Perhaps one of the best known modern dictators, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for nearly 30 years before eventually being overthrown in 2003 by the US Coalition. Known for his authoritarian rule, the use of chemical weapons against his own people, and multiple invasions of neighbouring countries - Saddam Hussein's legacy is a dark one. But how did he become President of Iraq in 1979, and what did the Iraqi people really think of him? In the latest episode of our Iraq mini-series, reflecting on 20...

In accounts of the Second World War, the role Navy's played is often overlooked. But the Navy's of both the Allied and Axis forces engaged in some of the biggest maritime campaigns in history. From near total elimination of forces, to epic sea battles, the Second World War changed seafaring conflict and naval power forever. So what can we learn about this period in history, and what are some of the stand out moments? In this episode, James joined renowned military historian Paul Kennedy at...

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the US and its allies invading Iraq under the pretence to remove dictator Saddam Hussein and his apparent ‘weapons of mass destruction’. One of the most controversial and divisive military campaigns of the modern era, the legalities of the war are still debated today. Two decades later, the Iraq War continues to have a profound impact on global politics, military strategy, and the lives of those who were involved. In this episode, James welcomes back Ben...

The Korean War was a vital moment in world history - changing geopolitics on the Korean Peninsula and beyond forever. With nearly 5 million dead, it's often referred to as 'the forgotten war' - but Devotion author Adam Makos is trying to change that. Following the true story of famous aviator duo, Lieutenant Tom Hudner and Ensign Jesse Brown, Adam looks at the acts of bravery and sacrifice that defined this period of world history. But what role did the US Navy play in Korea - and why is...

March 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, seeing US and British troops enter the country - the legalities of which are still debated today. The legacy it’s left behind includes over 1 million Iraqi deaths, thousands of troops, and a power vacuum that allowed the rise to power of terrorist organisation, ISIS. So how did the United Kingdom end up embroiled in a so called ‘Illegal War’, and was there anything that could’ve been done to prevent it? In the first episode of our March...

One of the most significant events of the 20th century, the 1917 Russian Revolution saw the overthrow of the Tsar and the birth of a new communist era. So what exactly led up to Russia’s historic and bloody transformation into the Soviet Union? In this episode, James is joined by renowned historian and author Sir Antony Beever at the very London pub where Vladimir Lenin and other exiled Russian revolutionaries plotted their overthrow of the Tsarist regime. Together, they reflect on the ideas,...

As Cold War tensions escalated in the early 1950s, the White House became obsessed with one core goal: Containing Communism. Nowhere was this more true than in Guatemala. The United States viewed the Central American country as one which was firmly within its own backyard, and thus fair game for external interference. It was for this reason that in 1954 - before the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban Missile Crisis - the CIA carried out one of its most damaging, and notorious, military coups - aiding...

One year ago today, on February 24th 2022, the world watched as Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite intelligence gathered from Ukraine's western allies in the previous months, the invasion was a shock to many in Ukraine and beyond. With the expectation that Kyiv would fall within a matter of days, it was a surprise to all when President Zelensky defiantly posted a video of him and his team standing in the middle of the city a day after the invasion, having rejected US...

9/11 remains the most infamous act of terrorism perpetrated against the United States - but it did not mark the first time terrorists had targeted New York’s World Trade Center. Thirty years ago on February 26 1993, a huge 600kg bomb exploded in the parking garage beneath the twin towers, causing a 100ft crater that was several stories deep. Six people died instantly, with thousands hurt in panicked attempts to evacuate. And yet, due to what would happen at the World Trade Center eight years...

Vladimir Lenin is one name that is known across the world. Rising to power during the Russian Revolution and Civil War, he was the first Communist dictator in history and the architect of the Red Terror - a deadly campaign of political oppression and execution carried out in the earliest years of Soviet Russia. But contrary to his self-avowed image as champion of the proletariat, Lenin was actually raised in an upper-middle-class family of Russian monarchists, with little to mark him out as a...

Before America officially entered the Second World War in December 1941, it offered the allies significant support in terms of military supplies and funds. A well oiled and efficient machine, American industry was serving the war effort from September 1940, and it's output only increased as the War went on. Over time, America provided two thirds of the Allies' military equipment, including 2 million army trucks and nearly 300,000 aircrafts. But where was this all happening, and how was it...

What happens when a nuclear bomb is accidentally dropped onto foreign soil? Or when a nuke just goes missing? Rather worryingly, it happens more often that you would think. There’s a special term for these nuclear near misses - ‘broken arrow incidents’. In this episode, James is joined by Warfare favourite and historian Alex Wellerstein, to explore these many broken arrow incidents spanning from the Cold War to the present day. They'll be finding out how close to disaster we’ve come over the...

When you think of some of the remarkable feats of airpower throughout history, you might think of the Dambusters, or the Battle of Britain. But what about some of the untold stories of Britain's remarkable black airmen? Since the early 20th Century, black airmen played vital roles as pilots, ground crew, and even resistance fighters across the world wars and beyond. But what do we actually know about these exceptional figures? In this episode, James is joined by author K.N. Chimbiri to shine...

The Battle of Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of the Second World War, seeing 1.2 million killed, and thousands more wounded. One of the most brutal clashes in history, the battle raged between the forces of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia for five months from August 1942 to February 1943. A key turning point of World War Two, Stalingrad played host to some the fiercest urban warfare ever seen throughout history, and left a devastating legacy. In this episode, 80 years on from the siege...

Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in 1890, before the Wright Brothers had completed man's first flight, and died just weeks short of man's first steps on the moon. With involvement in multiple wars, from soldier to president - how did 'Ike' as he was known become the giant of history that we know today? In this episode James is joined by award-winning Journalist, and White House press corps member Paul Brandus, who takes us through Eisenhower's remarkable career. Looking at the major conflicts he...

The Bahía de Cochinos, also known as the Bay of Pigs, is a place that lives in infamy for the CIA. On April 17 1961, 1,500 US-trained Cuban exiles launched an unprecedented military landing operation on their homeland there, but how did it go so disastrously wrong? With hundreds of men killed, and even more captured, why did President John F. Kennedy sign off on such a perilous plan - and who really came up with it? In this episode of Warfare, James is joined by writer Jim Rasenberger to take...

Located off the coast of Florida, Puerto Rico, and its namesake Bermuda - the mysterious Bermuda Triangle is an urban myth that's risen in popularity over the decades. But how come so many planes and boats disappear in this region - and what makes Flight 19 so special? In December 1945, at the end of the Second World War, 5 bombers took off from Fort Lauderdale in a routine navigational training exercise. But these bombers, along with the crew members inside them, would never be seen again....

Founded in 1775, the United States Marines Corps (colloquially known as the US Marines) have a long standing history, and a reputation that precedes them. An elite group made up of personnel from across the United States, they played a vital role in the Pacific during the Second World War, and were tasked with taking on the Imperial Japanese army. But how did a group of Marines earn the nickname 'devil dogs', and who's responsible for telling this harrowing story? In this episode James is...

After the fall of France during the Second World War, Britain became an isolated nation - dependent on the strength of it's coastal forces to keep the Axis powers at bay. The task to protect the small island nation fell on 2000 small, wooden boats to fight back against the enemy no matter the weather. But how successful were these forces, and why did they earn the nickname the 'Spitfires of the Seas'? In todays episode, James is joined by archaeologist and historian Stephen Fisher, to help...

Known today as one of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world - the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more colloquially known as the FBI, didn't always have such a great reputation. Once riddled with scandal and unseemly behaviour, how did the FBI turn into the well oiled machine it is today? And just who was responsible for this change? In today's episode, James joined Professor Beverly Gage at Yale University to talk about the man behind this extraordinary feat - J. Edgar...

Abraham Lincoln is a name that's been immortalised throughout history - the 16th President who led the country through the infamous American Civil War, and ultimately abolished slavery. But who is the man behind the myth, and why is he so revered even to this day? In this episode, James is joined by Professor Adam Smith to look at this giant of history. Looking at Lincoln's early life as a self-taught Lawyer, through to his meteoric political ascent - what drove Abraham Lincoln to greatness,...

Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and Boudicca. These are the names that normally top the list when it comes to the greatest military leaders in history, but today’s guest is taking a slightly different approach.  Professor of War Studies at University of Warwick, Anthony King, is drawing on his experience with some of the most senior military leaders to rank his top five divisional commanders based on what he’s learnt about command, through their actions.  What do you think needs to be taken...

A warning that this episode contains descriptions of genocide and terms for groups which were classified that way at the time. Personal accounts of the Second World War are far and wide, and an invaluable tool for learning about one of the most devastating conflicts in history - but what can we learn from collective histories, specifically that of a small Bavarian Village? In this episode of Warfare, James is joined by author Julia Boyd to look at the shared history of the inhabitants of...

In the early hours of 30 October 1961, a bomber took off from an airstrip in northern Russia and began its flight through cloudy skies over the frigid Russian Arctic. Hanging below this Soviet plane was a nuclear bomb the size of a small school bus. It was the largest and most powerful bomb ever to be created, and it was about to be tested.  The Tsar Bomba’s gigantic detonation was intended to be secret, but was detected by American intelligence agencies—bringing brewing Cold War tensions to...