The History of the Twentieth Century

Mark Painter

  • 43 minutes 53 seconds
    438 A Bill of Goods

    The China and Burma fronts remained relatively quiet for two years. That changed in 1944.

    15 March 2026, 5:01 pm
  • 40 minutes 13 seconds
    437 Where Do We Go From Here?

    In this episode, we conclude the story of the American occupation of Saipan, while US commanders ponder the question of where to strike next.

    1 March 2026, 5:26 pm
  • 48 minutes 8 seconds
    436 Too Good to Be True

    When the Americans attacked Saipan, the Japanese saw a final opportunity to force that decisive battle they'd been yearning for.

    22 February 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 36 minutes 49 seconds
    435 D Plus One

    The initial Normandy invasions were moderately successful. Casualties were lighter than feared. But D-Day was not the end; it was only the beginning.

    15 February 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 42 minutes 11 seconds
    434 The Longest Day III

    We conclude our look at the Normandy invasion by examining events at Sword, Juno, Gold, and especially Omaha Beaches.

    1 February 2026, 2:56 pm
  • 36 minutes 55 seconds
    433 The Longest Day II

    In this episode we look at the Normandy amphibious landings generally, then focus on the US assault on Utah Beach.

    25 January 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 40 minutes 35 seconds
    432 The Longest Day I

    The Normandy landings began at dawn on June 6, 1944, but the night before three Allied airborne divisions were dropped into Normandy to help prepare the way for the amphibious landings.

    11 January 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 43 minutes 5 seconds
    431 Bombing Your Allies

    The German military was occupying many European countries, which put British and American bomber commanders in the awkward position of bombing nations that were supposedly their allies.

    4 January 2026, 5:00 pm
  • 34 minutes 23 seconds
    430 Question Time II

    In this Christmas bonus episode, I answer listener questions.

    25 December 2025, 8:47 pm
  • 45 minutes 6 seconds
    429 The Fall of Rome

    In May 1944, Allied forces in Italy began an offensive that finally broke the Gustav Line. Soon Americans were marching into Rome. At the same time, Allied forces in Britain were making final preparations for the invasion of France.

    21 December 2025, 5:00 pm
  • 39 minutes 31 seconds
    428 An Idea of Simple Genius

    In this episode, we look at some of the preparations both sides' militaries were making for the coming invasion of France, as well as the tricky problem the Allies faced in keeping Charles de Gaulle on board.

    14 December 2025, 4:20 pm
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