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 the story for three decades and authored a book and new podcast on the lies, spies and ruined lives...
Feb 11, 2022•41 min
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 understanding the first half of the 20th century in China, and to some extent, modern-day China.
Feb 09, 2022•29 min
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 known. This week James is joined by Professor Malcom Murfett of Kings College London to discuss this...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min
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 fighting on Finnish turf, and how in the face of a foreign enemy, internal politics can be put aside to uni...
Feb 04, 2022•30 min
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 Snow about how the Germans approached the Battle of Britain.
Feb 02, 2022•23 min
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 sole wrongdoing and apologise for the atrocity. In this episode, James chats to Julieann Campbell, th...
Jan 31, 2022•35 min
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 peoples during the horrific events of World War Two. Agnes was being born in the Budapest Ghetto, lib...
Jan 28, 2022•35 min
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.
Jan 26, 2022•44 min
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 Force as a records keeper, and also features in this episode to tell James what it was like living ...
Jan 24, 2022•34 min
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 Chamberlain and Hitler's relationship, Munich's role in contemporary politics, and the pressures of having ...
Jan 21, 2022•36 min
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
Jan 19, 2022•44 min
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 context it occured in. Brigadier (retd) Ben Barry OBE is a former director of the British Army Staff in ...
Jan 17, 2022•37 min
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 for decades. In this episode, James chats to Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson, the authors of an incred...
Jan 14, 2022•34 min
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 an account of the raid. He seemed like the obvious guy to talk to when The Capitol was once again a...
Jan 12, 2022•34 min
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 Greenwich and author of a number of books including Absolute War: Soviet Russia in the Second World Wa...
Jan 10, 2022•42 min
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 Tussauds during a bombing raid, Chuck's truly astounding life is full of stories that won't be forgotte...
Jan 07, 2022•36 min
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 themselves the Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front and Harvard Professor Serhii Plokhii has uncover...
Jan 05, 2022•23 min
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. Michael takes us through the intense standoff and the happenings around it. From the roles played to ever...
Jan 03, 2022•36 min•Ep. 124
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 intended to be secret, but was detected by American intelligence agencies—bringing brewing Cold War tensi...
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr
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 History Hit app, go to Android or Apple store....
Dec 29, 2021•11 min
The search for Peace on Earth has spanned centuries, and involved the creation and dissolution of numerous treaties and organisations. So how does the United Nations fit into this story? Why was it created, and has it been successful in its task? Ian Johnson is a historian of war, technology and diplomacy at the University of Notre Dame. He returns to the podcast for a third time. For more, subscribe to our Warfare Wednesday newsletter here. If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of...
Dec 27, 2021•42 min
Moored on the Thames, HMS Belfast has become a permanent fixture in the landscape of London, but since her initial launch over 80 years ago she has seen action at D-Day and during the Korean War. In this episode, James speaks to Robert Rumble, lead curator for HMS Belfast, about the ship and, in particular, her service in the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War. Listen to find out about HMS Belfast’s contribution to the Battle of the North Cape, the people on board and the strange (and sa...
Dec 24, 2021•31 min
It's a special forces unit known largely for its secrecy, but Damien Lewis is on a mission of his own, to uncover everything about its beginnings. In this episode from the Dan Snow's History Hit archive, he tells us more about the formation of the SAS, starting in autumn 1940, two days after Dunkirk, with Colonel Dudley Clarke. © IWM 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 aud...
Dec 22, 2021•47 min
Anything that James Holland doesn't know about tanks isn't worth knowing. And in this episode, the greats are warring against eachother as he counts down his top 5 tanks of the Second World War. Agility, climbing ability, speed and practicality are all measured to come up with this ultimate list. James Holland presents History Hit's four-part series on tanks which you can find here: https://access.historyhit.com/
Dec 20, 2021•35 min
Despite its Orwellian sounding name - the Ministry of Information was not something from a dystopian novel, but instead a government department that played a vital role in WWII. With so-called Snoopers listening in on conversations in pubs, spies eavesdropping at bus stops, and government censoring throughout- the Ministry of Information was responsible for gathering information about public morale, and helping to ensure that no important military information fell into the wrong hands. This...
Dec 17, 2021•44 min
During the Second World War the Netherlands fell to advancing German forces in just a few hours. The Dutch found themselves under Nazi occupation. Many men and women resisted, which took many different forms. Recently the story emerged of three young women who chose a particularly dangerous way in which to strike back against the German occupiers. In this podcast from the History Hit archives, Dan Snow talks to the writer Sophie Poldermans about Hannie Schaft and sisters Truus and Freddie Overst...
Dec 15, 2021•22 min
Sitting Bull, best known for his initiative and victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn, is a greatly revered Native American Chief. But he was more than a fierce leader of his people. Bestowed the name ‘Sitting Bull’ at only 14 by his father, he showed characteristics of courage, perseverance, and intelligence beyond his years - traits that would come to define him, and the relationship between Native Americans and the US government for generations. This week, James is joined by Professor Jeff ...
Dec 13, 2021•49 min
When the USS Arizona was destroyed on 7 December 1941, it was the United States’ Navy’s single biggest loss of life. Producers Annette Hull and Warren Hull have worked tirelessly to tell the stories of some of those who were on board the ship. In this episode they tell us about the life of Lou Conter, one of the survivors of the USS Arizona, and the USS Arizona band, all of whom were among the more than 1,170 killed when a bomb exploded in a magazine. Annette and Warren’s productions can be foun...
Dec 10, 2021•32 min
Betty Webb was heavily involved with the work going on at Bletchley Park. While she was not part of the code-breaking team, her work was invaluable to the success of Bletchley. In this episode from the History Hit archive, Dan Snow talks to her about her life and wartime experiences.
Dec 08, 2021•28 min
On 7 December 1941, Imperial Japan launched an attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. In this episode 80 years later, James speaks to Adrian Kerrison, a curator at the Imperial War Museums. Adrian takes us through the events of that day, the motives behind the attack and its lasting legacy.
Dec 06, 2021•23 min
