Podcast Episodes

Harold Wilson, MI5, and the Cold War Business of East-West Trade

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.

Wh…

Published on an hour ago

One Year of Trump 2.0: The Civil War Within Western Capital

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 …

Published on 10 hours ago

Stalin, Collectivisation and the Grain Crisis 1927-8

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 Ro…

Published on 1 day, 1 hour ago

Germany's Fears of Russian Invasion in 1914

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 Alexan…

Published on 2 days, 4 hours ago

The Wannsee Conference and the Nazi Camps

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 H…

Published on 3 days, 9 hours ago

Child Labour in the Industrial Revolution

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 caricatu…

Published on 4 days, 6 hours ago

The Damascus Affair: Blood Libel, Empire, and the Birth of Jewish Internationalism

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 pivot…

Published on 5 days, 3 hours ago

The US National Security Strategy: A manifesto for the far right

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 explor…

Published on 5 days, 11 hours ago

Stalin and Tito: 1947 - Part Two

Episode Summary:

In the second part of our exploration into the Stalin-Tito split, Nick delves into the dramatic climax of 1948: the expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform.

Stalin famously boasted,…

Published on 6 days, 11 hours ago

On Taxing Wealth

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the history and necessity of taxation, connecting the Tudor reign of Henry VII to the modern crisis of inequality in…

Published on 1 week ago