logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
38m 8s

201. The Raj at War

Goalhanger
About this episode
For many years, commemorations of the two World Wars excluded the memorialisation of soldiers from the British Empire. But campaigners have gradually turned the spotlight on their experiences. In the First and Second World War, approximately 3.8 million soldiers from the Indian subcontinent served in the British Army. Indian and British troops often formed ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
406. Norman Conquest: The First Crusade (Part 6)
How did Normans from Western Europe reach as far as Antioch in what is now Turkey? What was their role in The First Crusade? Who was the Byzantine Alexios I Komnenos and how did he summon Normans to support his campaign? In the final episode of this series, Anita Anand and Willia ... Show More
47m 11s
Oct 18
405. Norman Conquest: Medieval Mafia Invade The East (Part 5)
They are best known for invading England in 1066, but the Normans conquered territories in the East too. Who was Robert The Weasel, and did he operate like a Mafia boss in the 11th century? How did the Normans thuggishly conquer Sicily and Southern Italy? How did the Normans infl ... Show More
46m 15s
Oct 14
404. Norman Conquest: Colonising Ireland (Part 4)
How did the Normans conquer the Celts on the fringes of their territory after 1066? What led to the events of the Norman Conquest of Ireland, which still affects the nation’s politics today? And how did the Norman invasion of Wales change the landscape through the building of new ... Show More
49m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Indian experiences in WW2
Around 2.5 million Indian soldiers fought in the Second World War. Behind this staggering number lies a complex web of emotional experiences – and Diya Gupta unpicks that tangled web in her new book, India in the Second World War: An Emotional History. Diya speaks to Ellie Cawtho ... Show More
33m 30s
Aug 2014
Episode 2 - Forgotten Heroes, The Indian Army in the Great War
In the second part of his documentary looking at the Asian contribution to WW1, Sarfraz Manzoor charts the experiences of soldiers and labourers in Mesopotamia and Gallipoli. The story for India changes as the war wears on. Recruitment becomes more draconian, British officers are ... Show More
29m 2s
Oct 2014
Episode 3 - Forgotten Heroes, The Indian Army in the Great War
In the third part of his documentary looking at the Asian contribution to WW1, Sarfraz Manzoor examines the effect of WW1 on India, nationally and locally. Through letters from servicemen and families, the loss to loved ones becomes clear - not just on an emotional level, but als ... Show More
29m 2s
Apr 2024
221 - Training the Indian Army
<p>The Indian Army was the largest volunteer army during the Second World War. Indian Army divisions fought in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy - and went to make up the overwhelming majority of the troops in South East Asia. Over two million personnel served in the Indian ... Show More
40m 11s
Nov 2023
Love, Lust & Fighting in World War II
It can be hard to comprehend the magnitude of historical events, with World War Two a prime example of this.By 1945, some 3 million British people had served. As such, the rich diversity of masculinity and sexuality of those men is often reduced or hidden from the history books.W ... Show More
42m 1s
Aug 2023
Indian National Army
Who were the Subhas Chandra Bose's soldiers, and what motivated them to fight alongside the Japanese, and where does their story sit in the history of the War? Jim and Al talk to Oyeshi Ganguly, Shriya Dasgupta and Sudarshan Pujari from the Agnijug Archive project who have been r ... Show More
55m 36s
Jan 2023
Refusing to fight in WW2
During the Second World War, around 60,000 people in Britain registered as conscientious objectors, seeking an exemption from military service on the grounds of their religious conviction, political stance or moral conscience. Speaking with Ellie Cawthorne, Professor Tobias Kelly ... Show More
33m 24s
Oct 2021
Britain's World War Two 'Brown Babies'
During World War Two, tens of thousands of African-American US servicemen passed through the UK as part of the war effort. The black GIs stationed in Britain were forced by the American military to abide by the racial segregation laws that applied in the deep south of the US. But ... Show More
10m 45s
Oct 2013
African Troops During WWII
During World War II, African soldiers were a vital part of the Allied forces. Many of them were sent to Burma as reinforcements for the British troops there. Hear just some of their memories - recorded by the BBC in the 1990s.Find out more about African troops in Burma in Another ... Show More
8m 56s
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