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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

After their great victory at Inchon, UN forces race north toward the Chinese border, dreaming of ending the war fast. But, they ignore the warning signs coming from China...

In this episode, that gamble backfires. We detail the chilling reality of late 1950 when hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops launch a massive, counter-offensive. The UN forces are caught completely by surprise by the overwhelming attack and the brutal Korean winter.

The episode covers the desperate fight and retreat and the devastating consequence: UN forces are pushed back and the loss Seoul for a second time. 

As the war spirals out of control and he pushes for escalation, the political fallout leads directly to President Truman's dramatic sacking of the commanding General, Douglas MacArthur. The conflict has now exploded into a terrifying new war with no end in sight.

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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341. Battleground Korea: Episode IV - The Dragon Awakens

After a two-month absence, Patrick Bishop returns to the Battleground microphone to join Saul David, offering a fresh, big-picture perspective on the war in Ukraine.

Looking beyond the daily headlines, Patrick characterises the current state of the conflict—across military, diplomatic, economic, and political fronts—as an "uncertain stasis." While the war seems outwardly frozen, the hosts discuss whether powerful undercurrents could soon force a significant breakthrough.

They dive into the battlefield reality, analysing the potential fall of Pokrovsk and debating its true strategic significance for both Kyiv and Moscow. Is this the long-awaited Russian breakthrough, or just a costly, rubble-filled victory that simply sets the stage for more stalemate?

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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340. The Uncertain Stasis: Is the War in Ukraine Truly Frozen?

The only way out is with a gamble. 

In Episode 3, the Korean War narrative shifts from desperate survival to audacious counter-attack. The Allied line is breaking, the port of Pusan is on the verge of collapse, and the entire war rests on the success of General Douglas MacArthur's ambitious plan.

Ignoring every warning, MacArthur stakes the entire conflict on a single, risky amphibious assault: Operation Chromite at the tidal port of Inchon. We explore the incredible strategic audacity, the geographical obstacles, and how this audacious flanking maneuver shatters the North Korean People's Army (NKPA).

But victory is brief. As the 27th "Fire Brigade," the first British Commonwealth ground troops, advance north from the Pusan Perimeter, they confront the brutal reality of coalition warfare. We detail the intense and tragic Battle of Hill 282, where a catastrophic moment of friendly fire costs the lives of Commonwealth soldiers and forces the rapid formation of the resilient Commonwealth Brigade.

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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Battleground Korea: Episode III - The Tide Turns

Host Saul David interviews special guest Richard Woodruff, a young British volunteer in Ukraine since 2022.

Richard shares his journey from rebuilding destroyed homes in Bucha and Irpin to delivering critical humanitarian aid near the front lines. He recounts his immediate response to the Kakhovka Dam disaster, using speedboats to rescue stranded civilians and animals.

The discussion focuses heavily on his current work running what is described as Ukraine's largest volunteer-controlled drone factory, which has produced over 5,500 FPV drones credited with destroying millions in Russian equipment. Richard also discusses the future of the war, the challenge of international support, and his post-war plans to moving to Kharkiv to help lead the massive rebuilding effort.

If you want to have a look at Richard's work check it out here: https://frontlinekit.org/

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

338. From Rebuilder to Drone Builder: The Huge Impact of Foreign Volunteers in Ukraine

The lightning war begins. Following the invasion, the North Korean military executes a devastating blitzkrieg attack, sweeping through South Korea and shattering all initial resistance.

Saul and Roger are joined by experts Robert Lyman and David Allison, who help dive into the details of the chaotic early stages of the Korean War.

First we look at the desperate retreat of the overwhelmed South Korean and early US forces as they are pushed towards Pusan. Then we look at the crucial global response: the newly formed UN Security Council, seizing a rare opportunity, debates and authorises a multinational intervention.

Can a global force be assembled in time to halt the seemingly unstoppable North Korean war machine?

The episode climaxes at the Pusan Perimeter. Battered, exhausted, and pushed to the absolute limit of the peninsula, UN and South Korean forces make a final, desperate stand. This is North Korea's furthest advance.

Outnumbered, outgunned, and with their backs literally against the sea. The fate of South Korea hangs by a thread.

Next time: The Tide Turns.

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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337. Battleground Korea: Episode II - The Brink and the Breaking Point

Join Saul David and Roger Moorhouse as they break down a week of diplomatic upheaval, and look at the latest from the front lines with a report from Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori, recently returned from Donetsk.

Hopes for a quick peace vanished after the US-Russia Budapest summit was scuttled by Moscow's refusal to freeze the front lines.

The hosts analyse the shifting politics surrounding long-range missiles: why President Trump withheld Tomahawks, and why Washington seemingly green-lit a major Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile strike on a critical Russian chemical plant.

On the home front, we examine new Western sanctions hitting Russia's oil and gas giants, reports of horrific war crimes against civilians in Donetsk and Kharkiv, and the long-term future of Ukrainian air power with the massive Swedish deal for up to 150 advanced Gripen E fighter jets.

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

336. The Diplomatic Roller Coaster & The New Realities of Drone Warfare

Welcome to Battleground Korea: The Unfinished War. 

We begin by exploring how Korea, a nation scarred by decades of Japanese occupation, was suddenly and arbitrarily divided by the victorious Allies in 1945. The line was the 38th Parallel.

This division birthed two fiercely opposing regimes and leaders: the Soviet-backed communist Kim Il Sung in the North, and the American-backed nationalist Syngman Rhee in the South. As the Cold War escalated, Korea rapidly became a volatile proxy battleground between East and West.

"With American and Soviet forces withdrawing, the fragile peace along the 38th Parallel began to unravel. Skirmishes grew bloodier and more audacious. Both Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee openly spoke of unifying the peninsula—by force. The question wasn't if the two Koreas would clash, but whether their civil conflict would ignite a wider conflagration, pulling in the global superpowers. The stage was set, but who would make the first devastating move?"

The episode concludes with the secret plotting that sealed Korea's fate. Kim Il Sung relentlessly lobbied Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong for the necessary support. After months of manoeuvring, the communist giants finally gave their approval, providing the crucial political green light.

Next time: The Invasion.

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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335. Battleground Korea: Episode I - The Spark of Division

This week Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyse a week of potential shifts in the conflict.

On the frontline: Ukrainian civilians evacuate Kupiansk as security deteriorates; a UN humanitarian convoy is deliberately attacked in Kherson; and a strike hits a Kharkiv hospital. Ukraine continues hitting back, targeting the Feodosia oil terminal in Crimea amidst a potential chemical threat from a ruptured ammonia pipeline.

In the diplomatic sphere, Donald Trump rattles the Kremlin by suggesting he might send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, prompting intense Russian warnings. Meanwhile, signs of Putin's diplomatic discomfort appear as he is forced to apologize to Azerbaijan, and early whispers of internal dissent surface in Russia's major cities.

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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334. Kremlin Rattled by Trump's Tomahawk Offer

The hunt is over. Black May (May 1943) marks the U-boat campaign's devastating turning point, forcing Admiral Dönitz to withdraw his "Grey Wolves" from the North Atlantic.

In the final episode Saul and Roger track the U-boats' demise against overwhelming Allied technological advances.

We explore the grim reality for U-boat crews—the brutal conditions and a staggering 75% casualty rate—and why advanced subs like the Type XXI "Elektroboote" arrived too late.

We conclude the series by assessing the final collapse, Operation Deadlight, and the campaign's immense human cost.

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

333. Wolfpack: Episode III - Broken Wolves

This week on Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul David and Roger Moorhouse are joined by intrepid Belgian war reporter and friend of the podcast Arnaud de Decker, who recently toured the Donbas. 

In this crucial and alarming dispatch, Arnaud provides a firsthand look at the realities in Donetsk, detailing how Russian forces are steadily advancing and closing in on the key Ukrainian towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

Before this essential interview, the hosts dissect the political and military headlines, including the shocking rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who all but admitted Russia's role in drone sightings across Europe.

They'll also be examining the difference between the opposing forces' long-range strikes—including Ukraine's successful hits on vital Russian oil infrastructure (like the Feodosia oil terminal), possibly using the new Flamingo missile, and an intelligence report on up to 5,000 Cuban fighters joining the Russian ranks.

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

332. Is the Net Closing in for Ukraine in Donetsk?

In this episode of Battleground: Ukraine Saul is again joined by Roger Moorhouse to discuss the latest set of intriguing developments emerging from the war in Ukraine in the last week. 
They discuss the frustration that is rising as the US refuses to allow its donated weapons to be used in strikes on targets inside Russia’s borders and answer some fascinating listeners questions including - could Germany send submarines to Ukraine?
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

162. US policy continues to restrict Ukraine

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