The battles for Hue and Khe Sanh were some of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. Hue was the third largest city in South Vietnam and its capture by Communist forces led to the first urban conflict of the Marine Corps since the Korean War. Khe Sanh was the battlefield where classical encirclement strategies… Continue reading The Tet Offensive part 2 / Hue and Khe Sanh /// 31
The Tet Offensive part 1 /// 30
The Tet Offensive. It’s not a battle – it’s a campaign, a campaign that would change the course of American history. Tet combined major set-piece battles with guerrilla strikes up and down the length of South Vietnam, there was fighting everywhere. One Colonel said his situation map lit up like a pinball machine. With this one stroke, General Giap… Continue reading The Tet Offensive part 1 /// 30
Lone Survivor: Operation Red Wings /// 29
Lone Survivor. It’s the deadliest day for United States special forces since World War II. Four Navy Seals, cut off and alone, fought for their lives on a literal mountain of pain – in terrain so hostile it actually fought against the men. I mean this literally, the terrain cut them, smashed them – foiled… Continue reading Lone Survivor: Operation Red Wings /// 29
Simo Hayha – the Greatest Sniper of all Time /// 28
Simo Häyhä was the greatest sniper that ever lived. Using only iron sights and the normal equipment of the Finnish soldier in the Russo-Finnish Winter War, he carried out a 90-day reign of terror on the Soviet invaders of his homeland. They called him “The White Death.” He had over 200 confirmed kills. He gave… Continue reading Simo Hayha – the Greatest Sniper of all Time /// 28
Waterloo /// 27
Waterloo. It’s a battle that’s on the top of every list of decisive battles in human history. It’s a day that changed the world forever. It’s the nail in the coffin for one of the greatest military leaders in human history and it’s all covered on Battlecast, the world’s foremost podcast on war and its… Continue reading Waterloo /// 27
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956
In 1956 the Hungarian nation revolted against their Soviet masters. The Soviets responded with massive force – columns of tanks that went on for miles, like an interminable death train. The rest of the world looked on dumbfounded. They did nothing. The Hungarians fought against overwhelming odds – in the teeth of air strafing, tanks,… Continue reading The Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Star Wars and the Concept of Power
Regular listeners to Battlecast will note I often define power as the capacity to nullify the enemy. Some listeners have written in asking what does that really mean? Watch this Star Wars clip and I’ll answer their question below. Darth Vader and the Concept of Power In this clip, Darth Vader clearly encapsulates the concept… Continue reading Star Wars and the Concept of Power
Show 25: War to the Knife – the Paraguayan War II
This is the second part of our series on the Paraguayan War, the bloodiest war in South American history. It’s a war of waste, of burned cities and child soldiers. It’s a war of tyrants and monarchs. It’s a war to the knife. It’s all here and it’s all for free on Battlecast – the… Continue reading Show 25: War to the Knife – the Paraguayan War II
Show 24: The Paraguayan War and the Battle of Tuyutí
The Paraguayan War. It’s the bloodiest inter-state war in South American history. It’s the bloodiest war in modern history on a per capita basis. Because of this war, the Paraguayan people, an entire culture, almost ceased to exist. And how many of you even knew about it before you read this? But it’s not just… Continue reading Show 24: The Paraguayan War and the Battle of Tuyutí
Show 23: Christmas at the Battle of the Bulge
Christmas, 1944. The weakest sector of the American line is getting ready to celebrate the Yuletide when Nazi Germany, like a second-Mordor, disgorged multiple armies no one knew Hitler even had into the green American troops. The tide of steel was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of men would die. Hundreds of thousands of mothers would… Continue reading Show 23: Christmas at the Battle of the Bulge
