logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
57m 47s

417. Britain in 1974: State of Emergency...

Goalhanger
About this episode
“Who governs Britain?” Britain in the early 1970’s was a state in crisis, and by 1974, things had never seemed bleaker. Held hostage by the Trade Unions, British industry was flailing. England’s sporting record was atrocious, the economy was tanking and the prospect of a miners’ strike loomed large. Violence was surging in Northern Ireland, as the IRA escala ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
664. Britain in the 70s: Scandal in Downing Street (Part 3)
With Britain heading towards financial meltdown and paranoia in the air, could its exhausted Prime Minister, Harold Wilson survive? Why were bombs going off in London every few days in the winter of 1975? And, with inflation reaching unprecedented heights, would the government fi ... Show More
1h 14m
Apr 22
663. Britain in the 70s: The Brexit That Never Was (Part 2)
In the Spring of 1975, why was the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, so embattled? Why was the left so divided during this period? And, was Britain’s relationship with Europe already fracturing…? Join Tom and Dominic, as they discuss the trials of Harold Wilson, as the melee of 1970 ... Show More
1h 17m
Apr 19
662. Britain in the 70s: The Rise of Thatcher (Part 1)
How did Margaret Thatcher rise to become leader of the Conservative Party in Britain? Why were British politics so tumultuous in the 1970s? And, who was Thatcher up against? Join Dominic and Tom as they launch into the dramas, calamities, and triumphs of Thatcher’s rise to power, ... Show More
1h 15m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
157. The American Revolution: The Shot Heard Around the World (Ep 2)
The infamous Boston Tea Party sees colonists dressed as Native Americans dump British tea in the surrounding waters. Calls of “the British are coming!” rally untrained militias to stand together against one of the most advanced militaries in the world. The two sides have their fi ... Show More
50m 44s
Dec 2022
181 - Britain's Coast at War
<p>During WWII, the whole of Britain's coastline was involved in the struggle against the Nazis. In 1940-41 invasion was the main threat. Many towns and cities around the coast, such as Plymouth, Portsmouth, Hull and Great Yarmouth, were the targets of devastating air raids. The ... Show More
58m 56s
Mar 2021
The Battle in Seattle | 45
On November 30, 1999, thousands of protestors locked arms and marched into downtown Seattle. They surrounded a convention center where a conference organized by the World Trade Organization was set to take place over the next four days.Most of the demonstrators were peaceful but ... Show More
36m 19s
Aug 2011
Charles Townshend, “Desert Hell: The British Invasion of Mesopotamia” (Harvard University Press, 2011)
An earlier author described the British invasion of Mesopotamia in 1914 as “The Neglected War.” It no longer deserves that title thanks to the brilliant treatment of the subject by Professor Charles Townshend (University of Keele). His Desert Hell: The British Invasion of Mesopot ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2022
The Queen & US Presidents
<p>We had plans today to release the first two episodes of American History Hit but due to the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week, we’ve decided to take some time and do something a little different.</p><br><p>You’ll hear those episodes on Thursday September 22, un ... Show More
6m 50s
Jan 2022
Bloody Sunday
On 30 January 1972 British troops opened fire on a civil rights march in Northern Ireland. Thirteen people were killed that day, which became known as Bloody Sunday. Tony Doherty was nine years old at the time. In 2012 he spoke to Mike Lanchin about his father and the events that ... Show More
9m 2s
Dec 2022
The Morant Bay Rebellion
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rebellion that broke out in Jamaica on 11th October 1865 when Paul Bogle (1822-65) led a protest march from Stony Gut to the courthouse in nearby Morant Bay. There were many grounds for grievance that day and soon anger turned to bloodshed. Alt ... Show More
53m 42s
Oct 2023
205 - Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40
<p>As some of you may know, I am also a First World War historian, and the academic history of the war can be very different from the public perspective, which dwells on the first two years of the war. </p> <p>Forgetting the victories of 1917 and 1918 is not new; it is something ... Show More
56m 31s