George Patton & the Third Army | “You Wonderful Guys”

George Patton & the Third Army | “You Wonderful Guys”

The dull hum of aircraft filled the morning air. German soldiers looked up from the French town of St. Lô, expecting to see a few enemy fighters bearing down on them. Their hearts froze in their chests as nearly a thousand bombers emerged from the clouds. They had heard of the devastation wrought by their enemy on the Fatherland’s cities, but St. Lô was only a tiny provincial settlement far from the Paris metropolis. In minutes, their world was aflame as Allied bombs exploded around them and tore flesh and metal apart in equal measure. The panzer division holding St. Lô was nearly annihilated in the first of three waves, and little was left as the sun reached its noon height. Then, the survivors heard engines approaching from the north and east in the direction of the Normandy beaches. Tanks and half-tracks bearing white stars swarmed through the town, finishing off the defenders and ripping open the Nazi left flank that had held the Allies back for over a month.

The Third United States Army is one of the best-known units of the Second World War. From the opening move on St. Lô in August 1944 to the war’s end nine months later, it liberated an area of Nazi-occupied Europe roughly the size of Afghanistan. Its soldiers were the best-trained men in the US Army, its officers and NCOs among the most professional in American military history, and its record of battle remains unsurpassed in enemy casualties inflicted and land covered. Most of the credit is due, of course, to the soldiers in tanks and trucks, but even the proudest of these would point to their commander as the man who made the Third Army such a terrifying weapon of war: General George S. Patton, Jr.

Join us for this special, double-length episode of 15-Minute History as we teach you about General George Patton, his life, leadership, heroism, and his effect on the world we know today.


Episoder(398)

Colt, Gatling, and Browning | Gun Pioneers

Colt, Gatling, and Browning | Gun Pioneers

Samuel Colt’s name is forever linked to the company he founded and the revolver he called the “Peacemaker.” Born in Connecticut in 1814, he was steeped in America’s gun culture from an early age. His grandfather had served in George Washington’s army, and Samuel inherited an old flintlock pistol from the family hero when he was only six. At the age of fifteen, while working in his father’s textile plant, he built a galvanic cell (basically an early battery) and used it to set off explosives beneath the surface of a nearby pond during the Fourth of July. He continued to experiment with chemicals and combustion—as many young men do—and became fascinated by inventors’ work to create a firearm that could shoot more than bullets before needing to reload. Join us as we teach you about Samuel Colt, Richard Gatling, and John Browning. In this episode you'll learn about their work, their impact on history, and how their names are culturally relevant - beyond the brand - in our world today.

21 Mar 202215min

Che Guevara | A Discussion on the Symbol of Revolution

Che Guevara | A Discussion on the Symbol of Revolution

Join us as we discuss Che Guevara, his life, beliefs, and impact on our world today.

14 Mar 202239min

Che Guevara | Symbol of Revolution

Che Guevara | Symbol of Revolution

Join us as we teach you about Che Guevara, his influence, actions, and the effects of his Marxist beliefs.

7 Mar 202215min

Three Great Generals | A Special Discussion

Three Great Generals | A Special Discussion

Join us in this special episode as we discuss six famous generals, their lives, their methods, and what we can learn from them.

28 Feb 202256min

Joseph Stalin: A Discussion on the Intellectual and Killer

Joseph Stalin: A Discussion on the Intellectual and Killer

Join us as we discuss Joseph Stalin, his life, rise to power, effect on world history, and his insanity.

21 Feb 202253min

Joseph Stalin | Intellectual and Killer

Joseph Stalin | Intellectual and Killer

The great revolutionary's body lay in a red coffin as it wound its way through the streets of Moscow toward the House of Trade Unions. Six men carried it, surrounded by a phalanx of guards, through the gathered throng of mourners—some genuine, others paid. Each hoped to succeed Vladimir Lenin as leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but only one could, and did. The mustachioed man known to his friends as "Koba" who had spent decades fighting to bring communism to his homeland was now General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, and he held in his hands the keys to ultimate power in the world's largest state. His rivals, especially Lenin's closest ally Leon Trotsky, were already plotting against him, but the general secretary controlled the Party's political apparatus and had the support of leaders across the country. When Lenin was laid to rest, three men formed an uneasy alliance, a troika, to rule collectively, but Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was determined to rule alone. Join us as we teach you about Joseph Stalin, his life, rise to power, and his lasting effect on our world today.

14 Feb 202222min

Alexander the Great | A Discussion on the Conqueror of the World

Alexander the Great | A Discussion on the Conqueror of the World

Join us as we discuss Alexander the Great and how he became the ruler of the known world (with some Star Trek references).

7 Feb 202235min

Alexander the Great | Conqueror of the World

Alexander the Great | Conqueror of the World

He looked out across the field and then back at his formations. The wind was coming in from the west, throwing dust clouds up into the air on his left side. The brown of the dust blended with the armor of the enemy for a moment, blurring them into a single mass that blanketed the horizon. Alexander turned to confirm the calvary on his left were holding their position and was satisfied to see that they were. The other army advanced on the flank. He looked at his enemies’ centerline, made some mental calculations, and steadied himself. The moment brought a memory of watching the molding of armor when he was a boy. During his education, he was made to watch the metal mold under the pressure of the maker’s will. Violence would bend the metal and countless strikes, one after the other, would force the metal to give way. He looked at his phalanxes. They had met the enemy on his right and left. The left was reeling back and he ordered a small formation to reinforce them. He raised his sword to signal his cavalry and charged straight into the center of the opposing line. ____ Join us as we teach you about Alexander the Great and how he became the ruler of the known world.

31 Jan 202216min

Populært innen Historie

med-egne-oyne
aftenposten-historie
historier-som-endret-verden
henrettelsespodden
sektledere
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
historiepodden-ww2
historiepodden
stryknin-og-kaffe
vare-historier
uloste-mysterier
virkelig-grusomt
rss-historiepodden-ww2
diktatorpodden
gangsterpodden-2
rss-gamle-greier
rss-benadet
rss-gutten-som-ble-gangster
historiske-kjendiser