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Goalhanger

A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop and Saul David turned their attention to the war in Ukraine, and now every Wednesday look back to the seismic events of 1945.

Goalhanger Podcasts

Battleground

In a now annual Battleground tradition, for a special Christmas treat we've recorded a special festive episode discussing the standout history books of the year, and the wider stories that surround them. 

Patrick, Saul and Roger are joined by friends of the podcast - publicist and historical novelist Richard Foreman and book critic, writer and journalist Antonia Senior.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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355. Battleground Christmas Special 2025

In this pivotal episode of Battleground: Ukraine, Patrick Bishop and Saul David discuss the high-stakes EU summit in Brussels that could decide the financial future of the conflict.

With Kyiv facing potential bankruptcy by the spring, the hosts break down the urgent debate over seizing €210 billion in frozen Russian assets to fund a "reparations loan." 

We also look at the latest from the front lines and are joined by the Public Affairs Officer at the Khartiia Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine - Volodymyr Dehtyarov for an exclusive update on their recent successful counteroffensive in the Kupyansk area, showcasing the hi-tech warfare and grit that continues to define the Ukrainian defence on the ground.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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354. Seizing Russia's Frozen Assets & the Counter-Strike at Kupyansk

In the latest episode of our Hero or Villain series hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Morehouse ask the ultimate question about one of the 20th century's most controversial figures: Was Charles de Gaulle a hero or a villain?

De Gaulle remains a giant of French and world history, looming over his nation's political landscape and physical fabric, with over 3,600 public spaces named after him. He is regularly polled as the most important figure in French history, even surpassing Napoleon.

Join the debate as Patrick and Roger delve into the General's life and legacy, exploring the pivotal role he played in the Second World War and analyzing what might have happened to a post-war France without his unifying presence. Hear the arguments, weigh the evidence, and decide where this controversial figure truly falls on the ledger.

What do you think? Is he a hero or a villain?

Cast Your Vote! Join the debate and cast your vote on Arthur Harris: https://forms.gle/y7ubNDSBjysvNyKX7

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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353. Hero or Villain: Episode 3 - Charles de Gaulle

Join us as Saul David and Roger Moorhouse digest the latest news from Ukraine, including the intense pressure mounting on Kyiv as the Trump administration reportedly issues an ultimatum to Zelensky to concede territory—likely the Donbas—to end the war. 

Despite this, they look at analysis that shows that Ukraine can win a protracted war of attrition against Russia's exaggerated claims of victory. 

We are also delighted to be joined by friend of the show Boldi Gyori, who updates us on the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine and also discusses his recent experience behind the front line with Ukrainian electricity repairmen.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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352. Kyiv Under Pressure: The Fate of Donbas

In the second episode of our Hero or Villain series, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse examine Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, the controversial chief of RAF Bomber Command, known as "Butcher Harris" due to the staggering losses suffered by his crews . 

Harris vigorously pursued the necessary policy of area bombing German cities , a campaign he justified as crucial for shortening the war and preserving Allied lives. While his blunt, unapologetic zeal made him a target for post-war criticism.

Whilst Patrick and Roger deliver their verdict on Harris' legacy. What do you think? Is he a hero or a villain?

Cast Your Vote! Join the debate and cast your vote on Arthur Harris: https://forms.gle/LUtBHnKwD3nuiUMk9

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

351. Hero or Villain: Episode 2 - Arthur Harris

Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse discuss a familiar feeling of "deja vu" as the latest US peace mission to Moscow—led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—ends with no substantial progress. They argue that Russian President Putin is deliberately "stringing Trump along" to keep the outside world waiting while Russia continues to make incremental gains on the ground.

The hosts also dive into a revealing Wall Street Journal article suggesting a "chilling" motivation behind the American peace efforts: charting a path to bring Russia's $2 trillion economy "in from the cold," positioning American businesses to beat European competitors to the dividends. 

They also examine the widening corruption scandal in Ukraine and joining them to discuss this is friend of the show Askold Krushelnycky, who helps them look at the negative impact of the scandal on Zelensky's standing at home and abroad, and why Putin cannot afford to stop the war short of a total victory.

Finally, the hosts answer a listener's questions including one about Ukraine's "remarkably bold" and "symbolic" drone attacks on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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350. "Make Money Not War": The $2 Trillion Price Tag on Trump's Ukraine "Peace"

In the first of our latest Battleground history series Patrick Bishop and Roger Morehouse tackle Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Nazi Germany commander revered by enemies for his "war without hate".

Together they peel back the decades of mythology, challenging the image of Rommel as the "good German".

How much did Rommel, who served as Hitler’s personal security commander , know about the regime’s atrocities? 

Was the positive postwar Western image of Rommel merely a convenient tool for rehabilitating Germany during the Cold War? 

Whilst Patrick and Roger deliver their verdict on Rommel's legacy. What do you think? Is he a hero or a villain?

Cast Your Vote! Join the debate and cast your vote on Erwin Rommel: https://forms.gle/7e4FGMEJuRr3A4vP9

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

349. Hero or Villain: Episode 1 - Erwin Rommel

Join Saul David and Patrick Bishop as they dissect the latest surrounding the war in Ukraine, including the extraordinary collapse and revision of the US 'peace plan' for Ukraine. 

What started as a controversial 28-point proposal—heavily suspected to have been drafted by Russia and passed on by US envoy Steve Witkoff (as revealed in leaked calls)—has now been reduced to a 19-point framework that Ukraine can accept, but which the Kremlin is actively rejecting despite President Trump's optimistic claims of "tremendous progress." 

The hosts explore the initial pro-Russian demands, the damning evidence of Moscow's influence, and the uncomfortable reality that the amended plan still offers Russia an amnesty for war crimes. Crucially, they analyze the deepening economic crisis in Russia, with collapsing energy exports suggesting Putin may soon be unable to fund his war of aggression, even as the conflict grinds on.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

348. The 28-Point Scandal

In this final episode of our Korean War series, hosts Saul, David, and Roger Morehouse examine the enduring legacy of the 1953 Armistice, exploring the human cost of the conflict and the profound ways it continues to shape modern geopolitics.

Joining them to discuss this is political analyst Robert Kelly, who helps detail why the lack of a formal peace treaty defines the high-risk security situation, the peninsula's extreme militarisation, and the chilling role of North Korea's nuclear arsenal and its current support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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347. Battleground Korea: Episode IV - The Unfinished Truce and Enduring Legacy

Former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen joins Saul, David, and Patrick Bishop for an authoritative briefing from the House of Lords. 

The former Secretary General also provides a stinging critique of the 28-point peace plan floated by the Trump administration, labelling the demands—which included territorial cession—a "Russian plan".

Robertson also firmly refutes the narrative of a missed opportunity to bring Russia into NATO, dismissing it as "Putin propaganda," and highlights the Russian leader's early deception by pointing to his own signature on the 2002 Rome Declaration guaranteeing European territorial integrity.

Robertson offers an assessment of NATO’s resilience, arguing the alliance is a "real bargain" for the US that is unlikely to be abandoned, but stresses the urgent need for Europeans to increase their defence spending.

He concludes with the high stakes of the conflict: "If Russia stops fighting, there will be peace. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine."

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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346. Lord Robertson on Putin's Propaganda, NATO's Future, and the Russian 'Surrender Plan'

Steve Hoyland, who in 1982 was a parachute-qualified radio operator in the Royal Artillery’s 148 Commando Battery, gives a hair-raising account of his time on operations with the Special Forces during the campaign.

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Bonus: Steve Hoyland, 148 Commando Battery

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