Podcasts about when diplomacy fails

A long and complex chat about geopolitics with History Impossible, Secret Police Podcast and When Diplomacy Fails.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because of how this ended up….we just recorded this on discord with Zack from When Diplomacy Fails and Alex from History Impossible…and I hope this ends up as an uneventful night.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greetings, Comrades! In this episode, we are joined by Zack from When Diplomacy Fails podcast, to talk about how Girkin did (or did not) start the whole mess, make some predictions about the future, and discuss Irish politics a bit, because, they too - technically - are on the Eastern Border of the EU.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I subscribe to over 100 podcasts. On this episode I read my list and give you one sentence about each. Here is the list I can fit. 99% invisible, Atlas Obscura, The Al Franken Podcast, Think Differently, Impact Theory, The Dungeoncast, The Life and Times of Frederick the Great, Fantasy Footballers Podcast, The NPR politics Podcast, Bears Insider Podcast, What Roman Mars can Learn about Constitutional Law, This Job is History, My Favorite Murder, Just Breath: Parenting your LGBTQIA Teen, Not Another D&D Podcast, Articles of Interest, Harris Football Podcast, Spitballers Comedy Podcast, Lord of the Rings Lorecast, Pardon My Take, Revolutions, Heavyweight, Our Fake History, Fantasy Focus Football ESPN, bananas, Tides of History, Hidden Brain, Real Men Feel, Love Life with Matthew Hussey, Based on a True Story, American Scandal, Will be Wild, The Sick podcast with Adam Rank,The Leftover Pieces, Luvbites with Dr. Tara, The Trojan Horse Affair, Starve the Ego Feed the Soul, Queer As Fact, Warlords of History, Altered States of Context, ArtCurious, A Slight Change of Plans, Savage Lovecast, Where Should We Begin, The Happiness Lab, Stuff the British Stole, Unread, ADHD for Smart Ass Women, View from the Cheap Seats, Outside/In, This American Life, Notes from America, Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates, When Diplomacy Fails, Science Vs, Strict Scrutiny, The Last Archive, LIfe After Suicide, This Day in Esoteric Political HIstory, This is Love, Over the Road, Swindled, Ear Hustle, Sidedoor, Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford, 30 for 30 podcasts, The memory Palace, Shat at the Movies, Criminal, Inside Trader Joes, People Fixing the World, Every Little Thing, The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reveal, The Moth, Trump Inc, Revisionist History, Money Talks from the Ecconomist, The Koy Pond with Jo Koy, The Allusionist, How To Save a Planet, Without Fail, Planet Money, Up First, How I Built This with Guy Raz, Code Switch, Invsibilia, Throughline, Embedded, Rough Translation, The Indicator from Planet Money, Against the Rules with Michael Lewis, The History of Rome, Serial, S-Town, The Big Red Bus, First Draft, I Said no Gifts, Kick Back: The global anti corruption podcast, Unlocking Us: Brene Brown, Start Up Podcast, Reply All, If I were You, Nancy, Dare to Lead: Brene Brown --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daniel-j-maigler/message

The guys interview BlueDog, an old school Diplomacy player who got back into the game after many decades. Plus Diplomacy chat, entering the Australian Podcast Awards and more drinking. Intro The guys introduce the show and an ongoing apology for the break in episodes. Before they go onto discuss what Kaner's reading, the venue and their drinks (0 mins 15 secs) Interview with BlueDog The start discussing the interview today with BlueDog, an ally of Amby's in a WWIV sealanes game. Amby talks a little about Rulebook press (9 mins 30 secs) BlueDog discusses how he got started playing Diplomacy in the 1970's and only got back into it this year (2022 at time of recording) (14 mins 30 secs) They discuss having the parent-child dynamic changed (17 mins 30 secs) BlueDog discuss how his father, a World War 2 veteran and uncle got into the game (19 mins 30 secs) He goes onto discuss his experience with the online Diplomacy sites and his thoughts pre-internet about the game opportunities he envisaged (22 mins) BlueDog discusses how he got back into the game listening to the When Diplomacy Fails interview with Zack Twamley (this is also on Zack's feed.) He goes onto discuss how he'd forgotten some of the basics when coming back into the game (25 mins) They discuss playing against the bots at webDip (28 mins) BlueDog talks about playing large variant games (Divided States, Europa Renovatio) and liking players even though they eat up your SC's (31 mins) BlueDog and Amby discuss their game (BlueDog as Australia, Amby as South Africa). BlueDog gives lots of good advice for players (38 mins) They start discussing the end game (49 mins) BlueDog travels a lot internationally for his job. Amby asks how that impacts on his ability to play the game (52 mins) Amby asks about whether BlueDog would get back into playing face to face Diplomacy (55 mins) BlueDog asks about the demographics for who plays the game and the type of people they are (56 mins) They guys wrap up the interview and return to discuss their thoughts on the game (1 hr  0 mins 45 secs) Diplomacy talk Amby gives a shout out to the first WDC for the first time since COVID at Carnage in Vermont. Amby gives an update on WDC 2023 in Thailand and that's still looking good (1 hr 4 mins 45 secs) Amby presents a Thailand Diplomacy challenge to Kaner (1 hr 11 mins 30 secs) Because Amby has been sick for a while he hasn't organised a face to face game in Brisbane. They discuss plugging into university board game clubs to get some Diplomacy games going (1 hr 13 mins) Amby is looking at putting in an entry to the 2022 Australian Podcast Awards. Kaner asks what category they should enter (1 hr 15 mins 30 secs) The guys grab some more drinks, Amby changes to wine and they order some Peruvian loaded fries (1 hr 22 mins) Amby has been playing with AI image generators like Craiyon, and starts talking about some of the AI generated images can be created based on Diplomacy game themes (1 hr 23 mins 45 secs) Around the grounds The guys move onto discuss one of the Europa Renovatio games he's signed up for, and accuses Amby of being a CD stalker. They go onto discuss how different countries tend to go on this map (1 hr 34 mins 30 secs) They talk about favourite variants on vDip. Amby mentions Baron von Powell's College of Cardinals variant. They also discuss favourite variant rule changes (1 hr 41 mins) The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 51 mins) Venue: Mongrel, Brisbane Drinks of choice: Kaner: Rad Ale, Seeker Brewery in Wooloongong in New South Wales Amby:  Hop, Skip & Jump Indian Pale Ale, Aether Brewery in Brisbane and Tscharke Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in South Australia   Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment... or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.  

This episode is the first of two linked episodes in which we delve into the disturbing world of Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church also known as the 'Moonies'. Here in an interview episode we introduce https://twitter.com/FallingOutPod (Elgen Strait), host of the Falling Out Podcast which is "a podcast about leaving the Moonies and other cults, as told by the kids who grew up within them." The topic matter is serious and Elgen deftly introduces us to the manipulative cult dynamics he experienced first hand, as well as offering some broader information about how the Moonies craft their public image and raise funds. However, Elgen is a man after our own hearts and his dark sense of humour means that he can also enjoy a laugh at Moon's expense & enlighten us about Absolute Sex(!), a term that might mean something slightly different than you imagine. Our next episode will be guest co-hosted by Elgen as we take an excursion from the contemporary secular gurus and attempt to decode some historical recordings from a bonafide religious cult leader. This episode hopefully provides the foundations to better understand that decoding and we hope you 'enjoy' the discussion with Elgen as much as we did, despite the subject matter! Links https://www.fallingoutpod.com/ (Falling Out Podcast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQXlglbh3V8 (Sun Myung Moon: God Bless America Festival (1976) Rare Complete Bicentennial Documentary) & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAiXQo93sLc (We will Stand. Rev. Sun Myung )Moon(content for the decoding episode) https://soundcloud.com/qanonanonymous/episode-160-the-moonies-conquer-dc-feat-elgen-strait (QAnon Anonymous 160: The Moonies Conquer DC feat Elgen Strait) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-moonies-speech-unifaction-church-b1918750.html (Article on Trump's appearance at Unification Church linked event) Podcast Recommendations http://www.wdfpodcast.com/ (When Diplomacy Fails) https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-foreign-desk/ (Monocle 24: Foreign Desk) https://warontherocks.com/podcasts/ (War on the Rocks)

The 30 Years War has reputation among history buffs as one of the most complicated conflicts you can study. Even though the war is filled with fantastic stories, it can sometimes scare away history podcasters (like Sebastian). The complexity of the war makes it difficult to break down simply and clearly. Luckily, in this episode Sebastian is joined by the one podcaster who has managed to bring the war to life, host of When Diplomacy Fails, Zack Twamley. Zack has also just written his first piece of historical fiction set against the tumultuous backdrop of the 30 years war. Can Zack help Sebastian wrap his head around this war? Tune-in and find out how confusing maps, mysterious black masks, and big pile of poop all play a role in the story. Find Zack's new book Matchlock and the Embassy here: https://books2read.com/matchlockbook1

In today's episode we discuss the last album by Adam Ant: Vive Le Rock. We also discuss Princeton Record Exchange, the One Night Record Project, and much more. Give it a listen!Key LinksViva Le Rock by Adam Ant: https://youtu.be/3-ekeEwKOcYOne Night Record Project Presents Spaceling: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF7JsTnWeM1rytXd9I6NS8aIXzOpp-VS4The Adolescents Complete Demos 11980-1986: https://youtu.be/lrGfG4mgsLwWhy Tho Related LinksNew Website: https://whythoapodcast.weebly.com/When Diplomacy Fails: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I talk with When Diplomacy Fails' Zack Twamley about his new book, For God or the Devil: A History of the Thirty Years War. We chat about how the conflict is remembered, and what he's learnt after returning to the topic after seven years. Buy the book HERE Listen to When Diplomacy Fails HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people think they know about Irish politics because they saw a movie that one time. Many others think they know Irish politics because they read a few news stories back in the 1980s. Finally, there are those who do not know Irish politics at all but are happy to talk about it on TV. To help clear up confusions you didn't know you had, Zac Twamley of When Diplomacy Fails, and Benjamin Jacobs of Wittenberg to Westphalia, have gotten together for a short 1:38 minute chat to contextualize all the basic stuff you absolutely need to know to understand the 2020 Irish Election. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The guys interview Zack Twamley, the host of the history podcast When Diplomacy Fails. They talk about parallels between the game and real life events. Plus Google Translate chat and their first Face to Face game in Brisbane. Intro Kaner and Amby start by forgetting to introduce themselves before celebrating their 50th episode at Gilhooley’s Irish Pub and running through their drinks  (0 mins 5 secs) They then discuss their upcoming guest, Zack Twamley, host of the history podcast When Diplomacy Fails (1 min 20 secs) Zack recently completed an 85 episode series about the Treaty of Versailles and has name dropped the game Diplomacy a number of times on his podcast (2 mins) Amby gives a quick run down about the Delegation Game that Zack ran which involved a lot of the same set of Diplomacy skills in drafting an alternate history Treaty of Versailles (3 mins) The guys then throw to the interview (4 mins) Interview with Zack Twamley from the When Diplomacy Fails podcast Kaner and Amby welcome Zack to the show (4 mins 15 secs) Zack talks about his recent holiday in Sicily. He discusses the books he took to read: Dan Jones’ The Plantagenets and Bernard Cornwell’s multi part series about the archer Thomas of Hookton. Amby touches on Kaner’s prior recommendation about Bernard Cornwell’s Arthurian series beginning with The Winter King (5 mins) Amby touches on Zack’s show and his occasional name dropping about the game Diplomacy. Zack talks about his experience with the game in a caravan one holiday and how it was so unlike any other game he’d played before (6 mins 45 secs) Amby asks Zack to give his perspective on what makes Diplomacy very different to any other games (10 mins) Amby touches on the recent interview with Baron von Powell and the random element in Diplomacy being the players and their behavior (11 mins 30 secs) Zack asks about a couple of Baron’s variants, Amby explains particularly 1900 and its more historical bent (12 mins 40 secs) Amby asks Zack about what 2 or 3 players in history would make excellent Diplomacy players (16 mins 45 secs) Amby quotes Zack quoting Colonel House in episode 73 of When Diplomacy Fails, talking about Lloyd George which sounds like a critique of a Diplomacy player. He goes onto discuss House’s thoughts about the main contenders in Paris after World War One (22 mins 45 secs) Amby asks who was a poor Diplomacy player at the peace conference, Zack then discusses who was a surprisingly good player (26 mins 45 secs) They discuss the similarities and differences between When Diplomacy Fails and Diplomacy Game (35 mins 30 secs) Amby talks about Zack’s “The Delegation Game” and to what extent it turned out the way he expected (36 mins 50 secs) Zack discusses which players of the Delegation Game he felt would make great Diplomacy players (41 mins) Amby touches on Zack’s other job as a university lecturer discussing European politics. He queries the nature of Brexit and how it relates to the game Diplomacy (44 mins 45 secs) Kaner asks about what historical similarities to Brexit are there (48 mins 50 secs)  The guys ask Zack where Diplomacy Games listeners can go to if they want to learn more about his show (57 mins 40 secs) The three guys talk about an online collaboration game (1 hr 0 mins 30 secs) Amby provides info to Zack’s audience if they want to learn more about Diplomacy Games, finding face to face communities and online Diplomacy sites (1 hr 1 min 20 secs) The guys start wrapping up the interview (1 hr 4 mins) Post interview chat Kaner and Amby return post-interview and give a few apologies (1 hr 5 mins 15 secs) They talk about how good it would be to get Zack in a game and set a goal for episode 100 (1 hr 6 mins 45 secs) Amby reflects that in addition to this being episode 50, when this episode drops its been 3 years since the podcast started (1 hr 7 mins 45 secs) Around the grounds The guys start talking about their current online games. Kaner begins by discussing his three Renovatio Europa games (1 hr 9 mins) Kaner poses some questions about the connection between the Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in this variant. Amby agrees with Kaner’s argument on the ahistorical nature of this connection. They discuss options for how to maybe manage cross-African journeys. They also touch on which powers appear to be consistently doing overly well. Kaner talks about his games (1 hr 10 mins 30 secs) Amby discusses his Renovatio Europa games. They discuss how players can “kiss and make up” in gunboat games despite initial conflict (1 hr 18 mins) Amby turns to his anonymous Divided States game which has been going over a year in real life (over 40 game years) which is starting to plateau. He discusses the recent changes in alliance blocks on the board (1 hr 20 mins 30 secs) Amby says he’s been eliminated in his Versailles game at PlayDip, but his War of the Americas game is still going (1 hr 25 mins) The guys talks about Amby’s Google Translate Diplomacy game with a couple of choice quotes (1 hr 26 mins) They agree to head to their live face to face game and come back to discuss it and the Translate game in more detail (1 hr 28 mins) Post live face-to-face game wrap up with Tony the Butcher from PlayDip The guys introduce Tony the Butcher (a PlayDip player) who attended the face to face game in Brisbane. He played as Austria and got the equal highest number of SCs at the end of the game. Incidentally Amby drew Turkey and Kaner got France (1 hr 28 mins) They talks about the newer players Tristan, Beth and Ty and how they did well. Strangely enough Rob who was the most experienced player got smashed up a bit (1 hr 30 mins)  Amby reflects that he didn’t get the same adreniline rush in this game as the Melbourne Open. They discuss having regular games now in Brisbane every two months (1 hr 33 mins 30 secs) Amby asks Tony about his experiences at PlayDip. Kaner discusses using the Fog of War map as a taster for Classic players to try variants (1 hr 34 mins 30 secs) Kaner shows Tony the Renovatio Europa 34 player variant and talks about the board and playing a map of this type. Amby explains how sealanes and overseer zones (1 hr 36 mins 30 secs) Google Translate game Kaner and Amby discuss the Google Translate game going on at vDip using the Aberration V map. Players need to push their message through at least seven languages. All are published on full press (1 hr 39 mins 30 secs) Kaner reads some sample recent messages (1 hr 41 mins 30 secs) They discuss the nature of this being an unrated game. They ask about ratings at PlayDip (1 hr 45 mins) Kaner talks about his recent win as Russia in a 1898 Fog of War game (1 hr 48 mins)  Amby digresses about the face to face game and seeing less experienced players not understanding the rules/writing orders. They talk about what’s easy in the game to pick up and what’s not (1 hr 51 mins 30 secs) They ask Tony about his experience playing his first face to face game in a while (1 hr 54 mins) Kaner talks about how in face to face you notice who is talking to who and how animated they can be and how you don’t get that in online games. They talk about how the game ebbed and flowed (1 hr 55 mins) The guys wrap up (1 hr 59 mins) Venue: Gilhooleys, Brisbane Drinks of choice: Kaner - Kilkenny, Ireland Amby - Guinness, Ireland Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help improve the audio equipment... or get the guys more drunk,  you can also donate at Patreon or you can also shop at Amazon using our affiliate link. It costs exactly the same to you, but Amazon give us a small cut and it doesn't cost you a cent more! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

Happy birthday to us! When Diplomacy Fails is 6 years old today, and to celebrate we're jumping right into the Thirty Years War once again, with another intro episode (2/5) this one looking at the timeline of the conflict up to the year 1635, but with a twist. I'm not by myself this time - today I am joined by TALK episode guest Sean. Far too much happens to really summarise here, but as usual, skip ahead past the BEFIT rundown for the bulk of the episode, and make sure to let me know what you thought.'Back on the podcast...'Visit the Thirty Years War section of the websiteRemember to BEFIT!B is for blogE is for email wdfpodcast@hotmail.comF is for Facebook, the Page and the GroupI is for iTunes, please rate, review and subscribeT is for TELL ANYONE!Don't forget of course that WDF is on Patreon, Twitter, its website and has a Newsletter See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You should know about our new sponsor - onlinegreatbooks.com! To access some fascinating books, nerd out with like minded enthusiasts, further your knowledge of some classical works, get 25% off your first three months AND help the show, head on over to... https://intellectuallinearprogression.com/when-diplomacy-fails/?level=1&discount_code=dip Episode 22: Crossing the Rubicon looks at the moment where the North invades, and the different pieces fall into place for some, and fall apart for others. At 4AM on 25th June 1950, the buildup, all the preparation, all the pressuring and all the lies produced their anticipated outcome. In more force than anyone could have expected, North Korea invaded its Southern neighbour and instigated what appeared to be a catastrophic collapse in Southern defences. Syngman Rhee, it seems, had been right to warn his American allies of his country's vulnerable state.The ROKA proved useless in the face of the North's veteran troops, many of whom had served in the Chinese Civil War for several years.We follow from the perspective of Paik Sun Yup, who began the war as a Colonel, he would end it as one of the highest ranking military personnel in Korea. His war was only beginning, The nightmare for Korea was only beginning, as the war which has flummoxed and fascinated people for many decades since erupted across the 38th parallel.******Music used:"My Pillow and Me", by Lizzie Myles in 1923. Available:http://freemusicarchive.org/…/Antique_Phon…/My_Pillow_And_MeSign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcast Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog:

Make sure you check out the Human Circus - Journeys in the Medieval World, if you're a fan of fascinating stories and a well told narratives. Devon is a history friend and a proud member of the History Podcasting Platform, so show him some love and check his brilliant pod out! https://humancircuspodcast.com/You can also subscribe to his show on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/human-circus-histories/id1194921513?mt=2&ls=1Episode 21: In Support of My Thesis is a kind of culmination of all we've learned so far. It's also a recap of our findings and my theses for this series. What do I believe, and why do I believe it, and how do I respond to some other scholars who claim that the Korean War began for different reasons? All of these are questions I grapple with here, so if you like your debates historical be sure to stop by. Remember as well that you can access the Bibliography for this show at any time by heading over to http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Throughout this episode we delve into the arguments and conclusions of several historians, and we rationalise our findings by asking you guys a set of hypothetical questions. Let's just say that if you were unconvinced about how we got to our conclusions and why, you should find this episode here very persuasive, and hopefully effective in conveying my points of view. Make sure as ever that you guys let me know what you think! Do you side with the conventional explanations, given by a guy like Max Hastings, (pictured), or are you looking for something more? Have a listen, and see where you stand.*******Music used: "Lonesome Road Blues" by the Blue Ridge Duo, 1924, available: https://archive.org/details/EDIS-SRP-0196-03 Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcast Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month):

Make sure to give a warm welcome to our featured history podcast through the History Podcasting Platform: Noah Tetzner, and his History of Vikings Podcast. You can find Noah's excellent podcast here: http://thehistoryofvikings.com/author/noahtetzner/ Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-vikings/id1363609926 Episode 20: Korean Background Part 3 concludes our examination of the Korean elements of the Korean War, by looking at the events which shaped the peninsula North and South between 1945-50. These were years of trouble, of building political bases and of tackling the inherent problems which each zone posed. Cultures of corruption, of political difference and of nationalism would all have to be adapted in this divided world. In the midst of these changes we also see the role which the many institutions of the United Nations had in bringing Korea back together on a basis which would be acceptable to both sides. In the late 1940s, it was far from certain that the division in Korea would be permanent. Since both Moscow and Washington were by now far more occupied with events going on in Western Europe, where events like the Berlin Blockade and the Prague Coup dominated, it was unsurprising that both had little time for affairs in Korea. In time though, as this episode shows, both sides saw the value in holding onto their zone, even while this act required some additional investment, and a consistent support of their favoured candidate, who didn't necessarily have the support of the country behind him. These years, indeed, show us what the Korean origins to the Korean War were, and how it was that over 100,000 Koreans had lost their lives in an undeclared civil war on the peninsula before the outbreak of war in June 1950.****************Music used: "Good Bye Sweet Old Manhattan Isle" by Harry Tally, released in 1909, a must for anyone who wants an atmospheric, patriotic and nostalgic look at America's city so nice, they named it twice! Available: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Harry_Tally/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02102015/Good_Bye_Sweet_Old_Manhattan_Isle_-_Harry_Tally ************Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcast Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter:... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 2 follows on from where our first episode left off. Here, the power struggle between the Soviet Union’s top men is in full swing, and power plays, character assassination, genuine assassination and even more tactics besides distinguish this period of post-Stalin Soviet history. The end result – Nikita Khrushchev’s victorious succession and confirmation as First Secretary – was far from certain once the struggle began, but as his rivals continued to underestimate him, and as he worked to build up his power base while the big fish sniped at one another, Khrushchev emerged as the best candidate to fill Stalin’s murderous shoes. Yet, it was far from clear at the same time exactly what Khrushchev had in mind.For one, the so-called Thaw had been on-going since Stalin’s death, as prisoners were released, trumped up charges commuted, and some of the more unpopular policies relaxed. Would Khrushchev make efforts to expand upon this approach to Soviet rule, or would he contain its potential dangers as soon as he was in a position to do so? The different possibilities for life after Stalin remind us that what followed and what opened the year 1956 was by no means the only course, yet it was the most radical option at the time.The act of building towards that infamous event in Khrushchev’s tenure of rule – the secret speech – thus occupies a great deal of our time here. Of most interest to us here though is the spectacle of Khrushchev’s elimination of his rivals, either through execution or political neutralisation. As far as Khrushchev was concerned, while a collective leadership on paper looked nice, in reality, there could be only one...**************Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our first episode of the EXCLUSIVE series 1956 is out now! To give you a taster of what’s to come, this first episode and its follow up are absolutely FREE for all listeners, but episode 3 onwards will require you guys to sign up for the bargain price of just $5 a month to join in the party. By paying $5 a month, you’ll not only secure your place as a valued history friend, you’ll also guarantee that you get the best of WDF, the earliest access and of course, access to future exclusive series like the Age of Bismarck! Above all, you’ll be helping to ensure that I can continue to do this as part of my living, and you’ll be making history thrive in the process.Above all you should notice, as per some previous announcements, that this podcast series is moving to a new address! 1956 will have its own RSS feed and its own home within the WDF podcast group, soon to be joined by many more, as you’ll soon see! This way, 1956 can serve as a constant advertisement for the benefits of becoming a Diplomat, but it also means that we don’t clog up the feed with any 1956 episodes. My OCD senses are pleased, but your history senses should be well pleased too! Remember that all Patrons can even help out further by giving a review in 1956’s new home if you are enjoying the series. Now then, you may be wondering – what does 1956 have to offer? What exactly is in the box?Well, if you want to learn more about what followed after the Korean War – as a story and as a year of significance, 1956 has few equals, and we open our narrative with the event which set up all subsequent events – the death of Josef Stalin on 5th March 1953. As far as deaths of prominent characters go, the death of Stalin from a succession of strokes at the age of 73 sticks out particularly – a man who allowed his paranoia get the better of him, out of fear of his own vulnerability and out of lust for power, died without being the victim of any underhanded scheme. As we’ll see, he also died without naming an official successor, throwing into chaos those men who had stuck around long enough to accumulate some power for themselves.In this episode we’ll meet these figures – the so-called ‘collective leadership’ of the Soviet Union, which included such heavy hitters as Molotov, Malenkov, Lavrenti Beria, Anastas Mikoyan and a sometimes crude, always blunt figure by the name of Nikita Khrushchev. The story of what would come after Stalin is a gripping and fascinating snapshot of life at the top of the Soviet greasy pole. It prepares us for the eventful months which are to come, by investigating exactly what it was that compelled these men to undo some of what Stalin had made, while still holding onto the terrifying edifice which held half of the continent of Europe in rapture. I hope you’ll join me – and a huge thanksss for all your support so far!******************************Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies:

1956 is divided into two parts, the first tackles the question of life after Stalin, the second examines the run up to the Suez Crisis. Here in our introduction to Part 1, we'll see what we're dealing with when we attempt to delve into a world that had just lost its most dominating personality. Could the Soviet Union endure life after Stalin? What would it look like now that it was led by a collective leadership? Could this collective leadership possibly last? Let's find out, and remember to check out the other two episodes of Part 1 here as well, entitled 1.1 and 1.2.*********************Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's this then? Well history friend this is 1956! And it's here because, after trying to start a new feed with these sample episodes in it, I decided it just wasn't working, and that it would be better to do something more sensible, and plonk them in the regular WDF feed, so here we are!1956 - The Eventful Year is a brand new series designed to bring you closer to the events of this incredible year in history. While on the surface, 1956 may appear like any other year of the 20th century - perhaps with less to offer than many other candidates - it is in fact rich with intrigue, fascinating characters,struggles, triumphs and tragedies. This series is actually a PATREON exclusive series, for supporters of this podcast at the $5 level or higher on When Diplomacy Fails' Patreon page. However, all listeners here will be able to listen, for free, to four episodes out of this exclusive series. Two of which will be available from launch day.The question of what 1956 actually is can be answered by a quick gander at its structure - the series will be split into two distinct parts, since so much goes on, it only makes sense to approach the year in this way. The first part examines life after Stalin, and asks what happened in the Soviet Union when Nikita Khrushchev assumed power. The second part traces the eruption of the Suez Crisis, largely from the British perspective.****************If you're interested in learning more about WDF, then you know where to go!Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 19: Korean Background Part 2 picks up where we left off last time with an examination of Syngman Rhee, by examining his counterpart up North. Who was Kim Il-sung, and where did he come from to assume a position of unrivalled power in Pyongyang by 1950? Was this rise all by accident, or exclusively by Soviet design, and what was it that recommended Kim to Stalin in the first place? All of these are critical questions which we will examine here, as one of the leading antagonists of our narrative is brought out into the open, freed from his mythical bubble.The story of Kim is one of the creation of Korean nationalism, as much as it the creation of the Korean Communist Party, which won only 4% of the vote in the Soviet zone in 1946. This would never do, and the ascent of Kim Il-sung had much to do with his passionate zeal for communism, as much as it with his loyalty to Stalin. Both qualities would be greatly tested over the next few years, but they would also enable Kim to manoeuvre himself and his family into an unprecedented position of leadership and control. The seeds of this position were already being planted here.*******Music used:"Golden Slippers", by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, released in 1909. Don't let its age fool you - this golden gem is not only my wife's favourite tune, it's also super catchy! Have a listen to get in the mood, and make sure you track it down at its home by going to: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Fisk_University_Jubilee_Quartet/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02032015/Golden_Slippers_-_Fisk_University_Jubilee_Quartet****************Sign up to our NEWSLETTER for the latest news and deals! In April and May subscribers get 20% OFF my Thirty Years War book, so don't delay! sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform:http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

NEW: Subscribe to WDF's newsletter for a weekly update on the latest in WDF, exclusive deals, stories, quizzes, perspectives and so much more that you won't get anywhere else. Cut through the cr@p and AXXESS the history with our weekly telegram service. Simply click on the link provided and add your email, and WALLAH!Link: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastEpisode 18: Korean Background Part 1 examines, oddly enough, the background in Korea before the war broke out, in the early years of Syngman Rhee's career. Rhee's life existed in the backdrop of the creeping Japanese influence in Korea, as the peninsula was passing from a Chinese to a Japanese satellite in the late 19th century. All the while, Russian tensions with the Japanese also escalated, and Rhee found himself trapped in a homeland with few friends, and many predators.At 30 years old in the early years of the century, Rhee began his auspicious journey to the US, where he gathered up several degrees and distinguished himself, before returning home as a missionary of all things, just as the Japanese were preparing to annex the region. Rhee's departure in 1910 signalled a watershed moment in his life - for the next 35 years, Rhee would remain an American resident, tirelessly campaigning for the rights of Koreans to independence, as his calls fell on mostly deaf ears. Not until 1945, when he was needed as a Westernised, English speaking Korean person, would Rhee be called upon by the US. We conclude the episode by examining the arrival of the two sides in the peninsula in 1945, and the decision made thereafter to divide Korea along the 38th parallel. It was a decision taken, we'll see, without any consultation with the Korean people, and it was also a decision taken entirely with the interests of the US and Soviets in mind. Time would tell exactly how important this dividing line would be, but for now, it sufficed to keep everyone quiet, if not happy.************ Music used: Georgie Price, Morning Will Come, 1923. Available: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Georgie_Price/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_03242015/Morning_Will_Come_-_Georgie_PriceWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF15 to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.History Podcasting Platform: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/history-podcasting-platform/Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog:

NEW: Subscribe to WDF's newsletter for a weekly update on the latest in WDF, exclusive deals, stories, quizzes, perspectives and so much more that you won't get anywhere else. Cut through the cr@p and AXXESS the history with our weekly telegram service. Simply click on the link provided and add your email, and WALLAH!Link: https://mailchi.mp/a0d49eec863c/wdfpodcastEpisode 17: The Balancing Act contains several fascinating nuggets, as the US did its best to balance the needs of its policy towards South Korea - the luring of its enemies there into a false sense of security by making the regime vulnerable - with its real strategic concerns if the North made use of its increasingly powerful armoured columns. In spite of Syngman Rhee's pleas in the months before, the anti-tank capabilities of the ROK Army were insufficient at best, and there was a real danger that if the North pushed south with its abundance of T34s, it would roll up everything that the allies had to offer.In such circumstances, we are also introduced to War Plan SL-17, a detailed dossier on how to act in the event of a war in Korea, developed by the US government in early June 1950, in other words, only a few weeks before the invasion was launched. This War Plan also detailed the defence in the Pusan Perimeter which was later made famous by heroic allied actions, but also "an amphibious landing at Inchon to cut enemy supply lines". Far from General MacArthur's brainchild, the Inchon landings were in fact put to paper many months before, all as a response to the fears that the North was capable of defeating the allies on the peninsula before the wider goal of NSC68 could be pursued.This is our final analysis of American policies towards Korea before the shooting begins, and it is rife with some last minute considerations, as war preparations in late June 1950 reach a fever pitch. Having crafted and prepared this policy, it was essential that Washington not mess up this late in the game - the risk was high, but the endgoal of containment required that Korea be a theatre of risk. If the allies could stand fast in the initial attack, then the subsequent response would hopefully cover up any bad taste that the initial allied failures left. Hopes and aims were thus a dime a dozen in the final days of peace; it remained to be seen exactly how secure the American position was. A succession of punches, some of them in the public sphere, some on the battlefield, and some in the upper echelons of government and military command, were soon to land, and then, a new balancing act would begin.*******"Good Morning Mr Zip-Zip-Zip", by Eugene Buckley and the Peerless Quartet, released in 1918. The song refers plainly to the composition and haircuts of the armies. In light of what's about to come in Korea, I felt it was appropriate! You can get it for free here: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Eugene_Buckley_and_Peerless_Quartette/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_03242015/Good_Morning_Mr_Zip-ZipZip_-_Eugene_Buckley_and_Peerless_Quartette************ Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop, website, source materials and Patreon below.Official shop where you can pick up all manner of podcast-related goodies: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/shop/Facebook page:

Episode 16: Selective Perspective examines further the American policy towards South Korea in late spring 1950. We open the episode with the arrival of America's ambassador to South Korea John J Muccio (pictured) returning home, to plead in person for the things that Seoul desperately needed. While Muccio did this, the Truman administration set about crafting a perfectly coordinated image of its approach to South Korea, be that through suggestive magazine interviews or tactically ignoring Muccio's recommendations, while giving the impression that he had been listened to.If the order of the day was to stall Muccio, and to momentarily ease Syngman Rhee's fears, then it was mission accomplished.As the Truman administration well understood, their policy towards Korea was being watched by the communists, and any signs of hesitation, of a reluctant or unwillingness to support Rhee's regime could all be construed as signals that Washington wouldn't put up much of a fight if the North invaded. This was what Kim Il-sung wanted to hear, and it was also exactly what Washington wanted him to hear. Faced with these bits of evidence, Kim would invade South Korea convinced of the American weakness and hesitation, only to face a total buzzsaw.The US did have some cause for concern though, when intelligence was received that underlined the sheer number of armoured columns collecting in North Korea. While they required a Northern invasion and an allied holding action, there was a danger that the North would push the allies off the peninsula entirely if the hundreds of T34 tanks burst over the 38th parallel. Thus, Washington engaged in some other policies, seemingly at odds with their plan to sabotage South Korea's defensive capabilities. Task forces, air and naval forces and other preparations would be made. Even while it would seem that the US was unprepared when the North attacked, the arrival of more soldiers in the nick of time in several areas would, hopefully, be enough to plug the gaps. Any suspicion about the American response was a matter of perspective.******Music used:"Shaving Cream" by Benny Bell, released in 1946. Today we have a real gem for you guys - the first true double entendre song of its time, Shaving Cream is...well...you just have to have a listen yourself to see what it's all about. As a tune it remains one of my favourite of the series, and is supremely catchy, I'm sure you'll agree. You can get it for free here:https://archive.org/details/BennyBell Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, shop website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website:

Episode 15: Ignorance Is Bliss examines the behaviour of the US towards its South Korean ally. Since the American strategy was now to lure North Korea into attacking, we'll see in this episode exactly how determined the Truman administration was to chronically underfund and jeopardise the security of Seoul. Ignoring the protests, concerns and urgency professed even by some of its own State Department staff, the US behaved as though it had no concept of what was happening in South Korea in spring 1950, and that it did not know that the Soviets were now actively supporting the North as it prepared to invade.If the North planned to invade, Washington planned to make South Korea as juicy a target as possible for its neighbours. Only in this way would the conflict necessary for the realisation of NSC68 be achieved. So Syngman Rhee was faced with complaints from Washington that inflation in his country was rife, and that he would have to sort this out before sufficient military aid would be provided. Where Rhee protested that his state was desperately vulnerable in light of rumours of Northern rearmament, Acheson(pictured here with Truman) stalled, and presented the South Korean regime as too beligerent to be trusted with greater defensive capabilities, a claim which has mostly stuck to this day.In the height of his desperation, the uninformed American ambassador to South Korea, John J Muccio, would attempt to travel to Washington and make his case. As he planned his trip, it was difficult to believe that the Truman administration could indeed be this grossly incompetant and ignorant of the situation. As we'll see, this conventional explanation for why the US ignored the repeated warnings doesn't hold up particularly well under scrutiny. It's time to challenge what you think you know, and I'm here as always to help you do that!*******Music Used: "Gloomy Sunday", by Paul Whiteman, released in 1936. This iconic tune was made use of during the Hungarian revolts. It is indeed a gloomy tune, but also one of immense quality, so I hope you enjoy it! You can find it free here: https://archive.org/details/PaulWhitemanwithJohnnyHauser 1956 - The Eventful Year is now LIVE! Head on over to its new home and check out this new, originally researched series, and listen to over two hours of free content now! If you like what you hear, why not join up on Patreon for $5 a month, and get access to the complete story 1956 provides: a rich and immensely detailed saga spanning 35 episodes!? You'll be investing in WDF's future, feasting on all the best exclusive content to come, AND have access to the XTRA feed's extensive back catalogue! Thanksss!For 1956: https://www.acast.com/1956eventfulyearTo access it all, head over to the XTRA feed: https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails/postsWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month):

Episode 14: The Race To Ruin examines the Asian theatre in spring 1950, and the different concerns which the North Koreans, Soviet and Chinese leaders grappled with. At the apex of these concerns was the alternative plan of Mao's, as Mao desperately wanted to invade Taiwan, and end the Chinese Civil War once and for all before either American support or some form of republican resurgence on that island threatened China. This fear of the implications for Chinese security in Taiwan compelled Mao to act entirely as Stalin expected.Mao was eager to invade Taiwan, but required Soviet aid to launch such an invasion since he lacked the necessary landing craft. Thus, Stalin held the cards, and he also held them in the Korean case, as supplies began arriving in Pyongyang at the same time as Stalin met with the North Korean delegation over February to April. Important details, and the blueprint of the war were essentially hammered out, and Stalin presented the conflict going the way which Kim had hoped. It would not be a long war, Stalin claimed, but a short sharp one, whereupon the fall of Seoul would cause a pro-Kim uprising in South Korea, and the country would fall without Kim Il-sung having to lift a finger. This, of course, was what Kim Il-sung wanted to hear.If Kim was being duped by Stalin on this issue, then Mao wasn't doing much better. Gradually, at least, the Chinese leader was beginning to suspect that something was underway in North Korea. Because Stalin kept Mao in the dark on point of principle, Mao couldn't be sure of Soviet moves, but he felt a pressure upon his goals to invade Taiwan, and this was enough to force him to accelerate his plans for an invasion, with or without the necessary craft. This increased preparedness, of course, caused Stalin to increase his own Korean War plans. If Mao managed to seize Taiwan before the Korean War was launched, then Chiang Kai-shek would be absent, and the Sino-American relationship could be potentially healed. To prevent this, Stalin attempted to intercept the Chinese by pushing Kim forward in Korea. It was thus a race, yet on any consideration, it was a race to ruin. Stalin was eager to launch the war, but he was far from eager to actually fight it.*********1956 - The Eventful Year is now LIVE! Head on over to its new home and check out this new, originally researched series, and listen to over two hours of free content now! If you like what you hear, why not join up on Patreon for $5 a month, and get access to the complete story 1956 provides: a rich and immensely detailed saga spanning 35 episodes!? You'll be investing in WDF's future, feasting on all the best exclusive content to come, AND have access to the XTRA feed's extensive back catalogue! Thanksss!For 1956: https://www.acast.com/1956eventfulyearTo access it all, head over to the XTRA feed: https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails/postsWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month):

Episode 13: A Useful Bombshell examines the immediate reactions to the Sino-Soviet Alliance in the US. Now that their wedge strategy had been torpedoed, and the Truman administration had failed to save China again, the question remained as to what Dean Acheson could do next. Under pressure from foreign and domestic critics, it was imperative that something was done to reverse these negative trends, and get some kind of a win for American foreign policy.If you've been paying attention so far, you'll know that THIS is the moment in our story when our coverage really diverges away from the mainstream version of what happened, but bear with me, because we certainly aren't being 'alt' for no reason!The version of the KW which I plan to present in this series is this: far from twiddling its thumbs and living in blissful ignorance of the threat to Korea and Taiwan, Acheson and some newly installed, more hardline colleagues determined that Korea could have some real value as a piece of bait. This bait could draw first the North Koreans and then the Chinese in, while Taiwan would be secured, a new frontline against communism would be drawn in Asia, and, most importantly of all, Washington would wrest approval in these desperate times for a manifold explosion in its defence budget, from $15 billion to $70 billion, as we have seen."No people in history have preserved their freedom who thought that by not being strong enough to protect themselves they might prove inoffensive to their enemies." Such was the opinion of NSC68, our boo for this series, and the key to understanding why the US pursued the foreign policy that it did. Having tried and failed to disarm the Soviet capabilities through diplomacy, plan B looked to contain the Sino-Soviet bloc, although it was tacitly acknowledged that to bluff the Soviets from a position of weakness would be a recipe for disaster.NSC68 did not mean war with the Soviets - it meant the creation of a military industrial complex that would enable Washington to contain communism, and peacefully dictate to Moscow from a position of strength. Episode 13's useful bombshell was thus that Sino-Soviet alliance, because without it, the Truman administration could never have turned American fortunes around as they did, and the US may well never have emerged as the supreme military power in the Cold War. This, and some other musings, are our episode 13, so I hope you enjoy it!***************1956 - The Eventful Year is now LIVE! Head on over to its new home and check out this new, originally researched series, and listen to over two hours of free content now! If you like what you hear, why not join up on Patreon for $5 a month, and get access to the complete story 1956 provides: a rich and immensely detailed saga spanning 35 episodes!? You'll be investing in WDF's future, feasting on all the best exclusive content to come, AND have access to the XTRA feed's extensive back catalogue! Thanksss!For 1956: https://www.acast.com/1956eventfulyearTo access it all, head over to the XTRA feed: https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails/postsWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter:

**REMEMBER, 1956 - The Eventful Year is out NOW! 1956 is a brand new original series examining the eventful aftermath of the Korean War. Stalin was dead, the West was facing numerous troubles, and everything seemed in flux. It is an incredible story, and I really enjoyed researching it. It is absolutely free to listen to the first few episodes of 1956, but it is in a brand new podcast feed! 4 episodes in total and more to come are on the way, so please do follow these links so that you can subscribe and enjoy this underrated story.The following episodes are available to all:What is 1956?1956 Part 1 Introduction1956 Episode 1.1: Death of a Comrade1956 Episode 1.2: There Can Be Only One!To find on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/1956-the-eventful-year/id1351213922To find on Acast: https://www.acast.com/1956eventfulyearPlease do stop by - there's so much to see and hear in this series, and already I have heard great things from several listeners and Patrons alike! Thankssss! :D***************In Episode 12, A Treaty of 'Friendship', we examine Mao Zedong's visit to Moscow reaching its conclusion. The long awaited treaty, so long feared in the US, was concluded on 14th February. Yet, while on the surface, the agreement was steeped in mutual cooperation and Sino-Soviet happiness, the truth was far more complex, and far less warm.Under the surface, Stalin had already set the ball rolling for a war in Korea by providing Kim Il-Sung with thousands of new experienced soldiers, freshly returned from their campaigns in China. This sudden influx of experienced and enthusiastic veterans meant that Kim was in a position to invade the South, at least, so he thought. To Mao Zedong, this meant a whole load of bad things, but above all, it meant complications and security problems for his fledgling People's Republic.Having sown this seed in the background, Stalin was bound to see it bear fruit in the near future, and he found that Mao was a great deal more suspicious of him when they met in late January to conclude their long awaited deal. The rumour and whispers about Stalin's moves and the dangers these posed Mao compelled the Chinese leader to change his stance in many, almost hilarious respects. While Stalin, altered also by the events he was setting in motion, had changed his tune as well. The Treaty of Friendship, while lamented in Washington, was as much a blessing as a curse for Mao - above all, it now meant that the race was on to make war against Taiwan before there was war in Korea. The problem being, Stalin had his hands all over the necessary equipment, and he was in total control***** Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog:

This is a VERY detailed episode, and can be best divided into three parts.1) Explaining the different NSC reports and papers, and how they were reconciled as new developments affected a change in US foreign policy.2) Stalin's decision to walk out of the UN Security Council, and why he did it!3) Acheson's speech to the National Press Club on 12th January 1950 - so long lambasted as an example of the Secretary of State's carelessness, but in actual fact representing a veiled attempt to appeal to Mao Zedong.As detailed as it is, it's also chock full of fascinating info, so listen in!Episode 11: Coming Full Circle ties together the last six episodes that examined the Sino-Soviet and Sino-American relations in their different boxes. The countless ways in which American, Soviet and Chinese interests overlapped in the world made hammering out satisfactory deals somewhat difficult, but as 1950 dawned, the Chinese were finally closing in on signing the deal with the Soviets, but not if Dean Acheson had anything to say about it!In the course of his last efforts to drive that wedge between China and Russia, Acheson performed the now infamous speech at the National Press Club on 12th January 1950. Ever since that moment, Acheson came to be regarded as the man who led the world to believe that the US did not care about South Korea, and thus he is sometimes criticised for giving the green light to Kim Il-sung, who interpreted his speech as saying that Washington would leave Seoul to its fate. The reality, as we'll discover, was a bit more complicated, FAR more interesting and had, at its goal, the friendship of China.Acheson was not going down without a fight, but within days, everything he held to be true about American foreign policy would change. See how such an incredible story unfolded, in our latest episode of the Korean War!******Music used:"Smoky Mountain Blues" by Wallace Chains, released in 1939. Available:http://www.museumsyndicate.com/item.php?item=82680 Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 10: Sino-American Talks Part 2 concludes our take on where the Sino-American diplomacy led as 1949 became 1950. It provides a crucial bit of background to how the US reacted to the actual signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty, so make sure you have a listen in, and as always, be sure to let me know what you all thought!The increasing supremacy of the communists, as well as the difficulties posed by the British, were among the complications that the Truman administration faced when its face, Dean Acheson, (pictured here at work with NATO) attempted to continue with the wedge approach. As we learned last time, Acheson believed that only by accepting the facts of the day and abandoning the doomed Chiang Kai-shek could US interests in Asia and across the world be upheld. Unless America abandoned Chiang, it could never pose as a friend to Mao, and thus Acheson attempted, in a last ditch effort in autumn 1949, to be that friend.Mao was in indeed looking for a friend, but as we have learned, Acheson's efforts came as too little too late. Worse, the Soviets managed to detonate their own atom bomb in August, reducing the American supremacy in world affairs. Pressure was mounting on Acheson to wrest something from Mao, just as it was mounting on Mao to reach an agreement with Stalin. As we know, only one of these outcomes could come to pass, and Beijing would side with their ideological allies rather than the suspicious Washington.Acheson didn't know it yet, but his failure here would lead him to trumpet an even more radical policy than appeasing the Chinese. If the Soviets and Chinese wanted to be in cahoots, then America would allow it and confront the problem head on, but first she needed to re-arm. The march towards Korea was beginning.*******Music used:"Goodnight Angeline", by the Four Harmony Kings, in 1921. This gem can be found by going to: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Four_Harmony_Kings/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02032015/Goodnight_Angeline_-_The_Four_Harmony_KingsWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 9: Sino-American Talks Part 1 introduces us to the OTHER side of Chinese diplomacy between 1949-50; that involving the US, and how Washington attempted to wrest some benefit out of the rapidly changing situation in China, as the Republican/Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek suffered successive defeats at Mao's hands.The US would attempt to drive a wedge between the USSR and the PRC during 1949 - a policy which we know, in light of the signing of the Sino-Soviet alliance, eventually failed, but this was not from lack of trying! To set the proper for context for the radical change in American foreign policy which emerged in spring 1950, it is necessary here to detail what came before. I hope you guys enjoy our examination of a period of post-war American diplomacy which is largely skimmed over today.At the head of this wedge strategy was the Secretary of State Dean Acheson (pictured), who rebelled against the policy insisted upon by the right of centre Republicans that wanted the US to fight for Chiang Kai-shek. Acheson was adamant that only through the appeasement of the communist Chinese, through a realistic approach to their civil war, and through an appraisal of the advantages the US had over the Chinese, could the feared Sino-Soviet agreement be prevented. Time would show, as we know, that Acheson, as well as his peers, were wrong on all accounts.This episode, much like the previous take on Sino-Soviet relations, forms a critically important building block, and is a necessary scene setting step towards the REALLY juicy stuff in early 1950, so I hope you enjoy it!******Music used:"Casey Jones", by Mr and Mrs Byron Coffin, released in 1939. Available:http://www.loc.gov/…/pres…/activities/songs/audio/song1a.mp3Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yay! We've finally had a Q & A, where you guys sent me a variety of lovely questions and I did my best to answer! Within are such questions as:What part of the KW do you find most fascinating? What have been your top 3 topics you have covered in order from 1-3? How do you decide what to cover? Is there any historical topic you just will not touch, under any circumstances? What would you consider a good day’s work in terms of your production schedule? What got you first interested in history? If you could have a Guinness with any historical figure and ask them any question, who would you choose and what would you ask? Will you ever meet your fans in the US? AND SO MUCH MORE!A huge thanksss to all of you that sent me questions over the last few weeks - and remember that we're reading out our new Patrons at the end, so stick around for your well-deserved fame! ************Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon!Patreon: www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 8: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 4 is the final episode examining the scene in Moscow, where the defining alliance between the Chinese Communists and the Soviet Union was signed. It took a great deal of compromise...or wait, no it didn't. It required a lot of trust...no wait, that's not right either. Em, it was mutually beneficial to both sides thanks to a whole load of scheming and power plays? Yes that's a bit more accurate. The Sino-Soviet alliance wasn't your typical alliance - it was forged by two paranoid entities at a time when each party seriously mistrusted the other.Within this episode, we are confronted by Stalin's changing policy towards Korea, as his own policy aims seemed in jeopardy if the Chinese managed to forge a deal with the West. At the core of Stalin's concerns was that his own influence would be diluted even if the Chinese managed to forge an alliance with Moscow, as American aid or agreements could replace those of the Soviet variety. To intercept this challenge to his supremacy, Stalin began to set in motion plans which would lead directly to the outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula six months later. This episode is thus a critically important one if we are to understand Stalin's mindset and his overall policy aims. Here we discover exactly how responsible Stalin was for the conflict that followed, so I hope you enjoy it!******Music used:"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral", by Chauncey Olcott, an Irish tune originating in 1913, but popularised by Bing Crosby in the 1940s. You can find it here:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chauncey_Olcott/ Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Join us on Patreon for $2 a month to access ad-free episodes earlier than normal listeners, or for $5 to access an hour of extra content every month! https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 7: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 3 picks up in this developing story, as the Chinese and Soviets cautiously move ever closer to one another in world affairs. Stalin's mission was clear. He welcomed Mao Zedong to Moscow in December 1949, in the midst of rumours that the Sino-Soviet bloc were keen to furnish some kind of alliance. Stalin, much like Mao, wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and would put up several obstacles to the successful conclusion of an alliance treaty, blaming Yalt, the West, the Americans and bad weather instead of his own personal intransigence.Mao would have to persevere if he wanted the alliance that he had travelled to Moscow to acquire. Much still needed to be done though, and in this penultimate episode analysing these talks, we see the thorny issues like Manchuria, the Soviet occupation of naval bases and the provision of resources to the Chinese in the context of the early Cold War. I hope you'll join me then, as we continue to countdown towards the cementing of one of the most important alliances signed in the 20th century.****Music used: "My Creole Sue", a 1909 track by the Columbia Quartet, available:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Columbia_Quartette/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_02032015/My_Creole_Sue_-_Columbia_QuartetteWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

IMP: Liu Shaoqi is Liu 'Shao-Chi' - NOT Liu 'Shao-Kwee'. Apologies for the mispronunciation! Love me anyway? Episode 6: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 2, continues the story from where we left off last time. The Chinese communists launch their final great offensive of the civil war against the Nationalists from April 1949, as Stalin watches his old strategy crumble. Faced with the emergence of a dominant Chinese Communist Party, rather than the divided Chinese state that he desired, how would Stalin respond?In the event, he welcomed Mao's ally Liu Shaoqi to Moscow in summer 1949 to talk through some important issues, and pave the way for a deeper friendship between the two communist regimes. Even at this stage, with both parties harbouring great and conflicting ambitions, success or alliance were by no means certain outcomes. Much, it seemed, still needed to be done.*******Music used:'Cotton Eye Joe' by Elmo Newcomer, a 1948 song which can be found here:https://www.loc.gov/item/lomaxbib000040/Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 5: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 1 examines, as you may have guessed, the detailed and complex Sino-Soviet relationship, as we build towards the signing of the Sino-Soviet alliance in February 1950. Much like Stalin and Mao had much to do before that alliance was signed, so we have much to cover before we can get to that point in our narrative, and this episode here provides a good deal of background to the Sino-Soviet relationship in the late 1940s.*****Music used:I used the song 'Maria' by Clarice Vance, which was released in 1905 originally but which enjoyed a great deal of popularity throughout the 1960s. You can find this gem here: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Clarice_Vance/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_04212015/Maria_-_Clarice_VanceWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 4: The Cat's Mao looks at Mao Zedong, the man, the myth, the legend, the disgusting, horrible war criminal and mass murderer who...ahem. Sorry about that. Mao Zedong remains a controversial figure to this day. Some believe China would never have recovered in the manner that it did, and that China would never be the power that it is today, without Mao Zedong at the helm. At the same time, while some are content to name fast food restaurants after him, others decry his responsibility, both directly and indirectly, for the loss of millions of lives - figures too difficult to pin down, but certainly high enough to qualify him in the rank of mass murderers alongside Stalin and Hitler.Indeed, controversy followed Mao, but in this episode we do our best to dispense with what Mao would DO, and focus instead on what the leader of the Chinese Communist Party actually DID. To find out, we look at his birth, his growth, his involvement in the civil wars, in the wars against the Japanese and then in the last phase of the civil war in the late 1940s, whereupon he would be pushed into a position of power arguably never attained by a Chinese figure since the all-powerful Emperors of yore. As was customary though, Mao's power disguised the bare facts of his country's vulnerability and devastation, themes which we will grapple with over the coming episodes.*****Music used:Chinese National Anthem: http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media.php?id=4045Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 3: The Brittle Curtain, examines the actual situation Comrade Stalin faced when he considered his options in the post-war world. Exactly how strong, or powerful, was the Soviet Union, and how stable were its East European satellites? Was the USSR's control based on more than merely the threat of force, or was the power of fear the glue that tied the entire edifice together?All of these are important questions, and it is immensely important that we get to the bottom of exactly what the position and perspectives of Stalin were in the pre-Korean War world, and we do our best to answer them in this critical bit of background, so I hope you enjoy it my lovely history friends!****Music used:What else could be appropriate for such an episode other than utter forced epicness of the Soviet National Anthem? NOTHING! Here's where we got it, and thanks again to the great work done by sites like Archive.org for making this available to humble podders like me. Available: https://archive.org/details/01NationalAnthemOfTheUSSRWant to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 2: The Force of Peace, we examine the founding moments of the United Nations, where the idea for it came from, why it was established and how it developed as an institution in the 1940s to have a leading role in the post-war world. The UN, as we'll see, was quite effective when its aims didn't conflict with the American or Soviet world views. Limited cooperation was, it seemed, a possibility in this shattered, traumatised world. Yet, this cooperation would only go so far.Clouds were looming on the horizon, but these clouds were largely invisible to General Douglas MacArthur (pictured with Hirohito in an immensely controversial photograph for the time) the other interest of this episode. We look at MacArthur's days in post-war Japan, and how he managed to craft for himself an incredible legacy, with not a small amount of Japanese adoration to boot. MacArthur was busy creating not merely a post-war Japanese order, but also his own legend.His success in this measure would lead in time to his appointment as Supreme Allied Commander in the critical early phases of the Korean War, at a time when his hubris could barely fit within the Japanese islands.It was a recipe for disaster, or was it? Let's investigate, in this second episode of the Korean War!Music used:Ada Jones & Billy Watkins, 'By the Beautiful Sea', available at:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ada_Jones_and_Billy_Watkins/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_03312015/By_the_Beautiful_Sea_-_Ada_Jones_and_Billy_Watkins************Want to grab yourself some quality, stylish head/ear phones and get 15% off? Use the code WDF to avail of this special offer and start your listening journey with When Diplomacy Fails like never before! See: https://www.sudio.com/eu/Want to support this podcast in other ways, as we meander through the Korean War? Check out the following links to our social media, website, source materials and Patreon below.Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsPodcast/Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856652614380207Twitter: https://twitter.com/?lang=enSupport us financially on Patreon and access an ad-free episodes ($2 per month) and an hour of extra content ($5 per month): https://www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFailsVisit the website: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/Visit the blog: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/thevassalstate/Look at our sources: http://www.wdfpodcast.com/source-materials/Remember spreading the word by telling a history friend about us is still the most effective way to spread the history love! Thanksss :D See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Zack Twamley of "When Diplomacy Fails" joins us to put realism to the test throughout history. The exciting thing for you? He's not a realist. Join us as we pick a war out of a hat and chat about how--and whether--realism can explain how it came to be. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

[PATRONS] Welcome to our first collab after Five Weeks To Run Wild! Joining us today is the one and only, Daniele Bolelli, and he and I have a great conversation about all sorts of goings on in the world of history podcasting. How did Daniele get into academia? What's his thought process when designing a new episode? Which medium does he truly prefer? All of these are questions asked and answered here, so I hope you enjoy this brilliant talk between two history podcasters. A huge thanksss again to Daniele for making this happen, and be sure to check him out at his website http://www.danielebolelli.com/ as well as http://historyonfirepodcast.com/episodes/ and finally http://thedrunkentaoist.com/ For those of you that are just joining us for the first time, you can find more When Diplomacy Fails in the following places: our website www.wdfpodcast.com on Twitter @wdfpodast on Facebook as FB Page "When Diplomacy Fails Podcast" and through emailing me directly if you have a question or comment to add wdfpodcast@hotmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Aziz took a series of questions on Sat June 17th! The first half of this episode is spoiler-free, the 2nd half features questions that pertains to TWOW. Thanks to Zack Twamley of When Diplomacy Fails podcast for the intro! Support History of Westeros: bit.ly/howpatreon Flick Invite Link (PHONE ONLY): bit.ly/howflick Discord Invite Link: bit.ly/howdiscord Facebook group: bit.ly/howfb YouTube: bit.ly/howyoutube

Anne stays with us for an important rundown on the varied events of podcasting. Anne asks me some interesting questions, which for the most part I wasn't expecting! Where did the name When Diplomacy Fails come from? Do I worry that people will see WDF and connect the dots to Mark Maron if you know what I mean? We get into it all here, and connect the dots together, rounding out what was a really enjoyable conversation, so hopefully it will be just as good to listen to. Remember you can find Anne http://anneisaman.blogspot.ie/ pr by simply searching for him in all good search engines. He's got a lot to say and you should listen, for he is wise! Thanksss for listening history friends, and remember to let us both know what you thought by tweeting at Anne @rabiakiva Remember also history friends, to make sure that you BEFIT! Visit our website www.wdfpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter @wdfpodcast Find us on Patreon by going to www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today Zack Twamley form When Diplomacy Fails, Ben Jacobs from Wittenberg to Westphalia, Travis Dow from the History of Germany and your host Steve Guerra from the History of the Papacy Podcast discuss how the Treaty of Westphalia set the stage for the modern conception of the state and the state system. agorapodcastnetwork.com “Procession of the King” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The drought is over, the dust is settling and a new war is on the horizon. Who are we? We are When Diplomacy Fails, and we are back to our roots looking at the series of wars and events which occurred during the era of Louis XIV - the Sun King. In this episode we intro you all to the first of our twelve parter (I know!) on the Second Anglo-Dutch War, a critical war for the history of the era in its own right, and one which sets us up for so much of what's to come, so let's begin, in a makeshift room on some dingy island (and I'm not talking about my desk!). Thankssssssss! Remember history friends, you can help this podcast and ensure that this is where history thrives! Support us by going to www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails Follow me on Twitter @wdfpodcast And visit our official website www.wdfpodcast.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special guest Zack Twamley from When Diplomacy Fails joins us to celebrate our 1 year podiversary and we discuss the international and domestic intrigue surrounding Marshall. "The Star - Spangled Banner" performed by Logan Hardin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A review of Agora member podcast "When Diplomacy Fails" and an interview with its host Zack Twamley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week we wrap up our look at the Gallic influence in the Third Servile Revolt or the Third Slave Revolt, featuring Spartacus and the Gaul Crixus. We also look at the Battle of Amiens in the Cocktail Party Slapdown but not before Zack Twamley of When Diplomacy Fails introduces the podcast and plays us in to the Cocktail Party Slapdown. Thanks Zack!

A discussion with Michael Z. Williamson on his latest science fiction novel When Diplomacy Fails. . ., and short fiction collection Tour of Duty, a talk with Baen summer interns, and David Weber's Shadow of Freedom Part 19.

This week, Sandra returns to help out Tom as he copes with the Roman and French names of this episode. We deal with Rome as it tries to settle things on its borders and improve relations with its allies. We also check out the latest episode of A River Runs Through It, and take a gander at the Rhone River. We also have a Cocktail Party Slapdown and this week it's another Battle of La Rochelle. But it's all kicked off by When Diplomacy Fails, Zack Twalmey.

Welcome to a new chapter in When Diplomacy Fails. We've come a long way you and I, and this here is my chance to make a few announcements and break us into a new year and a new era of WDF. Thanks(sssssssss). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.