Attila the Hun was born in 406. After being a child hostage of the Romans for much of his youth, Attila would ascend to the throne with this brother Bleda. Attila soon killed Bleda and took absolute power over the Huns.

Under Attila, the Huns would constantly raid the outskirts of Byzantine Empire. At one point, Attila engaged with Aetius of the Romans at the Battle of Chalons. Attila lost the battle, but still was able to make it to the gates of Rome but would be turned back after the Pope urged him not to push forward.

For more information, read:
The Oxford Book of Military Anecdotes by Max Hastings
History Resource Center World: Attila the Hun
http://school.eb.com/all/eb/article-9011178?query=Attila&ct=null

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Ski Warfare:

• In the Winter War between the Finns and the Soviets, the Finnish ski troops used guerilla tactics to stop a much larger enemy.  Their high mobility gave them an advantage in the cold conditions (of which the Soviets were not used to).
• The 10th Mountain Division, a special operations unit in the US, is trained in harsh terrain operations, including ski warfare.  They are a rapid-response unit and have conducted many operations in the 1990s.

Bicycle Warfare:

• Bicycles are cheap, light, fast, and can carry a surprisingly large amount of baggage
• When Japan invaded Singapore in WWII, they used bicycles on gravel and pavement to give the impression of a much larger tank force.  This prompted a British garrison that was 3x the size of the Japanese invading force to surrender.

For more information, read:
Military History Magazine (Feb 2000): Bicycles in War
Special Forces by Samuel Southworth
Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan
Japanese Army by Geoffrey Forty

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

Nuclear weapons, first created as a result of the Manhattan Project, come in many forms. The ones dropped on Japan, for example, were plutonium and uranium atomic bombs which used nuclear fission (breaking a larger nucleus into two smaller fragments). Hydrogen bombs, on the other hand, use nuclear fusion (fragments combined into a larger nucleus).

Over time, nuclear delivery also improved. Early on, only gravity bombs were used (ex. US bombers circulated around the USSR ready to drop gravity bombs). However, by the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, rockets and ballistic missiles were developed to carry warheads. Submarine-launchable and backpack nukes also exist.

Because the power of nuclear technology is so great, a policy of Mutually Assured Destruction has been adopted. In other words, both sides don't launch nuclear weapons out of fear that the other side will launch their own.

Currently, there are seven countries known to possess nuclear weapons, and two who are thought to possess them.

For more information, read:
Physics 6th Edition by Cutnell and Johnson
The Cold War by Mike Sewell
http://www.nuclearfiles.org
http://www.thebulletin.org/doomsday_clock/


Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

The 101st airborne division, founded in 1942, is nicknamed the "screaming eagles".  Their motto is "Rendevous with Destiny", and they are officially known as air assault infantry.  Their training is one of the toughest in the Army.

Some of their battles in WWII include: Pathfinding during D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge.  The division also participated in the Vietnam War (ex. Hamburger Hill), during Desert Storm, and during Operation Cobra II (otherwise known as Operation Iraqi Freedom).

They have been featured in various forms of entertainment including: Brothers in Arms (video game), Band of Brothers (mini-series), Saving Private Ryan (movie). 

For more information, read:
US Special Forces by Samuel Southworth
Reader's Digest Illustrated Story of World War II
http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/101stairborne/
http://www.101airborneww2.com/equipment3.html

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine

George Catlett Marshall's distinguished career includes the titles of Army Chief of Staff, 5-Start General of the Army, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and aide to General Pershing. He excelled both in the field (earning various medals and helping to train others during WWI), as a tactical commander (masterminding the US victory in WWII by emphasizing mass movement and morale), and as a statesman (engineering the Marshall plan which would rebuild Europe, as well as increase the US's power in the heating-up Cold War).

These accomplishments showed through when he became Time Magazine Man of the Year twice, in 1944 and 1948. also, Marshall won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

For more information, read:
The Cold War by Mike Sewell
World Book (1992): Marshall, George Catlett
European Recovery Plan Speech at Harvard University
http://www.en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_Marshall

Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine