Conflict of Interest

How do we begin to understand how civilians felt in a time of war? We often look to diaries and poetry - but today we look to the surrealist artists that sought to make sense of the most extreme times imaginable. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar is taken on a specially curated tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery by Iris Vasey - to discover  history's most private thoughts as their society descends into war.  Joining them both is  an expert in the psychological impact of warfare; from the First World War right up to today's drone wars, Dr Beryl Pong.   Objects discussed: Beatrice Viola Fergusson, 'Snapshots' sketchbook, 1938 Keith Vaughan, Echo of the Bombardment, 1942 Julien Trevelyan, Premonitions of the Blitz, 1940 Edward Burra, Blue Baby: Blitz Over Britain, 1941 Chisty, By the Moonlight, 2013 Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums

How do modern conflicts change the way artists respond to warfare?  In this bonus episode, Edmund Clark discusses his experiences of depicting life for those who are living in controlled environments.  In this wide-ranging conversation with Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at Imperial War Museums, we touch on many of the themes explored over series three, as well as how Clark tries to capture the invisible; how relationships form an integral part of his process, and the stories and artwork that can be created from the seemingly mundane. Narrator:  James Taylor Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums.   Podcast artwork photo © Oliver Abraham.

What did it take to capture 20th Century warfare on film - and how were they used in the war effort? Geoff Norcott joins curator James Taylor for a personalised tour of the artworks on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.   From reconnaissance missions by air to the cameramen risking their lives on the ground, images from this time have endured in our consciousness and shaped the way we have recorded war since. Expert Toby Haggith explains how the increasing sophistication of filmmakers impacted our view of the world.   Objects discussed: FWW reconnaisance 'AVIATION AS A RECONNOITRING POWER © IWM (IWM 1132) Eric Ravilious, De-icing Aircraft, 1942  'AIR RAID DAMAGE, LONDON, INDIAN AMPC © IWM Fire Over Hamburg, Royal Airforce Bomber Command, 1942-45 Film still: IWM (IWM 1132) Film still: IWM (AYY 57) Film still © The rights holder (HOY 26)   Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums  

Is there anything new in modern propaganda? Comedian Rachel Parris discovers how governments and protesters have always pulled on the public's emotional heartstrings across the 20th and 21st centuries. From shock tactics to satire, art curator Sarah Holdaway guides Rachel on a personalised tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery - accompanied by Dr Mark Sealy, Director of Autograph London and Professor of Photography at University of the Arts London. Content Warning: description of a dead child, with the image visible on certain podcast apps. Objects discussed: H.R.Hopps, Destroy This Mad Brute – Enlist 1917 Don't Falter - Go and Meet the Hun Menace (Australia), 1917 Madrid. The 'Military' Practice of the Rebels. If you tolerate this your children will be next. (c. 1937)  F H K Henrion, Stop Nuclear Suicide, 1963  Charles A Ridley, Germany Calling/Lambeth Walk, 1941  Kennardphillipps (Peter Kennard and Cat Picton-Phillipps), Photo Op (2007) Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums

What did artists and photographers choose to show us of the horrors of the front line? And how did Governments seek to curb what its citizens could see? Carl Miller (The Kill List) travels from the trenches of France to modern day Iraq, via the paintings and photography on display at the Blavtnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. Guiding Carl’s journey is Claire Brennard, Art Curator at IWM London, and Professor Ana Carden-Coyne, Director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War in Manchester -  encountering artistic works that have rarely been seen by the public. Objects Discussed: John Singer Sargent, Gassed, 1919  Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, The Doctor, 1916  Stanley Spencer, Travoys Arriving with Wounded at a dressing-station at Smol, Macedonia, September 1916, 1919  Francis Dodd, An Operation at the Military Hospital, Endell Street, Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson, Dr Flora Murray, Dr Winifred Buckley, 1920  Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, Paths of Glory, 1917  William Orpen, Dead Germans in a Trench, 1918  Steve McQueen, Queen and Country, 2008 Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums  

How did British society react to the sudden increase of women in the workforce during the First World War? Or the thousands of colonial volunteers brought over to fight Nazism?   Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum, Cheaters) is given a personal guided tour by IWM curator Geoff Spender, as the actor discovers the artists and photographers behind those stories -  encountering censored images of wartime Britain in the process.   They are joined by Dr Diya Gupta,  lecturer in public history at City University of London, as our tour takes us via India and the West Indies, in search of the beginnings of multiculturalism as we know it today.   Objects Discussed: Anna Airy, A Shell Forge at a National Projectile Factory, Hackney Marshes, London, 1918 Olive Edis, Women’s Services in France, 1919 photographs MOI Censored Photographs MOI Colour Photographs John Page, Paul Rotha Productions, West Indies Calling, 1943 Cecil Beaton, Official war photographs of Asia and Africa, 1942–1944   Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums  

How have artists, filmmakers and photographers shaped our understanding of wars and conflict? Journalist and writer Helen Lewis explores the recently-opened Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. From No Man's Land to mushroom clouds, Helen discovers the people that have interpreted over a hundred years of conflict, in this specially-curated tour by James Bulgin, Head of Public History at IWM. They are joined by Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters' Chief Photographer for the UK and Ireland, and a photojournalist for almost 30 years - and someone who can give us a first hand account of what it’s like to be capturing a seismic event in the moment. Objects Discussed: Paul Nash, The Menin Road, 1919 John Armstrong, Pro Patria, 1938  War Pictorial News No. 21 Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki, 1945 Suzanne Plunkett, People Covered in Dust and Debris New York, 11 September 2001 -  © AP (IWM DC 123993) © AP (IWM DC 124023) Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums

More conflicts explained in a brand new series focusing on the role of art, film and photography in depicting warfare across the Twentieth Century. This time featuring: Broadcaster Helen Lewis Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar Comedian Rachel Parris Writer Carl Miller (‘The Kill List’) Actor Susan Wokoma Comedian Geoff Norcott New episodes from 3rd January - if you know someone who would love our show, please share the news with this link: https://podfollow.com/conflict-of-interest Narrator:  James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. But what is the history behind this devastating war, and where did it all begin? In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, we explored Ukraine’s recent past, from the collapse of the Soviet Union to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Guests in this episode were comedian Sophie Duker, Ukrainian journalist, expert and activist Olga Tokariuk, academic and historian Samir Puri and senior IWM curator Carl Warner. ——— CLIPS: Bird's-Eye View Of 'Euromaidan' Protests In Kyiv - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nNFrvGOb9o&ab_channel=RadioFreeEurope%2FRadioLiberty Ukraine: 'Full scale invasion' by Russia under way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzfxkbGtCbY&ab_channel=CNN Ruslana - Wild Dances (Ukraine) - LIVE - 2004 Eurovision Song Contest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10XR67NQcAc&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution | Flashback | NBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nYAM-Jbfh4&ab_channel=NBCNews Ukraine gun battle caught on camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgoHI9A36u4&ab_channel=SkyNews

Few are aware of the secretive conflict that took place in the jungles of Malaysia in the 1940s and 1950s between British colonial forces and communist guerillas. So what tactics were used by both sides? Why was it called an Emergency and not a War? What happened to ordinary civilians caught in the crossfire? And why did this conflict become so important for future counterinsurgency campaigns?  In this episode we were joined by stand up comedian Phil Wang. -------------- CREDITS:  Excerpt from "Malayan Jungle Patrol Aka Malaya Report (1953)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo6W2s1_AfY&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9 Excerpt from "Malayan jungle fighting in 1952"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0PzaBY8-58&ab_channel=MichaelRogge Excerpt from "Sir Eden introduces new Malaya High Commissioner (1952)"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h1zqqttu3c&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9  

The Berlin Wall was one of the most important symbols of the Cold War, signifying the division of Europe into communist East and capitalist West. But why was the Wall built? How did it affect the lives of ordinary Berliners? And how did it come crashing down in 1989?  In this episode we were joined by Russell Tovey, renowned actor who has starred in Being Human, The History Boys and Him & Her.  --------- CREDITS:  Excerpt from Ronald Reagan: "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCO9BYCGNeY&ab_channel=NRCCCommunications Excerpt from John F. Kennedy's Speech at the Berlin Wall:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBQvKXIDiuc&ab_channel=NBCNewsLearn Excerpt from Vollständige Pressekonferenz Günter Schabowski / Full press conference Günter Schabowski 1989:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F65XKAc4BrA&ab_channel=historictv. Excerpt from Berlin Airlift - The Story Of A Great Achievement (1949) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nHdB1vJNsg&ab_channel=AIRBOYD Excerpt from Nikita Khrushchev's speech at the United Nations in 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8BZlTxRQuU&list=PLA50AB7N5S7dxS68CKFmhSkjRzCj-LSnd&index=17&ab_channel=jabarbadi Excerpt from David Bowie Heroes - Live front of the Reichstag in Berlin 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCI9o5IErwc

In this bonus episode of Conflict of Interest podcast, marking the twentieth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th, 2001, we examine this monumental moment in history which profoundly impacted the world of war and conflict, and the way we live our lives today. Our guests Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, hosts of the true crime podcast RedHanded, ask the simple but important questions about the events of 9/11: Who were al-Qaeda and what did they believe? What actually happened on September 11th? How have the attacks shaped our current world and values? Answering these questions are IWM curator Amanda Mason and King’s College London terrorism expert Shiraz Maher. We are also joined by special guest Mohsin Hamid, author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Want the chance to win a £50 Amazon gift voucher? Just fill in this quick survey on what you thought of the podcast: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7DH98XM. Terms and conditions apply. IWM is also inviting listeners to share their stories of how 9/11, and how the events that followed have impacted their lives today. Share your story here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/911 ------------------- CREDITS: Excerpt from ABC 9/11 9:02 - 9:12 - ABC Live Coverage on September 11, 2001. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaxo8-mvSCg&ab_channel=Resident_Pinto

So far, Conflict of Interest has examined wars in far-flung parts of the world like Yemen and Afghanistan. But in our final episode, we'll explore one much closer to home. When did ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland begin, and what was it like to live through them? Who were the IRA, and what happened on Bloody Sunday? And with the Good Friday agreement bringing an end to the conflict, what does Brexit mean for the peace process today? In this episode we were joined by James Graham, playwright and screenwriter behind This House, Quiz and Brexit: The Uncivil War. *credits*   ©  AP Archive.    Excerpt from ‘Reverend Ian Paisley | The price of Peace | This Week | 1974 https://youtu.be/wOsde5z0XsM Excerpt from Gerry Adams - Panorama Interview [1982] https://youtu.be/wqsfxs8qHu8

Until recently, Yemen was seen as a remote part of the world that many Westerners knew very little about, perhaps beyond the book-turned-film 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' and a Friends episode where Chandler moves to 15 Yemen Road. But in the last few years, the conflict there has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing starvation. So why did the violence start? Who are the Houthis? What has been the true impact on Yemen’s civilian population? And what is Britain’s role in all of this? In this episode we were joined by comedian, rapper and satirist Munya Chawawa, as well as Yemen expert Iona Craig. Credits   ©  AP Archive. Boris Johnson remarks, 2017.   Excerpt from CNN - 'This war has to end': Watch Biden's Yemen announcement - https://edition.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/02/04/joe-biden-foreign-policy-yemen-saudi-arabia-sot-vpx.cnn Audio clips from Iona Craig

The Syrian conflict is one of the most complex and catastrophic wars of recent memory. It has left more than 380,000 people dead and over 10 million people displaced, has destroyed entire cities and drawn interventions from multiple countries. But what are the roots of this conflict? Why has it been so chaotic? And is there any hope on the horizon for Syria’s devastated civilian population? In this episode we were joined by Carey Mulligan, award winning actor and star of ‘Promising Young Woman’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Waad al-Kateab, Syrian filmmaker and creator of ‘For Sama’. CREDITS: Maysaloon - Pillars Of Creation (Single Performance) | Live at The Imperial War Museum, London, UK (YouTube video clip by Maysaloon) For Sama, Courtesy of Channel 4 / ITN Productions US President Barack Obama in 'red line' warning to Syria over chemical weapons, The Telegraph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avQKLRGRhPU

Who was Muammar Gaddafi? What happened in the Arab Spring? What were the reasons behind Britain, France and America intervening in Libya in 2011? And why is there still fighting going on today? In this episode we’ll explain the story behind one of the most consequential (and confusing) conflicts of recent times. In this episode, we were joined by the renowned poet and playwright Inua Ellams, who has written plays including Barber Shop Chronicles and An Evening With An Immigrant. ----------------- CREDITS:  Muammar Gaddafi - Zenga Zenga Song - Noy Alooshe Remix (YouTube video clip by Noy Alooshe) Clinton recalls night of Benghazi attack, © Associated Press British Foreign Secretary meets head of Libyan National Army, © Associated Press    

The Iraq War is one of the most controversial events in recent history. But who really was Saddam Hussein? What was the rationale behind the invasion? What went so badly wrong after 2003? And what are the consequences of the War today?  In this episode we were joined by Rick Edwards, TV presenter and former host of T4 and Tool Academy. ©  AP Archive.  ©  Parliamentary Recording Unit Excerpt from ‘Iraq War Peace Protests (2003) | Footage’ LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffEVrn6Kkpw&t=1547s&ab_channel=JourneymanPictures

9/11. Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban. Helmand. IEDs. These are some of the phrases associated with the War in Afghanistan. But why did Britain, America and others intervene there in 2001? Why did troops stay after the intervention? And what has happened in the region since, in what became America’s longest running conflict? In this week's episode we were joined by comedian Jamali Maddix, presenter of Hate Thy Neighbour and guest on Taskmaster. This episode was recorded in November 2020. *credits*© AP Archive. Trump address to press, March 2020 © AP Archive. Blair reacts to US attacks in Afghanistan, October 2001

In the 1990s, countries like Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia saw some of the worst violence in Europe since the Second World War. So why did war break out in the former Yugoslavia, how did the conflict play out, and how far back does the story go?  In this week's episode we were joined by Deborah Frances-White, host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. Please be aware this episode includes descriptions of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, please vist Women for Women International for more information and advice. https://womenforwomen.org.uk/    ----------------- CREDITS:  - Oj Alija Aljo - song by Koridor - The Fall of Žepa (Zenica) - video clip from United Nations Television (UNTV) Zagreb Collection, Yugoslavia (UNT 765 ©United Nations) - Excerpt from the Initial Appearance of Slobodan Milošević on 3 July 2001 - video clip from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5AnfAglPbI&t=31s&ab_channel=InternationalCriminalTribunalfortheformerYugoslavia%28ICTY%29 - Excerpt from ‘Gazimestan, 600th anniversary of the Kosovo polje battle’ LINK: https://archive.org/details/Gazimestan600thAnniversaryOfTheKosovoPoljeBattle

A new series from Imperial War Museums - subscribe now on your podcast app of choice.