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Conflicted

Every month, host Zach Cornwell takes a hard look at the historical conflicts that raise difficult questions, stoke controversy, and send our moral compasses spinning.

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The Panama Canal – Part 3: Make The Dirt Fly!

Conflicted | S:3 E:67
In the third and final installment of the series, President Theodore Roosevelt mobilizes the full industrial might of United States to “make the d...
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The Panama Canal – Part 2: I Took The Isthmus

Conflicted | S:3 E:66
After the French project to build a canal through Panama collapses in 1889 amidst disease and financial scandal, US President Teddy Roosevelt reso...
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The Panama Canal – Part 1: Le Piège Mortel

Conflicted | S:3 E:65
In August of 1914, the United States of America completed a man-made waterway through the Panamanian isthmus, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oce...
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The Tokyo Subway Sarin Attacks 1995 – Part 2

Conflicted | S:3 E:64
As the Japanese police prepare for a raid on the Aum Shinrikyo compound, cult leader Shoko Asahara launches a desperate chemical weapons attack in...
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The Tokyo Subway Sarin Attacks 1995 – Part 1

Conflicted | S:3 E:63
On March 20th, 1995, the Tokyo subway system was flooded with sarin nerve gas in a coordinated terrorist attack by the religious cult Aum Shinriky...
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Get Eichmann – Israel’s Hunt For A Nazi War Criminal - Part 3

Conflicted | S:3 E:62
In the summer of 1960, all eyes are on Israel. As the Jewish nation unveils its capture of Adolf Eichmann to the world, a bitter controversy swirl...
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Get Eichmann – Israel’s Hunt For a Nazi War Criminal - Part 2

Conflicted | S:3 E:61
Adolf Eichmann has been found. In the spring of 1960, Mossad launches a daring operation to kidnap “Ricardo Klement” and smuggle him back to Israe...
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Get Eichmann – Israel’s Hunt For A Nazi War Criminal - Part 1

Conflicted | S:3 E:60
When World War II ended, SS officer Adolf Eichmann disappeared. As a key organizer of Nazi Germany’s Final Solution, the genocidal program that mu...
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When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 4

Conflicted | S:3 E:59
In the conclusion of the series, Justinian and Theodora face a cascade of setbacks and disasters. The Empress hatches a plan to destroy John the C...
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When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 3

Conflicted | S:3 E:58
With the Nika Riots behind them, Justinian and Theodora rebuild Constantinople and pursue a bold new agenda for the Byzantine Empire. Belisarius s...
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When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 2

Conflicted | S:3 E:57
After being crowned Emperor and Empress of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and Theodora face their first major test as rulers, the deadly Nika Rio...
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When Justinian Met Theodora – Part 1

Conflicted | S:3 E:56
From 527 to 565 AD, Emperor Justinian I and his Empress Theodora ruled over the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Together, they reshaped the Me...
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The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 5: Thank God, They’ve Attacked Us

Conflicted | S:3 E:55
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 again...
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The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 4: Casus Belli

Conflicted | S:3 E:54
As Yahya Khan’s crackdown in East Pakistan sparks a refugee crisis and a guerilla insurgency, the neighboring nation of India, led by Prime Minist...
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Introducing...BEEF

Conflicted | S:3 E:53
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 ex...
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The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 3: A Man Named Blood

Conflicted | S:3 E:52
On March 25th, 1971, President Yahya Khan launches Operation Searchlight in East Pakistan, a brutal military crackdown intended to snuff out Benga...
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The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 2: Bhutto’s Game

Conflicted | S:3 E:51
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, ...
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The 1971 Bangladesh War – Part 1: Land of Broken Maps

Conflicted | S:3 E:50
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. I...
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The Kinsey Report – Part 3

Conflicted | S:3 E:49
In January of 1948, Alfred Kinsey releases his first book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, igniting a firestorm of controversy across the Unite...
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The Kinsey Report – Part 2

Conflicted | S:3 E:48
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 confront...
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The Kinsey Report – Part 1

Conflicted | S:3 E:47
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 hab...
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History Daily: The Pirate Trial of 1720

Conflicted | S:3 E:46
This featured guest episode of History Daily examines the events of November 16th, 1720. On that day, the trials of notorious pirates Anne Bonny, ...
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Hiroo Onoda & The Surrender of Japan

Conflicted | S:3 E:45
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. Duri...
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The Gulf War 1991 – Part 3: Land of Darkness

Conflicted | S:3 E:44
On January 17th, 1991, Operation Desert Storm begins. As President Bush braces for high casualties, Saddam Hussein desperately seeks a path to sur...
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Introducing: The French History Podcast - “The Battle of Poitiers 732”

Conflicted | S:3 E:43
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 G...
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The Gulf War 1991 – Part 2: The Storm

Conflicted | S:3 E:42
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. B...
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The Gulf War 1991 – Part 1: Lines in the Sand

Conflicted | S:3 E:41
On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny emirate of Kuwait. The resulting conflict triggered a chain reaction that changed the world. In...
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40 Hours to Freedom: The Invention of the Weekend

Conflicted | S:3 E:40
Where does the two-day weekend come from? In this standalone episode of Conflicted, we trace the historical trajectory of that oasis of leisure an...
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The Partition of India – Part 6: The Spent Bullet

Conflicted | S:3 E:39
As a plot to assassinate Mohandas Gandhi unfolds, the Mahatma goes to existential lengths to reconcile India’s Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities....
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The Partition of India – Part 5: A Crisis Made Flesh

Conflicted | S:3 E:38
The “chief sufferers” of Partition, according to Mohandas Gandhi, were women. As the subcontinent descended into chaos, women of all religious com...
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The Partition of India – Part 4: Unholy Rush

Conflicted | S:3 E:37
As Partition finally becomes reality in August 1947, the new boundary sparks a mass migration in the Punjab and Bengal. Atrocity and ethnic cleans...
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The Partition of India – Part 3: A Tryst With Destiny

Conflicted | S:3 E:36
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...
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The Partition of India – Part 2: Two Blind Eyes

Conflicted | S:3 E:35
As the British Raj crumbles, old animosities begin to stir in the subcontinent’s communities. Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru face a formida...
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The Partition of India – Part 1: End of Empire

Conflicted | S:3 E:34
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 Pa...
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Human Error: The Destruction of KAL Flight 007

Conflicted | S:3 E:33
On September 1st, 1983, a South Korean commercial airliner inexplicably drifted 200 miles off course into restricted Soviet airspace. In response,...
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The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 3: The Music Stops

Conflicted | S:3 E:32
After weeks of uncertainty and fear, the Great Crash finally arrives on October 24th, 1929. While America’s financial infrastructure burns, Jesse ...
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History Daily (Special Featured Podcast): “The Start of the Cuban Revolution”

Conflicted | S:3 E:31
In this special featured episode of History Daily, host Lindsay Graham gives an atmospheric retelling of the events of December 2nd, 1956. On that...
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The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 2: Age of Illusion

Conflicted | S:3 E:30
As economic disaster looms in the Fall of ‘29, the American public is blissfully unaware, entranced by stratospheric share prices and the sunny pr...
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The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 1: To The Moon!

Conflicted
One of the worst financial disasters in history unfolded on Wall Street in late October of 1929. Within a week, 30 billion dollars had disappeared...
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Gore: The Brutal History of Bullfighting

Conflicted
Some revere it as an art form, others revile it as a blood sport, but no matter where you stand, few traditions stir up strong emotions quite like...
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Ghosts in the Mountains: The Mujahideen Civil War (Part 4)

Conflicted
It’s 1992. The 40th Army is long gone and the Soviet Union has collapsed, but war still rages across Afghanistan. As the Afghan communist regime c...
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Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 3

Conflicted
As the CIA wages a covert proxy war against the Soviet 40th Army, the Mujahideen are showered with billions of dollars and cutting-edge weaponry....
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Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 2

Conflicted
The Soviet 40th Army invaded Afghanistan in the closing days of 1979....
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Ghosts in the Mountains: The Soviet-Afghan War – Part 1

Conflicted
When Soviet Russia invaded Afghanistan in December of 1979, few could have imagined what a seismic impact it would have on the modern world....
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Curse of the Koh-I-Noor Diamond

Conflicted
The infamous Koh-I-Noor diamond currently sits in the Tower of London among the crown jewels of the British monarchy,...
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Kill Yamamoto: The Mission to Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 2

Conflicted
After the Battle of Midway, the Japanese Navy is in tatters and Yamamoto’s hopes of a quick victory against the Unites States have evaporated....
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Kill Yamamoto: The Mission To Avenge Pearl Harbor - Part 1

Conflicted
In 1941, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was the most hated man in America. As the architect of Japan’s December 7th surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the...
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Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 3

Conflicted
Civil war has torn the Caliphate apart. In 656 AD, Aisha marches with an army at her back. Ali, newly crowned as Caliph, has no choice but to oppo...
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Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 2

Conflicted
The Prophet is dead. In 632 AD, the armies of Islam explode out of Arabia......
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Prophet's Dilemma: The Sunni Shia Split Part 1

Conflicted
When the Prophet Muhammed died in 632 AD, it triggered a succession crisis amongst his followers. After the dust settled, two divergent branches o...
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The Kitchen Cartel: Pure Food & Drug Act 1906

Conflicted
Fake coffee. Rotten meat. Poison milk. This is the story of a few good men and their bitter fight to make America’s food supply safe. Hounded by e...
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The Third Temple: Yom Kippur War Part 2

Conflicted
Tank battles, Cold War politics, and nuclear alerts. This is the epic conclusion of a two-part series on the Yom Kippur War....
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The Third Temple: Yom Kippur War Part 1

Conflicted
he Yom Kippur War of 1973 has been described as the greatest military intelligence failure since Pearl Harbor. This is the story of how a surprise...
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Showdown at the Ikedaya Inn: Samurai Secret Police

Conflicted
On June 5th, 1864, the Shogun’s secret police raced against time to foil a sweeping terrorist plot in Kyoto. The ensuing bloodbath would have far-...
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Pardon My French: The Marquis de Sade

Conflicted
The Marquis De Sade was a pariah in his time, a monster on the page, and a genius in death. But what crimes did the namesake of “sadism” actually ...
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McNamara's Boys: Lost Innocence in Vietnam

Conflicted
How the US government deliberately sent thousands of mentally-disabled men into combat during the Vietnam War. A bonus episode and companion to Ep...
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The Good Guys: My Lai Massacre, Vietnam

Conflicted
The 1968 My Lai Massacre shocked Americans, but the true nature of the Vietnam War went far beyond anything the public could’ve imagined. This is ...
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I Must Not Burn: The Bombing of Dresden 1945

Conflicted
In 1945, the German city of Dresden was consumed in a firestorm engineered by the Allies. Many consider it to be a war crime. Others, a necessary ...
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Roadies For Nero: An Epilogue

Conflicted
A bonus episode concerning the Praetorian Guard's musical and murderous relationship with Rome's fabulous fifth Emperor, Nero. An epilogue to E10:...
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Kingbreakers: The Praetorian Guard

Conflicted
The story of Rome through the eyes of the infamous Praetorian Guard, feared bodyguards who wielded the power and leverage to make – or break – the...
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Pax Mongolica: Genghis Khan & Kublai Khan

Conflicted
Genghis Khan and the Mongols killed millions, but were they actually woke AF? Let's tackle the surprisingly progressive (yet blood-drenched) legac...
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Hate Thy Neighbor: Northern Ireland and the Troubles

Conflicted
Car bombs, hitmen, and hunger strikes. How "The Troubles" tore Northern Ireland apart....
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The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 2

Conflicted
Wonder and warmth quickly turn to slaughter and horror as Hernan Cortes meets Emperor Moctezuma in the explosive conclusion of a two-part series o...
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The City Of Dreams: The Aztec Conquest Part 1

Conflicted
How a handful of mercenaries, explorers, and pirates destroyed the Aztec Empire and burnt its capital city to the ground. Two cultures collide in ...
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Forbidden Children: China's One-Child Policy

Conflicted
The story of China’s infamous One-Child Policy, the most ambitious (and catastrophic) social engineering project the modern world has ever seen....
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Six Days: The 1967 Six Day War

Conflicted
How a single week in 1967 changed the Middle East, and then the world, forever. This is the action-packed, heartbreaking origin story of Israel an...
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Wonder Women

Conflicted
African berserkers, graceful samurai, and deadly Soviet fighter pilots. A three-part, globe-trotting tour of remarkable female soldiers and the co...
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They Saw Red

Conflicted
The Rated-R-for-Russian story of the Red Army’s horrific campaign of vengeance against Nazi Germany. Forward 15 secondsBack 15 seconds...
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The Tiger and the Turtle: Samurai Invasion of Korea

Conflicted
Sea battles, tiger hunts, and a mountain of human noses. This is the Shakespearean saga that triggered centuries of bad blood between Korea and Ja...
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This Is Sparta?

Conflicted
A myth-busting breakdown of history’s favorite fitness cult....
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Conflicted - Welcome

Conflicted
A quick introduction to the concept behind the show and your host, Zach Cornwell....
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