15-Minute History

In this episode, Joe asks about the changes in culture and education after the collapse of Rome, and we discuss some historical parallels to our own day.Join us each week for Pop Quizzes, and comment below with your thoughts and suggestions for new episodes!

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on June 12, 2023.___The dull hum of aircraft filled the morning air. German soldiers looked up from the French town of St. Lô, expecting to see a few enemy fighters bearing down on them. Their hearts froze in their chests as nearly a thousand bombers emerged from the clouds. They had heard of the devastation wrought by their enemy on the Fatherland’s cities, but St. Lô was only a tiny provincial settlement far from the Paris metropolis. In minutes, their world was aflame as Allied bombs exploded around them and tore flesh and metal apart in equal measure. The panzer division holding St. Lô was nearly annihilated in the first of three waves, and little was left as the sun reached its noon height. Then, the survivors heard engines approaching from the north and east in the direction of the Normandy beaches. Tanks and half-tracks bearing white stars swarmed through the town, finishing off the defenders and ripping open the Nazi left flank that had held the Allies back for over a month.The Third United States Army is one of the best-known units of the Second World War. From the opening move on St. Lô in August 1944 to the war’s end nine months later, it liberated an area of Nazi-occupied Europe roughly the size of Afghanistan. Its soldiers were the best-trained men in the US Army, its officers and NCOs among the most professional in American military history, and its record of battle remains unsurpassed in enemy casualties inflicted and land covered. Most of the credit is due, of course, to the soldiers in tanks and trucks, but even the proudest of these would point to their commander as the man who made the Third Army such a terrifying weapon of war: General George S. Patton, Jr.Join us for this special, double-length episode of 15-Minute History as we teach you about General George Patton, his life, leadership, heroism, and his effect on the world we know today.

This week, Joe asked about the soldiers who guard political leaders and why they sometimes turn on those whom they are sworn to protect. Why does it happen? What are the results? And could it happen today?Join us every Thursday for pop quizzes, and comment below with your thoughts, questions, and suggestions for new episodes!

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 10, 2025.___Seven years ago, Joe and I began this podcast with a two-part episode on the Second World War in Europe. Today, we fulfill a promise to longtime listeners with the first installment of the Pacific War--from Pearl Harbor to Midway. Join us next week for the second part next week.

This week's pop quiz takes a historic approach to Marketing 101. Joe gives us his thoughts on recent trends at American Eagle, Cracker Barrel, Budweiser, and a gun company that shall not be named. By looking at how these companies have performed recently in their brand appeal, we can draw some lessons about how businesses interact with customers and be more aware of changes in their messaging strategies.Join us every Thursday until October when the new season starts for new pop quizzes, and comment below with your thoughts and suggestions for new topics!

Join Jon, Joe, and longtime guest host Dan as they discuss pivotal moments in history that could have gone very wrong, the effects of their outcomes, and the power of individual choice in each one. If you would like to hear more discussions like this, let us know at 15minutehistory@gmail.com. As always, be sure to like, comment, and subscribe!

Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every Thursday, one of the hosts will ask the other a question about history they must answer. Have an idea for a topic? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 18, 2024.___Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross—passed almost 17,000 classified documents to the Soviet Union for 30+ years. The information was so extensive and the volume so large, that Soviet intelligence initially suspected some of it might be disinformation, due to the high-ranking positions these spies held and the access they had. However, much of this intelligence was invaluable, influencing Soviet strategies during pivotal moments of World War II and the Cold War.Join us as we teach you about one of the most notorious spy rings in modern history, The Cambridge Five, and the most prominent member, Kim Philby.

What is the Demon Cat of Washington? Where does folklore originate in culture? How do historians read folklore? Join us for this extended pop quiz as Joe and Jon discuss folklore and its effect on history.And post your ideas for new episodes, comments, and questions in the comments. You make this show a success and we love to hear from you!

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on May 4, 2023.___On the morning of January 26th, Murphy and his men saw movement in the tree line ahead. As the morning fog cleared, over two hundred German infantrymen and six Mark VI Tiger Tanks appeared and began a counterattack. I will stop here for a moment and give you an opportunity to take in this scene. First, consider eighteen men with two armored vehicles against two hundred infantry. Faced with just these odds, there is no strategic or tactical way Murphy’s men could hold the line. Second, add the armor. A single Tiger tank was near impossible to destroy by Allied armor. To put it in perspective, one Tiger Tank could take out more than twelve American Sherman tanks before being crippled enough to be put down. It fired an 88-millimeter shell, the most powerful of the German artillery, and could decimate an entire town without any support. Six of these advanced on Murphy and his eighteen men. Six. I don’t need to tell you the odds of the eighteen men winning against such a force, because there are no odds. It's zero. Listen now and join us in awe at what happened next. Remember…this is real history. Join us as we teach you about the life and heroism of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WW2.