Description
Ghosts of the Ostfront I
Duration – 1:05:54
Part one covering the conflict between the Germans and the Soviet Union in the Second World War. Dan gives an introduction to the subject and discusses the causes and opening moves of Operation Barbarossa.
Ghosts of the Ostfront II
Duration – 1:28:30
In Part Two of the Ostfront series covering WW2 on the Eastern Front, Dan looks at the attempt to take Moscow and the many compelling stories surrounding the momentous1941 German offensive.
Ghosts of the Ostfront III
Duration – 1:30:19
In Part Three of the Ostfront series covering WW2 on the Eastern Front, Dan looks at the situation in the U.S.S.R. during 1942 and early 1943, including the dreadful Battle of Stalingrad.
Ghosts of the Ostfront IV
Duration – 1:39:34
In the final episode of the horror story that is the Eastern Front the tale descends into unimaginable darkness as vengeance is called down on Germany. This graphic episode is not for young ears.
Show notes:
Daniel McDonald –
I stumbled across Dan Carlin and this Hardcore History Podcast via a short intro I had found on YouTube, and as a student of WWII, I knew I had to hear the whole series.
Dan has a captivating and accessible way of describing the events he has researched and presents that make these events come alive in my mind. You could imagine being there, almost. It’s shocking, surprising, dreadful and hard to forget but it happened and I learned things about this conflict that I had never known before despite studying this era for at least 25 years. No student of WWII should miss this. Excellent.
madquack64 –
Great podcast, Eastern Front sounds like something beyond your worst nightmares.
croach83 –
What an amazing history lesson which many of us in the western world simply know nothing about. Thank you Dan Carlin!
Antonio –
Excellent! A breadth of knowledge and depth of emotion unsurpassed in modern history. As usual, Mr. Carlin provides an entertaining learning experience that exceeds the asking price by an order of magnitude. As close as you can get to time travel without being a theoretical physicist. Hardcore, indeed.
David –
Once again I’m blown away by the eloquent depiction of a horrific scenario. Although there are several thematic lessons to learn from, Dan reminds me that we are human too; we are not excused to submit to violent ideolical leadership- that we must speak out in opposition to crimes in humanity when given the chance…and that these men, on both sides, didn’t have that chance.
Heikki –
This was amazing. I got introduced to Dan by Sam Harris, Tim Ferriss and countless others and Im glad I was. Can´t wait to hear more of these.
Justin –
Engaging. Balanced. No political bias. Status quo for Hardcore History.
Dan’s humbling reminder of the thin shell of civility we live under was perhaps most powerful.
The depths of human sufferring and deprevity described left me with a dark feeling of oppression. This was further exasborated when thinking about the children and women that actually had to live through this nightmare complete with real monsters.
Could war ever be this horrible again? I don’t believe so as a nuclear holocaust would probably have been a welcome reprieve to those that suffered through the atrocities of the eastern front. However, the sad truth is that we will probably find out when the thin shell inevitably cracks…again.
J –
Breathtaking. In the truest sense of the word.
My Granddad was on the Ostfront as a medic for the Wehrmacht, while he was “lucky” enough to survive by having his arm shot to pieces, I think shortly before reaching Stalingrad (as a kid, I always thought his prosthesis was kind of scary but cool), he never stopped telling stories until his last days – usually, the same few horrible stories over and over (he died some 15 years ago).
I think the picture Dan paints is very real, so much so that I had to wipe tears from my eyes several times.
pfincent –
Amazing!
Erik –
I stumbled across Dan Carlin through the Joe Rogan podcast. I started with ” Blueprint for Armageddon”, and then decided to venture into the eastern front. It is a harrowing account of what war between two evil governments looks like. Dan does an excellent job of describing the events.
The fact that the eastern front on it’s own accounts for the most number of deaths in any war is on it’s own astounding. I grew up in the west and we hear so little about the eastern front. A true tradgedy. You. Must. Buy. This.
Tracy –
Worth the money. Listening to it for the 3rd time. Amazing part of history that’s been marginalized by Western front.
John –
This is spectacular, gripping.
Colin –
I made and audible “awww” when I learned the story had reached it’s end. Dan could go on for hours and I would sit intently, never missing a beat.
Exodorian –
An exhaustively-researched, emotionally wrenching exploration of an almost unimaginably terrible scenario. An absolute must-listen for anyone interested in human drama, the limits of the human experience, the horrors of traditional warfare and the effects of it on the global community.
This is some of Carlin’s best work. Absolutely do not miss this.
abanga94 –
Dan could make almost anything sound interesting but his coverage of the eastern front is beyond description.
What an unimaginable place and what an amazing series of podcasts.
Jake –
I have a BA History degree and am going to start grad school in the Fall. I took several classes on the World Wars during my undergrad, but I learned more from listening to Blueprint for Armageddon and Ghosts of the Ostfront than I did in college. For Ghosts of the Ostfront, Dan goes into incredible detail, and you’re just sucked in to the point where you don’t want to stop listening. Dan provides better facts and research than my professors did. I feel a greater sense and debt of gratitude towards the USSR for surviving the war on the Eastern Front and defeating the Nazis than I ever did before.
cjtozzi –
Definitely worth the listen to. American history of the war tends to gloss over so much on the Eastern front outside of Stalingrad. The stories are horrifying, but it really shows what humans are capable of when pushed to their extremes, and how much power a couple of radical dictators are capable of controlling.
Brent –
Well worth the money. Crazy how little most people in the west know about this. Great work!
Rulingpawn –
This series and Blueprint for Armageddon have genuinely helped shape my perspective on the world. All I’ve ever known is peace, but I never really understood that. Dan has made me realize how grateful I should be.
Logankavalar –
This series is one of his best. Dan puts such emotion into a historical subject that few people don’t know about, myself included. I had to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. He takes knowledge, emotions, and master story telling to keep you glued to the podcast. Thank You for everything you do sir
Julia.Pikachu –
Purchased this maybe 2 ago and I can’t stop replaying it from start to finish all over again every 2 days while running errands/walking the dog/doing chores. Not just worth every penny – I feel like I ripped Dan off by paying so little for the joy of reliving the thrill repeatedly. Having been brought to America as a child after the Soviet Union collapsed as refugees fleeing anti-semitism, having this history playing like a movie in my head just floored me. Not only do you not need a PhD in history to tell stories, it seems like teachers/professors, for the most part, in my experience, are the worst story-tellers of all time. Having to memorize dates and basic facts for exams drains the soul out of amazing, mesmerizing, mind-f*** that is history. Every sentence spoken here is an absolute work of art. Not a brush stroke extra or lacking. Just… perfection.
antoniahall –
Absolutely astounding and informative. A piece of history that has been discounted and rarely told. One needs to visit Russia and say “thank you” for without their help and the sacrifice of millions of Russian lives, maybe Hitler would not have been defeated. Dan’s narration is superb; his insight marvelous.
noonanbt28 –
Chilling. I’ve probably listened 4 times through and it’s better each time. Most of my WWII understanding is on the western front, so this has been essential content to balance my perspective. One of Carlin’s best!
JeremytheGreat –
Amazing! Dan Carlins hardcore history got me through my first full marathon. Thank you!
Bruce Lees –
Dan says he is not an historian but he has opened my mind to history and beyond. I could use a dictionary of superlatives but best idea is to listen for yourself.