The first English-language podcast that focuses on the history of the Eastern Front of the Second World War in Europe.

Operation Barbarossa, Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, was the biggest military invasion on land in history. The war that followed between Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s USSR was the largest part of the Second World War in Europe—by far. By June 1944, Germany committed nearly ten times the troops and other materiel the eastern front compared to the western.

And yet, the Eastern Front does not get nearly as much attention in the West. While most people in the English-speaking world know of the Battle of Britain, Anzio, Tobruk and Operation Market Garden, fewer know about the Battle of Kursk, the Lvov–Sandomierz offensive or the Battle of Narva.

This podcast will help to rebalance that.

Launching on June 22, 2022—the 81st anniversary of the start of the war between these two tyrannies—Beyond Barbarossa shines a spotlight on this part of World War II. It describes the progress from the first day to the end of the war in 1945. And because it goes beyond Barbarossa, the podcast will also explore the context: the trends and forces leading up to the war, the concurrent events of the war in the Mediterranean, Africa, Italy, France, Britain, Scandinavia, the Pacific and more.

And the podcast also looks into the long-term ramifications and consequences after the war—the consequences that have largely defined the world order for the eight decades since.

Become a supporter

Subscribe for early, ad-free episodes with maps and historical photos through Patreon. Choose any level of support, which will go to organizations that help Ukrainian refugees until they can all return home safely. Patreon supporters also get occasional bonus episodes on topics such as the Winter War with Finland, the invasion of Poland, and important Soviet generals.

Visit Patreon.com/BeyondBarbarossa.