Explaining History
Nick Shepley
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 3, 2019 • 24min
Truman's Domestic Failures 1945-52
By 1945 the political landscape in America was changing in ways that would be far less favourable to Truman than the previous years had been to Roosevelt. An impressive and far reaching domestic agenda for reform was sabotaged by conservative and business interests on Capitol Hill throughout the seven years of his time in office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 1, 2019 • 24min
The Origins of Fascism: Part Three
Continuing the study of the background to European fascist thinking, this episode focuses on the impact of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche on fascist thinking and ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 1, 2019 • 28min
Special Update: Report from the coup August 2019
This is an unprecedented podcast for Explaining History, but in 2019 here in Britain we're in uncharted constitutional territory. I try not to engage too much in political podcasting because I wanted the podcast to connect with a broad audience but I feel it would be intellectually dishonest to talk about political history each week and ignore the crisis in Britain at the moment. To listeners around the world who want to understand why an unelected British Prime Minister is planning to suspend the country's parliament, here is a brief explainer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 31, 2019 • 24min
Stalinist social cleansing 1929-37
The Stalinist regime, in the mid 1930s brutally purged towns and cities of those they considered to be socially deviant. Beggars, gypsies, prostitutes and thieves were exiled and sent to labour colonies and camps in a bid to change them into 'productive' soviet citizens and to socially change the nature of soviet towns and cities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2019 • 25min
British Society on the eve of World War Two (Part Two)
This podcast continues the examination of Britain's social, economic and political circumstances on the eve of the First World War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2019 • 26min
Maoist social cleansing 1949
In the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War, the beginnings of dramatic and brutal social change in China were evident in Mao's attitudes towards the urban poor. Those deemed socially unproductive, beggars, rickshaw pullers, hawkers and prostitutes were sent to re-education camps. The ultimate goal of the regime was to socially re-order urban life and to eliminate politically unwanted and seemingly socially useless or deviant labour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2019 • 25min
The Aftermath of Pearl Harbour 1941
Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7th 1941, the strategic decision making of America, Japan, Germany and Britain shaped the eventual outcome of the war itself. Japanese military planners realised they had begun a war they had no chance of winning and while Churchill rejoiced in this fact, he was also aware that a 'Japan first' strategy might divert badly needed American aid away from Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2019 • 26min
Eastern Europe's 'little Stalins' - Ulbricht, Beirut, Rakosi
The origins of Stalin's imitators, admirers and henchmen in Eastern Europe is explored in this podcast. Walter Ulbricht of East Germany, Boleslaw Beirut of Poland and Matyas Rakosi of Hungary respectively were the first generation of post war Stalinists to rule Eastern Europe, but their long association with Soviet communism from 1919 onwards through Comintern made them trusted and loyal candidates for power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2019 • 20min
Talking History: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
A new feature on the Explaining History Podcast, Talking History is our opportunity to hear from teachers, researchers, writers and academics about the history books they value and how they have engaged with them. Today's guest is history teacher Siobhan Profaska who has chosen The Five by Hallie Rubenhold to discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 8, 2019 • 25min
British society during the 1930s
By the eve of the Second World War, Great Britain had been economically eclipsed by the USA, but it was still the most industrialised and urbanised nation in the world and experienced a transition away from heavy to light industry. In the fields of aviation, mass media and scientific discovery, Britain continued to be a world leader. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
