For more than a decade, the Explaining History Podcast has helped listeners around the world make sense of modern history. What began in 2012 as a simple experiment—short, accessible episodes explaining major historical events—has grown into a long-running library of carefully researched, thoughtful explorations of the 20th and 21st centuries.
This page introduces new listeners to the podcast, explains what makes it different from other history shows, and offers curated paths into more than a thousand episodes.
If you’re searching for a history podcast that goes deeper than anecdotes or trivia, this is where to begin.
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In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we dive into military history—a departure from our usual focus on social and diplomatic history—to explore Richard Overy’s magisterial work, The Bombing War, and the crucial role of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding in Britain’s survival during the summer and autumn of 1940. I’ll be honest: I’ve often shied away from military history, partly because of how it’s been popularised. The “our lads what won it” approach has never appealed to me. But there are exceptions—Harper and Baylis’s Forgotten Armies and Forgotten Wars come to mind as social histories of war in…
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Beyond the Act: What Did Emancipation Really Mean? We tend to think of historical moments like the abolition of slavery as a clean break—a line in the sand. But what if the day you were declared “free,” nothing actually changed? In the latest episode of the Explaining History Podcast, I sat down with novelist Karen Jennings to discuss her new book, The First of December. The title refers to the 1st of December 1838, the day of full emancipation for slaves in South Africa. Why the delay? Because the British government, in its wisdom, had decreed a four-year period of “apprenticeship” for the…
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In 1973, the Whitlam government ushered in groundbreaking reforms, propelled by relentless advocacy from the women’s liberation movement. With policies like equal pay and women’s refuges, they reshaped the nation’s stance on gender equality.
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In 1972, four Aboriginal men erected an umbrella in Canberra, igniting a protest that would challenge Australia’s foundations. Their demand: land rights now. This act was more than a protest; it was a bold assertion of sovereignty and a catalyst for Aboriginal political organizing.
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Experience the transformation of Australian culture from a nation confined by British influence to one bold enough to define itself through iconic music like AC/DC. Discover how Nevil Shute’s ‘On the Beach’ foresaw a nation on the brink, while AC/DC’s debut roared to life, challenging the world to recognize Australia’s unique voice.
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In 1968, Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s bold move accelerated Britain’s military exit from Southeast Asia, signaling the dawn of Australia’s independence. This pivotal shift marked a slow unraveling of the ties that bound the two nations, transforming Australia into a sovereign entity with its own unique identity.
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The Snowy Mountains Scheme was more than a hydroelectric project; it was a nation-building endeavor that tested the limits of cultural integration and technological ambition.
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From courtroom battles to grassroots activism, the women’s liberation movement permanently altered Australia’s perception of power and equality.
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In the turbulent 1970s, Australia’s left fractured and fused in unexpected alliances, redefining labor movements and student activism. Witness how the New Left’s radical vision collided with the seasoned blue-collar militancy, sparking transformative changes in Australian politics.
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In the 20th century, unprecedented human mobility reshaped nations and cultures. Driven by war and ideology, millions moved across borders, challenging state-imposed controls. Discover how this century’s migrations became a catalyst for global change.
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Global migration fuels an economic powerhouse: remittances soar past $850 billion in 2024, reshaping economies and global power dynamics.
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The Philippines’ colonial shift from Spanish to American rule ignited a cultural revolution in the 1920s and 1930s, as Filipino intellectuals, inspired by Rizal, creatively engaged with a new colonial language and ideology. Through literature and art, they challenged and transformed American imperialism, crafting a modern Filipino identity that was both cosmopolitan and uniquely resilient.
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India’s diaspora transcends borders, wielding economic might and cultural influence. As a superpower of soft power and global capital, this vibrant community reshapes societies worldwide.
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From steamship holds to digital visas, the evolution of global migration reshapes borders and governance. Discover how technology and ambition redefine the journey of today’s world travelers.
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The evolution of the ‘évolué’ and ‘assimilado’ was a calculated colonial strategy to quell resistance, promising European citizenship in exchange for cultural surrender.
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I’ve spent a lot of time recently reflecting on how we teach and learn the history of the Civil Rights movement. In the UK, and indeed in much of the US, the narrative is often sanitized into a series of Southern milestones: the bus boycotts in Montgomery, the dogs of Birmingham, the bridge at Selma, and the soaring rhetoric of Dr. King at the Lincoln Memorial. It is a story of legal triumphs—the dismantling of de jure segregation. But as I discussed in the latest episode of the Explaining History podcast, if we stop the clock in 1964 with the…
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In 1932, Cyril Lionel Robert James embarked on a transformative journey from Trinidad to London, fueled by a passion for abolition and cricket writing. His departure marked the beginning of a broader intellectual movement across the Caribbean and Africa, challenging colonial constraints and forging a global anti-colonial network.
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Key History Topics
Global History: Key Topics
- The Rise and Fall of Neoliberalism
- The Partition of India
- The Great Depression and the Collapse of Global Trade
- The Cultural Revolution in China
- The Mexican Revolution
- The Creation of the United Nations
- The Iranian Revolution
- The Marshall Plan and the Reconstruction of Europe
- The First Indochina War
- The Global Anti Apartheid Movement
- The Holocaust: Bureacracy and Genocide
- Korea: War, Division, Development
- Operation Condor
- The Bandung Conference
- The Rwandan Genocide
- Stalin and the transformation of the USSR 1924-41
- Pakistan from Independence to Belt and Road
- The Civil Rights Movement
- The 1911 Revolution and the fall of the Qing dynasty
- Watergate and Nixon’s Legacy
- The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and Its Aftermath
- Ghana’s Independence and the ‘Year of Africa’
- The West German Republic: From Ruins to Reunification
- The Space Race and the Cold War
- Bangladesh war of Liberation
- The Sykes Picot Agreement and the conquest of the Middle East
- The Collapse of Yugoslavia
- Deng Xiaoping and the transformation of China
- The Fall of France, 1940
- The Spanish Civil War: A Global Struggle
- Post War Australia 1945-75
- The Sri Lankan Civil War
Cultural History: Key Topics
- The Birth of Consumerism and Mass Culture
- Modernism and the shock of the new
- The Jazz Age
- The Birth of Cinema and the Hollywood Studio System
- The Culture of Weimar Germany
- Interwar Britain: Media, Modernism, and the Invention of a National Culture
- Culture and Imperialism in European colonies between the wars