Explaining History

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the complex and often suppressed memory of China's recent past. Drawing on Tania Branigan's Red Memory, we delve into the heart of Beijing—Tiananmen Square—and unpack its layers of history, from the May Fourth Movement of 1919 to the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 and the tragedy of 1989.Why does the portrait of Mao Zedong still gaze over the square, despite the catastrophes of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution? How does the Chinese Communist Party use "Red Tourism" and curated museums to construct a narrative of national rejuvenation while burying the trauma of its own making? From the "Century of Humiliation" to Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream," we examine how memory is not just history, but a tool of state legitimacy.Plus: A reminder for students! Tickets are selling fast for our live masterclass on the Russian Revolution and Stalinism on January 26th.and you can access advert free episodes here on PatreonKey Topics:Tiananmen Square: A site of revolution, celebration, and massacre.The Cult of Mao: Why the Chairman remains the "vigilant eye" over modern China.Red Tourism: How the party commodifies its revolutionary past.Historical Amnesia: The erasure of the Cultural Revolution and the Great Famine from public discourse.Books Mentioned:Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution by Tania BraniganThe Age of Extremes by Eric Hobsbawm (referenced contextually)

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the escalating crisis that threatens to destroy the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). With Donald Trump eyeing Greenland as a territorial acquisition and European leaders issuing a rare, unified rebuke, the alliance forged in 1949 to contain Soviet power is facing its greatest existential threat.We delve into the history of NATO—from the Berlin Airlift and the Truman Doctrine to its expansion after the Cold War. How did an alliance built on the principle of "an attack on one is an attack on all" crumble into transactionalism? Nick argues that Trump doesn't see a Pax Americana; he sees a world of rival great powers where alliances are liabilities unless they pay cash.If the US moves against Danish sovereign territory, can NATO survive? And what does this mean for Vladimir Putin, who may be watching the disintegration of his greatest enemy with glee?Plus: Big announcements! We are launching on Patreon for ad-free listening, and tickets are now live for our Russian Revolution Masterclass on January 26th.Key Topics:The Greenland Crisis: European leaders draw a line in the sand over Danish sovereignty.The Origins of NATO: How the Berlin Blockade and the Marshall Plan built the Western alliance.Trump vs. The Alliance: Why the "America First" doctrine views NATO as a bad deal.A European Defense Force? What happens to European security if the US pulls out?Books Mentioned:The Cold War: A New History by John Lewis Gaddis (contextual reference)

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores one of the most debated questions in modern history: Was the Russian Revolution inevitable?Moving beyond the simple narrative of "peace, land, and bread," we delve into the competing schools of historiography that have shaped our understanding of 1917. From the Soviet orthodoxy of historical determinism to the Western liberal view of a Bolshevik coup d'état, and finally to the revisionist and post-revisionist syntheses of scholars like Sheila Fitzpatrick and Orlando Figes.We also examine the structural argument: that revolutions only happen when states cease to function. Was the Tsarist regime doomed by its own incompetence, or could it have survived without the catalyst of World War I? Nick unpacks how the "Great Man" theory fails to explain the collapse of empires and why understanding historiography is the key to unlocking top grades in history exams.Plus: A major announcement for students! Booking is now open for our live masterclass on the Russian Revolution and Stalinism, taking place on Sunday, January 25th. Listen to the end for details on how to secure your spot.Key Topics:The Soviet View: Historical inevitability and Marxist-Leninist dogma.The Liberal View: The revolution as a coup by a fanatical minority.The Revisionist View: The role of genuine mass movements and social history.State Collapse: Why you can't overthrow a functioning state.Books Mentioned:A People's Tragedy by Orlando FigesThe Russian Revolution by Sheila FitzpatrickThe Anxious Triumph by Donald Sassoon

Episode Summary:In this special emergency episode of Explaining History, Nick reacts to the breaking news of US military action in Venezuela. Reports indicate Apache gunships over Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by American forces.We explore the profound historical implications of this event. While Maduro may be a "gangster," his removal by a foreign power shatters centuries of diplomatic norms dating back to the Treaty of Westphalia. Nick argues that 2026 marks the definitive end of the "Pax Americana" and the rules-based international order established in 1945.From the echoes of the Monroe Doctrine to the collapse of American soft power, we discuss how the Trump administration’s "gangster state" tactics are reshaping the world into naked power blocs. Is this a strategic masterstroke to secure oil resources, or a reckless gamble that will accelerate America's isolation?Key Topics:The Attack on Caracas: Assessing the reports of US intervention and the kidnapping of a head of state.The End of International Law: Why pre-emptive regime change destroys the post-WWII consensus.Trump’s "Gangster State": The shift from soft power to raw, transactional force.Geopolitical Fallout: How Russia, China, and the Global South will react to this flagrant breach of sovereignty.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the grim reality of the Soviet camp system. Drawing on Anne Applebaum’s Gulag: A History, we explore how the camps evolved from disorganized prisons into a vast industrial complex of slave labour.We examine the "Great Terror" of 1937-38 not just as a political purge, but as a bureaucratic process driven by quotas and paranoia. Why did Stalin purge the very men—Yagoda, Yezhov, Berman—who built the Gulag system? How did the failure of forced industrialization lead to a search for scapegoats? And why were the death rates in the camps actually higher during the famine of 1932-33 and the war years than during the height of the political terror?Plus: A huge announcement for A-Level and IB History students! Nick unveils the dates for our upcoming live masterclasses on Russia, America, China, and Germany. Listen to the end for details on how to book your spot.Key Topics:The Great Terror: Why 1937-38 marked a watershed moment for the camps.Quotas of Death: How the NKVD assigned arrest targets to regions like production goals.The Purge of the Purgers: The downfall of the Gulag's founders.Clientelism and Paranoia: Why Stalin feared networks of loyalty within the Soviet bureaucracy.Books Mentioned:Gulag: A History by Anne ApplebaumEveryday Stalinism by Sheila Fitzpatrick

Episode Summary:In the first episode of 2026, Nick embarks on a year-long exploration of Eric Hobsbawm's monumental work, The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991.We begin by examining Hobsbawm’s premise: that the 20th century was defined by a binary struggle between ideologies that mutually excluded one another—capitalism vs. communism, democracy vs. fascism. But as Nick argues, this Western-centric view often simplifies the complex realities of national liberation struggles in China, Vietnam, and the Global South.The episode also delves into one of the most pressing issues for modern historians: "historical amnesia." Why, despite living in an age of information saturation, do we feel increasingly disconnected from the past? Drawing on Tony Judt and Hobsbawm, we explore how the breakdown of intergenerational storytelling and the allure of the "endless now" have created a society adrift in a permanent present.Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students launching later this month!Key Topics:The Short 20th Century: Hobsbawm’s definition of the era from 1914 to 1991.Historical Amnesia: Why the destruction of social memory is the eerie hallmark of the late 20th century.The Problem of Judgment: Why understanding the context of atrocities like the Holocaust does not mean forgiving them.The Binary Trap: Moving beyond the simple "Good vs. Evil" narrative of the Cold War.Books Mentioned:The Age of Extremes by Eric HobsbawmPostwar by Tony Judt

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the neglected connection between economic austerity and political repression in the early years of Fascist Italy.Drawing on the groundbreaking work of economist Clara Mattei, we delve into how Mussolini's regime used budget cuts, regressive taxation, and mass layoffs not just to balance the books, but to crush the Italian working class. We examine the "Two Red Years" (Biennio Rosso) that terrified the bourgeoisie and how Fascism was welcomed by liberal elites as a necessary tool to restore order and protect private capital.From the hiking of third-class rail fares to the slashing of veteran benefits, we unpack how economic policy was weaponized to reverse the democratic gains of the post-WWI era. Was austerity the true engine of the Fascist counter-revolution?Key Topics:Austerity as Repression: How economic policy was used to discipline the working class.The Liberal-Fascist Alliance: Why mainstream economists supported Mussolini.The Biennio Rosso: The socialist uprising that terrified Italy’s elites.The Motto "Nothing for Nothing": De Stefani’s ruthless approach to public spending.Resources:"Austerity and Repressive Politics: Italian Economists and the Early Years of the Fascist Government" by Clara Mattei (Institute of Economics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of 1960s radicalism, focusing on the disconnect between the student-led "New Left" and the American working class.While the counterculture is often remembered through images of campus protests and the SDS, the reality was far more complex. Drawing on Kim McQuaid’s The Anxious Years and Mike Davis’s Set the Night on Fire, we examine why the anti-war movement struggled to build bridges with blue-collar workers who were enjoying unprecedented prosperity.From the "hard hat riots" to the collapse of the Old Left after Khrushchev's secret speech, we delve into the ideological vacuum that student radicals tried—and largely failed—to fill. Why did the New Left view unions as "traitors to their class"? And how did the affluent origins of the student movement alienate the very people they hoped to liberate?Plus: Important announcements about our upcoming live masterclasses for history students in early 2026!Key Topics:The Ivory Tower: Why the New Left remained isolated on university campuses.The Hard Hat Riots: The clash between student radicals and pro-Nixon construction workers.The Collapse of the Old Left: How 1956 and 1968 destroyed faith in Soviet communism.Affluence vs. Revolution: Why prosperity dampened the revolutionary zeal of the American working class.Books Mentioned:The Anxious Years by Kim McQuaidSet the Night on Fire by Mike Davis and Jon WienerOne-Dimensional Man by Herbert Marcuse