Militia Historia

Partisans and Parachutes - The Last Stand of the Long Range Desert Group (Part 3)

With the Axis surrender in North Africa in May 1943, the Long Range Desert Group faced an existential crisis: the masters of the deep desert suddenly found themselves without a desert to fight in. In the final instalment of our three-part series on the Militia Historia Podcast, we follow the unit's difficult transition into the mountains and island...

The Libyan Taxi Service: How the LRDG Delivered the SAS (Part 2)

As the battle for North Africa raged, the Long Range Desert Group evolved from a small reconnaissance unit into a vital intelligence network operating deep behind Axis lines. In Part 2 of our series on the Militia Historia Podcast, we delve into the operational peak of the LRDG.

We explore how the unit expanded its ranks beyond the original New Zealand core to i...

Masters of the Deep Desert - The Long Range Desert Group in WWII (Part 1)

In 1940, the vast, unmapped expanse of the North African desert was considered completely impassable by conventional military forces. In the first of a three-part series on the Militia Historia Podcast, we explore the origins of the legendary Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) and the men who mastered this uniquely hostile environment.

We dive into the visi...

The Only British Citizen Awarded the Iron Cross - The Story of Agent Zigzag

In the murky, high-stakes world of wartime espionage, few figures are as colourful or audacious as Eddie Chapman. In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we explore the extraordinary true story of "Agent Zigzag"—the career criminal who became one of Britain's most successful double agents.

We follow Chapman's unbelievable trajectory fro...

Operation Bernhard: The Nazi Plot to Bankrupt Britain

In one of the most audacious and secretive plots of the Second World War, Nazi Germany launched a massive economic offensive designed to completely destabilise the British Empire. In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we explore the incredible true story of Operation Bernhard.

We delve into the origins of this top-secret SS programme, directed by Major Bernhard ...

The Largest Surrender in US History - The Fall of the Philippines 1942

Merely hours after the attack on Pearl Harbour, the Imperial Japanese military launched a massive, coordinated invasion of the Philippines. In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we chronicle the harrowing five-month campaign that resulted in one of the most devastating military defeats in American history.

We explore the sudden destruction of Al...

First Blood in North Africa: The Battle of Kasserine Pass

In February 1943, amidst the rugged Atlas Mountains of Tunisia, an untested American army finally came face-to-face with the legendary "Desert Fox," Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we unpack the chaos and catastrophe of the Battle of Kasserine Pass.

We explore the glaring vulnerabilities of the green US II Corps under the co...

Jungle Blitzkrieg - How the Imperial Japanese Army Took Singapore

Winston Churchill called it the "worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history." In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we examine the shocking and rapid collapse of the "Gibraltar of the East"—the fortress island of Singapore.

Following the destruction of Force Z, the door was left wide open for the Imperial Japanese Army to sweep ...

Ambush off Malaya - The Tragic Fate of The Prince of Wales and Repulse

Just days after the attack on Pearl Harbour, the British Empire suffered a devastating blow in the South China Sea that would forever alter the course of naval warfare. In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we explore the tragic fate of Force Z and the sinking of the mighty battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Rep...

The Fall of Mussolini's Empire: The East African Campaign of WWII

In this episode of the Militia Historia Podcast, we explore the monumental but often forgotten East African Campaign of the Second World War. Fought between June 1940 and November 1941, this conflict spanned nearly four and a half million square miles and was vital to protecting the maritime arteries of the Red Sea and Suez Canal. We examine Benito Mussolini’s a...

In the opening months of the Second World War, a formidable German pocket battleship prowled the South Atlantic, sinking merchant vessels with impunity. This episode explores the thrilling true story of the hunt for the Admiral Graf Spee.

We dive deep into the strategic cat-and-mouse game that culminated in the Battle of the River Plate—WWII's first major naval clash. Outgunned but determined, a trio of cruisers (HMS Exet...

In this episode of Militia Historia, we dive into the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir (3 July 1940)—one of the most dramatic, controversial, and strategically important naval actions of the early Second World War.

Only weeks after the fall of France, Britain faced a terrifying question: what happens if the powerful French fleet is seized or controlled by Nazi Germany? With the Royal Navy fighting for survival, Wins...

In this episode of Militia Historia, we head to the frozen fjords of Arctic Norway for the Battles of Narvik (1940)—one of the most dramatic and strategically important campaigns of the early Second World War.

Narvik was far more than a remote port. It was a critical outlet for Swedish iron ore, a resource Nazi Germany depended on to sustain its war industry. When Germany launched Operation Weserübung, Narv...

Episode 24: Walter Model – The Fuhrer’s Fireman

In this episode of Militia Historia, we dive into the life of one of the Second World War’s most formidable—and controversial—commanders: Field Marshal Walter Model. Known as Hitler’s Fireman, Model was the man sent to collapsing fronts, desperate situations, and battles on the brink of disaster. His tactical brilliance, iron resolve, a...

Joachim Peiper: Part 3 - War Crimes, Justice, and the Fall of an SS Icon

In this final episode, we examine the Malmedy Massacre, the war crimes trial at Dachau, and Peiper’s controversial postwar life. From the execution of POWs in Belgium to his violent death in France, we look at how Peiper became one of WWII’s most divisive and disturbing figures.

📌 Content warning: includes descriptions of war ...

Title: The Life and Death of Joachim Peiper: The SS Spearhead in the West – Part Two

Episode Summary:

In the second instalment of our series on Joachim Peiper, we shift the focus from the Eastern Front to the Western theatre of war—where Peiper would once again find himself at the forefront of Nazi Germany’s most ambitious and destructive campaigns.

Now in command of a powerful armoured formatio...

Episode Title: The Kiwis Who Shook Rommel: A Short History of the 2nd New Zealand Division

Summary:

From the sun-scorched deserts of North Africa to the rugged mountains of Italy, one Allied formation earned a reputation for toughness and tenacity that was respected by friend and foe alike: the 2nd New Zealand Division.

In this episode, we quickly trace the incredible wartime journey of this elite fighting force under...

Title: Joachim Peiper: SS Commander, War Criminal — Part One

Episode Summary:

In this first of a two-part series, Militia Historia takes you into the early life and rise of Joachim Peiper, one of the most infamous figures of the Waffen-SS. We explore his upbringing, rapid ascent under Heinrich Himmler, and his brutal command during Nazi Germany’s war of annihilation in the East.

From his presence at...

The Bomb: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the End of the Second World War

Episode Summary:

On August 6 and 9, 1945, two atomic bombs—Little Boy and Fat Man—were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, unleashing devastation unlike anything the world had ever seen. In this episode of Militia Historia, we go beyond the headlines and the mushroom clouds to explore the full story: f...