Explaining History
The Explaining History Podcast, created and hosted by Nick Shepley, offers a comprehensive exploration of 20th-century history through weekly episodes. For over a decade, this podcast has been providing students and history enthusiasts with in-depth analyses of key events, processes, and debates that shaped the modern world.The podcast covers a wide range of topics within 20th-century history, including:- Major historical events like World Wars I and II, The rise and fall of communism, fascism and imperialism- Political movements and ideologies- Economic developments and crises- Social and cultural changesEpisodes typically run for about 25 minutes, offering concise yet informative discussions on specific subjects. The podcast invites listeners to engage with complex historical topics in manageable segments, making it ideal for students and busy history enthusiasts.Expert InsightsNick frequently invites expert guests to contribute their knowledge and perspectives, enriching the podcast with diverse viewpoints and specialized expertise. This approach helps listeners understand the competing debates and interpretations surrounding historical events and processes.Educational FocusThe podcast is particularly valuable for students, especially those studying A-level history. It offers targeted content aligned with specific curricula, such as the AQA syllabus for Russian history. This educational focus makes it an excellent supplementary resource for formal history studies.Chronological ApproachWhile the podcast primarily focuses on the 20th century, it adopts a chronological approach to storytelling. This method allows listeners to follow the progression of events and understand how different historical moments are interconnectedEngaging PresentationNick's presentation style combines rigorous historical analysis with an engaging narrative approach. The podcast aims to not only inform but also captivate listeners, making complex historical topics accessible and interesting to a broad audienceBy offering this mix of comprehensive content, expert insights, and engaging presentation, the Explaining History Podcast serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of 20th-century history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes
Dec 13, 2024 • 32min
Britain, Abyssinia and appeasement: 1935
In 1935, Italy invaded Abyssinia, creating one of final crises of the League of Nations. The deal made between British Foreign Secretary Samuel Hoare and his counterpart Pierre Laval to allow League of Nations sanctions against Italy to be broken led to widespread outrage. What did ordinary British people think about tihs and how did it shape the actions of the political class?Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 12, 2024 • 23min
AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 11
This is part ten of the Explaining History study course based on the AQA A level history module Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53.In this episode we examine Stalin's motivation for the Great Turning, and the economic, political and strategic reasons for the Five Year Plans.Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 11, 2024 • 34min
Paleolibertarianism and MAGA
American conservatism fundamentally changed in 2016, its old nostrums were destroyed by the Trump movement and replaced with a mixture of MAGA nationalism and anarchocapitalism. This episode explores the different strands of thought in Trump's coalition.Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 10, 2024 • 24min
Spreading Stalin's Terror: 1937 - 1938
How did Stalin's terror spread to incorporate more and more victims? This podcast episode explores the effect of Stalin's terror on ordinary people and how denunciations, confessions and the effect of 'contagion' caused the terror to metastasise.Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 9, 2024 • 23min
Russian Defeat in Syria
In the 48 hours since the Assad regime fell there has been a flurry of speculation about the effect on the Middle East. This episode explores the effect on Russia, Assad's patron and its collapse of influence in the Middle East and beyond. Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 8, 2024 • 30min
Special Report - Syria and the defeat of Assad
This is a special one off podcast episode on the key events of the last 24 hours in Syria, following the overthrow of the Assad regime.I will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 7, 2024 • 31min
Empiricism Part Three
In this episode we continue to explore the historical practices associated with empiricism, and we're reading from The Houses of HistoryI will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 6, 2024 • 25min
The development of the Holocaust 1941-1942
The development of the Holocaust, from the mass murder of Soviet soldiers who the SS exploited for labour before killing, to the industrialised mass murder of Europe's Jews went through a series of contradictory and chaotic developments between the start of Operation Barbarossa and the Wannsee Conference in early 1942. This episode of the Explaining History podcast is based in Nikolaus Wachsmann's excellent book KLHelp the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 5, 2024 • 27min
The economic consequences of Trump
Economists, journalists and commentators are currently producing vast amounts of content predicting what they believe lies in store for America and the world in 2025 and what the consequences of Trump's second term will be. In this podcast we explore Grace Blakeley's Substack article: The Economic Consequences of Donald TrumpHelp the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2024 • 23min
AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 Part Ten
This is part ten of the Explaining History study course based on the AQA A level history module Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53.In this episode we explore the power struggle between Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin and discuss the political ideas that Stalin believed in. We examine the ideas of permanent revolution and socialism in one countryI will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
