In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores how nostalgia has become a toxic force in British politics. Drawing on Liam Stanley’s Britain Alone, we examine how the "Blitz Spirit" and memories of WWII rationing have been cynically weaponized to justify modern austerity.

Why do politicians suggest that food insecure families should "learn lessons from the wartime generation"? We unpack the myth that poverty is a moral failing rather than a structural one, and how the "Make Do and Mend" narrative is used to gaslight a population suffering from 15 years of cuts. From the "creative destruction" of the high street to the privatization of the public realm, Nick argues that the longing for a golden age is a symptom of a society in deep crisis.

Plus: Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming live masterclasses for history students launching in January!

Key Topics:

• Toxic Nostalgia: How the memory of WWII is used to enforce social compliance.
• The Myth of the Blitz: Challenging the idea of universal wartime solidarity.
• Austerity as Morality Play: The narrative of "strivers vs. skivers."
• State Intervention: How wartime rationing was actually a form of social protection, unlike modern food banks.

Books Mentioned:

• Britain Alone by Liam Stanley
• The People's War by Angus Calder
• The Myth of the Blitz by Angus Calder

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years after the death of David Bowie, Nick is joined by author Alexander Larman to discuss his new biography, Lazarus: David Bowie from the Tin Machine to Blackstar.

While the 1970s "Ziggy Stardust" era has been endlessly dissected, Larman shines a light on the often-overlooked second half of Bowie's career. From the artistic wilderness of the late 80s and the critical mauling of Tin Machine to his renaissance in the 90s and the "masterpiece" of his final album Blackstar, we explore the man behind the myths.

Was Bowie a chameleon, a charlatan, or a genius trying to rediscover his voice? We discuss his flirtation with fascism, his "performative" interviews, and why, despite decades of reinvention, the Thin White Duke remains one of the most unknowable figures in cultural history.

Key Topics:

• The Wilderness Years: Why Bowie lost his way in the 80s and how he found it again.
• Performance as Identity: Was Bowie ever "himself," or was every interview just another character?
• Blackstar: Reassessing Bowie’s final album as a meditation on mortality in a godless universe.
• The Bowie Archive: What the newly opened V&A East archive reveals about his creative process.

Books Mentioned:

• Lazarus: David Bowie from the Tin Machine to Blackstar by Alexander Larman

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In the third part of our 2025 Year in Review, Nick shifts the focus to Asia, exploring the dramatic realignment of US-India relations under Donald Trump’s second term.

For decades, Washington viewed India as a "natural strategic partner"—a democratic counterweight to China, showered with military aid and technology transfers. But in 2025, that special relationship has collapsed. Drawing on a fascinating analysis by Chinese foreign policy expert Mao Keji, we delve into why Trump has relegated India from "favorite child" to "strategic discard."

Is this just Trumpian transactionalism, or a symptom of deeper American anxiety over its own decline? From the impact of tariffs to India’s refusal to abandon Russian energy, we examine how the US search for loyal "blood bags" to prop up its hegemony is alienating the very allies it needs most.

Plus: Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming live masterclasses for history students launching in January!

Key Topics:

• The Shift: From "Strategic Altruism" to transactional coercion.
• The Tariff War: How Trump’s protectionism hit India harder than almost anyone else.
• Russian Energy: Why India’s refusal to sanction Moscow broke the partnership.
• The Anxiety of Decline: How American weakness is driving a more aggressive, less strategic foreign policy.

Resources:

• "Favorite Child to Abandoned Pawn" by Mao Keji (Beijing Cultural Review)

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the rise of the "Consumer’s Republic" in post-war America. We examine how the dream of the suburban idyll—white picket fences, gleaming appliances, and mass car ownership—became a central pillar of US identity and stability.

Drawing on Lizabeth Cohen's A Consumer's Republic, we delve into how corporate and political elites consciously steered American citizens away from collectivist politics and towards a highly individualized "politics of consumption." Nick discusses how suburbia was not just a place to live, but a tool for managing the economy, creating a new "mass middle class" out of the industrial working class.

But beneath the surface of this "happy-go-spending world," there were darker currents: racial exclusion, environmental costs, and the fragility of an economic model built on endless growth. Was the golden age of suburbia a unique historical accident? And what happens when the dream of upward mobility begins to fade?

Key Topics:

• The Consumer’s Republic: How consumption became a civic duty.
• Suburbia as Utopia: The role of magazines like Redbook in selling the suburban dream.
• Mass Home Ownership: How government-backed mortgages created a nation of property owners.
• The Politics of Prosperity: How affluence was used to defuse class conflict.

Books Mentioned:

• A Consumer's Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America by Lizabeth Cohen
• Grand Expectations by James T. Patterson

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores how different nations remember the Second World War, focusing on the stark contrast between American triumphalism and European melancholy.

Drawing on Keith Lowe's brilliant book Prisoners of History, we delve into the cultural psychology behind monuments like the Iwo Jima Memorial. Why does America view its soldiers as "freedom warriors" and saints, while Europe often builds monuments to victims? We unpack the concept of "The Greatest Generation" and ask whether this mythology obscures the darker realities of the Pacific War.

Nick also reflects on the "secular religion" of remembrance in Britain, the politicization of the poppy, and how the far-right has co-opted the memory of the war for modern nativist agendas. From the Blitz to Pearl Harbor, this episode examines how nations tell stories about themselves through stone and bronze.

Plus: Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming live masterclasses for history students in early 2026!

Key Topics:

• The Cult of Remembrance: How the poppy became politicized in 21st-century Britain.
• American Mythology: Why the US views WWII through a lens of heroism rather than trauma.
• Iwo Jima: The story behind the iconic photograph and the monument that immortalizes it.
• Monuments as Identity: How statues shape national narratives of victimhood and victory.

Books Mentioned:

• Prisoners of History by Keith Lowe
• The Second World War by Antony Beevor (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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the emergence of the "New Left" in 1960s America—a movement born from the failure of Cold War liberalism to deliver on its promises.

Drawing on Kim McQuaid’s The Anxious Years, we delve into the deep disillusionment that fuelled student radicalism. Why did young activists view "vital centre" liberals like JFK and LBJ not as allies, but as "closet right-wingers" trapped in an imperialist mindset? We examine the "bipartisan banality" of the era, where fear of being labelled "soft on communism" drove Democrats to escalate wars in Vietnam and Cuba, often with more ferocity than their Republican counterparts.

From the devastating psychological blow of the Tet Offensive to the collapse of trust in the "foreign policy establishment," we uncover why 1968 became the year the liberal consensus shattered.

Plus: Big announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students in January and February 2026!

Key Topics:

• The New Left: How the SDS and student radicals challenged the "Old Left" and the liberal establishment.
• Cold War Liberalism: Why Democrats felt compelled to "out-hawk" the Republicans.
• The Credibility Gap: How the Tet Offensive exposed the lies of the war managers.
• The "Deep State": The origins of the term and the critique of an unelected power elite.

Books Mentioned:

• The Anxious Years: America in the Vietnam-Watergate Era by Kim McQuaid
• The Great Fear by David Caute

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is 2025 the year the European project finally hit the wall? In this episode, we argue that 2025 serves as a massive historical inflection point—comparable to 1933, 1968, or 1989—marking the definitive end of the post-Cold War era.

We explore the "perfect storm" battering the continent: the return of Donald Trump and the removal of the American security umbrella, the accelerating de-industrialization of Germany, and the demographic cliff-edge that makes mass migration an economic necessity despite the violent rise of the far-right. From the strategic failures of centrists like Macron and Starmer to the paralyzing energy crisis, we ask the hard question: Is Europe facing its own "Century of Humiliation"?

Key Topics:

• Why the "End of History" (1989-2025) is officially over.
• The impact of the US National Security Strategy on European industry.
• The Centrist Trap: Why copying far-right rhetoric is failing.
• The Demographic Crisis: Replacement rates vs. political reality.
• The collapse of the German car industry and the China dilemma.

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: 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 post-war American affluence. We often think of the 1950s as a golden age of middle-class expansion, where the old divisions of wealth and status melted away under a wave of chrome-plated cars and suburban lawns. But was this "classless society" a reality or a comforting myth?

Drawing again from James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the changing nature of work and the rise of the white-collar economy. We examine how unions secured unprecedented benefits like health insurance and paid vacations, creating a unique moment where a steelworker could live a life of bourgeois comfort. Yet, beneath the surface, manual labour remained the backbone of the economy, and inequality persisted. Why did the US labour movement abandon the fight for universal healthcare in favour of employer-based benefits? And how did this decision shape the fragmented social safety net we see today?

Key Topics:

• The Myth of the Classless Society: How affluence disguised, but didn't erase, social stratification.
• The Rise of Fringe Benefits: Why unions prioritized employer-based healthcare over state provision.
• Blue Collar vs. White Collar: The shifting demographics of the American workforce.
• The End of an Era: How financialization and offshoring eventually hollowed out the working-class dream.

Books Mentioned:

• Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974 by James T. Patterson
• Set the Night on Fire by Mike Davis and Jon Wiener
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we approach the end of another year, Nick takes a moment to step back from the history books and reflect on the Explaining History podcast itself. What started 13 years ago as a "flipped classroom" experiment by a history teacher in Wales has grown into a global community.

In this candid episode, Nick discusses his philosophy of history—why he rejects the "history as entertainment" model and the simplistic "Great Man" theories often peddled by TV documentaries. Instead, he argues for a structural understanding of the past, one that focuses on economics, demographics, and the lived experiences of ordinary people.

From the horrors of the Holocaust to the complexities of post-war American abundance, Nick explores why we must never reduce human suffering to mere content. He also shares his personal gratitude to the listeners, authors, and friends—like Alvaro, Mehdi, and Michael—who have helped build this platform into what it is today.

Key Topics:

• The Origins of the Podcast: From classroom tool to global platform.
• History vs. Entertainment: The moral responsibility of the historian.
• Structural History: Why "Great Men" don't shape events as much as economics do.
• Community: A vote of thanks to the listeners and contributors who make it all possible.

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1908, the Ottoman Empire was on the brink of collapse. The despotism of Sultan Abdul Hamid II had stifled political life for decades, but a military uprising in Macedonia would soon change everything.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the great forgotten revolutions of the 20th century: the Young Turk Revolution. Drawing on Eugene Rogan's masterful book The Fall of the Ottomans, we delve into how the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) forced the Sultan to restore the constitution, sparking scenes of jubilation across the empire where Turks, Arabs, and Armenians briefly united as "Ottomans."

But why did this moment of hope turn to disillusionment? Why did the revolutionaries leave the Sultan on the throne? And how did the failure to address deep social and economic crises pave the way for the brutal nationalism that would define the empire's final years?

Key Topics:

• The 1908 Revolution: How junior officers forced the Sultan's hand.
• The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP): The secret society that seized power.
• Constitutional euphoria: The brief moment of multi-ethnic unity.
• The limits of political revolution: Why changing the constitution wasn't enough to save the empire.

Books Mentioned:

• The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan
• The Balfour Declaration by Jonathan Schneer

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

As 2025 draws to a close, Nick reflects on a pivotal year in global history. From the economic shockwaves of the Trump tariffs to the accelerating shift of power back to Asia, this episode argues that we are witnessing the terminal decline of the Anglo-American world order.

We explore the existential threat of "de-dollarization"—a process accelerated not just by Trump, but by the weaponization of the financial system under Biden. Nick also examines the hollowing out of the British state, now a vassal to American private equity, and the dangerous geopolitical flashpoints emerging in Venezuela. Is the AI bubble about to burst? Will the 2026 midterms offer a reprieve for democracy, or are we locked into a cycle of crisis?

Key Topics:

• The Trump Tariffs: How protectionism is biting the American consumer.
• De-Dollarization: Why the end of the dollar as the reserve currency is an existential threat to US power.
• The AI Bubble: Will artificial intelligence save the economy or concentrate wealth even further?
• Britain as Vassal State: The colonization of the UK economy by American private equity.

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the unprecedented explosion of wealth and consumption in post-war America. We often focus on the economic decline of the middle class in recent decades, but today we look back at the era of mass abundance that preceded it.

Drawing on James Patterson’s Grand Expectations, we delve into the cultural and economic forces that transformed a nation scarred by the Depression into a land of "gleaming kitchen conveniences" and tail-finned cars. From the futuristic designs of General Motors to the utopian promises of the atomic age, we examine how prosperity reshaped the American psyche. But beneath the chrome and the optimism lay a new kind of anxiety—one medicated by a booming pharmaceutical industry and shadowed by the fear that this golden age might be unrepeatable.

Plus: Stay tuned for an update on our upcoming live masterclass on Stalinist Russia for students!

Key Topics:

• The Post-War Boom: Why America was uniquely positioned to prosper after 1945.
• Car Culture: How the automobile became the ultimate symbol of freedom and status.
• Atomic Optimism: The belief that science could solve everything, from weather control to disease.
• The Anxiety of Affluence: The rise of tranquilizers and the darker side of the American Dream.

Books Mentioned:

• Grand Expectations: The United States, 1945-1974 by James T. Patterson
• The Culture Industry by Theodor Adorno
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the murky relationship between British intelligence, the Labour government, and the "gentleman capitalists" of the post-war era.

Why was Harold Wilson, the most electorally successful British Prime Minister of the 20th century, targeted by paranoid elements within MI5 as a potential Soviet spy? We delve into Wilson's time at the Board of Trade in the late 1940s, where he forged controversial deals with the Soviet Union to secure timber for Britain’s reconstruction.

From the rise of corrupt tycoons like Robert Maxwell (who began as an intelligence officer in occupied Germany) to the class war between the "modernizing" Labour government and the "grouse moor" establishment, this episode uncovers the seeds of the plot to overthrow Wilson in the 1960s. It’s a story of Cold War intrigue, antisemitism within the British elite, and the clash between a new technological Britain and the old school tie.

Key Topics:

• The Plot Against Wilson: Why MI5 officers like Peter Wright suspected the PM was a KGB agent.
• The Timber Deals: How Wilson negotiated with Stalin’s deputies to rebuild Britain.
• Robert Maxwell: The origins of a media mogul in the intelligence world of post-war Berlin.
• Class Conflict: The "Chapocracy" vs. Wilson's white heat of technology.

Books Mentioned:

• Smear! Wilson and the Secret State by Stephen Dorril and Robin Ramsay
• Thinking the Twentieth Century by Tony Judt
• Spycatcher by Peter Wright

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we close out 2025, Nick takes stock of the first year of Donald Trump's second term. While some liberal commentators hold out hope that the upcoming 2026 midterms will curb his power, Nick argues that the real conflict isn't between Left and Right, but between two factions of capital: the liberal-democratic establishment and the nativist, protectionist forces embodied by Trump.

We explore the failure of the Democratic Party to offer a meaningful alternative to neoliberalism, the rise of "America First" as a tool for personal enrichment, and the alarming normalization of far-right rhetoric in Europe. From the hollowing out of the British state to the potential end of the globalized order, this episode asks: If Trumpism is a symptom of a broken economic system, what happens when the opposition refuses to fix it?

Key Topics:

• The Schism of Capital: Liberal globalism vs. conservative protectionism.
• The 2026 Midterms: Will a Democratic victory save democracy or just delay the inevitable?
• The Failure of Centrism: Why Hillary Clinton and Keir Starmer failed to stop the drift to the right.
• Trump as CEO: Viewing the presidency as a mechanism for personal wealth extraction.

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the critical years of 1928-1929, exploring the mindset of the Soviet leadership on the eve of the Great Famine. Drawing from Robert Conquest’s seminal work The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s paranoia and Marxist-Leninist ideology filtered his understanding of the peasantry.

Why did the Bolsheviks view grain reserves as evidence of a "Kulak war" against the state? How did faulty statistics and a fundamental misunderstanding of village life lead to catastrophic policy decisions? We unpack the tragic logic of collectivization—a "second revolution" that was essentially a continuation of the Civil War by other means.

Plus: A special announcement for history students studying the Russian Revolution and Stalinism—don't miss details about our upcoming live masterclass in January!

Key Topics:

• The Grain Procurement Crisis: Why grain exports ceased by 1928.
• The Myth of the Kulak: How hedging against famine was misinterpreted as capitalist speculation.
• Statistical Failure: How bad data fueled bad policy.
• The Second Revolution: Stalin’s view of collectivization as a class war.

Books Mentioned:

• The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest
• Everyday Stalinism by Sheila Fitzpatrick

For the complete recordings on AQA Russia Revolution and Dictatorship see the links below:

https://explaininghistory.org/2025/02/19/aqa-revolution-and-dictatorship-russia-1917-53-part-15/

https://explaininghistory.org/2025/01/29/aqa-revolution-and-dictatorship-russia-1917-53-part-14/

https://explaininghistory.org/2025/01/23/aqa-revolution-and-dictatorship-russia-1917-53-part-13/

https://explaininghistory.org/2024/12/18/aqa-revolution-and-dictatorship-russia-1917-53-part-12/

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 11

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 Part Ten

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 9

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 8

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 7

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 6

https://explaininghistory.org/2024/10/23/aqa-revolution-and-dictatorship-russia-1917-53-part-5/

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 4

AQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 part 3

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick moves beyond the familiar trenches of the Western Front to explore the terrifying reality of the Eastern Front in 1914. Drawing from Alexander Watson’s masterful book Ring of Steel, we examine how the German and Austro-Hungarian empires experienced the outbreak of World War I not just as a military conflict, but as a fight for survival against a "despotic" Russian invader.

We delve into the panic that gripped the border city of Allenstein (now Olsztyn, Poland) as Tsarist troops advanced, bringing with them rumors of Cossack atrocities and a "jarringly modern ambition" to racially remap the region. Why was the fear of Russian invasion so potent in the German psyche? And how did these early experiences of occupation and ethnic cleansing shape the brutal politics of the interwar period and the rise of Nazism?

Plus: Stay tuned for an announcement about an upcoming live masterclass on Russian History for A-Level students!

Key Topics:

• The Russian Steamroller: The massive Tsarist offensives into East Prussia and Galicia.
• Civilian Panic: The refugee crisis and the psychological trauma of invasion.
• Ethnic Cleansing in 1914: How Russian plans for "racial unity" foreshadowed the horrors of WWII.
• The Siege of Allenstein: A case study of a German city on the brink of occupation.

Books Mentioned:

• Ring of Steel: Germany and Austria-Hungary at War, 1914–1918 by Alexander Watson

You can read the full article at www.explaininghistory.org

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick revisits Nikolaus Wachsmann's monumental study, KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps.

We explore a critical and often misunderstood aspect of the Holocaust: the relationship between the Concentration Camps (KL) and the extermination camps of the East. Why were Jews initially marginalized within the KL system? How did the failure of the war against the Soviet Union in 1941 shift Nazi policy from the exploitation of Soviet POWs to the mass enslavement and murder of Jews?

We delve into the infamous Wannsee Conference, decoding the euphemisms of "resettlement" and "natural wastage," and examine how chaotic decision-making at the top of the Nazi hierarchy led to the transformation of Auschwitz-Birkenau into an industrial center of death.

Plus: Stay tuned for an announcement about an upcoming live masterclass on the Russian Revolution and Stalinism for students.

Key Topics:

• The KL vs. Death Camps: Understanding the distinction between camps like Dachau and extermination centers like Treblinka.
• The Wannsee Conference: How bureaucrats planned genocide over lunch.
• Annihilation Through Labour: The shift from Soviet POWs to Jewish slave labour.
• The Transformation of Auschwitz: How Birkenau became the primary site for the "Final Solution."

Books Mentioned:

• KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus Wachsmann
• The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans
• Bloodlands by Timothy Snyder

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the harrowing yet complex world of child labour during the British Industrial Revolution. Moving beyond the Dickensian caricatures of helpless victims, we explore Emma Griffin's groundbreaking book, Liberty’s Dawn: A People's History of the Industrial Revolution.

Through the voices of those who lived it—captured in hundreds of working-class autobiographies—we uncover the brutal reality of 13-hour shifts in cotton mills and lonely vigils in sheep pastures. But we also find stories of agency, survival, and the nuanced family decisions that sent children as young as six into the workforce. Why did some destitute families hold their children back from work until age 10? And how did access to apprenticeships divide the working class into the "skilled" and the "unskilled"?

Plus: Stay tuned for an announcement about an upcoming live masterclass on Russian History for students!

Key Topics:

• The "White Slaves of England": How reformers and novelists shaped our view of child labour.
• The Age of Work: Analyzing data from 350 autobiographies to find the average starting age of a child worker.
• Agency vs. Victimhood: Why we must view historical subjects as complex human beings, not just statistics.
• The Skilled Divide: How apprenticeships offered a lifeline out of poverty.

Books Mentioned:

• Liberty’s Dawn: A People's History of the Industrial Revolution by Emma Griffin
• Oliver Twist & David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
• The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1840, a monk disappeared in Damascus, and the ancient, deadly accusation of "blood libel" was levelled against the city's Jewish community. This event, known as the Damascus Affair, became a pivotal moment in 19th-century Jewish history, sending shockwaves from the Ottoman Empire to the capitals of Europe.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Jonathan Frankel's Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We examine how this crisis mobilized Western Jewish leaders like Moses Montefiore and Adolphe Crémieux, who launched an unprecedented international campaign for justice. But this wasn't just a story of Jewish solidarity; it was deeply entangled with the imperial ambitions of Britain and France. Why did Lord Palmerston advocate for Jewish restoration to Palestine decades before Herzl? And how did the liberal ideals of the French Revolution clash with the realpolitik of the Ottoman East?

Key Topics:

• The Damascus Affair: The origins of the crisis and the torture of Jewish community leaders.
• The Liberal Response: How Western Jews used the press and public opinion to fight for their brethren.
• Imperial Meddling: Lord Palmerston, the Rothschilds, and the geopolitical chess game in the Middle East.
• Proto-Zionism: The early stirrings of the idea that Jewish safety might lie in a return to Palestine.

Books Mentioned:

• Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews by Jonathan Frankel
• The Damascus Affair by Jonathan Frankel (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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick analyzes the newly published 2025 US National Security Strategy, a document that could be considered a foundational text for the global far-right.

We explore how this strategy, with its language of "civilizational erasure" and "European greatness," mirrors the rhetoric of leaders like Viktor Orban and the conspiracy theories of the "Great Replacement." Nick argues that this is not just ideology; it is a manifesto for American interference in European elections, designed to undermine social democracy and pave the way for deregulation favorable to US capital.

From the demonization of migration to the cynical normalization of Russia, we unpack how the Trump administration is attempting to reshape Europe in its own image—and why the economic weakness of the continent leaves it vulnerable to this new, aggressive Monroe Doctrine.

Key Topics:

• The 2025 Strategy: A blueprint for far-right interventionism.
• Civilizational Rhetoric: How "Great Replacement" theory has entered US policy.
• Economic Imperialism: The drive to deregulate Europe for American corporations.
• The Future of NATO: Why the US is pivoting towards "patriotic" (i.e., far-right) allies.

References:

• Cas Mudde's analysis in The Guardian
• Oswald Spengler's The Decline of the West
• Renaud Camus' The Great Replacement

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 Content

Become a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory

▸ Join the Community & Continue the Conversation

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcast

Substack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com

▸ Read Articles & Go Deeper

Website: explaininghistory.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.