Warfare

If you were asked what you thought about the Iraq War in Alaska, you'd probably be more than a little confused. But that confusion might turn to shock when you learn about the conflict's controversial legacy of destruction in America's 49th state, of all places.Despite long-held local protests and previous restrictions, the US Department of Defense controversially reopened Eagle River Flats - an Alaskan estuary that had been historically polluted with white phosphorous munitions - for weapons testing & training during the Iraq War.In this episode James is joined by Dr Matthew Leep, the researcher who pioneered a damning study on the issue, who helps us understand the broader impact of war well outside the regions of declared conflict - and how war has also impacted animal life, plant life and a whole range of flora & fauna in Alaska.Edited and sound designed by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Today's guest Kitty Baxter was aged just nine when World War II broke out in 1939. One of five children born to a road sweeper and a cleaner, Kitty joined thousands of children being evacuated to the countryside as German bombing raids loomed.This would be the first of three times that she was rehoused far from home over the course of the war. Sometimes treated more like a servant than a small child, Kitty endured gruelling years cut off from her parents rather than a safe haven from war. In this episode she regales James with her experiences living with strangers' families in environments radically different to working-class London, and how she navigated joyful moments as well as times of struggle & loss. One of the last generation of women from this era, Kitty's voice remains as whip-smart as her irrepressible nine-year-old self who triumphed over the adversity of a most unusual childhood.Kitty's new book I'll Take That One: An Evacuee's Childhood is available here.Edited and sound designed by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Warning: The events recounted in this episode may be distressing to some listenersAt 11.02 am on August 9 1945, America dropped the world's most powerful atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The Japanese port city was flattened to the ground 'as if it had been swept aside by a broom', with over 70,000 people killed. At that time, hundreds of Allied prisoners of war were working close to the bomb's detonation point, as forced labourers in the shipyards and foundries of Nagasaki. Having survived four years of malnutrition, disease, and brutality, they now faced the prospect of the US dropping its second atomic bomb on their prison home.In this episode James is joined by John Willis, whose new book Nagasaki: The Forgotten Prisoners paint a vivid picture of defeat, endurance, and survival against astonishing odds.Edited by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Warning: The events recounted in this episode may be distressing to some listenersKeiko Ogura was just eight years old on August 6 1945 when her home city of Hiroshima was destroyed by the US in the first atomic bomb attack in history.Almost 150,000 people lost their lives in that first bombing, which was followed three days later on August 9 by the destruction of Nagasaki, in which around half that number perished. Japan surrendered shortly thereafter, drawing a close to the Second World War.Those who survived the a-bombs are known as hibakusha, and Keiko - as a storyteller for the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation - is among the most prominent. In this incredible episode, James is joined by Keiko herself to learn her riveting story of survival against all odds.Produced and sound designed by Elena Guthrie. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Located just 100 miles off the coast of mainland China, the nation of Taiwan sits in the so-called 'first island chain' - a group of US-friendly territories deemed crucial to American foreign policy.Yet China's president Xi Jinping maintains that Chinese reunification with Taiwan must be fulfilled. He's not ruled out the possible use of military force - and neither has US president Joe Biden. Tensions have grown even in the last few weeks, so to what extent can tensions over Taiwan be compared to those between Russia and Ukraine?In this episode James is joined by Samir Puri, Senior Fellow in Urban Security and Hybrid Warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies based in Singapore, to take a deep dive into the history between China & Taiwan and answer the question: could Taiwan really become China's Ukraine?Produced by Sophie Gee and Aidan Lonergan. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

With Kim Jong-un having issued a new threat of nuclear war just this week on the anniversary of the Korean War armistice in 1953, we take a look at the origins of the North Korean state and the Kim dynasty that has ruled it with an iron fist since that conflict.From founder Kim Il-sung, to his successors Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un, the ruling family of North Korea have lasted remarkably long by the standards of authoritarian dictators.In this episode - the fifth and final of our special miniseries on the Korean War and its legacies - James is joined once again by former Pyongyang AP bureau chief and co-host of The Lazarus Heist podcast, Jean Lee, to take a deep dive into the birth of North Korea and the Kim dynasty.Produced by Elena Guthrie and Aidan Lonergan. Edited by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

The war in Ukraine has left many of us aghast that open armed conflict could again erupt on the European continent... except the idea of a peaceful post-WW2 Europe is hardly historically correct.The Kosovo War of 1999 is but one example. Over 78 days NATO aircraft bombarded the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's forces into submission, achieving a swift victory without a single ground troop having to be deployed.The conflict has been described as Tony Blair's 'Perfect War', but is this accurate? In this episode James is joined by author and former UK diplomat Arthur Snell to find out.Arthur's new book How Britain Broke the World is available here.This episode was edited by Aidan Lonergan.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

In July 1945 when Korea was divided by the 38th parallel into North and South, families were suddenly torn apart by a border that would change the course of history. Post World War Two, Korea was of massive strategic importance, a stepping stone to the rest of Asia. After centuries of monarchy and 35 years of brutal colonial rule - many Koreans were unsure which side would provide them with a future that promised them independence.The fourth episode in our series on the Korean War, James is joined by former Pyongyang AP bureau chief and co-host of The Lazarus Heist podcast, Jean Lee, to talk about her family's experiences in South Korea during this period. Devastating famines, brutal fighting, and families split up with no way of contact - it was a harrowing experience for the Korean people. With nearly 5 million casualties, many of them civilians, why is the Korean War known as the "Forgotten War"? And what impacts can still be felt today?For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

18 minutes. That's how much extra time the US Navy Seals had during their raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In that time they managed to secure never seen before correspondence from across the Al-Qaeda network giving US intelligence a new insight into their movements and plans.In this episode, James is joined by Dr Nelly Lahoud, a senior fellow in New America's International Security program, to talk about this vital raid and why this information is so important. Giving us a new perspective on internal relationships, communications, and beliefs within Al-Qaeda - those extra 18 minutes have provided invaluable information.Nelly's book The Bin Laden Papers is available on Amazon here.Produced by Aidan Lonergan. Edited by Annie Coloe.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.

Moored in the River Thames, the HMS Belfast is an important part of the Imperial War Museums and a brilliant learning resource for those who visit. But for veteran Ron Yardley, it was his home for two years while he served in the Korean War.In this episode of our Korean War miniseries, Ron joins James aboard the Belfast to talk about his experiences and memories of those unforgettable years. Remembering the much sought after rum rations, the benefits of a good hammock, and honouring those who lost their lives - Ron offers a profound insight into the real life reverberations this conflict had on those involved.Produced by Elena Guthrie and Sophie Gee. Edited by Annie Coloe.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download, go to Android or Apple store.