History Extra podcast The improbable alliance that defeated Hitler
19 snips
Nov 10, 2025 Tim Bouverie, a historian and author specializing in WWII, discusses the unexpected alliance between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin. He dives into Stalin's motivations behind the Nazi-Soviet Pact, the collapse of the Anglo-French alliance, and the tensions caused by differing support for Vichy France and Free France. Bouverie highlights Roosevelt's complex diplomacy with Stalin and the lasting impact of his death on postwar dynamics. Ultimately, he reflects on how this fragile alliance shaped the modern world and the importance of unity in facing existential threats.
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Different Worlds, Shared Seas
- Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt shared naval interests and historical outlooks but differed ideologically and generationally.
- Roosevelt leaned 20th-century idealism while Churchill retained a 19th-century imperial romanticism.
Why Stalin Made The Nazi-Soviet Pact
- Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet pact partly to buy time and because the West rebuffed Soviet overtures.
- The pact let Stalin rebuild forces after purges despite ideological contradictions with Hitler.
Anglo-French Alliance Of Necessity
- The Anglo-French alliance depended on French land power and British naval blockade rather than deep mutual affection.
- France's fall in 1940 forced Britain to seek wider alliances, reshaping global politics.
