History of WWII Podcast
The History of WWII Podcast is produced and narated by Ray Harris Jr. Ray has a degree in history from James Madison University. I’ve been obsessed with the events and people from WWII since I first learned of them. I’ve been waiting years for someone to do a podcast on WWII and couldn’t wait any longer.

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Episode 228-An Interview with Mary Jo McConahay about her latest book The Tango War
Writer Mary Jo McConahay comes on the show to discuss her latest book, The Tango War: The Struggle for the Hearts,...
Episode 227-This Means War
On December 7, 1941, Ambassador Nomura and Special Envoy Kurusu are about to give Secretary of State Hull and FDR...
Episode 226-The Japanese are Not Ready for Us Yet
Multiple Japanese Assault Fleets are on the move, but with so much incoming information, President Roosevelt and his...
Episode 225-Indianpolis-Interview with Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
Attacked on 30 July 1945, the heavy cruiser was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, and sank in 12...
Episode 224-Climb Mount Niitaka-Tojo Gets his War
Emperor Hirohito reluctantly gives his approval for the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Tojo said, "With war, if you don't...
Episode 223-Roosevelt Learns of the Coming Attack
Through MAGIC, the US's ability to read Japan's diplomatic messages, FDR learns of a final deadline and a coming...
Episode 222-The Pearl Harbor That Almost Wasn’t
Tokyo and Washington seem to be making progress in their peace talks. And yet, the Japanese 1st Air Fleet departs for...
Episode 221-War with the U.S. Seems Unavoidable
Prince Konoye's government collapses as Gen. Tojo demands war with the U.S. Emperor Hirohito then orders Tojo to form...
Episode 220-An Interview with Lyuba Vinogradova: Defending the Motherland
Dr. Vinogradova comes back to the show to discuss her latest book, Defending the Motherland: The Soviet Women Who...
Episode 219-When Diplomacy Fails
As the various issues with attacking Pearl Harbor are overcome, the Japanese Military evades telling the truth to...
Episode 218-Pearl Harbor-The Strongest Fortress in the World
Washington and Tokyo continue their diplomatic dance but neither side is willing to give in. The Americans have broken...
Episode 217-Japan-Do or Die
With Washington and Tokyo trying to bend the other to its will, President Roosevelt seeks to strangle Japan's...
Episode 216-The World Goes to War
Chiang Kai-Shek struggles to keep China in the war, knowing the Soviet-German Non Aggression Pact can not last. The...
Episode 215: Collision Course, the Road to Pearl Harbor
Having chased Chiang Kai-Shek back to Chongqing, the Japanese Empire is still unable to get him to surrender. So, on...
Episode 214-Betrayal, the Burma Road and The Battle of Nomonhan
Chiang Kai-Shek starts over, again, in Chongqing, as the Japanese military seek to deny him the east coast. First...
Episode 213-The 2nd Sino-Japanese War-The Fall of Wuhan
Chiang Kai-Shek is staking everything on his defense of Wuhan. As such, the various Japanese forces attempt to...
Episode 212-The Massacre of Nanjing
As Chiang Kai-Shek moves his capital and military Head Quarters west and Hideki Tojo becomes directly involved in the...
Episode 211-The End of the Battle of Shanghai
Chiang Kai-Shek's forces are barely holding out. But when a second enemy Expeditionary Force lands, it spells the end...
Episode 210-China’s Lost Battalion
The Japanese Expeditionary Force continues to push south to gain access to Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-Shek's...
Episode 209-Dark Days for Chiang Kai-Shek
The Chinese Nationalists are loosing the battle of Shanghai. Yet, Chiang has to hold on as the League of Nations will...
Episode 208-The Battle of Shanghai-Japanese Reinforcements
The Japanese Expeditionary forces set the stage for a much larger attack, once their reinforcements arrive. The plan...
Episode 207-Shanghai Becomes Chiang Kai-Shek’s Stalingrad
The Chinese Nationalist forces have pulled back from the coast, yet are determined to establish their own Maginot...
Episode 206-Interview with Dr. Lyuba Vinogradova about her book Avenging Angels: The Young Women of the Soviet Union’s WWII Sniper Corps
Dr. Lyuba Vinogradova discusses her research and the resulting book that covers the young women of Stalin's USSR, who...
Episode 205-Chiang Kai-Shek’s Pyrrhic Victory
Chiang Kai Shek and his ordinary soldiers are more determined than ever to defend Shanghai in 1937. However, the...
Episode 204-The Japanese Empire Doubles Down in Shanghai
The Japanese invasion of Shanghai, nor their desire to teach the Chinese a lesson, is moving forward fast enough for...
Episode 203-Shanghai-The Dominance of Japanese Air and Sea Power
The Japanese are unloading men and material at a frustratingly slow rate, due to the tides. Until they are ready to...
Episode 202-The Battle of Shanghai Part 2
The Japanese bring reinforcements to Shanghai as their marines are bogged down by Chiang Kai-Shek's best troops....
Episode 201-The Battle of Shanghai Part 1
Chiang Kai-Shek decides that the time has come to openly fight back against Japan. His chosen site is the port city of...
Episode 200-The Marco Polo Bridge Incident: Total War Comes to China
After the clash at the Marco Polo bridge, the Japanese Military decides to occupy northern China. Defying them are the...
Episode 199-The Pacific Theatre Prologue-Sino Japanese Relations
As we officially begin the Pacific Theatre, this episode covers the building tension between The Japanese Empire,...
Episode 198-The Beginning of the Big Three
President Roosevelt sends Harry Hopkins, again to London, to set up a meeting between himself and Churchill. The U.S....
Episode 197-The Beginning of the Final Solution
Nazi Germany launches its war against the USSR. As such, FDR hopes Germany's attention will slacken on the Atlantic....
Episode 196-Stalin: Lenins Protege
The Great War is over, but the Allies don't know what to do with Russia. So, the german troops in Russian territory...
Episode 195-The Beginnings of Pearl Harbor
As Hitler tries to lower the tension between the U.S. and Nazi Germany, the opposite is happening between the Japanese...
Episode 194-Interview with Sally Mott Freeman about her book: The Jersey Brothers
With us is Sally Mott Freeman as we discuss her book, The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and...
Episode 193-Churchill and Chiang Kai-Shek, FDR’s Warriors
President Roosevelt wins a third term, but the American people still refuse to commit to war. Meanwhile, FDR has to...
Episode 192-Hitler’s Reaction to Lend lease and FDR’s Third Term
President Franklin Roosevelt succeeds in his 3rd term attempt and with the passage of Lend Lease, Hitler knows the war...
Episode 191: Lenin’s Cruelty, Stalin’s Ambition
With the Kaiser's forces coming ever closer to Petrograd and Moscow, many Russians lose confidence in Lenin and his...
Episode 190-The Axis Powers and their New World Order
Nazi Germany is not the only threat to U.S. peace as the Empire of Japan continues its attacks against China....
Episode 189-Roosevelt’s Secret War against Hitler
As the Nazi menace grows across Europe, President Roosevelt knows that America will be threatened one day. His best...
Episode 188-The Great War, Brest-Litovsk and Lenin’s Retreat
Lenin's Bolsheviks pull Russia out of the Great with the Brest Litovsk Treaty, but the Imperial German Army keeps...
Episode 187-Interview with Scott Miller
Mr. Miller's latest book, Agent 110: An American Spymaster and the German Resistance in WWII, covers America's attempt...
Episode 186-The Battle for Norway, Vidkun Quisling and the North Sea
This episode covers the naval battles between the British Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine just prior to the Battle of...
Episode 185-The Pacific Theatre-MacArthur’s Retreat
Back with us are Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, authors of Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission. Today we discuss the Pacific...
Episode 184-The Question of Peace, Lenin and Stalin versus Trotsky
As Lenin deflects others trying to take control of Revolutionary Russia, his Bolshevik Central Committee has to deal...
Episode 182-Churchill and Hitler Race for Norway, Episode 183-Stalin: Lenin’s Mouthpiece
With neither side trusting the other, both the Allies and Nazi Germany ready plans to invade Norway. For Episode 183,...
Episode 180: Sea Battles, Death at Scapa Flow. Ep 181-The Rule of Lenin and the Bolsheviks
Commodore Donitz, in charge of the German submarines, plans a daring raid against the British battleships in Scapa...
Episode 179-Flashback: The Battle of the Atlantic Begins
Backing up a bit, we begin the story of the battle for the Atlantic, as German U-boats attempt to starve Britain into...
Episode 177-Rommel Retreats, The End of Operation Crusader Ep 178-Lenin’s Pillars: Stalin and Trotsky
Gen. Rommel keeps winning battles but losses men and tanks, that are not replaced. Meanwhile, British 8th Army,...
Episode 175-Rommel knows Best Episode 176-Stalin steps in for Lenin
Ep 175-As Gen. Rommel sends his panzers to surprise the British 8th Army near the Frontier Wire, Gen. Cunningham's...
Episode 174-Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
Our guests today are writers Bob Drury and Tom Clavin to discuss their latest book, Lucky 666-The Impossible Mission....
Episode 172-Rommel readies for Success Ep 173 Lenin’s Civil War
Acting on misinformation, both generals, Rommel and Cunningham make plans for the next day, hoping to wipe out the...
Episode 170-Operation Crusader Part 4 Rommel Rises to the Occasion and Episode 171 Lenin comes Home
Ep 170-As Operation Crusader goes forward Gen. Cunningham feels confident as his tanks make it close to Tobruk....
Episode 168-Crusader Part 3 / Episode 169-Stalin and The Great War
Gen. Auchinleck's Operation Crusader is finally launched, but Rommel does not react as predicted as his focus is still...
Episode 167-Operation Crusader Part 2
The British Western Desert Army is transformed into the 8th British Army proper. C in C ME Auchinleck has tapped Gen....
Episode 166-Lenin’s Gift to Stalin
Stalin will endure several more arrests, but while in exile, Lenin will maneuver to have Koba made a member of the...
Episode 165-Meanwhile, back in North Africa-Operation Crusader Part 1
With a new commander in the Middle East, Churchill wants the war against Rommel renewed, but C in C Auchinleck has his...
Episode 164-Lenin’s Trigger Man
Stalin is newly married, but has little time for his wife and soon to arrive child. He is still focused on the Marxist...
Episode 163-Stalin-Family Man
Young Stalin begins to the learn of the wider world of international politics and the intrigues that comes with it....
Episode 162-The Winter Fortress Interview with Neal Bascomb
In early 1942, the U.S. and Great Britain work together to develop the Atomic Bomb, but London needs to make sure Nazi...
Churchill Mug
The famous Winston Churchill mug from the History of WWII Podcast. Help support the podcast by buying a mug, free delivery within the USA*.
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