SNAFUBAR
SNAFUBAR
Podcast Description
SNAFUBAR explores American military mistakes from the beginning of the country’s founding to the present day. Environmental Historian Jeff Crane and Professor of Religious Studies Sara Hart bring an honest and candid look and analysis at costly errors, victory culture and the fetishization of the military in the United States.
Presented by Cal Poly Humboldt's College of Art Humanities & Social Sciences.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers themes of military history, societal reflections on war, and critiques of the American military culture. Specific episodes explore George Washington's military decisions, such as his leading role at the Battle of Jumonville Glen and the implications of military failures, while addressing the tradition of romanticizing military actions and the support issues faced by veterans.
SNAFUBAR is a show about strategic and moral military errors and mishaps, and the myths that both lead to and then justify them. The histories they look at will make clear the degree to which the U.S. is a warful nation, contrary to the myth of a peaceful nation regularly compelled, against its will, to go to war. Through every episode, the show uncovers how we romanticize and fetishize the military while not always providing the support it needs to carry out its intended (or stated) goals, or to meet veterans’ needs when they return from combat.
Welcome to SNAFUBAR! A podcast on American military history and national myths. Today we’re exploring the ruinous Battle of the Monongahela, or “Braddock’s Defeat,” which took place in 1755 near modern day Pittsburgh. We know what you’re thinking, the United States wasn’t around in 1755, what does this have to do with American military history and national myths? A lot. Present at the Battle of the Monongahela was the young George Washington, who learned valuable lessons on leadership and tactics as a result of this crushing defeat. What’s more, the Battle of the Monongahela marks the beginning of the Washington mythos. We hope you enjoy the show.
SNAFUBAR is hosted by Sara Hart, chair of the Applied Humanities department at Cal Poly Humboldt, and Jeff Crane , an Environmental Historian and Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Research and writing for the show is done by Liam Salcuni and Roman Sotomayor.
SNAFUBAR is produced by Abigail Smithson and brought to you by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Works Cited
Armstrong Starkey, European and Native American Warfare: 1675-1815, 1998.
Battle of Fort Necessity and Braddock’s Defeat, Fort Edwards Online Archive
David Preston, Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution, 2015.
Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851.
George Washington, Letter to John Augustine Washington, 1755.
George Washington, Letter to Robert Orme, 1755.
George Washington, Letter to William Fairfax, 1754.
Gordon S. Wood, The Radicalism of the American Revolution, 1991.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.