The Rest is History23 Tammi 2025

533. Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis

The story of Wojtek - the bear who took on the Nazis - amidst the death and devastation of the Second World War, and more specifically Poland's heroic resistance, is a flicker of redemption amidst an otherwise deeply depressing period of history. His is a life that exemplifies not only Poland’s struggle in microcosm, but also the global nature of the war overall. Discovered by a young boy as a tiny cub, his mother dead, he was sold to Polish officers travelling to Palestine in the hills outside Tehran. The soldiers nursed and fed the young bear with milk from a vodka bottle, treating him like one of their own. Later, he was even purported to keep them warm at night, drink beer, delight in wrestling and showers, and both march and salute. When the Polish forces were finally deployed to Europe, ‘Wojtek’ as he had been named, went with them; a mascot and morale booster to the men. There he was given military rank, and actively participated in the Italian campaign, carrying ammunition and artillery crates. But with death and destruction on all sides, what would be his fate? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss Wojtek, one of history’s most extraordinary animals, and his life in the army - an emblem of hope and resilience in the face of the horrors of the Second World War. _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Editor: Jack Meek Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

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701. Roman Civil War: Rise of the General (Part 1)

Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, ...

30 Elo 1h 10min

700. The Troubles: Bloody Sunday (Part 4)

How did Bloody Sunday erupt on the 30th of January 1972? Why did it follow on the heels of terrible violence? And, what were the consequences of that violent day? Join Tom and Dominic as they disc...

26 Elo 1h 21min

699. The Troubles: Return of the IRA (Part 3)

What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including the Short Strand Battle, brutall...

23 Elo 1h 21min

698. The Troubles: The Brink of Civil War (Part 2)

Why did the violence of the Troubles escalate as it did in Ulster? How did a series of marches from Belfast to Derry in 1969 result in terrible violence, and heighten the conflict? And, which terrible...

19 Elo 1h 19min

697. The Troubles: Murder in Belfast (Part 1)

How did the Troubles break out in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, and how far back does the dispute really go? Why did the conflict intensify as it did? And, what did it really mean to be a Catholic in...

16 Elo 1h 23min

696. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: Killing the Queen of Scots (Part 6)

How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsin...

12 Elo 1h 7min

695. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Shadow War (Part 5)

Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir ...

9 Elo 58min

694. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Treacherous Conspiracy (Part 4)

After ransacking Spanish treasure ships, would Elizabeth I betray Sir Francis Drake to her enemies? Who did she back in the French civil wars? And, with the help of English conspirators, would Mary Qu...

5 Elo 1h 9min