Podcast Episodes

British Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War

Between 1936 and 1938 nearly 2,000 British men and women travelled in secret to Spain to fight on the side of the Spanish Republic against a nationalist military rebellion. Motivated by fears of a fa…

Published on 11 years, 6 months ago

The Murder of Matteotti

When the Italian Socialist Giacomo Matteotti was assassinated in 1924, parts of the nation were united in outrage, strongly suspecting that their Prime Minister Mussolini was behind the killing. How …

Published on 11 years, 7 months ago

The Balfour Declaration

Why did the British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour give an assurance to Britain's Zionists that there would be a Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1917? This podcast gives a brief outline of the poli…

Published on 11 years, 7 months ago

Mussolini and the March On Rome

How did Benito Mussolini manage to be appointed Prime Minister in 1922? This podcast explores the details of his rise to power from relative obscurity and his March on Rome.

Explaining History helps …

Published on 11 years, 7 months ago

The Origins Of Italian Fascism

What are the origins of Italian Fascism? In order to understand Fascism as a concept we have to delve into the 19th Century history of the country. The manner in which Italy was unified as a nation s…

Published on 11 years, 8 months ago

British Labour History in the 19th Century

A general overview of the development of the trade union movement from the 1830s to the eve of the First World War. What factors led to the radicalisation of the movement and how did the two main par…

Published on 11 years, 10 months ago

The WWII origins of the Vietnam War

How did the fall of France, the invasion of the Soviet Union and Pearl Harbour have bearing on the fate of Vietnam? This podcast explores not only the actions of the great powers towards Vietnam dur…

Published on 11 years, 11 months ago

Trotsky In Mexico

One of the more overlooked aspects of the history of Soviet Communism is the last years of Trotsky's life at Coyoacan in Mexico. This podcast explores the man and his feuds within his own movement, t…

Published on 11 years, 11 months ago

Japan's First Defeats 1942-43

Japan enjoyed spectacular military successes from December 1941 to February 1942, but from May to November that year was dealt a series of defeats that would ultimately spell doom for the Japanese wa…

Published on 12 years, 1 month ago

The Five Year Plans and the Stakhanovites

The Five Year Plans involved and immense bureaucratic effort to industrialise Russia on a massive scale. Beyond the massive cost to the Russian people and the coercion of much of the population, ther…

Published on 12 years, 1 month ago