Explaining History

*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:What did the 2008 world financial crisis teach America's elite classes about the future of American capitalism? The collapse of American financial institutions under the weight of accounting fraud, unserviceable private debts combined with a deindustrialised America and an increasingly atomised and impoverished population indicated to the USA's monied classes that imperial growth was no longer viable. Instead, a country based bail outs for corporations, corruption and a steady abandonment of America's international commitments was sought and then in 2016 a faded reality TV star and notorious crook began to appeal to the anger and desperation many Americans felt. 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.

The economic realities of a failing war in the east accelerated the timetable for genocide at the highest levels of the Third Reich, but in July 1942 Heinrich Himmler also intended Auschwitz Birkenau to be a site for extracting slave labour from prisoners. He intended this because of the impeding economic and production crises that would engulf the Third Reich as it faced an alliance of America, the USSR and the British Empire. This podcast episode explores the intentions of the SS leader and of Hitler and how they were translated into brutal reality in the summer of 1942. *****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, as Britain's Empire faded away, British Prime Ministers had few choices than to take their lead from America. Following the disaster of the Suez invasion, Britain abandoned any pretence that it might have an independent foreign policy and operated as an arm of American power in the world until the present day. As we face the possibility of a war with Iran that almost 80 per cent of the population oppose but British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has strongly indicated he might be willing to commit forces to, this podcast explores Britain's outsourcing of foreign policy to Washington. *****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.

On October 6, 1978, Patricia Roisinblit — a young Jewish medical student and leftist activist — was abducted by Argentina’s military junta while eight months pregnant. She was never seen again. But her mother, Rosa, refused to let her story end there.In this deeply moving episode, we speak with journalist and author Haley Cohen Gilliland about her extraordinary new book, A Flower Traveled in My Blood — a powerful narrative of dictatorship, resistance, and the decades-long search for justice led by the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Disappeared.Gilliland, a former Economist correspondent in Buenos Aires, chronicles the brutal history of Argentina’s military regime and the courageous women who defied it. We follow the personal and political story of the Roisinblit family — from Patricia’s disappearance, to the state-sanctioned abduction of her son Guillermo, to Rosa’s decades-long fight to find the truth and reunite her family.We discuss the role of antisemitism in Argentina’s Dirty War, the use of genetic testing to identify stolen children, and the uncomfortable legacy of silence, complicity, and denial in Argentine society. With chilling parallels to today’s global political climate, this conversation is a haunting and hopeful reflection on what happens when ordinary people refuse to forget.Published by Simon & Schuster (July 15, 2025), A Flower Traveled in My Blood is already hailed as one of the most important nonfiction books of the year.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.

In this episode, we hear from with award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Ben Arogundade about his latest book, Hollywood Blackout.Drawing on a century of film history, Hollywood Blackout explores how the Academy Awards have both resisted and reflected changing social forces — from the Nazi invasion of Europe to the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, #OscarsSoWhite, and #BlackLivesMatter. Arogundade reveals how external political and cultural shocks shaped who was celebrated at the Oscars and when — and how Hollywood’s slow path toward inclusion has been won by generations of under-recognised artists and activists.We discuss the ground breaking victories of Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Will Smith — and how moments of global crisis forced the Academy to evolve. Ben also shares powerful insights into the systemic barriers faced by Black, Asian, Latino, Indigenous, and female creatives throughout Hollywood history. Hollywood Blackout is a richly detailed, deeply researched account of the struggle for recognition in one of the world’s most powerful cultural institutions. A must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of race, politics, and cinema.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.

Arab regimes across the Middle East have had a long history of comparative disinterest towards the Palestinian cause and apathy towards their emancipation. Israel has found willing collaborators in Egypt, Syria and the Gulf states, all of whom are happy to collaborate in the unfolding war with Iran.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Israel, Iran and the USA are locked in an existential struggle in the Middle East, this episodeHelp 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.

The neoconservatives were at the apex of their power and influence two decades ago but the project they longed for the most, war against Iran is now underway. This time, despite the changing rhetoric from Washington, the USA has so far committed no visible combat forces to the fight. Here we explore a developing situation and the role of neoconservative ideas, the influence of US presidents and the media in these events. *****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Israel, Iran and the USA are locked in an existential struggle in the Middle East, this episodeHelp 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.

In this urgent episode, we break down last night’s dramatic Israeli raid on Iran—Operation Rising Lion—which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and killed top Iranian military leaders in the largest attack since the Iran–Iraq War. We unpack what happened on the ground, the immediate fallout—including Iran’s launch of over 100 drones in retaliation—and the atmosphere of panic and unity now gripping Israel as the region braces for further escalation.But this isn’t just about one night. We dig deep into the historical context behind the Israel-Iran conflict: from their days as covert allies to bitter enemies, and how decades of nuclear brinkmanship, proxy wars, and shifting alliances have set the stage for today’s existential struggle. We’ll also examine the crucial role of the United States—locked in its own high-stakes negotiations with Iran—and what’s at stake for global security as nuclear ambitions, sanctions, and regional power plays collide.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here:Israel, Iran and the USA are locked in an existential struggle in the Middle East, this episode 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.

What leads a nation into a civil war? In this podcast we examine the crises of power and contestation of authority that create wars within, not between nations.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.

Oral histories can be very revealing in understanding the beliefs and feelings that people had in particular historical moments. In Svetlana Alexeivich's amazing book Second Hand Time, hundreds of former Soviet citizens reflect on their hopes, fears and their anger at the fall of the nation and the society that they knew. This episode is particularly helpful in exploring the resentments that many Russians now feel towards their political and oligarchic class and to the west.*****STOP PRESS*****I only ever talk about history on this podcast but I also have another life, yes, that of aspirant fantasy author and if that's your thing you can get a copy of my debut novel The Blood of Tharta, right here: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.