Shows
Explaining HistoryThe American New Left, Cold War Liberals and the Vietnam WarIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the emergence of the "New Left" in 1960s America—a movement born from the failure of Cold War liberalism to deliver on its promises.Drawing on Kim McQuaid’s The Anxious Years, we delve into the deep disillusionment that fuelled student radicalism. Why did young activists view "vital centre" liberals like JFK and LBJ not as allies, but as "closet right-wingers" trapped in an imperialist mindset? We examine the "bipartisan banality" of the era, where fear of being labelled "soft on communism" drove Democrats to escalate wars in Vietna...
2025-12-2331 minExplaining HistoryThe American New Left, Cold War Liberals and the Vietnam WarIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the emergence of the "New Left" in 1960s America—a movement born from the failure of Cold War liberalism to deliver on its promises.Drawing on Kim McQuaid’s The Anxious Years, we delve into the deep disillusionment that fuelled student radicalism. Why did young activists view "vital centre" liberals like JFK and LBJ not as allies, but as "closet right-wingers" trapped in an imperialist mindset? We examine the "bipartisan banality" of the era, where fear of being labelled "soft on communism" drove Democrats to escalate wars in Vietna...
2025-12-2331 minExplaining HistoryThe Mirage of Classlessness: Affluence and Labour in 1950s AmericaEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of post-war American affluence. We often think of the 1950s as a golden age of middle-class expansion, where the old divisions of wealth and status melted away under a wave of chrome-plated cars and suburban lawns. But was this "classless society" a reality or a comforting myth?Drawing again from James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the changing nature of work and the rise of the white-collar economy. We examine how unions secured unprecedented benefits like health insurance and paid vacations, crea...
2025-12-2027 minExplaining HistoryThe Mirage of Classlessness: Affluence and Labour in 1950s AmericaEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of post-war American affluence. We often think of the 1950s as a golden age of middle-class expansion, where the old divisions of wealth and status melted away under a wave of chrome-plated cars and suburban lawns. But was this "classless society" a reality or a comforting myth?Drawing again from James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the changing nature of work and the rise of the white-collar economy. We examine how unions secured unprecedented benefits like health insurance and paid vacations, crea...
2025-12-2027 minExplaining HistoryThe Accidental Podcast: Reflections on History, Humanity, and YouAs we approach the end of another year, Nick takes a moment to step back from the history books and reflect on the Explaining History podcast itself. What started 13 years ago as a "flipped classroom" experiment by a history teacher in Wales has grown into a global community.In this candid episode, Nick discusses his philosophy of history—why he rejects the "history as entertainment" model and the simplistic "Great Man" theories often peddled by TV documentaries. Instead, he argues for a structural understanding of the past, one that focuses on economics, demographics, and the lived ex...
2025-12-2030 minExplaining HistoryThe Accidental Podcast: Reflections on History, Humanity, and YouAs we approach the end of another year, Nick takes a moment to step back from the history books and reflect on the Explaining History podcast itself. What started 13 years ago as a "flipped classroom" experiment by a history teacher in Wales has grown into a global community.In this candid episode, Nick discusses his philosophy of history—why he rejects the "history as entertainment" model and the simplistic "Great Man" theories often peddled by TV documentaries. Instead, he argues for a structural understanding of the past, one that focuses on economics, demographics, and the lived ex...
2025-12-2030 minExplaining HistoryThe Forgotten Revolution: The Young Turks and the Fall of the Ottoman EmpireIn 1908, the Ottoman Empire was on the brink of collapse. The despotism of Sultan Abdul Hamid II had stifled political life for decades, but a military uprising in Macedonia would soon change everything.In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the great forgotten revolutions of the 20th century: the Young Turk Revolution. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's masterful book The Fall of the Ottomans, we delve into how the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) forced the Sultan to restore the constitution, sparking scenes of jubilation across the empire where Turks, Arabs, and Armenians briefly un...
2025-12-1925 minExplaining HistoryThe Forgotten Revolution: The Young Turks and the Fall of the Ottoman EmpireIn 1908, the Ottoman Empire was on the brink of collapse. The despotism of Sultan Abdul Hamid II had stifled political life for decades, but a military uprising in Macedonia would soon change everything.In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the great forgotten revolutions of the 20th century: the Young Turk Revolution. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's masterful book The Fall of the Ottomans, we delve into how the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) forced the Sultan to restore the constitution, sparking scenes of jubilation across the empire where Turks, Arabs, and Armenians briefly un...
2025-12-1925 minExplaining History2025 Year in Review Part 1: De-Dollarization, Tariffs, and the End of the "Long 20th Century"Episode Summary:As 2025 draws to a close, Nick reflects on a pivotal year in global history. From the economic shockwaves of the Trump tariffs to the accelerating shift of power back to Asia, this episode argues that we are witnessing the terminal decline of the Anglo-American world order.We explore the existential threat of "de-dollarization"—a process accelerated not just by Trump, but by the weaponization of the financial system under Biden. Nick also examines the hollowing out of the British state, now a vassal to American private equity, and the dangerous geopolitical flashpoints emerging in...
2025-12-1828 minExplaining History2025 Year in Review Part 1: De-Dollarization, Tariffs, and the End of the "Long 20th Century"Episode Summary:As 2025 draws to a close, Nick reflects on a pivotal year in global history. From the economic shockwaves of the Trump tariffs to the accelerating shift of power back to Asia, this episode argues that we are witnessing the terminal decline of the Anglo-American world order.We explore the existential threat of "de-dollarization"—a process accelerated not just by Trump, but by the weaponization of the financial system under Biden. Nick also examines the hollowing out of the British state, now a vassal to American private equity, and the dangerous geopolitical flashpoints emerging in...
2025-12-1828 minExplaining HistoryAbundance, Anxiety and the American Dream: 1945 - 1960In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the unprecedented explosion of wealth and consumption in post-war America. We often focus on the economic decline of the middle class in recent decades, but today we look back at the era of mass abundance that preceded it.Drawing on James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the cultural and economic forces that transformed a nation scarred by the Depression into a land of "gleaming kitchen conveniences" and tail-finned cars. From the futuristic designs of General Motors to the utopian promises of the atomic age, we examine how pros...
2025-12-1626 minExplaining HistoryAbundance, Anxiety and the American Dream: 1945 - 1960In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the unprecedented explosion of wealth and consumption in post-war America. We often focus on the economic decline of the middle class in recent decades, but today we look back at the era of mass abundance that preceded it.Drawing on James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the cultural and economic forces that transformed a nation scarred by the Depression into a land of "gleaming kitchen conveniences" and tail-finned cars. From the futuristic designs of General Motors to the utopian promises of the atomic age, we examine how pros...
2025-12-1626 minExplaining HistoryHarold Wilson, MI5, and the Cold War Business of East-West TradeEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the murky relationship between British intelligence, the Labour government, and the "gentleman capitalists" of the post-war era.Why was Harold Wilson, the most electorally successful British Prime Minister of the 20th century, targeted by paranoid elements within MI5 as a potential Soviet spy? We delve into Wilson's time at the Board of Trade in the late 1940s, where he forged controversial deals with the Soviet Union to secure timber for Britain’s reconstruction.From the rise of corrupt tycoons like Rob...
2025-12-1527 minExplaining HistoryHarold Wilson, MI5, and the Cold War Business of East-West TradeEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the murky relationship between British intelligence, the Labour government, and the "gentleman capitalists" of the post-war era.Why was Harold Wilson, the most electorally successful British Prime Minister of the 20th century, targeted by paranoid elements within MI5 as a potential Soviet spy? We delve into Wilson's time at the Board of Trade in the late 1940s, where he forged controversial deals with the Soviet Union to secure timber for Britain’s reconstruction.From the rise of corrupt tycoons like Rob...
2025-12-1527 minExplaining HistoryOne Year of Trump 2.0: The Civil War Within Western CapitalAs we close out 2025, Nick takes stock of the first year of Donald Trump's second term. While some liberal commentators hold out hope that the upcoming 2026 midterms will curb his power, Nick argues that the real conflict isn't between Left and Right, but between two factions of capital: the liberal-democratic establishment and the nativist, protectionist forces embodied by Trump.We explore the failure of the Democratic Party to offer a meaningful alternative to neoliberalism, the rise of "America First" as a tool for personal enrichment, and the alarming normalization of far-right rhetoric in Europe. From the hollowing...
2025-12-1526 minExplaining HistoryOne Year of Trump 2.0: The Civil War Within Western CapitalAs we close out 2025, Nick takes stock of the first year of Donald Trump's second term. While some liberal commentators hold out hope that the upcoming 2026 midterms will curb his power, Nick argues that the real conflict isn't between Left and Right, but between two factions of capital: the liberal-democratic establishment and the nativist, protectionist forces embodied by Trump.We explore the failure of the Democratic Party to offer a meaningful alternative to neoliberalism, the rise of "America First" as a tool for personal enrichment, and the alarming normalization of far-right rhetoric in Europe. From the hollowing...
2025-12-1526 minExplaining HistoryStalin, Collectivisation and the Grain Crisis 1927-8Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the critical years of 1928-1929, exploring the mindset of the Soviet leadership on the eve of the Great Famine. Drawing from Robert Conquest’s seminal work The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s paranoia and Marxist-Leninist ideology filtered his understanding of the peasantry.Why did the Bolsheviks view grain reserves as evidence of a "Kulak war" against the state? How did faulty statistics and a fundamental misunderstanding of village life lead to catastrophic policy decisions? We unpack the tragic logic...
2025-12-1426 minExplaining HistoryStalin, Collectivisation and the Grain Crisis 1927-8Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the critical years of 1928-1929, exploring the mindset of the Soviet leadership on the eve of the Great Famine. Drawing from Robert Conquest’s seminal work The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s paranoia and Marxist-Leninist ideology filtered his understanding of the peasantry.Why did the Bolsheviks view grain reserves as evidence of a "Kulak war" against the state? How did faulty statistics and a fundamental misunderstanding of village life lead to catastrophic policy decisions? We unpack the tragic logic...
2025-12-1426 minExplaining HistoryGermany's Fears of Russian Invasion in 1914Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick moves beyond the familiar trenches of the Western Front to explore the terrifying reality of the Eastern Front in 1914. Drawing from Alexander Watson’s masterful book Ring of Steel, we examine how the German and Austro-Hungarian empires experienced the outbreak of World War I not just as a military conflict, but as a fight for survival against a "despotic" Russian invader.We delve into the panic that gripped the border city of Allenstein (now Olsztyn, Poland) as Tsarist troops advanced, bringing with them rumors of Cossack atro...
2025-12-1326 minExplaining HistoryGermany's Fears of Russian Invasion in 1914Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick moves beyond the familiar trenches of the Western Front to explore the terrifying reality of the Eastern Front in 1914. Drawing from Alexander Watson’s masterful book Ring of Steel, we examine how the German and Austro-Hungarian empires experienced the outbreak of World War I not just as a military conflict, but as a fight for survival against a "despotic" Russian invader.We delve into the panic that gripped the border city of Allenstein (now Olsztyn, Poland) as Tsarist troops advanced, bringing with them rumors of Cossack atro...
2025-12-1326 minExplaining HistoryThe Wannsee Conference and the Nazi CampsIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick revisits Nikolaus Wachsmann's monumental study, KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps.We explore a critical and often misunderstood aspect of the Holocaust: the relationship between the Concentration Camps (KL) and the extermination camps of the East. Why were Jews initially marginalized within the KL system? How did the failure of the war against the Soviet Union in 1941 shift Nazi policy from the exploitation of Soviet POWs to the mass enslavement and murder of Jews?We delve into the infamous Wannsee Conference, decoding the euphemisms of "re...
2025-12-1231 minExplaining HistoryThe Wannsee Conference and the Nazi CampsIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick revisits Nikolaus Wachsmann's monumental study, KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps.We explore a critical and often misunderstood aspect of the Holocaust: the relationship between the Concentration Camps (KL) and the extermination camps of the East. Why were Jews initially marginalized within the KL system? How did the failure of the war against the Soviet Union in 1941 shift Nazi policy from the exploitation of Soviet POWs to the mass enslavement and murder of Jews?We delve into the infamous Wannsee Conference, decoding the euphemisms of "re...
2025-12-1231 minExplaining HistoryChild Labour in the Industrial RevolutionEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the harrowing yet complex world of child labour during the British Industrial Revolution. Moving beyond the Dickensian caricatures of helpless victims, we explore Emma Griffin's groundbreaking book, Liberty’s Dawn: A People's History of the Industrial Revolution.Through the voices of those who lived it—captured in hundreds of working-class autobiographies—we uncover the brutal reality of 13-hour shifts in cotton mills and lonely vigils in sheep pastures. But we also find stories of agency, survival, and the nuanced family decisions that sent children as young...
2025-12-1126 minExplaining HistoryChild Labour in the Industrial RevolutionEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the harrowing yet complex world of child labour during the British Industrial Revolution. Moving beyond the Dickensian caricatures of helpless victims, we explore Emma Griffin's groundbreaking book, Liberty’s Dawn: A People's History of the Industrial Revolution.Through the voices of those who lived it—captured in hundreds of working-class autobiographies—we uncover the brutal reality of 13-hour shifts in cotton mills and lonely vigils in sheep pastures. But we also find stories of agency, survival, and the nuanced family decisions that sent children as young...
2025-12-1126 minExplaining HistoryThe Damascus Affair: Blood Libel, Empire, and the Birth of Jewish InternationalismIn 1840, a monk disappeared in Damascus, and the ancient, deadly accusation of "blood libel" was levelled against the city's Jewish community. This event, known as the Damascus Affair, became a pivotal moment in 19th-century Jewish history, sending shockwaves from the Ottoman Empire to the capitals of Europe.In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Jonathan Frankel's Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We examine how this crisis mobilized Western Jewish leaders like Moses Montefiore and Adolphe Crémieux, who launched an unprecedented international campaign for justice. But this wasn't just a story of Jewish sol...
2025-12-1029 minExplaining HistoryThe Damascus Affair: Blood Libel, Empire, and the Birth of Jewish InternationalismIn 1840, a monk disappeared in Damascus, and the ancient, deadly accusation of "blood libel" was levelled against the city's Jewish community. This event, known as the Damascus Affair, became a pivotal moment in 19th-century Jewish history, sending shockwaves from the Ottoman Empire to the capitals of Europe.In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Jonathan Frankel's Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We examine how this crisis mobilized Western Jewish leaders like Moses Montefiore and Adolphe Crémieux, who launched an unprecedented international campaign for justice. But this wasn't just a story of Jewish sol...
2025-12-1029 minExplaining HistoryThe US National Security Strategy: A manifesto for the far rightIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick analyzes the newly published 2025 US National Security Strategy, a document that could be considered a foundational text for the global far-right.We explore how this strategy, with its language of "civilizational erasure" and "European greatness," mirrors the rhetoric of leaders like Viktor Orban and the conspiracy theories of the "Great Replacement." Nick argues that this is not just ideology; it is a manifesto for American interference in European elections, designed to undermine social democracy and pave the way for deregulation favorable to US capital.From t...
2025-12-1027 minExplaining HistoryThe US National Security Strategy: A manifesto for the far rightIn this episode of Explaining History, Nick analyzes the newly published 2025 US National Security Strategy, a document that could be considered a foundational text for the global far-right.We explore how this strategy, with its language of "civilizational erasure" and "European greatness," mirrors the rhetoric of leaders like Viktor Orban and the conspiracy theories of the "Great Replacement." Nick argues that this is not just ideology; it is a manifesto for American interference in European elections, designed to undermine social democracy and pave the way for deregulation favorable to US capital.From t...
2025-12-1027 minExplaining HistoryStalin and Tito: 1947 - Part TwoEpisode Summary:In the second part of our exploration into the Stalin-Tito split, Nick delves into the dramatic climax of 1948: the expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform.Stalin famously boasted, "I will shake my little finger, and there will be no more Tito." But as history shows, he couldn't have been more wrong. We examine how Tito's audacious foreign policy—from supporting Greek communists to proposing a Balkan Federation—terrified Moscow. We also look at the brutal internal purges that followed, as "Titoism" became the new "Trotskyism," a label used to hunt down heretics across the...
2025-12-0924 minExplaining HistoryStalin and Tito: 1947 - Part TwoEpisode Summary:In the second part of our exploration into the Stalin-Tito split, Nick delves into the dramatic climax of 1948: the expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform.Stalin famously boasted, "I will shake my little finger, and there will be no more Tito." But as history shows, he couldn't have been more wrong. We examine how Tito's audacious foreign policy—from supporting Greek communists to proposing a Balkan Federation—terrified Moscow. We also look at the brutal internal purges that followed, as "Titoism" became the new "Trotskyism," a label used to hunt down heretics across the...
2025-12-0924 minExplaining HistoryOn Taxing WealthEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the history and necessity of taxation, connecting the Tudor reign of Henry VII to the modern crisis of inequality in the UK.With the Green Party surging past Labour in recent polls by promising to "tax the rich," we explore why this idea is about more than just funding public services—it's about democracy itself. Nick draws a parallel between the "overmighty nobles" of the 15th century, whose private armies threatened the crown, and today’s billionaires, whose vast wealth allow...
2025-12-0826 minExplaining HistoryOn Taxing WealthEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the history and necessity of taxation, connecting the Tudor reign of Henry VII to the modern crisis of inequality in the UK.With the Green Party surging past Labour in recent polls by promising to "tax the rich," we explore why this idea is about more than just funding public services—it's about democracy itself. Nick draws a parallel between the "overmighty nobles" of the 15th century, whose private armies threatened the crown, and today’s billionaires, whose vast wealth allow...
2025-12-0826 minExplaining HistoryStalin and Tito: 1947Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the most critical schisms in Cold War history: the rupture between Joseph Stalin and Josip Broz Tito. While the Sino-Soviet split often grabs the headlines, the breakdown in relations between the USSR and Yugoslavia in 1948 was the first major crack in the monolithic facade of international communism.We delve into why Tito, a leader who seized power largely without the help of the Red Army, posed such a unique threat to Stalin's worldview. From the economic exploitation of Yugoslav resources to the cultural a...
2025-12-0826 minExplaining HistoryStalin and Tito: 1947Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the most critical schisms in Cold War history: the rupture between Joseph Stalin and Josip Broz Tito. While the Sino-Soviet split often grabs the headlines, the breakdown in relations between the USSR and Yugoslavia in 1948 was the first major crack in the monolithic facade of international communism.We delve into why Tito, a leader who seized power largely without the help of the Red Army, posed such a unique threat to Stalin's worldview. From the economic exploitation of Yugoslav resources to the cultural a...
2025-12-0826 minExplaining HistoryCrisis and Identity: Russian Jews in the 19th CenturyEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into Jonathan Frankel's seminal work, Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We explore how moments of acute crisis—from the Damascus Affair of 1840 to the pogroms of 1881—shaped the political and intellectual life of Jewish communities in the Russian Empire.How did a diaspora community, scattered across Europe and lacking a sovereign state, respond to existential threats? We examine the triadic conflict between traditionalism, liberal assimilation, and the rising tide of Jewish nationalism (Zionism) and socialism. Nick also reflects on the modern parallels of diaspora identity, the te...
2025-12-0627 minExplaining HistoryCrisis and Identity: Russian Jews in the 19th CenturyEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into Jonathan Frankel's seminal work, Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We explore how moments of acute crisis—from the Damascus Affair of 1840 to the pogroms of 1881—shaped the political and intellectual life of Jewish communities in the Russian Empire.How did a diaspora community, scattered across Europe and lacking a sovereign state, respond to existential threats? We examine the triadic conflict between traditionalism, liberal assimilation, and the rising tide of Jewish nationalism (Zionism) and socialism. Nick also reflects on the modern parallels of diaspora identity, the te...
2025-12-0627 minExplaining HistoryThe Russian General Staff 1905-14In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the institutional failures of the Imperial Russian Army in the critical decade before World War I. Drawing from the essay collection Reforming the Tsar’s Army, we explore how the disastrous defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 shook the foundations of Tsarist power.We examine the struggle between military modernizers like General N.P. Mikhnevich, who sought to adapt to the new realities of machine guns and trenches, and traditionalists who clung to the Napoleonic dictum of "bayonets before bullets." Why did the Russian General Staff fail to deve...
2025-12-0526 minExplaining HistoryThe Russian General Staff 1905-14In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the institutional failures of the Imperial Russian Army in the critical decade before World War I. Drawing from the essay collection Reforming the Tsar’s Army, we explore how the disastrous defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 shook the foundations of Tsarist power.We examine the struggle between military modernizers like General N.P. Mikhnevich, who sought to adapt to the new realities of machine guns and trenches, and traditionalists who clung to the Napoleonic dictum of "bayonets before bullets." Why did the Russian General Staff fail to deve...
2025-12-0526 minExplaining HistoryWar Correspondents and Vietnam: Part TwoEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to Philip Knightley's seminal work, The First Casualty, to examine how British and American journalists covered the Vietnam War. While American reporters were often "embedded" and compromised by military PR, British correspondents like John Pilger offered a searing, independent critique of the conflict.We explore the endemic corruption of Saigon—a city described as a "vast brothel" of black marketeering—and the staggering scale of theft from the US military. But beyond the graft, we delve into the darker psychological toll of the war: how racism...
2025-12-0427 minExplaining HistoryWar Correspondents and Vietnam: Part TwoEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to Philip Knightley's seminal work, The First Casualty, to examine how British and American journalists covered the Vietnam War. While American reporters were often "embedded" and compromised by military PR, British correspondents like John Pilger offered a searing, independent critique of the conflict.We explore the endemic corruption of Saigon—a city described as a "vast brothel" of black marketeering—and the staggering scale of theft from the US military. But beyond the graft, we delve into the darker psychological toll of the war: how racism...
2025-12-0427 minExplaining HistoryThe Forgotten Revolution: Venezuela’s Democratic Spring of 1945In 2025, Venezuela is once again in the crosshairs of US foreign policy, facing the threat of military intervention and heightened sanctions from a new Trump administration. But to understand the resilience of the Venezuelan people today, we must look back to a pivotal moment in their history that is often overlooked: the "Trienio" of 1945-1948.In this episode, Nick explores the dramatic coup of October 1945, led by young officers like Carlos Delgado Chalbaud and the democratic party Acción Democrática. We delve into how a military uprising transformed into a radical experiment in social democracy—quad...
2025-12-0335 minExplaining HistoryThe Forgotten Revolution: Venezuela’s Democratic Spring of 1945In 2025, Venezuela is once again in the crosshairs of US foreign policy, facing the threat of military intervention and heightened sanctions from a new Trump administration. But to understand the resilience of the Venezuelan people today, we must look back to a pivotal moment in their history that is often overlooked: the "Trienio" of 1945-1948.In this episode, Nick explores the dramatic coup of October 1945, led by young officers like Carlos Delgado Chalbaud and the democratic party Acción Democrática. We delve into how a military uprising transformed into a radical experiment in social democracy—quad...
2025-12-0335 minExplaining HistoryYour Party and the fragmented British Left in 2025In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a hard look at the state of the British Left in late 2025. With the Starmer government firmly entrenched in "continuity Thatcherism," the opposition has splintered. We analyze the chaotic founding conference of the new left-wing coalition, "Your Party," led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.From walkouts and factional disputes to the return of the "spectre of entryism" by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), we explore why the Left seems addicted to infighting at the moments it is needed most. Is the new Green Party under Zack Polanski the o...
2025-12-0127 minExplaining HistoryYour Party and the fragmented British Left in 2025In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a hard look at the state of the British Left in late 2025. With the Starmer government firmly entrenched in "continuity Thatcherism," the opposition has splintered. We analyze the chaotic founding conference of the new left-wing coalition, "Your Party," led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.From walkouts and factional disputes to the return of the "spectre of entryism" by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), we explore why the Left seems addicted to infighting at the moments it is needed most. Is the new Green Party under Zack Polanski the o...
2025-12-0127 minExplaining HistoryLive Aid, famine, debt and activism: A four decade struggle for justiceIn this episode of the Explaining History podcast, host Nick Shepley is joined by veteran journalist and author Paul Vallely to explore the definitive inside story of Live Aid and its far-reaching legacy. Vallely’s new book, Live Aid: The Definitive 40-Year Story from Pop and Poverty to Politics and Power, chronicles the journey from the 1984–85 Ethiopian famine and the iconic 1985 Live Aid concert through four decades of activism against global poverty. The conversation delves into how a charity rock concert galvanized a generation, evolving from a one-time musical fundraiser into a powerful catalyst for political chan...
2025-11-0935 minExplaining HistoryLive Aid, famine, debt and activism: A four decade struggle for justiceIn this episode of the Explaining History podcast, host Nick Shepley is joined by veteran journalist and author Paul Vallely to explore the definitive inside story of Live Aid and its far-reaching legacy. Vallely’s new book, Live Aid: The Definitive 40-Year Story from Pop and Poverty to Politics and Power, chronicles the journey from the 1984–85 Ethiopian famine and the iconic 1985 Live Aid concert through four decades of activism against global poverty. The conversation delves into how a charity rock concert galvanized a generation, evolving from a one-time musical fundraiser into a powerful catalyst for political chan...
2025-11-0935 minExplaining HistoryChurchill's Spaniards: how veterans of the Spanish Civil War fought for BritainChurchill’s Spaniards: The Spanish Republicans Who Fought for Britain in WWII — with Sean F. Scullion In this episode, I speak with historian Sean F. Scullion, author of Churchill’s Spaniards, about a remarkable and little-known story: the Spanish Republicans who escaped the fall of the Second Republic, endured internment under Vichy France, and later volunteered to fight in the British Army against fascism from 1940 to 1945. Drawing on multi-lingual archival work and over 110 family interviews, Scullion reconstructs the routes these veterans took—from the French Foreign Legion and North African labour camps to the Pioneer...
2025-11-0733 minExplaining HistoryChurchill's Spaniards: how veterans of the Spanish Civil War fought for BritainChurchill’s Spaniards: The Spanish Republicans Who Fought for Britain in WWII — with Sean F. Scullion In this episode, I speak with historian Sean F. Scullion, author of Churchill’s Spaniards, about a remarkable and little-known story: the Spanish Republicans who escaped the fall of the Second Republic, endured internment under Vichy France, and later volunteered to fight in the British Army against fascism from 1940 to 1945. Drawing on multi-lingual archival work and over 110 family interviews, Scullion reconstructs the routes these veterans took—from the French Foreign Legion and North African labour camps to the Pioneer...
2025-11-0733 minExplaining HistoryFamily, memory and the burden of Germany's past In this episode of Explaining History, Nick is joined by acclaimed author Anne Weber to discuss her new book Sanderling (Indigo Press, 2025) — a deeply personal and philosophical exploration of family, identity, and the shadow of Germany’s past.Through the story of her great-grandfather Florens Christian Rang — a theologian, lawyer, and close friend of figures such as Walter Benjamin and Martin Buber — Weber examines four generations of her family to ask profound questions:What does it mean to be German, then and now?How can one man’s moral convictions coexist with his son’s late...
2025-10-2942 minExplaining HistoryFamily, memory and the burden of Germany's past In this episode of Explaining History, Nick is joined by acclaimed author Anne Weber to discuss her new book Sanderling (Indigo Press, 2025) — a deeply personal and philosophical exploration of family, identity, and the shadow of Germany’s past.Through the story of her great-grandfather Florens Christian Rang — a theologian, lawyer, and close friend of figures such as Walter Benjamin and Martin Buber — Weber examines four generations of her family to ask profound questions:What does it mean to be German, then and now?How can one man’s moral convictions coexist with his son’s late...
2025-10-2942 minExplaining HistoryEconomica: The Hidden History of Women, Wealth, and PowerWho really built the global economy? Traditional history books tell a story dominated by men—inventors, industrialists, and financiers. But what if this narrative is missing half the picture?In this eye-opening episode, host Nick is joined by Dr. Victoria Bateman of Gresham College to discuss her hugely ambitious new book, Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Dr. Bateman challenges the very foundations of economic history, arguing that our understanding of wealth creation is fundamentally flawed because it has systematically ignored the contributions of women.This conversation travels from the Stone...
2025-09-2531 minExplaining HistoryEconomica: The Hidden History of Women, Wealth, and PowerWho really built the global economy? Traditional history books tell a story dominated by men—inventors, industrialists, and financiers. But what if this narrative is missing half the picture?In this eye-opening episode, host Nick is joined by Dr. Victoria Bateman of Gresham College to discuss her hugely ambitious new book, Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Dr. Bateman challenges the very foundations of economic history, arguing that our understanding of wealth creation is fundamentally flawed because it has systematically ignored the contributions of women.This conversation travels from the Stone...
2025-09-2531 minExplaining HistoryUzbekistan and Central Asia in transitionUnveiling Uzbekistan: A Nation at the Crossroads of History and FutureJoin host Nick as he welcomes back acclaimed journalist and author Joanna Lillis to the Explaining History podcast. Seven years after her last appearance to discuss her book on Kazakhstan, "Dark Shadows," Joanna returns to shed light on the enigmatic nation of Uzbekistan, the subject of her new book, "Silk Mirage."This episode delves into the complexities of a country that was, for 25 years, one of the world's most brutal dictatorships and is now navigating a period of reform dubbed the "Uzbek Spring." Lillis...
2025-09-2532 minExplaining HistoryUzbekistan and Central Asia in transitionUnveiling Uzbekistan: A Nation at the Crossroads of History and FutureJoin host Nick as he welcomes back acclaimed journalist and author Joanna Lillis to the Explaining History podcast. Seven years after her last appearance to discuss her book on Kazakhstan, "Dark Shadows," Joanna returns to shed light on the enigmatic nation of Uzbekistan, the subject of her new book, "Silk Mirage."This episode delves into the complexities of a country that was, for 25 years, one of the world's most brutal dictatorships and is now navigating a period of reform dubbed the "Uzbek Spring." Lillis...
2025-09-2532 minExplaining HistoryTrump's State Visit 2.0This week, two seemingly separate events tell a single, troubling story about Britain's place in the modern world. First, a massive, 100,000-strong far-right rally, supported by American funding, took to the streets of London. Now, Keir Starmer's government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for an unprecedented second state visit for Donald Trump.These are not separate events. They are two acts in the same play.In this episode, Nick Shepley argues that Britain is preparing to advertise its own weakness and vassalage on the world stage. We explore the deep connections between...
2025-09-1524 minExplaining HistoryTrump's State Visit 2.0This week, two seemingly separate events tell a single, troubling story about Britain's place in the modern world. First, a massive, 100,000-strong far-right rally, supported by American funding, took to the streets of London. Now, Keir Starmer's government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for an unprecedented second state visit for Donald Trump.These are not separate events. They are two acts in the same play.In this episode, Nick Shepley argues that Britain is preparing to advertise its own weakness and vassalage on the world stage. We explore the deep connections between...
2025-09-1524 minExplaining HistoryThe Explaining History PodcastIf you’re new to Explaining History, this short trailer is the perfect introduction to the show.For over a decade, we've been helping listeners understand the 20th Century. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the critical events, ideologies, and conflicts that shaped our modern world. This isn't a dry lecture; it's an engaging, critical conversation that connects the past to the present in concise, 25-minute episodes.Like what you hear? Hit 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' in your podcast app now so you never miss an episode.▸ Support the Show & Get Ex...
2025-09-1501 minExplaining HistoryThe Explaining History PodcastIf you’re new to Explaining History, this short trailer is the perfect introduction to the show.For over a decade, we've been helping listeners understand the 20th Century. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the critical events, ideologies, and conflicts that shaped our modern world. This isn't a dry lecture; it's an engaging, critical conversation that connects the past to the present in concise, 25-minute episodes.Like what you hear? Hit 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' in your podcast app now so you never miss an episode.▸ Support the Show & Get Ex...
2025-09-1501 min
The Crucible:Conversations for the CuriousS2-E9 | What if belonging is the medicine your addiction is searching for?Highlight"Your path to healing might start with a concerned friend, then maybe a doctor or a family member - each one gently suggesting something isn't right. It could be a coworker, a friend, or even a stranger at a bar. But it's that eleventh person - saying exactly what the other ten said before - 'I think you need help.' And suddenly, the penny drops. It's never about what they say - it's about being ready to hear it. Those first ten people? They planted the seeds that finally bloomed when that eleventh person appears...
2024-11-1259 minExplaining HistorySocialism and Fascism - what they are and are notHi everyone, I get trolled from time to time on Twitter by various far right types who object to a particular video I did years ago which states that Hitler was not, in fact, a socialist and did not , in fact, have socialist ideas. Here I revisit the argument, though I doubt it will do me much good.Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts (unless you want to tell me he is a socialist, and whilst I'm all for free discourse, you should know that I've heard this one before, lots).Thanks
2024-02-1430 minExplaining HistorySocialism and Fascism - what they are and are notHi everyone, I get trolled from time to time on Twitter by various far right types who object to a particular video I did years ago which states that Hitler was not, in fact, a socialist and did not , in fact, have socialist ideas. Here I revisit the argument, though I doubt it will do me much good.Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts (unless you want to tell me he is a socialist, and whilst I'm all for free discourse, you should know that I've heard this one before, lots).Thanks
2024-02-1430 minExplaining HistoryIsaac Murphy and the Reconstruction Era (1861-96): Explaining History in conversation with Katherine MooneyJoin us in this captivating episode of Explaining History as we delve into the remarkable life of Isaac Murphy, a legendary African American jockey, and his experiences during the Reconstruction Era (1861-96). This week Nick is joined by esteemed historian and author Katherine Mooney, who provides an insightful look into the untold stories of this pivotal period in American history. Together, they discuss the challenges faced by African Americans following the Civil War, the complexities of race relations, and how figures like Isaac Murphy navigated their way through these trying times.
2023-05-0336 minExplaining HistoryIsaac Murphy and the Reconstruction Era (1861-96): Explaining History in conversation with Katherine MooneyJoin us in this captivating episode of Explaining History as we delve into the remarkable life of Isaac Murphy, a legendary African American jockey, and his experiences during the Reconstruction Era (1861-96). This week Nick is joined by esteemed historian and author Katherine Mooney, who provides an insightful look into the untold stories of this pivotal period in American history. Together, they discuss the challenges faced by African Americans following the Civil War, the complexities of race relations, and how figures like Isaac Murphy navigated their way through these trying times.
2023-05-0336 minExplaining HistoryGuadancanal and Ironbottom SoundFollowing the victory over Japan at Midway, the US Navy was unprepared for a devastating defeat inflicted on its landing force at Guadalcanal. The Japanese sought to control islands close to the sea lanes vital to Australia's survival; shutting them off would bring the country to its knees and prevent it becoming a staging post for the liberation of Asia and the Pacific. The commitment of America to Guadalcanal would lead to one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Pacific war. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect...
2020-08-2225 minExplaining HistoryCollaboration and Vengeance in Europe 1945In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, civilian governments struggled to establish law and order and in many cars failed to prevent a wave of vigilante violence against those suspected of collaboration. The complicity in Nazi crimes and the everyday experience of occupation created huge divisions in societies of western and eastern Europe and a deep suspicion on the police, who had often been used by the Nazis and collaborationist governments Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy...
2020-08-1525 minExplaining HistoryThe Battle of MidwayThe Battle of Midway was the first major victory of the US Navy in the Second World War, resulting in the loss of four out of Japan's six carriers. This devastating defeat was not the end of Japan's war in the Pacific, but it signalled the start of a downward trajectory from which Japan would not deviate, despite the ability to inflict losses on America until the end of the war. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show...
2020-08-0525 minExplaining HistoryBritain and the Central African Federation 1951-59During the 1950s, as Britain attempted to hold on to its African colonies, it had to deal with the ambitions of white colonial settlers for domination of the black population on a more explicitly racist model of government, exemplified by apartheid South Africa and the growing force of black nationalism. The British attempted to foster 'moderate' African leaders who might be compliant in a new state, the Central African Federation, which incorporated North and South Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Outmanoeuvred at every turn by the white settlers, the British were forced to accept defeat and see the break up of...
2020-07-2026 minExplaining HistoryAbandoned children in Stalin's Russia 1928-39The rapid industrialisation of the USSR, poor housing, poverty and family breakdown led to countless children being abandoned to fend for themselves by uncaring and cruel parents and step parents. The Soviet state often intervened and prosecuted fathers who refused to pay for the upkeep of their families. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the...
2020-07-0625 minExplaining HistoryFrance's road to Dien Bien Phu 1954As French power and influence declined in Vietnam from 1953 onwards, the conflict started to become a proxy for the wider cold war and not simply an anti colonial struggle. The enormous French miscalculation at Dien Bien Phu, where the garrison was surrounded in a north Vietnamese valley by DRV armies came just as France prepared peace talks at Geneva with the government of Ho Chi Minh. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.
2020-06-2425 minExplaining HistoryFrench political crisis and the First Indochinese War 1951-54Despair and defeatism defined the French political class's response to the worsening situation in Vietnam following the French defeat at Cao Bang in 1950. This lack of hope led to a gradual decline in the necessary resources to defeat the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. At the same time the DRV was becoming an increasingly professional and organised fighting force. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2020-06-1327 minExplaining HistoryHunting Evil: Nazi War Criminals in South America. Explaining History in conversation with historian Guy WaltersIn the half decade after the Second World War, a stream of wanted Nazi war criminals, including Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele fled from Germany and escaped via Italy to Argentina and Brazil. They lived relatively openly in the established German communities in both countries and only a handful were ever brought to justice. In this special edition of the Explaining History podcast, we hear from Guy Walters, whose book, Hunting Evil examines the hidden history of this often mythologised chapter of post war history. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and...
2020-05-2239 minExplaining HistoryGerman terror bombing and Warsaw 1939The German airforce was designed to support its army on the battlefield and act as a tool for rapid military operations or 'blitzkrieg'. Unlike British and American air fleets that pursued a policy of strategic bombing away from the battlefield, lighter German aircraft were focused on ground support. Their role in the terror bombing of the defended city of Warsaw was to force capitulation of the army and other defenders, but this came at a deliberate massive civilian cost. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past...
2020-05-1826 minExplaining HistoryBritain's Europe Referendum 1975In 1973 the Conservative Party and the right of the Labour Party voted to join the European Economic Community or 'Common Market' as it was known. Despite opposition on the right and left, the decision to join was ratified by a referendum in 1975, but the political divisions foreshadowed endless political conflict over the issue of European integration in later decades. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2020-05-0826 minExplaining HistoryFrench Politics and the war in Indochina 1949-54By 1950 the French political establishment was in a state of despair about its prospects in Vietnam. The newly reorganised army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam had inflicted defeats on France in 1950 ad Cao Bang on the Vietnam/China border. The involvement of the USA in the war brought badly needed military and financial aid, but placed an intolerable burden on French national pride. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support th...
2020-05-0426 minExplaining HistoryInternationalism vs Anti Communism in America: 1945-7In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the popularity of international, multilateral organisations such as the UN and the Bretton Woods institutions in America was high. Wartime cooperation was looked upon favourably by most Americans, even though there was a considerable minority who favoured a return to isolationism. The Republican Party and right wing journalists and thinkers saw international cooperation, sympathies towards Britain and wartime cooperation with the USSR as ideal material to attack the Democrats with. This was an integral part of the growth of anti communism in the USA in the 1940s and 1950s.
2020-05-0425 minExplaining History140 Days to Hiroshima Part Two: Explaining History interview with David Dean BarrettThis is the second in our two part interview special with historian David Barrett, whose new book 140 Days to Hiroshima examines the decision making regarding the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This time we examine the factionalism within the Japanese wartime leadership, the impact of the second atomic bomb on the regime's decision making and the role of Emperor Hirohito.You can purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/140-Days-Hiroshima-Untold-Surrender/dp/1635765811.There are further reviews of the book here: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-dean-barrett/140...
2020-05-0158 minExplaining HistoryRonald Reagan's conservative transition 1954In the 1930s, Ronald Reagan had been a Roosevelt Democrat supporter and had believed that the role of government in alleviating the crisis of the Great Depression was vital. By the early 1950s, Reagan, a failing actor was moving to the political right and had embraced the Hayekian obsession with reducing the size of the state. As a spokesman for the company GE he toured the USA, speaking to working class Americans who shared his views and in doing so, he prepared for his later political career. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical...
2020-04-2825 minExplaining HistoryThe US Navy and the Battle of MidwayAmerica's war in the Pacific had begun with Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and within six months the US Navy inflicted a devastating defeat on Japan at the Battle of Midway. American admirals and aviators learned the rules of naval warfare quickly, despite the fact that Japan initially outclassed America in naval warfare and aviation. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a...
2020-04-2526 minExplaining HistoryPacifism and British Politics 1933-39In the 1930s the deteriorating world situation presented all major political parties in Britain with profound dilemmas, whether to back pacifism, collective security or appeasement. The peripheral British Union of Fascists advocated peace with Nazi Germany in order to allow Hitler to wage his war against Europe's Jews. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the...
2020-04-2428 minExplaining HistorySlave labour and the Nazi Armaments Industry 1942-45In 1942 Heinrich Himmler appointed a new administrator to the head of his concentration camp network, Oswald Pohl. Pohl saw the key to his personal advancement the utilisation of slave labour for arms manufacture. By late 1942 and in early 1943 it was clear that the tide of war was turning against Germany and Pohl believed that the brutal extraction of work from prisoners could contribute to victory. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Su...
2020-04-2426 minExplaining HistoryClass origin, social stigma and the Stalin Constitution 1935-39By 1935 the Soviet regime appeared to relax its stance towards citizens deemed to be class enemies and their children. Stalin said: "A son does not answer for the father." However, persecution of former Kulaks and former members of the Tsarist order continued regardless, as many Soviet employers or teachers did not wish to appear lenient towards 'social aliens' in case the political mood changed and they were accused of anti Soviet sympathies. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the...
2020-04-2225 minExplaining History140 Days to Hiroshima: Explaining History Interview with David BarrettThis special episode of the Explaining History Podcast features historian David Barrett, whose new book 140 Days to Hiroshima examines the decision making regarding the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. This is the first of two interviews with David and it explores the decisions by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and President Truman to use the bomb instead of an amphibious landing in the Japanese home islands.You can purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/140-Days-Hiroshima-Untold-Surrender/dp/1635765811.There are further reviews of the book here: https://www.kirkusreviews...
2020-04-1744 minExplaining HistoryChina's Neoliberal Turn - 1978In the late 1970s, as Britain, America and other wealthy countries were developing free market solutions to the problems of inflation and low growth, China selected aspects of capitalism to incorporate into its economy, while maintaining the fiction that it was a communist society. This podcast explores how China transformed the world economy in the 1980s as a result. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2020-04-1427 minExplaining HistoryFrance, China and Vietnam 1949-51By 1949 the development of a communist state in China radically changed the fortunes of France in Vietnam, a shift in dynamics that made the war for France virtually un-winnable. In 1950, a well armed Democratic Republic of Vietnam Army inflicted devastating losses on the French along the Chinese border, supported by Chinese supplies and training. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: pa...
2020-04-0826 minExplaining HistoryThe aftermath of the fall of the Philippines: May 1942By the summer of 1942 the Japanese military was drunk on the victories it had achieved in the previous six months of war. It had over run Singapore, Malaya, Burma and Indochina, and it had dealt America a huge blow at Pearl Harbour and had seized the American protectorate of the Philippines. It was precisely this arrogance and risk taking that would result in a series of naval disasters and defeats in the summer of 1942, starting with setbacks at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert...
2020-04-0125 minExplaining HistoryPoison gas on the Western Front - 1915-18Between 1915 and 1918 all sides in the First World War used poison gas against one another, but it was Germany that was the biggest pioneer of battlefield chemical weapons. The last year of the war saw the highest intensity of gas use as the desperation by all sides for a breakthrough intensified. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory...
2020-03-2625 minExplaining HistoryLeninism and the Communist Party of Great Britain - 1921The Communist Party of Great Britain was established in 1920 and was heavily influenced by Comintern, the Communist International organisation in Moscow. Lenin was interested in shaping the party in Britain and other European countries, imposing the principal of democratic centralism on party members. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation
2020-03-1826 minExplaining HistoryThe Continuity of Italian fascism after 1945 (Part four)Fascist bombing campaigns and planned coups, leading up to a massacre in Bologna in 1980 brought the threat of splinter group fascism to the Italian government's attention. The MSI (Italian social movement) attempted to broaden its appeal and mask its overtly fascist politics during a period where there was widespread revisionism about the legacy of Mussolini and an attempt to partly rehabilitate the fascist era in mainstream politics and discourse. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe...
2020-03-1025 minExplaining HistoryThe post war decades and the neoliberal turnIn the aftermath of the Second World War a set of global institutions allied with a social democratic shift in several leading world economies to create a relatively stable post war economic order. The long and bitter memories of the 1930s and the destruction of the Second World War gave rise to this post war new order. By the 1970s this had started to fall into decline and provide opportunities for the political and economic insurrectionaries of neoliberalism to seize control of economic agendas around the world. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical...
2020-03-0325 minExplaining HistoryThe continuity of Italian fascism post 1945 (part three)In the 1960s, splinter groups from the right wing Italian Social Movement began to believe that only a military coup in Italy could save the country from the threat of communism. By the late 1960s they began actively planning and carrying out bombing campaigns across Italy in order to 'prepare the population' for direct rule by the army. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2020-02-2525 minExplaining HistoryVenizelos, Lloyd George and the Greek annexation of Smyrna: May 1919As the allied powers deliberated at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, David Lloyd George encouraged the Greek prime minister Venizelos to seize the former Ottoman city of Smyrna. The consequences for the city, once a bastion of religious and cultural tolerance, would be tragic, but to the British simply consequence of a wider imperial game in the near east. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2020-02-1126 minExplaining HistorySoviet POWs and commissars: 1941The Nazis always intended to wage a war of annihilation in the Soviet Union and both soldiers and civilians would die in unprecedented numbers. In the Nazi camps Soviet soldiers were left to starve, but the Soviet political officers, the commissars, were targeted for immediate execution wherever they were discovered. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory...
2020-02-0326 minExplaining HistoryThe coup plots against the Wilson Governments 1964-76In the mid 1960s a series of plots were considered, with varying degrees of organisation and commitment, to overthrow the Labour governments of Harold Wilson using the army. Even though a coup failed to transpire, the plots showed that deeply reactionary forces in the army, the City of London and the aristocracy were resistant to the modest reforms of the decade and the social change that accompanied mass affluence. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe...
2020-01-2825 minExplaining HistoryThe continuity of Italian fascism post 1945 (part two)Between the the late 1940s and late 1950s, as Cold War politics swept Europe, the Italian Social Movement, a neo fascist party, tried to merge into the wider parliamentary political right. Using electoral pacts with the other parties of the right, they saw their electability gradually improve, but faced angry resistance on the streets from those with long, bitter memories of Mussolini's crimes. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Sh...
2020-01-2526 minExplaining HistoryNazi Press Laws 1933-36The coordination and control of the German press by the Nazis took several years to complete as prior to 1933, the German newspaper industry was among the most diverse and vibrant in the world. A process of intimidation and self censorship, combined with Nazi confiscation and theft destroyed German press independence within three years. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.co...
2020-01-1425 minExplaining HistoryThe continuity of Italian fascism post 1945In the aftermath of the Second World War, a centre right Christian Democratic Party emerged and by 1947 the Communist Party of Italy had been expelled from its coalition. The far right was able to reinvent itself in the Italian south, but were much diminished by the end of the 1940s. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory...
2020-01-0827 minExplaining HistoryBetrayal, collapse and the fall of Burma 1942When the poorly defended British colony of Burma was attacked by Japan in December 1941 it quickly collapsed. For many Burmese, it was a moment of opportunity and for the British a desperate bid for escape and survival. Racial colonial attitudes soon showed themselves as the million Indians who had served the British in Burma were abandoned by their colonial masters and at least 50,000 died as they walked across the Burmese jungle to the Indian border. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If...
2019-12-1725 minExplaining HistoryMao and the invention of China's landlordsIn order to rule China, Mao knew he needed to dominate the peasantry. In order to do this he divided Chinese peasant villages, creating new social classes in an otherwise socially conservative world that had little experience of such concepts. Mao created a landlord and poor peasant class and gave the latter free reign to terrorise the former (and in many cases educated them to do so). The result was rural anarchy, which only benefitted the Communist Party. Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to...
2019-12-0425 minExplaining HistoryThe Nazi Soviet PactWhy did Stalin and Hitler, mortal enemies, sign a non aggression pact in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War? This podcast explores the origins and the consequences of the pact. If you'd like to know more you can check out my ebook Hitler, Stalin and the Destruction of Poland: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitler-Stalin-Destruction-Poland-Shepley-ebook/dp/B00E0KVDFW Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive Content...
2014-10-1020 min