logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
52m 11s

The UK’s Top Diplomat on the State of th...

History Hit
About this episode
Sir Jeremy Greenstock served as a diplomat from the 1960s to the well into the 21st century and is someone who has been in the room when some of the most momentous events of recent history have occurred. He served in British embassies all over the world, he was UK ambassador to the United Nations between 1998 and 2003 and was pivotal in the negotiations leading up to the Iraq invasion in March 2003. In the aftermath of that invasion, he was to Iraq as Special Envoy helping to coordinate and shape the reconstruction of the country. This is a fascinating conversation about the role of diplomats, about the world, Iraq, wielding power and ultimately about personalities.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Up next
Oct 9
Medieval Sex
Warning: this episode contains explicit language.Medieval people weren’t prudish—far from it. Dan is joined by medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega to explore sex, marriage, and desire in the Middle Ages. They delve into the beliefs around sodomy as “non-procreative sex”; pilgrim ... Show More
42m 14s
Oct 7
Alexandria
This is the story of a city that laid the foundations for our modern world. Sitting at the intersection of East and West, Alexandria has been home to many of humanity's greatest architectural and cultural achievements, like the famous Lighthouse and the storied Great Library. Som ... Show More
31m 43s
Oct 5
The Spanish Civil War
Why did Spain spiral into civil war in 1936? Today, we delve into the grinding class conflicts and ferocious political divisions that split Spain in two, from the dictatorship of the 1920s to the ambitious and divisive government of the early 1930s. We explore why democracy unrav ... Show More
58m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Diplomacy
In the 1990s, an advert for a brand of chocolate depicted a sophisticated gathering hosted by the foreign ambassador of an unspecified country. It hinted at a gilded existence of cocktail parties and small talk among influential, wealthy guests. Iszi Lawrence finds out how the st ... Show More
48m 51s
Mar 2023
Tony Blair & The Iraq War
March 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, seeing US and British troops enter the country - the legalities of which are still debated today. The legacy it’s left behind includes over 1 million Iraqi deaths, thousands of troops, and a power vacuum that allowed the rise ... Show More
39m 50s
Jan 2021
America in the World – A Conversation on the History of U.S. Foreign Policy with Amb. Bob Zoellick
In this episode, Dan speaks with Ambassador Bob Zoellick, an American public official who most recently served as the 11th President of the World Bank. He is the author of a fascinating new book, America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. In the traditi ... Show More
51m 51s
Feb 2023
Gabriel Glickman, "US-Egypt Diplomacy Under Johnson: Nasser, Komer, and the Limits of Personal Diplomacy" (Bloombury, 2021)
What happens to policies when a president dies in office? Do they get replaced by the new president, or do advisers carry on with the status quo? In November 1963, these were important questions for a Kennedy-turned-Johnson administration.Among these officials was a driven Nation ... Show More
1h 23m
May 2022
The Royal diplomat
After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s most high profile global figure and a unique exemplar of diplomacy and soft power. Much of her role takes place behind the scenes. She came to the throne in 1952 at a time of crisis and as the British Empire disinteg ... Show More
50m 44s
Apr 2022
Britain's Soviet spy scandal
In 1971 during the Cold War, the UK expelled 90 Soviet diplomats suspected of spying. They'd been allowed into Britain in an attempt to improve relations, but it was later discovered that they'd been carrying out espionage instead. George Walden was a young diplomat working on th ... Show More
9m 2s
Mar 2023
Saddam Hussein's Rise & Fall
Perhaps one of the best-known modern dictators, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for nearly 30 years before eventually being overthrown in 2003 by the US Coalition. Known for his authoritarian rule, the use of chemical weapons against his own people, and multiple invasions of neighbouri ... Show More
42m 12s
Nov 2020
Civil Servants' role in the formulation of British foreign policy and the role of women, with Prof Gaynor Johnson
Prof Gaynor Johnson explores the often-overlooked role civil servants in the formulation of foreign policy, including the role of women in the British Foreign Office. She discusses innovative methodological approaches to the study of diplomatic history, including the use of proso ... Show More
34m 50s