When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

30YearsWar #61: The Eastern Context

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Sweden's strategic situation was pretty desperate by early 1635, but to appreciate just how desperate it was, we have to look away from the Holy Roman Empire, and towards the East, where in Poland, the truce was about to expire with Sweden's dynastic enemy. Worse, for Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, the grand plan of distracting Poland by orchestrating a Russian war had failed as well, leaving the Poles vengeful, the Russians weakened, and everything apparently in the air...

My Ten Favourite Series

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What's your favourite podcast series under WDF's umbrella? We've covered an awful lot, and a wide range of history, from the obscure, to the famous and infamous, to the shockingly misunderstood. We've come a long way in these ten years, and picking ten of my faves was a difficult task, but after a brutal process of elimination, here it is - complete with music to get you all nostalgic. Do you agree with my choice? Were you surprised by my number one? Thanksss again for a  ...

My Ten Favourite Historical Figures

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After ten years of history podcasting, I've come across many remarkable and fascinating historical figures, but can I pick a favourite? The task is a difficult one, so to make it easier for myself, I picked ten. Find out here which figures make the cut, as I rank them from number ten all the way down to number one.

Did my choices surprise you? Do you feel a particular character was unfairly maligned or skimmed over? The debate can continue in the WDF Facebook group, so I...

Ten Years of When Diplomacy Fails Podcast - A Retrospective

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On 18 May 2012, When Diplomacy Fails Podcast broke into the history podcast scene, and the rest is history! For more than a decade, this show has granted me opportunities and experiences I never dreamed possible. It made me who I am today, from my past jobs, to my education, literally down to where I am professionally and personally right now. 

This is the story of how something as simple as a history podcast can radically change a young guy's life, and although thi...

30YearsWar #60: Richelieu's Last Stand

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As spring 1635 approached, France had a choice to make. She could remain neutral, and allow the Imperial-Spanish triumph to overwhelm the Swedish and Dutch. Or, she could join their struggle, and end once and for the Bourbon-Habsburg cold war that had lasted a generation. It's decision time for Cardinal Richelieu.

30YearsWar #59: The Great And Terrible

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Get your tickets to Intelligent Speech Conference now! It's on Saturday 25 June, so don't delay! 

Wallenstein exhausts Emperor Ferdinand's patience, the Battle of Nordlingen ushers in a new era of Habsburg supremacy, and an Austro-Spanish alliance is forged just in time to meet France on the battlefield. 1633 may have been quiet, but 1634 would prov...

Matchlock and the Rebel EARLY ACCESS

Hello dear patrons!

Not audio content this time, but the newest instalment of my Matchlock series, which is a historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War - in case you somehow didn't know!

I am very happy with how this turned out, and yes, it has been a LONG gap between book 1 and 2, but I was honing my craft, and basically rebuilding Matchlock and the Embassy in that time, so I believe it was worth it!

Feel free to read this book at your leisure, as part of y...

30YearsWar #58: Out With The Old

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We're ten years old! Wish WDF a happy birthday by buying the NEW and IMPROVED edition of Matchlock and the Embassy! 

The death of Gustavus Adolphus at Lutzen cast a long sha...

30YearsWar #57: The Lion at Lutzen

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After going on a tear for 18 months, Gustavus Adolphus had finally caught Wallenstein, in a town just outside of Leipzig. Considering the enormous amount of men under recruitment, their army sizes were somewhat small, but that didn't make the battle any less ferocious. Indeed, Lutzen can be viewed as a turning point, not merely in the conflict here, but also in early modern warfare. The Swedish cause would never be the same again, but the Thirty Years War was only just enterin...

"Eight Billion and Counting" - Dr Jennifer Sciubba and Demographic Security

Real quick - turns out Indira Ghandi is NOT related to Ghandi at all, and is in fact the daughter of Nehru. What are the odds of that? Thanks to Andrew Mence for the correction!

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For this bonus interview episode, I'm very excited to be joined by Dr Jennifer Sciubba! Here she talks about her new book, 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death and Migration Shape our World -2022-05-03 14:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post

30YearsWar #56: The Lion and Wallenstein

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With Breitenfeld changing the balance of power in the Empire, Gustavus had much to do as 1631 became 1632. First was the matter of Count Tilly's battered survivors from the battle, who had since been reinforced, and guarded the entrance to Bavaria. But over the horizon was an even greater threat to the Swedish King - Albrecht of Wallenstein, the Holy Roman Emperor's last hope. The two titans faced off throughout the summer of 1632, with dramatic (and disgusting) results. Get a...

30YearsWar #55: Hear The Lion Roar

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The Battle of Breitenfeld was a turning point in the Thirty Years War, but equally important was what Gustavus Adolphus chose to do after. In his race to conquer, Gustavus tore down the Rhine, seizing a wide range of cities, from Wurzburg, to Mainz, to Frankfurt. In the process, he upset the contract between the Emperor and his subjects like never before, demanding an answer which would come from Wallenstein in 1632. More depressingly for the average German, Gustavus swollen a...

30YearsWar #54: Protestant Germany Joins Sweden

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From the moment Gustavus Adolphus landed in Northern Germany, it was clear that his triumph was impossible so long as the Protestant Electors of Brandenburg and Saxony refused to join his side. Throughout spring and summer of 1631 though, Gustavus' luck finally began to turn, thanks in part to his liberal use of intimidation, and the horrendous miscalculations of the Emperor. Pointing his cannons at Berlin soon compelled a defenceless Elector of Brandenburg to make an alliance...

Story Games History: Why YOU Should Be Excited!

We are joined today by Ole from Immortal Games to talk about Story Games History.

Story Games History is a ground-breaking concept for making history more accessible, both to casual fans, and for learning purposes. Ole talks about his plan for approaching schools and colleges, adding more academic clout to this exciting project. Perhaps most interestingly, Ole explains how Story Games History will bring 16 key historical world events an...

30YearsWar #53: Making A Magdeburg

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Magdeburg, the city where the Thirty Years' War changed. As the Swedes gathered in North Germany, and the Imperials moved to counter them, their paths led to Magdeburg, a city on the River Elbe with a history of defiance. The city fathers of Magdeburg may have believed that their city would serve as the turning point of the war, but what they could never have imagined was the price which would have to be paid, by Magdeburg's citizens...

Russia Invades Ukraine - Has Diplomacy Failed?

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Well, he did it. He actually did it. After month of posturing, years of undeclared war, and even longer lying to our faces, Putin authorised Russia's invasion of Ukraine. How did it come to this? Is Putin the only variable that matters? Does diplomacy still have a chance? Where do I see all of this going? You may not think you need yet another person talking about this war, but just in case you do, join me here, as I explain why this war happened, and why it's personal to me. ...

30YearsWar #52: Sweden The Deal

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In early 1631, Gustavus Adolphus was in desperate need of allies and subsidies. Fortunately for him, Cardinal Richelieu of France was only too happy to help, but such friendship would come at a cost. France wasn't interested in throwing away good money. Instead, they wanted to effectively sponsor the Swedish invasion. 

They would fund Sweden's efforts, in return for Gustavus' promise to maintain a large army in the Empire. Just as they had done with the Dutch and in...

Get "A Matter of Honour" NOW

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[looking good eh?]

As per your $5 perks, you can now access this newly updated second edition of A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War simply by clicking on the link below.

If you'd prefer to wait for the paperback, that'll be available by the end of the week. The audiobook will take a little longer, but production has begun, so keep an eye and ear out!

30YearsWar #51: The Swedish Case For War

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In spring and summer 1630, Sweden's King could put it off no longer. The months of outrages, the insults, and the straight up interefernce in his business by the Emperor's proxies had gnawed away at his patience. War would have to follow, but how to present this war to the wider world? How to track the list of grievances which Sweden felt? How to persuade Germans and Frenchmen alike as to the righteousness of his cause? This was to be a campaign in itself, but Gustavus was up ...

30YearsWar #50: The War In The North

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It's hard to imagine it now, but 400 years ago, Russia was THE underdog in Europe. 

Racked by the aftershocks of the Time of Troubles (1603 - 1618) Russia's Tsar had a long way to go before the name Romanov would spread far and wide. And he had a score to settle. 

The King of Poland, Sigismund III, had invaded and occupied Russia all the way to Moscow barely a decade before. Sigismund claimed that his own son was the true Tsar of Russia, not Michael Roman...

30YearsWar #49: The Peace in the East

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With Denmark exiting the war in Germany, everything seemed to be looking up Ferdinand in spring 1629, but there was a problem. While on the military front, the Emperor still held the edge, on the diplomatic front, forces were conspiring to turn the war on its head. Cardinal Richelieu recognised that if Sweden and Poland could be brought to the peace table, Gustavus Adolphus would be free at long last to intervene in Germany. 

Both the Swedes and the French went deep...

The Trent Affair: Episodes 1-5

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It's the enormous audio treat you never knew you needed - all five episodes of the Trent Affair stuck together, without intros, outros and of course ads. Listen in to this near three hour story, and you can almost pretend it's an audiobook! Consider it my gift to you, dear patrons, for making 2021 so great for this show. You're the best!

The Trent Affair #5: From The Brink

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In Episode 5 of the Trent Affair - our final episode, for now! - we ask the big questions, and finish our narrative which stretched across both sides of the Atlantic. At the last moment, it seemed, calmer heads had prevailed, and an Anglo-American War was not required as the price for stained British honour. 

But the two sides had come VERY close to such a nightmare, closer, in fact, than they had since 1812. Could something be learned from this exchange? Or, as the...

The Trent Affair #4: Ultimatum Received

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Listen here to our penultimate episode on the Trent Affair, and the moment when peace or war hung in the balance!

After a tense wait, Britain's ultimatum finally arrived in Washington. How would Lincoln and Seward respond to its terms? The Confederate commissioners would have to be returned, and a suitable apology offered, if the British were to be satisfied, but there was room for some manoeuvre. This breathing space was thanks to the fact that nobody was particularly e...

The Trent Affair #3: Britain's War Plan

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Welcome to our third episode of the Trent Affair, here we confront an important question!

Would the Americans choose peace, or would they choose war? The ultimatum had been sent on 2 December. The restrictions of communication meant that the British would be waiting a while for the answer - as much as a fortnight. But, in the meantime, what did the British government do? Incredibly, the British prepared for the unthinkable: the third Anglo-American war in under a century...

The Trent Affair #2: For Law and Honour

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Welcome to the second episode of this special miniseries! Happy christmas and thanksss for tuning in!

When news of the Trent Affair reached Britain, the British cried foul. The Government made immediate preparations to wrest a satisfactory reply from the Americans. Only the return of the commissioners and an American apology would satisfy Palmerston government. The British people demanded justice for broken laws and their dishonoured flag, but what did such ideas mean?<...

The Trent Affair #1: Setting the Scene

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Hello and merry christmas history friends and patrons! To say thanksss for your support and patience over the last year, I thought I'd give you a special miniseries, set in an unfamiliar but fascinating era. Allow me to introduce you to the Trent Affair, also known as the crisis which nearly sparked off a third Anglo-American War!

In November 1861, an American vessel boarded the Trent, a British steamer, and whisked away two Confederate commissioners who were bo...

30YearsWar #48: The Web of War

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By summer, 1630, the stage had been set for a Swedish intervention in the German War.  But how did Sweden get to the point where this became feasible, or justifiable? What had caused diplomacy to fail between the Habsburgs and Stockholm? What gripes did King Gustavus Adolphus have with the Habsburgs? Would you believe me if a told you that a tangled web of diplomacy is all to blame? Would you also believe me if I told you that it's an absolutely fascinating story, and one...

30YearsWar #47: The Road to Regensburg

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By the dawn of 1630, the Emperor's triumph was secure in the Empire, but now he would have to reckon with the princes and electors of that Empire. They had some steep demands of their own - the dismissal of Wallenstein, and a lasting peace plan which would guarantee their security. The Emperor's wish for a declaration of war on the Dutch, and the confirmation of his son as heir, would have to wait.

Further afield, storm clouds loomed on the horizon which threatened the h...

30YearsWar #46: Turning The Tide

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By late 1628, the Habsburgs appeared supreme. The Danes were on the ropes, and all of the Empire was firmly in the grip of Wallenstein. But appearances were deceptive. The Emperor's triumph was assured, but his cousins were having less luck. Spanish problems in North Italy demanded a united Habsburg response. Spain needed all the help it could get in its Dutch War, but it was the North Italian front, specifically in Mantua, that the Spanish seemed most invested.

Wallenst...