647 episodes

A podcast covering the build up to, breakout of and consequences of various conflicts in history.
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When Diplomacy Fails Podcast Zack Twamley

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 630 Ratings

A podcast covering the build up to, breakout of and consequences of various conflicts in history.
Get bonus content on Patreon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.5: Oh No Cairo

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.5: Oh No Cairo

    1956 Episode 2.5 looks at British commitments in the Middle East, and how setbacks there could massively drag down ideas of British ‘prestige’ in that region.
    What did the French have to fear from Colonel Nasser, and how did this tie in with later Anglo-French agreements? The answers can be found here. Also of note in this episode is the moment when the Anglo-American loan to Nasser was cancelled, which meant that the Egyptian leader would be unable to construct his Aswan Dam.
    With this setback for Nasser came Anthony Eden’s effort to paint the event as a personal triumph for himself, when in reality, Britain had been led by the Americans. Speaking of Eden, here we receive our first glimpse of the Prime Minister which suggest that he may not have been the flawless, crusading statesmen of the 1930s, and that he was, on the contrary, exactly what Britain did NOT need right now...
    Remember history friends - you can get these episodes ad-free with scripts attached for just $2 a month - for a fiver you can access our PhD Thesis series, so come and nerd out with us!
    Get bonus content on Patreon
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    • 29 min
    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.4: Britain Bitten

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.4: Britain Bitten

    1956 Episode 2.4 examines Britain's embarrassing and dissatisfying efforts to try and make Egypt see sense.
    Here we see what kind of Government Anthony Eden led, and how he shook it up, or failed to shake it up, after he assumed the premiership in spring 1955. Anthony may have deserved his turn, but he would quickly exhaust the sense of goodwill he had built up over the years. In spite of his reputation for integrity and bravery when standing up to the appeasement policy of the 1930s, Eden proved wholly ill-equipped for dealing with this strange new world. Emerging from Churchill’s shadow, he felt extra pressures to act as though nothing had changed, and to pursue a Conservative foreign policy mindset as though he was still living in the 1930s.
    After setting Eden’s premiership in context, we switch gears to President Nasser’s policy. Nasser had great ambitions for his country, and these centred on getting Egypt on track technologically, and fixing the grave problems which geography and poverty presented. The Aswan Dam was a radical solution which would solve these problems in one go. By the construction of this billion dollar project, the Nile could be harnessed, disastrous floods avoided, and the energy of nature made proper use of for industrial purposes. It seemed like the ideal solution, save for the key problem that Nasser lacked the kind of money required to engage in this building project.
    While he was increasingly turning towards the Soviets for arms, for the moment, he was happy to look to the Anglo-American bankers to put up the funds.
    The decision of the Americans and British to put up the money for this construction project may seem, in the context of the mid-1950s and especially considering what would follow, like a very odd decision indeed. Yet, as we’ll see, the Aswan Dam was not the investment opportunity which the British had hoped. Instead, once they and the Americans reneged on the deal, it proved to be the nail in the coffin of the already shaky Anglo-Egyptian relationship, and the beginning of a road towards conflict and crisis.
    Remember history friends - you can get these episodes ad-free with scripts attached for just $2 a month - for a fiver you can access our PhD Thesis series, so come and nerd out with us!
    Get bonus content on Patreon
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 38 min
    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.3: Egyptian Conniption

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.3: Egyptian Conniption

    1956 Episode 2.3 examines British views of Suez and Nasser's new Egyptian regime.
    As the British government underwent a change and waved goodbye to great old men like Churchill, it was clear at the same time that this new government had no intention of changing its imperial tune. Egypt was a place to be held onto, not relinquished; Nasser was a figure to be loathed, rather than cooperated with; British prestige, as much as her long-standing strategic and security interests, depended on holding the Canal. That neither Churchill nor his successor in Anthony Eden proved capable of holding Nasser back speaks volumes about the awakening in Egyptian national consciousness which was beginning in the 1950s.
    As the men at the top of the coup finished their own struggles and Colonel Nasser surged ahead, it became apparent that Egypt was in something of an ideal position. It had its problems of course, and its legacies of poverty and inequality for days, but it was in an ideal strategic position at the same time. Poised as the link between Africa and the Middle East, Egypt was the crossroads between different worlds. It was also, potentially, a crossroads in the Cold War, but for the moment, Nasser knew that his bread was buttered on its Western side.
    Before conflict and crisis had their day, negotiation and diplomacy were allowed to flourish in this Anglo-Egyptian relationship. An agreement for policing the Suez Canal and for mobilising it during wartime was signed with the Cairo government. To insulate these deals, a Northern Tier system of alliances with other Middle Eastern states like Jordan, Iran and Iraq was signed. It seemed, at least on some level, that Britain was giving peace a chance. Yet, the more than the Foreign Secretary, and then the PM saw of Nasser’s Egypt, the less he liked. It was impossible to deal with an Egypt that did not seem to know its place, but with every meeting came a painful reminder that all was not as it had once been. The Egyptian puppets were gone, and it was uncomfortably clear that these new Egyptian men pulled their own strings.
    Remember history friends - you can get these episodes ad-free with scripts attached for just $2 a month - for a fiver you can access our PhD Thesis series, so come and nerd out with us!
    Get bonus content on Patreon
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min
    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.2: Suez, A Life

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.2: Suez, A Life

    A French investment opportunity, an ancient idea, and a British masterstroke - discover in this episode how the Suez Canal became so monumentally important for British imperial interests in the latter 19th century, and how this interest was then carried over into the 20th century. After years of defending and expanding their stock in Suez, it was highly unlikely that Britain was going to give up its position there without a fight. Yet, at the same time, decolonisation trends across the world were in full swing, and it was far from certain that Egypt could be held while certain movements were underway.
    The most important of all these movements in decolonisation era Africa was found on 23rd July 1952, when a coup against King Farouk of Egypt, that docile and loyal British puppet, succeeded. A cadre of Egyptian military men now held control over the country, and they were determined to be anything but puppets to the British interest. One figure surged forward above all. His name was Gamal Abdel Nasser, and in this episode, we will be introduced to him, as we see what the British establishment was up against. Mindful of Britain’s interests in his country, and its unsavoury record there, Nasser was not about to give ground for nothing. Thousands of miles away, a government change waved goodbye to Winston Churchill, and ushered in his subordinate Anthony Eden. The stage was set for a conflict which was unlike any other yet seen in the British experience. 
    Remember history friends - you can get these episodes ad-free with scripts attached for just $2 a month - for a fiver you can access our PhD Thesis series, so come and nerd out with us!
    Get bonus content on Patreon
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min
    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.1: Bitter French Pills

    1956 - The Suez Crisis #2.1: Bitter French Pills

    In this episode, we will examine the painful post-war experience of France, why it was so reluctant to let go of its colonies and how this caused it more damage in the long run. As an integral, but largely forgotten player in the Crisis, understanding the French angle is essential for us. On many occasions, the fractured French government would be the only thing holding the also fractured plans for Suez together. Here, we discover what was moving the French in North Africa, and how its bitter Algerian pill, which it would put off swallowing for some time, so influenced its government’s decision to weigh in against Egypt.
    Remember history friends - you can get these episodes ad-free with scripts attached for just $2 a month - for a fiver you can access our PhD Thesis series, so come and nerd out with us!
    Get bonus content on Patreon
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 28 min
    1956 Part Two: The Suez Crisis Introduction

    1956 Part Two: The Suez Crisis Introduction

    1956 now enters its second season, and we are confronted with several pressing questions. How did the British, French, Israelis and Americans become involved in Egypt, and how did these events affect what was ongoing in Hungary? The incredible spectacle of these two simultaneous crises, both caused by very different forces, and hosting very different characters, is what we have to examine next, so I hope you'll join me as we introduce the Suez Crisis - perhaps the greatest error of modern Britain until the decision to Brexit!
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    • 19 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
630 Ratings

630 Ratings

mgroner ,

Excellent Podcaster

WDF fails features solid, frequently surprising, examinations of diplomatic and military history. He uses primary sources in great quantity and quality to illustrate his claims. He fits these sources seamlessly with the narrative. In this way the listener feels immersed in the emotions and motivations of the major players. It is entertaining and adds depth to my knowledge of the issues he investigates.
The Korean War series is not to be missed. His conclusions are solidly supported and illuminating.

another RJF ,

Partisan politics do not belong on a history podcast

Otherwise great podcast, but on 6/3/2023 aired a leftist partisan political episode without an conservative response.

Leyzer eynikl ,

Well done and relaxing

Zack always has interesting things to say and a level of detail that adds depth to my knowledge of history, even for events I thought I understood.

I find his delivering more relaxing than stimulating. I wish he would find less intrusive ways to mark quotes and asides.

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