Shows
Professor Buzzkill History PodcastThe Bombing of Dresden: 80th Anniversary EpisodeThis week sees the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden on February 13-14, 1945. It was one of the most destructive of the Allies’ late-war bombing campaigns over Germany. Somewhere between 22,000 and 25,000 people were killed and a famously beautiful city was leveled. It’s been called an Allied war crime, and Kurt Vonnegut’s famous novel “Slaughterhouse 5” reinforced that idea in the public mind for generations. But was it a war crime? Was it unnecessary? Professor Phil Nash enlightens us!
2025-02-1134 minProfessor Buzzkill History Podcast“Dear Miss Perkins”: Frances Perkins and Refugees from Nazi GermanyFrances Perkins was one of the most important Americans in the 20th century. She helped hundreds of people flee Nazi Germany and come to the United States when she was Secretary of Labor in the Franklin Roosevelt administration. As Hitler rose to power, thousands of German-Jewish refugees and their loved ones reached out to the INS—then part of the Department of Labor—applying for immigration to the United States, writing letters that began “Dear Miss Perkins…” A fascinating interview with Dr. Rebecca Graham. Episode 576.
2025-01-2139 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastAuld Lang Syne: That Grand Old Song!“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good auld Robert Burns! A Professor Buzzkill Classic Episode
2024-12-3115 minProfessor Buzzkill History Podcast"It's a Wonderful Life" Myths and Urban Legends: a Professor Buzzkill Classic!One of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these stories, talks about how the movie was received when released in 1946, and highlights many overlooked supporting actors in the film. And you learn why the Professor thinks he also has a “wonderful life”! A classic Professor Buzzkill episode!
2024-12-1941 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastHow Churchill Waged WarHow exactly did Winston Churchill go about directing and managing first the Battle of Britain and then Britain’s part in the wider war? Did he act like a CEO or more like a Chairman of the Board when dealing with the British government? Allen Packwood, the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge, joins us to explain the decisions that Churchill had to make, and how that helps understand his leadership styles. A fascinating and eye-opening show! Episode 575.
2024-12-1230 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe Weeping Frenchman: the Emotion of National LossThe “The Weeping Frenchman” photograph from the fall of France in 1940 is one of the most emotional images from World War II. Professor Buzzkill explains the story behind that famous image, and why it’s been used so much in social media by people who are upset with the recent election. The actual story of “The Weeping Frenchman” is much more interesting (and significant) than the mythical story of him watching the Nazis march into Paris. Listen and learn! Episode 574.
2024-12-0511 minProfessor Buzzkill History Podcast“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” - Why the Battle Hymn of the Republic Still MattersProfessor Buzzkill finally gives you the “summation and inspiration” episode about The Battle Hymn of the Republic that he promised you! He traces the Battle Hymn from the post-Civil War years, the Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive Era, the burgeoning union movement, the funerals of Churchill and RFK, schoolyard parodies and English football fan songs, and Whitney Houston’s beautiful rendition in 1991. Finally, he shows how Martin Luther King used it in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech the night before he was shot. All this, Professor Buzzkill argues, reminds us that the _Republic_ part of The Battle Hymn of the...
2024-12-0334 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe Battle Hymn of the Republic: the Song that Marches OnHarvard Professor John Stauffer joins us to discuss the history of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and its significance and meanings for American culture. He shows that it’s a song that unites and divides the country, and that it has been used by many different groups in American social and political life. It’s a fascinating interview that takes the song all the way from its origins as “Say, Brothers…” to the union song, “Solidarity Forever,” and its use by the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. A wonderful show! Episode 572.
2024-10-2524 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe "Glory Hallelujah Suite" with Sparky and Rhonda RuckerAmerican folk singers, Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, discuss their popular and historically significant “Glory Hallelujah Suite” as part of our Julia Ward Howe/Battle Hymn of the Republic week. Learn about “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us?” “John Brown’s Body,” “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and the “Marching Song of the First Arkansas Colored Regiment.” All of these were important songs in the Civil War era, but they have been given a higher beauty by being turned into a suite by Sparky and Rhonda. One of our best shows ever! Episode 571.
2024-10-2347 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastJulia Ward Howe: a Biographical Discussion with Professor Elaine ShowalterJulia Ward Howe led one of the most significant lives in US history. She was a poet, feminist, political reformer, champion of international pacifism, and much more. Dr. Elaine Showalter joins us to discuss Julia Ward Howe’s life, and the various civil wars she witnessed and had to fight. From composing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to writing the Mothers’ Day Proclamation for peace, she was a very strong force in an America that was growing up to become a world power. Episode 270.
2024-10-2232 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastJulia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” Week: Intro EpisodeWe’re dedicating this week to shows about Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She wrote it in 1862 during America’s most serious crisis. As the 2024 Presidential Election looms, we’re facing another threat to our liberties and our future. We need something inspirational, something like Julia Ward Howe offered the nation during the Civil War. This brief episode sets what our shows this week will be.
2024-10-2104 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastJustice in Kelly Country: Laws and Outlaws in 19th Century AustraliaNed Kelly is Australia’s most famous outlaw. A mix of frontier bandit, murderer, and gang leader, Kelly has gone down in Australian lore as an anti-establishment hero. Dr. Lachlan Strahan tells the story of his great-great-grandfather, Anthony Strahan, who was one of the Australian policemen who helped hunt down Ned Kelly. Listen to this fascinating story about the famous Ned Kelly, hero worship in Australian history, but also about the men tasked to uphold the law. Episode 569.
2024-10-1533 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastCode Name Puritan: Norman Holmes Pearson, Super Spy ProfessorNorman Holmes Pearson actually did what a great many professors dream about doing. He was an expert in his field, but he also worked as an Intelligence Officer for the US military during World War II and the Cold War. And he wasn’t a desk jockey, but an active spy. Despite a major physical disability, he parachuted into Europe during the height of World War II for espionage reasons. Oh, and he was a literature professor too, by the way. So, as a spy, recruiter, and cultural diplomat, he connected the academy, the State Department, and even the CIA, al...
2024-10-0847 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastUnderstanding the Cuban Missile Crisis: 2024 EncoreBuzzkill Genius Dr. Philip Nash brings us a fabulous (and very relevant) show on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. There's so much more to those events than the standard "eye-ball-to-eye-ball" story would have us believe. Among many other things, we learn why the Cold War was so cold. You'll understand so much more after listening. Encore Episode.
2024-10-051h 09Professor Buzzkill History PodcastWhy Was World War II So Bad: 2024 EncoreAll wars are bad. But why was World War II so extreme? Coming less than 20 years after World War I (the most extreme war up until that time), the Second World War’s death toll is _conservatively_ calculated at 60 million people. And some estimates are higher than that. Professor Phil Nash joins us to explain why the death and destruction were so severe, and to give us grim statistics on some overlooked facts. These include the number of civilian deaths outnumbering military deaths, and the number of Allied deaths far exceeding Axis deaths. If this episode doesn’t bring the peac...
2024-10-041h 00Professor Buzzkill History PodcastBattle of Stalingrad, Part 2Professor Philip Nash continues his excellent analysis of the famous Battle of Stalingrad. The grim complications in the details of the history of this battle give us perfect insight into the nature of warfare during this period. Dr. Nash finishes up by explaining how the Battle of Stalingrad fits into the larger period of late 1943-1943, when the war started to turn against the Axis powers. Episode 567.
2024-10-0350 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastBattle of Stalingrad, Part 1Stalingrad. Even just the name of the city conjures up images of a brutal, months-long battle that helped change the course of the war. Professor Nash discusses the background of the battle, Hitler’s intent in attacking that part of the Soviet Union, and how the Red Army defended the area and built up the resilience to counterattack. Part 1 is fascinating, and will leave listeners yearning for Part 2. Episode 566.
2024-09-2452 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastGerman POWs in the USSRGerman soldiers were kept in the Soviet Union until the late 1950s. Professor Grunewald explains why the Soviets kept the POWs after the war, what they did with them, and why they were incarcerated for so long. Was it retribution for the millions of Soviet war dead? Were the German POWs used as a necessary labor force, helping to rebuild the Soviet Union? Or were there multiple other reasons? Dr. Susan Grunewald explains all! Episode 564.
2024-09-1737 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastBirthright Citizenship: 2024 Election Special!This 2024 Presidential election has brought the question of “birthright citizenship” up again in the United States, because Donald Trump has questioned whether Kamala Harris is a citizen. Her parents were not born in the United States, and he thinks that disqualifies her to be President. This episode explains birthright citizenship and how it developed in the United States and in the western hemisphere. And, of course, it explains the complicated history of the tradition, especially how it was applied to Native Americans and freed slaves. It wasn’t as simple as you might have thought. Listen and learn! Episode 564
2024-09-1033 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastImage and the Nixon-Kennedy 1960 Election DebatesDid “image” play a role in the famous presidential debates of 1960? Did Richard Nixon appear sick and frail, compared to a hale and healthy John Kennedy? The standard story is that he did; and that it affected the way people perceived him, and how they voted. But how much of this is true, and how much in urban legend? We examine the whole thing, with an eye to what might happen if there’s a debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump during this election. Episode 563.
2024-09-0312 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastAn Unholy Traffic: Slave Trading in the Civil War SouthSlave trading continued in the south during the Civil War. Between Fort Sumter to Appomattox, Confederates bought and sold thousands of African-American men, women, and children. These transactions in humanity made the internal slave trade a cornerstone of Confederate society, a bulwark of the Rebel economy, and a central part of the experience of the Civil War for all inhabiting the American South. Professor Robert Colby explains all! Episode 562.
2024-08-2731 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastWomen in Nazi Germany, Part 2Professor Nash tells us about wives and lovers of leading Nazis, women who participated in Nazi crimes, and women who worked against the Nazi regime. We look at everyone from Eva Braun, Hitler’s partner, to Sophie Scholl, one of the leaders of the White Rose resistance to the Nazi state. This episode shows that German women as a whole were a representative slice of Nazi ideology and practice, as well as opposition to Nazism. Episode 562.
2024-08-2041 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastWomen in Nazi Germany, Part 1The treatment and status of women under Hitler and the Nazis is fascinating, in all the wrong ways. If the Nazi reputation wasn’t bad enough, the detail presented in this episode shows that there’s no bottom to their depravity. Professor Philip Nash explains all in the first part of a major two-part series. These are among our best shows ever! Episode 560.
2024-08-1332 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastPat NixonThe real Pat Nixon bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Heath Hardage Lee takes us through Pat Nixon’s life and career. And myths are busted left and right! Learn how Pat Nixon, the supposed quiet housewife, was actually a career woman, and an important reason that Richard Nixon rose to the top of American politics from the 1940s to the 1970s. Episode 559.
2024-08-0644 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe USS Indianapolis and the Famous Shark Attack - 2024 EncoreJuly 30th is the 79th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during World War II in 1945, and the famous shark attack on its helpless crew floating in the Pacific Ocean. Captain Quint’s story about the USS Indianapolis in the movie “Jaws” is only the beginning of a gut-wrenching piece of history. There’s a lot more to the Indianapolis sinking than most people know. Listen to the special Anniversary Encore!
2024-07-3010 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastPresidential Primaries and Conventions: Just What is the Deal with Them?American Presidential primaries and conventions seem excessively complicated, and maybe even outdated. Could they all just be an email, as office workers say nowadays? Fortunately, Professor Philip Nash explains all! We can't promise that we make primaries and conventions seem logical and sensible. But we do our best! Episode 558.
2024-07-2524 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastSouthern Violence and White Supremacy in the Civil War EraProfessor James Hill Welborn joins us to discuss the question – how did white Southerners in the nineteenth century reconcile a Christian faith that instructed them to turn the other cheek with a pervasive code of honor that instructed them to do just the opposite—to demand satisfaction for perceived insults? He analyzes the birth of this peculiar moral ethic and traces its increasing dominance across the American South in the buildup to the Civil War, as white Southerners sought to cloak a war fought in defense of slavery in the language of honor and Christian piety. Episode 577.
2024-07-2341 minProfessor Buzzkill History Podcast"May You Live in Interesting Times" - Ancient Chinese Curse? 2024 EncoreThe summer of 2024 has been, um, very interesting. An assassination attempt on Donald Trump, frightening Supreme Court rulings, but also hopeful election results in the UK. We are indeed living in interesting times. But is “may you live in interesting times” actually an ancient Chinese curse, or is the history of the saying more complicated? We take you from Chinese folk tales in 1627 to 20th-century British politicians in this episode of Quote or No Quote, trying to track down who said what when. Listen and learn.
2024-07-1604 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe John Birch Society and Its Influence on American PoliticsThe 2025 Project and the rise of extreme right-wing politics in America means that it's a good time to listen to our show about one of the 20th century's most extreme right-wing groups, The John Birch Society. It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.” Brutal history, but essential to know. Encore Episode.
2024-07-0940 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastFelons and the Declaration of IndependenceAfter his many felony convictions, Donald Trump’s supporters have likened him to America’s Founding Fathers. They were also felons, so the MAGA crowd says. But how true is that? We explain all in this episode, and also bust the many myths found in “The Price They Paid” email and Facebook post that’s being quoted endlessly these days. Episode 556.
2024-07-0413 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastThe American Liberty PoleAmericans put up Liberty Poles to express political beliefs in the period of the Early Republic. These poles were massive, highly decorated, and highly contested. Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists used them to promote their ideas of what the new Republic should reflect in terms of “liberty.” Join us to discuss how different early American political life was compared to the romantic version in the movies! Episode 555.
2024-07-0237 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastBefore Trans: Three Gender Stories from 19th Century FranceProfessor Rachel Mesch guides us through three compelling lives and careers in 19th-century France. The lives of French writers, Jane Dieulafoy (1850–1916), Rachilde (1860–1953), and Marc de Montifaud (1845–1912), did not conform to nineteenth-century notions of femininity. In their work, they contested conventional gender norms, and refused to be categorized by traditional gender standards. These three lives tell us much more about late 19th-century France than we previously knew. Episode 554.
2024-06-2537 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastJuneteenth and the End of Slavery in the US: What’s in a Date? 2024 Encore"Juneteenth" (June 19th) is now widely regarded as marking the end of slavery in the United States. Professor Buzzkill examines the many dates related to the abolition of human enslavement in the US. And he pleads for more holidays observing this moral advance! Encore Episode!
2024-06-1815 minProfessor Buzzkill History PodcastLoving Day: 2024 EncoreIt’s June 12th! Loving Day! Loving Day is being celebrated worldwide. You might think that Loving Day is Valentine’s Day, February 14th, but it’s not, it’s today, June 12th. If you don’t know what Loving Day is, listen to the story we tell you in this brief, special episode. And go to lovingday.org to find out more! Encore episode!
2024-06-1209 min