August 28

Ep. 0074: The Western Way of War vs the Eastern Way of War

To begin laying some of the groundwork for the upcoming miniseries on the history of modern guerrilla and unconventional war, here’s a discussion of two different paradigms of what war is supposed to be and how it is supposed to be fought.  One is the Western (or European) Way, which originated in Greece and from there filtered through the Romans to become the dominant paradigm among Westerners to this day. The other is the Eastern (or Asian) Way, which originated in China and from there filtered to other parts of the Asian world and beyond, and which forms the intellectual basis of much of modern guerrilla tactics and strategy.

Join CJ as he discusses:

  • The origins of the Western Way and how it has evolved over the centuries
  • The origins of the Eastern Way and how it has evolved over the centuries
  • Why this matters to understanding the modern world in general, and the history of modern unconventional warfare in particular

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Category: Ancient History, Military History, Modern World History, Podcasts | 2 Comments on Ep. 0074: The Western Way of War vs the Eastern Way of War
August 22

Ep. 0073: Listener Emails #2

(First off:  Apologies in advance for the audio quality drop-off after about the first half-hour — had an equipment SNAFU but had to just go on with backup gear in order to get the episode recorded during the narrow window of time I had this week to do it!  I’ve got it solved for next episode, though.)

Once again we dip into the listener mailbag to discuss some thought-provoking email questions from DHP listeners.

Join CJ as he discusses:

  • Advice to a high school senior about whether or not to go to college
  • How to deal with the prevalence of demonization towards Muslims and other groups that’s becoming more prevalent in America currently
  • Whether nuclear weapons have actually made the world safer, and speculations on what might become of heavy-duty weaponry if a transition to a stateless society occurred
  • How to deal with a family member’s staunchly statist significant other
  • How Americans should feel about their history, and whether or not America’s best days are behind it

Thanks to Caitlyn, Brett, Jim, and Leo for their questions!

Become a patron of the Dangerous History Podcast on Patreon!

[photo “Silhouetted Figure and Tree” courtesy Simon Howden/freedigitalphotos.net]

Category: Listener Emails, Podcasts | 3 Comments on Ep. 0073: Listener Emails #2
August 11

Ep. 0072: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

This month is the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and the subsequent surrender of Japan to the United States, ending World War II.  The standard mainstream American narrative about this portrays it as a no-brainer, a morally unquestionable & absolutely necessary decision that saved untold numbers of lives.  This narrative is not supported by many serious academic historians who are experts on this topic these days, and it is highly questioned in countries other than the United States, to put it mildly.  What’s the truth about these bombings?

Join CJ as he discusses:

  • A brief word on mass-bombing of civilians in WWII, and how prior to its entry into the war, the US government condemned any mass bombing of civilians, but began engaging in it on a larger scale than anyone else once in the war
  • The successful “Trinity” test of an A-bomb, and the effect that had on the US government’s decision-making
  • What was going on in the Japanese government & in the US government at the time
  • The Potsdam Conference & Declaration of July, 1945
  • The bombing of Hiroshima & its effects
  • The entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan & its effects
  • The bombing of Nagasaki & its effects [*Note:  Had an error I made here pointed out by a listener named Matt via Facebook: I said in the episode that Enola Gay also dropped the second bomb; it did not.  The E-G was involved in the 2nd mission as a weather recon plane, but another B-29 named “Bockscar” actually dropped the 2nd bomb.  I messed that detail up in my notes & as a result messed it up in the episode.]
  • Japan’s surrender
  • Some closing thoughts & observations on the bombings, their morality (or lack thereof), and debates that have continued ever since

Become a supporter of the Dangerous History Podcast on Patreon — will be putting out bonus episodes for patrons there starting soon!

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Category: American History, Military History, Modern World History, Podcasts | 9 Comments on Ep. 0072: The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki