Episodes

Josip Broz Tito, the long term ruler of Yugoslavia, is a fascinating and complex figure considered by many as an example of a "good" dictator. During his tenure from the Second World War until his death in 1980, Tito skilfull...

On the tenth episode of the Ukraine's Story series, we will delve into the events of the Revolution of Dignity (or Euromaidan), which unfolded in late 2013 and early 2014. It was a series of mass protests and demonstrations i...

Frida Kahlo was a renowned and iconic Mexican artist, who is celebrated for her emotionally charged and surreal self-portraits that reflect the pain and suffering of her tumultuous life. Overcoming numerous physical and emoti...

On the ninth part of the Ukraine's Story series, we will see how in the 1990s, Ukraine emerged from the shadows of the Soviet Union to reclaim its independence. The pivotal moment came on 24 August 1991, when the Verkhovna …

On this discussion episode, I am joined by Chris Hoitash, an expert in US and European military and political history. In this episode, we discuss the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were pivotal events during Secon...

The Chernobyl disaster (Chornobyl in Ukrainian) stands out as one of the most pivotal events in Ukrainian history. On 26 April 1986, a catastrophic explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant not only resulted in immediate...

The Soviet era in Ukraine left an indelible mark on the nation, shaping its socio-political landscape over the course of seven decades. From the forced collectivisation of agriculture to the devastating Holodomor famine, Ukra...

In 1970, Chile sent shockwaves through the Cold War-ridden world, particularly rattling the White House in Washington DC, as Salvador Allende became the world's first democratically elected Marxist president. Allende promptly...

The fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the longtime ruler of Romania, marked a watershed moment in the country's history. In December 1989, widespread public discontent erupted into a full-scale revolution, leading to the overthrow o...

Did you know Ukraine did in fact have a short period of independence after the Russian Revolution? When Russia descended into chaos after the abdication of the Tsar in March 1917, Ukraine seized its chance and became the Ukra...

You may recognise her as the woman who, in the face of impending death from cancer at the age of just 33, implored Argentina not to cry for her from the iconic balcony of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires. …

In the fifth episode of Ukraine's Story, we will focus on Ukraine's experience under yet another foreign rule, this time: the Russian Empire. From the reign of Catherine the Great up until the chaos of the 1917 Russian Revolu...

In this gripping podcast episode, we delve into the dramatic events surrounding the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, AKA "The Butcher of Prague" or "The Blonde Beast". Codenamed "Operation Anthropoid", the daring mission w...

In the fourth episode of Ukraine's Story, we're going to cover the Polish-Lithuanian era of Ukraine's history. From the late 14th century until the mid-17th century, Ukraine was under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonw...

The History Buff is back after a long break! Thanks for bearing with me, I was very busy over the summer with tours and then I spent the last few months getting heaps of new episodes together before I go …

The story of Berlin, as told by me (a Berlin tour guide), royal cousins, the start of the First World War, a spy scandal at the top of the German government and more... This is just some of the things …

In the second episode of Ukraine's Story, we'll cover the Mongol era, which lasted from the Mongol invasion in the early 13th century and lasted until the end of the 15th century. It was also known as the "Tatar Yoke" …

Not many people know that India got its first female prime minister in 1966, over ten years before Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 in Britain. Indira Gandhi is a towering if controversial figure of Indian political hi...

Given the current situation in Ukraine, I wanted to do a miniseries on Ukraine's story. So here it is. Follow me as I chart Ukrainian history from the first major Eastern Slavic state (the Kyivan Rus) all the way up …

In The History Buff's first interview, I am joined by retired army officer-turned historian/author Sir Barney White-Spunner. The book we discuss in this episode is his latest, called Berlin: The Story of a City. The book offe...

On The History Buff's first co-hosted discussion, I am joined by friend, fellow history buff and half-Austrian Anna Morris. Listen to us talk about one of the most famous royals of European history: Empress Elisabeth of Austr...

Willy Brandt was famous for being the West German Chancellor that introduced a policy of rapprochement with East Germany and the Eastern Bloc in general - known as "Ostpolitik". He is remembered as a great statesman, who led ...

In this episode, I will be breaking down for you the reasons why Europe collapsed into the most catastrophic war in history (up until that point). Many people say it was caused by the shots from a gun belonging to …

In this episode, we will discuss the monarchs of the three most powerful monarchies of the early twentieth century: King George V of Great Britain Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany Tsar Nicholas II of Russia They were all related,...