The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History

The Atomic Bomb & Civil War Cigars: Greatest 'What Ifs' from History

We think of history as a neat chain of predictable events; but what if the truth is far wilder than that? Today, we're talking about the pivotal forces of randomness and chance, and how tiny moments can change the course of our human story.


Dan is joined by Brian Klaas, associate professor in global politics at University College London and author of 'Fluke: Chance, Chaos and Why Everything We Do Matters'. Brian unpicks our traditional telling of history, and explains how our world really works.


Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Anisha Deva.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW - sign up at https://historyhit.com/subscription/.


We'd love to hear from you - what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episoder(1498)

VE Day

VE Day

When the Second World War finally ended 80 years ago, there was a mixed reaction in Britain. Today, we hear about these varying responses, from elation and celebration to reticence and restraint.For t...

6 Mai 202533min

How did Andrew Jackson Change the U.S. Presidency?

How did Andrew Jackson Change the U.S. Presidency?

A hero to some, and a villain to others, the seventh president of the United States was a populist firebrand who reshaped America and left a legacy that still echoes today. In this episode, Dan dives ...

4 Mai 202541min

Germany After Hitler

Germany After Hitler

80 years ago, as the war in Europe drew to a close, the world began to come to terms with the horrors of the Third Reich. This is the story of the Nuremberg Trials, the first of their kind, that would...

1 Mai 202530min

The Death of Hitler

The Death of Hitler

Warning: this episode contains discussion of suicide.Berlin, April 1945: After nearly 12 years, the "Thousand-Year Reich" is crumbling. Isolated in a bunker beneath the city, as Soviet forces close in...

29 Apr 202537min

The Dreyfus Affair: The Spy Scandal that Shook France

The Dreyfus Affair: The Spy Scandal that Shook France

It started with an inconsequential piece of military intelligence, scrawled on a piece of paper and left in a waste paper basket. But over the next decade, the infamous Dreyfus affair would mutate int...

27 Apr 202536min

The Einstein Murders

The Einstein Murders

Warning: this episode contains discussion of suicide.In August 1944, German soldiers burst into the Florentine villa of Robert Einstein, cousin of the renowned physicist, Albert Einstein. As both a Je...

24 Apr 202528min

A History of Popes

A History of Popes

Popes have shaped the history of the world. The Catholic Church has had a Pope for two thousand years, the first- tradition dictates- was St Peter, the fisherman turned disciple of Jesus. Pope 'Leo th...

22 Apr 202544min

How Did the American Revolution Start?

How Did the American Revolution Start?

On 19th April, 1775, just over 250 years ago, the opening salvos of the American Revolutionary War were fired at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Elite British Redcoats went head-to-head with the...

20 Apr 20251h 18min

Populært innen Historie

rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
rss-katastrofe
henrettelsespodden
historier-som-endret-verden
historier-som-endret-norge
rss-benadet
aftenposten-historie
sektledere
rss-nadelose-nordmenn-gestapo
rss-frontkjemperne
rss-gamle-greier
med-egne-oyne
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
historiepodden
taakeprat
vare-historier
liberal-halvtime
virkelig-grusomt
undersattene
historiepodden-ww2