Dan Snow's History Hit - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

How Rasputin Destroyed the Romanovs with Anthony Beevor Nov 12, 2026

Show notes

How did a Siberian mystic catalyse the downfall of the 300-year-old Russian Empire?

In an era defined by brutal industrialisation and the butchery of World War I, Russia's isolated autocracy was collapsing from the inside out. Bound to the royal family by the agonising secret of Tsarevich Alexei’s illness, the mysterious monk Grigori Rasputin became the court's ultimate pariah and the people’s chief villain.

Dan Snow is joined by renowned historian Sir Antony Beevor, author of 'Rasputin: And the Downfall of the Romanovs', to investigate Rasputin and the scandalous twilight of the House of Romanov.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson and Dougal Patmore.

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://bit.ly/4iTFm3x.

You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Deep Dive on Submarines Nov 09, 2026

Show notes

For centuries, humans have been fascinated by the mysteries of the deep sea. The history of submarines is one of extraordinary invention, daring exploration and deadly warfare. From the first experimental underwater vessels of the 17th century to the devastating U-boats of the First and Second World Wars, submarines have transformed naval warfare and revolutionised our understanding of the oceans.

Today, Dan visits the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport and is joined by curator Alexandra Geary to discover the eccentric origins of underwater travel and the dramatic submarine battles of WWI and WWII in honour of the 125th anniversary of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. He also speaks to Vice Admiral Sir Tim McClement, who was Second in Command on HMS Conqueror during the sinking of the Argentine ARA General Belgrano warship in the Falklands, as well as First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins on how AI might shape the submarines of the future.

You can find out more about the Royal Navy Submarine Service at https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/organisation/submarine-service

and plan a visit to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at https://www.royalnavymuseums.org.uk/visit-us/submarine-museum

With huge thanks to Commander James 'Dally' Dalrymple and Annarose Hearsum.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges, Beth Donaldson and edited by Dougal Patmore

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WWI's Stalingrad: The Siege of Przemyśl Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Bread cut with sawdust. Horses boiled to the bone. Men trading pet dogs and mice for scraps.

In the brutal winter of 1914 to 1915, the grand Austro-Hungarian fortress of Przemyśl came under siege. Cut off by Russian armies and doomed by the vanity of their own generals, the garrison survived by the skin of their teeth until a final, desperate breakout charge…

Dan Snow is joined by Alexander Watson, author of ‘The Fortress’, to step inside WWI’s longest, bloodiest siege.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and James Hickmann, edited by Natasha Hughes and Dougal Patmore.

You can find more of Dan Snow's History Hit on the audio podcast here: https://podfollow.com/dan-snows-history-hit/view

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://bit.ly/4iTFm3x.

You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rise of Peter The Great Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

In 1698, a 6’8” Russian giant went on a bender through an English gentleman’s estate. He trashed portraits, burned furniture and drunkenly rammed wheelbarrows through a prize-winning holly hedge. The giant in question was Peter the Great, and this wasn’t just a royal lads' holiday; it was - ostensibly - statecraft.

In this episode, Dan Snow is joined by historian Daniel Beer to unpack the life of Russia’s most ruthless moderniser - from dodging Kremlin bloodbaths to building a brand new capital atop a mountain of human bones.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medieval Ghost Stories Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

Ghost stories have haunted conversations since ancient times, from the Mesopotamians to the Romans to the Vikings. The medieval period was particularly awash with ghost stories - after all, it was an era of great plague, piety and corporal punishment. Ghost stories served as useful tools to uphold hierarchies and manipulate the masses - live in accordance with the bible or be visited by a restless spirit... or become one yourself. To delve into some of the most popular ghost stories of medieval Britain and what the restless dead can tell us about the anxieties of the living, Dan is joined by Dr Eleanor Janega, historian and host of the Gone Medieval podcast.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Natasha Hughes.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles de Gaulle: The Man Who Rebuilt France Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

In June 1940, France was collapsing. Paris was in enemy hands, the government had fled, and Marshal Pétain was preparing to surrender. Into that chaos stepped a lanky, rigid French general with no army, no government and almost no followers - Charles de Gaulle. From penniless exile to twice head of state, his career would span two world wars, the collapse of empire, and the birth of modern France.

Dan Snow is joined by Richard Vinen, author of 'The Last Titans: Churchill and de Gaulle', to unpack the extraordinary, contradictory life of this formidable statesman.

Produced by James Hickmann and Dougal Patmore. and edited by Tim Arstall.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Myths vs Reality of Mummification Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

From the elaborate burial rituals of Ancient Egypt to Victorian mummy unwrapping parties, mummification has fascinated humanity for centuries. But what is mummification really about? Because Hollywood, supernatural folklore and popular culture have muddied our understanding of the real history behind this burial practice. Dan is joined by Dr Campbell Price, Egyptologist and curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum to unravel (pun intended) the myths and misconceptions around Ancient Egyptian mummification and explore the morbid curiosity the Romans, Greeks and Victorians all had for this mysterious practice.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Natasha Hughes

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Khmer Rouge & Pol Pot's Reign of Terror Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

When the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh in April, 1975, they immediately declared 'Year Zero' - a ruthless ideological crusade to reset history, and forge Pol Pot's vision for a communist utopia. Over the next four years, the regime carried out a genocide that killed nearly two million people - almost a quarter of Cambodia's population.

Dan Snow is joined by Ben Kiernan, author of 'How Pol Pot Came to Power' and 'The Pol Pot regime'. Together, they trace how the turmoil of the Vietnam War fuelled the rise of the Khmer Rouge, detailing the horror of their reign and their eventual downfall in 1979.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Tim Arstall.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Real History Behind the Illuminati Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Obviously, a secret sect doesn't control global events - despite what the internet says. But the myth of a shadowy cabal of elites grew out of a very real secret order, and one that went extinct within a decade. So what is the true story of the Illuminati? And why has it been blamed for every major crisis since, from the French Revolution to the New World Order?

Dan Snow and historian Michael Taylor, author of 'Illuminati', unravel history’s greatest conspiracy theory once and for all.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Matthew Wilson.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The October Revolution Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

On the night of October 10th, 1917, a revolutionary disguised as a priest slipped into an apartment in Petrograd and browbeat his comrades into an armed insurrection. The revolutionary in question was Vladimir Lenin, and two weeks later, he and the Bolsheviks seized power in a coup that set the course of the 20th century.

Victor Sebestyen, author of 'The Russian Revolution', joins us to trace the extraordinary chain of events that put Lenin's party in control of one of the largest nations on Earth.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Tim Arstall.

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.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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