Holistic History Pod

In the spring of 1963, the Bristol Bus Boycott had become much more than a dispute over employment. As the boycott gathered momentum, Bristol's residents were forced to confront a fundamental question: should the colour of someone's skin determine their right to work? In this episode of The Bristol Bus Boycott, we explore the battle for public opinion as supporters and opponents of racial...

In 1963, Britain was still coming to terms with the decline of its empire and the changing face of its society. After the Second World War, labour shortages had encouraged the recruitment of workers from the Caribbean and South Asia to help rebuild the country. Yet despite their contribution to Britain's economy and public services, black and Asian people continued to face widespread racial di...

Today, Britain is a multicultural society, where people from different backgrounds work alongside one another in hospitals, schools, factories and on public transport. But in 1963, in the city of Bristol, the colour of your skin could prevent you from getting a job driving a bus. After the Second World War, Britain had encouraged workers from the Caribbean and South Asia to help rebuild the countr...

In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis entered its most dangerous phase. Behind closed doors in Washington, John F. Kennedy and the newly formed EXCOMM debated how the United States should respond to Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. The choices ranged from diplomacy and a naval blockade to air strikes and a full-scale invasion - options that could determine whether the crisis ended peacefully o...

In October 1962, the United States discovered Soviet nuclear missile sites under construction in Cuba. What followed was a thirteen day confrontation in which decisions made in Washington, Moscow and Havana raised the possibility of nuclear war - and made the abstract Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction feel terrifyingly real. In this first episode of The Cuban Missile Crisis: 13 Day...

Today, humanity is debating whether artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat in the future. In October 1962, nuclear weapons posed an existential threat in the present. For thirteen days during The Cuban Missile Crisis, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. American spy planes had discovered Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita...

What happened when the victors of the First World War finally decided what peace would look like? This episode examines the decisions made at the Paris Peace Conference and the consequences of excluding the defeated powers from the negotiations. Germany faced the War Guilt Clause, severe military restrictions and enormous reparations, while Georges Clemenceau fought to ensure that France would nev...

In 1919, the victors of the First World War gathered in Paris with an extraordinary task: to redraw borders, dismantle empires and create a new international order that they hoped would prevent another global war. The consequences would reach far beyond Versailles. In this episode, I examine the Paris Peace Conference and ask whether the decisions made there helped shape more of the twentieth cent...

Reconstruction briefly offered hope for genuine freedom and equality, but that hope was systematically dismantled. From the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Codes to the writings of George Washington Cable and the tragedy of President James Garfield's assassination, this episode examines how opportunity gave way to oppression and how convict leasing became embedded across the American South....

The American Civil War may have ended slavery, but one crucial clause in the 13th Amendment left the door open to a new form of exploitation. This episode explores how that loophole shaped the decades that followed, tracing the origins of convict leasing and asking whether slavery truly ended—or simply evolved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the civil war intensifies, the lack of cotton causes Lancashire's cotton mills to grind to a halt. How do the people who relied on the cotton for their livelihoods cope? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As President Roosevelt's New Deal is introduced across America, powerful forces organise in order to overthrow the President who they feel has forgotten what class he comes from. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the outbreak of the civil war in the United States affect aspects of the Industrial Revolution in Britain? What happened when the cotton stopped arriving in Britain after the hostilities began? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When The Great Depression follows the Wall Street Crash and the rise of fascism in Europe, the seeds are sown for an immoral and unlawful plot to overthrow President Roosevelt, the person whose job it is to steer the United States through the extremely difficult times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History isn't just about dates and dead kings. It's about the decisions, ideas, triumphs and disasters that shaped the world we live in today. Welcome to Holistic History, I’m Russell Myrie. Once a month, ill delve into a fascinating topic or event from the past, exploring the people, conflicts and turning points that changed the course of history. From political conspiracies and social upheaval t...