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History of the Second World War

Wesley Livesay

History of the Second World War is a weekly podcast which will cover World War 2, beginning with the tumultuous years after the First World War, continuing into the descent into war during t...

Episodes

20 of 375 episodes

Listener Questions Pt. 9

More listener questions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28:20Oct 24, 2026

280: North Africa '41 Pt. 2 - Opposing Forces and Mersa Brega

As German forces arrive in North Africa, the situation inherited from Operation Compass and the terrain of Cyrenaica shape the opening of Er...

25:04Oct 22, 2026

279: North Africa '41 Pt. 1 - Why Are the Germans Here?

German forces arrived in North Africa in February 1941 to shore up Italy’s collapsing position, but the limited mission conceived in Berlin...

25:22Oct 14, 2026

278: The War At Sea '41 Pt. 16 - The End of the Surface Raiders

News of Bismarck's sinking brings celebration in London, but the sailors struggling in the cold Atlantic face a desperate fight for survival...

24:52Oct 7, 2026

Listener Questions Pt. 8

More strategic bombing discussion, how did merchant shipping work, occupied economies, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

23:06Oct 2, 2026

277: War at Sea '41 Pt. 15 - The End of the Bismarck

After days of pursuit, King George V and Rodney finally close with the crippled Bismarck in the stormy Atlantic. This episode follows the br...

21:46Sep 30, 2026

276: War at Sea '41 Pt. 14 - Wounded Beast

With Bismarck crippled and unable to steer after the Ark Royal's torpedo attack, the German battleship's crew struggles through flooding, fa...

23:34Sep 23, 2026

275: War at Sea '41 Pt. 13 - Lucky Strike

After Bismarck slips away from her British pursuers, the Royal Navy launches a desperate search before dwindling fuel supplies force the cha...

29:56Sep 16, 2026

Listener Questions. Pt 7

Greece, First World War Blockade Breaking, Crete, and WW2 Main Battery shell reliability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

25:35Sep 11, 2026

274: War at Sea '41 Pt. 12 - On a Wing and a Prayer

With Bismarck damaged and making for France, the Royal Navy concentrated an enormous collection of ships to contain and destroy her while Ad...

24:43Sep 9, 2026

273: War at Sea '41 Pt. 11 - The End of the Mighty Hood

The Battle of the Denmark Strait opened with British fire directed at the wrong German ship before Bismarck and Prinz Eugen concentrated the...

24:48Sep 2, 2026

272: War at Sea '41 Pt. 10 - On the Eve of Battle

As Hood and Prince of Wales raced toward Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, worsening weather, uncertain contact reports, and the limitations of Hood...

25:42Aug 26, 2026

271: War at Sea '41 Pt. 9 - Found and Followed

As Bismarck and Prinz Eugen entered the Denmark Strait, the cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk made contact and began the difficult task of shadow...

22:33Aug 19, 2026

270: War at Sea '41 Pt. 8 - The Operation Begins

As Bismarck and Prinz Eugen departed for the Atlantic, British reconnaissance exposed their presence in Norway and set the Royal Navy’s resp...

27:03Aug 14, 2026

269: War at Sea '41 Pt. 7 - This Seems Risky

In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck prepared for its first and only wartime cruise into the Atlantic. This episode examines the stra...

24:15Aug 6, 2026

Listener Questions Pt. 6

Geography, German Success in Russia, Economies, and much more in this listener question episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...

24:59Aug 4, 2026

268: War at Sea '41 Pt. 6 - Aces Down

This episode follows the Battle of the Atlantic through the costly weeks of March 1941, when Germany lost three of its most celebrated U-boa...

26:35Jul 29, 2026

267: War at Sea '41 Pt. 5 - The Undersea Hunters

This episode shifts the focus of the naval war from German surface raiders to the U-boats, tracing why they became the central German weapon...

27:35Jul 23, 2026

266: War at Sea '41 Pt. 4 - The End of Operation Berlin

Operation Berlin reaches its conclusion as Scharnhorst and Gneisenau continue their Atlantic cruise, repeatedly finding merchant shipping bu...

24:27Jul 17, 2026

265: War at Sea '41 Pt. 3 - Operation Berlin

In early 1941, the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau set out on Operation Berlin, an attempt to break into the Atlantic and strik...

24:32Jul 13, 2026