. It is a

compilation of 100 MHP clips, tidbits, and funfacts. It is split into

two parts: this is part two.  Feel free to post any clips that I failed

to mention in the episode.

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

This episode is the 100th episode of Military History Podcast.  It is a

compilation of 100 MHP clips, tidbits, and funfacts.  It is split into

two parts: this is part one.

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and the US Navy Reserve