Military History Podcast

The Peloponnesian War was fought by Athens and Sparta in the late 5th century BC.  It was an epic war between two superpowers, and the similarities to the Cold War are numerous.  Since most people know about the Cold War, since it was so recent, I will summarize this episode via comparisons between it and the Peloponnesian War. This first episode covers the beginning through the Amphipolis Campaign/Cuban Missile Crisis. The Participants: Athens/United States: wealthy, democratic, powerful navy, supported by numerous smaller states (Delian League/NATO)Initially led by Pericles/FDR: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status Sparta/USSR: communist, totalitarian, powerful army, supported by numerous smaller states (Peloponnesian League/Warsaw Pact)Initially led by Archidamus II/Stalin: rulers during the expansion of their respective nations' geopolitical status Thebes/China: Weaker third power allied with Sparta/USSR Timeline: Persian Wars/WWII: Sparta/USSR and Athens/US