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Explaining History
Eye Witness: The End of White Rule in Rhodesia
This episode takes our listeners on a remarkable journey into the tumultuous period of the 1970s in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, as seen through the lens of James McManus, the former Africa correspondent for The Guardian. McManus was not just a journalist chronicling events from the periphery; he was in the thick of it, engaging with pivotal figures who would shape the course of the nation's history.
In an era marked by political upheaval, civil strife, and a tug-of-war for power, McManus met the staunchly pro-white minority rule leader, Ian Smith. His insights into this enigmatic figure shed light on the psyche of a leader desperately clinging to the vestiges of colonial rule. Equally compelling is his account of Robert Mugabe, the charismatic anti-colonial leader, whose transition from liberator to dictator left an indelible mark on Zimbabwe.
Yet, McManus' narrative is not limited to these towering figures. He delves into his encounters with a myriad of African nationalist leaders, painting a multi-faceted picture of a continent in flux, and a nation on the cusp of monumental change. Drawing from these rich experiences, McManus has penned his latest novel, "Love in a Lost Land," a poignant tale that encapsulates the passion, peril, and paradoxes of this transformative period.
Join us for a deep dive into an era that redefined the African continent, as told by an eyewitness who stood at the crossroads of history. Whether you're a history aficionado or simply intrigued by personal tales that mirror broader societal shifts, this episode promises a captivating listen.
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Special Report - Syria and the defeat of Assad
29:38|This is a special one off podcast episode on the key events of the last 24 hours in Syria, following the overthrow of the Assad regime.I will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereEmpiricism Part Three
31:16|In this episode we continue to explore the historical practices associated with empiricism, and we're reading from The Houses of HistoryI will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereThe development of the Holocaust 1941-1942
25:26|The development of the Holocaust, from the mass murder of Soviet soldiers who the SS exploited for labour before killing, to the industrialised mass murder of Europe's Jews went through a series of contradictory and chaotic developments between the start of Operation Barbarossa and the Wannsee Conference in early 1942. This episode of the Explaining History podcast is based in Nikolaus Wachsmann's excellent book KLHelp the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereThe economic consequences of Trump
26:40|Economists, journalists and commentators are currently producing vast amounts of content predicting what they believe lies in store for America and the world in 2025 and what the consequences of Trump's second term will be. In this podcast we explore Grace Blakeley's Substack article: The Economic Consequences of Donald TrumpHelp the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereAQA Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53 Part Ten
23:26|This is part eight of the Explaining History study course based on the AQA A level history module Revolution and Dictatorship: Russia 1917-53.In this episode we explore the power struggle between Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev and Bukharin and discuss the political ideas that Stalin believed in. We examine the ideas of permanent revolution and socialism in one countryI will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereMao, Deng and the Sino Soviet Split
24:45|By the late 1950s ties between the USSR and China were weakening and there was mutual hostility and suspicion between the two powers. Deng Xiaoping in 1960 was involved in advancing China's role as a key player in the shaping of world communist thought. This podcast examines his role and the crises that shape both regimes.Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereNazi economic plunder of western Europe and war production crises
26:38|In the aftermath of Germany's stunning victories in 1940, the countries of western Europe were economically exploited by Germany. From the level of individual soldiers who stole and purchased at fire sale cost consumer goods that their families in Germany couldn't possibly afford, all the way to the wholesale expropriation of French, Dutch, Belgian and Scandinavian economies by the Nazi state. Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereApproaches to history Part Five: Empiricism continued
34:23|In this episode we continue to explore the historical practices associated with empiricism, and we're reading from The Houses of History I will be running a livestream Q&A for students on Wednesday November 20th. You can access it here, subscribe to the channel to get your reminder.https://youtube.com/live/knBuNLBD-bU?feature=share (in case the link doesn't work)Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it hereAmerican Lend Lease to the Soviet Union 1941-42
26:59|In 1941 the USSR was desperate for American war materiel from trucks to tanks to aircraft and grain but the intensity of German submarine and aircraft attacks on convoys sailing to the Soviet Arctic ports meant that in the summer of 1942 they had to temporarily be suspended and re-routed by the Pacific. In the meantime the complex web of diplomacy, suspicion and mistrust between western allies and the USSR had side effects including the further mistreatment of Stalin's Polish prisoners.Help the podcast to continue bringing you history each weekIf you enjoy the Explaining History podcast and its many years of content and would like to help the show continue, please consider supporting it in the following ways:If you want to go ad-free, you can take out a membership hereOrYou can support the podcast via Patreon hereOr you can just say some nice things about it here