A look at how we catorgorise UK politicsl parties and what a Party system is and how we could approach an essay defining the type of party system that best describes the UK.

In this episode I look at the events in Eastern Europe in 1988-89 that resulted from Gorbachev's New Thinking and how they would lead to the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and freedom and political changes that would effectively end the Cold War in Europe.

A look at Gorbachev and his New Thinking, including rhe impact it had on the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War with America.

A look at the period 1980-85 and the changing leadership in the USSR

Looking at Reagan’s more aggressive stance and the beginning of a more aggressive period in the Cold War after Detente.

A look at the rise of Solidarity in Poland in the ewrly 1980s, consdering its importance for the rest of the Cold War

An episode looking at the wvents around the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Sometimes described as the USSR’s Vietnam, it ended detente and drained the USSR leading to the eventual collapse of Communism in Europe.

A look at what detente was and why it happened. Its a vague idea thet reflects a concept more than an wvwnt but I’ll be looking at the impact it had on the Cold War, the key events within it and touch in its ending

A look at the development of penicillin in the fight against infections.

A look at the attitudes, causes and treatments around lung cancer in the UK targetted for the GCSE course and how it shows the devleopment in medical practice and attitudes.

In this episode, which links in with the previous one on the civil war, we look at the developmwnt of oppresive means of control and the rise of the Res Terror as the Bolsheviks establish a totalitarian dictatorship across Russia and the newly established USSR

A look at the Civil War and its impact on Russia and the Bolsheviks.

Following on from the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917, we look here at the decrees and actions taken to secure their control over the whole of Russia and how this in turn triggered a rise in anti-Bolshevik opposition that would lead to the Civil War.

A look at the work of the Provisional Government between February and October 1917, covering the early hopes and successes, the military failings, Lenin’s return from exile, the July Days and Kerenskey’s rise. Ultimatley we will see how the Provisional Government failed to take its chance and allowed the Bolsheviks to seize power in October 1917z…

A look at how World War I changed things in Russia, leading to hige discontent and eventually the February Revolution and end of Tsairst rule.

A look at the retun to autocratic rule following the 1905 Revolution ans how the Tsar tried to ignore the demands for change. All of this helps explain why, when things went so wrong in World War I it lead to the Tsar losing all control and power in the February Revolution if 1917.

A very quick look at the Tsarist regieme, the problems it faced and of Russia as a whole up to and including the Revolution of 1905.

A quick look at Cholera and the outbreaks in 19th century London. The work of John Snow in identifying dirty water as the source and the attempts to improve the water supply.

In this episode I take a look at the work of Edward Jenner and the development of vaccines at the end if the 18th centruy and how vaccines became popular and successful at ending small pox in the UK.

In this episode we look at the work of William Harvey which disproved Galen’s theory thet the liver pumped blood and made dramatic increases in the development of anatomical understanding and medical reseach, if not in diagnosis and treatment during the 17th century.

One of the medicine case studies we look at the last major outbreak of the bubonic plague in England, known as the Great Plague of 1665. A different outbreak but the same disease as afflcited England during the Black Death, the Great Plague offers a useful comparison between the middle ages and Renaissance period in terms os similarities and differ…

A look at Medieval Medicine, focused on England, lookinng at the Black Death as a case study for attitudes and ideas relating to the causes and cures for illness in this time. Though much if it shows the severe limitiations if medieval medicine, some if the new measures may feel familiar to the modern world. More than anything, it raises the quesri…

An episode looking a the third of three key crises in the middle period of the Cold War. The Prague Spring marks a big test for Brezhnev and parallels the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. Slightly dofferent and showing that, despite Detente, the old super power rivalries were continuing much as before.

Here we look at the Vietnam War in summary, covering the causes, origins, path and ultimate faikure of the US to stop the spread of Communism. Very much a highlights episode as the Veitnam War could be an enitre series in its own right, this is designed to give some context and understanding to what was happening in Vietbam and how it impacted the …

In this episode we look at the events and consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. This builds on recent podcast episodes thet shows the building of tensions between the USA and USSR from 1959 until they reach their peak here in 1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis was possobly the closest the world came to a full scale nuclear war durin…

In this episode we look at the cosntruction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. We link it back to Potsdam and the changes that had occured in the 1950s as well as the short term causes that ked to the construction of the physical wall. One of the pivitol moments of the Cold Wat with huge symbokic consequences for the course of the conflict, I hope this ep…

In this episode we tske a look at how realtions dramatically detriorated at the start if the 1960s. We look breifku at America’s history with Cuba and the Wedteen Hemisphere and how the Cuban Revolution the American response turned Cuba from the American sphere to the Soviet sohere, culminating in the catatrophic Bay of Pigs invasion. These events …

In this episode I look at the events in Hungary in 1956, looking at the context and issues, the reasons for reforms, the reforms and the Societ reaction. Most importantly, looking at the importnace for the wiser Cold War and how this episode finished the first oeriod of the Cold War, setting the dividing lines for the next 30 years.…

A look at the Kornilov Affair during 1917; what it was, why it happened and what the consequences were for Kerensky, the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks.

This is part of a series of episodes to compliment those studying the GCSE course Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-41. In this episode we look at ideas, development and support for three key groups; the Liberals, the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Social Democrats, who would, in turn, be split into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. All three would …

Looking at the background to Henry VIII becoming king, considering his upbringing, the threats his father faced, his education and relationship with his mother and his influences. There are many signs that point to later moments of his tyranny and issues that help to explain subsequent events.

A look at the Korean War as a case study for containment as well as considering the development of the arms race, China going Communist, new alliances and the death of Stalin.

In this episode, I look at how the Cold War developed after the end of World War II, with the reasons and ways in which the USSR was able to assert control over eastern Europe, the American reaction including the Truman doctrine and Marshall Plan and the Berlin blockade and resulting airlift.

A look at the key ideas and origins of the Cold War, considering the relationship between capitalism and communism before World War II, the context of the conferences and how the seeds were planted for the development of the Cold War and nuclear arms race.

This is one of my UK politics podcasts, recorded in light of the 2019 election. There are two key parts to it; in the first part I consider the divisions between sections of the two main parties and the ideological divisions that have existed and how they, maybe, have resolved themselves; but maybe not. In the second part, I consider how parties ma…

In this episode we look at the main aspect of appeasement, the Munich conference and the resulting agreement that gave Hitler the Sudetenland, the reasons for appeasement and the consequences, including the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the outbreak of World War II.

In this episode I look at the early steps to war, considering Hitler's aims and strategies, the key events and the background of the Great Depression and the failure of the League in Disarmament and over Abyssinia, taking us up to the unification of Austria with Germany.

A look at the concept of the revolt of the right, mainly focused on the UK but with reference to Trump in America and European movements. Considering how class dynamics have evolved, the role of the 'left-behind' voter and how the party's have responded. Great for Party topics and voting behaviour.

A look at the three key crises of the 1930s for the League of Nations, the failures, the reasons for them and the impact of the Great Depression, giving a final over view of the League of Nations as a whole.

In this episode, I look at the work of the League of Nations in the 1920s, considering the aims, structure and actions, evaluating its success and failures and what issues were apparent before the Great Depression.

A look at the Paris Peace conferences, focusing on Versailles and considering the context of the meetings, the attitudes of the Big 3, their aims, compromises and satisfaction with the Treaty, German reactions and the other treaties. Useful for anyone studying GCSE or just a general interest.

A contextual look at the historical development of the three core ideologies of Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism.

With the confirmation of Kavanaugh yesterday, I thought it was time to look at the Hellerstedt case and how it built on the previous cases looked at in an earlier episode on abortion rights in the USA. Here I take a look at what was at issue in the case and how the ruling wasn't the liberal ruling many calm, but was significant nonetheless and how …

In this episode, I took a look at the core ideology of liberalism and the first of the key thinkers, John Locke, looking at his theories, the context in which he was writing and how his ideas have gone on to influence the liberal movement as a whole.

The preamble to the US constitution says 'to form a more perfect union...and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity'. What does this mean and how does the US constitution achieve this? The constitution is America, but it also has flaws and contradictions. In this episode I hope to raise some issues for discussion and explain…

This UK centered episode focuses on the idea of democracy and whether or not representative democracy is in trouble, how it is supposed to work and the issues arising due to populism, demonstrated in the Brexit and Trump results of 2016. It focuses on democratic theory, but also considers different types of democracy and the nature of democratic pr…

The Wright reforms were a series of proposals to redress the balance between the government and Parliament, suggesting proposals to give ordinary MPs more control over the the legislative process and greater ability to scrutinize the government. Some have been introduced, while some have been ignored, but these reforms are crucial for understanding…

Made in 2015, this episode considers the nature of democracy and elections in the UK. More recent examples are available, but the principles and arguments are valid and important. Particularly, there is a focus on why participation matters and why attitudes to politics have changed as society changes. This contextualization is essential in A Level …

A look at pressure group activity in the USA, with particular focus on lobbying. Does it undermine democracy, or does it aid the national interest? Useful for A level students and for those learning about why the NRA is able to prevent tighter gun regulations from happening.

A look at what caucuses are, the criticisms and positives of them and the general problems they have in the wider primary process, with relevant examples.