The Unknown Soldiers Podcast

A simple priest named Jan Hus gently suggests that the Catholic Church might be wrong about a few things - so they burn him at the stake, and ignite a holy war. The Church calls a crusade against Hus’s followers, the Hussites and all of Europe takes up arms against the heretics. The Hussites’ only hope is a one-eyed mercenary named Jan Žižka, and his revolutionary tactics that are so crazy they just might work. Fire, faith and thunder roll over the hills of Bohemia.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episodes-67-and-68-the-hussite-wars-parts-1-and-2Music:Bloodlust by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Ring Of Iron by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USThe Great Battle by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comRoyalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Hearts Of Iron by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/Royalty Free Music by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

In the year 1302, the people of Flanders revolted against their French overlords. They were just a bunch of peasants and townspeople, with simple weapons and little armor - but the French knights were in for a surprise. It’s time to take a deep dive into a single medieval battle - the Battle of Courtrai, where the common people of a small country stood their ground against the most powerful military in medieval Europe.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-66-the-battle-of-the-golden-spurs-maps-and-sourcesMusic:Ring Of Iron by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US"Day One" by LucorMusic via pond5.com

In the year 1361, a ragged band of veteran mercenaries called the White Company marched across the Alps into Italy. One of their leaders was a middle-aged English knight named Sir John Hawkwood. He would the most infamous mercenary captain in Europe, the terror of Italy…and the harbinger of change, as the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-65-soldier-and-fortune-maps-and-sourcesMusic:Dragonquest by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Bloodlust by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Dark Hollows by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Epic Cinematic Dramatic Music | Tragedy by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

A five-year-old boy is marched to his execution, but at the last minute he is spared. So begins the story of William Marshal. Tournament champion, feudal lord, father, husband, hero, rebel, loyal servant to five kings, one of the most legendary knights of the Middle Ages. And in his final years, at the age of 70, he will make the most important decision of his life.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-64-the-life-and-times-of-sir-william-marshal-maps-and-sourcesMusic:The Pyre by Kevin MacLeod | https://incompetech.com/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Tavern Brawl by Alexander Nakarada ft. Kevin MacLeod | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/An Epic Story by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"Reign of the King" by CitySound, via Pond5.com

After surviving Boudicca's Rebellion, the Roman province of Britannia was more or less stagnant - until a general arrived with an ambition to complete the conquest. Gnaeus Julius Agricola came to Britain in 77 AD with the ambition to lead the legions into the wild northern regions of Caledonia, a.k.a. Scotland, all the way to the ends of the known earth. And the only reason we know about this campaign is Agricola's son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, who made sure that his wife's beloved father wouldn't become an unknown soldier.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-63-furies-of-britannia-sources-and-maps

In 43 AD, the Roman Empire set out to conquer the mysterious land of Britannia. But the Roman province was barely established when a massive uprising threatened to destroy their achievements. The revolt’s leader was Boudicca, a Celtic warrior queen on a quest for freedom and revenge. This is a story about empire, resistance, one woman’s fury, and warfare at the edge of the world.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-63-furies-of-britannia-sources-and-mapsMusic:Vopna by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Hymn To The Gods by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Neverland by Alexander Nakarada | https://creatorchords.comMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Under Siege" by Tyler Cunningham, via Pond5.com

The Romans have come to the walls of holy Jerusalem, where the Jews await their assault and pray for a miracle. The epic Siege of Jerusalem, and the smaller Siege of Masada, mark the twin climaxes of the First Roman-Jewish War, but their mythology...and their impact...endure into the modern day. This is Part II of the story of Josephus, the Romans, the Jews, and a war for the freedom of Zion.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episodes-61-and-62-wailing-walls-part-1-and-wailing-walls-part-2-maps-and-sourcesMusic:"Jewel Of Nekhen" by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USThe Legion by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Under Siege" by Tyler Cunningham, via Pond5.com

Our story begins not in Israel, not in Palestine, but in Judaea. The Romans had oppressed the Jewish people for decades, and by 66 AD, they had finally had enough. The First Roman-Jewish War was one of the most cataclysmic wars of the ancient world, told to us by a historian who saw it all happen - but how much can we trust what he says? This is the story of Josephus, the Romans, the Jews, the Second Temple of Jerusalem...and a war for the freedom of Zion.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episodes-61-and-62-wailing-walls-part-1-and-wailing-walls-part-2-maps-and-sourcesMusic:"Jewel Of Nekhen" by WombatNoisesAudio | https://soundcloud.com/user-734462061Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USThe Legion by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Under Siege" by Tyler Cunningham, via Pond5.com

Brief update on the current status and future direction of the Unknown Soldiers Podcast...and what's coming up next!To send me more suggestions or any ideas about future episodes, or just your commentary on the state of the pod, send them to: unknownsoldierspodcast@gmail.comCheck the Website: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcasthttps://twitter.com/unksoldierspod

Just a barely scripted episode talking about my sources, themes, missing bits and some final thoughts on the Soviet-Afghan War. Content is content.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesSocial Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcast https://twitter.com/unksoldierspod

The Soviet-Afghan War is over, but for both countries, the struggle has only begun. The Soviet Union begins to crumble, a collapse that is not inevitable or predictable, as the world watches in disbelief. But the world isn't watching Afghanistan, which descends into civil war, anarchy, and violence. The rise of the Taliban, al-Qa'eda, and the road to 9/11 are foreseen by nobody, and no one is trying to stop them - except for one man. And his tragedy might be the saddest chapter of this unlucky country called Afghanistan.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesAudible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/Return-of-a-King-Audiobook/1526640767?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMusic:Winter Waltz by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Jihad" by LynnePublishing via Pond5.comPathfinder by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Desert City Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Jalandhar Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

In this supplement to the Soviet-Afghan war series, we examine the experiences of both Soviet and Afghan women on either side of this conflict. Soviet women served in many roles, including military and civilian, and endured many of the same experiences of the men - though one group of Soviet women, the mothers, may have suffered the most. And Afghan women had it even worse, caught between the Soviet destruction and their own radicals in the Mujahideen, the promises and cruelties of two ideologies.What both groups of women shared was that their experiences were always different from those of the men. War, after all, has an unwomanly face.Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-more-maps-and-sources-part-i-and-soviet-army-short-round

The Soviets have decided that it’s time to leave Afghanistan…but as we all know, it’s much harder to get OUT of the graveyard of Empires than it is to get in. Battles still remain, as the Americans send Stinger missiles to the Mujahideen and the Soviets launch their last major attack in Operation Magistral. But the damage is already done: the USSR is on the brink of collapse, and the devastated country of Afghanistan is fertile ground for the rise of radical Islam.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesNew Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-iiAudible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/Drink-Audiobook/1977339069?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMusic:Winter Waltz by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.auMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Bhangra Bass by Punch Deck | https://soundcloud.com/punch-deckMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US"Driving Atmospheric Dread" by EdwardCNBrown via pond5.comPathfinder by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What was the experience of a Soviet conscript in Afghanistan? In this supplement to the Soviet-Afghan war series, we dive into the Soviet soldier's experience in the Graveyard of Empires. We'll see what his everyday life was like, what combat was like, what his living conditions were like. But we'll also see how the war affected him, what he thought about it...and what happened when he came home. This is the story of the Soviet Union's answer to America's Vietnam veterans: the Afgantsy.Or, in other words - war is hell.Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-more-maps-and-sources-part-i-and-soviet-army-short-round

The Soviet-Afghan War reaches its climax from 1983 to 1985, as atrocities and destruction ravage the civilian population. The Mujahideen are starting to lose the war, but they have outside support: from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and even the United States, from people like Ronald Reagan and Charlie Wilson and Osama Bin Laden. International aid might tip the balance – but it also might unleash forces that no one can control. Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesNew Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-iiAudible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Hardest-Place-Audiobook/0593286790?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMusic:"Jihad" by LynnePublishing via Pond5.com"Epic Cinematic Theme - War In The East" by TDK via Pond5.comLock And Load by Hayden Folker | https://soundcloud.com/hayden-folkerMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USPathfinder by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Bhangra Bass by Punch Deck | https://soundcloud.com/punch-deckMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

The Soviet military, a powerful force designed for World War III, was not prepared for Afghanistan. The Russian bear was overstretched, fighting a dangerous, resilient enemy called the Mujahideen, with no way forward and no way out. Its weaknesses became most apparent in a place called the Panjshir Valley, where they faced the brilliant guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud - the Lion of Panjshir. In Part II of a five-part series, we examine the war from 1980 to 1982, especially the tactics, the strategy, and the nature of the Mujahideen.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesNew Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-iiAudible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/We-Were-Soldiers-Once-and-Young-Audiobook/B07C9CFNBG?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMusic:"Jihad" by LynnePublishing via Pond5.comhttps://music.orchestralis.net/track/38439579Pathfinder by Scott Buckley | https://soundcloud.com/scottbuckleyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Bhangra Bass by Punch Deck | https://soundcloud.com/punch-deckMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

The Soviet Armed Forces were the juggernaut of a nuclear superpower, the largest army on Earth, the embodiment of the massive, powerful Russian bear. But they were also deeply flawed. Their soldiers were mistreated, their equipment was crude, and they suffered from the paradoxes of the socialist empire. But above all, the Soviets were locked into an ideological prison of their own making: a Marxist approach to warfare.Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-more-maps-and-sources-part-i-and-soviet-army-short-round

In the late 1970s, two neighboring countries were in turmoil: the Soviet Union was beginning its decline and fall, and Afghanistan was roiled by political chaos. When a socialist, pro-Soviet government comes to power in Afghanistan, it immediately comes under attack by its own people - and the Soviets have to make a decision. In Part I of a five-part series, we will see how the Soviet Union stumbled into the graveyard of empires.Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesAudible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Peoples-Tragedy-Audiobook/B07J5DSS8M?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdpMusic:"Soviet Red Army Military March" by Rafael Kruxhttps://music.orchestralis.net/track/38439579Desert City Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Jalandhar Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

Before we dive into the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, it's time to get acquainted - or reacquainted - with the Graveyard of Empires. Let's take a look at the peoples, places, and history of Afghanistan before 1979.(Or, to put it another way, I wrote way too much context for Soviet-Afghan War Part 1 and spun it off into its own thing.)Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesEmail Me: unknownsoldierspodcast@gmail.comMusic:Desert City Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/

A brief introduction to the upcoming Soviet-Afghan War series, debuting March 3. Don't know your Kremlins from your Gremlins? Find the answers here!Sources and Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-and-sourcesSocial Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcasthttps://twitter.com/unksoldierspodEmail me: unknownsoldierspodcast@gmail.com