9. Causes of the First World War

What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ... Show More

How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ... Show More

What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17 year old girl? And, why did the Austrian royal family try to er ... Show More

In the first episode of our podcast series The Big Questions of the Second World War, historian and broadcaster Laurence Rees explains some of the short and long term causes of the global conflict – from the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi pa ... Show More

From BBC Radio 4 Responsibility for the Great War has been a fierce battle for meaning ever since 1914. Michael Portillo examines how the history of the origins of the Great War and the issue of war guilt has, since 1914, frequently been a fierce battle for meaning with high stak ... Show More

What drove men to volunteer to fight during World War One? What drove them to the edge of sanity when they got there? 

Professor David Stevenson answers listener questions on the 1919-20 conference that sought to resolve the aftermath of the First World War   In the latest episode in our series on history’s biggest topics, Professor David Stevenson explores the 1919–20 conference that sought to r ... Show More

What war? 

In which we discuss how the British and Germans approached the war, arms limitation treaties, and the growing budget crises of 1913. Contact sales@advertisecast.com to advertise on History of the Great War. History of the Great War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Le ... Show More

The reasons for the Great War go way beyond the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Learn about the causes of one of humanity's most vicious wars.<p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p> 

Michael Portillo reveals how our understanding of the war has been distorted through a century of intellectualising, interpretation and misinterpretation. In this first episode Michael Portillo examines how the German invasion of neutral Belgium in August 1914 transformed Britain ... Show More

Did the Nazis use slave labour? Should Britain pay reparations? What is the origin of the Portuguese phrase 'just for the English to see'? What was the role of Islam in abolition? Listen as William and Anita answer these questions and more... Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empire ... Show More

When you think of the First World War, what springs to mind? Is it trench warfare? The myth that troops would be home by Christmas? Or perhaps the idea that the whole thing began because of the assassination of an Austro-Hungarian archduke? In this episode, we’re going beyond the ... Show More