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
Guadalcanal (Key Battle 4), Part 1
After overwhelmingly defeating the Japanese fleet at Midway, American military leaders decided to go on the offensive. The first major target would be a group of islands in the eastern part of the So…
00:46:23 |
Wed 30 Jun 2021
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT- Beyond the Big Screen
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00:05:15 |
Fri 25 Jun 2021
Midway (Key Battle 3)
Thanks to the American code breakers at “Station Hypo” on Oahu, led by the brilliant and quirky Joe Rochefort, American naval leaders knew of Yamamoto’s plan to attack Midway. This knowledge turned h…
00:38:43 |
Wed 23 Jun 2021
Yamamoto Rolls the Dice
The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 inflicted great damage on the American Pacific Fleet, but it left one group of American ships untouched: the aircraft carriers. In early 1942, …
00:47:26 |
Wed 16 Jun 2021
The Coral Sea (Key Battle 2)
Following up on their stunning military successes of late 1941 and early 1942, Japan’s leaders decided to capture the key Allied port of Port Moresby on the southern coast of New Guinea. They also ho…
00:46:02 |
Wed 09 Jun 2021
The Japanese Blitzkrieg
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they were just getting started. Over the next 5 months, Japan rapidly and overwhelmingly conquered several European and colonial possessions in s…
00:50:03 |
Wed 02 Jun 2021
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - The History of the Papacy
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00:05:34 |
Sat 29 May 2021
America Gears Up for War
Between 1939 and 1941, the United States began increasing the size of its military forces while it ramped up war production. After Pearl Harbor, these processes went into overdrive, with the result t…
00:56:31 |
Wed 26 May 2021
Pearl Harbor (Key Battle 1)
On December 7, 1941, Japanese air and naval forces launched a surprise attack on the American naval and air base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing 2400 Americans and heavily damaging the US Pacific Fl…
00:42:52 |
Wed 19 May 2021
The Road to Pearl Harbor
Japan’s complicated relationship with the United States stretches back much further than 1940. The relationship, which began nearly a century prior to World War II, was often fraught with tension. Th…
00:41:46 |
Wed 12 May 2021
Japan’s Strategy; Relations with the US
In order to meet the needs of its expanding population and empire, Japan’s leaders began looking hungrily to the south and east. Three years after invading China, Japanese military forces occupied Fr…
00:47:17 |
Wed 05 May 2021
The Rise of Imperial Japan
As late as the 1860s, Japan was a semi-feudal nation, largely cut off from the rest of the world. But within a few decades, the nation had transformed itself into a major industrial power with one of…
00:52:06 |
Wed 28 Apr 2021
Intro to Key Battles of the Pacific War
In this episode, James introduces the second season of Key Battles of American History. The topic will be Key Battles of the Pacific Theater (WW2). Returning as James' co-host is Scott Rank. Enjoy!
Se…
00:11:10 |
Wed 21 Apr 2021
The Lost Battalion
James and Sean discuss the 2001 made-for-television movie The Lost Battalion, in which an American battalion becomes isolated and surrounded by German forces during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive of 191…
01:09:26 |
Wed 07 Apr 2021
Lawrence of Arabia
James and Sean discuss the epic, multi award-winning 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, based on British Colonel T. E. Lawrence’s autobiographical book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Lawrence assists a grou…
01:35:54 |
Wed 31 Mar 2021
War Horse
James and Sean discuss the 2011 film War Horse, in which a young Englishman struggles to be reunited with his beloved horse, who has been sent to the Western Front and has experienced several trying …
01:01:47 |
Wed 24 Mar 2021
James Patreon Announcement
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00:07:34 |
Mon 22 Mar 2021
Sergeant York
James and Sean discuss the classic 1941 film Sergeant York, which tells the fascinating story of Alvin York, one of the most decorated American soldiers of the First World War.
00:55:40 |
Wed 17 Mar 2021
1917
James and Sean discuss the award-winning 2019 film 1917, in which two British soldiers are sent on a dangerous mission to save another unit from disaster.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor…
01:15:32 |
Wed 10 Mar 2021
Beneath Hill 60
James and Sean discuss the 2010 Australian film Beneath Hill 60, which tells the fascinating story of an Australian tunneling company trying to undermine the German position at the Ypres Salient in t…
01:23:10 |
Wed 03 Mar 2021
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