History Undone

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History's biggest moments, Undone.

Every week, award-winning journalist James Hanson is joined by experts to hit rewind on key battles and strategic decisions, and run through the 'what i

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FAQs about History Undone:

How many episodes does History Undone have?

The podcast currently has 23 episodes available.

History Undone episodes:

May 30, 2025 What If D-Day Had Failed? WW2 Wouldn't End Until 1947 | History Undone Archive
The sixth of June 1944 D-Day 80 years on, is still the largest amphibious invasion of all time. It's a date that evokes emotion and national pride in equal measure, and it not only changed the Second World War, but history itself. Yet, what if the operation hadn't been a success?

Welcome to History Undone with James Hanson, the show where we take an alternative look at the events which have shaped our world. Each episode will focus on a different battle from throughout history, but using modern military analysis, we'll ask how things could have played out differently with a few tactical changes.

This week we're delving back into our archive, as James Hanson is joined by historian and researcher at The Tank Museum - Chris Copson, and former Amphibious Commander - Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, to investigate what would have happened if the offensive action at Omaha and other beaches had failed.

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51min
May 23, 2025 Barbarossa: What If Hitler Had Successfully Invaded Russia? | Germany Invades Britain & Dominates Europe
By the summer of 1941 Nazi Germany is in near total control of continental Europe. A year earlier, the German blitzkrieg swept through Belgium, the Netherlands and France, and forced the British Expeditionary Force to evacuate at Dunkirk.

Then by 1941 Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria had all joined the axis, and Hitler looked further east despite a non aggression pact with Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler saw his previous success as a blueprint to launch an operation which he thought could bring down the Red Army in a matter of months, codename Barbarossa. What followed was a brutal, drawn out strategic defeat, one which was perhaps the beginning of Hitler's downfall.

But what if Hitler had defeated Russia? This week we're delving back into our archives as James Hanson is joined by author and historian Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, and historian and former professor of international history at the University of Glasgow, Evan Mawdsley.
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53min
May 16, 2025 If The Romans WON The Battle Of Teutoburg Forest... Would The Nazis Still Rise To Power? | History Undone Archive
For today's episode we're delving back into the History Undone Archive, as James Hanson is joined by Dr Adrian Goldsworthy and Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry to discuss one of the Roman Empire's worst and most humiliating defeats: The Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Only a handful of Roman troops managed to escape here as they were massacred by the Germanic tribes led by Arminius, and the battle's impact on history is bigger than you might think. This is History Undone.
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1h 9min
May 09, 2025 What If Germany Had Won at Stalingrad? How Britain's Global Empire Would Crumble | History Undone Archive
On this episode of History Undone, we're heading back into the show's archives to cover the Battle of Stalingrad - the biggest and bloodiest battle of all time - and how things may have transpired if the Germans had won. Joining James Hanson are the historian and author Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and historian, author and broadcaster Jon Trigg.
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55min
May 02, 2025 What If The Allies Had Broken Apart In WW2? Totalitarian Rule Dominates Europe
James is joined by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and the historian Tim Bouverie for this episode of History Undone, discussing the unlikely alliance of 'the big three' in the Second World War.

Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union were divided by culture and ideology, but united against a common enemy in Nazi Germany. Tim Bouverie joins the show to discuss the themes explored in his new book 'Allies at War: The Politics of Defeating Hitler' which is out now.
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58min
April 11, 2025 Hitler’s ‘Wonder Weapons’ | Would Germany Have Won WW2 If These Were Ready Sooner?
James Hanson is joined by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and Nigel Jones to discuss the German wunderwaffe or 'wonder weapons'. Hitler's Germany was responsible for some remarkable advances in military engineering, from long-range ballistic missiles, to the world's first ever jet powered fighter plane. However, Nazi ambition far outweighed the country's wartime capacities and many of these weapons were not available until too late on in the war. So what if these had been ready sooner - could it have made a significant difference to the outcome?
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56min
March 14, 2025 What If Hitler Had Never Broken The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact? A New Cold War Would Erupt | History Undone
For this episode of History Undone, James is joined by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and the historian Roger Moorhouse to discuss one of the most significant moments at the beginning of the Second World War. Despite their huge differences and animosity, in August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression treaty otherwise known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Yet with Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Hitler betrayed that trust. Yet what if he hadn't and what if it had held for the remainder of the war? This is History Undone.
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54min
March 05, 2025 The Battle Of Jutland: How Britain Should Have 'ANNIHILATED' Germany's Fleet & Won EASILY | History Undone Archive
Today we're going back into the History Undone archive, as James Hanson is joined by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and the YouTuber and naval historian Drachinifel to discuss the Battle of Jutland. It was the largest naval battle of the First World War and the only time the British and German fleets went head to head. So just how significant was it and should it have ended differently? This is History Undone.
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1h 8min
February 28, 2025 What If Britain Had Never Entered WWI… And Why It Shouldn’t Have | History Undone
James is joined once again by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and Professor Alexander Watson to discuss a much debated historical sliding doors moment: Britain's decision to enter the First World War. Was it the right one, or would Britain and her Empire have been better off focusing on its own concerns. Those are questions for our experts as they examine the alternate timeline, had Britain not have made this critical decision in August 1914. This is History Undone.
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1h 1min
February 21, 2025 Operation Unthinkable: Churchill's Secret Plan to Destroy Stalin Could Have Caused World War 3 | History Undone
On this episode of History Undone, James Hanson is joined once again by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry and the historian Jonathan Walker, author of ‘Operation Unthinkable: The Third World War’. They discuss this daring, controversial and top secret plan by Winston Churchill to attack the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War.

Of course, the plan was never put into action and perhaps was never intended to be. Yet what if the allies had implemented Operation Unthinkable and attacked Stalin head on in July 1945. The remainder of the 20th century, at the very least, would have looked very different indeed. This is History Undone.
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59min

FAQs about History Undone:

How many episodes does History Undone have?

The podcast currently has 23 episodes available.

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