Warfare

In a moment of great danger to national survival, the Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom against large scale attacks by the Luftwaffe. So how did the Battle of Britain play out? What was Germany’s objective? And how important was it to the direction of the Second World War? To answer the big questions about this seminal moment in British history, Charlie Mills talks to Dr. Mario Draper at the University of Kent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the common recollection of French efforts to repel German invasion. But with 100,000 troops lost in the Battle of France, how true is the depiction of the French surrendering without a fight? How else might their contribution to, and experience of, the Second World War be remembered? Were the French a weak link, willing collaborators with the Nazis, brave resistance fighters or the Allied sacrifice to continuing the fight? Olivier Schmitt is a Professor of Political Science at the Center for War Studies, University of Southern Denmark. He joined James to talk through the many complex narratives of this section of the war, and how the predominant theories have developed over time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The crucible of our modern world is commonly thought to be the 1960s, but Charles Emmerson thinks that it could be argued to have been the tumultuous years at the end of the First World War and those that followed. This was when Communism and Fascism became mainstream movements. This was when the borders of the Middle East, and Eastern Europe were drawn up and fought over. In this discussion he and Dan talk about how a shattered world came to terms with the aftermath of the First World War.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 10 November 1944, the Icelandic steam merchant ship SS Godafoss was hit by a German U-boat torpedo. She sank in 7 minutes, killing everybody on board. For this episode, James was joined by legendary Icelandic director, producer and presenter, Jón Ársæll. Jón made a documentary about the ship, which was carrying cargo and civilians from New York to Reykjavik, Iceland. He spoke about the conditions for ships in the North Atlantic towards the end of the war, and the fateful afternoon which has become, after years of hunting for the wreckage, Iceland's Titanic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Douglas Haig was a British commander during the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras, the Battle of Passchendaele, the German Spring Offensive, and the final Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. When reassessed in the 1960s his leadership was criticised for resulting in costly offensives, gaining him the nickname 'the Butcher of the Somme'. Gary Sheffield is a Professor of War Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, and a specialist on Britain at war 1914-45. He spoke to Dan about whether Haig has been fairly assessed in the textbooks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is almost no end to the dark secrets that emerge from the smashed ruins of 1945 Europe. Dr Florian Huber has spent years researching the fascinating story of the epidemic of suicide that spread through Germany as they faced certain defeat in 1945. Some people committed suicide after suffering atrocities at the hands of the Soviets, others because of the trauma of allied bombing and the destruction of the conflict around them. But many did so because they did not wish to live in a world without Nazism. Dr Huber has even interviewed people whose parents tried to kill them as young children. In this episode, Dan spoke to Dr Huber about this dark secret in modern German society and his book, which provoked an outpouring of stories when it was published. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Audrey Cronin, a foremost authority on terrorism and technology, discusses her new book, Power to the People. She delves into how technological advancements before WWI fueled terrorism, comparing historical and modern implications. Topics include the misuse of innovations like dynamite, the role of mass communication in shaping public perceptions of political violence, and the dual-use nature of military inventions. Cronin also connects past economic crises to the rise of extremist ideologies, highlighting the importance of social media in contemporary terrorist tactics.

In this episode, Dan meets veterans who were rescued from Dunkirk by the famous Little Ships. These were the 700 private boats that sailed from Ramsgate, England, to Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940 as part of Operation Dynamo. They helped to rescue more than 338,000 British and French soldiers who were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan chats to Mike Pavelec on the often-overlooked use of naval air power at Gallipoli during World War One. Mike is a Professor of Airpower Studies at Air Command and Staff College, Alabama. He has been researching the use of naval and ground based airpower at Gallipoli since his time as a student. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ash Alexander-Cooper OBE is a former specialist military unit colonel in the British Armed Forces, world-championship athlete and award-winning international musician. Now a member of the Army Reserve, he works tirelessly with organisations geared towards supporting and remembering those who have risked so much in the service of their countries. For this year’s Remembrance Day, Ash joined James to talk about why he thinks that it is so important to honour members of the Armed Forces and, in this extraordinary year, the other services which we all rely on in times of need. Ash, described by Bear Grylls as ‘one of the most experienced soldiers of his generation’, allows us an insight into some of his own experiences working alongside members of not only British forces, but personnel from across the globe.If you would like to donate £5 to the Royal British Legion Industries, please text 'tommy5' to 70460 from the UK. Texts cost one standard network rate message plus your donation and you will be opting in to hear about RBLI's work and fundraising efforts via telephone and SMS. If you would like to donate £5 but do not wish to receive these communications, please text 'tommynoinfo5' to the same number, 70460. You can find more details about the RBLI here (https://rbli.co.uk/), or become a member of the Tommy Club on their website (https://tommyclub.co.uk/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.