{"podcast":{"title":"World War II with Tom Hanks","slug":"world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551","podcast_index_feed_id":7870551,"rss_url":"https://rss.amperwave.net/v2/feed/audacynetwork/cc2b59fa44d0151fa8987e1b01e424bc","website_url":"https://www.history.com/shows/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks","image_url":"https://images.castfire.com/image/661/0/0/0/0-8465544.jpg","author":"The HISTORY Channel | Back Pocket Studios | Audacy","episode_count":13,"summary":"For eighty years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II with Tom Hanks reexamines the war through the lens of a new century. Told over twenty hours and guided by Tom Hanks, whose lifelong passion for this history has shaped some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era, the series captures the full arc of the war — from the rise of fascism in Europe to the fall of Berlin, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, and the uneasy peace that follows. Each episode uncovers new dimensions of the conflict: the decisions that shaped the battlefield, the unseen networks that sustained the war effort, and the aftershocks that still shape our world today. World War II with Tom Hanks is the definitive retelling of that story for a new generation: a sweeping, deeply human portrait of how the modern world was forged in the fires of global war.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-30T18:18:52.891111+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551"},"episode":{"title":"Barbarossa","slug":"barbarossa","published_at":"2026-05-26T08:31:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/barbarossa","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551","url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8384518/8384518_2026-05-15-133218.192.mp3?rssID=6477","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.castfire.com/audio/8384518/8384518_2026-05-15-133218.192.mp3?rssID=6477","summary":"Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, launches on June 22, 1941. In what is the largest military operation in history, Hitler aims to capture the Soviet Union’s vast economic resources, enslave its populations, and expand Germany east. It is the beginning of a brutal campaign that will ultimately help decide the war in Europe. This episode features interviews with (in order of appearance): Simon Sebag Montefiore, historian and author Sean McMeekin, professor, Bard College Colonel Douglas Douds, professor, US Army War College Alexandra Richie, professor, Collegium Civitas Robert Citino, senior historian, National WWII Museum Jadwiga Biskupska, associate professor, Sam Houston State University Dan Carlin, podcaster, Hardcore History General Wesley Clark, US Army, Ret. Sir Antony Beevor, military historian","meta_description":"Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union, launches on June 22, 1941. In what is the largest military operation in histor…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2356,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/episodes/barbarossa/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks-7870551/barbarossa.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}