Posts Tagged ‘Churchill’
Clement Attlee, 1945, and the Year of Hope in Britain
Professor Richard Toye talks about a pivotal year in British history – 1945. The end of war, a landslide election for the Labour Party under Clement Attlee, and the start of the modern British welfare state. He explains why Labour won the election, why Churchill and the Conservatives lost, and what the Labour government of…
Read MoreOperation Torch: The Battle for Tunisia during World War II
Dr. Philip Nash tells us about the under-appreciated and little-understood battle for Tunisia during the North African campaign in World War II. Operation Torch was vital to the eventual Allied victory, but the reasons and explanations are complicated. These “peripheral” operations need more attention in history! Episode 478.
Read MoreWinston Churchill “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” Quote or No Quote? Encore!
With the continued popularity of the film, The Darkest Hour, since it’s been heavily promoted on streaming services, I have even more reason than usual to point out bogus Churchill quotes. But I thought I’d talk about something that Churchill actually said, and that was a well-known saying in his day, to show how certain…
Read MoreAppeasement and “Guilty Women” in Inter-War Britain
Professor Julie Gottlieb deepens our understanding of the crisis between World War I and World War 2 in Britain. She shows us how crucial female public opinion was to the development of foreign policy during this period. Chamberlain, Churchill, Munich, and appeasement are better-illuminated light by her new research and interpretations. Join us for a…
Read MoreChurchill’s Wartime Speeches: the Untold Story
Professor Richard Toye explains the background and context of Winston Churchill’s famous World War II speeches, from how they were written, to how they were delivered, to how the public reacted. It’s the “untold story”! Episode #380. Our listeners get a free trial at The Great Courses Plus! Click here to go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/buzzkill !!…
Read MoreChurchill Myths in Film and Television
Professor Steven Fielding explains Churchill myths in film and television from Mission to Moscow (1943) to Darkest Hour (2017), and everything in between! The new book, “The Churchill Myths” is available on the Buzzkill Bookshelf. Episode #378. Our listeners get a free trial at The Great Courses Plus! Click here to go to thegreatcoursesplus.com/buzzkill !!…
Read MoreChurchill, Boris Johnson, and Brexit
Professor Bill Schwartz explains the relationship between Churchill worship, Brexit, and Boris Johnson’s rise to the office of Prime Minister. This crucial episode also explains how “wartime nostalgia continues to work in conjunction with the fashioning of new instalments of the Churchill myths, each acting upon the other,” as Professor Schwartz writes in the new…
Read MoreChurchill: a Life in the News
Professor Richard Toye tells us how Churchill’s long life and career developed in parallel with the changes in the development of modern media and news. Churchill’s first career was as a journalist and author, and it stayed with him as a second vocation as he moved through his life in the military, in politics, and…
Read MoreChurchill’s Shadow Raiders: the Race to Develop Radar During World War II
Operation Biting was a daring RAF raid to capture important German radar technology in France during World War II. Award-winning military historian, Damien Lewis explains the planning and execution of this overlooked incident in the war. More importantly, he shows us how complex and fraught with danger the whole operation was. The full context of…
Read MorePoland and World War II
Myths about Poland during World War II are everywhere. Professor Philip Nash and I destroy some of the biggest ones in this episode. They include: Polish cavalry going up against Nazi tanks, and the story that Poland fell quickly and easily. Not only that, the overall Polish contribution to Allied victory in Europe is generally…
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