Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Eric Hobsbawm’s seminal work, The Age of Extremes.

We focus on the first part of Hobsbawm's "historical triptych"—the Age of Catastrophe (1914–1945). Nick argues that this period was essentially a European Civil War, where the violent techniques of imperialism—gas, machine guns, and racial extermination—boomeranged back onto the continent itself.

From the collapse of the liberal order in 1914 to the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 1930s, we examine how the certainties of the 19th century were shattered. We also critique Hobsbawm’s Eurocentric view, asking: Was the post-war "Golden Age" truly golden for the colonized peoples of Vietnam, Kenya, or Algeria? Or was the Second World War merely the moment when the violence of empire finally came home?

Plus: A final call for history students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now for a deep dive into essay technique and historical argument.

Key Topics:

• The European Civil War: Viewing 1914-1945 as a single, devastating conflict.
• The Imperial Boomerang: How colonial violence returned to Europe.
• The Collapse of Liberalism: Why democracy nearly vanished from the map between the wars.
• Hobsbawm’s Blind Spot: Critiquing the Eurocentric view of the "Golden Age."

Books Mentioned:

• The Age of Extremes by Eric Hobsbawm
• Blood and Ruins by Richard Overy
• The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt (referenced via the "boomerang" thesis)

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In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of the Chinese Cultural Revolution through the lens of Tania Branigan's Red Memory. We examine Mao Zedong's complex relationship with the youth of China—how he mobilized them as revolutionary shock troops, only to discard them when they became a threat to order.

We delve into the "Down to the Countryside" movement, where 17 million urban teenagers were sent to remote villages to "learn from the peasants." Nick explores the ideological motivations behind this mass displacement: Mao's belief that the younger generation was being softened by "sugar-coated bullets" of bourgeois comfort and needed to be re-forged through hard labour.

From the boredom that followed the initial revolutionary fervour to the lasting trauma (and surprising nostalgia) of the "sent-down youth," this episode unpacks the human cost of Mao's permanent revolution.

Plus: A recap of our first masterclass and details on the upcoming session on Post-War America (1945-74) on February 15th!

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Key Topics:

• The Red Guards: From revolutionary zeal to boredom and disillusionment.
• Down to the Countryside: Why Mao sent 17 million teenagers to live with peasants.
• Ideological purity: The fear of "revisionism" and the need for constant struggle.
• Memory and Trauma: How the "lost generation" reconciles their past with modern China.

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While the history of the Civil Rights movement is often told through the lens of the Deep South—Selma, Birmingham, and the marches of Dr. King—a different kind of struggle was brewing in the West. In this episode, we dive into the origins and systemic causes of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles.

Drawing from Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s Set the Night on Fire, we explore the "economic flytrap" that snared Black youth in Southern California. We discuss the transition from the legal victories of the early 60s to the harsh realities of "hidden segregation," aggressive LAPD policing, and the political gridlock that denied vital resources to the community. Join us as we contextualize the explosive rage of 1965 not as a random outburst, but as the inevitable result of structural injustice and economic exclusion.

Join our US history masterclass on Sunday 15th February here

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to cultural historian Alwyn Turner about his latest book, Shellshock Nation: Britain Between the Wars.

We often remember the 1930s as W.H. Auden's "low, dishonest decade"—a time of mass unemployment, hunger marches, and the looming shadow of fascism. But was it really all doom and gloom? Alwyn argues that for many in Britain, the interwar years were a period of vibrant creativity, rising living standards, and the birth of modern consumer culture.

From the explosion of paperback books and the popularity of greyhound racing to the abdication crisis and the fear of aerial bombardment, we explore the complexities of a society caught between the trauma of the First World War and the terror of the Second. Was the British Union of Fascists really a threat? Why did the public cling to appeasement? And how did a nation that prided itself on being "non-political" navigate the age of extremes?

Key Topics:

• The Devil's Decade: Reassessing the 1930s beyond the Depression.
• The Abdication Crisis: Why the public accepted the departure of the "Playboy Prince."
• The Paperback Revolution: How Penguin Books democratized reading.
• The Shadow of the Bomber: How the fear of air war changed British psychology.

Books Mentioned:

• Shellshock Nation by Alwyn Turner
• The Morbid Age by Richard Overy
• The Intellectual Life of the British Working Classes by Jonathan Rose

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the social and historical roots of the fascist foot soldier. Who are the young men who join paramilitary organizations, and what drives them?

Following the shocking execution of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, we draw parallels between the modern American far-right and the Nazi Brownshirts (SA) of the 1920s and 30s. We examine how resentment, loss of status, and the "psychological wage" of whiteness fuel the recruitment of disaffected men into forces of state repression.

From the "stab in the back" myth in Weimar Germany to the "Great Replacement" theory in Trump's America, Nick argues that fascism thrives on a sense of grievance and the promise of restored dominance. Is ICE becoming the shock troops of a new authoritarianism, designed not just to enforce borders but to provoke civil conflict?

Plus: A recap of our successful Russian Revolution Masterclass and details on the upcoming session on Post-War America!

Key Topics:

• The Brownshirt Demographic: Why bored, angry young men flocked to the SA.
• Fascism as Struggle: The ideology of constant battle and radicalization.
• The Psychological Wage: W.E.B. Du Bois on why poor whites defend racial hierarchy.
• ICE as Agent Provocateur: How paramilitary violence is being used to justify martial law.

Announcements:

• Patreon: Listen ad-free for £5/month.
• Masterclass: Tickets for the Post-War America (1945-74) session are coming soon!

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. We shift our focus to North Africa, where a newly unified Italy sought to satisfy its imperial ambitions by seizing Libya—the Ottomans' last foothold on the continent.

Drawing on Eugene Rogan's The Fall of the Ottomans, we examine the invasion of 1911 and the fierce guerrilla resistance led by the Young Turk officer Enver Pasha. From his alliance with the mystical Senussi Brotherhood to his use of Islam as a mobilizing force against European colonialism, Enver's campaign in the desert foreshadowed the tactics of the First World War.

Nick also discusses the broader geopolitical fallout: how Italy's aggression exposed Ottoman weakness, triggering the Balkan Wars and setting the stage for the catastrophic collapse of 1914. Was the seizure of Libya the first domino in the chain reaction that led to the Great War?

Plus: A final call for history students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is this Sunday, January 25th. Don't miss out on this deep dive into exam technique and historical argument.

Key Topics:

• The Italian Invasion: Why a "liberal" Italy launched a brutal colonial war.
• Enver Pasha: The secular Young Turk who became a desert warrior.
• The Senussi Brotherhood: The Islamic order that fought alongside the Ottomans.
• The Balkan Card: How the war in Libya triggered the collapse of Ottoman power in Europe.

Books Mentioned:

• The Fall of the Ottomans by Eugene Rogan

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns to the global dimensions of the Russian Revolution. Drawing on Robert Service's Spies and Commissars: Bolshevik Russia and the West, we explore how the events of 1917 reverberated far beyond Petrograd.

We delve into the chaotic collapse of the Romanov dynasty and the fragile "dual power" that followed. Why did the liberal Provisional Government fail to consolidate power? And how did the Bolsheviks—a small group of exiles caught completely by surprise—navigate their way back to Russia?

From the euphoric reaction of emigre circles in London (where Maxim Litvinov tried to shave with toothpaste in his excitement) to the geopolitical chess game played by Britain, France, and the US, we examine the revolution not just as a Russian event, but as a pivotal moment in the First World War. Nick also discusses the historiographical battles over the period—was it a coup, a popular uprising, or a tragedy?—and why historians like Service and Orlando Figes have faced the ire of the modern left.

Plus: A final reminder for students! Our Russian Revolution Masterclass is this Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.

Key Topics:

• The February Revolution: How strikes in Petrograd toppled the Tsar while Lenin was stuck in Switzerland.
• Dual Power: The uneasy alliance between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.
• The Exile's Return: How revolutionaries navigated a war-torn Europe to get home.
• Global Reactions: Why Western powers initially welcomed the fall of the Tsar, and how 1917 reshaped the war.

Books Mentioned:

• Spies and Commissars by Robert Service
• A People's Tragedy by Orlando Figes
• Stalin's Nemesis by Bertrand Patenaude

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns his attention to the escalating diplomatic crisis over Greenland and what it reveals about the frailty of the post-Brexit United Kingdom.

As Donald Trump eyes the annexation of Danish sovereign territory, Europe is drawing a line in the sand. But where is Britain? Nick argues that the UK's muted response exposes the utter failure of its "Global Britain" strategy. Having severed ties with the EU, London finds itself trapped in a subservient relationship with an American president who views allies not as partners, but as vassals.

We explore the potential for a new geopolitical alignment: a "Continental Bloc" stretching from Brussels to Beijing via Moscow, united by shared hostility to American unilateralism. Could Europe really pivot away from the US? And what does the weaponization of the dollar mean for the future of Western power?

Plus: A final reminder for students! Tickets for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th are selling fast. Book now to secure your place.

Key Topics:

• The Greenland Ultimatum: Trump's imperial vanity project and the European pushback.
• British Impotence: Why Keir Starmer cannot afford to challenge Washington.
• The Continental Pivot: Could the EU ally with China and Russia to survive Trump?
• De-Dollarization: The existential threat to American hegemony.

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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the darkest chapters of the American Civil Rights movement: the Freedom Summer of 1964 and the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner.

Drawing on Jonathan Darman's Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America, we delve into the terrifying reality of Mississippi in the mid-60s. Why did over a thousand idealistic students head south to register Black voters? And how did the local white establishment—from the police to the Klan—respond with a campaign of terror designed to maintain the racial hierarchy?

We examine the chilling details of the abduction and execution of the three civil rights workers, the complicity of local law enforcement, and the political calculations of President Lyndon B. Johnson as he navigated the passage of the Civil Rights Act. From the "psychological wage" of whiteness to the long shadow of Jim Crow violence, this episode uncovers the brutal resistance to democracy in the Deep South.

Plus: Don't miss our upcoming Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure!

Key Topics:

• Freedom Summer: The campaign to register Black voters in Mississippi.
• The Murders: The abduction and killing of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner by the Klan and police.
• LBJ's Dilemma: How the president balanced civil rights legislation with the fear of a "second Reconstruction."
• The White Backlash: Understanding the violent defense of racial hierarchy in the South.

Books Mentioned:

• Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America by Jonathan Darman
• Set the Night on Fire by Mike Davis and Jon Wiener
• Black Reconstruction in America by W.E.B. Du Bois

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.

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Episode Summary:

In the second part of our deep dive into the origins of the Soviet famine, Nick continues his exploration of 1928-1929, the critical years that sealed the fate of the Russian peasantry.

Drawing again on Robert Conquest’s The Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s "emergency measures"—intended to be temporary—became a permanent war on the countryside. Why did the Bolsheviks believe that the "middle peasant" was a capitalist hoarder? How did the regime’s reliance on bad data lead to a spiral of confiscation and violence that destroyed the incentives to produce food?

We uncover the tragic logic of a state that viewed market mechanisms as a threat and chose instead to loot its own people, setting the stage for the catastrophic famine of the early 1930s.

Plus: A reminder for history students! Tickets are selling fast for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on Sunday, January 25th. Book your spot now to master exam technique and essay structure.

Key Topics:

• The Emergency Measures of 1928: How temporary requisitioning became permanent policy.
• The Destruction of the Market: Why peasants stopped producing grain once the state began seizing it.
• Stalin's "Breathtaking Frankness": Admitting that the "tribute" levied on peasants was necessary for industrialization.
• The Myth of Hoarding: How the regime chased a phantom surplus that didn't exist.

Books Mentioned:

• The Harvest of Sorrow by Robert Conquest
• 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.

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