Hanchuk Targets History: Recent Episodes
Tim Hanchuk
Longtime history teacher Tim Hanchuk targets interesting, unique, and little known historical events and explains them in a way anyone can understand. Look for new episodes every other Wednesday!
The Battle of Argos took place in 272 BC between the forces of Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, and a coalition made up of the city-state of Argos, the army of Sparta under King Areus, and the army of Macedonia under King Antigonus Gonatas. Pyrrhus was one of the great generals of the Hellenistic Age and the Battle of Argos marks his final defeat and death. A death which certainly was not as glorious or heroic as one might expect.
The Battle of Bannockburn took place June 23-24, 1314, with the army of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland, fighting the army of King Edward II of England. It is one of Scotland's most celebrated victories.
Operation Chastise, which is better known as the Dambusters Raid, took place on the night of May 16, 1943 during World War II. It was a daring RAF attack on German dams in the Ruhr Valley using some rather unique bombs.
The Battles of Frenchtown and the subsequent River Raisin Massacre took place January 18-23, 1813 around the Frenchtown settlement in what is present-day Monroe, Michigan. It happens to be the deadliest fight to ever take place on Michigan soil, and had the highest loss of American lives for any battle during the War of 1812.
A little known event in the life of a well-known historical figure. The Battle of Fort Necessity took place on July 3, 1754, and marks the first military action seen by a young colonial officer named George Washington. It's also the battle that is credited with starting the French and Indian War.
Today's episode talks about the famous clash that brought about an end to the Wars of the Roses and ushered in the Tudor dynasty - the Battle of Bosworth Field, which took place on August 22, 1485.
The Battle of Valmy took place on September 20, 1792. It is one of the early battles of the French Revolution . Though not as well-known as some later battles, it has heroics, a questionable military decision, and is highly significant to the further development of the revolution.
On January 15, 1919, a tank holding around 2.3 million gallons of molasses collapsed in Boston's North End neighborhood flooding the streets. Although it sounds like an amusing historical anecdote, it was actually a large disaster that killed and injured many.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about World War I and the Battle of Lake Tanganyika, which was actually a series of naval engagements between December 1915 and July 1916. Apart from being significant to the war's central African theater, it also served as the inspiration for a novella and classic motion picture.
In this lengthy episode, Hanchuk talks about what is, perhaps, the most famous shootout of the American old west - the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
During World War II, the Allies staged Operation Overlord, the amphibious invasion of the Normandy area of France. What few people realize is that a second amphibious invasion, this time in the south of France, took place a few months later. This was Operation Dragoon, and this episode talks about that forgotten event.
During the Korean War, the commander of the United Nations forces was General Douglas MacArthur - at least until April of 1951 when President Harry Truman decided to fire him. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the circumstances that led to MacArthur's removal.
The Third Servile War was a slave revolt from 73-71 BC in the time of the Roman Republic. Few people know it by name, but most have heard of one of its leaders - Spartacus.
The United States flag is perhaps one of the most recognizable national flags in the world. In this episode, Hanchuk takes a brief look at how this well-known symbol of America came to be.
The Aleutian Islands stretch across the northern Pacific and are part of Alaska. One of the forgotten battles of World War II is when Japan invaded and occupied two of them. The United States, of course, responded by taking those islands back. In this episode, Hanchuk takes the listener through the planning, attack, and outcome of the campaign.
The 1919 Treaty of Versailles was the formal peace treaty ending World War I between the Allies and Germany. To be blunt, it was a poor treaty, but not for the reasons most people think. In this episode, Hanchuk debunks some common notions about the treaty and argues the real reasons that it resulted in a flawed peace.
In the 1430s, Johannes Gutenberg perfected the process of moveable type printing. This led to a printing revolution that had a profound effect on society from that point forward. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about how it all happened.
On June 18, 1815, Napoleon suffered his final defeat at the epic Battle of Waterloo. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about what led up to it and how the battle played out.
We all know, of course, that World War I was a world-wide war. But what we often forget is that it was a total war as well. In this quick episode, Hanchuk talks about what was happening on the home front.
When one thinks of the French Revolution, especially the Reign of Terror, the guillotine immediately comes to mind. In this episode, Hanchuk traces the history of this well-known execution device - heads will roll.
Today's episode looks at one of those odd weapons from World War II - Japan's fire balloons, or balloon bombs as they were sometimes called. Japan used these to bomb the continental United States in the later stages of the war. See how they came about, how they were used, and what damage they actually caused.
In part 2 of Lizzie Borden, Hanchuk takes the listener through the police investigation, the arrest of Lizzie Borden for the double murder of her father and stepmother, and her criminal trial.
In part 1 of a two part episode, Hanchuk discusses a brutal double murder that took place at the home where Lizzie Borden lived with her family. The episode takes the listener through background information and the actual murders.
One of the most significant battles of the Spanish-American War in 1898 was the Battle of San Juan Hill. Most people know this battle because of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, but they are just part of the story. Find out what happened during the entire battle.
On December 6, 1917, one of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions in history took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the causes and consequences of this terrible disaster. If you note the date, you might already guess it has something to do with World War I.
The Battle of Megiddo took place in 1457 BC between Egyptian forces under Thutmose III and Canaanite and Syrian rebels. This battle is the first one in history to be recorded in full detail. Note: I apologize for the poor quality of the recording in some places - steps are being taken to correct this in the future.
The Olympic marathon in 1904 has to be the most bizarre race ever to be contested in the Olympic games. When a contestant hitching a ride in a car is far from the strangest thing to happen, you know things got crazy.
On March 16, 1968 the infamous My Lai Massacre took place. It involved the mass killings of hundreds of civilians in the village of My Lai 4, and is often referred to as one of the most shocking episodes of the Vietnam War.
Between 1598 and 1613, Russia went through the Time of Troubles. This chaotic period in their history saw lawlessness, the end of a dynasty, a succession crisis, way too many pretenders to the throne, foreign invasion, anarchy, and a massive famine. Let the craziness begin!
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the second half of the 1700s. In this episode, Hanchuk explores the factors that led to British industrialization, the first industry to employ it, and its further expansion.
The Battle of Gaugamela is perhaps the greatest victory in the legendary military career of Alexander the Great. This 331 BC battle saw Alexander's triumph over Persian King Darius III guaranteeing his conquest of the Persian Empire.
In an episode dealing with World War II, Hanchuk talks about the Soviet Union's 588th Night Bomber Regiment. This was an all female combat group, whose great success led the Germans to dub them The Night Witches.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari. She was an exotic dancer, courtesan, and spy. History is full of rumors and legends about this famous femme fatale, and Hanchuk tries to sort through them to discover the truth about her life.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the War of 1812. Specifically, he takes the listener through the largest battle fought on the Great Lakes, Oliver Hazard Perry's famous victory at the Battle of Lake Erie.
People sometimes forget that Italy, as a unified nation, did not exist until the middle of the 1800s. Before that, it was a collection of small states. In this episode, Hanchuk takes the listener through the process of these states uniting into the nation of Italy.
The Cold War - that scary and tense time when war between the Americans and Soviets seemed inevitable. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about Dmitri Fyodorovich Polyakov, a Soviet general in the GRU (Soviet Military Intelligence) who turned double agent and spied for the U.S. His efforts, and the intelligence he provided, truly helped to keep the Cold War cold.
Today's episode looks at the American Civil War. Specifically, the western theater of operations, where in 1862, the famous Andrews Raid took place. This is perhaps better known as The Great Locomotive Chase, and involves a group of Union raiders stealing a Confederate train.
In Part 2 of this story, Hanchuk traces the events after the actual mutiny. Find out what happened to Bligh and those loyal to him. Hear about how the mutineers split into two groups and what happened to each, including the ultimate fate of Fletcher Christian.
On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian led part of the crew of the HMS Bounty in a mutiny against the ship's captain, William Bligh. What led to this? Was Bligh a tyrant, as many people think? Was the mutiny justified? And, what was the Bounty's mission in the first place? In Part 1 of a two-part episode, Hanchuk sets the stage and takes the listener through the actual mutiny.
Hanchuk talks about the legendary flying ace from World War I, Manfred von Richthofen - The Red Baron. His 80 confirmed kills made him the highest scoring ace of any country. This episode will take you through his storied career and his controversial death.
In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles shot and killed a man in the middle of Washington DC, in broad daylight, in front of a host of witnesses! What caused this promising young Congressman to commit cold-blooded murder? How could he even try to defend himself in a court of law? How did his trial end up? Hanchuk answers these questions as he explains how the whole situation played out.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about some college football history, specifically the 1916 game between Georgia Tech and Cumberland. This infamous game saw the NCAA record for most points scored - a record that will probably never be broken. Find out why this game was played, what happened during it, and why Georgia Tech's coach, John Heisman, ran-up the score so much.
In this episode, Hanchuk gives a brief overview of the Hundred Years' War. He discusses the causes, course of the war, and its outcome, while mentioning the battles of Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt. He also brings in the role Joan of Arc played for the French.
On June 6, 1944 the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy in the greatest amphibious assault of all time. In this episode, Hanchuk focuses on some of the deception efforts the Allies used to hide the details of D-Day from the Germans. He describes the overarching deception Operation Bodyguard, along with its sub-operations Fortitude, Glimmer, Taxable, Big Drum, and Titanic.
Grab your shield and lance, because in this episode, Hanchuk talks about Medieval Tournaments. He traces their origins and evolution over time, and discusses the melee, the joust, and the pageantry of what were the major spectator events of their day.
Operation Ivy Bells was a classic example of Cold War espionage. The United States used a submarine, the USS Halibut, to tap into an undersea Soviet communications cable. In this quick episode, Hanchuk talks about how this operation came about, the challenges it faced, and its ultimate outcome.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the great Carthaginian general Hannibal, who is perhaps one of the greatest military leaders from antiquity. Hear about his exploits during the Second Punic War, including his audacious crossing of the Alps (with war elephants), his great victory at the Battle of Cannae, and his ultimate defeat at the Battle of Zama.
During World War II the Allies were planning their invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky). One of the deceptions they used to fool the Germans into thinking an invasion would be coming in the Balkans rather than Sicily was Operation Mincemeat. As deception operations go, Mincemeat was very successful, and is probably one of the most bizarre operations of the entire war. What made it so strange? I won't ruin the surprise, but I will say it involves a corpse and a submarine.
The Battle of Balaclava culminated in the heroic, yet disastrous, charge of the British light brigade. In this episode, Hanchuk takes the listener through the lead up to the battle, the various actions in the battle itself, and of course, the legendary charge that ended it.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the Culper Ring - a group of spies during the American Revolution that operated out of New York. During the war, they were able to provide Gen. Washington with a ton of intelligence. Find out how they were established, how they operated, and some of the key information they uncovered.
During the Russo-Japanese War, Russia's Baltic Fleet was tasked with steaming half way around the world to help in the Pacific. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about all of the mishaps that plagued their ridiculous voyage, including the infamous Dogger Bank incident. He also discusses the famous Battle of Tsushima Strait that took place once the fleet finally managed to make it to the Pacific.
Season 1 Episode 4. The Plantagenet dynasty ruled England for three centuries. In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the first Plantagenet king, Henry II and his outrageously dysfunctional family. He and his sons were an absolute mess in terms of their relations with each other, and Hanchuk explains all their problems.
Season 1 Episode 3 finds Hanchuk talking about the U.S. presidential election of 1800 - perhaps the biggest election fiasco of all time. What led to it? How did it happen? What was done to prevent a repeat of it in the future? Hanchuk answers all these questions as he walks us through this event.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the 1896 Battle of Adwa - the largest battle ever fought in the entire continent of Africa (with the exception of those in World War II). Without a doubt, this battle is Ethiopia's greatest military triumph.
In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the rather odd assassination of Russia's Tsar Alexander II in 1881. Along with the actual event, he also mentions the numerous failed plots against the Tsar, as well as commenting on what the assassination meant for Russia.