History Analyzed Mark Palmer
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- History
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History Analyzed is a podcast which investigates both history's biggest moments and best kept secrets. Your host, Mark Palmer, draws upon a history degree from the University of Notre Dame and literal decades of informal study. He explains not only what happened, but also why and how historical events occurred. At times, he examines how these events have shaped the present and continue to affect us today.
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The Arsenal of Democracy — U.S. Industry Was the Biggest Factor in World War II
A lot of elements contributed into winning World War II: Britain refusing to make peace with Nazi Germany after the fall of France along with the Chinese and Soviets willingness to suffer millions of deaths. But World War II was a war between the factories; whichever side could produce the most military equipment would win. The deciding factor in World War II was the fantastic industrial output of the U.S.
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Polio — Jonas Salk and Franklin Roosevelt
Polio was one of the scourges of the 20th century. And it mainly struck children. All of a sudden a person contracted polio and suffered terribly for several days; sometimes they recovered, sometimes they died, and sometimes they were left permanently disabled. The most famous polio victim of all time, Franklin Roosevelt, hid his disability from the public. But this story has a true hero: Jonas Salk, who developed a vaccine which led to the almost complete eradication of this dreaded disease. And Dr. Salk never patented the vaccine or earned any money from his discovery.
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The Vietnam War: 1964-1973
Wars are never solely military questions. They always involve politics and the will of the people. This episode outlines America's war in Vietnam and explains why the U.S. lost, including the limitations imposed by the American public and the realities of the Cold War.
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How America Stumbled into Vietnam
The story of the Vietnam War usually starts with President John Kennedy being assassinated and new President Lyndon Johnson getting the U.S. into a long, unwinnable war from 1964 through 1973. This episode explores what happened before that war: the collapse of the French colony of Indochina, why Vietnam was split into 2 countries of North Vietnam and South Vietnam, why the communists tried to take over the South, and how did America become involved in the quagmire of Vietnam.
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Vikings!
The Vikings are history's best example of an irresistible force. They were raiders from Scandinavia that pillaged and slaughtered across much of Europe. They founded Iceland, lived in Greenland, and were the first Europeans in North America. They changed Britain and most of mainland Europe. Find out what made them so formidable and how they reshaped the western world.
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McCarthyism — Political Witch-hunts and the Red Scare
In the 1950s, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy led a hunt for Communists in the American government. His brand of persecution based on lies, rumors, and innuendos ruined many lives but did not send a single subversive to jail. He set the standard for politicians who wish to be bullies and demagogues.
Customer Reviews
fun, digestible bits of history.
I discovered the podcaster on reddit who was a request poster to a history subreddit. decided to give his channel a try with the pompeii episode and now moving through the history of mankind episode by episode. very informative. maybe didn’t need to know THAT much about the roman numerical system.
Great show for adults and kids
Mark Palmer does a great job at explaining history in a way that is accessible yet not dumbed down. We listen as a family, and while my 8yo daughter can’t understand everything, she still doesn’t mind when I put it on. My 11yo enjoys listening and so do I. As a non American I find the show very agreeable in that it’s neither overly patriotic nor 1619ish. Hope to hear many more episodes!
History Analyzed
Very easy to follow. Interesting details even about subjects you thought you knew pretty well. Keep up the good work.