The Unknown Soldiers Podcast

The Unknown Soldiers Podcast

by James Houser

Season 3

Episode #63: Furies of Britannia

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-maps Music: 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

Episode #62: Wailing Walls, Part 2

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-sources Music: "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_US The 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

Episode #61: Wailing Walls, Part 1

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-sources Music: "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_US The 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

The Soviet-Afghan War: Footnotes

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-sources Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/unknownsoldierspodcast https://twitter.com/unksoldierspod

Episode #60: The Soviet-Afghan War Part 5 - The Unlucky Country

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-sources Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/Return-of-a-King-Audiobook/1526640767?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: 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.com Pathfinder 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/

The Soviet-Afghan War Part 4.5 - Women of the Soviet-Afghan War

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

Episode #59: The Soviet-Afghan War Part 4 - Exit Strategy

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-sources New Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-ii Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/Drink-Audiobook/1977339069?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: 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.com Pathfinder 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/

The Soviet-Afghan War Part 3.5 - A Deployment to Afghanistan

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

Episode #58: The Soviet-Afghan War Part 3 - One Man's Terrorist

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-sources New Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-ii Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Hardest-Place-Audiobook/0593286790?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: "Jihad" by LynnePublishing via Pond5.com "Epic Cinematic Theme - War In The East" by TDK via Pond5.com Lock 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_US Pathfinder 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

Episode #57: The Soviet-Afghan War Part 2 - The Bear and the Lion

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-sources New Maps: https://www.unknownsoldierspodcast.com/post/the-soviet-afghan-war-series-maps-for-part-ii Audible Recommendation: https://www.audible.com/pd/We-Were-Soldiers-Once-and-Young-Audiobook/B07C9CFNBG?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp Music: "Jihad" by LynnePublishing via Pond5.com https://music.orchestralis.net/track/38439579 Pathfinder 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

2 of 13