Empire: World History

Latest Episodes:

265. Danish Greenland: Eradicating Inuit Culture (Ep 3) Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

How did the Danish missionary Hans Egede combine capitalism and religion in his colonisation of Greenland in the 1700s? Why have we forgotten about Danish colonialism in India and Greenland? When did Greenlanders gain self-determination?

Anita and William discuss how the Danes colonised Greenland in the 18th century, using a system not too dissimilar to the East India Company: royal monopolies and efforts to eradicate Indigenous culture.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

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Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

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264. Viking Greenland: Mysteries of the Lost Norse Settlers (Ep 2) Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

How did the Vikings and the Inuit interact in Greenland? When was the last record of Norse settlers in the region? How did climate change affect the decline of Viking settlers in Greenland, and why is their disappearance shrouded in mystery?

William and Anita are joined once again by Eleanor Barraclough, author of Embers of The Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age, to explore the last of the Norse Settlers.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

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Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

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Murder in the Congo, The Cuban Missile Crisis, & India in the UN (EXTRACT) Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

How did the first Asian UN Secretary General prevent multiple Armeggedons in the 1960s? What is the mystery surrounding his predecessor’s death? How did the Global South shape the UN in a post-colonial landscape? What does the future of the UN look like in these uncertain times?

In this special bonus episode we have made public for all, William and Anita are joined by Thant Myint-U, author of Peacekeeper: U Thant, The United Nations and the Untold Story of the 1960s, to discuss how his grandfather left an indelible mark on geopolitics yet has been forgotten by many.

If you want to hear the entire episode and all other bonuses, as well as receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members’ chatroom on Discord, then head to empirepoduk.com to sign up to Empire Club today!

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

263. Viking Greenland: Erik The Red & Horny Zombies (Ep 1) Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

How did the Norse settlers in Greenland adapt to the harsh Arctic environment, and what did their diet consist of beyond fish? What role did walrus ivory play in their trade with Norway? And who were the "horny zombies" encountered in the Vinland sagas?

In the first chapter of the new series on the history behind Trump's Shopping List, William and Anita are joined by Eleanor Barraclough, author of Embers of The Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age, to discuss how the Norse made their way westwards to Greenland.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

262. Berlin Blockade: Airlift Across The Iron Curtain (Ep 2) Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

When was Checkpoint Charlie created in Berlin? What triggered Stalin to enact a blockade on West Berlin? And how did the Western powers airlift over 2.3 million tons of supplies to their occupied zone of the city from 1948 to 1949?

William and Anita are joined once again by Giles Milton, author ofCheckmate in Berlin: The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World, to discuss the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, and the way in which the Iron Curtain hardened towards the end of the 1940s.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

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261. Race To Berlin 1945: A Devastated City Divided (Ep 1) Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

What was life like in Berlin in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War? Why did the Red Army steal taps from Berlin houses when they reached the city? Was the famous photo of the red flag on the Reichstag staged or authentic?

Anita and William are joined by Giles Milton, author ofCheckmate in Berlin: The Cold War Showdown That Shaped the Modern World, to discuss the division and destitution of the capital city after the Second World War.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

260. Yalta: Signing Away The Fate of The World (Ep 5) Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Did the Western powers fail at Yalta? Did Churchill hold strong in his red line about the fate of Poland? Why did the Big Three eat a huge feast in the middle of a war zone?

In the final episode in the story of the infamous Yalta conference, Anita and William discuss the moment that Stalin, FDR, and Churchill signed on the dotted line.

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

259. Eastern Europe & “The Great Betrayal” (Ep 4) May 28, 2025

Show notes

Who created the United Nations? How did The Big Three divide Germany between themselves? Why did Poland see the Yalta conference as “The Great Betrayal”?

Anita and William explore the origins of the United Nations and how the compromises made by world leaders in 1945 continue to affect geopolitics today…

Love History? Get our exclusive History Today deal! You can get started with a 3-month trial for only £5 at https://historytoday.com/empire

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For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

258. The Big Three & The Big Carve Up (Ep 3) May 26, 2025

Show notes

Where did The Big Three stay as they carved up the post-war world map, and why were their rooms full of bedbugs? Why did FDR refuse to allow the press to photograph him arriving at Yalta? What role did Churchill and FDR’s daughters play in the political negotiations?

William and Anita discuss the first day of the Yalta conference and the unlikely alliances that begin to form as The Big Three redesign Europe…

Love History? Get our exclusive History Today deal! You can get started with a 3-month trial for only £5 at https://historytoday.com/empire

-----------------

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

257. Churchill, FDR, & Mind Games at Yalta (Ep 2) May 21, 2025

Show notes

How did FDR become the mediator between Stalin and Churchill at the 1945 conference? Why did Churchill call Yalta the “Hades Riviera”? What was Mussolini’s rude nickname for FDR?

Anita and William dive into the backstories of Churchill and FDR ahead of their arrival in Yalta, and explore the meetings that led up to the eight days that changed the world, including Churchill’s “naughty document” that signed away Eastern Europe to the Soviets...

Love History? Get our exclusive History Today deal! You can get started with a 3-month trial for only £5 at https://historytoday.com/empire

-----------------

For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.

-----------------

Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

Blue Sky: @empirepoduk

X: @empirepoduk

Assistant Producer: Becki Hills

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices