WW2: Both Sides of The Wire

Prof. Matthias Strohn & Jesse Alexander

World War 2: Both Sides of the Wire is the podcast that takes you beyond the familiar and dives deep into the untold stories and surprising truths of the Second World War from the Allied and Axis perspectives.

Join us as we lift the lid on one of the most pivotal periods in human history, busting myths and unraveling the complexities of a conflict that still shapes our world today.

Host: Prof. Matthias Strohn & Jesse Alexander

More about Matthias & Jesse: https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow#host

Support us and what we do:

To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://both-sides-of-the-wire.com/supporters

Use our code: DEEPDARKWOODS and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member.

Support via Paypal: https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow-paypal

Merchandise and Shop: https://both-sides-of-the-wire.com/collections/all

Do you like our podcast?

Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot!

Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com

General Enquiries: ⁠both-sides@battleguide.co.uk⁠

Battle Guide Website: https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow

Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT

If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter

BlueSky:

@jessealexander.bsky.social

Twitter:

@BattleguideVT

Credits:

- Host: Prof. Dr. Matthias Strohn & Jesse Alexander

- Production & Editing: Linus Klaßen

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Wednesday · 1 hr
Episode 105: North Africa 1941-42: Operation Crusader & Brevity
In today’s episode, we return to the Egyptian and Libyan desert, as both the British Commonwealth and the Axis gear up for several dramatic campaigns in the second half of 1941.
July 22 · 59 min
Episode 104: North Africa 1940-41: A War of Tanks, Sand and Supply
In today’s episode, we’ll visit the warm and sandy expanses of the Libyan desert, for the back-and-forth campaigns of 1941 and the controversial performance of the so-called Desert Fox.
July 15 · 59 min
Episode 103: Was Stalingrad the Real Turning Point?
In today’s episode, we’ll return to mythbusting, to take on one of the sacred cows of popular military history discussions: was Stalingrad the turning point in WW2?
July 8 · 56 min
Episode 102: Walking Through Berlin’s History
In today's episode, we'll go for a stroll through Berlin and Brandenburg and take you with us on the ground to some of the most interesting spots in a city layered in history.
July 1 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 101: The Last Stand on Okinawa
In today’s episode, we follow the fighting on southern Okinawa to its bitter conclusion, as US forces face their toughest challenge against a series of imposing ridges, and an enemy determined to fight to the last.
June 24 · 1 hr
Episode 100: Hitler’s Orders, His Generals and Neutral Portugal
In this week’s episode, we celebrate our 100th show by answering listener questions on the German Army’s lack of winter equipment in 1941, Hitler’s “no retreat” orders, Portugal’s role as a neutral power, and the relationship between Hitler and his generals.
June 17 · 53 min
Episode 99: Battles That Shaped the 20th Century
In this week’s episode and in a long overdue collaboration between Not So Quite on the Western Front and WW2 Both Sides of the Wire, four of us sit down to explore what we feel are the battles that, for one reason or another, shaped the course of the 20th century.
June 10 · 53 min
Episode 98: Okinawa: Kamikazes and the Yamato
In today’s episode, we hit the beaches at Okinawa, as American forces begin a grinding 82-day campaign to capture the island from determined and dug-in Japanese defenders.
June 3 · 44 min
Episode 97: Okinawa Begins: Operation Iceberg
In today’s episode, we’re off to the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean, to the small but strategically important island of Okinawa. The US invasion of the island in 1945 would be the largest amphibious landings in the Pacific theatre, and set the stage for the final phase of the war against Japan.
May 27 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 96: The Real General Patton: Hero, Showman, or Myth?
In today’s episode, we tackle the legendary, controversial, and much mythologized US General George S. Patton – was he really as good as his reputation in popular memory?
May 22 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 95: The Last Hours of Hitler’s Berlin 1945
In today’s episode, we examine the final phase of the Battle of Berlin, as Soviet troops conquer the city and Hitler meets his end.
May 13 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 94: Trapped in the Ruins of Berlin
In today's episode, we begin the end of the story of the Battle of Berlin, as for the fighting reaches the city itself
May 7 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 93: Closing the Ring - Berlin 1945
In today’s episode, we jump into the action in April 1945, as Soviet forces race towards Berlin and close the ring around the Nazi capital.
April 29 · 52 min
Episode 92: The Last Line of Defence - Berlin 1945
In today's episode, we start the story with the launch of the Berlin Operation in April 1945, and the bitter struggle for Berlin that started on the high ground at Seelow.
April 22 · 1 hr
Episode 91: Why the Germans Fought to the Bitter End
In today's episode, we pick up the story of the Battle of Berlin 1945, drilling down on the German side of the wire as the Berlin Operation begins.
April 15 · 55 min
Episode 90: Prelude to the Downfall: The Red Army at the Gates of Berlin
Berlin Tour: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/bsotw-2026⁠ Join our community! The steps are simple: - Visit: https://both-sides-of-the-wire.com/ - Select your rank – (Captain comes with one month free) - Fill in your details and use promo code: DEEPDARKWOODS - Enjoy ad-free podcasts and exclusive content with us! - Don’t forget, you can change your tier, upgrade or cancel at any time. Thanks so much for your support! Support via Paypal: https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow-paypal E-Mail: both-sides@battleguide.co.uk Website: https://battleguide.co.uk/bsow Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT Our WW1 Podcast: https://battleguide.co.uk/nsq If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter BlueSky: @jessealexander.bsky.social Twitter: @BattleguideVT Credits: - Host: Prof. Dr. Matthias Strohn & Jesse Alexander - Production: Linus Klaßen - Editing: Hunter Christensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
April 8 · 1 hr 11 min
Episode 89: Battle of the Bulge - Bastogne, Skorzeny, and Germany’s Failure
In today’s episode, we once again take up the story of the Battle of the Bulge after the initial German breakthrough, and consider how the Allies turned the tide.
April 1 · 56 min
Episode 88: Battle of the Bulge - Day One: When the Allies Were Caught Off Guard
In today’s episode, we return to the Battle of the Bulge and take up the action with the first chaotic days of the German offensive – when no one was sure how things would turn out.
March 25 · 45 min
Episode 87: The Battle of the Bulge Begins: Germany’s Final Offensive in the West
In today’s episode, we’ll tackle Germany’s last-ditch offensive to win the war in the west: the Battle of the Bulge.
March 19 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode Bonus: The 1913 Redl Spy Case
This bonus episode features a special guest appearance on the Untitled History Podcast with Gareth Edwards, where we dive into the espionage case of Alfred Redl, an Austro-Hungarian officer who spied for Russia before World War I.