Warfare

As protests continued across Iran last week, a number of Iranian-made kamikaze drones were fired by Russian forces at targets thousands of miles away in Kyiv, Ukraine.

It marks the first time that these Iranian weapons have been used against a European capital, as well as a new low for relations between Iran and the West - which were already under strain.

So how did we get here? In this episode, James is joined by Professor Ali Ansari of St Andrews University in Scotland to learn the historical context of modern Iran - from the Iranian Revolution to the nuclear deal torn up by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.

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The siege of Dien Bien Phu took place in 1954 and was a definitive victory for Vietnam. Although the battle brought an end to French colonial rule, the separation of the country’s north and south created a volatile political environment between capitalism and communism, eventually leading to American involvement.

But how did the long time leader of Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh, take his guerilla army and turn it into a modern fighting force that was capable of overthrowing an empire?

In this episode, James is joined by author and Professor Christopher Goscha from the University of Quebec to help us understand just how the French lost their way in Vietnam.

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The Battle of Midway has gone down in history as a key turning point in the Pacific Campaign of the Second World War. In June 1942, the US Navy outthought, outflanked and overwhelmed the formidable Imperial Japanese forces thanks largely to the work of pioneering codebreakers.

Japan's first-line carrier strength was obliterated as well as a huge percentage of the country's highly-trained pilots, either of which were easily replaceable. But just how did the Americans find themselves in such a remarkable position, harnessing the element of surprise to devastating effect?

In this episode James is joined by award-winning historian Dr Sarah-Louise Miller, who reveals the forgotten history of the intelligence battle that set up a decisive victory at Midway.

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In a world so dependent on the need for oil and gas, it's no wonder why oil rich nations like Russia hold such power on the global stage. The power these Petrostates have influence foreign policy and conflicts around the globe. But why does oil play such a key role in global geo-politics? And what does the development of clean energy mean for those dependent on oil?

In this episode, James is joined by author Emma Ashford to help explore the potential links between oil production and possession in influencing foreign policy, as well as how global conflict can be exasperated by oil's very presence.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for 7 days free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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In World War Two the ancient fortress of Colditz Castle was used by the German Army to hold its most defiant prisoners of war. Located near Leipzig, deep in Germany, it was almost impossible to escape.

If an Allied escapee did manage to make it out of the castle walls, they’d face a journey home of hundreds of miles in enemy territory, with no guarantee of safety or help. But the men of Colditz were no ordinary prisoners, and their captors were about to find out why.

In this episode James is joined by bestselling author Ben Macintyre as he reveals the characters who became legends of World War Two due to their daring escapes.

Ben's new book Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle is available here.

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For your chance to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey.

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When we think of pirates our minds turn to figures both real and fictitious such as Blackbeard and Long John Silver, or perhaps even Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa.

We certainly don't tend to think of their involvement in the American Revolution. After all, why would we? What role did those involved in piracy even play in the Revolutionary War?

Well to answer that very question James is joined today by historian, and grandson of General Patton, Robert H. Patton, whose book Patriot Pirates: The Privateer War for Freedom and Fortune in the American Revolution recounts the role of American pirates in bringing an end to British overlordship.

Bob's book is available here.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for two weeks free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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The resistance fighters of the Moro, an indigenous Muslim population of the Philippines, have been described as most the most successful and least-known guerrillas of World War II's Pacific Theatre.

The Moro mounted an armed opposition so vigorous that the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army found themselves outfought time and again by their far less well-armed adversaries. When the soldiers of the Empire of Japan invaded their homeland, the Moros, sometimes with swords as their only weapons, bravely fought on alone after the rapid American surrender of the Philippines.

In this episode James is joined by Thomas McKenna, the author of a new book on the Moro warriors, to learn more about arguably the most successful and unlikely resistance movements of the entire Second World War.

Tom's book Moro Warrior: The Untold Story of the Most Remarkable Resistance Fighters of World War II in the Pacific is available here.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for two weeks free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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General George S. Patton was one of America's most successful - and indeed unconventional - military leaders.

From a young age, 'Georgie' Patton believed he was destined to lead a great army, and after an eventful youth - in which he even competed in the 1912 Olympic Games - the Californian forged an incredible military career during both World Wars.

In this episode James is joined by General Patton's grandson, Robert H. Patton, to discuss his grandfather's esteemed, if not slightly controversial career - as well as the conspiracies surrounding his death in 1945.

Bob's book The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family is available here.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for two weeks free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

For your chance to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey.

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Warning: This episode contains content that some listeners may find upsetting

No matter the war being fought, it's a sad fact that war crimes take place all around the world - we need only look to Russia's offensive war in Ukraine to see how civilians can be illegally targeted in an indiscriminate and disproportionate fashion.

With contemporary events in mind, we decided to take a look at the long history of war crimes and how perpetrators have been held to account over the decades.

To help with this James is joined once again by Oona Hathaway, Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and member of the Advisory Committee on International Law at the US Department of State since 2005.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for two weeks free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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When you think of the Blitz, you think of the Blitz on London. The two are synonymous, and not without reason. Over 57 consecutive nights and days, Luftwaffe raids left tens of thousands dead in Britain's capital in late 1940.

But the truth is that the heavy bombardment of the UK involved so many towns and cities across the country: from Plymouth in the southwest, to Swansea in Wales, to Belfast in Northern Ireland, to the Clydebank in Scotland and all up the northeast coast of England from Hull to Newcastle.

In this episode James is joined by Dr Stephen Moore to learn about the Blitz of the east coast, helping us understand why cities like Newcastle were targeted by the Luftwaffe & why they have become oft forgotten, marginalised histories.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy our episode on 9/11: From the 105th Floor, which was also just shortlisted for a Lovie Award in the Best Interview/Talk Show Category.

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If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code WARFARE for two weeks free + 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

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