Douglas MacArthur was one of the most prominent — and controversial — generals of the Second World War. As Field Marshal of the Philippines, he withdrew to Australia in 1942, famously declaring, “I shall return.” That promise became central to his reputation and shaped the rest of his war.

How far did MacArthur’s vow influence his actions? Was he an effective commander, strategist, and leader in the Pacific campaign? These questions continue to divide historians.

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I’m joined by Peter Mansoor, author of Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines. We discuss MacArthur’s leadership in the Second World War, his successes, failures, and his lasting legacy.

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By January 1945, the war in Europe neared its final phase. In the west, the Allies had repelled the Ardennes offensive. In the east, the Red Army prepared the Vistula–Oder offensive, a huge strike that pushed German forces out of Poland. The Soviet advance carried them to the very gates of Berlin.

The Vistula–Oder offensive in 1945 liberated vast areas, including Auschwitz. It also created the springboard for the final assault on Germany. Stalin wanted more than battlefield victory. He pushed Soviet borders west, reclaimed imperial lands, and shaped Poland’s fate before the war ended.

The Wehrmacht resisted fiercely. German forces launched a desperate counterattack, their last major armoured offensive on the Eastern Front.

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I talk with Prit Buttar, author of Into the Reich: The Red Army’s Advance to the Oder in 1945.

Into the Reich is also available on Spotify and Audible

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The Maginot Line was one of the most ambitious defensive projects of the 1930s. Built along France’s eastern border, this vast system of underground forts, tunnels, and bunkers included hospitals, kitchens, telephone exchanges, electric railways, and turrets that could rise from the ground to strike at attackers. Designed to withstand artillery and even chemical weapons, it represented the cutting edge of military engineering.

Yet when Germany invaded in May 1940, France fell in just six weeks. The Maginot Line has since become a byword for failure — an expensive defensive shield that seemed useless against Blitzkrieg. But was it really such a mistake, or have we misunderstood its role in the Second World War?

In this episode of the WW2 Podcast, I’m joined by Professor Kevin Passmore, author of The Maginot Line: A New History. Together, we explore how the defences were built, how they performed in 1940, and what the Maginot Line can really tell us about the fall of France.

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