logo
episode-header-image
May 2014
1h 29m

The Allied Bombing of German Cities in W...

Intelligence Squared
About this episode
No one doubts the bravery of the thousands of men who flew and died in Bomber Command. The death rate was an appalling 44%. And yet until the opening of a monument in Green Park this year they have received no official recognition, with many historians claiming that the offensive was immoral and unjustified. How can it be right, they argue, for the Allies to ... Show More
Up next
Today
What Does Test Cricket Reveal About the Legacy of Empire? With Tim Wigmore
What does the history of Test cricket show us about identity? In this episode, Joey D’Urso speaks to award-winning author Tim Wigmore about how the players and the stories that have shaped Test cricket’s evolution since 1877.  With Test cricket on the cusp of its 150th annivers ... Show More
42m 30s
Nov 24
Does modern medicine need to drop the distinction between mental and physical health? With Professor Edward Bullmore
For centuries, mental and physical health have been divided - disorders of the mind and body have been treated as if they were poles apart. This deep-rooted division has shaped medicine, psychiatry, and society. But what if this mind/body split is not only outdated - but dangerou ... Show More
47m 33s
Nov 23
Is Vivaldi Still the Soundtrack of the Seasons? With Dr Hannah French
Can music help us notice nature more deeply? In this episode, Dr Leah Broad speaks to broadcaster and author Dr Hannah French about the enduring influence and legacy of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. This year is the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It’s therefore the pe ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Assauts contre l'histoire
Quiconque découvrirait la seconde guerre mondiale à l'aune de ses commémorations en 2023 n'y comprendrait pas grand-chose. Qui peut en effet percevoir, à la vue de ces cérémonies, que la plus gigantesque défaite infligée aux troupes de la Wehrmacht le fut à Stalingrad ? Que onze ... Show More
3m 35s
May 2024
D-Day: The German Side (Episode 1)
May 1944, it is clear to Erwin Rommel that the Allied counter attack is just a few weeks away. The answer is simple - defend the Atlantic Wall. But Nazi infighting and ludicrous top-down decision making has led to chaos on the Western Front. With the 6th June just days away - the ... Show More
1h 2m
Feb 2020
Two Bombs | Part 2
After the defeat of Germany,  Joseph Stalin looked at the pieces laid out on the board in front of him with satisfaction that bordered on glee. His Red Army, consisting of millions of battle-hardened troops, thousands of tanks and an equal number of artillery pieces had come to a ... Show More
37m 12s
Mar 2021
Witnessing The Final Destruction of Hitler’s War Machine
By mid-February 1945, the Wehrmacht had finally reached strategic bankruptcy. In January and February alone, it had lost 660,000 men. The Home Army lacked the weapons (including small arms) and ammunition to equip new divisions. In January, against a monthly demand for 1,500,000 ... Show More
39m 2s
Aug 2022
172 - The Battle of Stalingrad
<p>The German offensive to capture Stalingrad began in August 1942, using Friedrich Paulus's 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army. The attack was supported by intense bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The battle quickly degenerated into house-to-house fight ... Show More
1h 7m
Mar 2022
Mention the war: Germany awakes
For decades, Germany was doctrinally pacifist: a legacy left over from the second world war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/03/19/a-risk-averse-germany-enters-an-age-of-confrontation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chang ... Show More
26m 2s
Feb 2024
217 - How the Luftwaffe Lost the skies over Germany
<p>Starting with small raids at the start of the war, the aerial offensive grew into a massive operation. Huge air armadas would eventually pulverise Germany, with the Mighty Eigth Airforce flying by day and the Lancasters of Bomber Command by night. This 24-hour campaign serious ... Show More
54m 19s
Aug 2017
German POWs in the US During WW2
Did you know that over 400,000 German POWs were settled in the United States during World War II? Did you know that they may have built some of the stone buildings that make up your town square? Or that they were responsible for bringing in America’s harvest in the fall of 1945 w ... Show More
11m 12s
Mar 2022
Mention the war: Germany awakes
For decades, Germany was doctrinally pacifist: a legacy left over from the second world war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/03/19/a-risk-averse-germany-enters-an-age-of-confrontation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chang ... Show More
26m 2s