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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 this special bonus episode Saul and Patrick react to the remarkable and astonishingly fast developments over the weekend in Syria, where rebel forces have taken control and long-term dictator Bashar al-Assad has fled to Moscow.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
Twitter: @PodBattleground
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227. Syria Special

On December 16, 1944, Hitler launched his 'last gamble' in the snow-covered forests of the Ardennes in Belgium, hoping to smash through the Allied lines in the west and retake the Belgian port of Antwerp on the coast of the English Channel.

Joining Saul to discuss the Battle of the Bulge is bestselling historian Sir Antony Beevor, who provides a deeply informative and definitive account of the Battle from his expertise from writing his award winning book - Ardennes 1944: The Battle of The Bulge.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
Twitter: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

228. The Battle of the Bulge

With the shock waves of the fall of Bashir al Assad still reverberating Saul and Patrick look
at the way this profoundly important event has reshaped the Ukraine conflict and the global order generally. 
They also look at the battlefield and try to get a feel for how much trouble Ukraine might be in, and investigate the latest twist in relations between Zelensky and Trump.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
Twitter: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

229. How Assad's fall reshapes the Ukraine conflict.

In the final days of 1944 the Red Army closed in on the Hungarian capital of Budapest, and amidst the utter chaos of the siege members of the Hungarian fascist party, the Arrow Cross, ran riot massacring the city's jewish population. 

Joining Patrick, to discuss this often overlooked chapter of the Second World War is author and journalist Adam LeBor, who's book on the subject - The Last Days of Budapest: Spies, Nazis, Rescuers and Resistance, 1940-1945.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
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230. The Siege of Budapest

In this episode Saul and Patrick digest the two major events of the past week: Donald Trump’s interview with Time magazine, with some highly revealing comments on the Russia/Ukraine war. And the extraordinary assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian nuclear, chemical and biological protection forces, by agents of the Ukrainian security service in Moscow.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

231. Ukraine kills Russian general on the Kremlin's doorstep.

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. Saul and Roger are joined by friends of the podcast - fellow historian Jessie Childs and publicist and historical novelist Richard Foreman.

Producer: James Hodgson

X: @PodBattleground
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232. Battleground Christmas Special

Joining Saul to discuss the multiple westward offensives of the Soviet Red Army in the winter of 1944/45 is friend of the podcast Evan Mawdsley. 
Together they discuss the multiple Soviet Armies that advanced into Europe following the expulsion of German forces from the Soviet Union's borders, and how political decisions dictated the deployment of the Red Army as Stalin sought to seize control and influence over Eastern and Central Europe.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground

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233. The Red Army's winter offensives

In this last podcast of 2024, Saul and Patrick will be ranging over the big moments in the Ukraine conflict in all its various dimensions and trying to see what they tell us about how 2025 will unfold. 

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

234. The War in Ukraine in 2024

This week on Battleground '45 Patrick is joined by author Mark Ellis, to discuss an often overlooked aspect of life during the second world war, the world of crime. The conditions of wartime Britain led to a crime boom, with new opportunities arising for those criminals seeking to take advantage and profit whilst the authorities were often overwhelmed. 

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

235. The British Criminal Underworld in The Second World War.

In the first Battleground: Ukraine podcast of 2025, Saul and Patrick speak to friend of the
podcast Askold Khruselnysky, who spent Christmas close the front lines with
a Ukrainian Unit specialising in innovative forms of drone warfare. In his dispatch from Kyiv he describes how this unit was able to successfully launch and carry out an assault with only unmanned vehicles in perhaps the first fully automated battle of the war.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

236. A New Era of Warfare

In this episode of Battleground Saul and Roger conclude their two-part examination of the Battle for Okinawa. Together they analyse the strategic importance of securing the island for the planned invasion of Japan and discuss how the ferocious resistance influenced the decision to use atomic weapons. They explore the arguments for and against this controversial link, taking new historiography into account, alongside the immediate and long-term consequences of the battle itself.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - battlegroundukraine@gmail.com
Producer: James Hodgson
X: @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

275. Okinawa: Part 2 - The Bitter End and Aftermath

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