Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy - Episode 412

You guys are too funny discussing 4 and 5 stars...

This is how I wish history was taught in my grad school.

Thanks gentlemen.I learned a lot from this episode, as I do from all of your work. Great work!

Haven't got round to it, but I know Phillips Payson O'Brien is a big fan of Leahy and has written a biography of him.

Thank you my brothers

FDR insisted on the invasion of North Africa over the recommendations of his advisors.
The problem FDR was dealing with, that others weren’t cognizant of, was that there was a real risk of the Soviet union collapsing in 1942. FDR wisely wanted to get American boots on the ground in Europe to show the Soviet we were serious and our support of them would be robust.
The Soviet did not collapse, in fact towards the end of 1942 they were pushing back powerfully against the Nazis in Stalingrad. FDR‘s decision could very well have been the most important one in the war.

The second reason for getting into Europe was to get our troops “blooded.“ The Germans had been at this for six years, going back to the Spanish, Civil War, Czechoslovakia, Poland France. They had fine tuned their “combined arms” or “blitzgrieg” tactics, while American and British troops were largely green conscripts.

Great conversation but Bill there are only two 4 star billets in the space force.

Great report!!!

What was Leahy’s relationship with Harry Hopkins? Another of FDRs trusted advisors.

Phenomenal work on the Admiral gentlemen. Really enjoyed it.

Rosevelt had no idea nor was happy about Pearl Harbor and dugout Doug is the cause of everything.

Definitely consistent.

Bill, I think "serendipitous" is the word you were looking for. Getting old is such a bit** ain't it, LOL.

This was a great episode. Please do more like this on all the different admirals and generals. It's like listening to a biography when all these great heroes of the Pacific war.

It's as shame that Leahy (or someone like him) wasn't in charge of BuOrd during the early war period. The Mark 14 torpedo issues would have been fixed QUICKLY.

Amazing. There is no mystery as to why this man has been mostly hidden from us, from history. It would detract from the myth of FDR. The God of democrats.

Somebody else might have already recommended “The Admirals” by Walter Borneman: Leahy, King, Nimitz and Halsey, but, in case not, I will. Borneman, in an interview, said that his main reason for writing the book was to make Leahy’s role in the war known. It is the best written book I have read on the Pacific War, although it starts well before the war, and helped me organize a lot of what I knew already and added very helpful background information on important decisions and brings FDR’s incredible leadership into full focus.

From my point of view Admiral William Leahy was one of the most respected naval officers this republic has ever produced.
I did a college paper on his life and career and came away with a marvelous respect for the man and his selflessness in his career with the government and the Roosevelt administration during the Second World War. Sea

From my point of view Admiral William Leahy was one of the most respected naval officers this republic has ever produced.
I did a college paper on his life and career and came away with a marvelous respect for the man and his selflessness in his career with the U.S. government and the Roosevelt administration during the Second World War.

I'm glad you had three years to get us ready to understan
d the greatness of the man and the positive contributions of Admiral William D Leahy. I would not have seen the full picture without three years of preparation. Timing and presentation were terrific.

This is a foundational episode, containing facts and events that allow one to see how our history bears on today’s problems and events. 😊❤

Churchill's motivation in opposition of Overlord was to keep France a second class power in post war politics/imperialism. USA knew a strong France was needed to oppose USSR in postwar strategy

One of your best, and I have seen many!

Gentlemen. Thanks for this episode. Before this, I knew nothing about William Leahy. I’ll be honest. I wasn’t crazy excited for this one when I saw the title. Shame on me. I appreciate that you did this.

Excellent.

Thanks!

Served aboard USS HALSEY CG 23..Leahy Class Guided Missle Cruiser 1976-1980..USS Leahy CG 16 was our Lead Cruiser.

One more longtime viewer approving of Captain Toti's so called "Digressions." His viewpoint and these little sidebar snippets of nuance to the story add so much. They often explain why things happened the way the did. He and Seth make a great team.

I really feel as though all of us who have watched every single episode have been taken back to school, but in a very enjoyable way.

Republicans playing politics using MacArthur? I’m shocked! I’m sure FDR and his administration conducted the war without any consideration of the politics involved…Not!

Wow! What a man of honor with an incredible sense of duty. I hate to think of how the war would have turned out without ADM Leahy in place. Thank you for this episode.

Great job!
In my humble opinion the other man in US history is George Washington. He knew the nation was bigger than himself. They both provided wisdom without Ego. Very rare at that level.

Just when you think you knew all the players at the top. Seth and Sub driver Bill humble my history cred. This one opened my eyes as how much I did not know. 4.0!

Contrast US Army-Navy relations to that of Japan.

Was it true that FDR so loved the Navy he would refer to it as "Us" when discussing interservice issues? According to the story. It got so bad that one time
when FDR kept refering to the Navy as "US" in front of Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall,the General finally had to correct him by saying
"Mr.President.We are all your military." or something to that effect.

Thank you for this episode. I currently have the book " The Second Most Powerful Man in the World " and is on my to read list. I was not fully aware of the role Leahy played in building up the Navy in the 1930's.

5 days, and only 2k of thumbs up so far. Too bad I am limited to giving only one myself! I have read the “The Admirals” book, more than once, and knew of Leahy from that book. Thanks for the refresher!

Hey guys, great episode!
I know that I sent a question to you for the Q&A episode a few weeks back concerning why Leahy got the 5th star over Spruance, I never expected a full show in answer!

I like your recommending books we should read on a topic for additional context and education, very beneficial to the audience!!

Episodes devoted to personalities are just as enthralling as the episodes focused on the battles.

The second most powerful man in the world during WW2.
FADM Leahy was true leader and good mento.

海の男の履歴書ですね、海に縁のある男達は不思議と爽やかな印象を与える方達が多いと思います。この人物も海の快男児といえますね。

Another truly great episode and I’m so glad you did it because I at least didn’t know most of what was presented.

And Bill please don’t stop digressing. They ALWAYS add great value to the presentations and I feel like are always relevant.

BZ gents!

Yes, we knew about Nagato & Mutsu's 16-inch guns. The US completion of the 3rd Colorado, UK's construction of the Rodneys and the allowance to complete the Mutsu were a negotiated point. The Treaty, however, limited new battleships to 14-inch.

Nice episode! Thank goodness FDR thought “Arch-Admiral” sounded too religious.

You guys are the best! Thank you.

Fantastic episode. BZ gentlemen!

Why no aircraft carrier named after him... or USS Marshall?

Very important episode. Of course I'd heard the name but really didn't know much about what he did for our country. Putting your own interests aside is the mark of a patriot.

Love the music soundtrack.