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Prof. Greg Jackson

HTDS is a bi-weekly podcast, delivering a legit, seriously researched, hard-hitting survey of American history through entertaining stories. To keep up with History That Doesn’t Suck news, check us out htdspodcast.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram: @Historythatdoesntsuck; on Twitter/X: @HTDSpod. Become a premium member to support our work, receive ad-free episodes and bonus episodes.

History That Doesn't Suck

"At long last, Mr. President.”—Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill

This is the story of the second year of WWII and the United States’ response. 

As the war enters its second full year, things are looking dire for Britain: Germany has forced France into submission, the Blitz is in full swing, and the cash-strapped nation is running out of money to pay for US aid. Lend-Lease, or H.R. 1776, is the proposed solution; it’ll allow Franklin to transfer munitions to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the US.” But there is stiff opposition. Is the language too dictatorial? Does it make entering the war unavoidable? As Americans discuss the bill across the country, famed aviator Charles “Lucky Lindy” Lindbergh will argue against it, while recently defeated 1940 presidential candidate Wendell Willkie will argue for it. Nor are they the only ones disagreeing: workers are striking in record numbers. Building an “arsenal of democracy” means labor and business will have to settle their differences.

Meanwhile, as FDR and Winston Churchill secretly meet for the first time in the frigid climes of the northern Atlantic, the Army and Navy are drilling down to brass tacks—what would it really mean if America enters the war? How many men would the nation need in uniform? Could American production cope with wartime demands? Pragmatic American leaders are preparing and planning just in case, mostly with their eyes on Germany … but increasingly on Japan. Relations are eroding swiftly. Perhaps Uncle Sam’s greatest immediate threat isn’t across the Atlantic but the Pacific …

____

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189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation

Professor Greg Jackson shares a personal message about our politically divided times and announces more tour dates for his live show: The Unlikely Union. 

This show is not recorded for the podcast. Go to HTDSpodcast.com/live-shows for more information and dates.

 Prof. Jackson’s national tour has already been to half of the 50 states, so-called red and blue states, big cities and small towns. What he’s encountered is everyday people, regardless of their political stripe coming together to share in the telling of the extraordinary history of the first century of our nation. That period from fiery revolution through bloody civil war is– not despite of, but because of its ugly and all but insurmountable challenges– a consoling reminder that we have been through far, far worse times and much greater division than is even imaginable today. And it's a cautionary tale. Our great strength is our union and our great peril is our division. 

The words of the Republican candidate from Illinois for the US Senate spoken in 1858 ring true today: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." You're damn right, Abe.
 
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The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

“I have said not once but many times that I have seen war and that I hate war. … I hope the United States will keep out of this war. I believe that it will.”

This is the story of the first year of WWII in the European theater and the United States’ response. 

Since the days of President George Washington, the United States has largely held to George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s counsel to avoid “interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe,” and to have “entangling alliances with none.” The nation has dismantled its military built up during the Great War, and many regret ever being a part of it.

Then Adolf Hitler invades Poland. Britain and France, realizing the Führer will never stop, declare war and brace for impact. President FDR reassures Americans: the US remains neutral. 

That said, the “cash-and-carry” policy soon expands to allow the Allies to purchase US munitions, and as the brief pause known as the “Phoney War” gives way to Nazi Germany’s overrunning country after country—including France—Britain’s in trouble. The new Prime Minister Winston Churchill knows that his country needs American help if they’re to survive and win the war. 

With the Old World getting bombarded and blitzkrieged, Franklin Delano Roosevelt becomes gravely concerned. He decides to run for a third term in the White House while trying to persuade Congress and the American people to help the Allies by building an “arsenal of democracy,” even as they hope to avoid war. It’s a tough sell though: can he overcome the United States’s long history of relative isolationism, so adamantly pushed by the new “America First” opposition? Have concerns that the last World War was waged for money left too much baggage to overcome? We’ll find out. 

____

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 go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

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 get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 come see a live show

 get HTDS merch

 or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

 
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188: World War II in Europe & The American Response (1939–40): Isolationism vs. Arsenal of Democracy

“A great war can hardly be avoided any longer.”

This is the story of Nazi Germany’s aggressive territorial expansion and the start of WWII. 

The Treaty of Versailles has long been a thorn in Adolf Hitler’s side. Its troublesome limits on troops and technology pose challenges for a man bent on taking lebensraum and building a Grossdeuschland by any means necessary. So he starts quietly building planes and submarines. Then he starts publicly adding a few hundred thousand more soldiers. By 1936, he’s ready to move. He remilitarizes the Rhineland. When that goes well, he only grows bolder. He takes Austria. He takes Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland. 

Many European leaders—particularly those not named Winston Churchill—fail to grasp just how far the Fuhrer will go. They hope to “appease” him. But when Adolf strikes again, brazenly seizing the rest of Czechoslovakia, even British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is ready to draw a line. That line is Poland.Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

 go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 join discussions in our Facebook community

 get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 come see a live show

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 or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

 
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187: From the Rhineland to Poland (1935–1939): Annexation, Appeasement, & the Start of World War II

“Comrade Stalin, now that he is general secretary, has concentrated immense power in his hands, and I am not sure whether he will always be capable of exercising this power with sufficient caution.”

This is the story of Joseph Stalin’s path to becoming the dictator of the USSR. 

Ioseb (Joseph) Jughashvili, or little “Soso,” is a good student. A choir boy, in fact. But that changes as the Orthodox Georgian increasingly puts his faith in the Bolshevik branch of Russia’s Social Democrats. Under Vladimir Lenin’s leadership, Soso, now going by Joseph Stalin, becomes a true revolutionary. One who embraces violence and murder as an acceptable means to an end amid Russia’s shift from revolution to civil war.

With Lenin’s passing in 1924, it’s clear that someone has to step into his shoes, and Stalin deftly outmaneuvers Leon Trotsky to be that someone. But he won’t just lead it. Stalin will remake the Soviet Union in his own image, industrializing and consolidating his power at all costs. Millions will die. Millions more disappear into the gulags, never to be seen again. This is the rise and reign of Joseph “the Man of Steel” Stalin.

____

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go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
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186: From Czardom to Stalinism: Building the USSR & the Ascent of Joseph Stalin

“Being a Jew is not a crime, I am not a dog.”

This is the story of the start of the Holocaust. 

Serving as the scapegoat for everything from a disappearing child to the Black Plague, European Jews are used to “anti-Jewry.” But as the nation state rises in the modern world, it brings the so-called “Jewish Question” to the fore: can one be a faithful Jew and modern citizen? As modern antisemitism rises and European Jews face pogroms and the Dreyfus Affair, some begin to think they need a nation of their own. Jewish nationalism, or “Zionism,” is born.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Great War, Adolf Hitler’s Nazism is leaning into the continent’s centuries-old anti-Jewry and antisemitic ideas to claim that the Jews are responsible for Germany’s postwar woes. Once in power, he begins systematically removing rights from the Reich’s Jewish population. This includes taking their citizenship through the Nuremberg Race Laws in 1935, and an unfathomable, deadly, destructive pogrom in 1938: Kristallnacht. 

Stateless and persecuted, European Jews try to flee Nazism—can they find safety in America? We’ll see how that goes as we follow the St. Louis to America’s shores, and as the German American Bund gathers in Madison Square Garden…

____

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go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
join discussions in our Facebook community

 
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 
come see a live show

 
get HTDS merch

 
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network.

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185: The Early Holocaust: From the “Jewish Question” to Kristallnacht

Professor Greg Jackson is touring the country with a live version of the podcast telling the story of The Unlikely Union of American states. Starting Sep 19, 2025 through July 4, 2026, you can hear the Professor history-tell in person, with video and live musicians. 

It’s not recorded for the podcast so get your tickets now at ⁠HTDSpodcast.com/live-shows

In 100 minutes Professor Jackson will take audiences on a remarkable 100-year journey that begins when thirteen distinct, disparate British colonies set aside differences to unite as something greater. Then, in less than a century of this young nation's existence, the durability of its union and commitment to its founding ideals are put to the test in a bloody civil war. 

In 2026, America will turn 250 years old, remarkably— because it nearly died a thousand deaths in just its first 100. This live stage show celebrates America’s semiquincentennial (250th birthday) by not only returning to its bold Declaration of Independence, but revisiting key events in its first centennial that gave this nation, as Abraham Lincoln spoke, “a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

____

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

 
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
join discussions in our Facebook community

 
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 
come see a live show

 
get HTDS merch

 
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network.

Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com
 
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The Unlikely Union: New Tour Dates

“There will be no more mercy now; anyone who stands in our way will be butchered.”

This is the story of Adolf Hitler and the collapse of the Weimar Republic. 

A dropout. A failed applicant to Vienna’s prestigious Academy of Fine Arts. A decorated but low-ranking soldier who attempts to overthrow the state and is convicted of treason. But only a decade or so later, he’s the nation’s leader. Not just the Chancellor, not even a “mere” president. He’s Germany’s dictator. The “Führer.” 

How on earth does such an underwhelming man rise to such an overwhelming position of power? With virulent nationalism, rabid antisemitism, fearmongering, and violence in an economically panicked, democracy-doubting, and defeated Germany. This is the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Reich. 

____

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

 
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
join discussions in our Facebook community

 
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 
come see a live show

 
get HTDS merch

 
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network.

Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com
 
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184: The Rise of Adolf Hitler: From Failure to Führer of Nazi Germany or the Third Reich

“Italy, Gentlemen, wants peace, wants quiet, wants work, wants calm; we will give it with love, if that be possible, or with strength, if that be necessary.”

This is the story of Italy’s Benito Mussolini’s creation of fascism and rise to power in interwar Italy.

Benito starts life the way his father intended—as a socialist—and the often moving, young schoolteacher quickly emerges as a leading voice in the movement as he’s entrusted to serve as the editor of one of the party’s most important newspapers. But the Great War changes that. Benito supports it, the party doesn't, and by the conflict’s end, the returned soldier has a new idea—one that takes him across the political spectrum, all the way from the Marxist left to the nationalist far-right—a violent, war-glorifying, anti-democratic, one-party, dictatorial version of nationalism. He calls it “fascism.” 

Benito speaks of order. Economic prosperity. National pride. Some see his black-clad fighting squads, known as “Blackshirts,” as their saviors from the far-left’s communism, so feared in the wake of the recent Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Indeed, many Italians welcome his march on Rome and his growing powers as Prime Minister, and celebrate his foreign policy achievements, including a reconciliation between Italy and the Vatican. 

But as Benito kills Italy’s constitutional monarchy in all but name as he turns into a dictator, conquers Ethiopia, ignores the League of Nations, and bonds with Germany’s rising dictator Adolf Hitler, former allies are growing concerned. Some fear his anti-democratic path will also embolden Germany. As W.E.B. Du Bois questions: “If Italy takes her pound of flesh by force, does anyone suppose that Germany will not make a similar attempt?” Only time will tell.

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

 
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
join discussions in our Facebook community

 
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 
come see a live show

 
get HTDS merch

 
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network.

Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com
 
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
 
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183: The Origin of Fascism: “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini & the Rise of Fascist Italy

This is the story of interwar preparation–not that the United States realized it was preparing for World War II, new technologies, innovation, and a constant pushing of the limits in the 1930s did indeed help Uncle Sam prepare for the fight to come.

To get us into an interwar mindset of praying for peace while preparing for war, Professor Jackson tells us the tale of the B-17 bomber and is then joined by GEN James E. Rainey, Commanding General, U.S. Army Futures Command, to discuss how the current day Army thinks about history to prepare for the future. In this informative conversation, GEN Rainey talks about the lessons, leaders, and innovations from the Army’s 250 years of service to the nation that can inform and inspire officers, soldiers, and leaders of all vocations to meet the missions of tomorrow.

General James E. Rainey is the Commanding General Commander, Army Futures Command (AFC). Headquartered in Austin, Texas, AFC is the Army’s newest major command, responsible for transforming the Army to ensure war-winning future readiness, employing 30,000 Soldiers and Civilians at 128 locations worldwide. In his previous position, General Rainey served at the Pentagon, where he oversaw the Army’s operations and plans. General Rainey commissioned as an infantry lieutenant upon graduating from Eastern Kentucky University in 1987. He has commanded at every level from platoon to division and has served in numerous combat deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned a master’s degree in advanced military arts and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies and another in Public Administration from Troy University. He also completed a Senior Service Fellowship at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Relations. 

Disclosure: HTDS has not paid nor received any remuneration for this episode from the US Army or any other government agency. The opinions of the guest are his own and do not represent the opinions of Professor Jackson or HTDS. We are grateful to the many soldiers who have served our nation throughout history, and proud to bring discussions like this to the public in the spirit of education and access to the leaders in whom We the People place our trust.

Books referenced in the interview:

 
The official US Army field manual number one, “A Primer to our Profession of Arms”

 
Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II by Arthur Herman

 
Prodigal Soldiers: How the Generation of Officers Born of Vietnam Revolutionized the American Style of War by James Kitfield

 
Real Soldiering: The US Army in the Aftermath of War, 1815-1980 by Brian McAllister Linn

 
America's First Battles, 1776-1965 by Charles E. Heller (Editor), William A. Stofft (Editor)

 
General Fox Conner: Pershing’s Chief of Operations and Eisenhower’s Mentor (Leadership in Action) by Steven Rabalais 

Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and

 
go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations

 
join discussions in our Facebook community

 
get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette 

 
come see a live show

 
get HTDS merch

 
or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.

HTDS is part of Audacy media network.

Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com
 
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
 
 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Unlikely Union: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

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