Why We Fight ~ 1944

With the help of Dr. Greg Hospodor and Dr. Lee Windsor, here is part one of two episodes that tell the story of the Sicily Campaign, beginning with Operation Husky. The second part will include the Battle of Troina and the Axis escape from Sicily. This is one of about 30 episodes discussing Sicily in 1943. Links Dr. Lee Windsor (https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-fr-history/windsor-lee.html) Dr. Greg Hospodor - Bitter Victory? The Allied Campaign for Sicily Revisited (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f060mKeIWIw)

Andrew Woods from the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park joins me again to talk more Army History, this time he shares the story of Captain Joseph Berry, and his unfortunate experiences on 11 July 1943 which marked the end of the war for him. This is one of about 30 episodes that help tell the story of the Sicily Campaign in 1943. First Division Museum at Cantigny Park (https://www.fdmuseum.org/) 

In this episode, retired US Army Colonel Greg Fontenot shares the third of three episodes on First Infantry Division history for this 1943 series, helping to show how the division formed and evolved into what we had in 1943 going into Sicily, and how 1ID sustained tactical excellence despite heavy casualties and turnover. This three-part episode can also be considered a representation of the typical development experienced throughout the US Army. This is one of about 30 episodes that help tell the story of the Sicily Campaign in 1943. Links The First Infantry Division and the US Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991 (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/43mvJ2e⁠) Loss and Redemption at St. Vith: The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/3NLzwQR⁠) No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/3pJO3Ey⁠) On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/46INDz1⁠) The History of Military Mobilization in the United States (CMH Link ⁠https://history.army.mil/html/books/104/104-10/CMH_Pub_104-10.pdf⁠) The Path to Victory: The Mediterranean Theater in World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3XSuDdi) The West Point Atlas of War: World War II - European Theater (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/46JU9pj) ⁠http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

In this episode, retired US Army Colonel Greg Fontenot returns for the second of three episodes on First Infantry Division history, helping to show how the division formed and evolved into what we had in 1943 going into Sicily, and how 1ID sustained tactical excellence despite heavy casualties and turnover. Links The First Infantry Division and the US Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991 (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/43mvJ2e⁠) Loss and Redemption at St. Vith: The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/3NLzwQR⁠) No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/3pJO3Ey⁠) On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Amazon Affiliate Link ⁠https://amzn.to/46INDz1⁠) The History of Military Mobilization in the United States (CMH Link ⁠https://history.army.mil/html/books/104/104-10/CMH_Pub_104-10.pdf⁠) ⁠http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

In this episode, retired US Army Colonel Greg Fontenot shares the first of three episodes on First Infantry Division history, helping to show how the division formed and evolved into what we had in 1943 going into Sicily, and how 1ID sustained tactical excellence despite heavy casualties and turnover. Links The First Infantry Division and the US Army Transformed: Road to Victory in Desert Storm, 1970-1991 (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/43mvJ2e) Loss and Redemption at St. Vith: The 7th Armored Division in the Battle of the Bulge (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3NLzwQR) No Sacrifice Too Great: The 1st Infantry Division in World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3pJO3Ey) On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/46INDz1) The History of Military Mobilization in the United States (CMH Link https://history.army.mil/html/books/104/104-10/CMH_Pub_104-10.pdf) http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

In this episode, on the 80th anniversary of the start of Operation Husky, Dr. John Curatola, US Marine Corps veteran and Military Historian at the National WWII Museum, joins me to talk about the components of amphibious assaults, how the Marine Corps ultimately made Operation Husky and all of these amphibious operations possible, and how the Allies in general, but the American Forces specifically are learning organizations and, at this time, 10 July 1943, they were learning organizations under fire. John also shares some quotes he included when writing his most recent book, which will hopefully be available before too long. In the meantime, I'll link to some of his other work below. This is one of about 30 episodes that help tell the story of the Sicily Campaign in 1943. Links John Curatola, PhD (⁠https://www.nationalww2museum.org/contributors/john-curatola-phd⁠) Autumn of Our Discontent: Fall 1949 and the Crises in American National Security (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3D7O9ZO) Bigger Bombs for a Brighter Tomorrow: The Strategic Air Command and American War Plans at the Dawn of the Atomic Age, 1945-1950 (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3XLPT4r) No Quarter Given: The Change in Strategic Bombing Application in the Pacific Theater During World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3PQ5T3j) Operation Husky: The Classroom for Amphibious Landings (https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/operation-husky-classroom-amphibious-landings) http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

In this episode, Dr. Greg Hospodor, US Army TRADOC Chief of Military History Education and Curriculum, and Dr. Lee Windsor, Fredrik Eaton Chair in Canadian Army Studies at the University of New Brunswick and co-Director of The Gregg Centre for the Study of War and Society, join me to talk about the planning and prep for Operation Husky and part of the evolution in Joint Coalition Warfare that the Allies would have to undergo in order to make Normandy a success. But a year before Operation Overlord, the Allies had to succeed in Sicily. This is one of about 30 episodes that help tell the story of the Sicily Campaign in 1943. Links Dr. Lee Windsor (https://www.unb.ca/faculty-staff/directory/arts-fr-history/windsor-lee.html) Dr. Greg Hospodor - Bitter Victory? The Allied Campaign for Sicily Revisited (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f060mKeIWIw)

Working alone, I have largely had to ignore the German-Soviet Conflict ("Eastern Front") because of bandwidth, but in this episode Dr. Jonathan House joins me to tell the story of the Battle of Kursk and how the Red Army stopped Hitler. Jon worked with David Glantz and they have published some of the best books covering Soviet history, I've had both authors on my bookshelves for years and highly recommend them. Links When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/44uQ6eh) A Military History of the Cold War (1944 - 1962) (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3O2Ra3Z) A Military History of the Cold War (1962 - 1991) (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/43cyqmI) Intelligence and the State: Analysts and Decision Makers (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3PHX7Ew) Demolishing the Myth: The Tank Battle at Prokhorovka, Kursk, July 1943 (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3NMoP0u) http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

TW: This episode does include discussion of violence, both real and in unsubstantiated rumors spread at the time. Dr. Amanda Nagel joins me in this important episode on some of the racial tensions on the Homefront during this time 80 years ago, how the summer heat can play a role in riots and uprising, and what these events meant for the country and the military, both at home and fighting overseas. Links The Warmth of Other Suns (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3PIlzWy) Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3PCNVkR) Run Home If You Don't Want To Be Killed (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/3NZHmHO) From Coveralls to Zoot Suits (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/447CPbS) Zoot Suit Riots: Causes, Facts & Photos (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/zoot-suit-riots) Scenes from the Detroit Race Riot in 1943 (https://eu.freep.com/picture-gallery/news/2021/06/04/scenes-1943-detroit-riot/7547306002/) Hatred on the Home Front: The Detroit Race Riots During WWII (https://time.com/3880177/detroit-race-riots-1943-photos-from-a-city-in-turmoil-during-wwii/page05/) http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/

Joining me in this episode is Quin Lucie, a Marine Corps veteran, lawyer, and senior policy analyst in the Office of Policy at the Department of Homeland Security. Quin shares what he has learned about national mobilization, emergency management, and unity of effort in the United States during World War II, and how that knowledge can be useful today. Links What Comes Around, Goes Around (and Around and Around): Reviving the Lost History of FEMA and its Importance to Future Disasters (https://www.hsaj.org/articles/13214) How FEMA Could Lose America's Next Great War (https://www.hsaj.org/articles/15017) James "Quin" Forman (https://www.veterans-in-blue.af.mil/Veterans/Veterans-in-Blue-2017/Display_2017/Article/1361607/james-quin-forman/) The Government of Emergency: Vital Systems, Expertise, and the Politics of Security (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/44umE8y) Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/44pEbP5) Destructive Creation: American Business and the Winning of World War II (Amazon Affiliate Link https://amzn.to/4451ii0) US Army Center of Military History (CMH) Green Books (https://history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/collect/usaww2.html) http://www.motheroftanks.com/ads-sponsors-and-affiliate-links/