Shows
Edge of HistoryUnderrated Overrated: The Gettysburg Address Part 2In Part 2, I cover the speech itself, line by line, why it’s remarkable all by itself and why its legacy is even more so. It is hard to understate the impact of Lincoln himself and this speech in particular on how America still remembers the war and why it was fought. 2023-06-1458 minEdge of HistoryRemembering the 5th New York Infantry Regiment: "Duryee's Zouaves"The 5th New York Infantry Regiment "Zouaves" were drawn, dressed, and drilled for success in the American Civil War. A volunteer company that drew as many college graduates and businessmen as it did dock and factory workers, it was destined to briefly show its greatness... and then disappear. On this Memorial Day, I tell their story to honor their service and ultimate sacrifice.2023-05-3056 minEdge of HistoryUnderrated Overrated: The Gettysburg Address Part 1Many of us in America know a few phrases of it here and there because we all had to read it in high school. We know it was a good speech, totally reaffirming freedom while honoring war dead, yadda yadda. But lost in the cliches is how significant it was that Lincoln was able to make such a speech at such a time, and make it stick. He had a LOT riding against people even taking the speech seriously, let alone holding it up later as an example of everything America stands for. In part 1, I explain why.2023-02-0943 minEdge of HistoryArminius and the Triumph of the Teutoburg ForestAll appeared well as the Romans had the “pacification” of modern-day Germany underway in A.D. 9. The early Principate Roman Army had driven the “barbarians” before it, as it had done many times before. Then revolt stirred and Rome relied on a charismatic German prince, raised as a hostage and then proven auxiliary commander in Roman civilization, to help reaffirm the Empire’s authority in his country…2023-01-2558 minEdge of HistoryAterui: The Guerrilla Who Helped Create the SamuraiThe image of the samurai is almost synonymous with Japanese history for many people: the honor-bound, bow and sword wielding individual warrior on horseback. It could have been very different. When the early Japanese Court was trying hard to adopt the massed infantry tactics of China, a series of defeats to an impressive “barbarian” guerrilla warrior from the north changed the military culture of the country.2023-01-0355 minEdge of HistoryUnderrated Overrated: Hannibal and the Battle of CannaePart 3 of a series on historical events that are widely overrated in aspects of their impact and yet actually underrated and deeply misunderstood. The decisive victory Hannibal Barca won over the Roman Republic at Cannae in 216 BC was the crown jewel of his many achievements, and has been studied so often that perhaps it’s now cliché. I retell the story to focus on why it was so significant in that war and why it still has lessons for us, despite what modern scholars might think.2022-12-201h 00Edge of HistoryUnderrated Overrated: The Roman Legion and the Will to WinPart 2 of a series on historical events that are widely overrated in aspects of their impact and yet actually underrated and deeply misunderstood. The Roman civilization is famous all over the world, but few people know just how unlikely and unique their rise to power was. Through an uncommon combination of ruthlessness and humility, Rome built a culture and a war machine that learned from mistakes, adapted to circumstances, and relentlessly pursued total victory.2022-12-141h 08Edge of HistoryUnderrated Overrated: The Legacy of the Emancipation ProclamationPart 1 of a series on historical events that are widely overrated in aspects of their impact and yet actually underrated and deeply misunderstood. President Abraham Lincoln 's landmark Emancipation Proclamation is known popularly as what "freed the slaves," but its story is far more complex. Skeptics correctly point out that it did very little to change the legal and actual status of slaves anywhere in America at that time, but I break it down here for the brilliant practical strike at the institution of slavery that it was. Honest Abe for the win, and within the limits of his...2022-11-141h 08Edge of HistoryWhy Chechnya Should Matter to YouChechens have been in an almost 200-year struggle against Russian imperialism. While they remain in an occupied state, the spirit of their people is very much alive. Through their struggle, we can see the consequences of brutality, the power of evil, the heart of a people, the early buds of radicalization, the way misinformation shifts focus and spreads lies. Ultimately, this episode is a reflection on how small events can have a huge ripple effect on the modern world and how we ALL have a role to play in that, either through silent consent, ignorance, or informed action.2022-10-3143 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 9: End of the Line and End of an EraThe last of the rebel “old guard” are hunted down, killed, or driven into exile. Chechen traitor/Russian puppet Ramzan Kadyrov rules Chechnya through fear. A generation of traumatized and/or radicalized children remain. Some depart for the bloodbaths of Ukraine or Syria in a tragic epilogue. What’s next? How do we evaluate the legacy of the struggle?2022-10-1945 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 8: Desperation and TerrorAfter years of attrition taking their toll, a desperate Shamil Basayev turns once more to terrorism. Things are very different in 2004 than they were in 1995, however. The 9/11 attacks and state control of Russian media ensure that instead of helping the rebels, horrific events like the Beslan School Siege further cut off the Chechen cause from any hope.2022-10-021h 03Edge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 7: Meat Grinder: The “Second Chechen War”The brutality and incompetence of the Russian Army is on full display in the opening months of the war. Their overwhelming force and the assistance of Chechen turncoats begin to turn the tide in their favor, however. Supplies choked off and numbers dwindling, the rebels disperse for guerrilla war.2022-09-2548 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 6: Rise of the Dark LordThe overreach of the Chechen warlords and the rise of Vladimir Putin combine to precipitate the re-invasion of Chechnya in 1999. Grozny is besieged once again and destroyed in urban combat. Both sides have learned from ’94-‘96 but this time Russia is committing far more. Staged “terrorist” attacks help Putin rally support, even as he kills his own people.2022-09-181h 06
Destination Discipline Podcast#4- Eric Kruger | Teaching Guerilla & Doing Good ThingsIn Episode #4 of the Destination Discipline Podcast, we dive into the life of Eric Kruger. Eric is a high school English and History teacher, along with being a fellow podcaster. We unpacked his journey to becoming who he is today. His barbaric lifestyle, being a teacher, learning to pivot in hard times, and just being a great human.
Connect with Eric:
Edge of History Podcast- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edge-of-history/id1440893059
Instagram-
https://www.instagram.com/centurion6246/
Connect with Gauge:
Personal: https://www.instagram.com...2022-08-151h 20Edge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 5: The Triumph and Tragedy of the WarlordsAfter their improbable victory in the war for independence, the Chechens quickly discovered that as hard as winning the war was, winning the peace was even more difficult. A ravaged country, shattered infrastructure, and difficulty enforcing law meant that the challenges facing the new government were ultimately insurmountable. 2022-04-1354 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 4: Independence!After the Russian Army finally wrests the capital of Grozny from the rebels, its momentum stalls and it resorts to indiscriminate carpet bombing and massacring civilians. In an ominous turn for the future, the desperate rebels engage in mass hostage-takings that stall the war further. With able guerrilla commanders exploiting low Russian morale and poor organization, the rebels shock the world by retaking Grozny in 1996. Russia withdraws and the democratic Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is born!2022-03-181h 02Edge of HistoryWhy History Matters (In Ways Your History Class Probably Didn't Teach You)Intense times like these truly make me notice how undervalued the study of history is. I bring up the historical precedents of a lot of what we see and people will often tell me “I wasn’t a good history student….I’m not much for names and dates” or something of that sort. At best I’ll get the classic saying “Well, you gotta learn from history so you don’t repeat it.” Yes, but…NO. It’s so much deeper and richer and more complicated than names and dates, for one thing. For another, be careful what you ‘learn...2022-03-0943 minEdge of HistorySpecial Episode! “What Is Happening in the Ukraine and Why It’s Happening” (as far as I can know)I normally avoid a podcast on current events: there is so much even the best cannot know or understand until years have passed. I have been asked about this many times over the last two weeks from those who know I’ve been paying close attention to Putin for twenty years and have European history background. While my knowledge is incomplete, I might have some useful stories for the layperson that is just seeking to understand something about this crisis.2022-02-281h 20Edge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 3: The Battle for Grozny and the Humbling of a SuperpowerAs Chechens (led by many who grew up in the deportation) declare independence in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin’s Russia does nothing for three years. Embarrassment at the new state’s defiance eventually drives an attempt to topple the Chechen government through far superior arms. Spoiler Alert: Russia, thought to be the second most powerful country in the world at the time, gets a disastrous comeuppance.2021-07-2245 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 2: Revolution and DeportationThere have never been more than one million Chechens in the world at any given time, and their homeland is no bigger than Connecticut, yet the trials and tragedy of the Chechen people have an underestimated but important legacy in the horrific guerrilla wars and terrorism of the twenty-first century. At the heart of the conflict is (of course) the policies of Josef Stalin, who attempted to deport an entire people to Kazakhstan in 1944.2021-07-0844 minEdge of HistoryChechen Wars Part 1: Imperial SpoilsJon Stewart darkly joked that for most people, Chechnya might as well be Narnia. He was right, and it’s a shame. The Chechens are a distinct and proud mountain people, steeped in long traditions of bravery, daring, and generosity. On the other hand, they also possess a cultural dark side of ruthless banditry, gangsterism, and unreformed ancient practices like bride-stealing. For the last 800 years, they have periodically defied imperial might (from the Mongols to the modern Russians) and tenaciously clung to their values.2021-06-3045 minEdge of HistoryDeus le Vult! The Bizarre Final Stage of the First CrusadeApocalyptic: I find that’s the best word to describe the year 1099 in the lives of those who undertook the First Crusade. Anyone who’d survived this long (3 years of continuous marching and war—crazy in and of itself) still had several more months before the attainment of the final goal: the city of Jerusalem. Along the way, death by thirst, hallucination, cannibalism, and frustrated lower classes rising up and seizing control of the whole enterprise from their “superiors” would mark the journey. The culmination of their efforts would leave a legacy that echoes to the present day.2020-11-121h 07Edge of HistoryYou Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Siege of Antioch and the First Crusade Part TwoThe (double) Siege of Antioch in 1098 has all the stuff a Hollywood movie is made of: two different cultures (and their military approaches) clashing in the style of your favorite old school tournament fighting game, starvation, giant ancient fortresses, disease, hardship, miracles real and imagined, betrayal, sword fights, massacre, and a final, heroic charge against impossible odds. Too much stuff, really: I feel like any script with this much jammed into it would be dismissed as corny and over-the-top. Except it’s true! I hope I do it a measure of justice.2020-10-051h 01Edge of HistoryFight to Save the Soul of Europe: The First Crusade Part OneI see such a metaphor for human forces here: how whatever Pope Urban II and Emperor Alexius had in mind for this holy war/armed pilgrimage, things quickly escalated out of their control and the message and mission as it came to actually be almost swept both men right off their feet. Never underestimate the power of human passion! Although doomed to failure and disaster, the first wave of people (under Peter the Hermit) to attempt the approach to the Holy Land would have important effects on how both the Seljuk Turks and the Byzantine Greeks perceived the following...2020-09-201h 15Edge of HistoryWar for Peace: Prelude to the First Crusade“Crusade” is a loaded word, and often code for the “bad” history in the cultural heritage of Western Europe. In this episode, I set the stage for some of the real characters in this widely misunderstood period, discussing the brutal realities of medieval Europe and the basis for anybody would be so “crazy” as to declare holy war.2019-08-3045 minEdge of HistoryIn Between Two Fires: Sarah Winnemucca and the Pyramid Lake WarThe story of “How the West Was Won” (ie. how native people were pushed into tiny corners of the North American continent or exterminated) has many unexpected elements as well as true clichés. We’ll explore one small but symbolic episode of that history in this episode, drawing (in part) on a very unusual source: the autobiography of a native woman that learned to read and write English, survived war, and became a famous speaker for her people.2019-07-2440 minEdge of HistoryThis is Sparta?The Spartans have a legendary name in military history, only partly earned. I discuss that legend and the time when a motley group of lightly-armed patriots, led by an unlikely general, popped that legend’s over-inflated bubble.2019-02-1845 minEdge of HistoryThe Arrogant and the Clueless: The Battle of Arausio and its Severe Consequences for the Roman RepublicBy the late second century BC, the Roman Republic had persevered and conquered through many disasters: so many, in fact, that conquest and eventual victory were taken for granted. In response to a barbaric tribal threat, a small group of selfish and complacent Roman aristocrats would bungle Rome into a catastrophe that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The price for eventual victory would be freedom itself, as events were set in motion that would destroy the Republic and replace it with the autocratic Empire.2018-12-0358 minEdge of HistoryOverthrow Your Superiors: Samurai Japan and the Rise of HideyoshiThe samurai era conjures up many ideas for most of us: honor codes, poetry, tradition, and splendid warriors with legendary swords. This image was never truly accurate, but it was gone by the 1540s. The once-glorious capital was half in ashes, the old lords had nearly all been destroyed, and the country had been in anarchy for two generations. It was a time of total disaster, but also a time in which the class structure was fluid enough that a simple peasant would rise in time to reunify Japan, restore the prestige of the samurai … and erase any opportunity fo...2018-11-191h 16Edge of HistoryRestorer of the World: Emperor Aurelian and the Saving of Western CivilizationThe man known to history as Aurelian rose to power in the Roman Empire during the chaotic “Crisis of the Third Century”—a time when rampant civil war, foreign threats, and a collapsing economy brought Western Civilization to the edge of ruin. Over the course of less than five years, this son of a common peasant turned back barbarian hordes, rallied the last imperial resources, and restored breakaway fragments to the whole. A grateful Roman Senate named him “The Restorer of the World,” but while success helped re-stabilize Rome for another 150 years, his achievements were later obscured and his legacy neg...2018-10-311h 40Edge of HistoryOne Man's Gamble: The Short Reign of King Harold and the Birth of the English LanguageWilliam “the Conqueror” gets all the press. As the man who changed the course of British (and World) history with his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he’s one of the more famous leaders to be crowned King of England. His victory, however, was anything but a foregone conclusion. In a three-way fight for the throne, the decisions of his rival Harold Godwinson loomed large in William’s eventual victory, making The Conqueror’s conquest (and the birth of this wonderfully odd hybrid language we call English) seem far more like fluke swings of fortune than the outcome of...2018-10-311h 09Edge of History761 Steaming Scalps: Chief Little Turtle, the Arrogance of George Washington, and the Greatest Military Defeat the U.S. Army Ever Suffered Against Native PeopleAgainst the rushing tide of white European settlers, victories for the native peoples of America were difficult to come by and rarely had even a fleeting effect on the course of events. In the popular imagination, the “Great Indian Warrior” sits astride a horse on the Great Plains, waiting to outmaneuver columns of arrogant, blue-coated cavalry. Few know that the greatest triumph of tribal people over American armed forces came as far back as 1791, held back the line of settlement for years, and humiliated the foolish pride of George Washington himself. The author of that triumph was a complex and...2018-10-311h 32Edge of HistoryGuerrilla! Ibn-al-Khattab’s jihad and the Humiliation of the Russian ArmyGuerrilla wars are hard to fight under any circumstances—guerrillas are typically outgunned and outnumbered in any one battlefield, and must deal with constant shortages in supply, medical equipment, and ammunition. Some of the few advantages to being a guerrilla are that at least you can blend in with the local population to hide when you are not fighting, and usually that population and its culture far outnumber your enemy’s army. How do you manage, then, when you don't even have those advantages—when religious faith has brought you to fight on behalf of an oppressed people with whom y...2018-10-311h 35