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PODCAST

Explaining History

How do we make sense of the modern world? We find the answers in the history of the 20th Century.For over a decade, The Explaining History Podcast has been the guide for curious minds. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the world wars, the Cold War, and the rise and fall of ideologies into concise, 25-minute episodes.This isn"t a dry lecture. It"s a critical, narrative-driven conversation that connects the past to your present.Perfect for students, history buffs, and anyone who wants to

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All Episodes

24:13

The War on the Peasantry: Stalin, the Grain Crisis,...

Explaining History ·

2026/01/13

Episode Summary:In the second part of our deep dive into the origins of the Soviet famine, Nick continues his exploration of 1928-1929, the critical years that sealed the fate of the Russian peasantry.Drawing again on Robert Conquest’sThe Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s "emergency measures"—intended to be temporary—became a permanent war on the countryside. Why did the Bolsheviks believe that the "middle peasant" was a capitalist hoarder? How did the regime’s reliance on bad data lead to

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27:31

De-Dollarization and the Trumpist Threat to the Fed

Explaining History ·

2026/01/12

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick turns his attention to the economic chaos brewing in Washington. With Donald Trump threatening a criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, we explore the dangerous politicization of America’s central bank.Why is the independence of the Fed so crucial to the global financial system? What happens when a president tries to bully interest rates down to win an election? Nick argues that Trump’s erratic behavior, combined with the

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36:41

Sultan Abdulhamid's Counter Revolution - 1909

Explaining History ·

2026/01/12

In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick returns to the turbulent twilight of the Ottoman Empire. Following the euphoria of the 1908 Young Turk Revolution, disillusionment quickly set in. We explore the 1909 Counter-Revolution, where religious conservatives and mutinous soldiers attempted to roll back constitutional rule and restore the Sultan's absolute power.But the restoration of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) did not bring stability. Instead, it exposed deep ethnic fault lines

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27:11

The Anonymous Ideology: Neoliberalism, Capital, and...

Explaining History ·

2026/01/10

FOR ADVERT FREE EPISODES JOIN OUR PATREON HEREEpisode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores the pervasive yet elusive ideology of neoliberalism. Why do we treat free-market capitalism as a natural law, like gravity, rather than a political choice?Drawing on George Monbiot and Peter Hutchison’sThe Invisible Doctrine, we delve into the origins of the neoliberal project—from the Mont Pelerin Society to the policies of Reagan and Thatcher. Nick argues that capitalism isn't just

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24:44

Emergency Episode: The attack on Venezuela -...

Explaining History ·

2026/01/03

Episode Summary:In this special emergency episode ofExplaining History, Nick reacts to the breaking news of US military action in Venezuela. Reports indicate Apache gunships over Caracas and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro by American forces.We explore the profound historical implications of this event. While Maduro may be a "gangster," his removal by a foreign power shatters centuries of diplomatic norms dating back to the Treaty of Westphalia. Nick argues that 2026 marks the definitive

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28:51

The Age of Extremes: Eric Hobsbawm and the Problem of...

Explaining History ·

2026/01/01

Episode Summary:In the first episode of 2026, Nick embarks on a year-long exploration of Eric Hobsbawm's monumental work,The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991.We begin by examining Hobsbawm’s premise: that the 20th century was defined by a binary struggle between ideologies that mutually excluded one another—capitalism vs. communism, democracy vs. fascism. But as Nick argues, this Western-centric view often simplifies the complex realities of national liberation struggles in

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32:06

Fascism, Austerity, and the Class War in 1920s Italy

Explaining History ·

2025/12/30

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores the neglected connection between economic austerity and political repression in the early years of Fascist Italy.Drawing on the groundbreaking work of economist Clara Mattei, we delve into how Mussolini's regime used budget cuts, regressive taxation, and mass layoffs not just to balance the books, but to crush the Italian working class. We examine the "Two Red Years" (Biennio Rosso) that terrified the bourgeoisie and how Fascism was

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31:23

Beyond the Campus: Why the American New Left Failed...

Explaining History ·

2025/12/30

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick continues his exploration of 1960s radicalism, focusing on the disconnect between the student-led "New Left" and the American working class.While the counterculture is often remembered through images of campus protests and the SDS, the reality was far more complex. Drawing on Kim McQuaid’sThe Anxious Yearsand Mike Davis’sSet the Night on Fire, we examine why the anti-war movement struggled to build bridges with blue-collar workers who were

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26:52

Rationing, austerity and nostalgia

Explaining History ·

2025/12/29

In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores how nostalgia has become a toxic force in British politics. Drawing on Liam Stanley’sBritain Alone, we examine how the "Blitz Spirit" and memories of WWII rationing have been cynically weaponized to justify modern austerity.Why do politicians suggest that food insecure families should "learn lessons from the wartime generation"? We unpack the myth that poverty is a moral failing rather than a structural one, and how the "Make Do and Mend" narrative

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35:32

Bowie in the 90s and 2000s

Explaining History ·

2025/12/28

Ten years after the death of David Bowie, Nick is joined by author Alexander Larman to discuss his new biography,Lazarus: David Bowie from the Tin Machine to Blackstar.While the 1970s "Ziggy Stardust" era has been endlessly dissected, Larman shines a light on the often-overlooked second half of Bowie's career. From the artistic wilderness of the late 80s and the critical mauling ofTin Machineto his renaissance in the 90s and the "masterpiece" of his final albumBlackstar, we explore the man behind

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26:05

Abundance, Anxiety and the American Dream: 1945 - 1960

Explaining History ·

2025/12/16

In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores the unprecedented explosion of wealth and consumption in post-war America. We often focus on the economic decline of the middle class in recent decades, but today we look back at the era of mass abundance that preceded it.Drawing on James Patterson’sGrand Expectations, we delve into the cultural and economic forces that transformed a nation scarred by the Depression into a land of "gleaming kitchen conveniences" and tail-finned cars. From the

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27:15

Harold Wilson, MI5, and the Cold War Business of...

Explaining History ·

2025/12/15

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores the murky relationship between British intelligence, the Labour government, and the "gentleman capitalists" of the post-war era.Why was Harold Wilson, the most electorally successful British Prime Minister of the 20th century, targeted by paranoid elements within MI5 as a potential Soviet spy? We delve into Wilson's time at the Board of Trade in the late 1940s, where he forged controversial deals with the Soviet Union to secure

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26:24

One Year of Trump 2.0: The Civil War Within Western...

Explaining History ·

2025/12/15

As we close out 2025, Nick takes stock of the first year of Donald Trump's second term. While some liberal commentators hold out hope that the upcoming 2026 midterms will curb his power, Nick argues that the real conflict isn't between Left and Right, but between two factions of capital: the liberal-democratic establishment and the nativist, protectionist forces embodied by Trump.We explore the failure of the Democratic Party to offer a meaningful alternative to neoliberalism, the rise of "America

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26:03

Stalin, Collectivisation and the Grain Crisis 1927-8

Explaining History ·

2025/12/14

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick delves into the critical years of 1928-1929, exploring the mindset of the Soviet leadership on the eve of the Great Famine. Drawing from Robert Conquest’s seminal workThe Harvest of Sorrow, we examine how Stalin’s paranoia and Marxist-Leninist ideology filtered his understanding of the peasantry.Why did the Bolsheviks view grain reserves as evidence of a "Kulak war" against the state? How did faulty statistics and a fundamental

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29:30

The Damascus Affair: Blood Libel, Empire, and the...

Explaining History ·

2025/12/10

In 1840, a monk disappeared in Damascus, and the ancient, deadly accusation of "blood libel" was levelled against the city's Jewish community. This event, known as the Damascus Affair, became a pivotal moment in 19th-century Jewish history, sending shockwaves from the Ottoman Empire to the capitals of Europe.In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick continues his exploration of Jonathan Frankel'sCrisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We examine how this crisis mobilized Western Jewish leaders like

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27:40

The US National Security Strategy: A manifesto for...

Explaining History ·

2025/12/10

In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick analyzes the newly published 2025 US National Security Strategy, a document that could be considered a foundational text for the global far-right.We explore how this strategy, with its language of "civilizational erasure" and "European greatness," mirrors the rhetoric of leaders like Viktor Orban and the conspiracy theories of the "Great Replacement." Nick argues that this is not just ideology; it is a manifesto for American interference in European

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24:23

Stalin and Tito: 1947 - Part Two

Explaining History ·

2025/12/09

Episode Summary:In the second part of our exploration into the Stalin-Tito split, Nick delves into the dramatic climax of 1948: the expulsion of Yugoslavia from the Cominform.Stalin famously boasted, "I will shake my little finger, and there will be no more Tito." But as history shows, he couldn't have been more wrong. We examine how Tito's audacious foreign policy—from supporting Greek communists to proposing a Balkan Federation—terrified Moscow. We also look at the brutal internal purges that

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26:01

On Taxing Wealth

Explaining History ·

2025/12/08

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick takes a deep dive into the history and necessity of taxation, connecting the Tudor reign of Henry VII to the modern crisis of inequality in the UK.With the Green Party surging past Labour in recent polls by promising to "tax the rich," we explore why this idea is about more than just funding public services—it's about democracy itself. Nick draws a parallel between the "overmighty nobles" of the 15th century, whose private armies threatened

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26:56

Stalin and Tito: 1947

Explaining History ·

2025/12/08

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick explores one of the most critical schisms in Cold War history: the rupture between Joseph Stalin and Josip Broz Tito. While the Sino-Soviet split often grabs the headlines, the breakdown in relations between the USSR and Yugoslavia in 1948 was the first major crack in the monolithic facade of international communism.We delve into why Tito, a leader who seized power largely without the help of the Red Army, posed such a unique threat to

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27:08

Crisis and Identity: Russian Jews in the 19th Century

Explaining History ·

2025/12/06

Episode Summary:In this episode ofExplaining History, Nick delves into Jonathan Frankel's seminal work,Crisis, Revolution, and Russian Jews. We explore how moments of acute crisis—from the Damascus Affair of 1840 to the pogroms of 1881—shaped the political and intellectual life of Jewish communities in the Russian Empire.How did a diaspora community, scattered across Europe and lacking a sovereign state, respond to existential threats? We examine the triadic conflict between traditionalism, liberal

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