Key Battles of American History
War has played a key role in the history of the United States from the nation’s founding right down to the present. Wars made the U. S. independent, kept it together, increased its size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America’s wars is essential for understanding American history. In the Key Battles of American History, host James Early discusses American history through the lens of the most important battles of America’s wars. James is an Adjunct Professor of History at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, TX. He has published one book and two scholarly articles. He is also the cohost (with Scott Rank) of the Presidential Fight Club, Key Battles of the Civil War, Key Battles of the Revolutionary War, and Key Battles of World War I podcasts.
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 51 minutes
- Episodes
- 366
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Prisoners of War
During the Pacific War, the Japanese took over 130,000 Allied prisoners of war and held them in camps spread all over the Japanese Empire. Nearly all Allied prisoners were deprived of food and medica…
01:07:19 |
Wed 17 Nov 2021
Kamikazes
Once again, James and Scott are taking a break from the narrative of key battles to discuss two more important topics. In this episode, we will tell the story of kamikazes, including the origin of th…
00:50:23 |
Wed 10 Nov 2021
Okinawa (KB 9), Part Two
As was the case with previous island battles, the American conquest of Okinawa was slow and bloody. In addition to their network of caves and tunnels, the Japanese possessed a strong fortress called …
00:48:37 |
Wed 03 Nov 2021
Okinawa (KB 9), Part One
After the successful capture of Iwo Jima, the Americans’ next objective was Okinawa, which was only 330 miles from the Japanese home islands. Possessing Okinawa would cut Japan’s supply line from sou…
00:51:11 |
Wed 27 Oct 2021
Iwo Jima (KB 8), Part Two
On February 19, 1945, 40,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jima, and many more would follow. Within four days, they had taken the summit of Mt. Suribachi, a key position that commanded the entire island, and…
00:51:00 |
Wed 20 Oct 2021
Iwo Jima (KB 8), Part One
In order to make the strategic bombing runs over Japan more effective, General Curtis LeMay and other USAAF leaders wanted the B-29s to be escorted by fighters. In order for this to happen, the US ne…
00:50:39 |
Wed 13 Oct 2021
American Bombers in the Pacific Theater
In May 1944, the US unveiled a new weapon, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber. It was bigger and faster than the B-17, it had a greater range, and it could carry a heavier bomb load (8-10 tons). De…
00:53:09 |
Wed 06 Oct 2021
American Submarines in the Pacific
In this episode, James and Scott take a break from the narrative of battles to take a deep dive (pun intended!) into the topic of American submarines in the Pacific War. Due to technical problems, ea…
00:51:56 |
Wed 29 Sep 2021
Leyte Gulf (Key Battle 7), Part Two
In the last episode, we saw that the Japanese fleet, despite suffering some initial setbacks at the hands of the Americans, were still pressing hard toward the American invasion fleet in Leyte Gulf. …
00:47:46 |
Wed 22 Sep 2021
Leyte Gulf (Key Battle 7), Part One
After their overwhelming victories at the Philippine Sea and the Mariana Islands, American military leaders faced several options for their next target. Due in large part to lobbying by General MacAr…
00:49:29 |
Wed 15 Sep 2021
Philippine Sea (Key Battle 6)
While the American attack on Saipan was still in progress, the Japanese Pacific fleet launched an attack on the American fleet, hoping to halt the invasion and to destroy the American fleet in a fina…
00:58:58 |
Wed 08 Sep 2021
Saipan (Key Battle 5)
In June 1944, the U. S. launched its Marianas campaign, beginning with an amphibious assault on the key island of Saipan. After more than three bloody weeks of fighting, culminating in a massive banz…
00:39:56 |
Wed 01 Sep 2021
America Moves Closer to Japan
In the fall of 1943, top Japanese leaders decided to pull Japan’s defensive perimeter back closer to Japan, in an effort to stop the American juggernaut. American and other Allied forces continued to…
00:29:18 |
Wed 25 Aug 2021
The Solomons, the Gilberts, and the Marshalls
In June 1943, American forces kicked off Operation Cartwheel, an attack on additional islands in the Solomons chain and parts of New Britain and New Guinea, under the command of General Douglas MacAr…
00:51:15 |
Wed 18 Aug 2021
The Tide Turns: July 1942 - August 1943
Between August 1942 and June 1944, no “Key Battles” (at least in James’ reckoning!) occurred...but that of course does not mean that nothing happened! During the time between the Guadalcanal and Saip…
00:52:53 |
Wed 11 Aug 2021
Japanese and American Sailors
The Pacific War was dominated by the navy. Without the hundreds of thousands of sailors who manned the thousands of ships on both sides, there would have been no land battles. In this episode, writte…
00:45:00 |
Wed 04 Aug 2021
Soldiers, Marines and Aviators
In this and the next episode, James and Scott take a break from the military narrative to zoom in and take a look at the lives and experiences of common soldiers, marines, and pilots on both the Japa…
00:55:12 |
Wed 28 Jul 2021
Guadalcanal (Key Battle 4), Part 4
After the failed October Japanese attack on Henderson Field and the American fleet’s repeated prevention of Japanese efforts to reinforce and resupply the island, the Japanese army on Guadalcanal bec…
00:47:25 |
Wed 21 Jul 2021
Guadalcanal (Key Battle 4), Part 3
In October and November of 1942, the Japanese fleet near Guadalcanal kept trying to bring supplies and reinforcements to the island, while the American navy tried to stop this. As a result, no fewer …
00:40:46 |
Wed 14 Jul 2021
Guadalcanal (Key Battle 4), Part 2
In the first week after their landing, the Americans seized the Japanese airstrip and constructed a perimeter around it. But in the next month, the Japanese launched two attacks to try to regain it. …
00:42:26 |
Wed 07 Jul 2021
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of Key Battles of American History. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.