logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
58m 52s

20. China

Goalhanger
About this episode
Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the world’s oldest civilisation. What were the great moments in Chinese history and why do the Opium Wars still feature so prominently in the modern Chinese school syllabus? The birth of the Chinese Communist Party and the complicated legacy of Chairman Mao all feature. ... Show More
Up next
May 27
674. The First World War: The Spy Who Took on the Germans (Part 4)
Why did the British nurse, Edith Cavell, become a key player in the Belgian Resistance to German occupation? How did she carry out her mission? And, why was she ultimately executed, so controversially? Join Dominic and Tom as they unfold the life of the remarkable Edith Cavell, h ... Show More
1h 7m
May 24
673. The First World War: The Submarine Strikes (Part 3)
Was the Lusitania merely an ocean liner like Titanic, or a formidable battle ship? How and why did a German U-boat fleet manage to bring down this titan of the sea? And, how did the tragedy ignite the United States’ decision to finally join the War in 1917? Join Dominic and Tom a ... Show More
1h 16m
May 20
672. The First World War: Italy’s Doomed Campaign (Part 2)
How did Italy enter the First World War alongside the Allies in 1915? What were they hoping to gain? And, why was their attempt to invade the Austro-Hungarian Empire one of the bloodiest campaigns of the entire war? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss Italy’s entrance into the W ... Show More
1h 11m
Recommended Episodes
May 2024
The Opium Wars
<p>2/2. The British Empire aggressively pursued the opium trade well into the 19th century, fueling an addiction epidemic within China. The Qing government was determined to stamp out this destructive trade, leading to the First and Second Opium Wars. But the British Royal Navy w ... Show More
37m 58s
May 2024
Kublai Khan: life of the week
Kublai Khan will go down in history as the man who cemented the Mongol empire's status as the one of the mightiest powers in the world – and changed the course of Chinese history in the process. In our latest Life of the Week episode, Nicholas Morton tells Spencer Mizen how this ... Show More
36m 59s
Sep 2023
Liangzhu: Cradle of Chinese Civilisation?
<p>Where do you begin to understand the origins of Chinese civilization? Located near the Yangtze River, the treasures of the Liangzhu culture can be found, a civilisation that dates back to the Neolithic. Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr. Yijie Zhuang from University Colleg ... Show More
44m 6s
Mar 2024
Great Wall of China
<p>It's one of the most iconic structures in the world: The Great Wall of China.</p><br><p>But is it just one wall? And who built it and why? Today, Tristan Hughes is joined by William Lindesay OBE to delve into the ancient history of this epic structure and to answer these quest ... Show More
55m 19s
May 2024
Vol 4 Ep 75 - China: Ming Dynasty
<p>1279 - 1644 - We track the downfall of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty of China before reviewing the rise of the Ming Dynasty and how they changed China in a world where long distance trade links were becoming more vital.</p> 
48m 37s
May 2024
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is one of the architectural wonders of the world. Stretching for over 21,000km - as far as London to New York and back, twice - it follows what used to be the border between China and Mongolia. Built over a period of 2,000 years by millions of conscripted ... Show More
55m 3s
Jun 2021
June 27, 2021 |On GPS: As China celebrates a century of communism, Fareed talks to an expert panel about what’s next for China. Plus, Malcolm Gladwell is back with a revisionist history perspective on everything from autonomous cars to the Little Mermaid.
On Thursday, the Chinese Communist Party will celebrate its 100-year anniversary and Beijing is commemorating with festivities all over the country. Fareed hosts Elizabeth Economy, senior fellow for China studies at the Council for Foreign Relations, Rana Mitter, professor of mod ... Show More
40m 14s
Feb 2011
The Taiping Rebellion
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Taiping Rebellion.In 1850 a Chinese Christian convert, Hong Xiuquan, proclaimed himself leader of a new dynasty, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He and his followers marched against the ruling Qing dynasty, gathering huge support as they went ... Show More
41m 58s
Jan 2022
The Dawn of History in China
<p>China’s written history goes back more than 3,000 years, stretching deep into the Bronze Age. But just how far back does it go, and how reliable are those first legendary texts when discussing a world that had already been lost for centuries? They speak of powerful kings and c ... Show More
41m 40s
Apr 2012
Ep. 80 | Bo Yibo
This week we look at a committed Communist Party leader who played an important role in steering China's economy and financial system from 1949 to 1966 and during the Deng era. Like many other leaders of his generation, Shanxi-born Bo Yibo suffered terribly during the Cultural Re ... Show More
26m 1s