15-Minute History 15-Minute History Podcast

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team is republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode, Joan of Arc, originally aired on October 18, 2021.

Arrows filled the sky above the battlefield and rained down on the French knights as they slogged through the mud in heavy armor. Their effect was devastating, and hundreds of France’s noblest men fell screaming as the English longbowmen poured fire into their ranks. The French commander urged his men forward, while at the other end of the field the King of England, Henry V, watched the battle with a smile on his scarred face. Soon, the English celebrated their great triumph at Agincourt on St. Crispin’s Day. It was perhaps the high-point in the long war between the two countries that had begun nearly a hundred years earlier over who would sit on the throne of France. England stood on the threshold of victory, and as its soldiers tended the wounded and drank to their fallen, no one in Henry’s army could know that a three-year-old girl living far to the southeast would one day turn the tide of war against them.

Join us as we teach you about Joan of Arc and how she changed the course of history forever. Be sure to send us your questions for our discussion segment next week and if you feel so inclined, support the show by going to https://anchor.fm/15minutehistory/support. 


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Welcome to the Pop Quiz! During the summer break, the team still wanted to bring you, our awesome audience, some new content.

Every Thursday, one of the hosts will ask the other a question about history they must answer.

Have an idea for a topic? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/15minutehistory/support

To honor the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion, we are republishing our Pointe du Hoc episode (first aired on April 12, 2021).

"The last landing was unique. It was a 100-foot cliff facing the English Channel, situated between Utah and Omaha beach. At the top of the cliff were 155mm guns with a range of 3.5 miles that could fire on both Utah and Omaha beaches and cause maximum casualties. The challenges facing these men were obvious, with the sheer rock face and no cover, and they would be easy targets for the Germans. In addition, the choppy sea and possible equipment and mechanical failures added to the dangers of combat. All factors, from combat conditions to topographical obstacles, made the objective almost impossible. The Germans believed that whatever the invasion would be, it couldn’t include Pointe Du Hoc."


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In this, our last episode of Season 7, join us as we discuss Joseph McCarthy, McCarthyism, and the threat of cultural evils.

Thank you for a fantastic season! We look forward to speaking with you again this Fall.


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/15minutehistory/support

Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks the other a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more with you, our outstanding audience.

Have an idea for a topic? Want to try and stump Jon? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/15minutehistory/support

Last week, we discussed the political and legal framework of McCarthyism, but far more important is how it impacted ordinary citizens who were not Soviet agents. McCarthy and HUAC regularly labeled Americans as threats simply for their political beliefs, which were often countercultural at the time. Whether or not their views were correct, they did not deserve the loss of reputation, income, and even personal safety that accompanied a subversive accusation. Hundreds of people lost their jobs, had to move, and even faced legal sanctions for dissenting viewpoints. Some later repaired their reputations as the “Red Scare” faded and its moral panic subsided, but many felt McCarthyism’s lingering effects for the rest of their lives.

This week, we cover part two of our series on McCarthyism.


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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/15minutehistory/support