Warfare

Whilst Churchill is best remembered for his achievements during the dark days of the Second World War, much of the rest of his career had much more to do with failure than success. Geoffrey Wheatcroft, journalist and author of 'Churchill's Shadow: An Astonishing Life and a Dangerous Legacy', joins Dan for this episode from the archive. They discuss Geoffrey's radical reappraisal of Churchill's life and work and the myth that continues to shape our view of one of the most complex figures of the 20th Century.For more about the Second World War, check out History Hit's new original 'The Traces of War: The Battle for France' which includes Warfare's own James Rogers.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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.

Did build up to World War Two only begin in the 20th century, or was the century of violent imperial expansion before 1939 the ultimate cause of one of the deadliest conflicts marked in modern history? In this episode James is joined by historian and author Richard Overy to discuss his fresh perspective of World War Two. In his new book 'Blood and Ruins The Great Imperial War' - Richard argues that World War Two should be seen as the final point of nearly a century of imperial expansion across the globe. Together he and James discuss the lesser known imperialistic views of major players in the Second World War, the origins and consequences of imperialistic views, and why this new outlook is important in shaping our understanding of one of the deadliest conflicts in history.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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 conflict we know today as the Vietnam War–involving the United States and the Viet Cong–was actually the second of the Indochina Wars, the first having been fought shortly after WW2 between France and the Viet Minh.In this episode James is joined by Dr Pablo de Orellana of King's College London, whose new book focuses on the often forgotten conflict that he calls the First Vietnam War. Dr Pablo's book The Road to Vietnam: America, France, Britain, and the First Vietnam War, is available here.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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.

After the First World War the German Army was in crisis. Limited in the size and its equipment by the Versailles Treaty which ended the war, it was a shadow of the mighty force it had been in 1914. Help came from a surprising source. Soviet Russia.Historian Ian Johnson explains to Dan how it was the Soviets who helped rebuild the German military machine before World War Two. In this episode from the archive, explore this relationship in which the Soviets helped turn the Wehrmacht into a military machine that in 1941-2 came very close to toppling the Soviet state.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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.Music provided by All3Media.

His ideas were cast aside in the early 20th century, but later went on to help Allied forces win the Second World War, but who was Julian Corbett and what were his recommendations on strategy? By combining history, emerging technology, and geopolitical structures - Corbett revolutionised the concepts behind readying Britain for Warfare. In this episode, James is joined by Professor Andrew Lambert to discuss Julian Corbett's life, ideas, and his posthumous legacy in British Warfare.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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.

Russia and the UK have very different political structures and ambitions, from their alliance at the Battle of Navarino in 1827 to the historic low of their relations now. In this episode of Warfare, James is joined by Lord David Owen, who formerly served as Navy Minister, British foreign secretary, and EU peace negotiator in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. With over two decades of working closely with Russia, Lord Owen takes us through his knowledge of the complex history of dealings.David Owen is the author of 'Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British-Russian Relations' published by Haus Publishing.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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 the Android or Apple store.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we wanted to take a closer look at Russian President, Vladimir Putin's rise to power. We've dug out this episode from June 2020, when Catherine Belton joined Dan on the pod to discuss the former KGB spy-turned political figure's rule. After working from 2007-2013 as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times, Catherine's career has offered an exclusive insight into workings of Putin's Kremlin. Her new book 'Putin's People' is packed with interviews from key inside players, uncovering details about how Putin subverted Russia’s economy and legal system and extended the Kremlin's reach into the United States and Europe. It's a story of billions of dollars being siphoned out of state enterprises, murky networks of operatives and a suppression of independent voice. If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store.Music provided by All3Media.

Boko Haram is one of the largest Islamist militant groups in Africa, with Nigeria’s ongoing battle with insurgent groups and government corruption threatening the stability and political integrity of Africa’s most populous state. But who exactly are Boko Haram? In this episode of Warfare, James is joined by Dr. Olayinka Ajala, lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Leeds Beckett University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. With over a decade of studying the terror group that Boko Haram, Olayinka takes us through his in-depth knowledge of the terrorist organisation.For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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 the Android or Apple store.

In this interview from the History Hit archive with Julie McDowall, she talks Dan through exactly how the British government prepared for a worst case nuclear scenario. They discuss surviving the attack, the women who planned to provide jigsaws to the survivors and how Britain might remake itself in the aftermath of armageddon.

Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has seen warfare return to the streets of Europe for the first time in decades, with Putin's troops launching major offensives to take key cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa. Both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians continue to mount fierce resistance against the occupiers throughout their country's urban terrain.But what is the history of urban warfare and what can it tell us about the future of this horrific new war? In this episode James is joined by John Spencer, a decorated American war veteran and Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the West Point US Military Academy, to find out more.Don’t forget to leave us a rating and review while you're here!For more Warfare content, subscribe to our Warfare 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 the Android or Apple store.