S8 Ep269: PREVIEW JIMMY LAI: THE TROUBLEMAKER VS. BEIJING Colleague Mark Clifford. Mark Clifford details the history of Jimmy Lai, a billionaire who risked his fortune to challenge the Chinese regime. Despite Beijing closing his stores in 1994, Lai funded Apple Da
PREVIEW JIMMY LAI: THE TROUBLEMAKER VS. BEIJING Colleague Mark Clifford. Mark Clifford details the history of Jimmy Lai, a billionaire who risked his fortune to challenge the Chinese regime. Despite Beijing closing his stores in 1994, Lai funded Apple Daily and knowingly faced imprisonment to advocate for freedom, characterizing himself as a persistent "troublemaker." 1930 HONG KONG
2m Jan 02
2m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW THE PREDETERMINED VERDICT FOR JIMMY LAI Colleague Mark Clifford. Clifford reports that Jimmy Lai's conviction is inevitable due to instructions from Beijing, despite a lack of evidence beyond his journalism. With the trial concluding, Clifford an
PREVIEW THE PREDETERMINED VERDICT FOR JIMMY LAI Colleague Mark Clifford. Clifford reports that Jimmy Lai's conviction is inevitable due to instructions from Beijing, despite a lack of evidence beyond his journalism. With the trial concluding, Clifford anticipates the 77-year-old will receive a sentence tantamount to life imprisonment, cementing his status as "public enemy number one." 1930S HON...
2m Jan 02
2m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW APPLE DAILY COLLEAGUES IN LIMBO Colleague Mark Clifford. Clifford highlights the cruelty facing six Apple Daily colleagues who pled guilty yet remain unsentenced. Describing them as "hostages" to Jimmy Lai's trial, Clifford criticizes the Hong Kon
PREVIEW APPLE DAILY COLLEAGUES IN LIMBO Colleague Mark Clifford. Clifford highlights the cruelty facing six Apple Daily colleagues who pled guilty yet remain unsentenced. Describing them as "hostages" to Jimmy Lai's trial, Clifford criticizes the Hong Kong government for denying them basic legal closure and subjecting them to indefinite uncertainty regarding their prison terms. 1930 HONG KONG
2m Jan 02
2m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW SAM ALTMAN'S SHIFTING STANCE ON AI REGULATION Colleague Keach Hagey. Keach Hagey observes that while Sam Altman initially warned Congress that AI could potentially "kill us all," his focus shifted after ChatGPT's viral success. Hagey notes that as
PREVIEW SAM ALTMAN'S SHIFTING STANCE ON AI REGULATION Colleague Keach Hagey. Keach Hageyobserves that while Sam Altman initially warned Congress that AI could potentially "kill us all," his focus shifted after ChatGPT's viral success. Hagey notes that as Altman's goals became more commercial, he became significantly less enthusiastic about strict government regulation. 1922 BELL TELEPHONE MAGAZINE
2m Jan 02
2m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW CHINA'S ECONOMIC DESCENT AND TRADE WAR UNCERTAINTY Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang. Discussing the "lose-lose proposition" of the current trade war, Anne Stevenson-Yang analyzes the Chinese economy's decline. She points to erratic signals regarding
PREVIEW CHINA'S ECONOMIC DESCENT AND TRADE WAR UNCERTAINTY Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang. Discussing the "lose-lose proposition" of the current trade war, Anne Stevenson-Yang analyzes the Chineseeconomy's decline. She points to erratic signals regarding tariff exemptions and the difficulty of predicting market outcomes, noting the massive challenges facing China's export-driven model amidst thi...
1m Jan 02
1m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW THE COMPLEXITY OF US-CHINA TRADE NEGOTIATIONS Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang. Stevenson-Yang argues against a trade embargo, citing US dependence on Chinese supply chains and fears of inflation. She highlights a major diplomatic hurdle: China is wi
PREVIEW THE COMPLEXITY OF US-CHINA TRADE NEGOTIATIONS Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang. Stevenson-Yang argues against a trade embargo, citing US dependence on Chinese supply chains and fears of inflation. She highlights a major diplomatic hurdle: China is willing to offer concessions but remains unsure of the specific "ask" required by the US administration to resolve the conflict. 1900 BOXER TERROR
1m Jan 02
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S8 Ep268: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY AND DELAYED REHABILITATION Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian outlines Xi Jinping's entry into Tsinghua University via political recommendation and his navigation of "princeling" stigma by working at the grassroots level. The segment
TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY AND DELAYED REHABILITATION Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian outlines Xi Jinping's entry into Tsinghua University via political recommendation and his navigation of "princeling" stigma by working at the grassroots level. The segment covers his marriage to singer Peng Liyuan, noting their shared history of persecution. It also explains Xi Zhongxun's delayed rehabilitation, ...
13m Jan 02
13m
S8 Ep268: FAMILY TRAUMA AND XI JINPING'S EXILE TO THE NORTHWEST Colleague Joseph Torigian. The narrative shifts to the family's trauma, describing a teenage Xi Jinping escaping detention only to be denounced by his starving mother for the family's safety. Torigian
FAMILY TRAUMA AND XI JINPING'S EXILE TO THE NORTHWEST Colleague Joseph Torigian. The narrative shifts to the family's trauma, describing a teenage Xi Jinping escaping detention only to be denounced by his starving mother for the family's safety. Torigian discusses Xi Jinping's exile to the "sacred" but impoverished Northwest, which exposed him to peasant realities. Meanwhile, an imprisoned Xi Z...
7m Jan 02
7m
S8 Ep268: THE DANGEROUS NOVEL AND RED GUARD TORTURE Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian deepens the analysis of the "dangerous" novel Liu Zhidan, which Mao claimed was a counter-revolutionary plot indicative of "revisionism." This fear of losing revolutionary zeal,
THE DANGEROUS NOVEL AND RED GUARD TORTURE Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian deepens the analysis of the "dangerous" novel Liu Zhidan, which Mao claimed was a counter-revolutionary plot indicative of "revisionism." This fear of losing revolutionary zeal, similar to the Soviet Union's path, drove Mao to utilize the Red Guards. The summary covers Xi Zhongxun's brutal treatment, including being k...
11m Jan 02
11m
S8 Ep268: THE MOVE TO BEIJING AND XI ZHONGXUN'S 1962 PURGE Colleague Joseph Torigian. This segment explains that the book title comes from Mao's praise of Xi Zhongxun for prioritizing the party despite suffering. It traces the family's move to Beijing, the birth of
THE MOVE TO BEIJING AND XI ZHONGXUN'S 1962 PURGE Colleague Joseph Torigian. This segment explains that the book title comes from Mao's praise of Xi Zhongxun for prioritizing the party despite suffering. It traces the family's move to Beijing, the birth of "favorite son" Xi Jinping, and the father's complex loyalty to Mao. Torigiandetails Xi Zhongxun's 1962 purge, which foreshadowed the Cultural...
9m Jan 02
9m
S8 Ep268: XI ZHONGXUN'S 1935 IMPRISONMENT AND EARLY CCP INFIGHTING Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian discusses his book, The Party Interests Come First, focusing on Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping's father. The segment details Xi's 1935 imprisonment by rival communists w
XI ZHONGXUN'S 1935 IMPRISONMENT AND EARLY CCP INFIGHTING Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigiandiscusses his book, The Party Interests Come First, focusing on Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping's father. The segment details Xi's 1935 imprisonment by rival communists who accused him of "mountainism" and "rightism," only to be saved by Mao Zedong's arrival. It explores the vicious ideological infighting within...
11m Jan 02
11m
S8 Ep268: THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian reco
THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian recounts a pivotal incident where a teenage Xi attempted to poison a school administrator during a revolutionary purge. While imprisoned for this ...
8m Jan 02
8m
S8 Ep268: THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian reco
THE EARLY LIFE OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian introduces the early life of Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping. Born in 1913 in poverty-stricken Shaanxi province, Xi grew up surrounded by famine and warlord violence. Torigian recounts a pivotal incident where a teenage Xi attempted to poison a school administrator during a revolutionary purge. While imprisoned for this ...
10m Jan 02
10m
S8 Ep270: PEARL HARBOR AND LINDBERGH'S BLOCKED MILITARY SERVICE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands recounts the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Japanese strike and Hitler's subsequent declaration of war united the European and Asian theaters, r
PEARL HARBOR AND LINDBERGH'S BLOCKED MILITARY SERVICE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsrecounts the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. The Japanese strike and Hitler's subsequent declaration of war united the European and Asian theaters, resolving FDR's political dilemmas. Lindbergh attempted to volunteer for the Army Air Corps but was blocked by the Roosevelt administration due t...
7m Jan 02
7m
S8 Ep270: THE GREER INCIDENT AND THE DISASTROUS DES MOINES SPEECH Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands details the escalation of tensions in 1941, starting with FDR's declaration of an "unlimited national emergency." The segment covers the Greer incident, which FDR m
THE GREER INCIDENT AND THE DISASTROUS DES MOINES SPEECH Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands details the escalation of tensions in 1941, starting with FDR's declaration of an "unlimited national emergency." The segment covers the Greer incident, which FDR misrepresented to provoke hostility, and culminates in Lindbergh'sdisastrous Des Moines speech. By identifying the British, the Roosevelt admin...
13m Jan 02
13m
S8 Ep270: CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY AND THE AIR POWER DEBATE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands describes Lindbergh's testimony before Congress and his popularity at massive rallies. A key debate emerges regarding air power: Roosevelt argues it makes America vulnerab
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY AND THE AIR POWER DEBATE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsdescribes Lindbergh's testimony before Congress and his popularity at massive rallies. A key debate emerges regarding air power: Roosevelt argues it makes America vulnerable to attack, whereas Lindbergh insists it enhances hemispheric defense, making invasion impossible. Brands notes that while Lindbergh was poli...
7m Jan 02
7m
S8 Ep270: LEND-LEASE AND BRITISH PROPAGANDA Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands explains the passage of the Lend-Lease Act (HR 1776), which effectively ended American neutrality by committing industrial resources to Britain. The segment reveals the covert British pr
LEND-LEASE AND BRITISH PROPAGANDA Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands explains the passage of the Lend-Lease Act (HR 1776), which effectively ended American neutrality by committing industrial resources to Britain. The segment reveals the covert British propaganda campaign led by William Stephenson to manipulate US opinion. Brands also describes how FDR utilized a likely forged map of a German-p...
11m Jan 02
11m
S8 Ep270: FDR'S THIRD TERM AND THE RISE OF AMERICA FIRST Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands discusses the political landscape of 1940, where FDR maneuvers for an unprecedented third term, which Lindbergh views as a move toward dictatorship. The segment covers the E
FDR'S THIRD TERM AND THE RISE OF AMERICA FIRST Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands discusses the political landscape of 1940, where FDR maneuvers for an unprecedented third term, which Lindbergh views as a move toward dictatorship. The segment covers the rise of the America First Committee, with Lindbergh as its star speaker. Brands highlights Roosevelt's mastery of the press, using backgrounder...
9m Jan 02
9m
S8 Ep270: THE EROSION OF NEUTRALITY AFTER POLAND AND FRANCE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands outlines the erosion of neutrality following the fall of Poland and France. Roosevelt maneuvers to adjust neutrality laws and aids Britain via the destroyers-for-bases de
THE EROSION OF NEUTRALITY AFTER POLAND AND FRANCE Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsoutlines the erosion of neutrality following the fall of Poland and France. Roosevelt maneuvers to adjust neutrality laws and aids Britain via the destroyers-for-bases deal, despite isolationist skepticism. Lindbergh and his allies fear these steps are a trap leading to inevitable war. Meanwhile, Churchill's cor...
11m Jan 02
11m
S8 Ep270: LINDBERGH'S TRANSITION TO PUBLIC ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands details Lindbergh's transition into a public anti-interventionist figure. Motivated by his father's persecution during WWI and a desire to avoid another European quag
LINDBERGH'S TRANSITION TO PUBLIC ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsdetails Lindbergh's transition into a public anti-interventionist figure. Motivated by his father's persecution during WWIand a desire to avoid another European quagmire, Lindbergh utilizes his celebrity to broadcast isolationist views on the radio. Brands notes that while British officials dismissed Lindber...
7m Jan 02
7m
S8 Ep270: LINDBERGH'S 1939 RETURN AND FDR'S FAILED RECRUITMENT Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brands discusses Charles Lindbergh's 1939 return to America amidst rising European tensions. Lindbergh, world-famous for his 1927 transatlantic flight and the tragic kidnappi
LINDBERGH'S 1939 RETURN AND FDR'S FAILED RECRUITMENT Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsdiscusses Charles Lindbergh's 1939 return to America amidst rising European tensions. Lindbergh, world-famous for his 1927 transatlantic flight and the tragic kidnapping of his son, is greeted by paparazzi and invited to meet FDR. Brands explains that while Roosevelt found Lindbergh charming, the President un...
11m Jan 02
11m
S8 Ep276: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE SLOW REHABILITATION OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian details the slow rehabilitation of Xi Zhongxun, noting it took years after his release to fully return to work. He explains this delay occurred because Xi
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE SLOW REHABILITATION OF XI ZHONGXUN Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian details the slow rehabilitation of Xi Zhongxun, noting it took years after his release to fully return to work. He explains this delay occurred because Xi was persecuted by Mao personally. The Party moved cautiously to avoid signaling a sudden directional shift that might suggest the political s...
2m Jan 01
2m
S8 Ep276: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT MAO'S SINICIZATION OF MARXISM AND THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian discusses how Mao "sinicized" Marxism, rejecting Soviet dogmatism to interpret ideology flexibly. While Xi Zhongxun respected Mao's prac
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT MAO'S SINICIZATION OF MARXISM AND THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD Colleague Joseph Torigian. Torigian discusses how Mao "sinicized" Marxism, rejecting Sovietdogmatism to interpret ideology flexibly. While Xi Zhongxun respected Mao's practical application of Leninism to China, Torigian notes that abandoning the Soviet model—viewed as "revisionist"—ultimately resulted in the Grea...
2m Jan 01
2m
S8 Ep276: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT PARTY PERSECUTION AND THE MINDSET OF PURGED OFFICIALS Colleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian explains the mindset of purged officials like Xi Zhongxun, comparing them to characters in Darkness at Noon. He notes that loyal rev
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT PARTY PERSECUTION AND THE MINDSET OF PURGED OFFICIALSColleague Joseph Torigian. Joseph Torigian explains the mindset of purged officials like Xi Zhongxun, comparing them to characters in Darkness at Noon. He notes that loyal revolutionaries believed the Party represented a "world historical force." Consequently, enduring persecution without losing faith was viewed as a...
3m Jan 01
3m
S8 Ep275: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: LINDBERGH'S DISMAY AT BRITISH COMPLACENCY AND GERMAN POWER Colleague H.W. Brands. Professor Brands details Charles Lindbergh's complex worldview, combining a stubborn admiration for German efficiency with confusion regarding Naz
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: LINDBERGH'S DISMAY AT BRITISH COMPLACENCY AND GERMAN POWER Colleague H.W. Brands. Professor Brands details Charles Lindbergh's complex worldview, combining a stubborn admiration for German efficiency with confusion regarding Nazi politics. Lindbergh viewed Britain as a declining empire that would inevitably drag the United States into another war to bail them out of t...
2m Jan 01
2m
S8 Ep275: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: FDR'S NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND THE SHIFT TO A WARTIME FOOTING Colleague H.W. Brands. The segment examines Franklin Roosevelt's May 1941 declaration of a national emergency, which halted daily activities like baseball and movies as
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: FDR'S NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND THE SHIFT TO A WARTIME FOOTING Colleague H.W. Brands. The segment examines Franklin Roosevelt's May 1941 declaration of a national emergency, which halted daily activities like baseball and movies as Americans listened via loudspeakers. Professor Brands explains how FDR used this moment to prepare the American mind for a "moral war" alongs...
3m Jan 01
3m
S8 Ep275: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: A PRIVATE HERO GOES PUBLIC TO OPPOSE INTERVENTION Colleague H.W. Brands. The discussion focuses on Charles Lindbergh's decision to leverage his fame for radio airtime upon returning to the United States in 1939. Despite his dee
PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT: A PRIVATE HERO GOES PUBLIC TO OPPOSE INTERVENTION Colleague H.W. Brands. The discussion focuses on Charles Lindbergh's decision to leverage his fame for radio airtime upon returning to the United States in 1939. Despite his deep distrust of politics, Lindbergh felt compelled to speak out to prevent America from repeating the mistakes of World War I.
3m Jan 01
3m
S8 Ep274: THE LEGACY OF THE AMATEUR SPIES Colleague Charles Spicer. Graham Christie and Philip Conwell-Evans compiled a rare book titled None So Blind, printing only 100 copies to document their warnings to the British government about the Nazi threat. Their effor
THE LEGACY OF THE AMATEUR SPIES Colleague Charles Spicer. Graham Christie and Philip Conwell-Evanscompiled a rare book titled None So Blind, printing only 100 copies to document their warnings to the Britishgovernment about the Nazi threat. Their efforts went largely unrecognized until historian Martin Gilbert began to correct the record, moving beyond the simplistic "Guilty Men" narrative to a...
8m Jan 01
8m
S8 Ep274: NUREMBERG AND THE POST-WAR SILENCE Colleague Charles Spicer. At the Nuremberg trials, Ribbentrop appeared a broken man, attempting to call amateur spies like Conwell-Evans as witnesses to prove his pre-war desire for peace, a defense that ultimately faile
NUREMBERG AND THE POST-WAR SILENCE Colleague Charles Spicer. At the Nuremberg trials, Ribbentropappeared a broken man, attempting to call amateur spies like Conwell-Evans as witnesses to prove his pre-war desire for peace, a defense that ultimately failed to excuse his war crimes. His widow, Anneliese, later wrote memoirs obsessing over social slights in London, displaying a detachment from the...
12m Jan 01
12m
S8 Ep274: THE FALL OF FRANCE AND THE FLIGHT OF HESS Colleague Charles Spicer. As the German army overran France and the Low Countries in May 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister and began utilizing the intelligence Christie had provided through Vansittart.
THE FALL OF FRANCE AND THE FLIGHT OF HESS Colleague Charles Spicer. As the German army overran France and the Low Countries in May 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister and began utilizing the intelligence Christie had provided through Vansittart. The summer of 1940 also saw the publication of Guilty Men, a polemic that unfairly blamed appeasers for the war, simplifying a complex histor...
8m Jan 01
8m
S8 Ep274: THE PHONY WAR AND CONTINUED CONSPIRACIES Colleague Charles Spicer. Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, the amateur spies remained active during the "Phony War," engaging with renewed efforts by the German opposition to replace the government.
THE PHONY WAR AND CONTINUED CONSPIRACIES Colleague Charles Spicer. Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, the amateur spies remained active during the "Phony War," engaging with renewed efforts by the German opposition to replace the government. While the Oster Conspiracy remained a theoretical possibility, an independent assassination attempt by Georg Elser failed to kill Hitler, unr...
10m Jan 01
10m
S8 Ep274: THE TENNANT MISSION AND THE SUMMER OF 1939 Colleague Charles Spicer. In the summer of 1939, Ernest Tennant undertook a secret mission to Austria to meet his former friend Ribbentrop, acting with the plausible deniability of 10 Downing Street. At a confisc
THE TENNANT MISSION AND THE SUMMER OF 1939 Colleague Charles Spicer. In the summer of 1939, Ernest Tennant undertook a secret mission to Austria to meet his former friend Ribbentrop, acting with the plausible deniability of 10 Downing Street. At a confiscated castle, Tennant learned that Hitler was mirroring Ribbentrop'saggressive stance, planning a long war and targeting Poland. This intellige...
9m Jan 01
9m
S8 Ep274: DIPLOMATIC FAILURES AND SOVIET INFILTRATION IN 1939 Colleague Charles Spicer. By early 1939, British efforts to maintain peace were hampered by disastrous appointments, specifically the pro-appeasement ambassador Neville Henderson in Berlin and the increa
DIPLOMATIC FAILURES AND SOVIET INFILTRATION IN 1939 Colleague Charles Spicer. By early 1939, British efforts to maintain peace were hampered by disastrous appointments, specifically the pro-appeasement ambassador Neville Henderson in Berlin and the increasingly irrational and Anglophobic Ribbentrop in London. Intelligence provided by Philip Conwell-Evans and Graham Christie reached Foreign Secr...
10m Jan 01
10m
S8 Ep274: THE OSTER CONSPIRACY AND THE CRISIS OF 1938 Colleague Charles Spicer. During the crisis year of 1938, the protagonists provided robust intelligence regarding the "Oster Conspiracy," a credible plan by German military and police officials to remove Hitler
THE OSTER CONSPIRACY AND THE CRISIS OF 1938 Colleague Charles Spicer. During the crisis year of 1938, the protagonists provided robust intelligence regarding the "Oster Conspiracy," a credible plan by German military and police officials to remove Hitler from power if he invaded Czechoslovakia. However, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain undermined this potential coup by pursuing "Plan Z," his ...
7m Jan 01
7m
S8 Ep274: THE MAP OF WAR AND THE KORDT CONNECTION Colleague Charles Spicer. In early 1938, as Sir Robert Vansittart was sidelined for the appeaser Horace Wilson, the amateur spies continued to provide highly accurate intelligence regarding Hitler's expansionist pla
THE MAP OF WAR AND THE KORDT CONNECTION Colleague Charles Spicer. In early 1938, as Sir Robert Vansittart was sidelined for the appeaser Horace Wilson, the amateur spies continued to provide highly accurate intelligence regarding Hitler's expansionist plans. Graham Christie obtained specific military details from his "friend" Hermann Göring, while Philip Conwell-Evans relied on the Kordt brothe...
11m Jan 01
11m
S8 Ep274: HALIFAX, HITLER, AND THE SOVIET FEAR Colleague Charles Spicer. By late 1937, the Anglo-German Fellowship was under surveillance by both MI5 and the NKVD, as Stalin feared the organization might successfully broker an alliance between Britain and Germany a
HALIFAX, HITLER, AND THE SOVIET FEAR Colleague Charles Spicer. By late 1937, the Anglo-German Fellowship was under surveillance by both MI5 and the NKVD, as Stalin feared the organization might successfully broker an alliance between Britain and Germany against the Soviet Union. In November, Foreign Minister Lord Halifax visited the Berghof, where the cultural disconnect was so profound that he...
10m Jan 01
10m
S8 Ep274: THE CORONATION AND INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS Colleague Charles Spicer. The coronation of George VI in May 1937 became a backdrop for diplomatic maneuvering, culminating in a disastrously overcrowded party at the German embassy organized by the social-climbing
THE CORONATION AND INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS Colleague Charles Spicer. The coronation of George VI in May 1937 became a backdrop for diplomatic maneuvering, culminating in a disastrously overcrowded party at the German embassy organized by the social-climbing Anneliese Ribbentrop. While Nazi sympathizers and high society mingled, the Anglo-German Fellowship was infiltrated by Kim Philby, who was hi...
10m Jan 01
10m
S8 Ep274: RIBBENTROP'S ARRIVAL AND SOCIAL DISASTERS Colleague Charles Spicer. Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived at Victoria Station as the new German ambassador with a cynical mission from Hitler to forge an alliance that would neutralize Britain while Germany conquer
RIBBENTROP'S ARRIVAL AND SOCIAL DISASTERS Colleague Charles Spicer. Joachim von Ribbentroparrived at Victoria Station as the new German ambassador with a cynical mission from Hitler to forge an alliance that would neutralize Britain while Germany conquered the continent. His tenure was immediately marred by clumsiness and a lack of humor; he gave ill-advised press remarks and famously delivered...
6m Jan 01
6m
S8 Ep274: LLOYD GEORGE AT THE BERGHOF Colleague Charles Spicer. In September 1936, Lloyd George traveled to Hitler's Alpine retreat, the Berghof, where he successfully charmed the dictator, who was delighted by the visit and the validation it offered. The meeting w
LLOYD GEORGE AT THE BERGHOF Colleague Charles Spicer. In September 1936, Lloyd George traveled to Hitler's Alpine retreat, the Berghof, where he successfully charmed the dictator, who was delighted by the visit and the validation it offered. The meeting was marked by mutual goodwill, with Lloyd George finding Hitler unpretentious and well-educated, a view he later publicized in the British pres...
12m Jan 01
12m
S8 Ep274: THE 1936 OLYMPICS AND DIPLOMATIC GAMES Colleague Charles Spicer. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Nazi regime launched a charm offensive, wining and dining officials like Vansittart, who returned to London alarmed yet somewhat placated by Hitler's app
THE 1936 OLYMPICS AND DIPLOMATIC GAMES Colleague Charles Spicer. During the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Nazi regime launched a charm offensive, wining and dining officials like Vansittart, who returned to Londonalarmed yet somewhat placated by Hitler's apparent desire for peace. Ribbentrop, desperate for promotion, hosted lavish events but was viewed by British diplomats as an intellectual lightw...
8m Jan 01
8m
S8 Ep274: GRAHAM CHRISTIE AND THE RISE OF MILITARISM Colleague Charles Spicer. Graham Christie is introduced as a brilliant WWI air ace and engineer who, after suffering from war trauma, dedicated himself to understanding Germany and feeding intelligence to Sir Rob
GRAHAM CHRISTIE AND THE RISE OF MILITARISM Colleague Charles Spicer. Graham Christie is introduced as a brilliant WWI air ace and engineer who, after suffering from war trauma, dedicated himself to understanding Germany and feeding intelligence to Sir Robert Vansittart, the head of the British Foreign Office. By 1935, the British protagonists were appalled by the Nuremberg Laws but chose to lob...
12m Jan 01
12m
S8 Ep274: COMMERCE AND THE ORIGINS OF THE FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. The Anglo-German Fellowship was headquartered at the Metropole Hotel in London in 1935, immediately attracting major business interests, including Unilever, which had vast assets in Germ
COMMERCE AND THE ORIGINS OF THE FELLOWSHIP Colleague Charles Spicer. The Anglo-German Fellowship was headquartered at the Metropole Hotel in London in 1935, immediately attracting major business interests, including Unilever, which had vast assets in Germany and sought to avoid war to protect its commercial empire. While business leaders were initially anxious about the brutality of the Nazi re...
6m Jan 01
6m
S8 Ep274: THE AMATEUR SPIES AND THE 1934 DINNER Colleague Charles Spicer. In December 1934, Ernest Tennant, a British banker deeply scarred by the loss of friends and family in the First World War, attended a pivotal dinner in Berlin with Adolf Hitler and Joachim v
THE AMATEUR SPIES AND THE 1934 DINNER Colleague Charles Spicer. In December 1934, Ernest Tennant, a British banker deeply scarred by the loss of friends and family in the First World War, attended a pivotal dinner in Berlin with Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop. Tennant, along with fellow protagonist Philip Conwell-Evans, sought to prevent another continental war by fostering closer ties...
12m Jan 01
12m
S8 Ep273: THE 1975 COLLAPSE AND THE WAR'S STRATEGIC FAILURE Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Following the 1973 peace deal and US withdrawal, Congressional aid to South Vietnam plummeted, leaving the ARVN deprived of essential logistics and air support. When the NVA laun
THE 1975 COLLAPSE AND THE WAR'S STRATEGIC FAILURE Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Following the 1973 peace deal and US withdrawal, Congressional aid to South Vietnam plummeted, leaving the ARVN deprived of essential logistics and air support. When the NVA launched their final offensive in 1975, the US did not intervene, leading to a chaotic collapse of the South Vietnamese military and the fall of Sa...
9m Jan 01
9m
S8 Ep273: LAM SON 719 AND THE FAILURE OF VIETNAMIZATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. The 1971 invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) exposed the failure of Vietnamization, as South Vietnamese troops were routed without US ground support, proving they lacked the leadership and
LAM SON 719 AND THE FAILURE OF VIETNAMIZATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. The 1971 invasion of Laos (Lam Son 719) exposed the failure of Vietnamization, as South Vietnamese troops were routed without USground support, proving they lacked the leadership and logistics to fight alone. By 1972, only massive American air power, reinstated by Nixon during the Easter Offensive, saved South Vietnam from ...
11m Jan 01
11m
S8 Ep273: THE CAMBODIAN INCURSION AND DOMESTIC UNREST Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1970, Nixon authorized an incursion into Cambodia to destroy NVA sanctuaries and supply lines, but the operation failed strategically as the enemy simply retreated deeper into the co
THE CAMBODIAN INCURSION AND DOMESTIC UNREST Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1970, Nixonauthorized an incursion into Cambodia to destroy NVA sanctuaries and supply lines, but the operation failed strategically as the enemy simply retreated deeper into the country and returned later. While the invasion widened the war and ignited massive domestic unrest, including the fatal shootings at Kent State, ...
7m Jan 01
7m
S8 Ep273: NIXON'S SABOTAGE AND HAMBURGER HILL Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Richard Nixon won the 1968 election by using Henry Kissinger to secretly sabotage LBJ's peace talks, eventually accepting the same terms in 1973 after four more years of bloodshed. Once in powe
NIXON'S SABOTAGE AND HAMBURGER HILL Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. Richard Nixon won the 1968 election by using Henry Kissinger to secretly sabotage LBJ's peace talks, eventually accepting the same terms in 1973 after four more years of bloodshed. Once in power, Nixon's continuation of "search and destroy" tactics led to the Battle of Hamburger Hill in 1969, where troops captured a meaningless objec...
11m Jan 01
11m
S8 Ep273: THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1968, North Vietnam launched the Tet Offensive to deliver a knockout blow; while a military disaster for the communists, the televised breach of the US Embassy shattered American cla
THE TET OFFENSIVE AND THE SIEGE OF KHE SANH Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1968, North Vietnamlaunched the Tet Offensive to deliver a knockout blow; while a military disaster for the communists, the televised breach of the US Embassy shattered American claims of progress and turned public opinion. Simultaneously, the siege of Khe Sanh symbolized the war's futility, as US forces fought fiercely to...
9m Jan 01
9m
S8 Ep273: SEARCH AND DESTROY AND THE FAILURE OF ATTRITION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. General Westmoreland implemented a strategy of attrition aimed at reaching a "crossover point" where enemies were killed faster than they could be replaced, requiring the constructi
SEARCH AND DESTROY AND THE FAILURE OF ATTRITION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. General Westmoreland implemented a strategy of attrition aimed at reaching a "crossover point" where enemies were killed faster than they could be replaced, requiring the construction of massive infrastructure and thousands of firebases. However, this "search and destroy" tactic largely failed because the enemy avoided co...
10m Jan 01
10m
S8 Ep273: THE BATTLE OF IA DRANG AND NVA ADAPTATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1965, the US introduced combat troops and air mobility tactics, showcased at the Battle of Ia Drang, where General Westmoreland used infantry as "tethered goats" to draw the enemy out
THE BATTLE OF IA DRANG AND NVA ADAPTATION Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1965, the US introduced combat troops and air mobility tactics, showcased at the Battle of Ia Drang, where General Westmoreland used infantry as "tethered goats" to draw the enemy out for destruction by artillery. However, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) quickly adapted by "hugging" American lines to neutralize superior US f...
8m Jan 01
8m