On August 1, 1944, the Polish Home Army, a non-Communist underground resistance movement, initiated the Warsaw uprising to liberate the city from the German occupation and reclaim Polish independence. The impetus for the military action was the ongoing retreat of the German forces from Poland, followed by the appearance of the Soviet Red Army along the east ... Show More
Jul 13
The Fall of Saddam Hussein: Butcher of Baghdad
For 24 years, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist—silencing dissent through torture, execution, and the infamous Republican Guard. But in 2003, the regime that seemed untouchable came crashing down in just three weeks. Today we trace the final days of one of history's mos ... Show More
48m 20s
Jul 6
The Rise of Saddam Hussein: From Street Thug to Dictator
Saddam Hussein with nothing. Born to a poor peasant family in a mud-brick village. Abandoned by his father before he was born. Raised by an abusive uncle who beat him daily. By thirty, he was an assassin. By forty, he controlled one of the world's most oil-rich nations. By fifty, ... Show More
40m 6s
Jun 28
The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Show on Earth: The Circus
Step right up and journey through the wild, weird, and often shocking history of the circus—from its ancient Roman origins to the multimillion-dollar entertainment empire that defined the 19th and 20th centuries, and its eventual collapse in the modern era. Watch the podcast ... Show More
55m 9s
Jan 2025
532. Hitler's War on Poland: The Fall of Warsaw (Part 3)
The Nazi invasion of Poland is one of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War, which saw terrible scenes of abuse take place. Though long threatened, Poland was in no way prepared to face Hitler’s war machine when it finally attacked. Replete with tanks and planes, hi ... Show More
1 h
Sep 2024
237 - From the Soviet Gulag to Arnhem
<p>When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, it wasn't the Germans who first uprooted Stanislaw Kulik and his family—it was the Russians. Deported to a Siberian Gulag, Stanislaw's fate took a dramatic turn in 1941 when the Germans launched their invasion of the Soviet Union. Suddenly, ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2019
The outbreak of World War Two
On September 1st 1939 German forces invaded Poland. Douglas Slocombe, a British cameraman, was there at the time and filmed the build-up to the war. In 2014 he spoke to Vincent Dowd about what he saw in Gdansk and Warsaw, before escaping from the country.This programme is a rebro ... Show More
8m 59s
Nov 2022
256. Germany: The White Rose
“Since the conquest of Poland, 300,000 Jews have been murdered in this country in the most bestial way ... The German people slumber on in dull, stupid sleep and encourage the fascist criminals. Each wants to be exonerated of guilt, each one continues on his way with the most pla ... Show More
50m 33s