Warfare

In August 1991 there was an attempted coup in the Soviet Union as communist hard-liners sought to re-establish the dominance of Soviet rule in Russia and its satellite states. The coup attempt collapsed after three days and it eventually led to the collapse of communism. Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary on 24 August and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR suspended the activities of the...

At the end of the Second World War thousands of German children were sent to the frontlines in the largest mobilisation of underage combatants in history. In this episode James chats to Helene Munson, whose father was one of these child soldiers, about the indoctrination he was subjected to and the unthinkable perils he faced on the Eastern Front as a teenage boy. Helene's new book is available on...

With a 130,000 estimated Russian troops stationed at various points along the Ukrainian border - tensions are rising not only in eastern Europe, but globally. A conflict dating back to 2013, uncertainty for Ukraine's future has only increased in the last 9 years. This week James is joined by Henry Langston, who reported for Vice from the front lines of Ukraine in 2014, to discuss the renewed Russi...

The Atlantic Wall is one of the biggest construction projects in history a line of formidable defences stretching from the Pyrenees to the Norwegian Arctic but how effective was it? In this episode from the archive, James spoke to Dan about his recent History Hit documentary  In Defence of the Reich: Hitler's Atlantic Wall . They discuss how and why the Atlantic Wall was built, Hitler's obses...

Abraham Lincoln, Stag-do-esque antics, and forbidden overnight stays within the Vatican - the tale of the Last Emperor of Mexico sounds more like a period drama and not the sadly true and tragic end of Maximilian I. This week James is joined by Edward Shawcross to talk about the titular character of his new book 'The Last Emperor of Mexico: Disaster in the New World'. Together they discuss inadequ...

Imagine jetting off on holiday only to land in a warzone and get taken hostage by Saddam Hussein. It might sound far-fetched, but in 1990 that's exactly the fate that awaited the passengers and crew of British Airlines Flight 149. What followed has been called the most shocking government cover-up of the last thirty years. This week James is joined by journalist Stephen Davis, who has investigated...

In this episode from the History Hit archive, Dan Snow speaks to British military historian Mark Simner about the Opium Wars, events that are rarely taught in British schools, but taught ubiquitously across China. He explains the provenance of both conflicts, and explores some of the reasons why resentment still lingers to this day. The Opium Wars are a critical part of Chinese history, vital to u...

In the midst of World War Two, the 7th of February marks the beginning of the week long battle between the Japanese Empire and the British over the eastern stronghold of Singapore. The Fall of Singapore in 1942 is known as one of Britain's largest surrenders. Impeccable Japanese preparations, feeble British bureaucracy, and failures of communication - led to one of the bloodiest weeks of fighting...

Molotov Cocktails, stealth skiing, and a ruined Birthday party for Stalin? What exactly happened in the Winter War of 1939-40 between Russia and Finland? This week James is joined by Elisabeth Braw from the American Enterprise Institute to discuss the Finnish-Russo war of the 20th Century and it's impact on geo-politics today. Together they cover Russia's unexpected loss, the advantages of fightin...

Were the German Luftwaffe the mighty Goliath to Britain's David during the Battle of Britain, or were they in fact more evenly matched? And what on earth was the Luftwaffe's strategy for knocking Britain out of the war? Victoria Taylor is an aviation historian who is just completing her PhD in the Luftwaffe and its politicisation under the Nazis. In this episode from the archives, she talks to Dan...

Half a century ago on January 30 1972, British soldiers shot dead 14 unarmed protesters during a civil rights march in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. The soldiers were from the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment ("1 Para"), the same battalion implicated in the Ballymurphy massacre just months before. It took decades of campaigning and two huge inquests by the UK Government to accept s...

This week, in honour of Holocaust memorial day, James is joined once again by Agnes Grunwald-Spier to discuss her experiences in the Holocaust and the work she's done since researching those from non-Jewish communities who risked their lives to help the jewish community during the Holocaust. These so called 'Other Schindlers' risked their own lives, and the lives of their families to hide Jewish p...

In this archive episode, Dan Snow concludes his fascinating talk with Sir Cedric Delves and Danny West about the involvement of the SAS in the Falklands War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Burrows OAM, 98, served as a Coastwatcher in the South Pacific during World War Two. The Coastwatchers were an intelligence arm of the Allied Intelligence Bureau, and were set up to alert Australia of any military threat from the north. Jim was a radio operator, and spent 10 months behind enemy lines in occupied Japanese territory.  Jim’s wife Beryl, 97, served in the Royal Australian Air...

Join James this week for a special episode of Warfare, chatting to the writer and cast of the new film 'Munich - the Edge of War'. Set in 1938, the movie follows Chamberlain's attempts to appease Hitler, desperate to avoid another Great War. Joining James is author Robert Harris, along with lead actors George Mackay and Jannis Niewöhner. Together they discuss the historical significance of Chamber...

In this episode from the archive, Dan Snow hears the incredible story of the SAS's involvement in the Falklands from the men who were actually there: Sir Cedric Delves and Danny West. Image Credit: Harold Lang/Shutterstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 2022 New Year Honours list, alongside the names of Joanna Lumley, Moira Stuart and Emma Raducanu, was that of Tony Blair. Over a million people have since signed a petition opposing his appointment as Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, because of his involvement in the Iraq war. In this episode, we go back to take a look at the decisions that led to Iraq and at the cont...

In 1999, the UK’s first and only war crimes trial for murder perpetrated during the Holocaust took place. The extraordinary court case brought back together the interwoven lives of two childhood friends from Belarus. Tragically, one would be the main witness to the atrocities that their friend committed, and the other would be the accused war criminal—a man who had worked at a London tube station...

In 1814, a British expeditionary force landed in Maryland marched on Washington, brushed aside an American army and stormed into the US capital. The British looted and burnt the Capitol, then moved on to the White House, ate President Madison's dinner and then torched the White House. Even members of the British force described it as 'barbaric.' Two hundred years later Peter Snow, Dan's dad, wrote...

Since late 2013, Ukraine has been in crisis. But the problems there go much further back. To examine the history of the conflict in Ukraine, we welcome one of our first guests, Professor Chris Bellamy, back to the podcast. Chris takes us right back to the late 18th century to look at the sources and development of the crisis. Chris is Professor Emeritus of Maritime Security at the University of Gr...

Chuck Richardson is a former member of the United States Airforce, serving across Europe in his B17 bomber during World War 2. He, and co-author of their new book Emily Wilson, join James this week to talk about Chuck's remarkable achievements, life, and extraordinary tales from the War. From flying a plane with over 600 bullet holes in, landing in Icelandic storms, to seeking refuge in Madame Tus...

During the Second World War, from 1941 onwards, Stalin's Soviet Union was joined in a close but awkward coalition with the Western allies. Military aid and intelligence flowed to the Soviets but virtually no troops. This episode from the archives explores the exception: a small group of US airmen who were sent to Russia to set up an air operation to bomb targets in the Third Reich. They called the...

A 13-day political and military standoff took place in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Just 90 miles off the coast of Florida, the installation of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles on Cuba was in fruition. But how did the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union evade this near-catastrophic escalation? In this episode, James is joined by presidential crisis historian Michael Dobbs. Micha...

In the early hours of 30 October 1961, a bomber took off from an airstrip in northern Russia and began its flight through cloudy skies over the frigid Russian Arctic. Hanging below this Soviet plane was a nuclear bomb the size of a small school bus. It was the largest and most powerful bomb ever to be created, and it was about to be tested.  The Tsar Bomba’s gigantic detonation was inten...

What was it like in Stalag Luft III? In this episode from the History Hit archives, Dan Snow speaks with Air Commodore Charles Clarke, a prisoner-of-war during the Great Escape. For more, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here.  If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe today! To download the...