Month: March 2026

440: The Destruction of Army Group Center

Mark Podcast
Lt. General Friedrich Gollwitzer (standing), German commander at Vitebsk, is interrogated by Soviet commanders, including Marshal Vasilevsky (seated center), following his capture.

The Soviet offensive of summer 1944, codenamed “Operation Bagration” was huge in scope and devastating in effect.

The German Army Group Center was virtually annihilated.

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Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

A Thousand and One Nights
Music composed in 1906 by Johann Strauss II. Public domain.
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, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

439: Doctor Win-the-War

Mark Podcast
The audacious Operation Bagration.

Franklin Roosevelt’s health was deteriorating, even as he was contemplating running for a fourth term as President.

In Eastern Europe, the Soviet Red Army springs a huge trap.

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Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Mazeppa
Music composed in 1851 by Franz Liszt. 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, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

438: A Bill of Goods

Mark Podcast
The Japanese plan to seize control of a rail corridor between Manchukuo (erroneously labeled “Mongolia” here) and French Indochina. Airbases used by the US are indicated on the map.

With cargo ship losses mounting, the Japanese plan to link Manchukuo to Southeast Asia by rail.

The Burma Railway was a similar project, built to reduce shipping time in 1943. By 1944, the Japanese felt ready to resume their offensive against India.

  • Listen now:

Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

“Dance to the Spirits of Fire” from The Perfect Fool
Music composed in 1922 by Gustav Holst. Public domain.
Performed by Stellar Brass of the United States Air Force Academy 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, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.

437: Where Do We Go from Here?

Mark Podcast
US Marines confront one of the many caves in the mountains of northern Saipan.

As American soldiers moved northward in their quest to secure Saipan, Japanese soldiers resisted with every means available to them, while hundreds of Japanese civilians chose death before capture.

Afterward, Franklin Roosevelt traveled to Hawaii to consult with Chester Nimitz and Douglas MacArthur and consider the question, “Where do we go from here?”

  • Listen now:

Transcript.

Playlist:

Fanfare

Opening War Theme

Fugue in B Minor
Music composed ca. 1715 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Public domain.
Performed by Gunnar Johansen. 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, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5.