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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns his attention to the escalating diplomatic crisis over Greenland and what it reveals about the frailty of the post-Brexit United Kingdom. As Donald Trump eyes the annexation of Danish sovereign territory, Europe is drawing a line in the sand. But where is Britain? Nick argues that the UK’s muted response exposes the utter failure of its “Global Britain” strategy. Having severed ties with the EU, London finds itself trapped in a subservient relationship with an American president who views allies not as partners, but as vassals. We explore the potential for…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick turns to the global dimensions of the Russian Revolution. Drawing on Robert Service’s Spies and Commissars: Bolshevik Russia and the West, we explore how the events of 1917 reverberated far beyond Petrograd. We delve into the chaotic collapse of the Romanov dynasty and the fragile “dual power” that followed. Why did the liberal Provisional Government fail to consolidate power? And how did the Bolsheviks—a small group of exiles caught completely by surprise—navigate their way back to Russia? From the euphoric reaction of emigre circles in London (where Maxim Litvinov tried to shave with…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. We shift our focus to North Africa, where a newly unified Italy sought to satisfy its imperial ambitions by seizing Libya—the Ottomans’ last foothold on the continent. Drawing on Eugene Rogan’s The Fall of the Ottomans, we examine the invasion of 1911 and the fierce guerrilla resistance led by the Young Turk officer Enver Pasha. From his alliance with the mystical Senussi Brotherhood to his use of Islam as a mobilizing force against European colonialism, Enver’s campaign in the desert foreshadowed…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the social and historical roots of the fascist foot soldier. Who are the young men who join paramilitary organizations, and what drives them? Following the shocking execution of Renée Good by ICE agents in Minnesota, we draw parallels between the modern American far-right and the Nazi Brownshirts (SA) of the 1920s and 30s. We examine how resentment, loss of status, and the “psychological wage” of whiteness fuel the recruitment of disaffected men into forces of state repression. From the “stab in the back” myth in Weimar Germany to the “Great…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick talks to cultural historian Alwyn Turner about his latest book, Shellshock Nation: Britain Between the Wars. We often remember the 1930s as W.H. Auden’s “low, dishonest decade”—a time of mass unemployment, hunger marches, and the looming shadow of fascism. But was it really all doom and gloom? Alwyn argues that for many in Britain, the interwar years were a period of vibrant creativity, rising living standards, and the birth of modern consumer culture. From the explosion of paperback books and the popularity of greyhound racing to the abdication crisis and the fear of…
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While the history of the Civil Rights movement is often told through the lens of the Deep South—Selma, Birmingham, and the marches of Dr. King—a different kind of struggle was brewing in the West. In this episode, we dive into the origins and systemic causes of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles. Drawing from Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s Set the Night on Fire, we explore the “economic flytrap” that snared Black youth in Southern California. We discuss the transition from the legal victories of the early 60s to the harsh realities of “hidden segregation,” aggressive LAPD policing, and the…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Eric Hobsbawm’s seminal work, The Age of Extremes. We focus on the first part of Hobsbawm’s “historical triptych”—the Age of Catastrophe (1914–1945). Nick argues that this period was essentially a European Civil War, where the violent techniques of imperialism—gas, machine guns, and racial extermination—boomeranged back onto the continent itself. From the collapse of the liberal order in 1914 to the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 1930s, we examine how the certainties of the 19th century were shattered. We also critique Hobsbawm’s Eurocentric view, asking: Was the…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick delves into the cataclysmic events of 1912-1913 that shattered the Ottoman Empire and set the stage for the First World War. Following the humiliating loss of Libya to Italy, the Balkan states—Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria—sensed weakness and struck. We explore how this coalition of former subjects mobilized a massive army of over 700,000 men to drive the Ottomans out of Europe. Drawing on Eugene Rogan’s The Fall of the Ottomans, Nick examines the internal chaos of the empire, from the violent coup led by Enver Pasha at the Sublime Porte to the…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick returns to the grim realities of the Vietnam War through the eyes of one of the 20th century’s most formidable journalists: Martha Gellhorn. Drawing on Philip Knightley’s The First Casualty, we explore how Gellhorn—a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and D-Day—exposed the “hearts and minds” strategy as a hollow lie. While American generals bragged about “zapping Charlie Cong,” Gellhorn visited the hospitals and refugee camps, documenting the civilian carnage inflicted by US firepower. Nick delves into the racialized hatred that fueled the war, examining how the dehumanization of the Vietnamese…
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Episode Summary: In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the historical processes of anti-colonial struggle in the 20th century and how they illuminate the geopolitical crises of 2026. We examine the “imperial boomerang”—how the techniques of colonial violence return to the metropole—and the shift from the age of imperial civil war (1914-1945) to the age of imperial decline. Nick discusses the recent, shocking speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, where he urged European leaders to reclaim their “civilizational confidence” and reject the “global welfare state.” From the Indian National Army to the…