Dan Snow's History Hit

Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of the Holocaust and genocide, which some listeners may find upsetting.80 years ago, British troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The horrors they witnessed would haunt them for the rest of their lives.Bestselling author and journalist Thomas Harding joins us to revisit this harrowing day, describing the camp's unimaginable conditions and the fates of the people held there. He also provides some necessary reflection on the complexities of the British response.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.You can hear more about the history of Auschwitz and the concentration camp system here - https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/a-history-of-auschwitz.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

How could the unsinkable ship… sink? In this dramatic moment-by-moment account, Dan tells the dramatic tale of the Titanic from the moment of impact with the iceberg to the first steps of survivors in New York. He's joined by world-leading expert Tim Maltin to bust the many infamous myths and provide insight you probably won't have heard before. Together they pore over the records, the testimonies of survivors and the science of how Titanic, at every turn, was doomed to sink that fateful night.Produced by Louise Quick and Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

At the climax of World War Two, just two days before the Normandy landings, an American hunter-killer group was prowling off the coast of West Africa. Their prey was a subaquatic predator that struck fear into the hearts of sailors - a Nazi submarine. But on this day, the tables had turned, and the hunter had become the hunted.Today, Dan is joined by Alexander Rose, author of 'Phantom Fleet'. Alex takes us through this audacious heist on the high seas, the brainchild of a rogue US Naval Captain who was determined to capture for himself the most elusive war trophy of all.Produced and edited by James Hickmann.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

By April 1945, Soviet forces stood at the gates of Berlin. From the summer of 1944, Hitler's armies had suffered a series of cataclysmic defeats that had left them shattered and desperately trying to hold on in front of the capital of the Third Reich. But how the Soviets' been able to bring the once mighty German Army to the brink of total defeat, and did the Wehrmacht have one last throw of the dice to save the Nazi regime?In this episode, Dan is joined by Professor Evan Mawdsley, author of Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War 1941-1945 and former Professor of International History at the University of Glasgow. Evan helps Dan explore the stark differences in the narrative of World War II's final months across Western and Eastern Europe. They also discuss the key events from Operation Bagration in June 1944 to the Soviets' advance on Berlin in 1945 and how these tie in with the advance of the Western Allies. Also, could Stalin's strategic decisions have brought the war to an end sooner, and what did Hitler's last offensive in Hungary reveal about the dictator's priorities?Produced and edited by Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Have trade tariffs ever worked? Dan explores a cautionary tale from the turn of the 20th century when Britain's Conservatives' flirtation with tariffs led to huge political upheaval and a truly disastrous electoral defeat. In this historical deep dive, Dan is joined by Duncan Brack, an expert analyst and policy advisor, as they discuss the historical implications and public sentiment surrounding tariffs as the world grapples with a very similar situation today.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal PatmoreSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Founded by Peter the Great, the city of Saint Petersburg was built to rival the majesty of any capital in Europe. Its splendour made it a hub of Russian culture, and its geography made it a focal point for industry. It's factories would jump-start the revolutions that ushered in the Soviet era, and in the wake of a devastating Nazi siege, the recovering city would birth the man who lead Russia into the 21st century - Vladimir Putin.Joining us is Sinclair McKay, author of 'Saint Petersburg: Sacrifice and Redemption in the City That Defied Hitler'. He takes us through the turbulent history of this magnificent city, from its founding right up to the present day.Warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions that some listeners may find disturbing.Produced and edited by James Hickmann.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here - https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.