Explaining History

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to cultural historian Alwyn Turner about his latest book, Shellshock Nation: Britain Between the Wars.We often remember the 1930s as W.H. Auden's "low, dishonest decade"—a time of mass unemployment, hunger marches, and the looming shadow of fascism. But was it really all doom and gloom? Alwyn argues that for many in Britain, the interwar years were a period of vibrant creativity, rising living standards, and the birth of modern consumer culture.From the explosion of paperback books and the popularity of greyhound racing to the abdication crisis and the fear of aerial bombardment, we explore the complexities of a society caught between the trauma of the First World War and the terror of the Second. Was the British Union of Fascists really a threat? Why did the public cling to appeasement? And how did a nation that prided itself on being "non-political" navigate the age of extremes?Key Topics:The Devil's Decade: Reassessing the 1930s beyond the Depression.The Abdication Crisis: Why the public accepted the departure of the "Playboy Prince."The Paperback Revolution: How Penguin Books democratized reading.The Shadow of the Bomber: How the fear of air war changed British psychology.Books Mentioned:Shellshock Nation by Alwyn TurnerThe Morbid Age by Richard OveryThe Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes by Jonathan RoseExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the social and historical roots of the fascist foot soldier. Who are the young men who join paramilitary organizations, and what drives them?Following the shocking execution of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, we draw parallels between the modern American far-right and the Nazi Brownshirts (SA) of the 1920s and 30s. We examine how resentment, loss of status, and the "psychological wage" of whiteness fuel the recruitment of disaffected men into forces of state repression.From the "stab in the back" myth in Weimar Germany to the "Great Replacement" theory in Trump's America, Nick argues that fascism thrives on a sense of grievance and the promise of restored dominance. Is ICE becoming the shock troops of a new authoritarianism, designed not just to enforce borders but to provoke civil conflict?Plus: A recap of our successful Russian Revolution Masterclass and details on the upcoming session on Post-War America!Key Topics:The Brownshirt Demographic: Why bored, angry young men flocked to the SA.Fascism as Struggle: The ideology of constant battle and radicalization.The Psychological Wage: W.E.B. Du Bois on why poor whites defend racial hierarchy.ICE as Agent Provocateur: How paramilitary violence is being used to justify martial law.Announcements:Patreon: Listen ad-free for £5/month.Masterclass: Tickets for the Post-War America (1945-74) session are coming soon!Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. We shift our focus to North Africa, where a newly unified Italy sought to satisfy its imperial ambitions by seizing Libya—the Ottomans' last foothold on the continent.Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans, we examine the invasion of 1911 and the fierce guerrilla resistance led by the Young Turk officer Enver Pasha. From his alliance with the mystical Senussi Brotherhood to his use of Islam as a mobilizing force against European colonialism, Enver's campaign in the desert foreshadowed the tactics of the First World War.Nick also discusses the broader geopolitical fallout: how Italy's aggression exposed Ottoman weakness, triggering the Balkan Wars and setting the stage for the catastrophic collapse of 1914. Was the seizure of Libya the first domino in the chain reaction that led to the Great War?Plus: A final call for history students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is this Sunday, January 25th. Don't miss out on this deep dive into exam technique and historical argument.Key Topics:The Italian Invasion: Why a "liberal" Italy launched a brutal colonial war.Enver Pasha: The secular Young Turk who became a desert warrior.The Senussi Brotherhood: The Islamic order that fought alongside the Ottomans.The Balkan Card: How the war in Libya triggered the collapse of Ottoman power in Europe.Books Mentioned:The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene RoganExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns to the global dimensions of the Russian Revolution. Drawing on Robert Service's Spies and Commissars: Bolshevik Russia and the West, we explore how the events of 1917 reverberated far beyond Petrograd.We delve into the chaotic collapse of the Romanov dynasty and the fragile "dual power" that followed. Why did the liberal Provisional Government fail to consolidate power? And how did the Bolsheviks—a small group of exiles caught completely by surprise—navigate their way back to Russia?From the euphoric reaction of emigre circles in London (where Maxim Litvinov tried to shave with toothpaste in his excitement) to the geopolitical chess game played by Britain, France, and the US, we examine the revolution not just as a Russian event, but as a pivotal moment in the First World War. Nick also discusses the historiographical battles over the period—was it a coup, a popular uprising, or a tragedy?—and why historians like Service and Orlando Figes have faced the ire of the modern left.Plus: A final reminder for students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is this Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.Key Topics:The February Revolution: How strikes in Petrograd toppled the Tsar while Lenin was stuck in Switzerland.Dual Power: The uneasy alliance between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.The Exile's Return: How revolutionaries navigated a war-torn Europe to get home.Global Reactions: Why Western powers initially welcomed the fall of the Tsar, and how 1917 reshaped the war.Books Mentioned:Spies and Commissars by Robert ServiceA People's Tragedy by Orlando FigesStalin's Nemesis by Bertrand PatenaudeExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns his attention to the escalating diplomatic crisis over Greenland and what it reveals about the frailty of the post-Brexit United Kingdom.As Donald Trump eyes the annexation of Danish sovereign territory, Europe is drawing a line in the sand. But where is Britain? Nick argues that the UK's muted response exposes the utter failure of its "Global Britain" strategy. Having severed ties with the EU, London finds itself trapped in a subservient relationship with an American president who views allies not as partners, but as vassals.We explore the potential for a new geopolitical alignment: a "Continental Bloc" stretching from Brussels to Beijing via Moscow, united by shared hostility to American unilateralism. Could Europe really pivot away from the US? And what does the weaponization of the dollar mean for the future of Western power?Plus: A final reminder for students! Tickets for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th are selling fast. Book now to secure your place.Key Topics:The Greenland Ultimatum: Trump's imperial vanity project and the European pushback.British Impotence: Why Keir Starmer cannot afford to challenge Washington.The Continental Pivot: Could the EU ally with China and Russia to survive Trump?De-Dollarization: The existential threat to American hegemony.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the darkest chapters of the American Civil Rights movement: the Freedom Summer of 1964 and the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.Drawing on Jonathan Darman's Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America, we delve into the terrifying reality of Mississippi in the mid-60s. Why did over a thousand idealistic students head south to register Black voters? And how did the local white establishment—from the police to the Klan—respond with a campaign of terror designed to maintain the racial hierarchy?We examine the chilling details of the abduction and execution of the three civil rights workers, the complicity of local law enforcement, and the political calculations of President Lyndon B. Johnson as he navigated the passage of the Civil Rights Act. From the "psychological wage" of whiteness to the long shadow of Jim Crow violence, this episode uncovers the brutal resistance to democracy in the Deep South.Plus: Don't miss our upcoming Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure!Key Topics:Freedom Summer: The campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi.The Murders: The abduction and killing of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner by the Klan and police.LBJ's Dilemma: How the president balanced civil rights legislation with the fear of a "second Reconstruction."The White Backlash: Understanding the violent defense of racial hierarchy in the South.Books Mentioned:Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America by Jonathan DarmanSet the Night on Fire by Mike Davis and Jon WienerBlack Reconstruction in America by W.E.B. Du BoisExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In the second part of our deep dive into the origins of the Soviet famine, Nick continues his exploration of 1928-1929, the critical years that sealed the fate of the Russian peasantry.Drawing again on Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s "emergency measures"—intended to be temporary—became a permanent war on the countryside. Why did the Bolsheviks believe that the "middle peasant" was a capitalist hoarder? How did the regime’s reliance on bad data lead to a spiral of confiscation and violence that destroyed the incentives to produce food?We uncover the tragic logic of a state that viewed market mechanisms as a threat and chose instead to loot its own people, setting the stage for the catastrophic famine of the early 1930s.Plus: A reminder for history students! Tickets are selling fast for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.Key Topics:The Emergency Measures of 1928: How temporary requisitioning became permanent policy.The Destruction of the Market: Why peasants stopped producing grain once the state began seizing it.Stalin's "Breathtaking Frankness": Admitting that the "tribute" levied on peasants was necessary for industrialization.The Myth of Hoarding: How the regime chased a phantom surplus that didn't exist.Books Mentioned:The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert ConquestBloodlands by Timothy SnyderExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns his attention to the economic chaos brewing in Washington. With Donald Trump threatening a criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, we explore the dangerous politicization of America’s central bank.Why is the independence of the Fed so crucial to the global financial system? What happens when a president tries to bully interest rates down to win an election? Nick argues that Trump’s erratic behavior, combined with the weaponization of the dollar, is accelerating the process of "de-dollarization"—an existential threat to American power far greater than any tariff war.From the exorbitant privilege of the dollar to the looming debt crisis, we unpack the mechanics of imperial decline. Is Trump about to crash the only thing keeping the US military machine afloat?Plus: A reminder for history students—tickets are now available for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on January 26th!Key Topics:The War on the Fed: Trump’s attempt to seize control of monetary policy.De-Dollarization: Why global investors are losing faith in the greenback.Imperial Overstretch: How the dollar funds America's global military footprint.Stalinist Paranoia: Comparing Trump’s use of the FBI to historical purges.Listen to this episode advert free on Patreon hereAlso, you can sign up for the Explaining History Russian Revolution Masterclass hereExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to the turbulent twilight of the Ottoman Empire. Following the euphoria of the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, disillusionment quickly set in. We explore the 1909 Counter-Revolution, where religious conservatives and mutinous soldiers attempted to roll back constitutional rule and restore the Sultan's absolute power.But the restoration of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) did not bring stability. Instead, it exposed deep ethnic fault lines. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans, we examine how the "Armenian Question" metastasized from a demand for civil rights into a pretext for mass murder.From the massacres in Adana to the cynical interventions of European powers, we trace the road to the first genocide of the 20th century. How did the fear of partition radicalize the Ottoman state? And what role did the Great Powers play in turning ethnic tension into catastrophe?Listen to this episode advert free on Patreon hereAlso, you can sign up for the Explaining History Russian Revolution Masterclass hereKey Topics:The 1909 Counter-Revolution: The failed attempt to restore Islamic law and absolutism.The Armenian Question: How demands for autonomy were viewed as an existential threat.The Adana Massacres: The prelude to the genocide of 1915.European Intervention: How Western meddling exacerbated sectarian violence.Books Mentioned:The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene RoganExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOR ADVERT FREE EPISODES JOIN OUR PATREON HEREEpisode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the pervasive yet elusive ideology of neoliberalism. Why do we treat free-market capitalism as a natural law, like gravity, rather than a political choice?Drawing on George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison’s The Invisible Doctrine, we delve into the origins of the neoliberal project—from the Mont Pelerin Society to the policies of Reagan and Thatcher. Nick argues that capitalism isn't just about market exchange; it is a system designed for the concentration of capital, one that reshapes all social and political relations to serve that end.From the myth of meritocracy and the "trickle-down" fallacy to the rise of what Yanis Varoufakis calls "techno-feudalism," we examine how this anonymous ideology has led to inequality, environmental degradation, and the erosion of democracy.Plus: A reminder for history students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is coming up on Sunday, January 25th. Listen for details on how to book your spot.Key Topics:The Invisible Doctrine: How neoliberalism hides in plain sight.Techno-Feudalism: Rent extraction in the age of Silicon Valley.The Myth of the Free Market: Why capitalism requires an active, sometimes authoritarian, state.The Great Reversal: How the post-war social democratic consensus was dismantled.Books Mentioned:The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism by George Monbiot and Peter HutchisonTechnofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis VaroufakisDebt: The First 5000 Years by David GraeberExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this urgent episode of Explaining History, Nick addresses the breaking news from Minnesota: the execution of 37-year-old Renée Good by ICE agents.This is not just a news story; it is a historical inflection point. We explore the parallels between the unchecked violence of ICE and the early days of the Nazi SA (Brownshirts) in 1933. When a paramilitary force operates with impunity and state backing, the rule of law collapses.Nick argues that we cannot separate the history of the 20th century from the crisis of the present. From the "flexible labor markets" of neoliberalism to the racial violence of the Jim Crow era, the forces that led to this moment have deep roots. Why are political figures like Kristi Noem rushing to defend the indefensible? And is the US now sliding into the kind of state-sanctioned terror usually associated with 1970s Latin American dictatorships?Key Topics:The Execution of Renée Good: Analyzing the chilling reports of an extrajudicial killing.Historical Parallels: Comparing the impunity of ICE to the Nazi Brownshirts.The Politics of Cruelty: Why figures like Stephen Miller revel in suffering.The End of the Liberal Order: How the "beacon of freedom" became a carceral state.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the complex and often suppressed memory of China's recent past. Drawing on Tania Branigan's Red Memory, we delve into the heart of Beijing—Tiananmen Square—and unpack its layers of history, from the May Fourth Movement of 1919 to the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 and the tragedy of 1989.Why does the portrait of Mao Zedong still gaze over the square, despite the catastrophes of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution? How does the Chinese Communist Party use "Red Tourism" and curated museums to construct a narrative of national rejuvenation while burying the trauma of its own making? From the "Century of Humiliation" to Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream," we examine how memory is not just history, but a tool of state legitimacy.Plus: A reminder for students! Tickets are selling fast for our live masterclass on the Russian Revolution and Stalinism on January 26th.and you can access advert free episodes here on PatreonKey Topics:Tiananmen Square: A site of revolution, celebration, and massacre.The Cult of Mao: Why the Chairman remains the "vigilant eye" over modern China.Red Tourism: How the party commodifies its revolutionary past.Historical Amnesia: The erasure of the Cultural Revolution and the Great Famine from public discourse.Books Mentioned:Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution by Tania BraniganThe Age of Extremes by Eric Hobsbawm (referenced contextually)Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the escalating crisis that threatens to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). With Donald Trump eyeing Greenland as a territorial acquisition and European leaders issuing a rare, unified rebuke, the alliance forged in 1949 to contain Soviet power is facing its greatest existential threat.We delve into the history of NATO—from the Berlin Airlift and the Truman Doctrine to its expansion after the Cold War. How did an alliance built on the principle of "an attack on one is an attack on all" crumble into transactionalism? Nick argues that Trump doesn't see a Pax Americana; he sees a world of rival great powers where alliances are liabilities unless they pay cash.If the US moves against Danish sovereign territory, can NATO survive? And what does this mean for Vladimir Putin, who may be watching the disintegration of his greatest enemy with glee?Plus: Big announcements! We are launching on Patreon for ad-free listening, and tickets are now live for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on January 26th.Key Topics:The Greenland Crisis: European leaders draw a line in the sand over Danish sovereignty.The Origins of NATO: How the Berlin Blockade and the Marshall Plan built the Western alliance.Trump vs. The Alliance: Why the "America First" doctrine views NATO as a bad deal.A European Defense Force? What happens to European security if the US pulls out?Books Mentioned:The Cold War: A New History by John Lewis Gaddis (contextual reference)Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the most debated questions in modern history: Was the Russian Revolution inevitable?Moving beyond the simple narrative of "peace, land, and bread," we delve into the competing schools of historiography that have shaped our understanding of 1917. From the Soviet orthodoxy of historical determinism to the Western liberal view of a Bolshevik coup d'état, and finally to the revisionist and post-revisionist syntheses of scholars like Sheila Fitzpatrick and Orlando Figes.We also examine the structural argument: that revolutions only happen when states cease to function. Was the Tsarist regime doomed by its own incompetence, or could it have survived without the catalyst of World War I? Nick unpacks how the "Great Man" theory fails to explain the collapse of empires and why understanding historiography is the key to unlocking top grades in history exams.Plus: A major announcement for students! Booking is now open for our live masterclass on the Russian Revolution and Stalinism, taking place on Sunday, January 25th. Listen to the end for details on how to secure your spot.Key Topics:The Soviet View: Historical inevitability and Marxist-Leninist dogma.The Liberal View: The revolution as a coup by a fanatical minority.The Revisionist View: The role of genuine mass movements and social history.State Collapse: Why you can't overthrow a functioning state.Books Mentioned:A People's Tragedy by Orlando FigesThe Russian Revolution by Sheila FitzpatrickThe Anxious Triumph by Donald SassoonExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:One day after the shock attack on Caracas, Nick returns with an update on the US intervention in Venezuela. With President Maduro reportedly abducted and Donald Trump promising to "run Venezuela," we delve into the grim logistics of occupying a nation larger than France.Drawing parallels with the Boer War, Vietnam, and the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003, Nick argues that while the US may have the firepower to win a battle, it lacks the numbers, the political will, and the institutional memory to win the peace. Has the Trump administration purged the very experts who would have warned against such a folly? And will this act of imperial hubris mark the moment American hard power finally collapses under its own weight?Key Topics:The Logistical Nightmare: Why occupying Venezuela would require hundreds of thousands of troops.Trump’s "Quiet Part Out Loud": The explicit goal of seizing oil resources.Asymmetric Warfare: How drones and insurgency could bleed an occupying force dry.Institutional Memory Loss: The danger of purging the State Department and Pentagon of dissenting voices.Plus: A new announcement about Patreon! Listen ad-free for just £5 a month.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this special emergency episode of Explaining History, Nick reacts to the breaking news of US military action in Venezuela. Reports indicate Apache gunships over Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by American forces.We explore the profound historical implications of this event. While Maduro may be a "gangster," his removal by a foreign power shatters centuries of diplomatic norms dating back to the Treaty of Westphalia. Nick argues that 2026 marks the definitive end of the "Pax Americana" and the rules-based international order established in 1945.From the echoes of the Monroe Doctrine to the collapse of American soft power, we discuss how the Trump administration’s "gangster state" tactics are reshaping the world into naked power blocs. Is this a strategic masterstroke to secure oil resources, or a reckless gamble that will accelerate America's isolation?Key Topics:The Attack on Caracas: Assessing the reports of US intervention and the kidnapping of a head of state.The End of International Law: Why pre-emptive regime change destroys the post-WWII consensus.Trump’s "Gangster State": The shift from soft power to raw, transactional force.Geopolitical Fallout: How Russia, China, and the Global South will react to this flagrant breach of sovereignty.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the grim reality of the Soviet camp system. Drawing on Anne Applebaum’s Gulag: A History, we explore how the camps evolved from disorganized prisons into a vast industrial complex of slave labour.We examine the "Great Terror" of 1937-38 not just as a political purge, but as a bureaucratic process driven by quotas and paranoia. Why did Stalin purge the very men—Yagoda, Yezhov, Berman—who built the Gulag system? How did the failure of forced industrialization lead to a search for scapegoats? And why were the death rates in the camps actually higher during the famine of 1932-33 and the war years than during the height of the political terror?Plus: A huge announcement for A-Level and IB History students! Nick unveils the dates for our upcoming live masterclasses on Russia, America, China, and Germany. Listen to the end for details on how to book your spot.Key Topics:The Great Terror: Why 1937-38 marked a watershed moment for the camps.Quotas of Death: How the NKVD assigned arrest targets to regions like production goals.The Purge of the Purgers: The downfall of the Gulag's founders.Clientelism and Paranoia: Why Stalin feared networks of loyalty within the Soviet bureaucracy.Books Mentioned:Gulag: A History by Anne ApplebaumEveryday Stalinism by Sheila FitzpatrickExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In the first episode of 2026, Nick embarks on a year-long exploration of Eric Hobsbawm's monumental work, The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991.We begin by examining Hobsbawm’s premise: that the 20th century was defined by a binary struggle between ideologies that mutually excluded one another—capitalism vs. communism, democracy vs. fascism. But as Nick argues, this Western-centric view often simplifies the complex realities of national liberation struggles in China, Vietnam, and the Global South.The episode also delves into one of the most pressing issues for modern historians: "historical amnesia." Why, despite living in an age of information saturation, do we feel increasingly disconnected from the past? Drawing on Tony Judt and Hobsbawm, we explore how the breakdown of intergenerational storytelling and the allure of the "endless now" have created a society adrift in a permanent present.Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students launching later this month!Key Topics:The Short 20th Century: Hobsbawm’s definition of the era from 1914 to 1991.Historical Amnesia: Why the destruction of social memory is the eerie hallmark of the late 20th century.The Problem of Judgment: Why understanding the context of atrocities like the Holocaust does not mean forgiving them.The Binary Trap: Moving beyond the simple "Good vs. Evil" narrative of the Cold War.Books Mentioned:The Age of Extremes by Eric HobsbawmPostwar by Tony JudtExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the neglected connection between economic austerity and political repression in the early years of Fascist Italy.Drawing on the groundbreaking work of economist Clara Mattei, we delve into how Mussolini's regime used budget cuts, regressive taxation, and mass layoffs not just to balance the books, but to crush the Italian working class. We examine the "Two Red Years" (Biennio Rosso) that terrified the bourgeoisie and how Fascism was welcomed by liberal elites as a necessary tool to restore order and protect private capital.From the hiking of third-class rail fares to the slashing of veteran benefits, we unpack how economic policy was weaponized to reverse the democratic gains of the post-WWI era. Was austerity the true engine of the Fascist counter-revolution?Key Topics:Austerity as Repression: How economic policy was used to discipline the working class.The Liberal-Fascist Alliance: Why mainstream economists supported Mussolini.The Biennio Rosso: The socialist uprising that terrified Italy’s elites.The Motto "Nothing for Nothing": De Stefani’s ruthless approach to public spending.Resources:"Austerity and Repressive Politics: Italian Economists and the Early Years of the Fascist Government" by Clara Mattei (Institute of Economics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of 1960s radicalism, focusing on the disconnect between the student-led "New Left" and the American working class.While the counterculture is often remembered through images of campus protests and the SDS, the reality was far more complex. Drawing on Kim McQuaid’s The Anxious Years and Mike Davis’s Set the Night on Fire, we examine why the anti-war movement struggled to build bridges with blue-collar workers who were enjoying unprecedented prosperity.From the "hard hat riots" to the collapse of the Old Left after Khrushchev's secret speech, we delve into the ideological vacuum that student radicals tried—and largely failed—to fill. Why did the New Left view unions as "traitors to their class"? And how did the affluent origins of the student movement alienate the very people they hoped to liberate?Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students in early 2026!Key Topics:The Ivory Tower: Why the New Left remained isolated on university campuses.The Hard Hat Riots: The clash between student radicals and pro-Nixon construction workers.The Collapse of the Old Left: How 1956 and 1968 destroyed faith in Soviet communism.Affluence vs. Revolution: Why prosperity dampened the revolutionary zeal of the American working class.Books Mentioned:The Anxious Years by Kim McQuaidSet the Night on Fire by Mike Davis and Jon WienerOne-Dimensional Man by Herbert MarcuseExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.