Key Battles of American History
Key Battles of American History
War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation’s founding right down to the present. Wars made the U. S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America’s wars is essential for understanding American history. In the Key Battles of American History, host James Early discusses American history through …Social links:
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The Lost Battalion (ENCORE)
James and Sean discuss the 2001 made-for-television movie The Lost Battalion, in which an American battalion becomes isolated and surrounded by German forces during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 1918.
1:11:30
GW21: The Hundred Days’ Offensives and the End of the War
In this episode, Sean and James return to the Western Front to examine the Hundred Days’ Offensives—the relentless Allied campaign that finally broke the German Army in 1918. From the stunning combined-arms victory at Amiens to the grinding battles against the Hindenburg Line and the massive Americ…
1:00:52
Lawrence of Arabia (ENCORE)
James and Sean discuss the epic, multi award-winning 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, based on British Colonel T. E. Lawrence’s autobiographical book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Lawrence assists a group of Arab tribesmen in their effort to break free of Ottoman rule.
1:38:26
GW20: The 1918 Middle Eastern Campaigns
In this episode, Sean and James examine the dramatic final campaigns of World War I in the Caucasus, the Balkans, and Italy before turning to the decisive 1918 Allied offensive in the Middle East. They focus on General Edmund Allenby’s brilliantly executed victory at the Battle of Megiddo, where Br…
35:58
Journey’s End
In this episode, Sean and James review the 2017 film Journey’s End, a claustrophobic World War I drama set in a British dugout on the Western Front in 1918. There a small group of officers await an expected German offensive. As the days drag on, mounting tension, exhaustion, and trauma—especially i…
37:27
GW19: The German Spring Offenses of 1918
This episode examines Germany’s final bid for victory in 1918: the massive Spring Offensives that aimed to break the Allied line before American manpower could tip the balance. Sean and James trace the dramatic sequence of operations—from the initial breakthrough of Operation Michael to the far-rea…
46:48
GW18: The Battle of Cambrai
In this episode, Sean and James discuss the final events of 1917 in Europe. They begin with the Eastern Front’s collapse before the Bolshevik Revolution, then turn to the Western Front to discuss the bold British offensive at Cambrai—the first large-scale test of tanks as a weapon of war. Your lova…
34:10
Sergeant York (ENCORE)
James and Sean discuss the classic 1941 film Sergeant York, which tells the fascinating story of Alvin York, one of the most decorated American soldiers of the First World War.
58:46
GW17: America Enters the War
In this episode, Sean and James trace America’s complex journey from neutrality to full-fledged participation in World War I. They explore Woodrow Wilson’s background and early reluctance to enter the conflict, the diplomatic and military crises that shifted American public opinion, and the nation’…
50:02
Beneath Hill 60 (ENCORE)
James and Sean discuss the 2010 Australian film Beneath Hill 60, which tells the fascinating story of an Australian tunneling company trying to undermine the German position at the Ypres Salient in the Western Front.
1:26:20