8 May 1945: Victory in Europe Day, the day after the armistice between the Allied powers and Nazi Germany goes into effect. Almost 5 years long, World War 2 in Europe destroyed millions of lives, burned ancient cities to cinders, displaced populations, and permanently changed the world order.

How, then, did it come to end? How did the Allies defeat the Nazis, and why did the war end when it did? What issues led the world from war to Cold War in only a few years, turning supposed allies against one another?

Jeff discusses VE Day and its legacy with historian John Moser, answering these questions and helping to set the stage for the rest of the 20th Century in Europe and the rest of the world.

Read Ian Kershaw's book. mentioned in the episode: https://a.co/d/echNXaL

Read the text of the Yalta agreement: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-yalta-conference/

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

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What is 'grand strategy' and how does it differ from strategy? What does grand strategy mean to a nation, its leaders and people? How is such a thing developed and revised over time? And why is it so difficult for America to create and settle on such a thing?

Business and military strategy authority Dr. John Hillen discusses these topics with Jeff today, digging into what challenges America faces in the world, and the challenges we face at home as we work to determine our own national grand strategy.

Read John's book on Strategic Management - https://a.co/d/cmBwY5L

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea

Why have NBA ratings dropped by half over the last decade? How has the game changed in recent years and what does the proliferation of legalized sports betting have to do with it? Jeff takes a break this week from questions of history and politics and looks at a slice of our public life with author and journalist Oliver Lee Bateman and addresses these weighty issues.

Or is there more to it? Is the creep of the HR department mindset to standardize, systematize, and optimize everything having an impact on one of our beloved sports?

Read Oliver's article on the topic, from RealClearBooks: https://tinyurl.com/4umhyujf

#nba #sportsbetting

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea