Podcasts about allies

Michael breaks down today's Smerconish.com Daily Poll Question: Are President Trump's comments about Rob Reiner a new low? After Trump issued a controversial Truth Social post in the wake of the Reiner family tragedy, even some usual allies spoke out against him. Michael reviews the reactions, compares this moment to past Trump controversies—from McCain to Kovaleski—and asks listeners to decide where this one ranks. Vote now at Smerconish.com and join the conversation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We have let our guard down as well as our allies when it comes to radical islamic ideology and terrorism across the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

00:00 Intro00:59 Asian Scam Centers: Are Police, Kingpins Allies of CCP?04:07 Korea Zinc to Build Minerals Refinery in Tennessee05:03 Texas AG Sues Five Major TV Firms for Alleged Spying05:55 China Ramps Up Crude Stockpile as Oil Prices Fall07:20 Pres. Trump: I Spoke With Xi About Releasing Jimmy Lai10:31 500K Sign Petition Against Forced Organ Harvesting11:54 Forum: Indo-Pacific Instability Threatens World Order14:59 Former U.S. Army Pacific Chief on U.S.-Taiwan Strategy

This week in Space! We've got The Green Horizon 201: Little Queen, Beyond Awakening: Episode 16: Mourning, and The Shadowman Saga 8: Allies of the Overseers- Part 1! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We return with Dry Smoke & Whispers' Shadowman Saga with Part 1 of Allies of the Overseers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey before I begin I just want to thank all of you who have joined the patreon, you guys are awesome. Please let me know what other figures, events or other things you want to hear about in the future and I will try to make it happen.   If you are a long time listener to the Pacific War week by week podcast over at KNG or viewer of my youtube channel you have probably heard me talk about Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Tiger of Malaya quite often. It goes without saying when it comes to Japanese generals of WW2 he stands out. Not just to me, from the offset of the war he made a large impression on westerners, he achieved incredible feats early on in the war. Now if you look up books about him, you will pretty much only find information in regards to his infamous war crimes trial. Hell it was so infamous the legal doctrine of hierarchical accountability for war crimes, whereby a commanding officer is legally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his subordinates, was created. This is known as the command responsibility or “the Yamashita standard”. His court case was very controversial, he remains a controversial figure, certainly to the people of territories he campaigned in, but I think what can be said of him the most is he was special amongst the Japanese generals. Anyways lets get the show on the road as they say.   So who was Yamashita? When he was 59 years old commanding forces in the Philippines against General Douglas MacArthur, he weighed 220 ls and stood 5 feet 9 inches. His girth pressed out against his green army uniform. He had an egg shaped head, balding, wide spaced eyes and a flat nose. He wore a short mustache, sort of like Hitlers, until it grayed then he shaved it off. He was not a very attractive man, Filipinos referred to him as “old potato face” while Americans called him “a florid, pig faced man”.   Tomobumi Yamashita was born in 1885, he was the second son of Dr. Sakichi Yamashita and Yuu Yamashita in Osugi village, on Shikoku island. Like most males of his day he was indoctrinated into military preparatory school from a young age. Yamashita had no chosen the army as a career, in his words ‘my father suggested the idea, because I was big and healthy, and my mother did not seriously object because she believed, bless her soul, that I would never pass the highly competitive entrance examination. If I had only been cleverer or had worked harder, I would have been a doctor like my brother”Yamashita would graduate from the 18th class of the IJA academy in november of 1905, ranked 16th out of 920 cadets.    In 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Lt and during WW1 he fought against Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the famous siege of Qingdao, which if you are interested I did an episode over on my Youtube channel about this battle. Its a very overlooked battle, but many histories firsts occurred at it like the first carrier attack. In 1916 he was promoted to captain and attended the 28th class of the Army War college to graduate sixth in his class that year. He also married Hisako Nagayama in 1916, she was the daughter of the retired General Nagayama.    It seems Yamashita's brush against the Germans in 1914 had a huge influence on him, because he became fascinated with Germany and would serve as assistant military attache at Bern and Berlin from 1919-1922. He spent his time in Germany alongside Captain Hideki Tojo, both men would run into each other countless times and become bitter rivals. Both men toured the western front, visiting Hamburg and witnessed first hand the crippling inflation and food prices that came from Germany's defeat. Yamashita said to Tojo then “If Japan ever has to fight any nation, she must never surrender and get herself in a state like this.” He returned to Japan in 1922, was promoted to major and served a few different posts in the Imperial Headquarters and Staff College. Yamashita became a leading member of the Kodoha faction, while Tojo became a leading member of the rival Toseiha faction. In 1927 Yamashita was sent again to Europe, this time to Vienna as a military attache. Just prior to departing he had invested in a business selling thermometers starting by one of his wife's relatives, the business failed horribly and Yamashita was tossed into debt, bailiffs literally came to seize his house. As told to us by his biographer “For a regular officer to have contracted such a debt, however innocently, was a disgrace. He felt he should resign his commission.” Yamashita's brother refused to allow him to quit, instructing him to leave for Vienna, while he resolved his debts. His days in Vienna were the best of his life, professed Yamashita. He studied economics at Vienna university and made friends with a Japanese widow, who introduced him to a German woman named Kitty and they had an affair. This would spring forward his reputation as an eccentric officer. Yamashita was obsessed over hygiene,and refused to eat fruit unless it was thoroughly washed. He avoided ice water, hated dancing and never learnt how to drive a car. One of his most notable quirks was his habit of falling asleep often during meetings where he legendarily would snore. Like I may have said in previous podcast and youtube episodes, this guy was quite a character, often described as a big bear.    Now this is not a full biography on Yamashita so I cant devolve to far into things, such as his first fall from grace. During the February 26th coup incident of 1936, Yamashita was a leading member of the Kodoha faction and helped mediate a peaceful end to the standoff, however in truth he was backing the coup. He simply managed to not get caught red handed at the time doing too much for the mutineers, regardless he lost favor with the outraged Emperor and many young captains whom he loved like sons killed themselves in disgrace. If you want to know more about the February coup of 1936, check out my series on Emperor Hirohito or General Ishawara, they both talk about it in depth and touch upon Yamashita's role a bit.    The coup led to the dissolvement of the Kodoha faction and the dominance of the Toseiha, led by Tojo. Yamashita tried to resign from the IJA, but his superiors dissuade him. He was relegated to a post in Korea, which honestly was a punishment. Yamashita would say “When I was posted to Korea, I felt I had been given a tactful promotion but that in fact my career was over. Even when I was given my first fighting company in North China, I still felt I had no future in the Army, so I was always on the front line, where the bullets flew the thickest. I sought only a place to die.”  He had some time to reflect upon his conduct while in Korea, he began to study Zen Buddhism. He was promoted to Lt General in November of 1937 and when the China war broke out he was one of those speaking out that the incident needed to end swiftly and that peaceful relations must be made with the UK and US. He received a unimportant post in the Kwantung army and in 1938 was assigned command of the IJA 4th division. He led the forces during in northern china against insurgents until he returned to Tokyo in July of 1940. His fellow officers lauded him as Japan's finest general. Meanwhile Tojo had ascended to war minister and one of his first moves was to send a delegation to Germany. Tojo considered Yamashita a ruthless and forceful commander and feared he would become a powerful rival against him one day. Yamashita would go on the record to say then “I have nothing against Tojo, but he apparently has something against me.” You see, Yamashita had no political ambitions, unlike Tojo who was by nature a political monster. “My life, is that of a soldier; I do not seek any other life unless our Emperor calls me.” In late 1940, Tojo asked Yamashita to lead a team of 40 experts on a 6 month train tour of Germany and Italy, a move that kept him out of Tokyo, because Tojo was trying to solidify his political ambitions. This is going to become a looming theme between the two men.   He was presented to Adolf Hitler in January of 1941, passing along messages from Tojo and publicly praising the Fuhrer, though privately he was very unimpressed by the man  “He may be a great orator on a platform, with his gestures and flamboyant way of speaking. But standing behind his desk listening he seems much more like a clerk.” Hitler pressed upon him to push Japan to declare war on Britain and the US. At the time of course Japan was facing China and had two major conflicts with the USSR, thus this was absolutely not in her interest. “My country is still fighting in China, and we must finish that war as soon as possible. We are also afraid that Russia may attack us in Manchuria. This is no time for us to declare war on other countries.” Yamashita hoped to inspect Germany's military techniques and technology to help Japan. Hitler promised open exchanges of information stating “All our secrets are open to you,”, but this would prove to be a lie. “There were several pieces of equipment the Germans did not want us to see. Whenever I tried to persuade the German General Staff to show us things like radar—about which we had a rudimentary knowledge—the conversation always turned to something else.”   Yamashita met with field Marshal Hermann Goring who gave him an overview of the war in europe. Goring would complain about Yamashita falling asleep during lectures and meetings and he believed the man was drunk often. Yamashita met Benito Mussolini in June of 1941 receiving a similar rundown to what he got in Germany. Yamashita visited Kitty in Vienna for a quick fling, but overall the trip deeply impacted Yamashita's resolve that Japan should stay out of the Europeans war and that Germany made a grievous error invading the USSR in June of 1941. This is what he said the members of the commission “You know the results of our inspection as well as I do. I must ask you not to express opinion in favor of expanding the alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy. Never suggest in your report that Japan should declare war on Great Britain and the United States. We must not and cannot rely upon the power of other nations. Japan needs more time, particularly as there may be aggression against us from Russia. We must have time to rebuild our defense system and adjust the whole Japanese war machine. I cannot repeat this to you often enough.” His report was similar, and it really pissed off Tojo who was trying to develop plans for a war against America. Yamashita would then get exiled to Manchuria in July of 1941, but Tojo's resentment towards him could only go so far, because Yamashita was one of their best generals and in his planned war against Britain and America, he would need such a man.   Yamashita's time in Europe reshaped his views on how to conduct war. He saw first hand blitzkrieg warfare, it seems it fascinated him. He consistently urged the implementation of new proposals calling for the streamlining of air arms; to mechanize the Army; to integrate control of the armed forces in a defense ministry coordinated by a chairman of Joint Chiefs of staff; to create a paratroop corps and to employ effective propaganda. Basically he saw what was working for the Germans against the allies and wanted Japan to replicate it. Tojo did not like many of the proposal, hated the fact they were coming from Yamashita, so he obviously was not keen on making them happen. Luckily for Yamashita he would be given a chance to implement some of his ideas in a big way.   On November 6th of 1941, Lt General Yamashita was appointed commander of the 25th Japanese army. His orders were to seize the Malay Peninsula and then the British naval base at Singapore. The Malaya Peninsula snakes 700 miles south of Thailand, a rugged sliver of land that constricts at its narrowest point to about 60 miles wide. It hold mountains that split the peninsula in half, some going as high as 7000 feet. During this time Malaya produced around 40% of the worlds rubber, 60% of its tin, two resources vital for war. At its very southern tip lies Singapore, a diamond shaped island connected to the mainland by a 1115 stone causeway. Singapore's largest asset was its naval base guarding the passage from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Together Malay and Singapore represented the key to controlling what Japan called the Southern Resource Area.   Singapore was known as the gibraltar of the east for good reason. It was a massively fortified naval base. The base had been developed between 1923-1938 and cost 60 million pounds, around 2 billion pounds today. It was 21 square miles, had the largest dry dock in the world, the 3rd largest floating dock and enough fuel tanks to support the entire royal navy for 6 months. She was defended by 15 inch naval guns stationed at the Johre battery, Changi and Buona vista battery. And despite the infamous myth some of you may have heard, these guns were fully capable of turning in all directions including the mainland. For those unaware a myth perpetuated after the fall of Singapore that her large 15 inch guns could not turn to the mainland and that this spelt her doom, no it was not that, it was the fact they mostly had armor piercing shells which are using to hit ships and not land targets. Basically if you fire an armor piercing shell at land it imbeds itself then explodes, while HE shells would have torn any Japanese army to pieces. Alongside the 15 inch monsters, there were countless other artillery pieces such as 9.2 inch guns. By December of 1941 Malaya and Singapore held 164 first line aircraft out of a total of 253 aircraft, but many of the fighters were the obsolete Brewster F2A Buffalo, a pretty slow, fat little beast that could take a licking as it was armored, but against the Zero fighter it was unbelievably outmatched in speed and maneuverability.    The Japanese acquired a major gift prior to the outbreak of war. On november 11th, 1940, the SS Automedon, a German raider attacked the HMS Atlantis which was carrying documents intended for the British far east command. The documents indicated the British fleet was not going to help Singapore; that Britain would not declare war if Thailand was invaded and that Hong Kong was expendable. The Germans gave the documents to the Japanese who were very excited by the information.    Starting in January of 1941, Colonel Masanobu Tsuji led the Taiwan Army Research section based on Formosa to investigate how a campaign could be waged in Malay and Singapore. His findings on the defenses of Malay and Singapore were summed up in these 3 points: 1. Singapore Fortress was solid and strong facing the sea, but vulnerable on the peninsular side facing the Johore Strait;  Newspaper reports of a strong Royal Air Force (RAF) presence were propaganda;  Although British forces in Malaya numbered from five to six divisions (well over 80,000 men), less than half were Europeans.    Now just a little bit about Tsuji as he was to become the chief of staff operations and planning under Yamashita. Tsuji was extremely insubordinate and a political schemer. He was a Toseiha faction fanatic, loyal to Tojo and thus definitely an enemy to Yamashita. Yamashita wrote of Tsuji in his war diary “is egotistical and wily. He is a sly dog and unworthy to serve the country. He is a manipulator to be carefully watched.” Tsuji would go on to have a infamous reputation for ordering atrocities in the name of his superiors, often without them knowing and this would be very much the case under Yamashita. Now using Tsuji's intelligence Yamashita began plans at his HQ at Samah, a port on Hainan island, starting in November of 1941 on how to launch the campaign. He was initially offered 5 divisions for the invasion, but he felt he could accomplish the objective with only three. There are a few reasons why he believed this; first, Tsuji's research suggested the peninsula roads would be the center of the battlefront and that the flanks would extend no more than a km or so to the left or right due to the dense jungle terrain (in fact Yamashita was planning to assault from the jungle specifically); 2nd intelligence indicated the defending troops were not of the highest caliber (the British were busy in Europe thus many of the troops in southeast asia were poorly trained, half were british regulars the rest were Australian, Indian and Malayan); 3rd Yamashita was aware “the Japanese army were in the habit of flinging more troops into the battle than could possibly be maintained” boy oh boy tell that one to the future boys on Guadalcanal. Thus he calculated 3 divisions was the maximum to be fed, equipped and supplied. Based on his recommendations the 25th army was created with 3 divisions; the 5th under Lt General Takuma Matsui; 18th under Lt General Renya Mutaguchi and the Imperial guards division of Lt General Takuma Nishimura. Supporting these would be two regiment of heavy field artillery and the 3rd tank brigade. Something that made Yamashita's campaign quite interesting was the usage and amount of tanks. He was invading with around 200 or so tanks consisting of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 89 I-Go medium tanks and Type 97 Te-Ke tankettes. For aircraft he had the 3rd Air division, 459 aircraft strong with an additional 159 aircraft from the IJN to support them. The 3rd air division had a variety of aircraft such as Nakajima Ki-27 Nate's, Nakajima ki-43 Oscars, Kitsubishi ki-51 Sonia's, Kawasaki ki-48 Lily's, Mitsubishi ki-21 sally's, Mitsubishi ki-30 Ann's, Mitsubishi ki-15 babs and Mitsubishi ki-46 dinahs. For the IJN it was the 22nd air flotilla using Mitsubishi G3M1 Nell's, Mitsubishi A5M4 Claudes and some A6M Zeros. To say it was a lot of firepower at his disposal is an understatement, Yamashita was packing heat, heat he could use in a blitzkrieg fashion.   His staff at Samah identified 5 operational objectives: 1 Simultaneous capture of Singora and Patani, Thailand and Kota Bharu, Malaya.  2 Capture of all enemy airfields in southern Thailand and Malaya.  3 Occupation of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.  4 Occupation of Johore Bahru, and control of Johore Strait.  5 Conquest of Singapore.    Colonel Tsuji, appointed Chief of Operations and Planning for the 25th Army, proposed the following plan which was readily approved:  Land the main strength of the 5th Division simultaneously and without warning at Singora and Patani, and at the same time land a powerful section of the 18th Division to attack Kota Bharu.  The troops disembarked at Singora and Patani to press forward immediately to attack the line of the Perak River Hand capture its bridge and the Alor Star aerodrome.  The troops landed at Kota Bharu to press forward along the eastern coast as far as Kuantan.    The landing at Kota Bharu, the only one in Malaya was expected to be opposed and quite risky. But if it was successful, it would create a useful diversion away from the main force landings in Thailand.   The landings took place around 2:15am local time on December 8th, about an hour and 20 minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The landings went largely unopposed, except at Kota Bahru where the Japanese saw heavy resistance. The British had anticipated this landing point and created operation Matador, a plan to pre-emptively invade southern thailand to secure defensive lines against the Japanese, however this plan was never accepted by British high command for obvious political reasons. But on December 5th, with a Japanese invasion looking certain, suddenly London gave permission to the Far east commanders to decide if Operation matador should be activated or not. The commander in Malaya, General Arthur Percival recommended forestalling it, fearing to violate Thai sovereignty, which ultimately would be the doom of a defense for Malaya.   At the battle of Kota Bharu, the 9th infantry division of Major General Barstow attempted holding off the Japanese from taking the important Kota Bharu airfield. The 8th brigade of Billy Key had fortified the beaches with pillboxes, barbed wire and land mines. The Japanese took heavy losses, but they were able to find gaps and fill them up until Brigadier Key had to ask permission to pull out. The royal air force at Kota Bharu tossed Hudson bombers to hit the troop transports, but it was a suicide mission to do so. Meanwhile the IJA 5th division landed at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand while the Imperial guards division marched over the border from French Indochina. The Japanese encountered very little resistance, the leader of Thailand Plaek Pibulsonggram had been trying to get assurances from the allies and Japanese all the way up until the invasion, once the Japanese landed he knew his best option was to play nice and sign an armistice. This basically spelt doom for malaya as the Japanese were given access to Thailand's airfields which they used to smash the forward airfields in Malaya.   The first day of aerial encounters were a catastrophe for the British. General Percival would comment “The rapidity with which the Japanese got their air attacks going against our aerodromes was quite remarkable. Practically all the aerodromes in Kelantan, Kedah, Province Wellesley, and Penang, were attacked, and in most cases fighters escorted the bombers. The performance of Japanese aircraft of all types, and the accuracy of their bombing, came as an unpleasant surprise. By the evening our own air force had already been seriously weakened.” Brigadier Key withdrew after causing an estimated 800 casualties upon the Japanese while taking roughly 465. While Kota Bharu was being fought over, Percival unleashed Operation Krohcol, a 2.0 of Matador seeing British forces cross into Thailand to intercept the incoming enemy. It was an absolute disaster, the British attackers were defeated not only by the Japanese 5th division, but some Royal Thai police also defended their territory. The operation had basically become a race to who could seize the important focal point first and the Japanese took it first thus winning decisively. To add to that misery, force Z, consisting of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales,, battlecruiser Repulse and 4 destroyers tried to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet only to be utterly destroyed by overwhelming Japanese airforces.   Within 4 days of the landings, the 5th division advanced from Singora through the town of Jitra to capture the RAF airfield at Alor star, around 100 miles away. Yamashita managed this using flanking techniques that saw his army take town after town and airfield after airfield. There were numerous natural obstacles to the advance such as dense jungles, very long supply lines, torrential rain and heat, but he had a secret weapon, bicycles. At Jitra Percival made his first major stand. Holding Jitra would safeguard the northern airfields of Malaya, but it was a folly to do so as the airfields in question were not provided adequate aircraft and the British lacked something extremely important to be able to defend themselves, tanks. Colonel Tsuji saw the fighting at Jitra first hand and reported “Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot … The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks … It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue.” The British had spread themselves far too thinly across a 14 mile front with jungle on their right flank and rubber plantations and mangrove swamps to their left. Yamashita used a innovative blitzkrieg like tactic, he combined his air, artillery, tanks and bicycle infantry to punch holes in concentrated attacks forcing allied defenders to withdraw. As Percival would write later in his memoirs “This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred … the withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased”    Yamashita had ingeniously thought of employing large numbers of bicycles for his infantry so they could keep up momentum and speed with his mechanized forces. Oh and he didn't bring thousands of bicycles over to Malaya, the real genius was that they were there ready for him. His intelligence prior to the invasion indicated nearly all civilians in malaya had bicycles, so when the Japanese came over they simply stole them. Half of Yamashitas troops moved in motor vehicles while the rest road on 18,000 bicycles. As noted by Tsuji “With the infantry on bicycles, there was no traffic congestion or delay. Wherever bridges were destroyed the infantry continued their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream.” They Japanese overwhelmed the defenders who were forced to fight, flee into the jungles or flee along the roads where they were simply outsped by the faster Japanese. The defenders left numerous stores of food, abandoned vehicles, and supplies that Yamashita's men would dub “churchill's allowance”. British Lt Colonel Spencer Chapmanwas forced to hide on the sides of roads watching Japanese pedal past remarking “The majority were on bicycles in parties of forty or fifty, riding three or four abreast and talking and laughing just as if they were going to a football match.” The Japanese had the ability to carry their gear on the bicycles, giving them an enormous advantage over the allies fleeing on foot. The Japanese could travel faster, further and less fatigued. When the British destroyed 250 bridges during their flight, “the Japanese infantry (to continue) their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream”. The British could not escape the bicycle blitzkrieg as it became known, countless were forced to surrender under constant pressure and relentless pursuit.    Alongside the bicycle warfare, whenever Yamashita faced terrain unsuitable for his tanks, he ordered amphibious landings further south to outflank the enemy's  rear.   Meanwhile the war in the air went equally terrible for the allies. The RAF had pulled back its best pilots and aircraft to deal with the war for Britain against the Luftwaffe. 21 airfields were in Malaya and Singapore, few of them had modern facilities, only 15 concrete runways. The heavy rain made the grass airstrips unusable. All the airfields were allocated around 8 heavy and 8 light anti aircraft guns. Quality radar units were completely inadequate. The Super Spitfires and Hyper Hurricanes were mostly in Britain fighting the Germans, while Buffaloes were allocated to Malaya. The Japanese airforces easily overcame the allied opposition and established air superiority quickly. Launching from airfields in Vietnam, they bombed all the airfields into submission and continuously applied pressure to Singapore. . The aerial dominance of the Zero and ‘Oscar' fighters served to undermine the morale of the British infantryman on the ground. As historian H. P. Wilmot has observed, “in the opening phase of the war the Zero-sen was just what the Japanese needed, and the Allies were devastated by the appearance of a ‘super fighter.' To add insult to injury, every airfield taken starting at the most northern going further and further south towards Singapore offered the Japanese new launching points to make for faster attack.   Yamashita's forces reached the southern tip of the peninsula in just 8 weeks, his men had covered some 700 miles, about 12 miles a day on average. They fought 95 large and smaller battles doing so. Multiple lines of defense were erected one after another to try and halt the Japanese advance, to kill their momentum. Starting at the beach landings, to Jitra, then to Kampar, over the Slim river, then Johor. The British failed to employ “leave behind forces” to provide guerilla warfare in lost territories leading not only the Japanese to easily consolidate their gains, the Thai's also came down and grabbed some territory. At the battle of Muar Major General Gordon Bennet deployed the allied defenders south of the Muar River and it was widely believed here they would finally halt the Japanese. Then the Imperial Guards division outflanked them performing an amphibious landing and advancing down the coastal route. The 5th Japanese division followed a parallel route through the center and the 18th division landed near Endau. The allies were thus surrounded and took heavy casualties, countless were forced to flee through swamps and thick jungle abandoned their stuff. Gordons 45th brigade were absolutely shattered, effectively disbanded and left north of the Muar river as the rest of the allies fled south. The defeat at Muar broke the British belief they could hold even a toehold on Malay. Percivals strategy to fight delaying actions until the arrival of reinforcements to Singapore had fatally undermined his troops ability to hold onto defensive positions. As the British governor of the Johore straits settlement, Sir Shenton Thomas would say on January 6th ‘“We … have gone in for mechanized transport to the nth degree. It is a fearsomely cumbersome method. We have pinned our faith to the few roads but the enemy used tracks and paths, and gets round to our rear very much as he likes.”” Yet alongside the conquest came a series of atrocities.    At the Parit Sulong Bridge south of the Muar, Captain Rewi Snelling was left behind with 150 wounded Australian and Indian soldiers not able to trek south. The Imperial guards division herded them into buildings, denied them medical treatment, many of the Indians were beheaded, others shot. This become known as the parit sulong massacre. Its hard to saw what Yamashita would have known about this incident, it technically was under the command of Takuma nishimura. On January 22nd, Nishimura gave the orders for prisoners to be forced outside, doused with petrol and set on fire. Nishimura would be sentenced to life in prison by a Singapore court, but on a flight back to Japan he was hijacked by Australian military police in Hong Kong who grabbed him and held a trial for the Parit Sulong massacre, finding him guilty and hanging him on june 11th of 1951.    When the Japanese reached the straits of Johore, Yamashita took several days to perform reconnaissance, allowing his forces to regroup and prepare to attack the massive fortress. His plan for the invasion would see the Imperial guards perform a feint attack on the northeast side of Singapore, landing on the nearby Palau Ubin island on february 7th. The 5th and 18th division would remain concealed in the jungle until the night of the night of the 8th when they would cross the Johore and hit the northwest side of Singapore. The causeway to Singapore had been blown up by the retreating British, but the ability for Singapore to defend itself from a northern attack was lackluster. When Churchill was told by Wavell the Japanese sat on the other side of the Johore strait ready to attack the fortress he said ““I must confess to being staggered by Wavell's telegram. It never occurred to me for a moment that … Singapore … was not entirely fortified against an attack from the Northwards …””   With barely enough supplies or logistical support for his campaign, Yamashita's rapid advance down the Malay peninsula walked a tightrope of what was possible. His 70,000 men of which 30,000 were frontline troops had overcome a British force double their number. In Japan he garnered the epithet “Tiger of Malaya”, which ironically he was not too happy about. Later on in the war he would bark at a German attache “I am not a tiger. The tiger attacks its prey in stealth but I attack the enemy in a fair play”.   By this point Singapore had swollen from a population of 550,000to nearly a million. Percival had a total of 70,000 infantry of mixed experience plus 15,000 clerks and support staff to man lines if necessary. 38 battalions, 17 Indian, 13 British, 6 Australian and 2 Malayan. He placed his weakest troops west of the causeway, near the abandoned naval base rather than nearby the airfield which he considered was going to be Yamashita's thrust. He placed his best forces over there, which would prove fatally wrong as Yamashita hit west of the causeway. Yamashita meanwhile could only muster 30,000 troops, he was outnumbered 2:1 and amphibious assaults called for the attacker to hold a 2:1 advantage for success. Yamashita's men were exhausted, they had suffered 4565 casualties, roughly 1793 deaths in their 55 day advance south. Worse yet, Yamashita had a critical supply issue. He had greatly exceeded his supply lines and had been surviving on the abandoned churchill stores along the way. His ammunition was critical low, it is said he was down to 18 functional tanks, allowing his men to fire 100 rounds per day, the fuel ran out, and as Yamashita put it “My attack on Singapore was a bluff—a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.” He told his men of the 5th and 18th division not to build any cooking fires so they could conceal their positions in the jungle as he gathered hundreds of collapsible boats and other crafts to ford the strait. He gathered 40 divisional commanders and senior officers to a rubber plantation and with a flushed red face read out his attack orders while pouring them Kikumasamune (ceremonial wine). He made a traditional toast and said “It is a good place to die; surely we shall conquer”. He had to get the British to surrender quickly, he had to essentially ‘bluff” his enemy. He had to make the British think he was fully armed and supplied for a prolonged siege, how could he do so? He fired his artillery like a mad man, knowing full well they would run out of shells.   Starting on February 3rd,  Yamashita's artillery supported by aerial bombings hit Singapore for 5 days. On the night of the 7th, 400 Imperial Guards crossed to the Ibin island performing their feint attack. Percivals attention was grabbed to the east successfully, while on the night of the 8th the 5th and 18th divisions assembled carefully at the water's edge. At 8:30pm the first wave of 4000 Japanese troops crossed the Johore strait aboard 150 small vessels. The noise of their engines was drowned out by artillery. The thinly spread Australian lines, 3000 or so men led by Major General Bennet were breached fast leading to pockets of surrounded australian troops. As Lewis Gunner cliff olsen recalled “We were horribly spread out and it was pitch black and they [Japanese troops] were very hard to see. They walked through us half the time.” A beachhead was formed, a soon 14,000 Japanese had crossed by dawn.    Communications broke down for the allies, Percival unwilling to believe the Japanese's main thrust was in the west declined to send reinforcements there. When he did finally realize the main thrust was in the west he began to withdraw troops from quiet sectors and built up a reserve. The Japanese held air supremacy and their artillery was fierce. The big 15 inch guns of singapore held mostly armor piercing shells designed to hit ships, there were few HE shells available. When they fired upon the Japanese the shells would hit the ground they would embed deeply before exploding doing little damage. The defenders had no tanks, basically no more aircraft. The last departing ships fled the scene as everything was burning chaos around them. Morale was breaking for the defenders. By the 9th, Japanese bombers were raining bombs on allied positions unopposed. Bennet was forced to pull men back to a new line of defense from the east of the Tengah airfield to the north of Jurong. Poor communications hampered the northern sector of Brigadier Duncan Maxwell whose troops actually battered the hell out of the Imperial Guards who had landed at 10pm on the 9th. The Imperial guards gradually managed a foothold on a beach, but Maxwell feared encirclement and withdrew his men against direct orders of Bennet. The retreat opened up the flank of the 11th indian division who were overrun. All of the beaches west of the causeway fell to the enemy, when they did Yamashita brought over his tanks to smash the new Jurong line. The Japanese could have potentially stormed the city center at this point, but they held back, because in reality, Percival had created a formidable reserve in the middle. The Australian 22nd brigade took the brunt of the fighting.    Yamashita was running out of reserves and his attacks were reaching their limit, but he needed the battle to end swiftly. Yamashita was shocked and shaken when he received a report that the British troop strength within the city was twice what they believed. With covert desperation, Yamashita ordered his artillery to fire until their last rounds and sent Percival a demand for surrender. “In the spirit of chivalry we have the honour of advising your surrender. Your army, founded on the traditional spirit of Great Britain, is defending Singapore, which is completely isolated, and raising the fame of Great Britain by the ut¬ most exertions and heroic feelings. . . . From now on resistance is futile and merely increases the danger to the million civilian inhabitants without good reason, exposing them to infliction of pain by fire and sword. But the development of the general war situation has already sealed the fate of Singapore, and the continuation of futile resistance would only serve to inflict direct harm and in¬ juries to thousands of non-combatants living in the city, throwing them into further miseries and horrors of war. Furthermore we do not feel you will in¬ crease the fame of the British Army by further resistance.”   Singapore had received another order prior to this from Churchill “It is certain that our troops on Singapore Island greatly outnumber any Japanese that have crossed the Straits. We must defeat them. Our whole fighting reputation is at stake and the honour of the British Empire. The Americans have held out on the Bataan Peninsula against far greater odds, the Russians are turning back the picked strength of the Germans, the Chinese with almost complete lack of mod¬ ern equipment have held the Japanese for AVi years. It will be disgraceful if we yield our boasted fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces. There must be no thought ofsparing troops or the civil population and no mercy must be shown to weakness in any shape or form. Commanders and senior officers must lead their troops and if necessary die with them. There must be no question or thought of surrender. Every unit must fight it out to the end and in close contact with the enemy. ... I look to you and your men to fight to the end to prove that the fighting spirit that won our Empire still exists to enable us to defend it.”   What was Percival to do? The Japanese had seized control over Singapore water reservoirs, the population would die of thirst within 2-3 days. Japanese shells were causing fires and death everywhere. People were panicking, trying to get on the very last boats leaving the port, even though that surely meant death to the IJN. An American sailor recalled “There was a lot of chaos and people killed on the docks during these bombardments. Everywhere you looked there was death. Even in the water there were dead sharks and people floating all around.” Defeatism was endemic. Australian troops were overheard saying “Chum, to hell with Malaya and Singapore. Navy let us down, air force let us down. If the bungs [natives] won't fight for their bloody country, why pick on me?” Sensing a complete collapse Percival formed a tight defense arc in front of the city, and by the 13th his commanders were telling him they believed Singapore was already doomed. Wavell was asked for approval for surrender, but he replied  “to continue to inflict maximum damage on enemy for as long as possible by house-to-house fighting if necessary.” Percival then told him the water reservoirs were taken, so Wavell sent back “YOUR GALLANT STAND IS SERVING A PURPOSE AND MUST BE CONTINUED TO THE LIMIT OF ENDURANCE”   On the 15th, Percival held a morning conference reported there was no more fuel, field gun nor bofor ammunition. In 24 hours their water would be done. He told them he would ask for a ceasefire at 4pm, by the end of the day Wavell gave him permission to surrender. Over at his HQ on the Bukit Timah heights, Yamashita was staring at a Union Jack fluttering over Fort Canning. Then a field phone rang, and a frontline commander reported the British were sending out a flag of truce.   Meanwhile back on February the 14th, Japanese forces reached the Alexandra Barracks hospital at 1pm. At 1:40pm a British Lt greeting them waving a white flag and was bayoneted on the spot. The Japanese stormed the hospital and murdered the staff and patients. 200 male staff and patients, badly wounded were bound over night and marched to an industrial estate half a mile away. Anyone who collapsed was bayoneted. The survivors of the march were formed into small groups and hacked to death or bayoneted. For a few days over 320 men and women were massacred. Only 5 survivors would give recounts of the event. It is suspected by historians that Tsuji was the architect of the Alexandra hospital massacre. This is because he was the instigator of countless atrocities he ordered unbeknownst to his superior commanders such as Yamashita.    Percival was ordered to go to the Ford motor factory to where he met with Yamashita. Yamashita was hiding his surprise that the surrender party came and as he glanced at the surrender terms he said through his interpreter “The Japanese Army will consider nothing but surrender,” Yamashita knew his forces were on the verge of running out of ammunition and he still held half troops Percival did, he was anxious Percival would figure it out. Percival replied “I fear that we shall not be able to submit our final reply before ten-thirty p.m.,” Percival had no intention of fighting on he simply wanted to work out specific details before signing the surrender. Yamashita was sure Percival was stalling. “Reply to us only whether our terms are acceptable or not. Things must be settled swiftly. We are prepared to resume firing.Unless you do surrender, we will have to carry out our night attack as scheduled.”” Percival replied ““Cannot the Japanese Army remain in its present position? We can resume negotiations again tomorrow at five-thirty A.M”. Yamashita screamed “Nani! I want the hostilities to cease tonight and I want to remind you there can be no arguments.” Percival replied ““We shall discontinue firing by eight-thirty p.m. Had we better remain in our present positions tonight?” Yamashita said yes and that firing would cease at 8:30pm and that 1000 allied men could keep arms to maintain order within the city. Yamashita stated “You have agreed to the terms but you have not yet made yourself clear as to whether you agree to surrender or not.” Percival cleared his throat and gave a simple nod. Yamashita looked at his interpreter “There's no need for all this talk. It is a simple question and I want a simple answer.” He turned to Percival and shouted, “We want to hear ‘Yes' or ‘No' from you! Surrender or fight!” Percival finally blurted out  “Yes, I agree. I have a request to make. Will the Imperial Army protect the women and children and British civilians?”Yamashita replied  “We shall see to it. Please sign this truce agreement”. At 7:50 the surrender was signed off, 40 minutes later Singapore was in the hands of the Japanese. In 70 days Yamashita took at the cost of 9824 casualties, had seized Malaya and Singapore, nearly 120,000 British surrendered. It was the greatest land victory in Japanese history.   Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history" Churchills physician Lord Moran wrote The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? Though his mind had been gradually prepared for its fall, the surrender of the fortress stunned him. He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: 'I cannot get over Singapore', he said sadly   With the fall of singapore came another atrocity, the Sook Ching massacre. After February 18th, the Japanese military began mass killings of what they deemed undesirables, mostly ethnic Chinese. It was overseen by the Kempeitai and did not stop in Singapore, but spread to Malaya. It seems the aim of the purge was to intimidate the Chinese community from performing any resistance. According to postwar testimony taken from a war correspondent embedded with the 25th army, Colonel Hishakari Takafumi, he stated an order went out to kill 50,000 Chinese, of which 20 percent of the total was issued by senior officials on Yamashita's operations staff, most likely Tsuji. It is certain at the behest of Tsuji the orders were extended to Malay. The death toll is a tricky one, the Japanese went on the record to admit to 6000 murders, the Singaporean Chinese community and the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew allege 70,000-100,000. Historians analyzing the scale of discovered mass graves after some decades think around 25,000-50,000. How much Yamashita knew of the massacre is debatable, the orders came from his office after all, but it seems Tsuji had orchestrated it. Many of Japan's generals wanted Yamashita to be appointed war minister, a move that obviously threatened then Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who feared his rival. Tojo retaliated, ordering Japan's new war hero back to Manchuria. On the surface, the assignment appeared worthy as Yamashita would serve as the first line of defense against a possible Soviet invasion. But since the two nations had signed a neutrality pact in April 1941, and Soviets were bogged down fighting the Germans, immediate war appeared unlikely. In reality, Tojo had parked Yamashita on the war's sidelines. Tojo went even further, he barred Yamashita any leave in Tokyo, preventing him from visiting his wife as well as from delivering a speech he had written for the emperor. No worries though, an aide of Yamashita's sent him three geishas. Allegedly he said this “I know they want to please me with these girls. But send them back—and don't forget to tip them.” The Tiger of Malaya would maintain a low profile in Manchuria where he received a promotion to full General. As months fell to years Yamashita sat on the sidelines helpless to aid the Japanese forces. His exile would come to an end in 1944 when Tojo was outed and the Tiger was required to try and save the Philippines from General Douglas MacArthur.

After Bondi Beach shooting, there are bigger questions about what Canadian leaders are doing to make sure this doesn't happen home, and why are people afraid to confront the real problem, Alex talks with Michael Westcott, Chief Executive Officer of Allies for strong Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Star Wars Youniverse, we dive deep into Backlash and Allies, two pivotal novels from the Fate of the Jedi series in Star Wars Legends. Joined by special guest Todd Sedelack, we explore the backlash against the Jedi Order, Luke Skywalker's exile, and the dark forces threatening the galaxy in the post–Return of the Jedi era.We discuss major plot points, character arcs, and themes including Jedi politics, galactic fear of Force users, Sith influence, and the mysterious depths explored in Abyss. This episode is perfect for fans of Star Wars books, Star Wars Legends novels, and in-depth Expanded Universe lore.Whether you're revisiting the Expanded Universe or discovering Fate of the Jedi for the first time, Star Wars Youniverse delivers thoughtful analysis, deep dives, and passionate discussion on all things Star Wars.

Allies who are men, leaders, younger employees, and people of color were found to more likely to experience the impostor phenomenon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From May 16, 2022: Today, Lawfare and Goat Rodeo released the first two episodes of Allies, a podcast series that traces the U.S.'s efforts to protect Afghan interpreters, translators and other partners through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. That effort culminated in the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021, when thousands of the U.S.'s local partners were left behind. In seven episodes, Allies will take listeners through the decade-long effort to honor America's promises to its Afghan partners.Episode 1: “Faithful and Valuable Service” opens at the Kabul airport this past August, where the failure of the SIV program contributed to the chaos. Then, we rewind to just before 9/11, when the U.S. government had little regional, let alone linguistic, expertise on Afghanistan. After the invasion, that knowledge gap needed to be filled rapidly, so the U.S. began hiring local partners through military contractors. They became essential partners, and it was nearly impossible for any U.S. platoon, provincial reconstruction team or diplomat to operate without interpreters and translators. They were the U.S.'s eyes and ears. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at some of the preparations both sides' militaries were making for the coming invasion of France, as well as the tricky problem the Allies faced in keeping Charles de Gaulle on board.

Guest: John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor to President Trump

A civil war is consuming the American right. Matt Walsh may be the only person with a foot on both sides. What's that like? (00:00) Is There a Civil War Breaking Out on the Right? (05:00) Why Walsh Refuses to Publicly Denounce Anyone (16:49) What Is Leftism? (30:34) Why Walsh Doesn't Care About Israel (43:14) Why Does Randy Fine Think the Death of Children Is Funny? (1:21:35) Why Labels and Name-Calling No Longer Work Paid partnerships with: Beam: Go to https://ShopBeam.com/Tucker use code TUCKER and get up to 40% off Beam's Dream powder. Dutch: Get $50 a year for vet care with Tucker50 at https://dutch.com/tucker Cozy Earth: Slow down and recharge with Cozy Earth's luxurious Bamboo Sheets and Bubble Cuddle Blanket - order by December 12 for Christmas delivery and use code TUCKER at https://cozyearth.com/TUCKER for up to 40% off. Battalion Metals: Shop fair-priced gold and silver. Gain clarity and confidence in your financial future at https://battalionmetals.com/tucker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Notre Dame faces College Football Playoff heartbreak, but the Irish are primed to turn frustration into motivation thanks to a deep roster and bold moves in the transfer portal. Can Marcus Freeman's squad leverage key additions and SEC scheduling ties to finally break through next season?Tyler Wojcick and recruiting insider Brian Smith break down the playoff committee's controversial decision that left Notre Dame out, discuss looming conference realignment, and highlight elite recruiting wins, including the commitment of four-star cornerback Ace Alston. The conversation covers the Irish's stacked defense, transfer portal priorities at wide receiver and defensive tackle, and how back-to-back top recruiting classes could fuel a national title run. Don't miss expert analysis on C.J. Carr's future and why Notre Dame's evolving SEC relationship may shape college football's next chapter.@fbscout_florida Everydayer Club - theportal.supercast.com/On X @LO_ThePortal TikTok @lockedontheportalHelp us by supporting our sponsors!Omaha SteaksSave big on unforgettable gifts with Omaha Steaks. Visit https://OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off site-wide and an extra 20% off select favorites during their Cyber Sale. And for an additional $35 off, use promo code COLLEGE at checkout. Aura FramesFor a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting https://AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames - named #1 by Wirecutter - by using promo code COLLEGE at checkout.GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nadia Schadlow, former Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy and senior fellow at Hudson Institute, joins the show to breakdown what strategic depth is and why the concept remains relevant. ▪️ Times 02:37 Unhinged, Frenetic Times 03:36 What is Strategic Depth? 07:50 A Lack of Space 12:50 Territory and War 14:55 How to Increase Time 23:18 Allies and Forward Defense 30:29 How Do You Get Freedom of Choice? 36:57 Keeping and Maintaining Strategic Depth Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

Jaco Van Schalkwyk from The Character Company spoke to Clarence about the recent conference in partnership with Ilitha Labantu & Community Cohesion under the theme Men as Allies for Safer Communities. Views and News with Clarence Ford is the mid-morning show on CapeTalk. This 3-hour long programme shares and reflects a broad array of perspectives. It is inspirational, passionate and positive. Host Clarence Ford’s gentle curiosity and dapper demeanour leave listeners feeling motivated and empowered. Known for his love of jazz and golf, Clarrie covers a range of themes including relationships, heritage and philosophy. Popular segments include Barbs’ Wire at 9:30am (Mon-Thurs) and The Naked Scientist at 9:30 on Fridays. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Views & News with Clarence Ford Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to Views and News with Clarence Ford broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/erjiQj2 or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/BdpaXRn Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although the Axis Powers were clearly losing ground throughout late 1944 and early 1945, Japan continued fighting for months after Germany surrendered, often exacting horrific casualties upon both Allied forces and their own civilian populations. The Allies turned to extreme measures in hopes of forcing the unconditional surrender which they sought, culminating in the first use of nuclear weapons in history.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

On today's podcast:1) US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a serious escalation of tensions between the two countries. A senior Trump administration official referred to the ship as “a stateless vessel” that was last docked in Venezuela. Bloomberg News was first to report the seizure. The US action may make it much harder for Venezuela to export its crude, as other shippers are now likely to be more reluctant to load its cargoes. Most of the nation’s oil goes to China, usually through intermediaries, at steep discounts owing to sanctions risk. Brent futures edged higher after the news.2) A coalition of Ukraine’s allies will discuss a bid to move swiftly on President Trump’s peace proposal on Thursday as Kyiv’s forces carried out their first-ever attack on Russian Caspian Sea oil production. Leaders from more than 30 countries that are part of the so-called coalition of the willing group will hold a virtual meeting, their second this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address. Allies will discuss the state of peace talks and the latest draft plan that Ukrainian officials sent to Washington overnight, people familiar with the planning said. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to brief participants on an exchange they had with Trump on Wednesday.3) A market party after the Federal Reserve’s policy decision came to an abrupt halt within hours as a plunge in Oracle Corp.’s shares reawakened concerns over tech-stock valuations. Now investors are left to ponder whether they will still get a Christmas rally. The MSCI All Country World Index had been a whisker away from its peak before changing course, while gold snapped what would have been a three-day winning streak. The earlier gains were a reflection of enthusiasm following the Fed’s latest interest rate cut and Chair Jerome Powell’s upbeat assessment of the US economy. The upbeat mood faded after Oracle’s stock plunged on the company’s below-consensus sales and spending increase that rekindled worries over tech shares’ expensive valuations. That caused Nasdaq futures to slump as much as 1.6% and 10-year Treasury yields to drop by three basis points at one point.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Roger Moorhouse and host Iain Ballantyne discuss the German submarine threat in WW2 in a lively and engrossing chat. Roger is the author of several acclaimed books, including ‘Killing Hitler' and ‘First to Fight' and now ‘Wolfpack', an excellent single volume deep dive into the submarine arm of the Kriegsmarine - Hitler's navy - and which was reviewed in the November 2025 edition of Warships IFR. Topics touched on in this episode include pondering why the Germans placed their bets on the U-boat again, for the second time in a quarter of a century, despite having seen a similar strategy fail in WW1. Also discussed is the quality and character of the U-boat captains – cool, leather jacket, lumber jack shirt-wearing heroes or villains? Nazis to a man and fanatical supporters of the regime, of just Good Germans doing their best for their country? Iain asks Roger if ‘the U-boat peril' truly was the only thing that ever really frightened Winston Churchill in WW2 - or was the wartime British Prime Minister deploying his usual emotive characterisation to frame his own later record more valiantly? The term Wolfpack reeks of lethality, provoking a shiver of fear, but how effective were the U-boats really once the Allies improved tactics, weaponry and training? Roger provides his perspective on that topic in addition to considering the strategies of Karl Dönitz, the U-boat force boss. Looking at the moral dimension of the conflict, Roger and Iain ponder whether of not it is possible  to set aside the horror of the Nazis and what they did and feel empathy for the tens of thousands of young men in German submarines who died under a hail of Allied depth charges, bombs and gunfire.  Both host and guest offer a dose of common sense about the fantasy in some quarters of Hitler escaping in a U-boat to live out the rest of his days in South America. Finally, Iain asks Roger what he feels might be lessons for today in dealing with the Russian threat, which includes submarines. Visit the magazine web site http://bit.ly/wifrmag Also, follow it on X @WarshipsIFR Facebook @WarshipsIFR and Warships IFR TV on YouTube @warshipsifrtv3668  For more on the mag https://warshipsifr.com/ The new (January 2026) edition of Warships IFR magazine hits the streets on 19.12.25 and is available hard copy in shops and supermarkets, plus direct in hard and digital variants from publisher Sundial Magazines https://sundialmedia.escosubs.co.uk/subscribe/warships.htm Roger Moorhouse is a historian and author specialising in modern German and Central European history, with particular interest in Nazi Germany, the Holocaust and World War Two in Europe. Follow Roger on X @Roger_Moorhouse Visit his web site https://www.rogermoorhouse.com For more information on his ‘Wolfpack: Inside Hitler's U-Boat War' (William Collins ) https://www.rogermoorhouse.com/wolfpack Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of ‘Warships IFR' magazine (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy' (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy' (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers' (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (both published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom's dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn

Recorded 1st December 2025. A discussion with Ambassador Lars Thuesen, Denmark's Ambassador to Ireland, about Denmark's European Presidency (ending on the 31st of December), their priorities and vision for Europe, as well as the challenges Europe faces at this pivotal moment. We will also hear from the Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD about the objectives and ambitions of the forthcoming Irish Presidency, and Dr Deirdre Foley, Principal Investigator for the TÚS Research Ireland Pathway Project in the School of Histories and Humanities. The bond between Denmark and Ireland stretches back to the age of the Vikings, and today the relationship between Denmark and Ireland is a strong and rewarding one, both politically and economically. Our comparable sizes, shared interests, and historic links make for a solid foundation on which cooperation between our two countries can take place, and there is much that Ireland can learn from looking at how Denmark has approached its Presidency. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

⁠A Short History of Ancient Rome⁠ - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit ⁠⁠noiser.com/books⁠⁠ to learn more. As the Second World War ended and those who survived the horrors of Hitler's violence struggled to process what had occurred, a unique response was demanded from the international community. Its form, the victors concluded, should be the criminal prosecution of those most culpable for the worst crimes of the Nazi regime. Known as the Nuremberg Trial, the first of these prosecutions required a redefinition of the law, and was seen as an important step in the prevention of any possible future revival of the Nazi movement. But how did the Allies work together to establish this unique judicial event? What dramas did the trial itself witness? And what were the consequences for those in the dock, and the world beyond? This is a Short History Of The Nuremberg Trial. A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to James Bulgin, Head of Public History at the Imperial War Museum, and author of Nuremberg, published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the trial. Written by Dan Smith | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw Get every episode of Short History Of… a week early with Noiser+. You'll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Shifting Schools, bestselling author Alan Gratz joins Tricia Friedman to explore the craft of storytelling, the role of creativity in education, and why curiosity is the engine behind both great writing and great learning. Gratz shares how baseball has quietly shaped the structure of many of his novels, how he approaches character development with authenticity, and why understanding a character's background is essential for emotional truth. The conversation also digs into the need for interdisciplinary learning in today's classrooms and the value of teacher collaboration. Gratz argues that creativity isn't a mysterious talent—it's a skill that can be nurtured, practiced, and strengthened when schools design learning experiences that cross traditional subject boundaries. Whether you're an educator, writer, or lifelong learner, this episode offers fresh insights into how storytelling helps us understand the human experience and how curiosity fuels both art and education.

We hear about the US' new national security strategy that's worrying allies and being welcomed by Russia. Speaking to Pat about this was David Dunne, Professor of International Politics, University of Birmingham.

It's incredibly hard to have a Loved One who's experiencing homelessness. Our hosts—Hazel, Kevin, and Greer—join Kayla Solomon to discuss their experiences with their Loved Ones and offer hard-won advice. They say it's important to try to create an environment of openness, connection, and availability—up to a point. But it's also important to have boundaries. If you're not giving advice or intervening in ways your Loved One is not asking for, they get the life experience of their choices, but they also have loving connections available. When they're ready, you're ready to help them with a list of resources.Our Families Speak series features a wonderful team of people navigating life with an addicted Loved One. They are all members of Allies in Recovery, an online platform providing proven, research-based training, guidance, support and resources for families with a Loved One struggling with substance use. Alongside psychotherapist Kayla Solomon, they openly share their experiences, insights, and the CRAFT-based tools that have helped them shift the dynamic at home. The support group that Kayla facilitates is now offered on a sliding scale.Wednesdays at 6:30pm ETEmail kaylacraftgroup@gmail.com to join or learn more(Cost should not be a barrier—please reach out if you're interested)Allies in Recovery's member site is currently "on pause". ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. During this time, we have taken our entire eLearning program out from behind the paywall—the entire library of learning videos is currently available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: From Rivals to Allies: A Festive Tale of Art and Friendship Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-12-06-23-34-02-no Story Transcript:No: Bergen Fisketorg var fullt av liv.En: Bergen Fisketorg was full of life.No: Menneskene strømmet til bodene, ivrige etter å oppleve julestemningen selv om lufta var bitende kald.En: People flocked to the stands, eager to experience the Christmas spirit even though the air was bitterly cold.No: Sigrid, en engasjert fiskehandler, svettet nesten under de tykke klærne der hun jobbet med sitt vakre juleutstilling.En: Sigrid, an enthusiastic fishmonger, was almost sweating under the thick clothes as she worked on her beautiful Christmas display.No: Hun hadde opparbeidet et rykte for sine imponerende dekorasjoner, og denne vinterfestivalen ville hun gjerne vinne den årlige dekorasjonskonkurransen.En: She had built a reputation for her impressive decorations, and this winter festival she wanted to win the annual decoration contest.No: Ikke langt unna sto Eirik, en lokal håndverker kjent for sine tradisjonelle norske treskjæringer.En: Not far away stood Eirik, a local craftsman known for his traditional Norwegian wood carvings.No: Trefigurene hans var nydelige, inspirert av gamle norske tradisjoner, og mange stoppet for å beundre dem.En: His wood figures were gorgeous, inspired by old Norwegian traditions, and many stopped to admire them.No: Selv om Eirik nøt arbeidet, kjente han av og til et snev av ensomhet i julehøytiden.En: Although Eirik enjoyed the work, he sometimes felt a hint of loneliness during the Christmas season.No: Sigrid sverget til sjødyr som dekorelementer, mens Eirik brukte tre og naturmaterialer.En: Sigrid swore by sea creatures as decorative elements, while Eirik used wood and natural materials.No: Med den iskalde vinteren ble det vanskelig for henne å finne det hun trengte.En: With the icy winter, it became difficult for her to find what she needed.No: I tillegg merket hun at Eiriks treskulpturer begynte å stjele oppmerksomheten fra hennes fiskedekorasjoner.En: Additionally, she noticed that Eirik's wood sculptures began to steal attention from her fish decorations.No: En vennlig konkurranse mellom dem vokste frem.En: A friendly competition between them emerged.No: Mens Sigrid tenkte på hvordan hun kunne overgå Eirik, slo det henne plutselig; hvorfor ikke samarbeide?En: While Sigrid thought about how she could surpass Eirik, it suddenly struck her; why not collaborate?No: Hun gikk bort til ham og spurte om de kunne lage noe sammen.En: She went over to him and asked if they could create something together.No: Eirik nølte, men så lyset i Sigrids øyne.En: Eirik hesitated but saw the light in Sigrid's eyes.No: Han aksepterte med et smil.En: He accepted with a smile.No: I ukene som fulgte, jobbet de to tett sammen.En: In the weeks that followed, the two worked closely together.No: Sigrid delte sine ideer om sjøtemaer, mens Eirik foreslo elementer fra norsk folklore.En: Sigrid shared her ideas about sea themes, while Eirik suggested elements from Norwegian folklore.No: Sammen skapte de et kunstverk som kombinerte fisk og tre, lik en glitrende nordlys over et vintervisker Bergen.En: Together they created a work of art that combined fish and wood, like a shimmering aurora borealis over a wintery Bergen.No: Da den store dagen kom, dekket snø byen som en hvit dyne, og markedet var mer hektisk enn noen gang.En: When the big day came, snow covered the city like a white blanket, and the market was busier than ever.No: Sigrid og Eirik avduket sitt felles verk, og publikum ble stående i beundring.En: Sigrid and Eirik unveiled their joint creation, and the audience stood in awe.No: Fisk og tre skinnet under lysene, sammenflettet i en vakker fortelling om vinterens gleder.En: Fish and wood shone under the lights, interwoven in a beautiful tale of winter's joys.No: De vant konkurransen, og ikke bare mottok de heder og premie, men også invitasjoner til å delta på større arrangementer.En: They won the competition, and not only did they receive honor and a prize, but also invitations to participate in larger events.No: Sigrid innså noe viktig den dagen.En: Sigrid realized something important that day.No: Hun forsto at man kunne oppnå sine drømmer hjemme, gjennom vennskap og samarbeid.En: She understood that you could achieve your dreams at home, through friendship and collaboration.No: Eirik følte også en ny varme, et fellesskap han lenge hadde savnet.En: Eirik also felt a new warmth, a community he had long missed.No: Bergen Fisketorg skinte i lyset av deres felles arbeid, og to mennesker fant langt mer enn en seier.En: Bergen Fisketorg shone in the light of their shared work, and two people found far more than a victory.No: De fant en forbindelse og gleden av å dele sitt arbeid.En: They found a connection and the joy of sharing their work.No: Da de sammen nøt den kalde vinterkvelden, visste de begge at de hadde funnet noe virkelig verdifullt.En: As they together enjoyed the cold winter evening, they both knew that they had found something truly valuable. Vocabulary Words:fishtmonger: fiskehandlerflocked: strømmetenthusiastic: engasjertbitterly: bitendedisplay: utstillingreputation: ryktecraftsman: håndverkercarvings: treskjæringergorgeous: nydeligeinspired: inspirertloneliness: ensomhetswore: svergetelements: dekorelementericy: iskaldecollaborate: samarbeidehesitated: nøltesuggested: foreslofolklore: folkloreaurora borealis: nordlysunveiled: avduketinterwoven: sammenflettetprize: premieinvitation: invitasjonerhonor: hedercommunity: fellesskapconnection: forbindelsejoy: gledervaluable: verdifulltfestival: vinterfestivalenadmire: beundre

We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about! The case of Theresa Corley. ‘Someone knows just what happened to Theresa.’ Forty-five years later, her murder remains unsolved.Guest: Emily Sweeney – Boston Globe Cold Case Files Reporter Google’s Annual Year in Search 2025. Top search trends and topics that fascinated the world.Guest: Christina Basilio, Google Trends Expert This was the most vicious Patriots defense we’ve seen since they were winning Super Bowls. Latest Pats victory has people saying the Pats are “back”.Guest: Chad Finn – Boston Globe sports reporter Exclusive survey: "Allies" abandon Jews as antisemitism surgesGuest: Russell Contreras - Justice and Race reporter at AxiosSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every great movie has that moment — the hero face-down in the dirt, bleeding, doubting, wondering if they've got anything left. That's not the end of the story. That's the middle. So if you're there right now — business messy, life loud, wondering if you've blown it — you're not failing. You're in your Hero's Journey. In this powerful episode of PivotMe, April unpacks The Hero's Journey — that timeless storytelling arc that shows up in every great movie, book, and… your own life. From Luke Skywalker to Moana to Rocky, this universal path of struggle, transformation, and triumph is the same journey entrepreneurs and leaders walk every day. April walks through the 12 stages of the Hero's Journey and shows you how to identify where you are in your own story — so you can stop fighting the plot and start directing the outcome. This episode reminds every business owner and high performer that the mess isn't the end — it's the middle. Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Every leader is on their own Hero's Journey. Your business, your challenges, your growth — they all follow a story arc. 2️⃣ The 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey (and how they apply to real life): Ordinary World: The comfort zone that starts to feel too small. Call to Adventure: The whisper that says "There's more." Refusal of the Call: The fear that talks you out of it. Meeting the Mentor: The guide who shows you what's possible. Crossing the Threshold: The moment you commit — no turning back. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The messy middle — growth under fire. Approach to the Inmost Cave: Preparation before your biggest challenge. The Ordeal: The breaking point that becomes your turning point. The Reward: The transformation — confidence, courage, clarity. The Road Back: Integration of lessons into real life. The Resurrection: Final test — choosing differently this time. Return with the Elixir: Sharing your wisdom, leading from strength. 3️⃣ The Hard Middle Is Not Failure. It's transformation in progress. 4️⃣ Knowing Your Stage Brings Clarity. When you can name where you are in the journey, you can stop reacting and start leading yourself through it. Quotes "Struggle isn't a detour. It's the way forward." "Mentors don't give you permission — they give you perspective." "The Ordeal isn't where the hero dies. It's where the old version of them dies." "When you understand your story, you stop fighting the plot and start directing the outcome." Challenge for Pivoters Ask yourself:

For the Allies it was an enormous triumph and for Nazi Germany it was another Stalingrad. But 80 years on, the battle for Tunisia is barely mentioned in popular accounts of the Second World War, having been totally eclipsed by the iconic clashes in Europe and the Pacific. In his new book, Tunisgrad, military historian Saul David seeks to redress the balance, arguing that this north African campaign was one of the three biggest turning points of the entire war. In conversation with Rob Attar, he explains why. (Ad) Saul David is the author of Tunisgrad: Victory in Africa (HarperCollins, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Ftunisgrad%2Fsaul-david%2F9780008653811. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Allies decide that Sicily is the next target, first the smaller islands nearby have to be taken. Thus Operation Corkscrew begins. Meanwhile, there are those in Italy who are thinking, perhaps the time has come to talk to the Allies. And thanks to WWII Podcast Producer- Adam Dach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the Battle of Dunkirk unfold in 1940? Why was it one of the key turning points of the Second World War for Hitler and his Nazi regime? And, how did the Allies manage to evade the jaws of annihilation at this crucial stage of the Second World War…? Join Dominic and Tom as they march further into the Nazis at war, with Hitler's forces closing in on the Allies at Dunkirk, before wreaking devastation upon the French. Give The Rest Is History Club this Christmas – a year of bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access, the private chat community hosted on Discord, and an exclusive t-shirt! Just go to https://therestishistory.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself at any time at therestishistory.com or on apple podcasts. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more. _______ Visit auraframes.co.uk and get £35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frame by using promo code HISTORY at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. _______ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Jack Meek / Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

-- On the Show: -- Donald Trump faces bipartisan scrutiny after reports say the Pentagon ordered follow up strikes on survivors during Caribbean drug operations -- The Trump administration approved an Afghan national's asylum shortly before the Thanksgiving shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., and then blamed Joe Biden -- Donald Trump erupts into insults, conspiracies, and incoherent claims as mental health experts warn of visible cognitive decline -- New photos and frantic defenses from allies deepen concern that Donald Trump appears physically and cognitively unwell -- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and medical experts demand transparency after Donald Trump admits to getting an MRI but cannot explain why or what was examined -- Donald Trump contradicts himself on war orders, invents economic numbers, and dodges drug crime questions in multiple press exchanges -- Donald Trump threatens denaturalization despite constitutional barriers that make stripping citizenship nearly impossible -- Trump Media stock and Trump branded crypto collapse as loyal investors suffer massive losses -- On the Bonus Show: Black Friday shopping is up this year despite economic uncertainty, Alina Habba gets disqualified from serving as U.S. attorney, AI could be the solution to the two-party system, and much more…

By late 1942, after the success of Operation Torch, the Allies had finally gained a foothold in North Africa. What followed was a hard-fought and often overlooked campaign in Tunisia. For six months, British, American, and French forces battled determined Axis troops for control of the last corner of Africa held by Germany and Italy. It was a campaign marked by tough lessons, uneasy cooperation, and moments of heroism — one that would shape how the Allies fought together for the rest of the war. In this episode, I'm joined by historian and author Saul David to discuss his latest book, 'Tunisgrad: How the Allies Won North Africa and Set the Stage for D-Day'. Saul brings to life the soldiers, commanders, and decisions that defined the Tunisia campaign and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

Good Sunday to you,A bit of admin before we come to today's thought piece.First, in case you missed it, here is this week's commentary, mostly ranting about the budget, the UK's inept leadership and what actions you, as an investor, should take:And this week I also appeared on comedian Geoff Norcott's podcast, What Most People Think. Here are the links to the show on Apple and Spotify, if of interest.But for your thought piece today, we have another great little World War Two gold story which didn't make the cut. The farcical journey of Albanian and Italian gold (NB: a tonne of gold is about a medium-sized suitcase full).As the Nazis took both Austria and Czechoslovakia with ease, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini grew anxious to flex his own muscles.Albania would be his target. Geographically, culturally and historically, it made sense: Albania had been part of the Roman Empire even before northern Italy.In April 1939, Italy invaded with a force that contained 400 planes, 300 small tanks, 12 warships, and 22,000 men. But some untrained Albanian locals with the help of a few soldiers managed to drive them back into the sea. Such was 20th century Italian warfare.The Italians made it on the second attempt, however, and the capital, Tirana, fell.The Albanian King Zog gave an impassioned speech on the radio, urging resistance, but nobody heard it because Albania at the time had fewer than 2,000 radios, and the Italians soon managed to jam the airwaves anyway. Shortly after giving the speech, like the true patriot he was, he fled the country, taking enough gold with him to lead a long life of luxury in exile, eventually ending up in Egypt as a guest of King Farouk, to whom he had to pay $20 million for refuge.Albania's founders believed in gold, and their currency, the lek, was based on it. Inflation, as a result, had been nonexistent. The central bank was established in the summer of 1925, and it had worked hard to build up its gold holdings. At home, it had encouraged citizens to swap their jewellery for paper money. That private gold was then added to the nation's gold holdings. Whenever possible, the country increased its gold holdings in London.But by the time of the invasion in 1939, most of Albania's 2.3 tonnes was in Italy anyway, where it had been sent for safekeeping. The Italians managed to confiscate quite a bit more in coins and jewellery from citizens.We fast forward four years.The Italian dilemma: give their gold to the Nazis or the Allies? In 1943, Allied forces moved north from Africa into Sicily and then Italy: the invasion of the soft underbelly of Europe had begun.Hectic days followed the ousting of Mussolini in July. The Italian Fascists were still nominally in charge. They declared Rome an open city in the hope of avoiding Allied air attacks. But by September 1943, the Nazis had control of the capital and central Italy, and they wanted Italy's gold moved to Berlin, while they still had control of the area.They began confiscating the gold of Italian citizens in Rome, especially Italian Jews. The amounts demanded were unrealistic, but Roman Jews reached into their family treasures, their synagogues and institutions to turn in what they had. The Pope, Pius XII, heard about the demands and authorised Catholic churches to lend Jews gold so they could reach the quota.But the big prize was in the Italian Central Bank, and several Nazi organisations had their eyes on it: Himmler's SS, Göring's Four Year Plan, von Ribbentrop's Foreign Office, and Funk's Reichsbank. Even the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), which was worried about its investments in Italy, started making demands that Italy send it gold. Initially, the governor of the Italian bank, Vincenzo Azzolini, made out that he was offended by the idea, but he soon realised the BIS was a better option than Berlin, whichever Nazi department received it.The Italians did not know what to do. On the one hand, they did not want the Nazis to have their gold, but nor did they want the invading Allies to have it either. They thought of sending it to Sardinia, they thought of sending it to the Swiss border. They sent small amounts of gold to branch offices around Italy, but the Bologna gold went missing, as did much of the Milan gold - now supposedly in Turin, but actually hidden in a well. They even sent some to colonial outposts in Benghazi, Rhodes and Addis Ababa.The Albanian gold Italy had stolen was still sitting in the Italian bank's vault, so, under pressure from the Nazis, they sent that up to the Reichsbank in Berlin, while they tried to come up with a solution.The following day, Niccolò Introna, the Italian bank's deputy general manager, had his plan: to build a false wall in the bank's underground vaults. He would then backdate documents to show the gold had been moved to Potenza, a town in the Italian south that was about to fall into Allied hands, but hide the gold behind the wall.Bank governor Azzolini approved the plan, but then ruled that only half the gold should be hidden. The next day the wall was built. The day after that, the official order to ship the gold to Berlin came in from the German ambassador. If the bank did not agree, the Germans would simply seize it. At this point, Azzolini learned that the Germans had seized government records, from which they would know the size and location of the country's gold. Azzolini lost his nerve and had the wall torn down.The next day, the German military unit arrived at the bank with orders to move the gold north by air. Azzolini stalled them, saying it would be safer by train. The Germans sent 5 tonnes by air, the rest - 119 tonnes - was sent by train to Milan. From there, it was shipped to Fortezza, Bolzano, close to the border with Germany and under their control, where it stayed for several months. The now-ousted Mussolini even signed his approval that it be sent there.The following spring, Azzolini, who above all wanted to stop the gold going to Berlin, struck a deal with Swiss and German representatives that would see 26 tonnes sent to Switzerland, some to the BIS and some to the Swiss National Bank.Göring, however, insisted he needed money and suggested giving Italy Reichsmarks for its gold. The deal was signed without the Bank of Italy knowing about it. 50 tonnes left Fortezza, which included 8 tonnes Italy had stolen from Yugoslavia earlier in the war in "restitution" (that's another story). The delivery arrived in Berlin a tonne light. As almost always by this point in the war, someone had their hands in the till.The process of shipping the next batch of Italian gold - some 22 tonnes - went on for months, as some (but not all) Italian officials tried to stall. But eventually, that too was dispatched. That too arrived in Berlin a tonne light.When American forces eventually liberated Fortezza, they found 25 tonnes. It was handed over to the Bank of Italy.What a mess.Stories like this fill the pages of The Secret History of Gold (although this one didn't actually make the cut).The Secret History of Gold is available at Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops. I hear the audiobook, read by me, is excellent. And it would make a wonderful Christmas present! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Today's Adventure:In a territory the partisans seized from the fascists in Italy, an OSS agent has to sneak out two fascists ready to give vital information to the Allies and finds himself having to overcome his partisan comrades to do so.Original Radio Broadcast: October 6, 1950Originating from New YorkStarring: Grant Richards; Arnold Moss; Luis Van RootenTo subscribe to this podcast and, go to https://greatadventures.info/Become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.netSupport the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.netGive us a call at 208-991-4783Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectivesFollow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

How do accumulated negative feelings and trauma impact you and your relationship with your loved one? How do you get past them, to a better place? In part, it's about breaking the contract of the usual interactions and cycles—learn to step back, re-assess, and let our loved ones handle things without so much of our intervening. Kayla and Dominique discus⁠s how that can be done.The support group that Kayla facilitates is now offered on a sliding scale.Wednesdays at 6:30pm ETEmail kaylacraftgroup@gmail.com to join or learn more(Cost should not be a barrier—please reach out if you're interested)Allies in Recovery's member site is currently "on pause". ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. During this time, we have taken our entire eLearning program out from behind the paywall—the entire library of learning videos is currently available on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our speaker is Richard Breitman who is an Emeritus Professor of History at American University and the author of a new book entitled Calculated Restraint: What Allied Leaders Said About the Holocaust. I want to learn from Richard about whether the allies should have bombed the rail lines to the concentration camps and if Roosevelt and Churchill should have said more to warn the Jews of Europe to the Holocaust so that the Jews could have gone into hiding. Get full access to What Happens Next in 6 Minutes with Larry Bernstein at www.whathappensnextin6minutes.com/subscribe

The Battle at Kasserine Pass is remembered as an American failure. Perhaps, but not a defeat. The Allies still held the ground and had learned much about modern warfare. Which was the point of fighting in North Africa first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Segment 5 — Rogue Allies: Assessing the Nuclear and Proliferation Threat Posed by North Korea and Iran — Bruce Bechtol — Bechtol examines North Korea and Iran as "Rogue Allies" whose strategic partnership the U.S. has failed to comprehend since 1983. North Korea, functioning as the "arsenal of resistance," possesses the Hwasong-15missile capable of striking the continental United States. This partnership represents a fundamental threat to regional stability and American strategic interests. 1953

The feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and MAGA congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene may not be exclusively about Israel, “but Israel is one of the pillars of the narrative” that fueled Greene’s decision to resign earlier this week, Haaretz’s Washington correspondent Ben Samuels told the Haaretz Podcast. Until recently, the right was viewed as an unshakeable mainstay of American support for Israel. Schisms within the Republican Party have ruptured over Israel’s compatibility with MAGA-style isolationism, critiques of Israel’s wartime conduct and commentator Tucker Carlson’s embrace of Nick Fuentes. Greene’s departure, which also comes amid a swirl of conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein and the Mossad, is a red flag regarding the “deep realignment” taking place in the GOP and among evangelical Christians, Samuels said – and Israeli leaders are worried. Omer Benjakob, Haaretz’s cyber and disinformation correspondent, joined the podcast to discuss his recent investigation into a major multi-platform online campaign by the Israeli government that seeks to rehabilitate its image among the American Christian right. Benjakob said the multimillion-dollar campaign seems to be “less about pro- or anti- Israel arguments and more about trying to quell a growing wave of antisemitism.” He noted that the “rapid decline of this ‘unshakable bond’ points to a dependency on a population that progressive voices have warned Israel for years against getting in bed with.” Read more: Losing the Republican Base, Israel Pours Millions to Target Evangelicals and Churchgoers Between Mamdani and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Netanyahu's Allies in Washington Have Cause to Be Alarmed Why Netanyahu Is Sharing Leftist Conspiracy Theories About a Mossad Sex Cabal Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigns From Office, After Trump's Support Withdrawal Last Week Israel's Right Wing Bet the Country's Future on American Christian Nationalists. That Has BackfiredSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Hitler's eye fell on Norway and Denmark, how did he and the Nazis enact their terrible plan of conquest? How did the Allies respond to this western campaign? And, how did the French fare against the furious German attack…? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss the next bombastic phase of the Nazis at war. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more. _______ Whether you're hosting or guesting this Christmas, you need the UK's best mobile network and broadband technology, only from EE. _______ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Jack Meek / Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Day 1,372.Today, as Thanksgiving is marked in the United States – and supposedly the day by which Ukraine was meant to agree to a peace deal, a deadline Donald Trump has now walked back – Russia denies leaking the phone call in which Steve Witkoff coached Vladimir Putin's top aides on how to flatter the former president. We assess whether Marco Rubio's apparent demand – that a peace deal be signed before the US grants Ukraine any security guarantees – is remotely deliverable. We also report on how Moldovan authorities attempted to return a Russian drone that violated their airspace. And later, we hear from the Ukrainian public, and gauge their reaction to this week's extraordinary developments.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Svitlana Morenets, columnist at the Spectator.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Who leaked Witkoff's Kremlin call? These are the main suspects (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/11/26/steve-witkoff-kremlin-call-main-suspects-witi-leaks/ Made in Moscow: The “U.S. peace plan” for Ukraine was substantially formulated months ago by Kremlin operative Kirill Dmitriev (The Insider):https://theins.press/en/politics/287159 Allies worry US demands Ukraine deal before security guarantees (POLITICO):https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/26/us-demands-peace-deal-before-security-guarantees-for-ukraine-00670210 Moldova's Foreign Ministry confronts Russian ambassador with drone that violated country's airspace (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/moldovas-foreign-ministry-confronts-russian-ambassador-with-drone-that-violated-countrys-airspace/ A better way to craft a reparations loan (Hugo Dixon of the Ukraine Reparations Loan):https://www.ukrainereparationsloan.com/post/a-better-way-to-craft-a-reparations-loan Zarah Sultana's pompous, luxury beliefs about Ukraine (The Spectator):https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/zarah-sultanas-pompous-luxury-beliefs-about-ukraine/ Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By 1943, the war in the Pacific burned in its full fury. On November 20th, the Allies launched the first amphibious assault against heavily defended beaches in US history. The 2nd division of the US Marine Corps, used amphibious tractors and assault boats to reach the beaches of the Tarawa atoll, an enemy stronghold protected by 5,000 hardened Imperial Japanese marines. Ed Moore and Tommy Reed were decorated veterans of the 2nd Marine Division during the island campaigns in the Pacific War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. As US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to examine Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon to see whether those branches should be designated as terror organizations, Magid discusses that other countries were not included, including Turkey and Qatar, which have close ties to the US. The controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is wrapping up five months of operations in Gaza, saying that its model is being adopted by the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, while Magid notes that it appears the original UN-backed model is back in place in Gaza. The US is trying to get construction efforts underway in Gaza, on the Israeli side of the yellow ceasefire line, with efforts to first clear rubble from the Rafah area to build alternative safe communities. Magid discusses the pushback from Israel's government coalition, which is concerned with the issue of Hamas disarmament, while it's also unclear if Gazans would want to live under Israeli control. Magid also talks about the revelation that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee held a private meeting in July with Jonathan Pollard, the former US Navy analyst who served 30 years in a US prison for spying for Israel. Magid says there is widespread anger in the US administration regarding the meeting and the ongoing alignment of the US with Israel. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump launches process aimed at potentially sanctioning Muslim Brotherhood Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announces end of operations in Strip after 5 months Construction of first US-backed housing compound said to begin this week in Rafah Pollard: Anti-Israel elements in US administration leaked my Huckabee meeting to get him fired Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Turkish charities, in partnership with Khan Yunis municipal bulldozers, remove the rubble from Palestinian homes and streets in the northern area of ​​Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas on October 23, 2025 (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/FLASH90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanksgiving Broadcast: National Guard Shooter Identified As Afghan Illegal Brought To US Via Biden's “Operation Allies Welcome

Why was this period known as 'The Happy Time' for Germany's U-Boats? How much merchant tonnage did the Allies lose to Nazi U-Boat aces? Has the impact of U-Boats on the Allied war effort been overstated in history since 1945? Join James Holland and Al Murray for part 3 of this deep dive on the war in the Atlantic, the most vital theatre of war in WW2 and the long-running campaign between the British Royal Navy and the Nazi German Kriegsmarine. Start your free trial at ⁠patreon.com/wehaveways⁠ and unlock exclusive content and more. Enjoy livestreams, early access to podcast episodes, ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and a weekly newsletter packed with book deals and behind-the-scenes insights. Members also get priority access and discounts to live events. https://www.patreon.com/wehaveways/membership?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehaveways@goalhanger.com Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was Adolf Hitler's next move, after occupying Czechoslovakia in March 1939, and brutally invading Poland that September? Why did the Allies fail to act, despite the Nazis shocking offensive? And, would an assassination plot from within Germany itself prove to be Hitler's undoing?   Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into the Second World War, as Hitler and the Nazis escalate their war on Europe.  Hive. Know your power. Visit https://hivehome.com to find out more. _______ Is your door in the draw? Sign up by midnight 30th November at https://postcodelottery.co.uk. People's Postcode Lottery manages lotteries on behalf of good causes, 18 plus, conditions apply, play responsibly, not available in Northern Ireland. _______ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee ✅ _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at ⁠therestishistory.com⁠ For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Jack Meek / Harry Swan  Social Producer: Harry Balden Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude  Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the autumn of 1944, the Allies had driven across France and Belgium and reached the borders of Germany. Ahead of them lay the Rhine — a vast natural barrier and the last line of defence protecting the heart of the Reich. What followed was some of the most intense and costly fighting of the war in Western Europe. From the bitter battles around Aachen and the Hürtgen Forest, through the crossing operations of Plunder and Varsity, to the dramatic capture of the bridge at Remagen, the campaign for the Rhineland was brutal, chaotic, and often overshadowed by the more famous Battle of the Bulge. Yet it was here, on both sides of the Rhine, that the final collapse of Nazi Germany truly began. To help tell that story, I'm joined by military historian Anthony Tucker-Jones, author of Rhineland, which charts the campaign from the German border battles of late 1944 through to the end of the war in 1945. Rhineland is also available on Audible and Spotify.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

Israeli air strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intelligence sharing between the U.S. and its allies has long been a powerful national security tool. But recently, some allies have stopped sharing key intelligence with the United States. What does that mean for U.S. national security?

Happy Veteran's Day! George S. Patton was a war-winning, poetry-writing, reincarnation-believing chaos machine. The Allies needed him. The Nazis feared him. His bosses… tolerated him. From heroic battlefield leadership to slapping hospitalized soldiers and creating international incidents with his mouth, Patton lived louder than almost anyone in uniform. This is the story of Old Blood-and-Guts: genius, troublemaker, and one of the toughest sons of bitches in U.S. military history.Merch and more: www.badmagicproductions.com Timesuck Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious PrivateFacebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" to locate whatever happens to be our most current page :)For all merch-related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcast.Sign up through Patreon, and for $5 a month, you get access to the entire Secret Suck catalog (295 episodes) PLUS the entire catalog of Timesuck, AD FREE. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.