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Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

Historian Dan Snow journeys across the globe to tell the stories of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Great Wall of China, the battlefields of Waterloo to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, join Dan as he explores the how and why of the greatest monuments, battles, heroes, villains and events that have shaped our world. New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays with bonus subscriber only episodes every other Friday. You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.com A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. U.S. Interventions in Latin America: A Short History

    9H AGO

    U.S. Interventions in Latin America: A Short History

    For over 200 years, American presidents have repeatedly justified intervention as 'protection' - from the Monroe Doctrine of the 1820s, Teddy Roosevelt at the turn of the 20th century, to Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush during the Cold War. America has a long history of using formal, informal, military and economic power to influence and exert control in its neighbouring countries and beyond.  Dan is joined by Professor Daniel Immerwahr, historian and author of How to Hide an Empire: The Greater United States, to explore the ways in which America has exerted control and shaped the political landscape in the western hemisphere for two centuries. They examine the parallels with historic interventions like the 1954 coup in Guatemala and the 1989 invasion of Panama.  Produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore. Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  2. A history of (American) occupation in Greenland

    4D AGO

    A history of (American) occupation in Greenland

    This isn't the first or even second time the U.S has made moves to procure Greenland in the last 160 years. President Donald Trump has stepped up his rhetoric, now saying that the use of US military is ‘always an option’ to annexe the autonomous territory. Currently part of the Kingdom of Denmark, an American takeover of Greenland would pose a serious crisis for NATO. But how much authority does Denmark have to protect Greenland? Why does Trump want it, and why are there already American troops already stationed there? In this episode, first released in January 2025, Dan and Professor Robert Rix from the University of Copenhagen trace the occupation of Greenland from the first Vikings to the arrival of the Americans in the mid-20th century, as well as explain its relationship with Denmark and explore previous attempts from American administrations to acquire it. You can discover more about the history of Greenland in Robert's book 'The Vanished Settlers of Greenland: In Search of a Legend and Its Legacy'.  Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on Youtube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  3. The Top Assassination Attempts on Hitler

    5D AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Top Assassination Attempts on Hitler

    What does it take to kill a dictator? In this episode, we explore the most dramatic assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler. From Georg Elser, the lone-wolf carpenter who built a bomb by hand, to the Polish underground’s relentless plots under occupation, and finally Claus von Stauffenberg, the one-eyed officer whose briefcase bomb nearly took out the Führer. Joining us for this is Roger Moorhouse, author of 'Killing Hitler'. Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore. Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

    41 min
  4. The Rise, Fall and Rise of the Taliban

    JAN 5

    The Rise, Fall and Rise of the Taliban

    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 the 1980s, through their brutal rule in the 1990s, the impact of American and British intervention after 9/11 and explains how they returned to Kabul in 2021, plunging Afghanistan into another era under their grip.  Her new book, which explores this history through the lens of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, where both international journalists and the Taliban stay, depending on who is running the country. It's called 'The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People's History of Afghanistan' Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 3m
  5. The Greatest Naval Officer Who Ever Lived: Thomas Cochrane

    JAN 2 • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Greatest Naval Officer Who Ever Lived: Thomas Cochrane

    In this recording from our live show earlier this year, Dan discusses the greatest naval officer who ever lived - the swashbuckling sailor and political firebrand Thomas Cochrane, who lived one of the most extraordinary lives of the nineteenth century. From daring naval raids during the Napoleonic Wars to scandal, exile and revolutionary adventures across South America, we explore the brilliance, controversy and restless ambition of the “Sea Wolf.” Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore. If you want to hear more about the extraordinary life of Thomas Cochrane, then check out the three-part series we published in 2024. 1. Thomas Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/1-thomas-cochrane-the-real-master-and-commander/id1042631089?i=1000639351839 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ispIHiXbKt6ocJJH4RqN6?si=PyenzMEpRQ2YNDz9XH_3mg 2. Thomas Cochrane: The Battle of Basque Roads Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-thomas-cochrane-the-battle-of-basque-roads/id1042631089?i=1000639355584 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JR4Vj3oVmRzoyHtXSIB0L?si=0wAAoNWFTW-VbWmAyxxOJg 3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/3-thomas-cochrane-from-disgrace-to-freedom-fighter/id1042631089?i=1000639357402 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MVZGYc2CbIl3M0tb3XzPu?si=Hk0qNkkiT0WpGgiw9vw6ZA We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

    1h 27m
  6. How Did Ancient Romans become Christians?

    JAN 1

    How Did Ancient Romans become Christians?

    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 quickly and so steadfastly?  Dan is joined by author, broadcaster and historian Professor Alice Roberts to examine how Christianity out-organised and outlasted the Roman Empire.  Alice's new book is called 'Domination: The Fall of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity'. Produced by James Hickmann, Mariana Des Forges and edited by Matthew Wilson and Dougal Patmore. Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on Youtube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  7. What was the Hanseatic League?

    12/29/2025

    What was the Hanseatic League?

    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, associate professor of medieval history at the University of Amsterdam, to discuss the League's unique structure, operations, and legacy. Together, they examine its innovative and flexible approach to trade, politics, and conflict management. Also, how the Hansa functioned without becoming a formal nation-state and its lasting imprint on European history and economics. To discover more about Justyna's work, please visit: https://premodernconflictmanagement.org/ or her personal page https://justynawubs-mrozewicz.blogspot.com/ Produced by Dougal Patmore and James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore. This was originally released as a subscriber-only episode in August 2025 Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
  8. How Did the British Empire Build the Modern World?

    12/25/2025

    How Did the British Empire Build the Modern World?

    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 Empire has had on our world, for better and worse.  Sathnam's new book for kids is called 'Journeys of Empire'. Produced by James Hickmann, McKenna Fernandez and edited by Matthew Wilson and Dougal Patmore.  Did you know you can watch this episode on YouTube? Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
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Historian Dan Snow journeys across the globe to tell the stories of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Great Wall of China, the battlefields of Waterloo to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, join Dan as he explores the how and why of the greatest monuments, battles, heroes, villains and events that have shaped our world. New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays with bonus subscriber only episodes every other Friday. You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.com A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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