The decision by the United States to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 remains one of the most controversial moments in modern history. Did the atomic bombs force Japan's surrender in the Second World War? Or is this far too simple a narrative? Speaking to Elinor Evans, historian Richard Overy reconsiders the role of Op ... Show More
Today
Does Magna Carta matter today?
Politicians invoke it, activists wield it, and legal thinkers debate what it can offer the modern world. But what does Magna Carta really mean today? In this fourth and final episode of HistoryExtra's Sunday Series on the charter, Emily Briffett and historian Nicholas Vincent con ... Show More
38m 15s
Aug 2025
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings
In May 1945, the Second World War ended in Europe, but Japan refused to surrender - despite seemingly facing inevitable defeat. So, confronted by the prospect of drawn-out and costly fighting, Washington sought to bring the conflict in the East to an end as quickly as possible. M ... Show More
56m 33s
Sep 2024
First-Hand Account of Hiroshima: Before, During, and After the Atomic Bomb Drop
Over the past few years, much has been written and created around Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project, but little attention is paid to those whose lives were ended or forever changed when the bombs dropped in Japan.<br><br>In this episode, we delve into the experiences of the < ... Show More
39m 42s
Oct 2024
The Doolittle Raid: WW2 Bombing of Japan
<p>If somebody asked you to go on a dangerous mission, no other details, would you volunteer?</p><br><p>Well, in 1942, that's exactly what 120 crewmen of the US Army Air Force did. In this episode, find out how it went and who Jimmy Doolittle was. From an impossible take off, thr ... Show More
51m 25s