Podcasts about Winter War

In this episode of Thinking Fellows, Caleb Keith, Adam Francisco, Bruce Hillman, and Scott Keith share their summer reading lists, ranging from the Bible and church fathers to history, politics, philosophy, fiction, and swimming. Their conversation explores everything from the transition of Rome from paganism to Christianity and Thomas Sowell's ideas about human nature to the problem of evil and the history of Finland during World War II. They also discuss Lutheran scholarship, vocation and theological disagreement. Adam Francisco The Bible — New Living Translation (NLT) The Quran Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles — Thomas Sowell Bruce Hillman On Death and Eternal Life — Gregory of Nyssa The Oxford Reading and Philosophy: Problem of Evil — Marilyn McCord Adams (editor) Scott Keith The Long Way Home: A Journey into the History of Captain Robert Ford — Ed Dover The Fourth Option — Jack Carr The Spy Who Came in from the Cold — John le Carré Ice — Ulla-Lena Lundberg  How Finland Survives Stalin: From the Winter War to the Cold War, 1939–1950 — Kimmo Rentola Why We Swim — Bonnie Tsui Caleb Keith The Final Pagan Generation: Rome's Unexpected Path to Christianity — Edward J. Watts The Pieper Lectures: The Lutheran Doctrine of Vocation, Vol. 11 — various authors   More from 1517: Support the work at 1517 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education 1517 Podcast Listeners Get a Free Book When They Sign Up for Memento This August New Books from 1517 Publishing: The Turk at the Door by Adam Francisco Luther and the Lion: A Narnian Catechism by Samuel Schuldheisz By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith More from the hosts: Caleb Keith Scott Keith Adam Francisco Bruce Hilman Follow 1517:  Instagram X/Twitter Facebook  

TEATIME WITH MISS LIZ SERVES: Liisa KovalaAugust 11th | 3 PM EST Title: Like Water for Weary Souls: Sisu, Sisterhood & the Courage to Seek Truth Tagline: When justice is silenced, courage becomes the voice that refuses to be forgotten. Description: On August 11th at 3 PM EST, Teatime with Miss Liz welcomes Liisa Kovala—award-winning Finnish Canadian author, book coach, podcaster, and champion of historical storytelling that honors resilience, heritage, and the strength of the human spirit. Liisa's acclaimed novel, Like Water for Weary Souls, has been recognized as a Silver Winner in the 2026 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards) for Canada-East Fiction, adding to its growing list of honours, including the Global Book Award for Women's Fiction and the BookFest Award for Historical Mystery. Inspired by her Finnish heritage and Northern Ontario roots, Liisa brings readers into 1933 Sudbury, where one determined woman refuses to accept injustice after the mysterious death of her sister. Through unforgettable storytelling, Like Water for Weary Souls explores grief, courage, immigration, family bonds, and the Finnish spirit of sisu—the quiet determination to keep moving forward when every obstacle says otherwise. As a respected book coach and mentor, Liisa also empowers writers to discover their own voices and bring meaningful stories into the world. Join Miss Liz for an inspiring conversation about historical fiction, family, resilience, Finnish heritage, storytelling, and the enduring power of women who refuse to give up. Opening: Welcome everyone to Teatime with Miss Liz, where stories have the power to preserve history, inspire courage, and remind us that every voice matters. Today, it is my pleasure to welcome Liisa Kovala. Liisa is an award-winning Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster whose passion for history and heritage shines through every page she writes. Her newest novel, Like Water for Weary Souls, has earned international recognition for its compelling blend of historical mystery, emotional depth, and unforgettable characters. Drawing inspiration from her Finnish roots and the landscapes of Northern Ontario, Liisa reminds us that the stories of ordinary people often carry extraordinary strength. Her T-E-E is Reading, Writing, and Mentoring—a beautiful reflection of her dedication to preserving stories while helping others discover the confidence to tell their own. Liisa, welcome to Teatime with Miss Liz. We are honoured to share your remarkable journey today. Closing: Today's Teatime reminds us that history is more than dates and places—it is the lived experiences of people whose courage continues to inspire generations. Liisa's storytelling honours those whose voices might otherwise be forgotten, reminding us that perseverance, family, and truth can outlast even the greatest hardships.Her commitment to mentoring writers and preserving history ensures that important stories continue to be shared for years to come. Thank you, Liisa, for bringing the spirit of sisu to readers around the world and for reminding us that determination, compassion, and hope never go out of style. Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author, award-winning book coach, and podcaster based in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. Author of Like Water for Weary Souls, Sisu's Winter War, and Surviving Stutthof, she writes powerful historical fiction inspired by Finnish heritage while mentoring writers to bring meaningful stories to life. Miss Liz Reflection:“The strongest stories are not always about heroes—they are about ordinary people whose courage refuses to be washed away by time. Their truth becomes our legacy.”— Miss Liz #TeatimeWithMissLiz#LiisaKovala#LikeWaterForWearySouls#HistoricalMystery#Sisuhttps://www.liisakovalabookcoach.com/

Last time we spoke about the ending of the Second Battle of Changsha. In late September and early October 1941, Chinese commander Chen Cheng planned an operation to retake Yichang, a strategic Yangtze River city whose control was essential for protecting the approach to Chongqing. Japanese forces were pulling back from Changsha, weakened by supply problems and casualties, which created an opportunity for Chen to intensify his campaign. Yichang had been captured by Japan in 1940, a defeat that Chen carried as a personal and political burden. He therefore moved to encircle the Japanese 13th Division inside Yichang and drive it to collapse. Although the Chinese held a clear manpower advantage—fourteen divisions against the encircled Japanese—progress was slowed by stubborn fighting from prepared, entrenched positions. The battle inside the city produced desperate close-quarters combat and heavy casualties, showing how the fate of Yichang and the wider defense of Chongqing were tightly linked.    #214 War hits the Pacific Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   The guns fell silent on October 9, 1941, as the Ninth War Zone's forces restored their pre-battle positions, marking the end of the Second Battle of Changsha. The balance sheet was grim on both sides, but it was China that bore the heavier cost. The Ninth Military Front suffered 70,672 killed, wounded, or missing. The concurrent Yichang offensive added a further 21,368 casualties to the Sixth Military Front, a force that outnumbered its Japanese opponents ten to one yet still failed to retake the city. By the time the dust settled, the Chinese army had lost nearly 100,000 men across both theatres. The Chinese command was frank, at least in private, about what had gone wrong. The Japanese had moved with a speed that recalled Blitzkrieg, advancing 130 kilometres in eleven days and withdrawing at twelve kilometres a day, catching the defenders perpetually off-balance. The 26th, 37th, 10th, and 74th Corps had been picked apart piecemeal rather than fighting in concert, the original plan to destroy the Japanese south of the Miluo River coming to nothing. Elite formations had paid a disproportionate price: the 74th Corps suffered 14,521 casualties, the 37th Corps 14,015, and the 58th Division alone lost 6,192 of its 11,907 men, nearly its entire fighting strength.   Yet none of this was the story the public would hear. On October 10th, China's National Day, radio stations announced the "Second Great Victory in Northern Hunan", the annihilation of over 40,000 enemy troops. Newspapers rushed out special editions. Congratulatory telegrams flooded in from government ministries and civic organizations. Senior officials seized on the moment: Sun Ke, Premier of the Executive Yuan, declared that the victory "laid the foundation for the counter-offensive and the recapture of Hankou and Guangzhou," while General Bai Chongxi called it "the pivotal moment for us to turn defeat into victory." Chiang Kai-shek, reading through the pages of triumphant commentary produced overnight by his propagandists, was reportedly impressed by their industry, if not convinced by their content. He had not wanted to call it a victory at all, but the political calculus was unavoidable: after four years of war, an exhausted nation needed the psychological sustenance that only "victory" could provide.   The gap between public performance and private reality was nowhere more visible than in the arrival of a twenty-two-member international press delegation on October 13th. Journalists from Britain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Hong Kong, and major Chinese newspapers were flown to Changsha and carefully guided through selected battlefields, where they inspected mountains of war trophies and heard testimony from soldiers and civilians. They left satisfied, presenting their war souvenirs—swords, binoculars, Japanese military flags—to their audiences back home as proof of Chinese heroism and Japanese defeat. Both China and Japan were claiming victory simultaneously. The only conclusion the foreign press could draw was that one side was lying, and it was not the side that had shown them the evidence.   Chiang Kai-shek's real verdict came at the Third Nanyue Military Conference, held from October 16 to 21. His anger was withering. He condemned his generals for their obsession with defending sprawling outer perimeter lines while leaving city centres barely fortified, a mentality so rigid, he said, that the Japanese could announce the exact time of their advance and withdrawal in advance and still execute it on schedule without interference. "Generals, what a disgrace this is!" On the failure to capture prisoners, only 263 prisoners were claimed across the entire front, of whom only 16 names were actually published, he was almost incredulous: "We can definitely defeat the enemy, capture many enemy prisoners, and seize countless enemy weapons! Even if we cannot capture ten thousand prisoners, we should at least capture a thousand! If not a thousand, then at least a hundred! But now, you don't even have ten!" The conference handed down punishments to match the rhetoric. Liao Lingqi, commander of the shattered 58th Division, was sentenced to death for desertion and shot on October 22nd. His men were so outraged that three regimental commanders resigned in protest; the division was pulled from the order of battle entirely and given three months to rebuild. Li Yutang, commander of the 10th Corps, was dismissed—though the Third Battle of Changsha would begin before his replacement could take post, and he would be reinstated to play a key role in the city's defence.   On the Japanese side, the 11th Army acknowledged 1,670 killed, 5,184 wounded, and 14 missing, far fewer than Chinese claims, though post-war regimental histories suggest the true figure was higher. Lieutenant General Anami, who had championed the operation, found himself stung by the charge that the battle had served mainly as material for Chinese propaganda. On November 23rd, he reportedly reacted with visible displeasure when someone in his headquarters said as much aloud.  Anami's annoyance was easy enough to understand, but the accusation carried a troubling degree of accuracy. The Second Battle of Changsha had yielded no decisive strategic gain and no substantial alteration in the military balance. What it did generate, rather effectively, was a story and by the autumn of 1941, stories were one of the few things China still had in plentiful supply. The most consequential struggles were taking place not along the Miluo River, but in foreign ministries and embassies, in Washington and Moscow, in the messages passing between Chongqing and London, and in the increasingly strained calculations of statesmen trying to determine, amid rapidly changing circumstances, whom to support and for how long.   For Chiang Kai-shek, the challenge was never merely military. It was structural, and had been so from the outset. He had always seen clearly, precisely because he understood China's weakness, that Japan could not be defeated by China alone. The country lacked the industrial base, the logistical reach, and after four years of relentless attrition more and more the manpower needed to force a decisive result on the battlefield. China's survival depended on making its war inseparable from the wars of other powers. Since 1937, Chiang's diplomacy had pursued that single objective: convincing enough great powers that their interests were aligned with China's, and holding that coalition together long enough for Japan to be subdued. That effort turned out to be vastly more difficult than it ought to have been.   The problem started with the international order in which the war emerged. Chiang had hoped to assemble a concert of allies willing to help defend China against Japanese aggression. He was blocked not just by the reluctance of neutral states to aid China, but by the speed with which alliances shifted in the opening years of the Second World War. He had never welcomed the prospect of a general European conflict, correctly fearing that it would push China even further to the margins of world attention. Even so, he recognized that once the lines had hardened between the imperial democracies and fascism, new alignments might become possible. From his perspective, the growing amity between Berlin and Moscow was therefore disastrous. He had been eager to draw the USSR into war against Japan. Instead, the Soviets were now effectively aligned with the Nazis, who were themselves allied with Tokyo.   The world created after Versailles had already enraged many Chinese. After all, the May Fourth demonstrations of 1919 had arisen directly from the settlement reached at the Paris Peace Conference. Yet that older order had at least possessed recognizable anchors, especially the dominance of the two great European empires and the United States. Now those empires were weakening, and no one could say with confidence what the new geopolitical order would be. For all Chiang knew, Germany might emerge as Europe's new dominant power. The early years of the European war produced a bewildering spectacle of diplomatic realignment.   The Nationalist government had previously enjoyed a short-lived flirtation with Nazi Germany. In fact, Hitler's regime continued supplying Chiang with munitions in the first months of China's war against Japan. The Anti-Comintern Pact of 1936 had theoretically joined Germany, Italy, and Japan into the Axis, but mutual distrust prevented them from forming anything like a fully coherent alliance. Chiang found it useful to imply to Western powers that he might be pushed into closer alignment with Germany, a particularly disturbing possibility for the USSR, which faced enemies in both Europe and Asia. But eventually the contradictions in German policy toward East Asia became too severe. In April 1938, Germany yielded to Japanese pressure and ended its support for China.   Britain offered little meaningful help. Neville Chamberlain became prime minister in May 1937 at the head of a Conservative-led National Government, and was quickly overwhelmed by the deteriorating European situation. If Czechoslovakia was for him a "far-off country of which we know nothing," China's fate was even more distant and obscure to many,  perhaps most  policymakers in London. The Nationalists had more success in cultivating the United States. At the Nine-Power Conference in Brussels in November 1937, the Chinese delegation failed to persuade Washington to impose sanctions on Japan and confront it directly. By the middle of 1938, however, American views were beginning to shift. As Japan pushed deeper into southern China, it became increasingly obvious that the occupied territory would be closed to foreign trade. In December 1938, Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau arranged a private American loan of $25 million to China, to be repaid through shipments of tung oil, a varnish product whose real importance lay not in itself, but in what the arrangement signified: a quiet American expression of faith that Chongqing would survive. Chiang also held on to the hope of an even less likely partnership. He had become fiercely anti-Communist during the 1920s, yet in the early years of the anti-Japanese war his greatest hope still rested on Soviet entry into the conflict. Soviet advisers and pilots had aided China from 1937 to 1939, but the USSR never formally declared war on Japan. Still, as Japanese aggression in northern Asia intensified, it remained possible that the Soviets would eventually be drawn in.   Then, as so often happened whenever Chiang tried to impose some control over the course of the war, events beyond China's borders altered the struggle in fundamental ways. While Western attention remained fixed on Europe's darkening horizon, a battle with major consequences for East Asia unfolded on the frontiers of Outer Mongolia, Manchukuo, and the eastern Soviet Union. Throughout much of 1938 and early 1939, one faction within the Japanese Imperial Army sought to pressure the Soviets along their eastern frontier. The USSR appeared vulnerable; Stalin's paranoid purges had executed or exiled many of the Red Army's best officers. In May 1939, fighting broke out near Nomonhan between forces from Soviet-backed Mongolia and Japanese troops from Manchukuo. Within days, both sides had reinforced heavily, until nearly 60,000 Soviet troops faced about 40,000 soldiers from the Kwantung Army. Over the next four months, until mid-September, they fought a major battle ending in a decisive Japanese defeat and establishing the reputation of General Georgi Zhukov, who would later become one of Stalin's most celebrated wartime commanders. The much-derided Soviet Army had fought with formidable effectiveness, and the result was not only a ceasefire but also a nonaggression pact between the two sides, extinguishing, in one stroke, Chiang's hopes for a Chinese-Soviet military alliance. The final blow came after developments in northern Europe. In the Winter War of 1939–1940, the Soviet invasion of Finland led Britain and France to back a motion expelling the USSR from the League of Nations. China, then a member of the League Council, declined to use its veto to block the resolution. Stalin was enraged by Chiang's failure to prevent Soviet expulsion, and mutual suspicion thereafter poisoned relations between the two leaders for the rest of the war against Japan. China would now have to continue without further major Soviet backing.   By the spring of 1940, China's position had become deeply precarious. In March, senior Japanese negotiators sought an agreement with Chiang in Chongqing, while Wang Jingwei was trying to formalize his rival Nationalist government in Nanjing. This effort, known in Chinese as the Tong Operation, and in Japanese as Operation Kiri, led to talks in Hong Kong from March 7 to 10, 1940. Militarily, the Nationalists were in grave danger: the United States remained neutral, and Europe was in chaos. Indeed, that same spring, with France seemingly near collapse, the British government also sent out discreet feelers to explore the possibility of a negotiated peace with Germany. For China, Western assistance was nowhere in sight. The Japanese judged the moment favorable for pressing Chiang toward concessions. Faced with serious danger to his regime, Chiang allowed the door to negotiation to open just slightly.   As a consequence, the Japanese delayed full recognition of Wang Jingwei's new government. Through the summer and autumn of 1940, Tokyo remained uncertain about the defector. Prominent Japanese figures such as Count Arima Yoriyasu of the Privy Council said Wang's conduct demonstrated his untrustworthiness, and Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yōsuke continued to express interest in an agreement with Chongqing. Zhou Fohai captured the defectors' frustration, men who believed they had made the highest patriotic sacrifice when he wrote: "Chongqing sees us as collaborators, we see ourselves as heroes. We think only peace can save the country — that's why we think of ourselves as heroes. If we end up classed as heroes, then China and Japan will be at peace. If we end up classed as collaborators, then China and Japan will never be at peace."That formulation conveyed something genuine about the moral dizziness of the period. Most of the defectors were not men devoid of principles; they were men whose principles had carried them to a place that history would find exceptionally hard to pardon.   The "New Fourth Army Incident" brought to a close one of the most consequential years in modern Chinese political history. The battle of ideas unfolding in 1940 was already visible to informed contemporaries. Early in 1941, US Ambassador Nelson Johnson sent Washington a detailed assessment of the Chinese political situation in reply to another report passed along by Major Evans Carlson, an American officer who had made an extensive journey through the Chinese interior. The contrast between the two documents revealed a widening split in American views of China. Carlson, together with his travelling companion, the New Zealander Rewi Alley, had become increasingly sympathetic to the Communists after visiting their territories in 1938 and admiring their discipline. Carlson described the Nationalists as moving toward "fascism," and argued that American aid should be conditioned on Chiang's government being compelled to adopt more "democratic" institutions.   Johnson strongly disagreed. It was "only normal and natural," he wrote, that the Nationalists wanted to retain power, but during the war they had established the National Political Consultative Council, in which multiple parties, including the Communists, were represented. He also noted that the CCP could publish its own newspaper in Chongqing in a way that would have been impossible before the war. One might have expected the Nationalists to use the war as a justification "to extinguish . . . all political opposition," yet instead they had chosen to "muddle along." Johnson further thought that the influence of competing cliques inside the Nationalist Party had been overstated. Chiang Kai-shek, by contrast, had "grown in stature, as he has come to be recognized as the symbol of united resistance to Japanese encroachment"; ultimately, "it is he who makes the final decisions." Johnson did agree with Carlson that Chiang's regime was hesitant to encourage a broad-based popular movement animated by anything beyond anti-Japanese feeling, though he also pointed to Nationalist cooperative programs and county-level reforms. But he rejected the idea that American support should depend on sweeping political transformation. Chiang was committed to continuing the war against Japan, and Washington should back him in that effort. In a notably farsighted passage, Johnson wrote: "It is my view that since the fall of the Manchu dynasty and the collapse of the traditional Chinese concept of government the Chinese people have been feeling their way along toward a new evolving form of government. A definitive form of government has not yet been established and may not be established for decades; it may or may not be in the form of a democracy, but it will be a type of government that will be adapted to the needs of China and its people." The tension between these two American interpretations,  Carlson's idealized belief in the Communists and Johnson's pragmatic support for Chiang was more than a minor bureaucratic dispute. It foreshadowed a debate that would dominate American foreign policy for the next decade, and would still echo when the People's Republic was proclaimed in 1949.   The disastrous experience of 1940 seemed to cast doubt on whether any future for China existed outside the Japanese Empire. As 1941 wore on, another dreadful event shook the exhausted wartime capital. On June 5, Chongqing endured roughly five hours of bombing, driving the population into air-raid shelters. In one tunnel in the Shibati district, the conditions were even worse than usual. The large shelter was supposed to have lights and electric fans, but the generators had never been connected. Inside, the air was dark, hot, and suffocating. Around ten that evening, people began emerging from the tunnel when rumors spread that the Japanese were returning with poison-gas bombs. Air-raid wardens forced people back inside, even as others were still trying to come out. Bodies toppled over one another, and panic spread as people realized they could not breathe. Over the next few hours, hundreds died underground in the darkness. The exact number was never definitively established: the official figure was 461, though a contemporary police report placed it far higher, at 1,527. What rescuers remembered most vividly were the tortured expressions of the dead, people tangled together in each other's arms as they lost consciousness, clothing ripped to shreds by desperate hands clawing at one another, and bodies so drenched in sweat that they looked as though they had been soaked in water. One survivor, Tang Zhengchang, remembered a hand reaching out from a pile of corpses and pleading, "Sir, please help me . . ." The grip on Tang's shorts was so tight that it pulled them off; he escaped the tunnel naked from the waist down. Official descriptions of the disaster were softened. Even so, the tragedy deepened the city's gloom and in a place already saturated with grief, an added layer of darkness mattered a great deal.   Yet events elsewhere would soon offer the National Government a narrow margin of hope. Late in 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt won re-election as president of the United States. "I am not going to send your boys into any foreign wars," he had proclaimed during the campaign against Wendell Willkie. But Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull both understood that Nazi domination of Europe posed a grave challenge to American influence there. And with China's "Open Door" to trade effectively shut by Japanese occupation, it was becoming increasingly clear that strict neutrality might not remain viable. In a 1941 report on China's domestic and foreign situation, Ambassador Johnson noted that during Germany's sweeping victories across Europe in mid-1940, the Chinese had become anxious about whether the Allies would remain committed to their cause. Britain's refusal to surrender, however, together with continuing Soviet goodwill, lifted public morale in China. People now looked toward the United States and Britain for support and felt that "victory" was "virtually theirs."   Then, on June 22, 1941, the world awoke to news that roughly three million German soldiers were advancing into the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa, Hitler's invasion of the USSR, dramatically overturned the nonaggression that had governed relations between the two major European dictatorships for the previous two years. It transformed the war in Europe entirely. Less obviously, it also transformed the war in Asia. Thanks to intelligence leaks, Chiang Kai-shek had already realized that war between Germany and the USSR was likely. After the neutrality treaty between the USSR and Japan was signed on April 13, 1941, Chiang predicted that the United States would be drawn into the Asian war, and even that Japan might eventually reverse course and strike the Soviet Union. If that happened, China would become the critical Asian ally of both Washington and Moscow. Stalin had been caught off guard by the German assault — largely because he ignored increasingly urgent warnings from senior colleagues receiving intelligence from well-placed spies in Germany and the Comintern, eager to preserve its alliances, now pressed the Chinese Communists to cooperate more closely with the Nationalists. On June 23, 1941, the CCP Central Committee responded with a declaration that it would "persevere in the Anti-Japanese United Front, persevere in Nationalist-Communist cooperation," and would align itself with the British, the Americans, and others resisting the "fascist rulers" of the Axis.   In Chongqing and Yan'an, the German attack on the Soviet Union was interpreted as a hopeful sign that Japan's fortunes might be beginning to turn. In Nanjing, the reaction was different. On June 22, Zhou Fohai recorded in his diary that, although the outcome "cannot be predicted," members of the Nanjing regime "all believe Germany will win and will take Moscow within two months." Zhou speculated that Japan could not easily reconcile its neutrality treaty with the USSR and its membership in the Anti-Comintern Pact, which was supposed to unite the Axis against Soviet expansionism. Still, because Germany had struck first, Japan was under no formal obligation to help. Zhou also continued to view events through a lens he had never abandoned: that of Chinese nationalism. "If Chongqing joins the Allies and they win," he wrote, "then this is good for China." If they lost, it would be disastrous for Chiang Kai-shek; but because Wang Jingwei had established a government in Nanjing under Japanese sponsorship, China now had "a foot in both boats." It was a ruthless calculation, but not a wholly dishonorable one. Zhou was not merely advancing Japanese interests. He was hedging, wagering on multiple futures in the name of a China he believed would endure beyond whatever constellation of powers happened to dominate at the moment. Whether posterity would judge that conduct prudent or collaborative was a question he could neither settle nor live to see resolved to his satisfaction.   The summer of 1941 marked a major geopolitical turning point in the war. Until then, the conflicts in China and Europe had remained separate, if desperate, struggles on the Eurasian continent. Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union now forced Japan to decide whether it too would enter war against the USSR. Debate in Tokyo was brief. Although some officials, including Foreign Minister Matsuoka, favored striking north before moving south, both the Kwantung Army and the Navy advised against helping Germany at least until Germany had succeeded in drawing substantial Soviet forces away from Siberia and into Europe. Konoye, once again prime minister, agreed. With the northern option set aside, Japanese leaders turned toward another great power instead: the United States. Japan's failure to gain further decisive momentum in China had fueled demands for broader regional expansion, especially into Southeast Asia, with its abundant oil, rubber, and other strategic resources. From 1940 onward, measures such as the pressure to close the Burma Road made it increasingly obvious that Tokyo had adopted a more aggressive posture in Asia. Unable to subdue China, Japanese policymakers chose instead to escalate the conflict still further.   Japanese political life had become ever more dominated by the unresolved war in China. As early as 1938, military expenditures consumed about 70 percent of the national budget, and that same year a National Mobilization Bill granted the government "total war control" over the zaibatsu, Japan's major industrial conglomerates. By 1940, the New Order was making itself felt throughout everyday life, with campaigns against luxury and extravagant consumption taking on new prominence. In February 1940, a parliamentarian was expelled from the Diet simply for daring to criticize the "holy war" in China. In such an atmosphere, retreat from imperial ambitions became increasingly unthinkable. That figure, 70 percent of the national budget devoted to the military is worth dwelling on, because it reveals something essential about the trap in which Japanese strategists had placed themselves. The war in China had not been won, yet abandoning it would have meant admitting a failure so severe that it would have shaken the ideological and institutional foundations of military supremacy in Japanese politics. The only apparent ways out required pushing further in: more conquest, more extraction, more expansion. The logic was brutally clear, and profoundly destructive.   The Roosevelt administration watched these developments with growing alarm. Though still formally neutral, the United States was already using Lend-Lease to provide major assistance to Britain and the Soviet Union in their struggles against Germany. It now expanded aid to China as well. On February 10, Roosevelt's representative Lauchlin Currie visited Chongqing to inform Chiang Kai-shek that the United States would soon provide $45 million in military equipment. General John Magruder, head of the small AMMISCA mission,  the American Military Mission in China had been sent to Chongqing in September 1941, as part of quiet preparation for possible Chinese entry into an alliance against Japan. The China branch of the OSS, precursor to the CIA, was led by General William "Wild Bill" Donovan, whom Roosevelt had dispatched to China in early 1941.   The Americans repeatedly tried to discourage Japan from moving south into Southeast Asia, but relations only grew more confrontational. Japan occupied the southern part of French Indochina, and in response the United States imposed an oil embargo in July 1941. The consequences were immense. Japan imported around 80 percent of its oil from the United States. Without that supply, its navy, the essential instrument for southern expansion  had reserves for perhaps eighteen months. The real question facing Tokyo, then, was not whether it must act, but how soon. Unable any longer to resist mounting military pressure for war, Konoye resigned on October 16 and was replaced as premier by General Tōjō Hideki. Tokyo accelerated its preparations for conflict with the Western powers. Planned targets included Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya, the Netherlands East Indies, and the Philippines. I should note, if you want to learn about all of this history in more detail, you can go check out the pacific war channel on youtube. I have a chronological series that is just now talking about events like the Japanese invasion of french indochina and the road to pearl harbor.   Throughout the autumn of 1941, increasingly desperate negotiations took place between Japan and the United States. Washington insisted that Japan withdraw from China; Tokyo was equally firm that it would do no such thing. From the Japanese point of view, the demand to leave China was not a serious negotiating position but a demand for national humiliation a call to repudiate four years of war, vast casualties, and the ideological basis of Japanese militarism in a single diplomatic act. In the end, the gulf between the two positions could not be bridged.   While civilian and military leaders in Tokyo argued over the pace at which they should move toward war, few among Japan's rulers doubted that war was coming. At the imperial conference of November 5, it was formally agreed that if no satisfactory diplomatic solution had been reached by December 1, war would follow soon after. Talks in Washington between Ambassador Nomura Kichisaburō, diplomat Kurusu Saburō, and Secretary of State Cordell Hull led nowhere. On November 26, Hull delivered a note repeating the American position that Japan must withdraw from both China and Indochina. On December 1, the imperial conference resolved to go to war; the following day, the date of attack was fixed as December 8, December 7 by American time. In one sense, this was the culmination toward which the entire previous decade had been moving. The war in China had started as a localized conflict, then expanded into a continental one, and was now about to become something larger still: a truly global war, stretching from the North Atlantic to the western Pacific. China's long, lonely resistance would suddenly gain new dimensions and new allies,  though not the ones Chiang had spent four years trying to cultivate, and not under circumstances he would have chosen.   In the early morning of December 7, 1941, the US Pacific Fleet lay anchored at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, its sailors and officers still largely asleep as dawn crept across the Pacific. The attack did not come without warning signs,  American and Japanese diplomats had been locked in increasingly desperate negotiations throughout the autumn, each side hardening its position until no room remained to maneuver. Washington had demanded that Japan withdraw from China, a condition Tokyo viewed not as a serious opening offer but as a demand for national humiliation: a call to repudiate four years of brutal war, hundreds of thousands of casualties, and the entire ideological foundation upon which Japanese militarism rested. No agreement was possible on those terms, and both sides privately knew it.   The strike force assembled in secret was formidable. Six aircraft carriers,  the Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku had sailed under strict radio silence across the North Pacific, launching their aircraft in two successive waves before the American base had any meaningful chance to respond. The first wave of approximately 183 planes swept in just before 8 a.m., targeting the rows of battleships moored along Battleship Row and the military airfields at Wheeler, Hickam, and Ford Island simultaneously, ensuring that American aircraft could not scramble in time to mount an effective defense. A second wave of roughly 170 planes followed less than an hour later, pressing the attack on damaged ships and harbor installations.   The destruction was staggering. The battleship Arizona suffered a catastrophic magazine explosion after a armor-piercing bomb penetrated her forward decks, killing nearly 1,177 of her crew in minutes, almost half of the total American dead from the entire attack. The Oklahoma capsized after being struck by multiple torpedoes. The West Virginia and California sank at their moorings. In total, seventeen vessels were damaged or destroyed, and the vast majority of military aircraft at the nearby airfields were caught on the ground and obliterated before they could take flight. Around 2,400 Americans were killed and another 1,100 wounded, making it the deadliest single attack on American soil or territory in the nation's history to that point.   Yet the attack was not a complete strategic success for Japan. The US Pacific Fleet's aircraft carriers, the vessels that would ultimately decide the naval war in the Pacific happened to be at sea that morning and escaped unharmed. The harbor's fuel storage and repair facilities were also left largely intact, allowing the fleet to reconstitute faster than Japanese planners had anticipated. What Japan achieved in tactical devastation, it partly squandered in strategic miscalculation. The attack ended American neutrality instantly and irrevocably. The following day, President Roosevelt addressed Congress, calling December 7 "a date which will live in infamy," and within hours the United States declared war on Japan. For China, after more than four years of fighting alone, the blow that devastated Pearl Harbor paradoxically carried a thread of desperate hope at last, the great power Chiang Kai-shek had spent years trying to draw into the conflict had arrived, not under circumstances he would have chosen, but arrived nonetheless. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. After years of fighting, China's situation darkened in 1941 with intense bombing of Chongqing and fears of poison-gas attacks. Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June shifted alliances and pressured Japan toward wider war. Japan escalated plans for Southeast Asia, suffered an oil embargo, and negotiations with the United States broke down over withdrawing from China and Indochina. Then the Pearl Harbor attack began the Pacific War.

In this episode, we head to Finland during the Winter War where we meet two soldiers who made sure this would be a fight nobody would ever forget. For an ad-free experience and access to episodes a day before everyone else, consider supporting us on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, welcome Liisa Kovala—an award-winning Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and former teacher who understands the heart of storytelling.Liisa is the author of Sisu's Winter War and Surviving Stutthof, and her latest novel, Like Water for Weary Souls, has earned a Global Book Award for Women's Fiction. She also writes the cozy Hygge (Hoo-Gah) House mystery series under the pen name A. L. Jensen.As a certified book coach, Liisa helps women bring their stories to life with a blend of compassion, encouragement, and just the right amount of tough love. After 25 years in the classroom, she now dedicates her time to writing, coaching, and inspiring others to reconnect with their creativity and is the co-host of women's writing retreats and the host of the Women Writing podcast and newsletterhttps://www.liisakovalabookcoach.com/https://www.facebook.com/liisakovalawriterhttps://www.instagram.com/liisakovalahttps://www.youtube.com/@LiisaKovala#LetFearBounce #LiisaKovala #AuthorInterview #BookCoach #WomenWriting #HistoricalFiction #MemoirWriting #CreativeWriting #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #WomenAuthors #PodcastEpisode #AwardWinningAuthor #WritingInspiration #AmWriting #WritingCoach #Storytelling #Creativity #NordicCozyMystery #Hyggewww.kimlenglingauthor.com

Meet Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, otherwise known as the White Death. By the time the Winter War finished in March 1940, he'd taken down over 500 Soviet soldiers all on his own, crowning him the deadliest sniper to have ever lived. Yet, despite the awesome achievement of this man, his story isn't widely known. So, who really was Simo Häyhä, and how did he become the deadliest sniper the world has ever seen? Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

(00:32) Der umstrittene Tech-Milliardär Peter Thiel hätte an den Wiener Festwochen auftreten sollen. Auf Druck von Künstlerinnen und Künstler wurde er wieder ausgeladen. Dennoch gehen in Wien die Diskussionen weiter. Weitere Themen: (05:28) In Kriegszeiten geschrieben und politisch aufgeladen: Ukrainisches Ensemble «Opera Aperta» zeigt Stück «Mōdraniht. Songs of Winter War» an Wiener Festwochen. (10:29) Ausstellung zum Schöpfer der japanischen Heidi-Trickfilmserie: Lausanner Museum für Design und angewandte Kunst Mudac zeigt Werke von Animationsmeister Isao Takahata. (15:05) Verzögerung bei Eröffnung des Kunstwerks «La Caverne du Pont Neuf» in Paris. (15:43) 25 beeindruckende Brücken auf der ganzen Welt: Schottischer Arzt und Autor Gavin Francis erzählt «Eine kurze Geschichte der Verbundenheit: Über 25 Brücken um die Welt». (20:08) Fälschungen und Designklau sind ein zunehmendes Problem: Kleinere Kreativunternehmen und Start-Ups können sich kaum dagegen wehren.

Fuchs, Jörn Florian www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

Fuchs, Jörn Florian www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Fazit

Send us Fan MailEpisode 258In the frozen forests of northern Europe, where winter silence stretches for miles and the horizon disappears into endless white, one man became a ghost.His name was Simo Häyhä.To his enemies, he was something else entirely—The White Death.During the bitter months of the Winter War, as the vastly outnumbered nation of Finland fought for survival against the might of the Soviet Union, Häyhä moved silently through snow-covered forests, dressed head to toe in white. There were no grand speeches, no dramatic charges—just patience, precision, and an almost unnatural stillness.What followed would become the stuff of legend.In just over 100 days, Häyhä is believed to have recorded more confirmed kills than any sniper in history. No scope. No spotlight. No theatrics. Just a rifle, a steady hand, and an understanding of the land so deep it seemed as if the forest itself was fighting alongside him.But this is not just a story of numbers.It is a story of isolation, of endurance, and of a quiet man shaped by the harsh rhythms of rural life—long before the war ever began. A farmer. A hunter. A man who knew how to disappear.Because legends are rarely born in comfort. They are forged in extremes.And in the brutal winter of 1939, as temperatures dropped to unimaginable lows and the world's attention turned elsewhere, one man would leave an imprint on history as cold and enduring as the snow beneath his feet.This is the story of Simo Häyhä— the man who became a myth, and the myth who became The White Death.Support the showInsta@justpassingthroughpodcastContact:justpassingthroughpodcast@gmail.com

Tonight we move from the Winter War to the Continuation War, taking a look at the Finnish habit of stealing your guns and ammo after they kill you dead. Moving on from there, we take a look at the development of the RK series of rifles and how that peculiar Finnish habit influenced the adoption of arguably one of the finest AK variants ever made. All of that and probably less on this episode of AK-47 Radio.

Join us on this episode of AK-47 Radio as we dive back into our series on the History of the Gun. Tonight we take a look at the PPD-34/40, the Soviet Union's first foray into submachine guns, and the fatal mistakes made leading into the Winter War with the Finns, where the Soviets finally learn the value of personal automatic weapons.

Olivier Norek says he has never met a killer who wasn't eaten inside by what they'd done. Before he became a writer, Norek was a policeman in the most dangerous parts of Paris and a humanitarian worker in the former Yugoslavia.On Free State today, Norek tells the story of Simo Hayha, the sniper known as the White Death, who fought for Finland during the Winter War when the Soviet Union invaded the country.He tells the story of how Finland, abandoned by the world to fight alone, stood against the Red Army, fighting for their communities.Norek researches his books the way he would investigate a crime and in preparation for the Winter Warriors, he spent a winter in Finland, experiencing the subzero temperatures in which Finns fought to defend their country.He tells us what the Winter War meant to Finland and how it shaped the world we live in today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore resilience from personal, organizational, and national perspectives with expert Robert Hall in this discussion of his book Building Resilient Futures (Austin Macauley, 2023). Discover case studies from COVID-19, the Winter War, and more, highlighting how resilience can be cultivated and applied. Types of resilience: personal, social, urban, national Case studies: COVID-19, Winter War, Ladbroke Grove disaster The importance of community and social bonds in resilience The paradox of preparedness and resource redundancy Lessons from history: Shackleton, Finnish resilience, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Explore resilience from personal, organizational, and national perspectives with expert Robert Hall in this discussion of his book Building Resilient Futures (Austin Macauley, 2023). Discover case studies from COVID-19, the Winter War, and more, highlighting how resilience can be cultivated and applied. Types of resilience: personal, social, urban, national Case studies: COVID-19, Winter War, Ladbroke Grove disaster The importance of community and social bonds in resilience The paradox of preparedness and resource redundancy Lessons from history: Shackleton, Finnish resilience, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

Explore resilience from personal, organizational, and national perspectives with expert Robert Hall in this discussion of his book Building Resilient Futures (Austin Macauley, 2023). Discover case studies from COVID-19, the Winter War, and more, highlighting how resilience can be cultivated and applied. Types of resilience: personal, social, urban, national Case studies: COVID-19, Winter War, Ladbroke Grove disaster The importance of community and social bonds in resilience The paradox of preparedness and resource redundancy Lessons from history: Shackleton, Finnish resilience, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore resilience from personal, organizational, and national perspectives with expert Robert Hall in this discussion of his book Building Resilient Futures (Austin Macauley, 2023). Discover case studies from COVID-19, the Winter War, and more, highlighting how resilience can be cultivated and applied. Types of resilience: personal, social, urban, national Case studies: COVID-19, Winter War, Ladbroke Grove disaster The importance of community and social bonds in resilience The paradox of preparedness and resource redundancy Lessons from history: Shackleton, Finnish resilience, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

See this video also on Philip Ittner's channel 'On the Edge': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0kyqkmliqo----------Phil Ittner is a veteran broadcast journalist now working independently in Ukraine. Currently he's based in Kyiv and produces a weekly interview podcast "On the Edge". Disillusioned with how mainstream media was covering the historic war in Ukraine, Phil decided he had to step in and bring a professional and credible perspective to reporting from Ukraine. ----------LINKS: @PhilipIttner https://x.com/IttnerPhiliphttps://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-ittner-4180271a/https://philipittner.com/about/https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/45-the-big-interview-philip-ittner-on-the-realities/id1617276298?i=1000610636024----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

Ukraine is experiencing its coldest winter yet since Russia's invasion began four years ago. As negotiations between Ukraine, Russia and the United States stall, will this winter freeze become Ukraine’s breaking point? In this episode: Oleksiy Sorokin (@mrsorokaa) Deputy Chief Editor, Kyiv Independent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Marcos Bartolomé, and Melanie Marich, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Maya Hamadeh, Tuleen Barakat, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

As temperatures plummet in Ukraine, Putin's military is continuing to target the country's power supply, leaving civilians suffering as the war continues toward a fifth year. With the diplomatic crises and international flashpoints of recent months dragging attention away from Ukraine, what are the prospects for the coming year, both on the battlefield and in the stalled peace process? Gavin Esler discusses the latest with This Is Not A Drill presenter and Kyiv-based conflict reporter Oz Katerji.  • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers - want to reach smart, engaged, influential people? Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean McMeekin challenges the myth of Stalin's nervous breakdown during the 1941 German invasion, arguing both sides were mobilizing for war and that becoming a victim created a public relations miracle facilitating Western aid while Stalin withheld intelligence about Japan from the US.1939 WINTER WAR

UNICEF'S James Elder, who is in Gaza, discusses the current conditions people are enduring.

December 12, 1939. The Battle of Tolvajärvi breaks out, bringing Finland its first major victory in the Winter War. This episode originally aired in 2023. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

As Nazi Germany took the offensive against Poland and the second World War began in Europe, Japan chose to continue its path of closely aligning with fascist western powers in hopes of obtaining powerful allies whom they believed would win this latest global conflict.Support the show My latest novel, "Califia's Crusade," is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Bookshop.org, and many other online platforms!

The Winter War was a brutal struggle against a determined human enemy and the unforgiving cold, dangers the Red Army knew and understood. Yet on a desolate mountain plateau, where strange stone idols stand guard and the trees twist in agony, a Soviet company learned that some places are battlegrounds for forces far older and more monstrous than man.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2025-11-10 | Silicon Wafers 052 | DAILY UPDATES | Russia hurls one of the biggest mixed salvos of the war at Ukraine's power system; Kyiv is hit by emergency blackouts; Ukraine says Russia hit substations that feed nuclear plants; and Moscow pushes a fresh Zaporizhzhia “nuclear plot” narrative. We'll separate facts from threats, fearmongering from the terrifying reality.The strike: one of the largest against Ukraine's energy grid. Overnight into Nov 8, Russia launched 45 missiles and 450 drones at Ukrainian targets, damaging energy infrastructure across multiple regions and sparking fires in Kyiv. At least seven people were killed overall, including in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, with widespread outages reported. (The Guardian)----------SOURCES: Kyiv Independent — “Kyiv faces over 12 hours of emergency power cuts…” (Nov. 8, 2025)Kyiv Independent — “Russia targeted substations powering nuclear plants…” (Nov. 8, 2025)The Guardian — “Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities kill at least seven” (Nov. 8, 2025)Reuters — “Russia hits several key Ukraine energy facilities…” (Nov. 8, 2025)Financial Times — “Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting nuclear substations” (Nov. 9, 2025)Kyiv Post — “Moscow Claims Ukraine, NATO Plot Nuclear Disaster…” (Nov. 6, 2025)IAEA — Updates on ZNPP safety status, power vulnerability (Updates 308–310)Reuters — “Repairs begin on Zaporizhzhia power plant lines…” (Oct. 18, 2025)----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

2025-11-05 | Silicon Wafers 049 | DAILY UPDATES | Pokrovsk, the contested Donetsk rail-and-road hub has become the most consequential urban fight since Avdiivka, and the outcome of that fight may turn out to be instrumental for the outcome of the war, not only against Ukraine, but Russia's war against Western democracy. In today's episode, we are zooming in on the battle for Pokrovsk. We'll explain why Russia is so desperate to take it, what Ukraine is doing to hold it, the claims and counterclaims on the ground, and what happens next if Russia's offensive stalls — or if it succeeds.On Sunday, Valery Gerasimov, Russian chief of staff, told President Vladimir Putin his 2nd and 51st Combined Arms Armies were "advancing along converging axes" and "have completed the encirclement of the enemy" in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. He claimed 5,500 Ukrainian troops were surrounded. But Russian military reporters contradicted these claims, with one named "Military Informant" telling 621,000 Telegram subscribers, "There is simply no encirclement". Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was categorical last Saturday: while the situation in Pokrovsk remains "hardest" for Ukrainian forces, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed. He insisted a comprehensive operation to destroy and dislodge enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing.----------Partner on this video: KYIV OF MINE Watch the trailer now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJUcE1rxY0'Kyiv of Mine' is a documentary series about Ukraine's beautiful capital, Kyiv. The film production began in 2018, and much has changed since then. It is now 2025, and this story is far from over.https://www.youtube.com/@UCz6UbVKfqutH-N7WXnC5Ykg https://www.kyivofmine.com/#theprojectKyiv of Mine is fast paced, beautifully filmed, humorous, fun, insightful, heartbreaking, moving, hopeful. The very antithesis in fact of a doom-laden and worthy wartime documentary. This is a work that is extraordinarily uplifting. My friend Operator Starsky says the film is “Made with so much love. The film series will make you laugh and cry.” ----------SOURCES: Explosions at refineries/petrochemicals; blackouts: Kyiv Independent, “Explosions rock Russian ammunition depot… amid mass Ukrainian drone strike” (Nov. 4, 2025)Kstovo refinery/petrochemicals: Ukrainska Pravda (Nov. 4, 2025)Round-up of eight regions hit: UNITED24 (Nov. 4, 2025)Tuapse tanker/terminal strike: Reuters (Nov. 2, 2025)Tuapse oil spill: The Moscow Times (Nov. 4, 2025) Pokrovsk live/warlatest: Kyiv Independent (Nov. 3–4, 2025) ----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

TEATIME WITH MISS LIZ November 4th | 7 PM ESTGuest: Liisa Kovala — Author • Book Coach • Podcaster Title:Like Water for Weary Souls: Writing Through Memory, Mystery, and Sisterhood Tagline:Where history meets heart, and the currents of truth run deeper than the surface we see. Teatime Topic:Miss Liz welcomes Liisa Kovala, a Finnish Canadian author and book coach, for a robust conversation on storytelling, heritage, and healing through words. Together, they'll explore her upcoming historical novel Like Water for Weary Souls — a tale of family, grief, and courage in Depression-era Northern Ontario — and how writing helps preserve both memory and humanity. Description:In this heartfelt evening, Teatime, Miss Liz sits down with Liisa Kovala, an award-nominated author whose stories echo across generations. Her latest novel, Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025), transports readers to the haunting beauty of Northern Ontario, where immigrant sisters navigate love, loss, and the secrets that shape their survival. Liisa's earlier works — Sisu's Winter War (2022) and Surviving Stutthof: My Father's Memories Behind the Death Gate (2017) — reveal her dedication to preserving the truths of history through deeply personal narratives. Her writing bridges heritage, heart, and hope, drawing from her Finnish roots and the landscapes that inspire her. As an author, book coach, and podcaster, Liisa empowers others to find their voice and tell the stories that matter most. IntroductionTeatime with Miss Liz, I welcome a storyteller whose words flow like water — deep, reflective, and full of truth. My guest, Liisa Kovala, is a Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster whose novels explore love, loss, heritage, and the quiet strength of survival.Her latest work, Like Water for Weary Souls, transports readers to a Northern Ontario mining town, where they are immersed in mystery, grief, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood.Together, we'll uncover how stories not only honour the past but heal the soul — one truth at a time.” Closing Summary“What a profound and moving conversation it will be with Liisa Kovala. Her storytelling will remind us that truth flows like water — sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, but constantly shaping the soul.Through her words, she gives voice to memory, courage, and the hidden strength that can be found in love and loss. Will give thanks to Liisa, for bringing your heart and heritage to the Teatime table and for reminding us that storytelling is not just what we write — it's what we live, feel, and pass on.”Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author, book coach, and podcaster. Her novels include Surviving Stutthof, Sisu's Winter War, and Like Water for Weary Souls (2025). Inspired by her Finnish roots and Northern Ontario's rugged landscape, Liisa writes stories of resilience, love, and the courage to face untold truths.#TeatimeWithMissLiz #LiisaKovala #LikeWaterForWearySouls #HistoricalFiction #StorytellingForHealing #CanadianAuthors #FinnishHeritage #WomenWriters #BookCoach #WritingThroughPain #MissLizTEE #TeachingEducationalAwareness #ResilienceAndTruth #AuthorsOfCourage #HealingThroughStorytellin

On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland.  The Soviet Union forced the Finns to sue for peace after three months of fighting, and on paper, one could conclude that the Soviets won.  However, despite the supposed military victory, the Soviets' performance and the resistance they faced severely damaged their reputation as a military force to be taken seriously.  It was something that other European leaders took notice of.  Learn about the Winter War on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Stash Go to get.stash.com/EVERYTHING to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase. Newspaper.com Go to Newspapers.com to get a gift subscription for the family historian in your life! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lance R. Blyth, command historian at the North American Aerospace Defense Command and author of Ski, Climb, Fight: The 10th Mountain Division and the Rise of Mountain Warfare, joins the show to discuss the history and tactics of fighting at altitude.        ▪️ Times     •      01:31 Introduction     •      01:41 Marine     •      04:55 L.A. riots              •      07:22 From horses to skis     •      10:13 Antecedents              •      13:56 Advantage                 •      15:40 The Germans         •      17:55 The Winter War               •      22:51 French surrender     •      25:58 Specialized divisions     •      31:37 Volunteers      •      33:49 Training     •      36:50 Delay and Italy               •      42:16 No doctrine      •      45:29 The Gothic Line     •      52:00 Success     •      55:35 Afghanistan Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find a transcript of today's episode on our School of War Substack

Episode 186:  Guests: Benedict Arnold; George Washington; John Adams; Richard Henry Lee; Philip Schuyler.Military campaign of CanadaThe bravery of the soldiersThe virtue that will build the governmentThe direction of General WashingtonThe Army needs suppliesThe supplies require...The 14th ColonySoldiers lost, and a General FallenCanada is lostThe White Flag of privilegePolitical Science_______________Support the show

It's winter in Stoneybrook, and the baby-sitters are off to Vermont for the annual trip to Leicester Lodge, hosts of the Winter War. No sooner do they arrive at the Overlook-esque ski lodge than a real ripsnorter of a storm blows in (with thanks for the phrase to local armchair meteorologist Teensy Mooseman), and a busload of children are stranded without adequate supervision. Cue the BSC! They spend the week caring for kids, competing for colors, and crushing on maybe Canadians, with plenty of hot chocolate and local legends to go around. Take off your fat mittens and join us as we curl up by the fire and pull Super Special #3: Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation off the library shelf. School Vacation Media List: I'm Henry the VIII by Herman's Hermits John Jacob Jingleheimer SchmidtThe Shining trailerWhite Christmas trailer Chains of Love by Pat BooneI Love Lucy Vitameatavegamin sceneDon't Sit Under the Apple Tree by the Andrews SistersSend us your bad drawings of winter vacations at stoneybrookreunion@gmail.com.Find us on Instagram @stoneybrookreunion.

Last time Gerry Duggan was on the show, we were talking about his photography project Timing/Luck and ironically what made me a fan of his work isn't The X-Men or any other of the of great titles and characters he's penned and developed over the years, what made me fall in love with it was a breakdancing skeleton named Walt. You might be asking yourself why that may be. A few years ago I lost one of my best friends to a motorcycle accident and at the time while processing the grief as best I could, Walt dropped in the pages of The Dark Room, a book Gerry cooked up with the uber talented Magic Johnson of comics Scott Buoncristiano. Walt's energy was a mirror image of my friend Tommy's, and it turns out The Dark Room was a project centered around the loss of one of Gerry and Scott's mutual friends so this project has been one of dealing with grief through comedy, and I'm forever grateful to them both for being willing to share that vulnerability with the world. This series will go down as one of my favorite of all time and it was a pleasure to get a chance to pick Gerry and Scott's brains about some of the motivations behind it in advance of the second volume being released later this year. Gerry on BlueSky Scott's website The Dark Room Volume 2 from Image Comics From the publisher Gerry Duggan (X-Men & Uncanny Avengers) rejoins your favorite artists Scott & Tamra for the anticipated return of your favorite fantasy/horror/comedy series! Dounia, her ex, a werewolf, and her pal Walt, an incandescent blue skeleton, are joined by a mysterious psionicist fresh from a terrible prison. This time the world is threatened by a powerful old Necromancer that's resurrecting the dead from Finland's Winter War. More curses, more threats, zombies, wizards, cursed objects and the threat of the war to finally end mankind. PATREON We have a new Patreon, CryptidCreatorCornerpod. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. We got two simple tiers, $1 and $3. Want to know more, you know what to do. ARKENFORGE Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner Arkenforge. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. THE LANTERN CATALOG Created on the premise of creating light in the dark, this is the the go to resource to keep you up to date on the indy projects and the creators you love. You can find them at https://www.thelanterncatalog.com/. Make sure to check out our sponsor 2000AD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A firm and lasting peace treaty, a ceasefire, in or out of NATO, in or out of the EU, European or international peacekeeping forces, an unending slog, or Russian tanks in downtown Kyiv?What are the realistic…and unrealistic…options for Ukraine as they enter the 4th year of the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022?Is the best path for Ukrainian security instead a new security architecture based on Ukrainian power itself?How do you create a framework that could produce a realistic peace, while giving Ukraine a deterrence from future conflict?Using her recent article in Foreign Affairs, Ukraine Must Guarantee Its Own Security, as a kicking off point for our conversation on these and related topics returning to Midrats will be Emma Ashford.Emma is a senior fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy program at the Stimson Center, and the author of First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy for a Multipolar World, forthcoming from Yale University Press.Showlink Ukraine Must Guarantee Its Own SecuritySummaryIn this conversation, Sal, Mark, and Emma Ashford delve into the complexities of the Ukraine conflict, discussing historical agreements like the Budapest Memorandum, the implications of NATO membership, and the current geopolitical landscape. They explore the challenges of European defense strategies, the lessons from Finland's historical context, and the potential pathways to peace negotiations. The discussion emphasizes the need for Ukraine to build its own security capabilities while navigating the intricate dynamics of international relations.TakeawaysThe Budapest Memorandum's implications are still relevant today.NATO membership remains a contentious issue for Ukraine.European states have divergent threat perceptions affecting defense strategies.The concept of 'Bluff and Pray' highlights European defense challenges.Lessons from Finland's Winter War can inform Ukraine's strategy.Ukraine must focus on internal capabilities for security.The US presence in Europe influences European defense initiatives.Negotiating peace involves complex territorial and sovereignty questions.European defense production can align with Ukraine's needs.The need for a unified European defense strategy is critical.Chapters00:00: Introduction and Context of the Ukraine Conflict03:59: The Budapest Memorandum and Its Implications06:41: NATO's Role and European Security Dynamics11:55: European Military Capabilities and Collective Action Problems18:25: Bluff and Pray: The Dilemma of European Deterrence20:52: The Risks of European Military Engagement in Ukraine28:10: NATO's Role in Ukraine's Security32:45: Ukraine's Self-Defense and Historical Parallels37:39: Models of Neutrality and Defense40:20: European Defense Production and Cooperation46:49: US Withdrawal Scenarios and European Responsibility51:19: Negotiating Peace: Territory, Arms, and Finance

A Finnish soldier in the three-month Winter War with Russia (1939–1940) lay wounded on the battlefield. A Russian soldier walked his way, pointing his rifle. The Finn was certain he’d met his end. However, the Russian handed him a medic kit, then kept moving. Remarkably, the Finn later found himself in a similar situation, only the roles were reversed—a Russian soldier lay wounded and helpless on the battlefield. The Finn handed him medical supplies and walked on. Jesus gave us a central, guiding principle for our lives: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12) Can you imagine how different our world would be if believers kept this one simple principle? Can we calculate how much oppression would end if we collectively obeyed Jesus’ wisdom? If only, as He guides us, we would give others the same compassion and mercy we’d hope to receive ourselves. As we “give good gifts” to others we reflect the heart of our “Father in heaven [who gives] good gifts to” those He loves (v. 11). It’s vital that we see others as not merely enemies or strangers or people with whom we compete for resources or opportunities. Instead, we should see their need for mercy and kindness just as we need it. And as we do, our posture and perspective will change. Then, as God provides, we can freely offer them the love He’s freely offered to us.

"PREVIEW: Colleague Michael Bernstam presents the Biden administration's sanctioning of the Russian shadow fleet as a surprising success. More later." 1939 Winter War with Finland

PREVIEW: SOVIET WAR PLAN: Conversation with author Nick Bunker, "In the Shadow of Fear," regarding NSC 68, by Paul Nitze and Dean Acheson, that fixed 1954 as the year the Soviets would attack Europe with atomic bombs and the Red Army. More tonight. 1939 Winter War, Russia vs Finland

Sety's final campaign. In winter of year 8 (approx. December 1296 BCE), the King of Egypt Sety I received news: rebellion in the south. In a land called Irem, now in modern Sudan, locals were resisting Egypt's monarch. Sety gathered an army of infantry and chariots and set off to war. The story is told by Egyptians participating in the event, and by monuments erected to commemorate it… Logo image: Captive Nubians in distinctive clothing, accompanied by cattle. From TT40, the tomb of Amunhotep Huy, reign of Tutankhamun, by Kairoinfo4u https://www.flickr.com/photos/manna4u/albums/72157665011702090/. See the temple of Beit el-Wali at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Temple_of_Beit_el-Wali Music by Bettina Joy de Guzman www.bettinajoydeguzman.com. Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Music and interludes by Luke Chaos www.chaosmusick.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The end of Spring. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcast We are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits. More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.net Join us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The party has a showdown with Corellon's Avatar. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcast We are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits. More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.net Join us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

The Avatar's location is revealed and a plan is devised. Follow us at https://twitch.tv/guildhallpodcastWe are a Twitch Affiliate, so if you want to support the Podcast, you can subscribe on Twitch or donate bits.More episodes are available at https://the-guildhall.netJoin us on Discord to get involved or join a campaign. https://discord.gg/xsqDmc4

From painful experiences during the Spanish Civil War and the Winter War against Finland, Soviet Russia started several sniper schools. Hence when the Axis came and the Eastern Front was born, these men and women took the fight to the enemy. But not as much as their greatest sniper, Ivan Sidorenko. He was self taught and would go on to teach hundreds more of the craft of snipping.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Krystal and Saagar discuss Gavin Newsom replacing the Dianne Feinstein Senate seat with a corporate Kamala stooge, Matt Gaetz promises to end the McCarthy speakership, Establishment freaks over fitting Ukraine aid into new bill, UK plans to send British troops to Ukraine, an Anti-Ukraine populist wins in NATO country, RFK Jr. to announce an independent run for president, the 2nd Republican debate bombs in the ratings, Is Jamaal Bowman a liar on the "Fire Alarm" Scandal?, Krystal looks into the New Orleans nightmare water crisis that could poison the city's pipes, and Saagar looks into the history of the Winter War and what real victory looks like for Ukraine.To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show uncut and 1 hour early visit: https://breakingpoints.supercast.com/Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Krystal and Saagar discuss Gavin Newsom replacing the Dianne Feinstein Senate seat with a corporate Kamala stooge, Matt Gaetz promises to end the McCarthy speakership, Establishment freaks over fitting Ukraine aid into new bill, UK plans to send British troops to Ukraine, an Anti-Ukraine populist wins in NATO country, RFK Jr. to announce an independent run for president, the 2nd Republican debate bombs in the ratings, Is Jamaal Bowman a liar on the "Fire Alarm" Scandal?, Krystal looks into the New Orleans nightmare water crisis that could poison the city's pipes, and Saagar looks into the history of the Winter War and what real victory looks like for Ukraine. To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show uncut and 1 hour early visit: https://breakingpoints.supercast.com/ Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices