Hanchuk Targets History

The Battle of Megiddo took place in 1457 BC between Egyptian forces under Thutmose III and Canaanite and Syrian rebels.  This battle is the first one in history to be recorded in full detail.  Note: I apologize for the poor quality of the recording in some places - steps are being taken to correct this in the future.

The Olympic marathon in 1904 has to be the most bizarre race ever to be contested in the Olympic games.   When a contestant hitching a ride in a car is far from the strangest thing to happen, you know things got crazy.

On March 16, 1968 the infamous My Lai Massacre took place.  It involved the mass killings of hundreds of civilians in the village of My Lai 4, and is often referred to as one of the most shocking episodes of the Vietnam War.

Between 1598 and 1613, Russia went through the Time of Troubles.  This chaotic period in their history saw lawlessness, the end of a dynasty, a succession crisis, way too many pretenders to the throne, foreign invasion, anarchy, and a massive famine.  Let the craziness begin!

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the second half of the 1700s.  In this episode, Hanchuk explores the factors that led to British industrialization, the first industry to employ it, and its further expansion.

The Battle of Gaugamela is perhaps the greatest victory in the legendary military career of Alexander the Great.  This 331 BC battle saw Alexander's triumph over Persian King Darius III guaranteeing his conquest of the Persian Empire.

In an episode dealing with World War II, Hanchuk talks about the Soviet Union's 588th Night Bomber Regiment.  This was an all female combat group, whose great success led the Germans to dub them The Night Witches.

In this episode, Hanchuk talks about Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari.  She was an exotic dancer, courtesan, and spy.  History is full of rumors and legends about this famous femme fatale, and Hanchuk tries to sort through them to discover the truth about her life.

In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the War of 1812.  Specifically, he takes the listener through the largest battle fought on the Great Lakes, Oliver Hazard Perry's famous victory at the Battle of Lake Erie.

People sometimes forget that Italy, as a unified nation, did not exist until the middle of the 1800s.  Before that, it was a collection of small states.  In this episode, Hanchuk takes the listener through the process of these states uniting into the nation of Italy.

The Cold War - that scary and tense time when war between the Americans and Soviets seemed inevitable.  In this episode, Hanchuk talks about Dmitri Fyodorovich Polyakov, a Soviet general in the GRU (Soviet Military Intelligence) who turned double agent and spied for the U.S.  His efforts, and the intelligence he provided, truly helped to keep the Cold War cold.

Today's episode looks at the American Civil War.  Specifically, the western theater of operations, where in 1862, the famous Andrews Raid took place.  This is perhaps better known as The Great Locomotive Chase, and involves a group of Union raiders stealing a Confederate train.

In Part 2 of this story, Hanchuk traces the events after the actual mutiny.   Find out what happened to Bligh and those loyal to him.  Hear about how the mutineers split into two groups and what happened to each, including the ultimate fate of Fletcher Christian.

On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian led part of the crew of the HMS Bounty in a mutiny against the ship's captain, William Bligh.  What led to this?  Was Bligh a tyrant, as many people think?  Was the mutiny justified?  And, what was the Bounty's mission in the first place?  In Part 1 of a two-part episode, Hanchuk sets the stage and takes the listener through the actual mutiny.

Hanchuk talks about the legendary flying ace from World War I, Manfred von Richthofen - The Red Baron.  His 80 confirmed kills made him the highest scoring ace of any country.  This episode will take you through his storied career and his controversial death.

In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles shot and killed a man in the middle of Washington DC, in broad daylight, in front of a host of witnesses!  What caused this promising young Congressman to commit cold-blooded murder?  How could he even try to defend himself in a court of law?  How did his trial end up?  Hanchuk answers these questions as he explains how the whole situation played out.

In this episode, Hanchuk talks about some college football history, specifically the 1916 game between Georgia Tech and Cumberland.  This infamous game saw the NCAA record for most points scored - a record that will probably never be broken.  Find out why this game was played, what happened during it, and why Georgia Tech's coach, John Heisman, ran-up the score so much.

In this episode, Hanchuk gives a brief overview of the Hundred Years' War.  He discusses the causes, course of the war, and its outcome, while mentioning the battles of Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt.  He also brings in the role Joan of Arc played for the French.

On June 6, 1944 the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy in the greatest amphibious assault of all time.  In this episode, Hanchuk focuses on some of the deception efforts the Allies used to hide the details of D-Day from the Germans.  He describes the overarching deception Operation Bodyguard, along with its sub-operations Fortitude, Glimmer, Taxable, Big Drum, and Titanic.

Grab your shield and lance, because in this episode, Hanchuk talks about Medieval Tournaments.  He traces their origins and evolution over time, and discusses the melee, the joust, and the pageantry of what were the major spectator events of their day. 

Operation Ivy Bells was a classic example of Cold War espionage.  The United States used a submarine, the USS Halibut, to tap into an undersea Soviet communications cable.  In this quick episode, Hanchuk talks about how this operation came about, the challenges it faced, and its ultimate outcome.

In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the great Carthaginian general Hannibal, who is perhaps one of the greatest military leaders from antiquity.  Hear about his exploits during the Second Punic War, including his audacious crossing of the Alps (with war elephants), his great victory at the Battle of Cannae, and his ultimate defeat at the Battle of Zama.

During World War II the Allies were planning their invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky).  One of the deceptions they used to fool the Germans into thinking an invasion would be coming in the Balkans rather than Sicily was Operation Mincemeat.  As deception operations go, Mincemeat was very successful, and is probably one of the most bizarre operations of the entire war.  What made it so strange? ...

The Battle of Balaclava culminated in the heroic, yet disastrous, charge of the British light brigade.  In this episode, Hanchuk takes the listener through the lead up to the battle, the various actions in the battle itself, and of course, the legendary charge that ended it.

In this episode, Hanchuk talks about the Culper Ring - a group of spies during the American Revolution that operated out of New York.  During the war, they were able to provide Gen. Washington with a ton of intelligence.  Find out how they were established, how they operated, and some of the key information they uncovered.