When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

1956 1.10: I Did Nagy See That Coming

1956 Episode 1.10 continues where we left off last time, and looks a bit more at the person of Matyas Rakosi.

Rakosi was the Stalinist dictator of Hungary from the late 1940s, and he set about establishing a Hungarian Stalinist regime, complete with all the trappings Stalin enjoyed. For every purge, every policy and ever character assassination that the man of steel engaged in, Rakosi felt compelled to demonstrate his loyalty by going still further. He would terrorise the people of Hung...

PhD Thesis: Episode 2.1

[PATRONS]

In this episode, we begin examining the second chapter of the thesis - and it is a fascinating one! This chapter analyses insults in British foreign policy from 1838-1850, and our story begins with a conflict rooted in this ideology - the First Opium War [1839-1842].

Insults could be exchanged between powers through a variety of mediums. The consequences of an insult were obvious on the surface - shame, if the insult was not repelled,
political attacks from the oppo...

1956 1.9: Desperately Hungary

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Episode 1.9 takes a somewhat depressing journey into post-war Hungary, to present a story and a people which suffered much over the course of the Soviet occupation – also known as the Soviet ‘liberation’.   

Liberation from what, one may ask? Well how about liberation from national pride, freedom of conscience and that all too valuable commodity in history – freedom from fear. Fear was the key ingredient in the Soviet-Hungarian relationship between 1945...

1956 1.8: The Star Pupil

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Gomulka had survived, but perhaps the most significant aspect of this chapter in Soviet-Polish relations was the notable involvement of China. The Chinese, it emerged, were very interested in seeing that other peoples travelled their own ‘road to socialism’ as they had done. A Polish road to socialism would validate the unique Chinese experience of struggle over the last few decades, and it would also confirm that Moscow didn’t have the authority to dictate how a communi...

PhD Thesis: Episode 1.4

[PATRONS]

In this episode we conclude on the first chapter of this thesis, bringing the Eastern Crisis to an end, and reflecting on the significant shifts in British politics. Palmerston had made excellent use of foreign crisis to bolster his reputation, but the 1840s looked set to be a troubling time, and the Conservatives under Sir Robert Peel appeared unstoppable at home.  But first, the French would have to be resisted, and if this was to be his last act for a while, Palmerston...

1956 1.7: Soviet Sickles

1956 Episode 1.7 examines the continuing deterioration of the Polish situation, as Polish citizens dared to ask more and more questions, and to criticise the Soviet order, on their lips was one figure above all – Vladislav Gomulka.

Gomulka was one figure among many who had been disgraced and imprisoned during Stalin’s numerous purges. Gomulka, it was said, was too vocal a critic, and too independent or nationalistically inclined to rule Poland in Moscow’s name. Now though, the Pol...

1956 1.6: Polish Hammers

1956 Episode 1.6 examines the tumultuous fallout of Khrushchev’s February speech in the context of Poland.

What was the Polish experience of living in the Soviet orbit? Here we set the scene and trace a bit of the background. It’s a tragic kind of story if you happen to be a Pole, or care about the sovereignty of independent states, but it also makes for fascinating listening. Here we look at a specific example of a revolutionary study, which tore the lid off of Soviet occupied Pola...

PhD Thesis: Episode 1.3

[PATRONS]

In this episode, we examine the birth of what became the Eastern Question. By the 1830s, the Ottoman Empire was in dire straits. The Sultan's Egyptian vassal had taken the opportunity to launch a stunningly successful rebellion, seeking glory and power and perhaps even the establishment of his own dynasty in Constantinople. 

This was unacceptable to the European powers, but it seemed the Tsar had ulterior motives. When a shockingly disadvantageous treaty was forced ...

1956 1.5: Broken Springs

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1956 Episode 1.5 examines the implications for the Soviet people, as Khrushchev’s speech is disseminated through the sprawling empire.

The questions which many citizens had were to be restricted and constrained by the specific parameters set down by the Soviet authorities. In short, as we’ll see in this episode, there was a fine line between debate and dissent. Pravda liked to distinguish between dissent and debate by presenting discussion of the secret speech in the...

1956 1.4: The People Are Revolting!

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1956 Episode 1.4 examines the immediate storm caused by Khrushchev’s denunciations of Stalin in late February.   

Above all, the greatest ingredient in this storm was that of confusion. Soviet officials didn’t know what to tell the assembled crowds, and schoolteachers didn’t know what to tell their pupils. How far exactly could they go in the condemnation of Stalin? This wasn’t made clear, nor was it made clear exactly what Khrushchev hoped to gai...

PhD Thesis: Episode 1.2

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Welcome back to the thesis! Here we continue the first chapter of the thesis, specifically my analysis of British obligations during the Portuguese and Spanish Civil Wars. These conflicts were messy, rife with complications, and British involvement was far from rewarding. Yet, there was still a lot of rhetoric used regarding the nature of Britain's obligations to its Iberian allies, and Palmerston was adamant that such obligations necessitated the support of the liberal cause....

1956 1.3: A Not So Secret Speech

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Episode 1.3 opens with the scene which greeted Khrushchev as he performed that incendiary speech over 24-25th of February 1956. It was a pivotal day in the history of the Soviet Union, and after we unwrap its major aspects, we then tackle the key questions – how had this speech come to be, and how had Khrushchev managed to convince his peers that it was necessary?

These questions require answers if we’re to understand and appreciate the world which housed the secret ...

1956 1.2: Bolshevik Battle Royale

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Episode 1.2 follows on from where our first episode left off. Here, the power struggle between the Soviet Union’s top men is in full swing, and power plays, character assassination, genuine assassination and even more tactics besides distinguish this period of post-Stalin Soviet history. Nikita Khrushchev’s victorious succession and confirmation as First Secretary was far from certain once the struggle began, but as his rivals continued to underestimate him, and as he work...

PhD Thesis: Episode 1.1

[PATRONS]

In this episode, we look at our first chapter, which examines the idea of good faith in international commitments, and how this affected national honour.

Specifically, we look at a forgotten agreement, the Russian Dutch Loan. In the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, the Dutch King felt compelled to repay Russia's extensive contribution to liberating his country, and settled on monetary compensation in the form of a loan. Interestingly, Britain took on a large portion of ...

1956 1.1: Death of a Comrade

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What happened when the architect of the Cold War passed away? Would the Soviet Union Stalin built adapt to a new successor, or would a set of chain reactions doom the empire in its cradle?

If you want to learn more about what followed after the Korean War – as a story and as a year of significance, 1956 has few equals, and we open our narrative with the event which set up all subsequent events – the death of Josef Stalin on 5th March 1953. As far as ...

1956: Introduction to Part 1

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Welcome to 1956, an era of schemes, revolution, propaganda, intrigue and a whole lot of diplomacy!

Originally brought exclusively to patrons, I've repurposed this series for all listeners, and within it you will learn exactly why I believe this eventful year is well worth your time. Our series begins with the death of Stalin, a megalomaniacal dictator who left no successor save the clique of people who had managed to survive his paranoid wrath for severa...

PhD Thesis: Introduction Part 2

[PATRONS]

Before we go any further, we must ground this thesis further in the pre-existing historiography, while clarifying the differences between personal and national honour. What was honour worth in the mid-19th century, and what did contemporaries hope to make of honour's incredible power during debate or argument? Listen in to find out, and thanksss so much for joining me!

PhD Thesis: Introduction Part 1

For the last four+ years, this PhD thesis has been my obsession. Like pushing a boulder up a hill, the struggle was real. But, sometimes, struggle can produce great things, and I hope you'll agree that what I made is worthy of your time. Tired of listening? Remember lovely patrons also get to read the attached script, to see how I reached my findings, and track down further reading.

See if you like the sound of this nitty-gritty exploration of history we have planned, and if national ho...

Welcome to a New Season of WDF!

[PATRON]

Welcome back! Here we talk about the State of the Podcast Address' HUGE NEWS - 1) 1956 and how it's all going to work. Also, is it actually interesting? 2) The new PhD Thesis series for Patrons! 3) Age of Bismarck - and of course, more! 

Thanksss so much for the warm welcome back history friend. I haven't stopped grinning for the last few days, and it's thanks to you!

WDF State of the Podcast Address 1-4-24

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We're back! In case you were unaware, the lack of content over the last while was because of the PhD, which is now finished. This means, yes, I am finally Dr Zack! Imagine that! I have a lot to say about the future of this podcast, and stick around for some honesty about the PhD process and how I'm doing generally after this four year plus saga. I'm really excited to dive back into podcasting after all this. 

And it goes without saying, but thanksss so much for all ...

Presenting: History Challenge w/ Ole Petter Høie

Join Ole and I for a fascinating chat about History Challenge, a new way for educators and students to make history thrive! If you want to try it out for yourself, the latest version of this project is available in the link below. Thanksss!

Access the Battle of Britain lesson here 

2023-08-17 16:10:36 +0000 UTC View Post

30YearsWar: Conclusion

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And so it ends. After 82 episodes and what feels like thirty actual years, we finally wrap up this fascinating period of history. Thanksss so much for tuning in!

Make sure to stay to the end to learn about our plans for the Thirty Years' War book, my Matchlock series, the new Delegation Game, and other PhD details.

Where do we go after this? What's next for WDF? We cover that here too!

30YearsWar #82: A Return To Prague [1648]

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The final episode of our series involves no shortage of intrigue, scheming and mistrust, yet it is also the moment when diplomacy arguably succeeded. After three decades of war, Europe, and the Holy Roman Empire in particular, had come to terms with the cost of conflict. Perhaps, in the future, things would be different? Perhaps, but as a brief look at our back catalogue shows, the post-Westphalian world was by no means free from the curse of war.

Thanksss so much for fo...

30YearsWar #81: The Last Campaign [1648]

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Although the Dutch and Spanish had made their peace, 1648 had room for one more campaign, and there had arguably never been so much on the line. With warfare came the chance to secure more leverage at the peace table, but the Franco-Swedish allies faced problems of its own. 

How were the Swedes to settle the impossibly high wage bill of so many thousands of unpaid soldiers? How were the French going to pacify the many elements within society who were sick and tired ...

The State of America and the Brexit Debacle - ft Thom Daly

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Please consider supporting our podcast friend Benjamin Jacobs during this difficult time. 

In this special episode, Thom Daly joins me to rant about the state of education in America, how Republican ideologues ban what...

30YearsWar #80: Cardinal Sins [1647-48]

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Here, in our third-last episode of the series, we take the time to analyse Cardinal Mazarin's motives. What kind of role did religious motivations, strategic motivations, political or economic or any other kind of motivation have upon his behaviour? Was he fighting for French security, or future French expansion?

In line with this, we look at the religious question in the Empire, which had appeared like an impossible riddle in previous years. How was it possible to make ...

30YearsWar #79: Bavarian Bargains [1646-1647]

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As the war raged, Maximilian of Bavaria was forced to reconsider his position towards his Emperor. As the Habsburgs' most faithful and important German ally since the beginning, the rumours that Max was contemplating a truce had to be taken seriously. One thing was clear though - the wily Bavarian Elector had made his name by identifying the most advantageous course, and whatever decision he made, they would be for Bavaria and Bavaria alone.

30YearsWar #78: Alsace and Pomerania [1646-1647]

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By the end of 1646, two massive problems plagued the negotiators. For France, the matter was Alsace, a huge chunk of territory along the sensitive Rhine region, which had long served as a buffer between the French and Imperial spheres. For Sweden, Pomerania, a slice of land along northern Germany's Baltic coast, was the central issue. The process by which the powers solved these questions, the compromises they agreed, and the implications they had, are all examined here. ...

30YearsWar #77: Dutch Loose Ends

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It's time to get all emotional, as we tie up the Eighty Years' War between the Spanish and Dutch, which had formed an integral part of the Thirty Years' War in its earlier phase, but which had, from 1645, effectively been relegated to a sideshow of the larger war. The Dutch, and its House of Orange, had made a substantial contribution to the war, directing anti Habsburg energies towards several schemes, and chipping away at Spanish prestige and power even as the Habsburg dynas...

Diplomacy: Britain vs America #12

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How close did Britain and America really come to war in 1845-46, and if war was out of the question, why did matters get so anxious, and close to the abyss? Was it all bluster and bluff, designed to please domestic audiences, or was there more substance in the shrill screechings from both sides than we might expect? Here we delve into it, including the Mexican schemes to involve Britain and France in its looming war with America. Did this soften President Polk's tone, or had t...