When Heinrich Himmler was appointed to command the army group defending Berlin in January 1945, his operations officer described briefing him as "talking about colors with a blind man." Himmler couldn't read a map scale, worked five hours a day due to chronic stomach problems, and once sent a lone battalion 30 kilometers into no man's land because he confused centimeters on the map with actual distance on the ground. It was one of the most catastrophic personnel decisions of the entire war, and it set the stage for the bloodiest urban battle in European history.

Today's guest is Prit Buttar, author of Berlin: Endgame 1945. We discuss how the Red Army's brilliant January advance to the Oder created an illusion of easy victory that led to the catastrophic assault on the Seelow Heights, where Zhukov ignored his own generals' warnings and threw two tank armies into terrain too cramped for armor. We look at the Panzerfaust, a cheap weapon that turned every civilian with ten minutes of training into a tank killer and accounted for two thirds of Soviet armor losses in some sectors. We also examine how Churchill ordered his planners to draw up Operation Unthinkable, a plan to rearm German POWs and attack the Soviets on July 1, 1945. The Battle of Berlin was not really fought for strategic reasons at all but for the personal glory of Stalin and his marshals, making it arguably the most cynically wasteful battle of the entire war.

When Heinrich Himmler was appointed to command the army group defending Berlin in January 1945, his operations officer described briefing him as "talking about colors with a blind man." Himmler couldn't read a map scale, worked five hours a day due to chronic stomach problems, and once sent a lone battalion 30 kilometers into no man's land because he confused centimeters on the map with actual distance on the ground. It was one of the most catastrophic personnel decisions of the entire war, and it set the stage for the bloodiest urban battle in European history.
Today's guest is Prit Buttar, author of Berlin: Endgame 1945. We discuss how the Red Army's brilliant January advance to the Oder created an illusion of easy victory that led to the catastrophic assault on the Seelow Heights, where Zhukov ignored his own generals' warnings and threw two tank armies into terrain too cramped for armor. We look at the Panzerfaust, a cheap weapon that turned every civilian with ten minutes of training into a tank killer and accounted for two thirds of Soviet armor losses in some sectors. We also examine how Churchill ordered his planners to draw up Operation Unthinkable, a plan to rearm German POWs and attack the Soviets on July 1, 1945. The Battle of Berlin was not really fought for strategic reasons at all but for the personal glory of Stalin and his marshals, making it arguably the most cynically wasteful battle of the entire war.

For history lovers who listen to podcasts, History Unplugged is the most comprehensive show of its kind. It's the only show that dedicates episodes to both interviewing experts and answering questions from its audience. First, it features a call-in show where you can ask our resident historian (Scott Rank, PhD) absolutely anything (What was it like to be a Turkish sultan with four wives and twelve concubines? If you were sent back in time, how would you kill Hitler?). Second, it features long-form interviews with best-selling authors who have written about everything. Topics include gruff World War II generals who flew with airmen on bombing raids, a war horse who gained the rank of sergeant, and presidents who gave their best speeches while drunk.

A show about American history, world history, World Wars 1 & 2, the Civil War, and much more.

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged is one of the longest-running history podcasts of its kind, with over 1,000 episodes covering everything from Alexander the Great's plans for European colonization to the untold story of Alabamians who fought for Sherman deep inside Confederate territory. Topics range from the Bronze Age Collapse to the naval campaigns of the Barbary Wars to Daniel Boone's forced adoption by a Shawnee chief. Guests on the show include history professors, Pulitzer Prize winners, consultants for historical films, and outsiders like Joakim Brodén from Sabaton. The show is hosted by Scott Rank, a history professor specializing in the Ottoman Empire and author of 12 books. And for those who love to spin the wheel of what-if, the show regularly ventures into alternate history, exploring questions like what the USSR's victory in the Cold War would have meant for the modern world, or how our current map might look if the Confederacy had survived the Civil War.

 

History Unplugged is one of the longest-running history podcasts of its kind, with over 1,000 episodes covering everything from Alexander the Great's plans for European colonization to the untold story of Alabamians who fought for Sherman deep inside Confederate territory. Topics range from the Bronze Age Collapse to the naval campaigns of the Barbary Wars to Daniel Boone's forced adoption by a Shawnee chief. Guests on the show include history professors, Pulitzer Prize winners, consultants for historical films, and outsiders like Joakim Brod&eacute;n from Sabaton. The show is hosted by Scott Rank, a history professor specializing in the Ottoman Empire and author of 12 books. And for those who love to spin the wheel of what-if, the show regularly ventures into alternate history, exploring questions like what the USSR's victory in the Cold War would have meant for the modern world, or how our current map might look if the Confederacy had survived the Civil War.
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