History Hit Podcasts

Europe's 1848 Revolutions

In 1848, Europe was wracked by a series of revolutions that turned the established political order on its head. Across the continent populations...

How to Spot Magic in Medieval Buildings

In the Middle Ages, people made marks and concealed many objects in their buildings to protect themselves from harmful magic. Dead cats, horse...

Cleopatra to Jane Austen: Perfumes of Powerful Women

Why did Cleopatra soak the sails of her ship in jasmine? How did Queen Elizabeth smell? And why was perfume an essential tool of power for women...

The Mexican-American War

In 1848, after almost two years of fighting, the US annexation of former Mexican territory was signed into a treaty.

Mexico lost a third of...

Michelangelo

At 31, Michelangelo was considered the finest artist in Italy, perhaps the world. Long before he died at almost 90, he was widely believed to...

Medusa

This episode contains references to sexual assault.

Medusa stands as one of the most iconic yet misconstrued figures of Greek...

Chichén Itzá

One of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is home to monumental pyramids, temples, and is a treasure trove of archaeological...

Patriarchy

Why are men in charge? Who invented Patriarchy?

Was it chest-thumping primate ancestors? Was it spear-wielding hunter gatherers? Was it at...

Marco Polo

You may have heard the many myths about the life and exploits of Marco Polo- was he really the one who brought ice cream and spaghetti from his...

Bestiality

When sex between two humans can be many things, how do we define bestiality - that is, sex between a human and a non-human? 

Especially...

Origins of the Māori

Around the time of the start of the Hundred Years’ War between England and France, and the Black Death was devastating tens of millions of...

The Legacy of Rome

Rome has attracted aspiring conquerors and leaders for millennia, not just as a great metropolis, but as an idea. It has long been a symbol of...

Oppenheimer: What If America Never Dropped the Atomic Bomb?

The new Oppenheimer movie has everyone asking questions about the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 - were two bombs necessary? Would the war...

Origins of Modern Iran: Safawid Dynasty

The Safawid Dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1501 to 1736, marked the beginning of modern Iranian history. At its height, it controlled all of...

WW2: How The War Ended

The Second World War officially ended on September 2nd 1945 - and it's estimated that around 3% of the Earth's population perished during the...

The Harem

Originating with the Persian empires, the harem (unlike its salacious modern day portrayals) emerges from the need to create a safe space for...

Rise of the Tudors

Join Dan as he rollicks through the tumultuous life and rise to power of Henry Tudor, the man who would ultimately become King Henry VII of...

Donald Hebb: Brainwashing in the Cold War

In 1950, a new word ‘brainwashing’ entered the English language. From the paranoia of the Cold War a new type of Evil Scientist had emerged...

Origins of Olive Oil

When you think of inventions that helped change the course of history, it's doubtful Olive Oil makes the list. Originating thousands of years ago...

Self Sacrifice in Ancient India

Today we’re looking into self sacrifice in ancient India. Why did people do it? How did people think about death and the afterlife? Who were the...

Rwandan Genocide

This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and sexual assault.

Over the course of 100 days in 1994, it's estimated that between...