The Rest Is History

598. The First World War: The Eastern Front Explodes (Part 5)

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While the Western front was raging following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, what was unfolding on the Eastern Front? Why was it an even ...

597. The First World War: The Massacre of the Innocents (Part 4)

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happened at the crucial, bloody, Battle of Ypres in October 1914? How did the battle come about? Why did the Germans and the British fight each o...

596. The First World War: The Miracle on the Marne (Part 3)

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What extraordinary events saw the French - already on the brink of defeat - take on the formerly formidable German army in a remarkable counter-offens...

595. The First World War: The Battle of the Frontiers (Part 2)

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What was Britain's first military move following the outbreak of the First World War? Where did the French launch their initial attack on the Germans?...

594. The First World War: The Invasion of Belgium (Part 1)

24 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the declaration of war in 1914, how did the outbreak of the First World War unfold? What were the earliest military engagements of this terr...

593. The Fight of the Century

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did two men - John Heenan and and Tom Sayers - illegally meet in a field in Hampshire, in 1860, to brutally fight one another, captivating Britain...

592. Mad Victorian Sport

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How and when was football invented, and what are the origins of football clubs? What is the connection between public hangings, highwaymen, and early ...

591. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Manhunt for the Killer (Part 2)

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How was President Abraham Lincoln murdered on Good Friday 1865, at Ford’s Theatre, just five days after Robert E. Lee’s surrender? Who was John Wi...

590. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: Death at the Theatre (Part 1)

10 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After passing the 13th amendment, in the closing weeks of the brutal American Civil War, what did president Abraham Lincoln - recently re-elected - do...

589. Mary, Queen of Scots: Downfall (Part 6)

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley, how did Mary Queen of Scots - thought to have conspired for his death - navigate the most precariou...

588. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Mystery of the Exploding Mansion (Part 5)

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How and why was Mary Queen of Scots’ traitorous husband, Lord Darnley, murdered, and by whom…? Was Mary complicit? Why was his death one of the gr...

587. Mary, Queen of Scots: Murder Most Foul (Part 4)

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Mary Queen of Scots’ second marriage to the volatile Lord Darnley threaten to send Scotland into civil war? In what way did she essentially ...

586. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Battle for Scotland (Part 3)

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the death of her husband, the King of France, was the glamorous Mary welcomed back to Scotland, her kingdom since infancy, with open arms or...

585. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Royal Rivals (Part 2)

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What was life like in the glittering French court, for the young and newly married Mary Queen of Scots? What momentous destiny was her formidable moth...

584. Mary, Queen of Scots: Birth of a Legend (Part 1)

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Where was Mary Queen of Scots - Elizabeth I’s most famous rival - born, and who were her parents? What was the nature of the turbulent politically a...

583. The Lion, the Priest and the Parlourmaids: A 1930s Sex Scandal

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who was the Rector of Stiffkey, Harold Davidson - the "Prostitutes' Padre" - and why was he Britain’s most notorious curate? Was it his unnerving in...

582. The Body in the Woods: A Medieval Murder Mystery

13 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why was a boy grotesquely and mysteriously murdered in a wood in Norwich in the 12th century? Who was his killer? Was it a ritual child sacrifice? Why...

581. The Irish Civil War: The Killing of Michael Collins (Part 2)

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the signing of the polarising Anglo-Irish Treaty, how did the bombastic Battle of the Four Courts brea...

580. The Irish Civil War: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson (Part 1)

06 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Sir Henry Wilson, and how was he shockingly murdered in 1922? Who ordered it? What was his attitude to the question of Irish Home Rule? Why ha...

579. The Irish War of Independence: Showdown in London (Part 4)

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What were the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed in December 1921, following negotiations between the UK and Sinn Féin? How was it received by t...

578. The Irish War of Independence: Bloody Sunday (Part 3)

29 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What occurred on Bloody Sunday on 21 November 1920 - a turning point in the Irish War of Independence and one of the bloodiest and most brutal moments...

577. The Irish War of Independence: The Violence Begins (Part 2)

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What was Sinn Féin’s totemic first move after winning a majority seat in 1917? Were the IRA’s methods during this early stages of the war as viol...

576. The Irish War of Independence: Rise of the IRA (Part 1)

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the origins of the Irish War of Independence? What impact did the First World War have on Irish efforts for Home Rule? What was the mood in I...

575. The Medici: The Bonfire of the Vanities (Part 4)

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was his Medici successor? Could he overcome the political turmoil and religious fervour in Florenc...

575. The Medici: The Bonfire of the Vanities (Part 4)

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was his Medici successor? Could he overcome the political turmoil and religious fervour in Florenc...

574. The Medici: Curse of the Mad Monk (Part 3)

15 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did Lorenzo de’Medici’s rule in Florence incur prosperity, or was it a corrupt and autocratic regime, rife with torture, that would spell the doom...

573. The Medici: Lorenzo the Magnificent (Part 2)

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most glamorous, glittering, and blood-soaked of all the Medici, who became his family’s formidable but compulsi...

572. The Medici: Masters of Florence (Part 1)

08 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the origins of one of history’s most glittering, and for a time, most powerful families in Europe; the Medici? How were they able to seize...

571. Hannibal: Roman Bloodbath at Cannae (Part 4)

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did the Battle of Cannae - one of the most important battles of all time for Ancient Rome, with a whole Empire at stake, and a reputation that had...

570. Hannibal: The Invasion of Italy (Part 3)

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did Hannibal achieve the remarkable feat of crossing the Alps with his army, and elephants? How many of his men survived the treacherous journey? ...

569. Hannibal: Elephants Cross the Alps (Part 2)

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Hannibal choose to cross the Alps with his elephants in 218 BC, when invading Rome? Was it a brilliant stratagem or a military disaster? What ...

568. Hannibal: Rome's Greatest Enemy (Part 1)

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who was Hannibal, the flawed but brilliant Carthaginian general? What makes Rome vs Carthage in the third century BC one of the most totemic ancient r...

567. The Great Northern War: Murder in Moscow (Part 4)

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What were the consequences of Peter the Great’s mighty victory over Sweden at the Battle of Poltova in 1707? How great was the impact of his reign u...

566. The Great Northern War: Slaughter on the Steppes (Part 3)

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why was the greatest and most climactic battle of the Great Northern War, the Battle of Poltova, one of the most important in all European history? Wh...

565. The Great Northern War: Revenge of the Cossacks (Part 2)

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After establishing the city of St Petersburg, what was Peter the Great’s next step in his titanic struggle against Charles XII of Sweden, for master...

564. The Great Northern War: The Battle of the Baltic (Part 1)

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did the Great Northern War, which saw Sweden pitted against Peter the Great’s Russia and her allies, and would transform Europe forever, begin? ...

563. Peter the Great: Bloodbath in the Kremlin (Part 2)

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What abominable mischief and hedonism did the seventeen year old Peter the Great revel in during his strange and remarkable travels through Europe, be...

562. Peter the Great: The Rise of Russia (Part 1)

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why was the early life of Peter the Great - Tsar and autocrat of all the Russias, who endures to this day as an iconic symbol of Russian might - drenc...

561. The Golden Age of Japan: Secrets of the Imperial Court (Part 2)

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the vibrant but vicious golden age of Imperial Japan, how did women use writing as a way to secure their status, and express their deepest desires?...

560. The Golden Age of Japan: Lady Murasaki and the Shining Prince (Part 1)

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the height of Imperial Japan, during a golden age of court intrigue, obsessive hierarchy, and fabulous sophistication, who was the legendary lothar...

559. The Rolling Stones: Satanic Majesties of Sixties Rebellion (Part 2)

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"We're not worried about petty morals." What happened to the Rolling Stones in 1967 to see them on the brink of imprisonment and mass censure, while ...

558. The Rolling Stones: Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll (Part 1)

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the origins of Britain’s original bad boys, The Rolling Stones? Where did they all come from and how did they meet? What was it about the 1...

557. 1066: The Norman Conquest (Part 4)

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happened in the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings? What horrors did William the Conqueror have to inflict upon his Anglo Saxon subjects in orde...

556. 1066: The Battle of Hastings (Part 3)

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following King Harold Godwinson’s climactic victory at the Battle of Stanford Bridge, and the death of Harald Hardrada, what did he do when news rea...

555. 1066: Slaughter at Stamford Bridge (Part 2)

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the tumultuous climax of 1066, why was Harold’s very own brother Tostig the first of the mighty foes he had to face? How did Harald Hardrada then...

554. 1066: The Shadows of War (Part 1)

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why is 1066 the most important year in English history? Who were the three main candidates vying for the English throne on the eve of Edward the Confe...

553. The Last Viking: Warrior of the New Rome (Part 2)

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Harald Hardrada; exiled prince of Norway and mercenary, has landed in the greatest city on Earth: Constantinople. There he joins one of the most prest...

552. The Last Viking: The Saga of Harald Hardrada (Part 1)

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“I swear I will not flee from this fight. I will triumph, or I will die!” In the 1066 game of thrones for the crown of England, the most extraord...

551. The Road to 1066: Countdown to Conquest (Part 4)

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the triumvirate of 1066, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, and Harold Godwinson, the latter has above all endured as one of the great heroes of...

550. The Road to 1066: Rise of the Normans (Part 3)

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Born into a world of treachery, violence and death, William of Normandy defied all expectations, forging a legacy that lasts to this day. Born out of ...

549. The Road to 1066: Revenge of the Vikings (Part 2)

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the bloody St Brice’s Day Massacre, of the 13th of November 1002, which saw King Æthelred brutally exterminating the Danes from England, ...

548. The Road to 1066: Anglo-Saxon Apocalypse (Part 1)

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Norman Conquest of 1066, culminating in the legendary Battle of Hastings, is perhaps the greatest turning point in the history of the English nati...

547. The French Revolution: The Execution of the King (Part 4)

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The second revolution that engulfed France over the course of 1792 reached its climax in December, with an astonishing, world-changing spectacle, whic...

546. The French Revolution: The Monarchy Falls (Part 3)

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“From this place and from this day forth commences a new era in the world’s history, and you can all say you were present at its birth!” By Sep...

545. The French Revolution: The First Feminist (Part 2)

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer and Autumn of 1792 - with the Prussians bearing down on Paris, the streets thronged with the stirring swell of the Marseillaise, but als...

544. The French Revolution: The September Massacres (Part 1)

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘Still more traitors, still more treason…" It is 1792 and France has been at war since April; it is not going well. In Paris, the Tuileries Palac...

543. Death in the Amazon: Aguirre, the Wrath of God

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“Anyone who even thinks of abandoning this mission will be cut up into a thousand pieces…I am the wrath of God!” At the height of the age of ex...

542. Elizabeth I’s Sorcerer: Angels and Demons in Renaissance Europe

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Tudor England, during the reign of Elizabeth I, there lived in the very heart of her court a magician, alchemist and polymath, bent upon conversing...

541. Heart of Darkness: Fear and Loathing in the Congo

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“The horror! The horror!” Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ - the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's ‘Apocalypse Now’ - is one of...

540. Horror in the Congo: A Conspiracy Unmasked (Part 3)

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Exposing the dark pit of human suffering, cruelty and corruption that had long been secretly festering in King Leopold’s Congo, would reveal one of ...

539. Horror in the Congo: The Crimes of Empire (Part 2)

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“A secret society of murderers with a king for a ringleader”. In 1885 King Leopold of Belgium; an awkward, ruthless, selfish man, was recognised ...

538. Horror in the Congo: The Nightmare Begins (Part 1)

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The story of King Leopold of Belgium’s brutal regime in the Congo Free State, during the late 19th century, is one of the darkest and most important...

537. Emperors of Rome: Claudius, Paranoia and Poison (Part 4)

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the bloody assassination of the twenty-eight year old Emperor Caligula, Rome found herself without a leader. Who then should fill the enormo...

536. Emperors of Rome: Caligula, Incest and Insanity (Part 3)

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Enough of the Princeps, what remains to be described, is the monster..." The Roman emperor Caligula endures as one of the most notorious figures in ...

535. Emperors of Rome: Tiberius, Slaughter and Scandal (Part 2)

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Roman historian Suetonius’ biography of the controversial Emperor Tiberius is one of his most shocking and salacious, condemning Tiberius to inf...

534. Emperors of Rome: Sex Secrets of the Caesars (Part 1)

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Roman historian Suetonius’ The Lives of the Caesars, written during the early imperial period of the Roman Empire, is a seminal biography coveri...

Russian Spies, Pigeons, and The Rest Is Classified…

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How did a Russian spy manage to infiltrate the upper echelons of London and New York society? Was Anna Chapman really an old fashioned Russian honeytr...

533. Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The story of Wojtek - the bear who took on the Nazis - amidst the death and devastation of the Second World War, and more specifically Poland's heroic...

532. Hitler's War on Poland: The Fall of Warsaw (Part 3)

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Nazi invasion of Poland is one of the most harrowing episodes of the Second World War, which saw terrible scenes of abuse take place. Though long ...

531. Hitler's War on Poland: The Pact with Stalin (Part 2)

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

By the 11th of April 1939, Adolf Hitler and his Nazis were in the process of drawing up a plan of attack for Poland, the Poles having resisted Germany...

530. Hitler’s War on Poland: Countdown to Armageddon (Part 1)

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Following the Munich agreement of September 1938, Nazi troops marched into Czechoslovakia and ruthlessly claimed it as a German protectorate. Still, e...

529. The Nazis' Road to War: Showdown in Munich (Part 2)

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On 17th September 1938, in Munich, one of the most extraordinary meetings in history took place. Neville Chamberlain launched an extraordinary and unp...

528. The Nazis' Road to War: Hitler Prepares to Strike (Part 1)

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the course of the 1930s, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party has overwhelmingly, terrifyingly seized power in Germany. Now, Hitler’s vile ambitio...

527. Beethoven: Napoleon and the Music of War LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ludwig Van Beethoven, like his precursor and possible acquaintance Mozart, is one of the most famous figures in Western musical history. With his wild...

526. Mozart: History's Greatest Prodigy LIVE at the Royal Albert Hall

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1756 a musical prodigy was born in Salzburg, Austria: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Thanks to the efforts of his exacting father, Mozart's genius was e...

525. Charlemagne: Emperor of the West (Part 3)

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“And from that moment on, he was addressed as emperor and Augustus!” The coronation of Charlemagne on Christmas Day 800 AD, is one of the landmar...

524. Charlemagne: Pagan Killer (Part 2)

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Here was a program to wet the ambitions of warlords as well as scholars, and to send men into battle beneath the fluttering of banners, the hiss of...

523. Charlemagne: Return of the Kings (Part 1)

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Frankish king, Charlemagne the Great, is one of the titanic figures of European history, simultaneously renowned and shadowy. His rise to supreme ...

522. Warlords of the West: A Clash of Ice and Fire (Part 3)

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By 711 Europe and the Frankish warlords were facing a graver threat than ever before. Bands of Northern African, nominally Muslim raiders had begun a ...

521. Warlords of the West: Killer Queens (Part 2)

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following the death of the legendary Frankish King Clovis, his son Clothar I divided the mighty realm his father had hacked out from the warring warlo...

520. Warlords of the West: Barbarian Heirs of Rome (Part 1)

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Rise of the Franks - a mighty host of warlords; forefathers of the western world and forgers of medieval civilisation, under the totemic leadershi...

519. The World's First City

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In as early as 5000 BC the vast and spectacular city of Uruk - replete with towering walls, glistening temples and complex irrigation systems - lay sp...

518. Nelson: The Battle of the Nile (Part 5)

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The 1st of August 1798 saw the British fleet sailing towards Alexandria into a land of classical history and mythology, the sun setting like blood ove...

517. Nelson: The Hunt for Napoleon (Part 4)

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797, Horatio Nelson, though a much acclaimed public hero for his bravery during the battle, is in th...

516. Nelson: God of War (Part 3)

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Valentine’s day, 1797: the British Royal Navy are hoping for a decisive clash with the Spanish enemy, off the coast of Portugal, at Cape St. Vincent...

515. Nelson: Attack the French! (Part 2)

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is 1793 and France has declared war on Britain, meaning that the British navy must serve as both sword and shield to Europe. Horatio Nelson is at t...

514. Nelson: Hero of the Seas (Part 1)

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 1758 and Britain’s greatest naval commander has just been born. The young Horatio Nelson has inherited his father’s love of god and his mot...

513. America in '68: Nixon's Great Comeback (Part 6)

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Nixon now! Nixon now! More than ever we need Nixon now!” It's the 5th of November 1968, and Richard M. Nixon is on tenterhooks, alone in his dark...

512. America in '68: The Chicago Riots (Part 5)

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Democratic National Convention is in Chicago, and the incumbent president, Lyndon B. Johnson, has pulled out of the race. Anti-war protestors are ...

511. America in '68: George Wallace, The First Donald Trump (Part 4)

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!” George Wallace, Governor of Alabama, was one of the most successful third-party pre...

510. America in '68: The Killing of Robert Kennedy (Part 3)

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violen...

509. America in '68: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (Part 2)

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The peaceful figurehead of the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, Dr Martin Luther King had inspired hundreds of thousands to demand equal righ...

508. America in '68: Nightmare in Vietnam (Part 1)

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Tonight I want to speak to you of peace in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.” On the night of Sunday, 31st of March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, af...

507. The French Revolution: The Marseillaise, Song of War (Part 5)

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Let us march! Let us march! May impure blood water our fields!” Written after the declaration of war against Austria in 1792, “La Marseillaise”...

506. The French Revolution: Massacre at the Palace (Part 4)

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The war between revolutionary France and the allied powers of Prussia and Austria has reached fever pitch, and in early August 1792, the latter party ...

505. The French Revolution: The Shadow of the Guillotine (Part 3)

20 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the "Ancien Regime", royal executioners held an unholy status, and would strike up fear in the crowds as they walked the streets of Paris. But ...

504. The French Revolution: War to the Death (Part 2)

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“You have shaken off the yoke of your despots, but surely this was not to bend the knee before a foreign tyrant…” It’s January 1792, and one o...

503. The French Revolution: Bloodbath in Paris (Part 1)

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Season 2 of The French Revolution! Revolutionary fervour threatens to engulf the streets of Paris, as demonstrators have gathered on the C...

502. The Roman Conquest of Britain: To the Ends of the Earth (Part 4)

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the aftermath of Boudicca’s uprising, the Romans felt they could not withdraw from the British Isles. They sent their most competent fighters and...

501. The Roman Conquest of Britain: Boudicca’s Reign of Blood (Part 3)

06 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Two cities were sacked, eighty thousand of the Romans and of their allies perished, and the island was lost to Rome. Moreover, all this ruin was br...