History That Doesn't Suck

In this work, 16th-century reformer Martin Luther encouraged that synagogues be set on fire and anything that didn't burn be covered with dirt so no cinder stone could be seen, all done for the honor of God. Martin Luther's call to action was noted as not far off from the events of Kristallnacht four centuries later.

This was a series of 91 articles run in Henry Ford's newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, beginning on May 20th, 1920, that claimed to criticize the Jewish race, people, or nation for conspiracies, rather than the Jewish faith. The newspaper's most damning contribution was the publication of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

This was Adolf Hitler's autobiography, written while he was imprisoned for high treason after the Beer Hall Putsch. It detailed the imperial/expansionist component of fascism, framing it as the German people needing Lebensraum, and elaborated on his anti-Semitism, arguing Marxism was a Jewish idea.

This was the title of the article Mussolini was finishing for the Italian Encyclopedia, which detailed his evolving fascist ideology.

Adolf Hitler reportedly quoted from his recently published book during a one-on-one conversation with Mussolini, which reportedly annoyed Il Duce.

This official US Army field manual was mentioned as one that features stories at the beginning of each chapter, with Corporal Alvin York being one example. The manual's introduction emphasized the task to look ahead to the future and noted that the Army's capability is due to its agility to meet challenges in a changing world.

This book was highlighted as telling the story of how the United States brought its industrial might to bear, noting that the captains of industry were as responsible for winning the war as anything else. The speaker suggested it is interesting now because of current discussions about the defense industrial base and rapid manufacturing capability.

This book was mentioned in the context of studying the period from post-Vietnam up to Desert Storm and beyond, as an example of how an army can transform from a dark period into a premier fighting force.

This book was referenced as a great piece to read when studying the transformation of the US Army from a period after Vietnam leading up to Desert Storm.

The book was brought up to support the observation that the U.S. often has a less than great entry into conflicts, learning lessons from initial failures to fix things later. The speaker suggested that in the next war, the Army will not have the luxury of losing the first fight and recovering.

General Fox Conner was referenced as an important mentor to World War II generals like Marshall and Eisenhower, whose lessons were still relevant and taken seriously in passing on knowledge.

This book, which focuses on the CCC, was discussed as an excellent resource by Professor Maher, and the episode served as a book club discussion about it.

A personal account where Benjamin Franklin described an awkward appearance as a young man walking down Market Street in Philadelphia while eating rolls, which was witnessed by his future wife, Deborah Reed.

The speaker mentioned that Herbert Hoover's future biographer, Kenneth White, used a specific phrase when describing Hoover's actions during the railway leaders conference.

This short story collection, published in 1922, was credited with popularizing the term 'Jazz Age' for the decade.

The novel, published in the late 1920s, was mentioned, and the speaker noted that a recent film adaptation of it was very good.

This gothic tale, produced from a writing contest involving John Polidori, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley, depicted a seductive aristocrat with power over both men and women, laying the track for future influential vampire literature.

The book was mentioned as something Theodore Roosevelt appreciated, which showed that despite a peak year of violence in football, the sport was statistically safer than public feeling suggested.