How do we make sense of the modern world? We find the answers in the history of the 20th Century. For over a decade, The Explaining History Podcast has been the guide for curious minds. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the world wars, the Cold War, and the rise and fall of ideologies into concise, 25-minute episodes. This isn't a dry lecture. It's a critical, narrative-driven conversation that connects the past to your present.
Episodes
The 43 Group and the Fight Against BritishPost-War Fascism
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by novelist Susie Gordon to discuss her new book, *A Monster in the Ash* – a fictionalised account of the 43 Group, the Jewish veterans of the Second World War who returned to Britain to find fascism resurgent, and went to war with Oswald Mosley on the streets of post-war London.**The 43 Group is a little-known chapter of British his
Crossing the Gap – Health Inequality and the Divided City
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Dr David Ansell, Head of Health Equity at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, to discuss his books *The Death Gap* and *Crossing the Gap* – and the scandal of life expectancies that differ by two decades across a single street.**David has been a doctor in Chicago for fifty years. He spent seventeen years at Cook County Hosp
Second Hand Bookshops - a secret history
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Shaun Bythell, proprietor of one of Scotland's largest secondhand bookshops and author of the bestselling bookshop diaries, to discuss his new volume, The Return of the Bookshop Diarist – and the strange, stubborn resilience of the secondhand book trade.Shaun's bookshop in Wigtown holds a catalogue of some 100,000 titles.
The unmaking of the British working class
In this episode of The Explaining History Podcast, historian Ewan Gibbs joins us again to talk about his new book An Injury to All: The Unmaking of the British Working Class. We discuss the nature of class identity and allegiance in the 20th Century, the almost hegemonic denial of class as a poltiical and historic force in Blair's late 1990s Britain and the effect of mass affluence, home owner
Stateless Nations – Wales, Catalonia, and the Mezzogiorno
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Sam Parry of Cardiff Metropolitan University to discuss the concept of stateless nations – nations that have not achieved nation-state status for complex historical reasons.We focus on three examples: Wales, Catalonia, and the Mezzogiorno – the southern half of Italy. Due to technical difficulties, some material was lost, but the
Gentlemen Amateurs – Staffing the Secret Service in the First World War
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Keith Jeffery's official history of MI6 to examine a question that gets to the heart of how the secret state was built: who became a spy, and why?When the First World War broke out, Mansfield Cumming – the first "C" of the Secret Intelligence Service – faced a peculiar problem. At a moment when all the young men wanted t
Japanese War Crimes in China 1937-45
China’s war against Japan was one of the largest, bloodiest and most consequential theatres of the Second World War — yet it is still too often treated as peripheral to the wider conflict.In this episode of the Explaining History podcast, we examine China’s experience of war through Max Hastings’ All Hell Let Loose, exploring the struggle between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and Mao Zedong’s Com
America's withdrawal from Iraq
In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the American withdrawal from Iraq – the product of Trump's war with Iran, and a strategic defeat of historic proportions.Iraq has been enormously important to the United States since the end of the Cold War. It has served multiple strategic, foreign policy and domestic purposes. Its loss – the effective expulsion of American po
A Way of Love – Gay Life in Post-War Britain with Peter Parker
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by historian Peter Parker to discuss the remarkable rediscovery of James Courage's A Way of Love – widely regarded as the first gay novel by a New Zealander – and what it tells us about gay life in post-war Britain.First published in 1959 and banned in New Zealand in 1961, A Way of Love has returned to print after nearly seven de
Bombing Damascus – France, the Mandate System, and the Atrocities of 1925
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Susan Pedersen's *The Guardians* – the definitive history of the mandate system – to examine one of its darkest chapters: the French bombing of Damascus in October 1925.The French had acquired Syria under the Sykes-Picot Agreement, though the British never really accepted their claim to it. Lawrence of Arabia had raced to Damascus
India, America and Nehru 1940-41
**In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore Srinath Raghavan's brilliant *India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939–1945* – a book that places India at the centre of the Second World War, rather than at its margins.**India is frequently overlooked in histories of the Second World War. When it appears at all, it is as a source of manpower for the British Empire – a
Stalin's Statues – Monuments, Memory, and the Theme Parking of History
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore Keith Lowe's *Prisoners of History* and the contested world of memorialisation – focusing on one of the strangest and most controversial memorial sites in Europe.Monuments occupy public space, and they impose meaning on it. Walk through any city and you'll find statues placed with particular agendas – to memorialise the past in certain
Macmillan's Britain – Suez, Decline, and the Winds of Change 1957-60
In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the Macmillan years – that remarkable, contradictory period of post-war British history when the country was forced to confront its diminished place in the world, even as it sought to cling to the vestiges of imperial power.When Anthony Eden led Britain into the Suez Crisis in 1956, he did so believing that Britain could still act
MI6 in 1914
MI6 and the First World War – The Birth of the Secret StateIn this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the origins of MI6 – the Secret Intelligence Service – during the First World War, drawing on Keith Jeffery's official history of the organisation.Intelligence history matters, not because of the romantic glamour of espionage, but because of the place secret organisations occupy
The AFD's advances– Neoliberalism, the Extreme Centre, and the Rise of the Far Right
In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the recent electoral victory of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) in the state of Saxony-Anhalt – and what it tells us about the global resurgence of the far right.The AFD's crushing victory has alarmed commentators around the world. An openly fascist party emerging in Germany has a special and terrifying significance. But as veter
Civil Rights After 1980 – The Unfinished Revolution
# Episode DescriptionIn this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we tackle one of the most persistent problems in how we teach and understand the civil rights movement: the "happy ever after" narrative.For many years, students have been taught that the struggles of the 1950s and 60s culminated in victory – that the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act somehow "solved" racism in A
The Fall of Baghdad 1917 - Part Two
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we continue our exploration of Eugene Rogan's masterful The Fall of the Ottomans, examining the fall of Baghdad to British forces in March 1917 – a victory that transformed Britain's position in the Middle East and revealed the imperial ambitions that would shape the post-war world.The British capture of Baghdad was far from inevitable. The catast
The Fall of Baghdad 1917
The Fall of Baghdad In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we continue our exploration of Eugene Rogan's masterful The Fall of the Ottomans, examining the British campaign to capture Baghdad in 1917 – a victory that helped redeem the catastrophic humiliation of Kut.The surrender at Kut in April 1916 had been one of the worst disasters in British military history. Thousands of Brit
Britain Alone – The Hostile Environment and the Remaking of Britishness
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the transformation of British society since Brexit – a story of the weaponisation of immigration, the erosion of the NHS, and the narrowing of who counts as "British."Drawing on Liam Stanley's excellent book, Britain Alone, we examine how the anxieties that gave rise to the 2016 referendum have been magnified and entrenched in the years
Reforming the Tsar's Army – From Serfdom to Universal Service in Imperial Russia
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore one of the most significant transformations of 19th-century Russia: the introduction of universal military service in 1874.The Crimean War had exposed the profound weaknesses of the Russian Empire. Its army, composed largely of serfs serving 25-year terms, was backward, poorly equipped, and utterly demoralised. The British and French ha
Hegseth's War Crimes
Hegseth's War – The Catastrophic Consequences of Maximum LethalityIn this week's solo episode, I examine a ProPublica investigation into Pete Hegseth's tenure as US Defence Secretary – and the catastrophic consequences of his "maximum lethality" doctrine. Here, I want to expand on some of the key themes we discussed.The Civilian Protection ProgrammeThe story begins with a programme called Civilian
An Exceptional Hatred – Antisemitism, Free Speech, and the American Culture War
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by James Loeffler, the Felix Posen Professor of Modern Jewish History at Johns Hopkins University, to discuss his new book, An Exceptional Hatred: Antisemitism and the Fight Over Free Speech in Modern America.The book traces a century of struggle over antisemitism and free speech in the United States, from the violent anti-Jewish rio
Harold Wilson, Corporatism, and the Paranoia of the British Right
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the life and legacy of Harold Wilson – the most successful Labour Prime Minister of the 20th century, and the man who attracted the most fevered paranoia from the British right.Wilson is often misunderstood. To the right, he was a crypto-communist, a threat to the British way of life. To some on the left, he was a betrayer of socialist
Trump, Canada and the defence of sovereignty
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I examine the extraordinary diplomatic demands the United States has placed on Canada – demands that echo the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia in July 1914 and raise profound questions about American intentions.The Trump administration's trade demands on Canada are not mere negotiations. They include provisions that would restrict Canada's abi
Voter suppression and stolen US elections
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by David F. Walbert, a veteran voting rights attorney whose new book, Stealing Elections American Style, traces the long, sordid history of contested and corrupted elections from the mid‑19th century to the present day.David's career spans decades of litigation on voting rights cases, beginning in the early 1970s when he moved to Geo
From Empire to Neoliberalism – The Long Arc of Capital and the Cannibalisation of the West
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the specific history of Congo to examine the broader theoretical framework of neocolonialism – and how the decline of formal empire prepared the ground for the neoliberal revolution.Drawing on thinkers from Marx and Lenin to J.A. Hobson and Rosa Luxemburg, we explore the purpose of empire from the perspective of capital: the purs
Belgium, America and Congo 1884-1960
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we begin a journey into one of the darkest and most overlooked chapters of the 20th century: the establishment of neocolonialism in Africa after the formal end of European empires.After the Second World War, the dreams of a genuinely independent Africa – of nations free from exploitation, able to chart their own futures – were mercilessly snu
America's Wrong Turn – How Neoliberalism Broke U.S. Healthcare with John McDonagh
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by John McDonagh, professor of practice at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, former Massachusetts state legislator, and key architect of Obamacare. He is here to discuss his new book, America's Wrong Turn: U.S. Healthcare in the Neoliberal Era – a searing diagnosis of how a revolution in economic thinking turned the American
California and the origins of the carceral state
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore a little‑known chapter of American history: the establishment of California's penal system as a form of coerced labour that replaced chattel slavery.When we think of slavery in America, we think of the southern states. But California has a far more complex and underexplored history. In 1849, the year after gold was discovered, Californi
The International Brigades and the fight for Spain
The International Brigades and the Fight for Spain**In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Tony Fox, organiser of the Northeast Volunteers for Liberty and the International Brigades Memorial Organisation, to discuss the newly published collection, *Remember Me to My Comrades: Letters from Spain to Britain*.**The book emerged from a remarkable collaboration with the fam
Between Two Empires – The Arab Revolts Against the Ottomans in Mesopotamia
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore the complex dynamics of the Mesopotamian campaign during the First World War – where subject peoples, caught between the collapsing Ottoman Empire and the advancing British, navigated their loyalties with survival in mind.**Drawing on Eugene Rogan's masterful *The Fall of the Ottomans*, we examine the Arab rebellions that erupted in th
Russia's post communist shock therapy 1991-3
False Dawn – Russia's Two Utopian Experiments and the Legacy of Shock Therapyhttps://explaininghistory.org/historiography/russian-revolution/In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore John Gray's False Dawn and the remarkable parallels between two failed attempts to remake Russia on a Western model – Bolshevism and the "shock therapy" of the post‑Soviet 1990s.After the Firs
War and Empire in the 20th Century
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we dive into Richard Overy's magnificent *Blood and Ruins* – a history that reframes the Second World War not simply as a struggle between democracy and fascism, but as the bloody climax of a centuries‑long competition between rival imperial powers.**Drawing on Leonard Woolf's 1928 warning that imperialism would either be "buried peacefully or in
Mamdani, Corbyn and the War Within the Centre-Left
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I explore the striking parallels between the British Labour Party's war on Jeremy Corbyn and the Democrat establishment's growing fear of Zohran Mamdani – a new kind of left politics that refuses to be bullied.We begin with the uncomfortable truth that much of what passes for "liberalism" in American politics – and "moderation" in British politics
Quebec's secret biological warfare history
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by award-winning French Canadian author Mireille Gagné to discuss her acclaimed novel, *Horsefly* – a powerful, genre-defying work inspired by a top‑secret biological warfare laboratory that operated on Québec's Grosse Île during the Second World War.The novel draws on a forgotten chapter of shared Allied history. In 1942, British, A
Belfast and the international networked far right
Northern Ireland, the Far-Right, and the Battle for Democracy with Heidi BirickIn this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined again by Heidi Birick of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism to discuss the recent far-right violence in Northern Ireland – and the global networks that fuelled it.In recent weeks, Northern Ireland was rocked by a series of violent attacks again
Italy from the fascism to post war republic
The Toscanini Conspiracy – Arturo Toscanini, Fascism, and the Italian Resistance with Filippo IannaroneIn this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Italian author Filippo Iannarone to discuss his acclaimed crime novel, The Toscanini Conspiracy – a story that weaves together a real‑life cold case, the anti‑fascist resistance of conductor Arturo Toscanini, and the author's own
Militarism, Masculinity, and the Making of the American Warrior
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by investigative journalist Jasper Craven to discuss his new book, *God Forgives, Brothers Don’t: Inside the Violent, Hypermasculine World of America’s Military Schools*. The conversation ranges far beyond military academies to explore how the US military has become the defining institution of American manhood – and what that means f
The Ottoman March on Egypt 1915
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the opening moves of the Ottoman Empire’s war against Britain – a desperate, audacious campaign to seize the Suez Canal that has been largely forgotten but which revealed the fragility of the British Empire and the resilience of the Ottoman army.At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire saw itself surrounded by enemies:
Adoption, Colonialism, and the Korean War
*The history that this podcast episode explores involves harm and neglect to children and some listeners may find the details disclosed distressing.In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Paige Towers to discuss her new book, What They Stole – a deeply researched exploration of intercountry adoption from Korea to the United States, rooted in a family tragedy that shook
The Shortest History of Scotland – Nation, Union, and the Rise of Nationalism
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by cultural historian Murray Pittock to discuss his new book, The Shortest History of Scotland – a concise but richly detailed journey through two millennia of Scottish history, from the Picts to the present day.Scotland’s geography – the “land of the mountain and the flood”, in Walter Scott’s phrase – made it virtually impenetrable
Trump and Nixon in Beijing - an instructive comparison
In this episode of the Explaining History podcast, Nick sets the scene for an upcoming interview with historian Murray Pittock on The Shortest History of Scotland, reflecting on the current wave of nationalist politics across Scotland, Wales, and Ireland—and how these movements connect to wider shifts in British and English identity.From there, Nick turns to global affairs, unpacking the stark con
Master of Lies – Anthony Blunt, the Cambridge Spy Who Changed the Course of World War II
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by author Piers Blofeld to discuss his new book, Master of Lies: The Untold Story of Anthony Blunt, which re‑examines the most underestimated member of the Cambridge Spy Ring.Anthony Blunt was exposed as a Soviet agent in 1979 – long after the defections of Burgess, Maclean and Philby. For decades, he has been treated as something of
The Neocons Admit Defeat in Iran
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine a remarkable moment: the leading architect of the Project for a New American Century, Robert Kagan, admitting that the Iran crisis is a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions – and that America has effectively lost the war.**The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) was the neoconservative think tank that shaped the foreign policy
Hobsbawm's Age of Extremes – The Golden Age, the Fall of Communism, and the Crisis of Social Democracy
**In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Eric Hobsbawm's magisterial overview of the 20th century, *Age of Extremes*, to explore the paradoxes that shaped our world – and the crisis that defines our present.**Hobsbawm argued that the "short twentieth century" – from 1914 to 1991 – was defined by the confrontation between capitalism and communism. But the relationship
The Tsar's Generals and the Press – Russian Military Journalism in the Reform Era
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we explore a little‑known but revealing corner of Russian history: the military press during the reign of Alexander II.After the humiliating defeat in the Crimean War, it was clear that Russia's army – and the autocracy that sustained it – needed fundamental change. Alexander II, who came to power as the war dragged on, embarked on a series of "Gr
Austerity Never Ended – The Cultural Politics of Thrift in Modern Britain
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the enduring legacy of austerity – a policy that officially ran from 2010 to 2024, but whose cultural and political effects are still very much with us.The Labour government has made token gestures toward rolling back austerity – ending the two‑child benefit cap, for example – but the structural damage done to British society is likely
The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel – Oil, Revolution, and the Birth of the Soviet State
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by author Douglas Brunt to discuss his fascinating new book, The Lost Empire of Emmanuel Nobel – the story of the greatest oil magnate you've never heard of, and the turbulent Russian decades that swept him away.Emmanuel Nobel, nephew of the more famous Alfred (inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prizes), built an oil empir
The Death of Britain's Two-Party System – A Century in the Making
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I examine the slow-motion collapse of the political order that has defined British politics for a century – and what is likely to replace it.The term "political earthquake" gets overused. What is happening in Great Britain is more like a once‑in‑a‑century end of a political order. It began in 2024 with the death of the Conservative Party – a party
The Transnational Far Right – Hate, Vigilantism, and the Mainstreaming of Extremism
**In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Wendy Via of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism – a former Southern Poverty Law Center staffer – to discuss a new report on the transnational activities of far-right and anti-migrant groups around the world.**We often think of hate and xenophobia as local phenomena, but just like organised violence, the far‑right has
The Gulf Crisis – Two Theories of American Decline
There are roughly two camps. One argues that there is an overarching grand plan behind America's actions in Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, and against Russia's shadow fleet – a coherent strategy to choke off China's industries and make Europe energy-dependent on the United States. The other, more plausible camp sees imperial decline and the chaos that decline inevitably brings.I explore both.John Mea
The New World Order and Its Unravelling – From Bush Snr to Trump
On 29th January 1991, President George H.W. Bush addressed a joint session of Congress. America was at war with Iraq, having launched Operation Desert Storm to expel Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait. Bush's tone was sombre, measured—a contrast to the triumphalism of his State of the Union a year earlier, when he had spoken of communism crumbling and a new era for the world. Now he spoke of some
China's Transformation 1978-84
In the 21st century, China stands as a global economic powerhouse, a trajectory heavily influenced by the reforms initiated in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping. This episode delves into Deng's pivotal role, positioning him as the consequential figure bridging Mao Zedong's era and the present-day leadership of Xi Jinping.Drawing on David Harvey's "A Brief History of Neoliberalism," we explore the economic,
Capitalism without Democracy
In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the daily news cycle to examine a question that has shaped the modern world: what is the relationship between capitalism and democracy?For decades, we have been told that economic freedom and political freedom are two sides of the same coin—that the ability of capital to move freely, to invest, to accrue profits, is the mirr
The End of NATO?
What happens if NATO collapses—or if the United States simply walks away? In this episode, we speculate on a future that feels closer than ever. With the Trump administration openly hostile to the alliance and European allies refusing to be dragged into an illegal war in the Persian Gulf, the post-WW2 transatlantic bargain is coming undone.We go back to the beginning: why NATO was founded to keep
Petitions, protests and the Mandate System 1919-21
It's all too easy, when reading history, to see the world through the eyes of the coloniser rather than the colonised. The mandate system—the League of Nations framework through which Britain and France claimed legitimacy for their post-war territorial grabs—is often presented as a progressive innovation: a move from old-fashioned colonialism to enlightened trusteeship. But what did it look like f
The Birth of the Multipolar Order and the "Evisceration" of the West
Host: NickEpisode OverviewIn this somber and reflective episode, Nick steps away from traditional historical narratives to analyze what he believes is a pivotal, "apocalyptic" turning point in the 21st century. Drawing on the concept of "Westlessness," Nick argues that current tensions in the Persian Gulf and the shifting political landscape in the United States signal the definitive end of Wester
Trump's self created gulf trap
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we continue our examination of the unfolding crisis in the Persian Gulf—a crisis that has now reached a point where the world may already be past the threshold of avoiding a major economic recession, perhaps even a depression.The situation is grim. Trump, through a combination of staggering incompetence and hubris, has launched America into a conf
Are We Already in World War III?
Description:In this episode, Nick explores a question currently weighing on the minds of historians and observers alike: are we witnessing the opening stages of a third global conflict? Drawing on the work of Richard Overy and examining the "quasi-peace" of the 20th century, Nick argues that our definitions of "World War" may be too narrow, often ignoring the unrelenting conflict experienced by th
Iran, the Straits of Hormuz, and the Graveyard of Navies
It's been a few days since we last looked at the Persian Gulf crisis, and events are racing forward at such a pace that the only sensible approach is to take a step back and examine the deeper patterns. Behind the headlines about Trump's impulsive decision-making lies a far more consequential story: the moment when a medium-sized power with cheap drones and missiles can hold the world's energy sup
The Oscars and the Making of Hollywood
In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, recorded just days before the 2026 Academy Awards, we're joined by film and media historian Monica Sandler of Ball State University to explore what the Oscars tell us about American culture, power, and the film industry itself.Monica brings her deep expertise to bear on these questions, tracing the Oscars back to their founding in 1929 as
Civil crisis in the Ottoman Empire in 1913
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Eugene Rogan's superb The Fall of the Ottomans to explore how military defeat and political crisis in the Balkan Wars transformed the Ottoman Empire from within—and set the stage for the birth of modern Turkey.It's remarkable how topical the story of a declining empire, seemingly in endless crisis, yet still capable of surpr
Iran Roundup – America's Escalating Crisis in the Persian Gulf
In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I step back from the daily news cycle to offer a comprehensive analysis of where we stand in the unfolding crisis with Iran—and what it tells us about the state of American power in the twenty-first century.What began as what Donald Trump apparently imagined would be a 48-hour spectacular—a Venezuela-style "regime change" moment complete with
Gambling, Pornography, and the Making of Modern America with Dennis Broe
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we're joined once again by writer and cultural critic Dennis Broe to discuss his new novel, *Pornocopia*, and what it reveals about the intertwined histories of the gambling and pornography industries in post-war America.Set in 1952, *Pornocopia* follows detective Harry Palmer through Los Angeles and Las Vegas at a crucial moment when two nascent
London, New York and the Russian Revolution – The Emigré Hub of 1917
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step away from the battlefields and examine how the February Revolution of 1917 was received and interpreted in two key Western cities: London and New York.When the Tsar fell in March 1917, governments around the world struggled to make sense of what was happening. Russia under revolutionary conditions was—and remains—notoriously difficult to p
The Habsburg Army in 1914 – Incompetence, Illusion, and the Road to Disaster
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we turn our attention away from the Western Front and towards a often-neglected combatant of the First World War: the Austro-Hungarian Empire.When we think of military incompetence in the Great War, our minds typically turn to the Western Front—to Haig, to Passchendaele, to the "lions led by donkeys" thesis. But the Habsburg army, which fought the
Trump, Iran, and the Trajectory of American Empire
In this special episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we step back from the hourly news cycle to examine the deeper historical context of the unfolding crisis between the United States and Iran.As the situation in the Middle East escalates hour by hour, with consequences nobody can yet predict, it's tempting to get drawn into "hyperpunditry"—the kind of instant analysis that offers certainty
Serial Killers, the Blitz, and the Cracks in Britain's Wartime Myth
In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we're joined by writer Susan Barrett to discuss her new novel, *All Cats Are Grey*—a dark and compelling work of historical fiction set against the backdrop of the London Blitz.The book tells the story of four very different people, each of whom has committed what might be called a "necessary murder" in their past. They come together during the ch
Defending Britain, Defending the Empire
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the agonizing political and strategic choices faced by Great Britain in the 1930s.Why did the British government delay rearmament for so long? Drawing on Daniel Todman's Britain's War: Into Battle, we examine how the shadow of the First World War and the Great Depression shaped the policy of appeasement. Nick argues that the "cau
The long wait for freedom for South Africa's slaves
In this special episode, we are honoured to be joined by Karen Jennings, a former Booker Prize longlist nominee, to discuss her powerful new novel, The First of December.Set in South Africa during the final days of November 1838, the book explores the fraught moment of full emancipation for the enslaved. We delve into the brutal reality of the "apprenticeship" system that followed the 1833 Ab
The Dowding System and the Battle of Britain
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick dives into the technical and strategic realities of the Battle of Britain. Moving beyond the "few" narrative of heroic fighter pilots, we explore the structural advantages that allowed the RAF to survive the onslaught of the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940.Drawing on Richard Overy's The Bombing War, we examine the genius of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding
Survival and greed in the conquest of the Aztec Empire
Here is the complete package for this episode, which includes the podcast description, a detailed blog post, and the tidied transcript.Part 1: Podcast Episode DescriptionTitle: The Last Aztec Empress: Survival, Conquest, and the Life of Isabel MoctezumaEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to author Sofía Robleda about her new historical novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls
Anti-Colonial Struggle 1945-2026
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the historical processes of anti-colonial struggle in the 20th century and how they illuminate the geopolitical crises of 2026.We examine the "imperial boomerang"—how the techniques of colonial violence return to the metropole—and the shift from the age of imperial civil war (1914-1945) to the age of imperial decline. Nick discus
Martha Gellhorn, Racism, and the Atrocities of Vietnam
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to the grim realities of the Vietnam War through the eyes of one of the 20th century's most formidable journalists: Martha Gellhorn.Drawing on Philip Knightley's The First Casualty, we explore how Gellhorn—a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and D-Day—exposed the "hearts and minds" strategy as a hollow lie. While American generals
The Collapse of the Sick Man: The First Balkan War and the End of Ottoman Europe
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the cataclysmic events of 1912-1913 that shattered the Ottoman Empire and set the stage for the First World War.Following the humiliating loss of Libya to Italy, the Balkan states—Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria—sensed weakness and struck. We explore how this coalition of former subjects mobilized a massive army
The Age of Catastrophe: Eric Hobsbawm and the Crisis of the Liberal Order
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Eric Hobsbawm’s seminal work, The Age of Extremes.We focus on the first part of Hobsbawm's "historical triptych"—the Age of Catastrophe (1914–1945). Nick argues that this period was essentially a European Civil War, where the violent techniques of imperialism—gas, machine guns, and racial extermination—boomera
Mao's Lost Generation: Youth, Ideology, and the Cultural Revolution
In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of the Chinese Cultural Revolution through the lens of Tania Branigan's Red Memory. We examine Mao Zedong's complex relationship with the youth of China—how he mobilized them as revolutionary shock troops, only to discard them when they became a threat to order.We delve into the "Down to the Countryside" movement, wher
The origins of the Watts Riot - 1965
While the history of the Civil Rights movement is often told through the lens of the Deep South—Selma, Birmingham, and the marches of Dr. King—a different kind of struggle was brewing in the West. In this episode, we dive into the origins and systemic causes of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles.Drawing from Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s Set the Night on Fire, we explore the "economic flytrap"
Shellshock Nation: Fear, Fantasy, and the Myth of the "Devil's Decade"
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to cultural historian Alwyn Turner about his latest book, Shellshock Nation: Britain Between the Wars.We often remember the 1930s as W.H. Auden's "low, dishonest decade"—a time of mass unemployment, hunger marches, and the looming shadow of fascism. But was it really all doom and gloom? Alwyn argues that for many in Britai
The Politics of Resentment: From Brownshirts to ICE
Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the social and historical roots of the fascist foot soldier. Who are the young men who join paramilitary organizations, and what drives them?Following the shocking execution of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, we draw parallels between the modern American far-right and the Nazi Brownshirts (SA) of the 1920s and 30s. We exam
