Dan Snow's History Hit

The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 shocked the world. But, it was not an abrupt collapse — it was decades in the making. Lyse Doucet has spent her career reporting from the world's war zones and at the key moments in modern history as the BBC's Chief International Correspondent. She's followed the events in Afghanistan for decades and joins Dan to explain the rise of the Taliban from the chaos of the Soviet invasion in th...

Around 50 CE, a small group of travellers began to preach that a Jewish man, crucified by the Romans, had risen from the dead. Teaching love, forgiveness and eternal life, this new faith quickly gained followers. By the early fourth century, it was thriving, and over the next hundred years, it exploded, spreading across the entire Roman Empire before becoming its official religion. What enabled it to take such a strong hold so quic...

The Hanseatic League was a medieval trading network that stretched across Northern Europe. Formed in Northern Germany in the 12th century, it was an economic powerhouse of the age. Over the next five centuries, it negotiated with kings, standardised regulations, created outposts across Europe, blockaded ports and even went to war to protect its trading interests.

In this episode, Dan is joined by Dr Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz, assoc...

Tobacco, sugar, rum, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, spices, industry, borders, slavery, war - all things spread across the globe thanks to the British Empire. At its height in 1922, it was the largest empire the world had ever seen, covering around a quarter of Earth's land surface and ruling over 458 million people - that's a lot of influence. Dan is joined by journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera to measure the impact the British ...

Appointed by the Romans as king of Judaea, King Herod's reign was defined by great architectural projects and canny diplomacy. But he could also be cruel and paranoid, with scandal and family intrigue marring his rule. King Herod even appears as an unlikely and unlikeable character in the Christmas tale; the king who ordered the execution of children in an effort to kill Jesus. But did this really happen?

Dan is joined by Seth S...

Porpoises, beaver tails, boar's head and puffins were just some of the exquisite dishes on medieval tables during the festive season. In this episode, food historian Annie Gray joins Dan in his kitchen to cook up some delicious Christmas fare from ages past. They make wassail - an ancient alcoholic punch - and mince meat pies as they talk about the Pagan rituals, Medieval feasts and Victorian traditions that dictate what we put on ...

Henry VIII wanted to have the most powerful Navy in Europe; he also didn't want to have to travel very far to get it. Around 1512, he built a colossal Naval dockyard on the southern banks of the Thames in London up river from his Greenwich Palace, where he set about building the biggest ships the world had ever seen. 

Today, you can still find the telltale signs of the history that took place here if you know where to look....

Dan narrates the remarkable story of how George Washington's newly established Continental Army tried to conquer Canada in the brutal winter of 1775. The American Revolutionary forces believed their northern neighbour would surely welcome them as liberators, as they themselves fought off the yoke of British rule. Many imagined that these two vast territories were destined to unite into a single continental power. But what followed ...

The aerial bombardment that rained down on the Spanish city of Guernica in 1937 was one of the most shocking atrocities of the Spanish Civil War. Dan and David Brydan - historian of Modern Spain at King's College London - explain why this Basque town was targeted, how the attack unfolded and what it meant for civilians on the ground. They explore the political motives behind the raid as well as its enduring impact on Europe and tra...

The Battle of the Little Bighorn - also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass - was one of the most dramatic and important clashes in American history. In June 1876, on the rolling plains of Montana, Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry charged into a vast encampment of Lakota and other tribes — and were utterly destroyed by the superior native forces who fought to defend their sacred lands from the encroaching Uni...

What was life really like aboard the great wooden ships of the Age of Sail? Dan joins After Dark hosts Anthony and Maddy to step aboard these creaking vessels and uncover who served at sea, what drove them to enlist, and just how slim their chances were of making it home alive.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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Anyone alive at the time remembers the day President John F. Kennedy was shot dead in Dallas, Texas, on November 22 1963. In this episode, Dan provides a moment-by-moment account of the day that shocked the world and speaks with Jefferson Morley, a former Washington Post journalist who has spent years researching the event to discuss the aftermath of the assassination, the theories, and what the public was never told by the White H...

John F. Kennedy was a man of charm, power, and contradictions. Behind the public image of the heroic president lay a figure plagued by pain, haunted by his past, and driven by desire.

Dan is joined by esteemed biographer Randy Taraborelli to explore Kennedy's private life, delving into his turbulent marriage to Jackie, the domineering influence of his father, and the family secrets that shaped JFK as a president and as a man. Ra...

In 1588, Spain’s mighty armada sailed to invade England and change the balance of power in Europe. Dan explains why Philip II launched the Armada, details the high-stakes clash in the Channel, and outlines the decisive tactics, leadership and luck that helped the English prevail.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Sir Francis Drake Explainer (Part 1) -

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/francis-...

Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide.

When the Nuremberg Trials began in November 1945, Hermann Göring was the highest-ranking Nazi to face justice for the crimes of the Third Reich. Charismatic, manipulative and unrepentant, he became the central figure of the proceedings. This episode examines Göring’s performance in the courtroom and his unusual relationship with U.S. Army psychiatrist Dr Douglas Kelley, who w...

Could the plucked backside of a chicken really cure the plague? If that question has ever crossed your mind, then this episode is for you. Today, we’re diving into the Black Death - where it originated, how it tore across continents at terrifying speed, and the gruesome symptoms it unleashed.

We're joined by Helen Carr, author of 'Sceptred Isle', a new history of the 14th century. She takes us through this tale of a deadly pande...

In partnership with Findmypast, Dan narrates the extraordinary story of the Western Front at its most unforgiving. Passchendaele became a byword for the futility, endurance and industrialised slaughter of the First World War.

In a battle that lasted from July to November 1917, men, horses and equipment trudged through a swampy moonscape of shell holes in an attempt to crack the German line in Flanders. It became a relentless, at...

We dive into the life and legacy of the North African-born ruler who rose through the ranks to seize the imperial throne. We discover how Severus transformed the Roman military, led daring campaigns across continents, and left a mark that shaped the empire for generations.

Joining us is Simon Elliott, author of 'The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus'. We weigh his achievements against those of other legendary empero...

In partnership with Findmypast, Dan narrates the extraordinary story of the bloodiest day of the First World War. The first day of the Somme saw units wiped out as men charged from their trenches directly into German fire. The losses were devastating, exacerbated by the tragic reality that units were often composed of groups of friends, co-workers, and teammates from the same communities who had been encouraged to sign up together ...