Shows / History Shorts
History Shorts
Dive into the past with award-winning historian Peter Zablocki in this captivating daily podcast! Uncover hidden stories you never knew existed. And don't miss Friday Conversations where Peter teams up with top experts for riveting, in-depth discussions that bring history to life.
Episodes
History ShortsThe Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was established in 1920 under the Treaty of Versailles as a semi-autonomous city-state to provide Poland access to the sea while…
History ShortsJefferson and the Barbary Wars
Thomas Jefferson, as President, faced the challenge of the Barbary States—North African pirate nations demanding tribute from American merchant ships—in the…
History ShortsThe History of Scientology
Scientology was founded in the early 1950s by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health in 1950…
History ShortsThe 1932 Battle of Washington D.C.
In 1932, during the depths of the Great Depression, roughly 17,000 World War I veterans, known as the Bonus Army, marched on Washington, D.C., demanding early…
History ShortsTODAY IN CONTEXT: U.S. Presidents' History of Urban Interventions
TODAY IN CONTEXT BONUS EPISODE: President Trump's recent call for federal intervention in Chicago sparked widespread backlash... Today's Bonus episode traces…
History ShortsSecret WW2: Operation Himmler
LIMITED SERIES 11: SECRET WW2 - Operation Himmler was a covert Nazi German operation in 1939 designed to fabricate Polish aggression against Germany, using…
History ShortsGrover Cleveland's Secret Surgery
In 1893, amid a severe economic depression, President Grover Cleveland secretly underwent surgery aboard a yacht to remove a cancerous tumor from his mouth, a…
History ShortsConversations: Revisiting the Last Year of the American Civil War, w/ Scott Ellsworth
In this captivating episode, we sit down with historian Scott Ellsworth to discuss his latest book, Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War…
History ShortsGhiberti vs. Brunelleschi
The Florentine Renaissance saw two of its greatest minds, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, locked in a fierce competition: Ghiberti ultimately won…
History ShortsMystery of Evita's Corpse
After her death in 1952, Argentine First Lady Eva "Evita" Perón was embalmed in an elaborate process that preserved her body almost perfectly, making her one…
History ShortsHistory of Concubines
Throughout history, concubines, women who lived with men without the legal status of wives, played complex roles in societies from Imperial China to the…
History ShortsOperation Unthinkable
Operation Unthinkable was a top-secret 1945 British plan, drafted by Winston Churchill, to potentially launch a surprise attack against the Soviet Union after…
History ShortsThe Lioness Program
In this episode, we explore the Lioness Program - an elite initiative where female soldiers patrolled Iraq and Afghanistan to engage with local women and…
History ShortsTruman Resurrects Hoover
In this episode, we explore the unexpected friendship between Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover, detailing how Truman turned to the politically fallen Hoover to…
History ShortsConversations: Triumph, Tragedy & the Shaping of the American West, w/ Paul A. Hutton
What really shaped the American West? In this gripping episode, we sit down with award-winning historian and author Paul Andrew Hutton to explore his powerful…
History ShortsThe Gaspee Affair of 1772
In this episode, we explore the Gaspee Affair of 1772, a bold act of colonial resistance when Rhode Island patriots attacked and burned the British customs…
History ShortsCodex Gigas - The Devil's Bible
In this episode, we delve into the Codex Gigas, the medieval manuscript shrouded in legend and superstition. Discover its colossal size, the infamous Devil…
History ShortsGerman Revolution of 1918
In this episode, we explore Germany's 1918-1919 Revolution, a turbulent period when Communist revolutionaries sought to seize power amid the collapse of the…
History ShortsSocrates the Warrior
In this episode, we uncover Socrates' military career, examining how his time as a hoplite in the Peloponnesian War influenced his philosophy, honed his…
History ShortsNative American Scouts of the Civil War
During the Civil War, thousands of Native Americans served as scouts, guides, and soldiers, navigating the complex loyalties of tribes split between the Union…
History ShortsJustinian's Quest to Unify the Roman Empire
In the sixth century, Emperor Justinian I of the Eastern Roman Empire sought to restore the Roman world, with Rome itself as his ultimate prize. Beginning in…
History ShortsConversations: The Marine "Bastard" Battalion, w/ Gregg Zoroya
In this powerful episode, we're joined by award-winning journalist and author Gregg Zoroya to discuss his gripping new book, Unremitting: The Marine "Bastard"…
History ShortsStealing the Superfortress
When three gleaming American B-29 Superfortresses made emergency landings in Soviet-held territory in 1944, it set in motion one of the most audacious acts of…
History ShortsAdding 'God' to the Pledge of Allegiance
The phrase "under God" was not part of the original Pledge of Allegiance written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, but was added in 1954 amid Cold War tensions as a…
History ShortsHistory of the G-Men
The story of the G-Men begins in an era when America had no permanent federal detective force, relying instead on private agencies like the Pinkertons…
History ShortsThe Search for 'Little Albert'
In 1919–1920, Johns Hopkins psychologist John B. Watson conducted the now-infamous "Little Albert" experiment to show that fear could be conditioned in humans…
History ShortsConversations: The Warsaw Ghetto & the Holocaust, w/ Katarzyna Person
In this powerful and deeply human episode of History Shorts, historian Dr. Katarzyna Person, Director of the upcoming Warsaw Ghetto Museum and author of The…
History ShortsAndrew Jackson Arms His Slaves
In 1811, Andrew Jackson, traveling with enslaved men along the Natchez Trace, confronted a challenge to his authority when a Native agent demanded proof of…
History ShortsConversations: Why the Scopes Trial Still Matters Today, w/ Brenda Wineapple
In this episode, we sit down with Brenda Wineapple, acclaimed historian and author of The Impeachers and Ecstatic Nation, to discuss her latest work: Keeping…
History ShortsThe RMS Titanic Prophecy
In 1898, American author Morgan Robertson penned a novella titled Futility: Or the Wreck of the Titan. The plot centered around an enormous, luxurious ocean…
History ShortsThe Failed Lincoln Assassinations
Apart from the bullet that claimed his life in April of 1865, at least two other times during his life, Lincoln found himself the target of gunfire. Though…
History ShortsSex, STDs, and the Lewis & Clark Expedition
The epic journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the uncharted American West has long been celebrated as one of the most remarkable feats of…
History ShortsCircuit Judges of the American West
The frontier was a land of promise and peril, wide, unsettled, and often lawless. In this space between civilization and wilderness, one figure became both…
History ShortsConversations: Was Charles Sumner the most important Civil Rights Leader of the 19th Century, w/ Zaakir Tameez
In this compelling episode of History Shorts, we're joined by scholar and author Zaakir Tameez to discuss his new book, Charles Sumner: The Conscience of a…
History ShortsLincoln's Forgotten Vice President
In 1860, as the nation teetered on the brink of civil war, the Republican Party crafted a ticket designed to bridge the divides of a fractured Union. Abraham…
History ShortsConversations: The American women who flew in World War II, w/ Becky Aikman
Before America officially entered World War II, a group of daring young American women made history, only to be forgotten by it. In this episode, author Becky…
History ShortsTsar Nicholas' Forbidden Love for a Ballerina
In the glittering court of imperial St. Petersburg, amid opulent balls and the orchestral sweep of Wagner and Tchaikovsky, a forbidden romance once stirred…
History ShortsThe Great Train Robbery of 1963
On August 8, 1963, just after 3 a.m., the quiet Buckinghamshire countryside was electrified by one of the most daring heists in British history. A Royal Mail…
History ShortsThe Search for Cleopatra's Tomb
Few names from antiquity evoke the same mystique, glamour, and controversy as Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. A queen…
History ShortsThe Vatican's WWII Spy Network
When it comes to the shadowy world of World War II espionage, the Vatican might seem an unlikely player. After all, enclosed behind the ancient walls of the…
History ShortsConversations: How Habsburgs Transformed Europe, w/ Martyn Rady
In this captivating episode, we sit down with Dr. Martyn Rady, a renowned British historian and preeminent expert on Central Europe, to unravel the layered…
History ShortsThe Black Hole of Calcutta
In this episode, we dive into one of the most infamous events in British colonial history, the Black Hole of Calcutta. On the night of June 20, 1756, a small…
History ShortsTODAY IN CONTEXT: A.I. - Mankind's Dream Dating Back Thousands of Years
In this episode of TODAY IN CONTEXT, we trace the remarkable history of artificial intelligence, from its roots in ancient myth to its rapid rise in the…
History ShortsConversations: Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism, w/ Brittlestar
In this episode, we're joined by Stewart Reynolds, better known as Brittlestar, Canada's beloved "Internet's Favourite Dad" and a viral comedian who's now…
History ShortsDr. Crippen - The Second Jack the Ripper?
In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most notorious criminal cases of the early 20th century, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, the American homeopath who…
History ShortsThe Solidarity Movement
In this episode, we explore one of the most pivotal moments in the decline of communism in Eastern Europe: the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland. Born…
History ShortsCould the SS Californian Have Saved the Titanic?
In this episode, we explore one of the most haunting "what if" scenarios in maritime history: Could the SS Californian have saved the Titanic on that fateful…
History ShortsTrojan War
Join us as we delve into one of history's most enduring legends, the Trojan War. From the mythical beauty of Helen of Troy to the cunning strategy of Odysseus…
History ShortsThe Beast of New Orleans
In 1862, as Union troops occupied the Confederate stronghold of New Orleans, a new kind of warfare began, not one of bullets and bayonets, but of politics…
History ShortsDebs Runs for President... from Jail
In one of the most astonishing chapters in American political history, Eugene V. Debs, a fiery labor leader, devout democratic socialist, and perennial…
History ShortsConversations: Lessons from the Renaissance, w/ Ross King
In this illuminating episode of History Shorts, Peter welcomes acclaimed historian and author Ross King, the bestselling writer behind Brunelleschi's Dome…
History ShortsKent State
May 4, 1970, an ordinary spring day turned tragic at Kent State University. What began as a student protest against the Vietnam War ended in horror, as the…
History ShortsSecret Plot to Kill Jefferson Davis
In the final throes of the Civil War, a chilling discovery near Richmond sent shockwaves through both Union and Confederate camps. On the body of a slain young…
History ShortsThe Legend of Jesse James
To some, Jesse James was a gallant outlaw, a populist folk hero who struck back at greedy railroads and corrupt institutions, sharing his loot with poor…
History ShortsKilling Sitting Bull
Before dawn on December 15, 1890, a gunshot rang out on the Standing Rock Reservation, and Sitting Bull, the legendary Lakota chief, was dead. His…
History ShortsThe Shame of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold: the name alone still echoes with betrayal. But behind the infamous label of "traitor" lies a story that's far more complex, and far more…
History ShortsWar Crimes Trial of Andersonville's H. Wirtz (Civil War True Crime)
On a cold November morning in 1865, just months after the Civil War's end, a Confederate officer stood on the gallows in Washington, D.C. His name was Henry…
History ShortsBarbed Wire Tames the West
Barbed wire began as a humble solution to a humble problem: fencing the vast, treeless expanses of the American West. But this simple invention—two twisted…
History ShortsConversations: Everything is Tuberculosis, w/ John Green
In this thought-provoking episode of History Shorts, bestselling author John Green joins us, not to talk about fiction, but about the real-world epidemic that…
History ShortsIrish Americans Attack Canada
Between 1866 and 1871, a secretive Irish-American paramilitary group known as the Fenians launched a series of bizarre and audacious cross-border attacks from…