When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Korean War #17: The Balancing Act

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Episode 17: The Balancing Act contains several fascinating nuggets, as the US did its best to balance the needs of its policy towards South Korea - the luring of its enemies there into a false sense of security by making the regime vulnerable - with its real strategic concerns if the North made use of its increasingly powerful armoured columns. In spite of Syngman Rhee's pleas in the months before, the anti-tank capabilities of the ROK Army were insufficient at best, and...

1956 - Episode 1.5: Broken Springs

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PATRONS! Out now is episode 5 of 1956! Those supporting us at $5 and above can avail of the special perks which enable them to feast on this exclusive series – have you signed up yet? Why not join us at www.patreon.com/WhenDiplomacyFails and discover why 1956 has become one of our most popular series yet!

Episode 5, Broken Springs examines the implications for the Soviet people, as Khrushchev’s speech is disseminated through the sprawling empire....

How is everyone doing?

Hello my lovely Patrons! I just wanted to take this opportunity to say hi, and to ask how you are all doing. I am aware that I haven't checked in with you guys in a while, so I thought it'd make sense to offer up this update and let you guys know what I've been up to and what's going down with me.

First of all, all podding is going according to plan! I recently drew a release schedule up in my messy little copybook, and I plan to transfer it over to the website or somewhere else soon, so you g...

Korean War #16: Selective Perspective

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 Episode 16: Selective Perspective examines further the American policy towards South Korea in late spring 1950. We open the episode with the arrival of America's ambassador to South Korea John J Muccio (pictured) returning home, to plead in person for the things that Seoul desperately needed. While Muccio did this, the Truman administration set about crafting a perfectly coordinated image of its approach to South Korea, be that through suggestive magazine interviews or tactical...

Korean War #15: Ignorance Is Bliss

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Episode 15: Ignorance Is Bliss examines the behaviour of the US towards its South Korean ally. Since the American strategy was now to lure North Korea into attacking, we'll see in this episode exactly how determined the Truman administration was to chronically underfund and jeopardise the security of Seoul. Ignoring the protests, concerns and urgency professed even by some of its own State Department staff, the US behaved as though it had no concept of what was happening...

WDF: Tomi Reichental - Holocaust Survivor Part 3

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In the final part of our conversation with Tomi, we talk through the process of telling his story. How hard was it, why did he feel compelled to speak after so many years of silence, and how does he feel about the current state of affairs in Europe today? These and so many other questions are lobbed in his direction, and Tomi was gracious and open enough to answer them. I shouldn't have to tell you how thankful I am to Tomi for giving us his very valuable time here, but ...

WDF: Tomi Reichental - Holocaust Survivor Part 2

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Tomi's story continues, as he talks us through his arrival in Belsen, a place his family members knew nothing of, and expected would be their final destination. Tragically, as we'll see, this was to be true for some of them. Tomi brings us through his harrowing experiences of life in a concentration camp, just as the Nazi system was falling apart. It contains detail which some may find upsetting, so I have marked it as explicit for this reason.

Tomi's story is one ...

WDF: Tomi Reichental - Holocaust Survivor Part 1

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Today history friends we have something incredibly special lined up for you. All this week, we'll be letting loose three parts of an interview I did with Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental. Obviously, I am incredibly excited to bring this to you, but I am also deeply indebted to Tomi for coming onto the show and telling his story, a story which most of my Irish listeners, and some others, may already know, but which deserves absolutely to be heard, and then heard again.<...

Korean War #14: Race To Ruin

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Episode 14: The Race To Ruin examines the Asian theatre in spring 1950, and the different concerns which the North Koreans, Soviet and Chinese leaders grappled with. At the apex of these concerns was the alternative plan of Mao's, as Mao desperately wanted to invade Taiwan, and end the Chinese Civil War once and for all before either American support or some form of republican resurgence on that island threatened China. This fear of the implications for Chinese security in Taiwan com...

1956 - Episode 1.4: The People Are Revolting!

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Episode 1.4 of 1956 - The Eventful Year is out NOW!

Episode 4 – The People Are Revolting examines the immediate storm caused by Khrushchev’s denunciations of Stalin in late February. Above all, the greatest ingredient in this storm was that of confusion. Soviet officials didn’t know what to tell the assembled crowds, and schoolteachers didn’t know what to tell their pupils. How far exactly could they go in the condemnation of Stalin? This wasn’t made clear, nor was it...

1956 Episode 1.3: "Do We Have The Courage To Tell The Truth?"

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What an exciting time! The third episode of PART ONE of 1956 is out NOW! What does this mean? Err... see below!

Episode 1.3 – "Do We Have The Courage To Tell The Truth?", opens with a presentation of the scene which greeted Khrushchev as he performed that incendiary speech over 24-25th of February 1956. It was a pivotal day in the history of the Soviet Union, and after we unwrap its major aspects, we then tackle the key questions – how had this speech come to be, and how ha...

Korean War #13: A Useful Bombshell

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Episode 13: A Useful Bombshell examines the immediate reactions to the Sino-Soviet Alliance in the US. Now that their wedge strategy had been torpedoed, and the Truman administration had failed to save China again, the question remained as to what Dean Acheson could do next. Under pressure from foreign and domestic critics, it was imperative that something was done to reverse these negative trends, and get some kind of a win for American foreign policy.

If you've b...

1956 Episode 1.2: There Can Be Only One

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Episode 2 follows on from where our first episode left off. Here, the power struggle between the Soviet Union’s top men is in full swing, and power plays, character assassination, genuine assassination and even more tactics besides distinguish this period of post-Stalin Soviet history. The end result – Nikita Khrushchev’s victorious succession and confirmation as First Secretary – was far from certain once the struggle began, but as his rivals continued to undere...

1956 Episode 1.1: Death of a Comrade

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 In this episode we’ll meet these figures – the so-called ‘collective leadership’ of the Soviet Union, which included such heavy hitters as Molotov, Malenkov, Lavrenti Beria, Anastas Mikoyan and a sometimes crude, always blunt figure by the name of Nikita Khrushchev. The story of what would come after Stalin is a gripping and fascinating snapshot of life at the top of the Soviet greasy pole. It prepares us for the eventful months which are to come, by investigating exact...

1956 Part 1 Introduction

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 1956 is divided into two parts, the first tackles the question of life after Stalin, the second examines the run up to the Suez Crisis. Here in our introduction to Part 1, we'll see what we're dealing with when we attempt to delve into a world that had just lost its most dominating personality. Could the Soviet Union endure life after Stalin? What would it look like now that it was led by a collective leadership? Could this collective leadership possibly last? Let's find out&nb...

What Is 1956?

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IT'S HERE AT LAST!

1956 - The Eventful Year is a brand new series designed to bring you closer to the events of this incredible year in history. While on the surface, 1956 may appear like any other year of the 20th century - perhaps with less to offer than many other candidates - it is in fact rich with intrigue, fascinating characters,struggles, triumphs and tragedies. After over five and a half years of history podcasting, my name is Zack Twamley and I will be your host. For ...

Korean War #12: A Treaty of 'Friendship'

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**REMEMBER, to those of you at the $5 level and above, 1956 - The Eventful Year starts this FRIDAY, 23rd Feb!**

In Episode 12, A Treaty of 'Friendship', we examine Mao Zedong's visit to Moscow reaching its conclusion. The long awaited treaty, so long feared in the US, was concluded on 14th February. Yet, while on the surface, the agreement was steeped in mutual cooperation and Sino-Soviet happiness, the truth was far more complex, and far less warm.

Under the surface, Sta...

Korean War #11: Coming Full Circle

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 This is a VERY detailed episode, and can be best divided into three parts.
1) Explaining the different NSC reports and papers, and how they were reconciled as new developments affected a change in US foreign policy.
2) Stalin's decision to walk out of the UN Security Council, and why he did it!
3) Acheson's speech to the National Press Club on 12th January 1950 - so long lambasted as an example of the Secretary of State's carelessness, but in actual fact representing ...

Korean War #10: Sino-American Relations Part 2

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 Episode 10: Sino-American Talks Part 2 concludes our take on where the Sino-American diplomacy led as 1949 became 1950. It provides a crucial bit of background to how the US reacted to the actual signing of the Sino-Soviet Treaty, so make sure you have a listen in, and as always, be sure to let me know what you all thought!

The increasing supremacy of the communists, as well as the difficulties posed by the British, were among the complications that the Truman administrat...

WDF Q&A

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Yay! We've finally had a Q & A, where you guys sent me a variety of lovely questions and I did my best to answer! Within are such questions as:

 What part of the KW do you find most fascinating?  What have been your top 3 topics you have covered in order from 1-3?   How do you decide what to cover? Is there any historical topic you just will not touch, under any circumstances?  What would you consider a good day’s work in terms of your production ...

Korean War #9: Sino-American Talks Part 1

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Episode 9: Sino-American Talks Part 1 introduces us to the OTHER side of Chinese diplomacy between 1949-50; that involving the US, and how Washington attempted to wrest some benefit out of the rapidly changing situation in China, as the Republican/Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek suffered successive defeats at Mao's hands.

The US would attempt to drive a wedge between the USSR and the PRC during 1949 - a policy which we know, in light of the signing of the...

Korean War #8: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 4

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Episode 8: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 4 is the final episode examining the scene in Moscow, where the defining alliance between the Chinese Communists and the Soviet Union was signed. It took a great deal of compromise...or wait, no it didn't. It required a lot of trust...no wait, that's not right either. Em, it was mutually beneficial to both sides thanks to a whole load of scheming and power plays? Yes that's a bit more accurate. The Sino-Soviet alliance wasn't your typica...

Korean War #7: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 3

Episode 7: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 3 picks up in this developing story, as the Chinese and Soviets cautiously move ever closer to one another in world affairs. Stalin's mission was clear. He welcomed Mao Zedong to Moscow in December 1949, in the midst of rumours that the Sino-Soviet bloc were keen to furnish some kind of alliance. Stalin, much like Mao, wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and would put up several obstacles to the successful conclusion of an alliance treaty, blaming Y...

Korean War #6: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 2

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IMP: Liu Shaoqi is Liu 'Shao-Chi' - NOT Liu 'Shao-Kwee'. Apologies for the mispronunciation! Love me anyway? 

Episode 6: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 2, continues the story from where we left off last time. The Chinese communists launch their final great offensive of the civil war against the Nationalists from April 1949, as Stalin watches his old strategy crumble. Faced with the emergence of a dominant Chinese Communist Party, rather than the divided Chinese state that he desir...

Korean War #5: Sino-Soviet Talks I

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Episode 5: Sino-Soviet Talks Part 1 examines, as you may have guessed, the detailed and complex Sino-Soviet relationship, as we build towards the signing of the Sino-Soviet alliance in February 1950. Much like Stalin and Mao had much to do before that alliance was signed, so we have much to cover before we can get to that point in our narrative, and this episode here provides a good deal of background to the Sino-Soviet relationship in the late 1940s.

*****
Musi...

Korean War #4: The Cat's Mao

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Episode 4: The Cat's Mao looks at Mao Zedong, the man, the myth, the legend, the disgusting, horrible war criminal and mass murderer who...ahem. Sorry about that. Mao Zedong remains a controversial figure to this day. Some believe China would never have recovered in the manner that it did, and that China would never be the power that it is today, without Mao Zedong at the helm. At the same time, while some are content to name fast food restaurants after him, others decry his responsi...

Korean War #3: The Brittle Curtain

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Patrons! Episode 3 of the Korean War is out now for all Patrons at the $2 level and above - just like all episodes in the Korean War, this latest episode comes to you AD FREE! Yay!

Episode 3: The Brittle Curtain, examines the actual situation Comrade Stalin faced when he considered his options in the post-war world. Exactly how strong, or powerful, was the Soviet Union, and how stable were its East European satellites? Was the USSR's control based on more than mere...

Korean War #2: The Force of Peace

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In Episode 2: The Force of Peace, we examine the founding moments of the United Nations, where the idea for it came from, why it was established and how it developed as an institution in the 1940s to have a leading role in the post-war world. The UN, as we'll see, was quite effective when its aims didn't conflict with the American or Soviet world views. Limited cooperation was, it seemed, a possibility in this shattered, traumatised world. Yet, this cooperation would onl...

Korean War #1: America Dawns

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Episode 1: America Dawns, looks at the situation which greeted US policymakers between 1945-50. As an episode it serves as a good roundup of all we've learned in the Cold War Crash Course, but a simple summary episode THIS IS NOT!

We delve into the mindset behind the Truman Doctrine, ask what the goals of NATO were and investigate how Washington viewed Soviet moves by examining their additional policies and proclamations.

We also look at the problems which faced the...

Cold War Crash Course V

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In the final episode of this miniseries, we look at the several crises which accompanied the answering of the German question. The Berlin Blockade, as well as the Prague Coup, provided key pieces of evidence in the Western mind that Stalinism was expanding its reach through the use of intimidation and brute force. Stalin, it was clear, was determined to pose as the champion of his own brand of Soviet, expansionist communism, powered by the Red Army and the threat of forc...