Battleground

This week to help Patrick and Saul assess what has been a dramatic past week, and to

make some sense of it, they welcome back to the podcast veteran journalist and political commentator Robert Fox.

They also take a look at Trump's choice for Vice President - should he be elected - J.D. Vance - and what his appointment could mean for European security.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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With the Allied armies now in France, the fate of Paris and it's inhabitants was in the air, for many residents, even those who had so far co-operated or even actively helped the occupying Germans, had tough decisions to make - keep their heads down or rise up.

In this episode Patrick and Saul speak live from the Chalke History festival, taking the story of Paris onwards from where it was left last week, to its liberation in august 1944.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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In this latest episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul and Patrick take a look at the latest developments from the war in Ukraine and discuss what is likely to come out from Nato’s 75th anniversary conference in Washington D.C.

They also look at responses to a question from last week, concerning the relationship between relatives in Ukraine and Russia and how the war has strained these family ties. 

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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In the first of two episodes Patrick delves into the remarkable tale of the events in French capital Paris during the Second World War, a place at the time was one of the most significant cultural and political hubs in the world.

Drawing on his knowledge from his new book Paris '44: The Shame and the Glory Patrick sets out the scene of the capital under occupation in the lead up to liberation.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - 

[email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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This week Saul and Patrick will be concentrating on three elections whose outcomes will have profound effects on the war in Ukraine.

The British general election which took place on Thursday, the French parliamentary elections, the second round of which will be held on Sunday and the US presidential elections where the balance has been tipped in Donald Trump’s favour following the televised presidential debate, which has caused turmoil inside the Democratic Party over whether President Joe Biden can be allowed to go ahead as their candidate following his poor performance.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - 

[email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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The conditions for allied servicemen in Japanese prisoner of war camps were notoriously brutal, with the pow's having to deal with malnutrition, rampant diseases, and cruelty at the hands of their captors.

Joining Patrick to discuss his farther's experiences after he was captured by the Japanese at Signapore is Simon de Wardener.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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This week key Trump advisors revealed that if the Donald becomes president, he will threaten to cut weapons supplies to Ukraine as part of a plan to end the war. Meanwhile in Britain, Nigel Farage has doubled down on his comments after saying that the ‘ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the EU ‘ had given Vladimir Putin a reason to justify his invasion of Ukraine, by adding that he was "sceptical" that Ukraine could ever win the war. Patrick and Saul discuss what this means for the war in Ukraine and they answer your questions.

Saul also speaks to Colonel James Thurstan who has been commanding Operation Interflex, the UK-led training programme for Ukrainian infantry soldiers.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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A matter of weeks after the western allies landed on the beaches in Normandy and began their offensive in the west of Europe, the Soviet Red Army began a larger and probably more significant offensive on the Eastern front - Operation Bagration.

Joining Patrick to discuss the epic strategic offensive operation is broadcasting legend Jonathan Dimbleby, who has just written about it in his latest book Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won The War

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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This week Vladimir Putin met with fellow autocrat - the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un in another public demonstration of what is being touted as another step in the construction of a new security block to challenge the dominance of the West.

Patrick and Saul discuss what this means for the war in Ukraine and how worried should we be? To help them answer this they talk to Roger Boyes, veteran foreign correspondent and very distinguished Diplomatic Editor of the London Times.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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In this episode of Battleground '44, Saul speaks to former SAS troop commander Tom Petch - author of the book Speed, Aggression, Surprise: The Untold Secret Origins of the SAS.

Together they discuss the role the SAS played in the second world war and in particular the role they played in operation Overlord.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - [email protected]

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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