Episodes

Feb. 22, 2025

When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 1

From 527 to 565 AD, Emperor Justinian I and his Empress Theodora ruled over the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Together, they reshaped the Mediterranean world, weathering political upheaval, wars of conquest, and an outbreak of bubonic plague. In this first …

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Dec. 20, 2024

The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 5: Thank God, They’ve Attacked Us

On December 3rd, 1971, India and Pakistan go to war on two fronts, battling for the future of Bangladesh. In the East, the Indian army races against time, hoping to capture Dacca and force a Pakistani surrender before the United …

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Nov. 2, 2024

The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 4: Casus Belli

As Yahya Khan’s crackdown in East Pakistan sparks a refugee crisis and a guerilla insurgency, the neighboring nation of India, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, must decide how to respond. Meanwhile, President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger pursue secret …

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Oct. 10, 2024

Introducing...BEEF

Join me for a special featured episode of BEEF, a scripted podcast narrated by award-winning host Bridget Todd. This episode tells the story of explorers Sir Richard Burton and Captain John Hanning Speke as they face unimaginable dangers, and their …

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Sept. 23, 2024

The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 3: A Man Named Blood

On March 25th, 1971, President Yahya Khan launches Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan, a brutal military crackdown intended to snuff out Bengali separatism and restore West Pakistani authority. Meanwhile, an American diplomat in Dacca named Archer Blood begins reporting and …

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July 26, 2024

The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 2: Bhutto’s Game

In the wake of the deadly Bhola Cyclone, 50 million Pakistanis go to the polls on December 7th, 1970 and cast their votes in a national election, which yields unexpected and destabilizing results. As the emergent factions fight for control …

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June 8, 2024

The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 1: Land of Broken Maps

In March 1971, the nation of Pakistan was split apart by a vicious civil war, eventually culminating in the creation of a new state: Bangladesh. In this first episode of a multi-part series, we trace the origins of the conflict …

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March 11, 2024

The Kinsey Report – Part 3

In January of 1948, Alfred Kinsey releases his first book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, igniting a firestorm of controversy across the United States. As the Professor scrambles to capitalize on his newfound fame and pen a sequel, his …

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Feb. 7, 2024

The Kinsey Report – Part 2

As Dr. Alfred Kinsey begins his foray into sex research in 1938, he faces a rising tide of controversy at Indiana University, and is soon confronted with an ultimatum. While his research develops and his methodology takes shape, Kinsey is …

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Jan. 25, 2024

The Kinsey Report – Part 1

In 1948, Dr. Alfred Kinsey wrote the book on sex. “The Kinsey Report”, as it came to be known, was a pioneering scientific study on the sexual habits of ordinary Americans. Divided into Male and Female Volumes, it challenged longstanding …

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Jan. 13, 2024

History Daily: The Pirate Trial of 1720

This featured guest episode of History Daily examines the events of November 16th, 1720. On that day, the trials of notorious pirates Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and John Rackham began in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

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Oct. 26, 2023

Hiroo Onoda & The Surrender of Japan

In 1974, a Japanese soldier named Hiroo Onoda emerged from the Philippine jungle, unaware that World War 2 had been over for nearly 30 years. During those three decades, Onoda waged a murderous guerilla insurgency against the residents of Lubang …

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Aug. 10, 2023

The Gulf War 1991 – Part 3: Land of Darkness

On January 17th, 1991, Operation Desert Storm begins. As President Bush braces for high casualties, Saddam Hussein desperately seeks a path to survival. In Baghdad, Coalition air forces rain hell on Iraqi soldiers and civilians alike, while American diplomats scramble …

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June 30, 2023

Introducing: The French History Podcast - “The Battle of Poitiers 732”

If you’re a fan of Conflicted, we think you’ll enjoy this special featured episode of The French History Podcast. In this episode, host Dr. Gary Girod breaks down what really happened at the Battle of Poitiers, one of the largest …

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June 17, 2023

The Gulf War 1991 – Part 2: The Storm

As the Iraqi army digs into Kuwait, the world considers how to respond to Saddam Hussein’s breach of national sovereignty. President George H.W. Bush vows that the aggression “will not stand” and begins assembling an international coalition to force a …

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April 30, 2023

The Gulf War 1991 – Part 1: Lines in the Sand

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. The resulting conflict triggered a chain reaction that changed the world. In this first installment in a three-part series, we trace the origins of the Kuwait crisis, chronicle …

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March 3, 2023

40 Hours to Freedom: The Invention of the Weekend

Where does the two-day weekend come from? In this standalone episode of Conflicted, we trace the historical trajectory of that oasis of leisure and free time we call “the weekend”. From its mystical beginnings in the religions of antiquity to …

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Jan. 2, 2023

The Partition of India – Part 6: The Spent Bullet

As a plot to assassinate Mohandas Gandhi unfolds, the Mahatma goes to existential lengths to reconcile India’s Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities. Meanwhile, a shadow war erupts between India and Pakistan over the picturesque kingdom of Kashmir, threatening the future …

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Nov. 17, 2022

The Partition of India – Part 5: A Crisis Made Flesh

The “chief sufferers” of Partition, according to Mohandas Gandhi, were women. As the subcontinent descended into chaos, women of all religious communities become prime targets in the war for honor and land. Across the Punjab, tens of thousands of women …

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Oct. 26, 2022

The Partition of India – Part 4: Unholy Rush

As Partition finally becomes reality in August 1947, the new boundary sparks a mass migration in the Punjab and Bengal. Atrocity and ethnic cleansing soon follow. The Sikhs, a long-ignored but well-armed religious minority, mobilize to stake their claim. Edwina …

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Sept. 15, 2022

The Partition of India – Part 3: A Tryst With Destiny

It’s 1947. After many long years of struggle, India is about to gain its independence from the British Empire. But freedom will come at a cost. To facilitate the handover of power, the Crown sends Lord Louis Mountbatten – the …

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Aug. 3, 2022

The Partition of India – Part 2: Two Blind Eyes

As the British Raj crumbles, old animosities begin to stir in the subcontinent’s communities. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru face a formidable new adversary in the form of Muhammed Ali Jinnah, who calls for the creation of a separate Muslim …

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July 4, 2022

The Partition of India – Part 1: End of Empire

In the summer of 1947, the British Raj relinquished its hold over the Indian subcontinent. In its wake, two new nations were created: India and Pakistan. The hastily-drawn border between the countries slashed through communities and bisected entire provinces, triggering …

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May 22, 2022

Human Error: The Destruction of KAL Flight 007

On September 1st, 1983, a South Korean commercial airliner inexplicably drifted 200 miles off course into restricted Soviet airspace. In response, a Soviet fighter plane intercepted the aircraft, fired two missiles, and shot it down, killing all 269 people on …

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