Month: March 2023

318: The Calm Before the Storm

Mark Podcast

2003 German postage stamp, honoring Georg Elser, the would-be assassin of Adolf Hitler.

Hitler wanted to begin a western offensive as soon as possible, but bad weather continued to force delays. In January 1940, a copy of the battle plan for the upcoming offensive fell into Allied hands.

Also, in November 1939, Georg Elser (pictured above) attempted to assassinate Hitler and came very close to succeeding

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Fantasie from Die Walküre
Composed in 1870 by Richard Wagner. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Marine Band. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme


Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

317: The Winter War

Mark Podcast

A Soviet T-26 tank advances into Finland during the Winter War.

With France and Britain at war with Germany, the Soviet Union was free to do as it pleased in the East.

When Finland refused to consider allowing Soviet military bases on its soil, the USSR invaded. Most thought Finland would quickly collapse, as Poland had just two months earlier, but in Finland the outcome was different.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Maame” (The informal national anthem of Finland.)
Composed in 1848 by Fredrik Pacius. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Navy Band. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme


Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

316: Nazism Unleashed

Mark Podcast

The Polish town of Wieluń, near the German border. The Luftwaffe bombed it on the first day of the war, despite the absence of any legitimate military target.

First Germany, then the USSR, invaded Poland in September 1939.

Even the Germans were surprised how quickly the Polish defense collapsed. The occupation of Poland allowed the Nazi Germans and the Soviet Communists the freedom to do with the nation and its people as they pleased.

  • Listen now:


Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Komm, süsser Tod” (“Come, Sweet Death”)
Composed in 1736 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Public domain.
Performed Laurindo Almeida. Public domain recording. Source.

Closing War Theme


Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.