Explaining History

As an international aid flotilla approaches the shores of Gaza, sailing directly towards an Israeli naval blockade, strikers in Italy have forced the government there to send warships to escort them (much against the official policy of the far right Meloni government). This shows us the power of solidarity and strike action. Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining 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.

Who really built the global economy? Traditional history books tell a story dominated by men—inventors, industrialists, and financiers. But what if this narrative is missing half the picture?In this eye-opening episode, host Nick is joined by Dr. Victoria Bateman of Gresham College to discuss her hugely ambitious new book, Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Dr. Bateman challenges the very foundations of economic history, arguing that our understanding of wealth creation is fundamentally flawed because it has systematically ignored the contributions of women.This conversation travels from the Stone Age to the present day, shattering one of history's biggest myths: that women were simply housewives until the 20th century.In this episode, you will discover:The Unseen Engine: How unpaid care work, performed overwhelmingly by women, underpins the entire global economy—equivalent in value to the US, Chinese, and EU economies combined.Beyond the Stereotypes: The surprising history of women in traditionally "masculine" jobs, from brewers in medieval London to pyramid builders in ancient Egypt.Boom and Bust: How labour shortages, such as those following the Black Death, created economic opportunities for women, while periods of high population often saw them pushed out of the workforce.Revolutionary Women: The forgotten female activists who were at the forefront of major historical events, including the 1917 Russian Revolution.The Power of Choice: Why a flourishing economy depends not just on women working, but on their freedom to choose their work and keep the rewards.At a time of renewed debate about gender, work, and equality, this episode provides a crucial historical perspective, revealing that the story of the economy is a story that cannot be told without understanding the central role of women.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.

Unveiling Uzbekistan: A Nation at the Crossroads of History and FutureJoin host Nick as he welcomes back acclaimed journalist and author Joanna Lillis to the Explaining History podcast. Seven years after her last appearance to discuss her book on Kazakhstan, "Dark Shadows," Joanna returns to shed light on the enigmatic nation of Uzbekistan, the subject of her new book, "Silk Mirage."This episode delves into the complexities of a country that was, for 25 years, one of the world's most brutal dictatorships and is now navigating a period of reform dubbed the "Uzbek Spring." Lillis, drawing on two decades of experience living in and reporting on Central Asia, provides a nuanced and insightful look into Uzbekistan's past, present, and future.In this episode, we explore:The core themes of "Silk Mirage," including Uzbekistan's political evolution, economic reforms, and the challenges of emerging from a dictatorship.The geopolitical significance of Uzbekistan, a nation positioned between the great powers of Russia and China, and its role in China's Belt and Road Initiative.The impact of the long war in neighbouring Afghanistan on Uzbekistan's security and foreign policy.The potential for economic transformation as Uzbekistan leverages its strategic location and young population.The cultural landscape of Uzbekistan, from its famous silk industry to a surprising and vast collection of avant-garde art hidden in the desert.The improving relations between Central Asian states and the region's growing presence on the world stage.Whether you're a history enthusiast, a follower of international affairs, or simply curious about a little-understood part of the world, this conversation with Joanna Lillis offers a captivating and essential guide to the fascinating and strategically important nation of Uzbekistan.Joanna's new book, "Silk Mirage," will be published by Bloomsbury on November 13th and is available for pre-order now. Support independent bookshops or order directly from the publisher where possible.Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining 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, The Explaining History Podcast explores the dark and complex evolution of genocide during the Second World War. Drawing on the foundational research of Nikolaus Wachsmann in his seminal work, "KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps," and the broader "functionalist" school of historical thought, this episode traces the path to the Holocaust.The discussion will move away from a simplistic view of a pre-meditated plan for mass extermination and instead delve into the radicalization of Nazi policy over time. Listeners will learn how the concentration camp system, initially designed for political opponents, horrifically transformed into a network of death camps. The episode will examine the key turning points and bureaucratic momentums that led to the "Final Solution," highlighting how a series of escalating decisions and the brutalizing logic of the war itself culminated in the systematic murder of millions.Join us as we unpack the complex and often chillingly rational processes that led to the unimaginable, providing a nuanced and deeply researched perspective of one of the Holocaust's key moments of radicalisation.Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining 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 the post war decades huge strides were made across the world to address the worst aspects of social deprivation using the coordinated power of the state. Often the resulted showed working class communities that those deciding their fate were indifferent as to the actual results. In Tony Judt's penultimate book Ill Fares The Land, he explores the crises of social provision and the fragmentation of the old and the new left of the 1960s on the issues of collectivism and individualism.Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining 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.

This week, two seemingly separate events tell a single, troubling story about Britain's place in the modern world. First, a massive, 100,000-strong far-right rally, supported by American funding, took to the streets of London. Now, Keir Starmer's government is preparing to roll out the red carpet for an unprecedented second state visit for Donald Trump.These are not separate events. They are two acts in the same play.In this episode, Nick Shepley argues that Britain is preparing to advertise its own weakness and vassalage on the world stage. We explore the deep connections between the rise of the externally-funded far-right and the impending arrival of a US President who has built his career on identifying and exploiting the weakest mark.In this analysis, we discuss:The Unprecedented Visit: Why is a British government offering an honour to Donald Trump that no American President in history has ever received before?Trump's Worldview: Understanding Trump's motives not through the lens of traditional diplomacy, but through the brutal logic of a mob-associated property developer looking for the easiest shakedown.The Post-Brexit Reality: How Britain, adrift from its traditional European partners, has become the perfect soft target for American economic and political domination.The Historical Parallel: We look at how great powers in decline often find themselves in these positions of weakness, forced to perform loyalty to a new global hegemon. This isn't a "Special Relationship"; it's a client relationship.A Grim Prediction: Why this visit is set up to be a public humiliation, and why the British government may have no choice but to accept it.▸ Go Deeper: Visit our website at www.explaininghistory.org for articles and detailed explorations of the topics discussed.▸ Join the Conversation: Our community of history enthusiasts discusses episodes, shares ideas, and continues the conversation. Find us on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast/Substack: https://theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com/▸ Support the Podcast: Explaining History is a listener-supported production. Your contribution helps us cover the costs of research and keep these conversations going. You can support the show and get access to exclusive content by becoming a patron.Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/explaininghistoryExplaining 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.

If you’re new to Explaining History, this short trailer is the perfect introduction to the show.For over a decade, we've been helping listeners understand the 20th Century. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the critical events, ideologies, and conflicts that shaped our modern world. This isn't a dry lecture; it's an engaging, critical conversation that connects the past to the present in concise, 25-minute episodes.Like what you hear? Hit 'Subscribe' or 'Follow' in your podcast app now so you never miss an episode.▸ 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.orgExplaining 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, we explore the creation of the Central African Federation (1953–1963), Britain’s attempt to bind together Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland into one semi-autonomous bloc. The federation was sold as a bold experiment in multiracial partnership and economic modernization, but in reality it served white settler interests while tightening imperial control.Drawing on Martin Thomas’s Fight or Flight, we examine why London pursued this policy at a time when decolonization pressures were mounting, how African nationalist movements responded, and why the project ultimately collapsed within a decade. The federation’s rise and fall offers a powerful lens into Britain’s postwar dilemmas: the desire to maintain global influence, the fear of strategic retreat, and the contradictions of empire in an age of independence.Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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 the late 1940s and early 1950s some of the most extreme anti communist laws were passed at state level, including the death penalty for membership of any seditious organisation and the compulsory registration of subversive parties. None of this legislation was ever actually enacted and much of it was declared unconstitutional by federal judges and counteracted by federal legislation, but it gives us a valuable snapshot of the climate of hysteria and dread in America at the time. Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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.

During the Second World War Mohammad Reza Pahlavi took to the throne of Iran, placed into power by the British and the Soviets to depose his Nazi backing father. The Shah was able to break from the constitutional limitations upon him in 1953 after the British and Americans overthrew Iran's Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh. A decade later, the Shah began to radically transform Iran socially and economically, but in doing so built up powerful revolutionary tensions. For more on Iran, you can read my latest series of essay 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.

A seismic shift in US global strategy appears to be confirmed. In this explosive episode, we dissect the leaked draft of the Pentagon's latest National Defense Strategy, which signals a historic reversal of decades of American foreign policy.We delve into the news that the US is formally de-prioritizing the "deterrence of China" in favor of a new focus on the homeland and the Western Hemisphere. What makes this shift so remarkable is its author: Elbridge Colby, the renowned strategist and author of "The Strategy of Denial," a book literally dedicated to containing Beijing. Has access to real intelligence revealed the futility of the mission?Was the much-hyped "pivot to Asia" always just rhetorical cover for a gradual withdrawal? Is this new doctrine not just an Asian exit, but a full-scale retrenchment from America's role as the global hegemon? Are we witnessing the end of the American Century? Is this a pragmatic acceptance of multipolarity and structural decline, or a dangerous vacuum that other powers will rush to fill? Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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, we explore Mikhail Gorbachev’s bold diplomatic strategy during the mid-1980s. Between 1985 and 1988, Gorbachev sought to end the crippling arms race with the United States and ease the immense economic burden of Cold War militarisation on the Soviet Union.We examine the key moments of his diplomacy: the Geneva and Reykjavik summits, his pursuit of arms reduction agreements with President Reagan, and the wider goal of redirecting Soviet resources away from military expenditure and towards much-needed economic reform.By reassessing both superpowers’ assumptions about security, Gorbachev challenged decades of Cold War orthodoxy. But his reforms also carried risks, provoking resistance from hardliners at home and raising questions about the future of the Soviet empire.Join us as we unpack how Gorbachev’s efforts to reduce the arms spending burden helped reshape the Cold War, and how his diplomacy set in motion forces that he could neither fully control nor contain.Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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 1940, when France fell to the Nazi invasion its colonies became Vichy satellites and in Asia, Vietnam rapidly fell under Japanese control. The French colonial elites saw their power gradually stripped away from them but it was the Vietnamese people that suffered terribly from Japanese rule with over a million dying in a famine created by the occupiers. The American OSS shipped arms to the Vietminh, the national liberation movement, but by 1945 they were far more concerned about the returning French colonisers than the Japanese. Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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.

Tony Benn was one of the most important political figures in the second half of the 20th Century in Britain. His journey from the centreground of Labour politics to the left and his understanding of the various traditions and ideas within the Labour movement is the topic of today's podcast. In this episode we look at the collection of Benn's postumous speeches and writings - The Most Dangerous Man in Britain - and his essay Marxism and the Labour Party.Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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.

Something is happening in Britain, and it's not going to go down well with the established parties, the media, or the far right Reform Party that the country's elite class are placing their hopes in. There are the seeds of a new left emerging around the Green Party and a new and so far unformed movement 'Your Party' pioneered by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. An independent socialist movement led from outside of the Labour Party (the catch and kill party for British radicalism), is emerging with a significant sector of the public in support. Newsflash: You can find everything Explaining History on Substack, join free hereHelp 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 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.