The U.S. Army's 442nd Infantry Regiment was a unit unlike any other . Many of their families were behind barbed wire in internment camps, and all of them suffered discrimination from their own country. They didn't just fight for America…they fought to prove they were Americans. And they became America’s most decorated combat unit of World War II. Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-55-go-for-broke-sources Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/An-Army-at-Dawn-The-War-in-North-Africa-1942-1943-Audiobook/B00CBKIDUG?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_loc ..read more

When the American Civil War began, the state of Kentucky wanted to remain neutral - but that was never in the cards. As the Union and Confederate armies spar over the outcome of the border states, a trio of incompetent Confederate generals ensures that Kentucky will go to the Union. The climax of this story is a small but decisive battle at Mill Springs, Kentucky - and one general, Felix K. Zollicoffer, who literally never saw it coming. Sources & Maps: Coming Soon ..read more

After the fall of their empire in 1849, the Sikhs have continued to render military service all over the world. They have served the British Empire, the modern Republic of India, the Canadian and Australian and U.S. militaries, on battlefields from Africa to China, from Italy to Burma, from Afghanistan to Palestine. This is the story of Sikhs in warfare after their conquest by the British - the legacy of the Khalsa. Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-54-glory-of-the-khalsa-maps-and-sources ..read more

In the early 19th Century, the followers of the Sikh religion forged in empire in northern India's Punjab region. The threat of the British Empire led their Maharaja, Ranjit Singh, to build a powerful Western-style army. But modern armies are a loaded gun that can be just as dangerous to the wielder as to its target. The Khalsa Army, one of India's greatest fighting forces, would be the ruin of the Sikh Empire. Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-54-glory-of-the-khalsa-maps-and-sources Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Anarchy-Audiobook ..read more

Welcome to the world of Late Antiquity, where the two superpowers of the age prepare for their final showdown. The Byzantine and Sasanian Empires - also known as the Romans and Persians - face off in a world war, an apocalyptic struggle saturated with divine power and visions of doom. But neither side sees the true danger coming from the desert. Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-53-world-war-622-ad Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/Byzantium-Audiobook/B0BR6791XN?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: The Only Easy Day ..read more

The age of European imperialism is in full swing, and they have overrun every kingdom in Africa…except one: the ancient nation of Ethiopia, which faces a massive Italian invasion. At a place called Adwa, Emperor Menelik II - the last king of Africa - will fight one of history’s decisive battles. Sources & Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/episode-52-the-last-king-of-africa Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gates-of-Europe-Audiobook/B0B25STPTT?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: Umoja by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https ..read more

Pedro II, the second and last ruler of the Brazilian Empire, was an oddity in the 19th Century: a monarch who actually did a half-decent job and worked in the best interests of his people. So of course, he was overthrown in a military coup. Let's dive into the life, legacy and tragedy of Dom Pedro the Magnanimous, one of the most fascinating men of the modern age. Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/unknown-soldiers-podcast-episodes-47-51-the-paraguayan-war-series-sources Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcast https://twitter.com/unksoldierspod ..read more

Just a barely scripted episode talking about the historiography and my key sources for the Paraguayan War. Then I rattle off a bunch of random thoughts about the conflict and my opinions on it. Hey, I'm on vacation and content is content. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and so forth! See you next year! Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/unknown-soldiers-podcast-episodes-47-51-the-paraguayan-war-series-sources Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcast https://twitter.com/unksoldierspod ..read more

Eliza Lynch, Francisco Solano Lopez's mistress and the virtual First Lady of Paraguay is one of the most famous - and infamous - figures in the history of South America. And she played a starring role in the Paraguayan War. Was she a national icon, a greedy prostitute, a wicked queen, a tragic heroine or something else? Will the real Eliza Lynch please stand up? Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/unknown-soldiers-podcast-episodes-47-51-the-paraguayan-war-series-sources Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcast https://twitter.com/unksoldierspod ..read more

As the main action of the Paraguayan War took place far to the south, the Brazilian government sent an expedition overland to recapture the occupied province of Mato Grosso. This disastrous campaign was a roadshow of human misery that somehow became a legendary Brazilian epic, and also a great demonstration of why you should never ignore the Iron Hand of Logistics. Sources: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/unknown-soldiers-podcast-episodes-47-51-the-paraguayan-war-series-sources Map: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-paraguayan-war-part-3-5-the-retreat-from-laguna-a-br ..read more