logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
27m 7s

VE Day: a people's history

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Nazi Germany had finally been defeated. And, for 24 hours, Britons could let their hair down and celebrate. But not everyone was in the mood to party. As 2025 marks the 80th anniversary, John Willis tells the story of VE Day via the experiences of ordinary Britons who lived through it. Here, in conversation with Spencer Mizen, he discusses what these testimo ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
Life in the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain
In the eyes of a German fighter pilot in the skies over English Channel in 1940, the Battle of Britain was as much a struggle of human endurance as it was of strategy and skill. Speaking to Emily Briffett, aviation historian Dr Victoria Taylor takes us inside the mind of the Luft ... Show More
49m 45s
Jan 14
The hidden history of US immigration detention
The roots of immigration detention in the US stretch back over a century. Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Brianna Nofil explores how the US built a vast migrant detention regime. From jailing Chinese migrants in 1900s upstate New York to the private prison boom of the 1980s a ... Show More
47m 46s
Jan 13
Emperor Hirohito: life of the week
While most of the other surviving Axis leaders were put on trial following the end of the Second World War, Japan's Emperor Hirohito never faced justice and, instead, continued to reign until his death in 1989. Debate continues about how far he was personally responsible for Japa ... Show More
42m 2s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
VE Day
<p>When the Second World War finally ended 80 years ago, there was a mixed reaction in Britain. Today, we hear about these varying responses, from elation and celebration to reticence and restraint.</p><br><p>For the final episode of our 'D-Day to Berlin' series, we're joined by ... Show More
33m 58s
Nov 2023
The Gettysburg Address
<p>What makes the Gettysburg Address one of the most famous speeches in history? Did&nbsp;Lincoln really write it on the train? How did the audience in the Soldiers' National Cemetery respond?</p><br><p>In this episode, Don is joined once again by Glenn LaFantasie to examine the ... Show More
31m 53s
Dec 2022
1st Parachute Regiment of WW2 with Mark Urban
2022 marks 80 years since the Red Devils first remarkable campaign in North Africa. In Britain, they were known as the parachute regiment, but after their daring feats in the Second World War the name Red Devils quickly stuck.In this episode, James is joined by BBC journalist and ... Show More
35m 25s
Nov 2024
The Unknown Warrior
<p>In the western nave of Westminster Abbey, nestled between illustrious tombs and beneath a slab of black Belgian marble, lies the body of an unidentified soldier of the First World War. He is remembered as the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of the half a million Commonwealth service ... Show More
38m 42s
Aug 2024
Medieval Life During Plague & War
<p>When so much of history is written by men, Margaret Paston's letters offer us a rare insight into the life of a woman and the world around her in 15th century England.</p><br><p>How did she cope with waves of plague wiping out her town? What did she do when the War of the Rose ... Show More
40m 42s
Oct 14
The Germans Who Rebelled Against the Nazis
Today, we journey back to Berlin in the summer of 1943, where a clandestine gathering of Germany’s elite quietly plots to resist Hitler’s regime. But there is a traitor in their midst...We're joined by acclaimed journalist and author Jonathan Freedland, author of 'The Traitors Ci ... Show More
38m 17s
Jan 2025
The Rise of Napoleon
<p>Napoleon Bonaparte is a household name; a rare example of someone who is as well remembered by his supporters as by his enemies. His life is rich with dramatic irony. He was a key figure in the creation of the First French Republic, yet became a self-appointed Emperor. Surroun ... Show More
42m 5s
Sep 2025
597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4)
What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each other so brutally and for so long to take Ypres? What made the fighting so particularly violent? How were the British able to repel ... Show More
55m 15s
Sep 2025
The Chindits
During World War Two, an unconventional special force was formed. Known as the Chindits, they fought behind enemy lines in Burma, now Myanmar during 1943 and 1944 in the war against Japan.Their leader was the charismatic Orde Wingate, a British Army officer. This programme is mad ... Show More
10m 19s
Sep 2024
200. Battleground '44 - Black Tuesday at Arnhem
Joining Saul on this episode of Battleground '44 is Al Murray, co-host of our sister podcast - We Have Ways of Making You Talk, and author of Arnhem: Black Tuesday: The Classic Battle as Never Told Before. Together they look at the the events on Tuesday September 19, 1944 - a te ... Show More
52m 4s