Conflicted: A History Podcast

On March 25, 1971, a brutal military crackdown unfolds in East Pakistan, launching a dark chapter in its history. Archer Blood, an American diplomat in Dacca, documents the horrifying violence and attempts to prompt U.S. intervention. Meanwhile, Nixon and Kissinger weigh the political implications of action while secretly pursuing a diplomatic thaw with China. The chilling reality of 'selective genocide' is revealed, sparking internal debates within the U.S. government. The struggle for independence continues as the tension escalates.

In the wake of the deadly Bhola Cyclone, 50 million Pakistanis go to the polls on December 7th, 1970 and cast their votes in a national election, which yields unexpected and destabilizing results. As the emergent factions fight for control of Pakistan’s nascent democracy, the political process slowly disintegrates and the gulf between East and West Pakistan becomes irreconcilable.SOURCES:Bass, Gary K. The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide. 2013.Bennet-Jones, Own. The Bhutto Dynasty. 2020.Carney, Scott. Miklian, Jason. The Vortex: A True Story of History’s Deadliest Storm, an Unspeakable War, and Liberation. 2022.Chang, Jung. Halliday, Jon. Mao: The Unknown Story. 2005.Frank, Katherine. Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi. 2001.Gewen, Barry. The Inevitability of Tragedy: Henry Kissinger and his World. 2020.Hiro, Dilip. The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan. 2015.Hitchens, Christopher. The Trial of Henry Kissinger. 2001.Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future. 2023.Jalal, Ayesha. The Struggle for Pakistan. 2014.James, Lawrence. Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. 1997.Jayakar, Pupul. Indira Gandhi: A Biography. 1975.Khosa, Faisal. The Making of Martyrs in India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. 2021.K.S. Nair. December In Dacca. 2022.Keay, John. India: A History. 2000.Mookherjee, Nayanika. The Spectral Wound. 2015.Raghavan, Srinath. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh. 2013.Rose, Leo. Sisson, Richard. War and Secession. Pakistan, India, and the Creation of Bangladesh. 1990.Saikia, Yasmin. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh. 2011.Schendel, Willem van. A History of Bangladesh. 2009.Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Henry Kissinger and American Power. 2020.Sengupta, Nitish. Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal. 2011.Tudda, Chris. A Cold War Turning Point: Nixon and China, 1969-1972. 2012.Walsh, Declan. The Nine Lives of Pakistan. 2020.Zakaria, Anam. 1971: A People’s History from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the tumultuous events leading up to the 1971 Bangladesh War. Discover how the rushed 1947 partition created enduring political divides. Meet key figures like Yahya Khan and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as grievances over language and identity heighten tensions. Relive the tragic aftermath of the 1952 protests—the catalyst for shattered trust. Hear harrowing survivor stories from the Bola Cyclone, illustrating government neglect and fueling a desire for autonomy. This is just the beginning of the journey into a pivotal moment in history.

In January of 1948, Alfred Kinsey releases his first book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, igniting a firestorm of controversy across the United States. As the Professor scrambles to capitalize on his newfound fame and pen a sequel, his methodology comes under attack from skeptical academics and religious conservatives. Meanwhile, Kinsey’s research team at the Institute of Sex Research embarks on a series of increasingly bizarre – and politically dangerous – sexual adventures. SOURCES:Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017.Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016. D’Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988.Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment’: The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27792817?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contentsGary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America’s First Sexual Revolution. 2021.Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998.Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen’s Disagreement. 2013.Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997.Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center.https://resource.rockarch.org/story/funding-a-sexual-revolution-the-kinsey-reports/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Dr. Alfred Kinsey begins his foray into sex research in 1938, he faces a rising tide of controversy at Indiana University, and is soon confronted with an ultimatum. While his research develops and his methodology takes shape, Kinsey is forced to reckon with hard truths about sex – and himself. SOURCES:Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017.Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016. D’Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988.Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment’: The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27792817?read-now=1&seq=7#page_scan_tab_contentsGary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America’s First Sexual Revolution. 2021.Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998.Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen’s Disagreement. 2013.Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997.Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center.https://resource.rockarch.org/story/funding-a-sexual-revolution-the-kinsey-reports/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1948, Dr. Alfred Kinsey wrote the book on sex. “The Kinsey Report”, as it came to be known, was a pioneering scientific study on the sexual habits of ordinary Americans. Divided into Male and Female Volumes, it challenged longstanding myths about sex and the religious ideology that upheld them. In this first installment of a three-part series, we explore the life, times and motivations of the enigmatic man behind the Kinsey Report – Dr. Alfred Kinsey. SOURCES:Allen, Judith A. The Kinsey Institute: The First Seventy Years. 2017.Brenot, Phillipe. The Story of Sex. 2016. D’Emilio, John. Freedman, Estelle. Intimate Matters: The History of Sexuality in America. 1988.Donna J. Drucker, “‘A Noble Experiment’: The Marriage Course at Indiana University, 1938-1940,” IMH September 2007Gary, Brett. Dirty Works. Obscenity on Trial in America’s First Sexual Revolution. 2021.Hardy, Gathorne. Sex: The Measure of All Things: A Life of Alfred C. Kinsey. 1998.Hegarty, Peter. Gentlemen’s Disagreement. 2013.Jones, James H. Alfred C. Kinsey: A Life. 1997.Wimpee, Rachel. Iacobell, Teresa. “Funding a Sexual Revolution: The Kinsey Reports.” Jan 9 2020. Rockefeller Archive Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This featured guest episode of History Daily examines the events of November 16th, 1720. On that day, the trials of notorious pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and John Rackham began in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda emerged from 30 years of isolation in the Philippine jungle, unaware of WWII's end, waging a guerilla war. The podcast explores his steadfast belief in Japan's ongoing fight, encounters with locals, and impact on Lubang Island. It also delves into Emperor Hirohito's pivotal decision to surrender, the harrowing events on the island, and Onoda's complex legacy post-war.

The podcast discusses the final moments of the Gulf War, the opening attack on Baghdad, concerns over Israel and SCUD missile attacks, CNN's rise and impact on Gulf War coverage, soldiers' emotions and mindset, prayers and relief in a church, the loss of American soldiers and the devastation in Baghdad, surviving the catastrophe for Saddam Hussein, and the consequences of 9/11 and changing perspectives on invading Iraq.

If you’re a fan of Conflicted, we think you’ll enjoy this special featured episode of The French History Podcast. In this episode, host Dr. Gary Girod breaks down what really happened at the Battle of Poitiers, one of the largest battles in early Medieval Western Europe. But was it the cataclysm so many people think it was?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices