Aspects of History

The Weimar Republic, synonymous with German culture, idealism, and artistic brilliance, has become a common trope in the 21st century, as everyday politics becomes more polarised across Europe. Is Germany’s journey from fragile optimism to fascist collapse a warning we ought to be heeding today? Joining Phil Craig on the ⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast is historian Katja Hoyer, whose latest title, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, offers an astute depiction of that period between 1919 and 1939 through the perspective of the small town and its residents. She explains the optimism of post-war democracy and the trajectory to economic despair, political radicalisation, and life lived in the shadow of Buchenwald concentration camp, all the while keeping an eye on the uncomfortable moral ambiguities that would come to shape daily life under Nazism. Episode Links Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe Katja Hoyer Links Katja online Katja on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Katja on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers Phil on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s helping of the podcast recounts the terror of the world’s first ballistic missile and the heroic efforts of the Polish resistance, all contained in this tale of innovation and daring that reads like a wartime thriller – except it’s true… Pairing up with ⁠Phil Craig for this episode of the Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast, author and historian, Guy Walters gives a blow-by-blow account of the remarkable true story of the race to uncover the secrets of Nazi Germany’s V-2 missile programme. His book, Stealing Hitler's Rocket, poses the question of whether said rocket could have changed the course of the war, observes at close quarters the intelligence battle to understand Hitler’s fatal technology, and why this little-known operation deserves a place among the greatest secret missions of the conflict. Episode Links Stealing Hitler's Rocket Guy Walters Links Guy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guy on Instagram Guy on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In just a few days time, the 2026 Fifa World Cup will begin, a vast 48-team affair across North America, the geopolitical backdrop to the tournament as fractious as it has ever been in recent times. It goes without saying, however, that ideology, propaganda and diplomacy have always been at the forefront of the beautiful game throughout the tournament’s history. Joining Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, for this week’s episode are Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall, their collaborative efforts in Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches making for a fascinating dive into the sport on both sides of the Iron Curtain and beyond. From Dynamo Moscow’s infamous 1945 clash with Arsenal to the revolutionary style of Hungary’s Magical Magyars, North Korea’s bond with Middlesbrough in 1966, and the charged meeting of East and West Germany in 1974, our conversation reveals how the game both reflected and transcended global tensions, breaking and building connections on either side of the Cold War’s cultural divide. Episode Links Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches Tony Shaw Links Tony ⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠ Alan McDougall Links Alan ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From a legendary escape across the North African desert to a daring mission to rescue prisoners from concentration camps in Fascist Italy, this week offers breathless tales of endurance, ingenuity, and courage against the odds. Bestselling historian, writer and war journalist, Damien Lewis joins ⁠⁠Phil Craig⁠ on the ⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast to chat his latest book, ⁠SAS Great Escapes 5⁠⁠. Drawing on newly uncovered family archives and surprising firsthand accounts, Damien and Phil reflect on how these stories are pieced together, the legacy of special forces operations in the Second World War, and the leadership of figures like Blair Paddy Mayne. It’s a gripping conversation about history, memory, and the stories of brotherhood and daring that continue to shape our understanding of war. Episode Links SAS Great Escapes 5 Damien Lewis Links Damien online Damien on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Damien on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook Phil Links Phil on ⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers Phil on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

That word mission might make you think of Robert De Niro or Jeremy Irons in Jesuit robes clambering up the Iguazu Falls in deepest South America, but, lagging as they might have been and forgotten as their efforts may be, there was a Protestant expansion too, a clear will to propagate the Gospel to the world, that challenges those preconceptions.  This week on the podcast, Professor Alec Ryrie joins ⁠Zeb Baker-Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠, Editor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠, to discuss his new book, The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion, published by Yale University Press. From Lapland to the Caribbean and across Asia and Africa, we discuss how a now global religion attempted to convert the nations, sometimes falteringly, some successfully, and examine the motivations, approaches and instances where religion, colonialism and empire become intertwined. Episode Links The World’s Reformation: How Protestantism Became a Global Religion⁠ Alec Ryrie Links Alec ⁠⁠online⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb Links Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Zeb on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices