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LINDBERGH'S TRANSITION TO PUBLIC ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST Colleague H.W. Brands. H.W. Brandsdetails Lindbergh's transition into a public anti-interventionist figure. Motivated by his father's persecution during WWIand a desire to avoid another European quagmire, Lindbergh utilizes his celebrity to broadcast isolationist views on the radio. Brands notes that while British officials dismissed Lindbergh as a political "schoolboy," the aviator argued that American interests differed distinctively from the British Empire's survival, and that the US should not bail them out. NUMBER 2
2026 - Bliain Úr faoi Mhaise DaoibhseA very happy New Year to all readers of this column, to the staff of the Belfast Media Group and The Irish Echo. And to you good readers who have stayed with me over the years.None of us know what 2026 will bring but we can be sure it will be interesting. May it also be good to you all and to your families. Beirigí bua. Eyes On The Prize. 2025 was a good year for Irish Unity. All of those advocating for a new Ireland, including Sinn Féin's Commission on the Future of Ireland, worked hard and effectively promoting the message that Irish Unity will be good for the people of the island of Ireland. Crucially, both houses of the Oireachtas, the Dáil and the Seanad, passed motions calling on the Irish government to begin the process of planning and preparing for Unity referendums. These include The Oireachtas Good Friday Agreement Committee. This is the only all-Ireland committee in Leinster House. It is unique in that Members of Parliament from the north join TDs and Senators to work on issues relating to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.The Good Friday Agreement remains the basis for relations on the island of Ireland and between the islands of Ireland and Britain. However, its implementation has been challenged, principally by indifference from London and a lack of consistent and positive leadership from Dublin.‘I'm so scared, please come'For as long as I have been a republican activist I have been reading and writing about the impact of British colonialism on peoples around the world. As the largest empire in human history Britain's conquests and exploitation of other places resulted in untold misery, death and hardship for those living under British rule - not least here in Ireland. To maintain its domination, the British Empire used violence and dehumanised the peoples it sought to exploit. Behind its claim of being a guardian of the ‘rule of law' Britain stole land and property, exploited mineral resources and reduced native peoples to little more than slaves.Among those many locations was Palestine. British policy is largely responsible for the decades of war that have plighted that land for a hundred years. Current British government policy is facilitating the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli apartheid regime.I have visited Palestine and Israel on at least four occasions, including the Gaza Strip in 2009. I walked along the ‘separation wall' – a monstrous perversion designed to imprison Palestinians into smaller and smaller ghettoes.
fWotD Episode 3161: William Anderson (RAAF officer) Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 30 December 2025, is William Anderson (RAAF officer).Air Vice-Marshal William Hopton Anderson (30 December 1891 – 30 December 1975) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He flew with the Australian Flying Corps in World War I, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Belgian Croix de guerre for his combat service with No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front in 1917. The following year he took command of No. 7 (Training) Squadron and, later, No. 3 Squadron. Anderson led the Australian Air Corps during its brief existence in 1920–21, before joining the fledgling RAAF. The service's third most-senior officer, he primarily held posts on the Australian Air Board in the inter-war years. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1934, and promoted to air commodore in 1938.At the outbreak of World War II, Anderson was Air Member for Supply. In 1940 he acted as Chief of the Air Staff between the resignation of Air Vice-Marshal Stanley Goble in January and the arrival of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, RAF, the next month. He led the newly formed Central and Eastern Area Commands between December 1940 and July 1943, returning to the Air Board as Air Member for Organisation and Equipment from September 1941 to May 1942. Anderson was founding commandant of the RAAF Staff School from July to November 1943, after which he was appointed Air Member for Personnel. He again served as Staff School commandant from October 1944 until his retirement in April 1946. Known to his colleagues as "Andy" or "Mucker", Anderson died on his birthday in 1975.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:14 UTC on Tuesday, 30 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see William Anderson (RAAF officer) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Salli.
Start Artist Song Time Album Year 0:00:16 Santana Evil Ways 3:48 Santana 1969 0:04:46 The Rolling Stones Midnight Rambler 6:49 Let It Bleed 1969 0:11:35 Kinks Shangri-La 5:17 Arthur (or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire) 1969 0:16:52 Joni Mitchell Chelsea Morning 2:27 Clouds (Vinyl) 1969 0:20:01 The Band The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down 3:27 The Band 1969 0:23:33 Janis Joplin Maybe 3:35 I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! 1969 0:27:08 It’s a Beautiful Day White Bird 6:04 It’s A Beautiful Day 1969 0:34:26 Pink Floyd Astronomy Domine (Live) 8:18 Ummagumma (2011 Discovery Remaster) 1969 0:42:44 Allman Brothers Band Trouble No More 3:48 The Allman Brothers Band 1969 0:46:32 Genesis In The Wilderness 3:23 From Genesis To Revelation (1) 1969 0:50:47 Renaissance Kings And Queens 10:51 Renaissance 1969 1:01:37 The Moody Blues Floating 2:54 To Our Children’s Children’s Children 1969 1:04:32 Norman Greenbaum Spirit In The Sky 3:54 Spirit In The Sky 1969 1:09:09 Deep Purple Blind 5:19 Deep Purple (Vinyl) 1969 1:14:28 The Doors The Soft Parade 7:52 The Soft Parade (2003 Remaster) 1969 1:22:20 Harry Nilsson Mr. Bojangles 3:45 Harry 1969 1:27:15 Chicken Shack Anji 1:33 100 Ton Chicken 1969 1:28:48 Shocking Blue Venus 3:00 At Home (Reissued 2000) 1969 1:31:48 Neil Young Cinnamon Girl 2:53 Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere 1969 1:34:41 Creedence Clearwater Revival Fortunate Son 2:12 Willy and the Poor Boys 1969 1:37:49 David Bowie Space Oddity 4:53 Space Oddity 1969 1:42:47 Bob Dylan Lay Lady Lay 3:13 Nashville Skyline 1969 1:46:00 Jethro Tull Nothing Is Easy 4:18 Stand Up (2017 Steven Wilson Remix) 1969 1:50:17 Grateful Dead St. Stephen 4:24 Aoxomoxoa 1969 1:55:44 Spooky Tooth Better by You, Better Than Me 3:21 Spooky Two 1969 1:59:05 The Soft Machine Pig 2:09 Volume Two 1969 2:01:14 Strawbs That Which Once Was Mine 2:47 Strawbs (2008 Remaster) 1969 2:04:02 The Stooges I Wanna Be Your Dog 3:03 The Stooges 1969 2:07:05 Elton John Skyline Pigeon 3:31 Empty Sky 1969 2:11:40 Procol Harum A Salty Dog 4:24 A Salty Dog (1998 Remaster) 1969 2:16:05 Yes Survival 6:15 Yes (2003 Remaster) 1969 2:22:21 King Crimson I Talk To The Wind 5:59 In The Court Of The Crimson King 1969 2:29:12 Who Christmas 4:30 Tommy 1969 2:33:42 Guess Who Laughing 2:31 Canned Heat 1969 2:36:13 The Monkees You And I 2:10 Instant Replay 1969 2:38:23 Rare Earth Get Ready 2:45 Get Ready 1969 2:41:08 Led Zeppelin Ramble On 4:07 Led Zeppelin II (2014 Remaster) 1969 2:47:04 Bakerloo Drivin’ Bachwards 2:00 Bakerloo 1969 2:49:05 Canned Heat Time Was 3:20 Hallelujah (Reissued 2001) 1969 2:52:24 Audience Man On Box 3:00 Audience (Vinyl) 1969 2:55:24 Fleetwood Mac Coming Your Way 3:47 Then Play On 1969 2:59:11 The Beatles Golden Slumbers 1:31 Abbey Road 1969 3:00:42 The Beatles Carry That Weight 1:37 Abbey Road 1969 3:02:19 The Beatles The End 2:02 Abbey Road 1969
Our last episode of 2025. Did you know that Amanullah's decision to wage war for Afghanistan's independence from the British Empire had everything to do with Amritsar and the struggle underway in India in 1919? Some details on this war that you may not have heard, including the British besieging Peshawar, displacing whole towns full … Continue reading "Interwar 4: The Anglo-Afghan War of 1919: Amanullah wins Independence"
Guests: Captain James Fanell (USN Ret.) and Bradley Thayer. The authors draw parallels between current U.S.policy and the British Empire's 1919 "10-year rule," which underfunded defense and ignored rising threats. They criticize the U.S. response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, noting that the Bush administration rushed to re-engage rather than isolate the CCP. Fanell recalls that intelligence agencies remained focused on Russia, failing to perceive the Chinese military buildup as a credible threat until it was too late.
Tobacco, sugar, rum, cotton, rubber, tea, coffee, spices, industry, borders, slavery, war - all things spread across the globe thanks to the British Empire. At its height in 1922, it was the largest empire the world had ever seen, covering around a quarter of Earth's land surface and ruling over 458 million people- that's a lot of influence. Dan is joined by journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera to measure the impact the British Empire has had on our world, for better and worse. Santhnam's new book for kids is called 'Journeys of Empire'.Produced by James Hickmann, McKenna Fernandez and edited by Matthew Wilson and Dougal Patmore. Did you know you can watch this episode on YouTube? Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 1780 GORDON RIOTS
SHOW 12-22-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT FUTURE NAVY. 1941 HICKAM FIELD 1. Restoring Naval Autonomy: Arguments for Separating the Navy from DoD. Tom Modly argues the Navy is an "underperforming asset" within the Defense Department's corporate structure, similar to how Fiat Chrysler successfully spun off Ferrari. He suggests the Navy needs independence to address critical shipbuilding deficits and better protect global commerce and vulnerable undersea cables from adversaries. 2. Future Fleets: Decentralizing Firepower to Counter Chinese Growth. Tom Modly warns that China's shipbuilding capacity vastly outpaces the US, requiring a shift toward distributed forces rather than expensive, concentrated platforms. He advocates for a reinvigorated, independent Department of the Navy to foster the creativity needed to address asymmetric threats like Houthi attacks on high-value assets. 3. British Weakness: The Failure to Challenge Beijing Over Jimmy Lai. Mark Simon predicts Prime Minister Starmer will fail to secure Jimmy Lai's release because the UK mistakenly views China as an economic savior. He notes the UK's diminished military and economic leverage leads to a submissive diplomatic stance, despite China'sdeclining ability to offer investment. 4. Enforcing Sanctions: Interdicting the Shadow Fleet to Squeeze China. Victoria Coates details the Trump administration's enforcement of a "Monroe Doctrine" corollary, using naval power to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil to China. This strategy exposes China's lack of maritime projection and energy vulnerability, as Beijingcannot legally contest the seizures of illicit shadow fleet vessels. 5. Symbolic Strikes: US and Jordan Target Resurgent ISIS in Syria. Following an attack on US personnel, the US and Jordan conducted airstrikes against ISIS strongholds, likely with Syrian regime consultation. Ahmed Sharawi questions the efficacy of striking desert warehouses when ISIS cells have moved into urban areas, suggesting the strikes were primarily symbolic domestic messaging. 6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 7. Global Jihad: The Distinct Threats of the Brotherhood and ISIS. Edmund Fitton-Brown contrasts the Muslim Brotherhood's long-term infiltration of Western institutions with ISIS's violent, reckless approach. He warns that ISISremains viable, with recent facilitated attacks in Australia indicating a resurgence in capability beyond simple "inspired" violence. 8. The Forever War: Jihadist Patience vs. American Cycles. Bill Roggio argues the US has failed to defeat jihadist ideology or funding, allowing groups like Al-Qaeda to persist in Afghanistan and Africa. He warns that adversaries view American withdrawals as proof of untrustworthiness, exploiting the US tendency to fight short-term wars against enemies planning for decades. 9. The Professional: Von Steuben's Transformation of the Continental Army. Richard Bell introduces Baron von Steuben as a desperate, unemployed Prussian officer who professionalized the ragtag Continental Army at Valley Forge. Washington's hiring of foreign experts like Steuben demonstrated a strategic willingness to utilize global talent to ensure the revolution's survival. 10. Privateers and Prison Ships: The Unsung Cost of Maritime Independence. Richard Bell highlights the crucial role of privateers like William Russell, who raided British shipping when the Continental Navy was weak. Captured privateers faced horrific conditions in British "black hole" facilities like Mill Prison and the deadly prison ship Jersey in New York Harbor, where mortality rates reached 50%. 11. Caught in the Crossfire: Indigenous Struggles in the Revolutionary War. Molly Brant, a Mohawk leader, allied with the British to stop settler encroachment but became a refugee when the British failed to protect Indigenous lands. Post-war, white Americans constructed myths portraying themselves as blameless victims while ignoring their own Indigenous allies and British betrayals regarding land rights. 12. The Irish Dimension: Revolutionary Hopes and Brutal Repression. The Irish viewed the American Revolutionas a signal that the British Empire was vulnerable, sparking the failed 1798 Irish rebellion. While the British suppressed Irish independence brutally under Cornwallis, Irish immigrants and Scots-Irish settlers like Andrew Jackson fervently supported the Continental Army against the Crown. 13. Assessing Battlefield Realities: Russian Deceit and Ukrainian Counterattacks. John Hardie analyzes the "culture of deceit" within the Russian military, exemplified by false claims of capturing Kupyansk while Ukraine actually counterattacked. This systemic lying leads to overconfidence in Putin's strategy, though Ukraine also faces challenges with commanders hesitating to report lost positions to avoid forced counterattacks. 14. Shifts in Latin America: Brazilian Elections and Venezuelan Hope. Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Peña Esclusapredict a 2026 battle between socialist accommodation and freedom-oriented transformation in Brazil, highlighted by Flavio Bolsonaro's candidacy against Lula. Meanwhile, Peña Esclusa anticipates Venezuela's liberation and a broader regional shift toward the right following leftist defeats in Ecuador, Argentina, and Chile. 15. Trump's Security Strategy: Homeland Defense Lacks Global Clarity. John Yoo praises the strategy's focus on homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere, reviving a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. However, he criticizes the failure to explicitly name China as an adversary or define clear goals for defending allies in Asia and Europe against great power rivals. 16. Alienating Allies: The Strategic Cost of Attacking European Partners. John Yoo argues that imposing tariffs and attacking democratic European allies undermines the coalition needed to counter China and Russia. He asserts that democracies are the most reliable partners for protecting American security and values, making cooperation essential despite resource constraints and political disagreements.
THE GILDED AGE, GROVER CLEVELAND, AND THE ASSERTION OF SOVEREIGNTY Colleagues Gaiusand Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The second segment pivots to a historical comparison involving Grover Cleveland, the only American president prior to Trump to serve non-consecutive terms, using his presidency to illustrate parallels between the "Gilded Age" and the 2020s. The primary focus is the Venezuelan Crisis of 1895, where Cleveland asserted that the United States was "practically sovereign on this continent" and its "fiat is law," forcing the British Empire to submit to American arbitration rather than fight. Germanicus draws a direct line to the present, noting that just as the 19th-century crisis was driven by gold mines near the Orinoco River, modern conflicts are driven by oil, while the US now contends with encroachments from China and Russia. The speakers suggest that the partisan press of the Gilded Age was even more vicious than today's media, and that the railroad bubbles of that era mirror current AI and tech bubbles. NUMBER 2 1885
At this time of year, when many of us are rudely awoken from our hard-earned slumber by multiple ghosts wanting us to support their gofundme or something, I thought we might look at ghosts. What are they? Are they even real? And if they're not, what are they for? And the exploration is framed by a series of strange experiences I had recently at Australia's most haunted site and possibly the cruelest place in the entire British Empire, Port Arthur. Enjoy! PS - Let me also take the opportunity to sincerely thank you for listening, watching, supporting and sharing the various Rune Soup offerings in 2025. Have a wonderful Christmas.
"Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren...They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, ENEMIES IN WAR, IN PEACE FRIENDS." In this episode we explore Loyalist vs. Patriot Civil War during the Revolutionary War. Topics include: -the outbreak of violence in Lexington and Concord in 1775 and the mustering of local militias, which forced Colonial men to decide whether they supported the revolution or the King -the Sons of Liberty and the Committees of Correspondence, which urged fellow colonists both to support independence and also to engage in acts of protest against the British Empire -an exploration of Loyalists and Loyalism -British misjudgements about the extent to which Colonists--even mostly loyal Colonists--were in fact loyal to the King and satisfied with British military occupation -the use and effectiveness of loyalty oaths, which were administered an the population by both sides in the conflict -intrafamily division like that between Benjamin Franklin and his son, William, who was Governor of New Jersey and a fervent Loyalist, and that between the Patriot Officer Henry Knox and his wife's family, who were also fervent Loyalists -the post-war reconciliation, reintegration, and intentional forgetting of Loyalists
Is capitalism a force of nature, or a human-made order that we have the power to shape? In this episode, Luigi and Bethany sit down with Sven Beckert, a Harvard historian and author of the new book A Global History of Capitalism, to tackle a question that seems basic but remains surprisingly difficult to answer: what exactly is capitalism?Beckert argues that capitalism is not defined simply by the existence of markets—which are found in all human societies—but rather by a specific economic logic of privately owned capital productively invested to produce more capital. He challenges the popular narrative that capitalism and the state are antithetical, suggesting instead that the state has been constitutive of capitalism throughout its history, from the colonization of the Americas to the industrial expansion of the 19th century.Beckert also argues that capitalism is fundamentally "undogmatic", pointing out that it has thrived under radically different political systems from the British Empire and the slave plantations of the Caribbean to modern liberal democracies and authoritarian city-states. Rather than existing in opposition to the state, does capitalism actually rely on state power to construct markets and enforce the expansion of its logic? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
It is often assumed that only sovereign states can join the United Nations. But this was not always the case. At the founding of the United Nations, a loophole drafted by British statesmen in its predecessor organisation, the League of Nations, was carried forward, allowing colonies to accede as member-states. Colonies such as India, Ireland, Egypt, and many more were afforded a tokenistic representation at the League in Geneva during the interwar years, decades before their independence. Thomas Gidney's An International Anomaly unites three geographically distinct case studies to demonstrate the evolution of Britain's policy from a range of different viewpoints, exploring how this policy came into being, and why it was only exploited by the British Empire. He argues that this membership shaped colonial norms around sovereignty and international recognition in the interwar period and to the present day. Thomas Gidney is a postdoctoral researcher in international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Causes, as we know, are notoriously bloodthirsty,' James Baldwin wrote. What does it do to do somebody when they have crossed the boundary into a world of killing and destruction? How do they enforce their code in a place untethered from the one the rest of us inhabit?On Free State today, Joe and Dion follow on from Tuesday's episode on Stakeknife by looking at how rules of organisations like the IRA were enforced. Joe talks about what made his father lose faith in the republican movement. He also accuses Dion of deference to the British Empire which leads Dion to launch a verbal attack on Joe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It is often assumed that only sovereign states can join the United Nations. But this was not always the case. At the founding of the United Nations, a loophole drafted by British statesmen in its predecessor organisation, the League of Nations, was carried forward, allowing colonies to accede as member-states. Colonies such as India, Ireland, Egypt, and many more were afforded a tokenistic representation at the League in Geneva during the interwar years, decades before their independence. Thomas Gidney's An International Anomaly unites three geographically distinct case studies to demonstrate the evolution of Britain's policy from a range of different viewpoints, exploring how this policy came into being, and why it was only exploited by the British Empire. He argues that this membership shaped colonial norms around sovereignty and international recognition in the interwar period and to the present day. Thomas Gidney is a postdoctoral researcher in international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs
It is often assumed that only sovereign states can join the United Nations. But this was not always the case. At the founding of the United Nations, a loophole drafted by British statesmen in its predecessor organisation, the League of Nations, was carried forward, allowing colonies to accede as member-states. Colonies such as India, Ireland, Egypt, and many more were afforded a tokenistic representation at the League in Geneva during the interwar years, decades before their independence. Thomas Gidney's An International Anomaly unites three geographically distinct case studies to demonstrate the evolution of Britain's policy from a range of different viewpoints, exploring how this policy came into being, and why it was only exploited by the British Empire. He argues that this membership shaped colonial norms around sovereignty and international recognition in the interwar period and to the present day. Thomas Gidney is a postdoctoral researcher in international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is often assumed that only sovereign states can join the United Nations. But this was not always the case. At the founding of the United Nations, a loophole drafted by British statesmen in its predecessor organisation, the League of Nations, was carried forward, allowing colonies to accede as member-states. Colonies such as India, Ireland, Egypt, and many more were afforded a tokenistic representation at the League in Geneva during the interwar years, decades before their independence. Thomas Gidney's An International Anomaly unites three geographically distinct case studies to demonstrate the evolution of Britain's policy from a range of different viewpoints, exploring how this policy came into being, and why it was only exploited by the British Empire. He argues that this membership shaped colonial norms around sovereignty and international recognition in the interwar period and to the present day. Thomas Gidney is a postdoctoral researcher in international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford.
It is often assumed that only sovereign states can join the United Nations. But this was not always the case. At the founding of the United Nations, a loophole drafted by British statesmen in its predecessor organisation, the League of Nations, was carried forward, allowing colonies to accede as member-states. Colonies such as India, Ireland, Egypt, and many more were afforded a tokenistic representation at the League in Geneva during the interwar years, decades before their independence. Thomas Gidney's An International Anomaly unites three geographically distinct case studies to demonstrate the evolution of Britain's policy from a range of different viewpoints, exploring how this policy came into being, and why it was only exploited by the British Empire. He argues that this membership shaped colonial norms around sovereignty and international recognition in the interwar period and to the present day. Thomas Gidney is a postdoctoral researcher in international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Lucas Tse is an Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies
In this episode, Swamiji begins his discourse on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, Verse 10, Part 1, where Shree Krishna declares: “I am the eternal seed of all beings. I am the intellect of the intelligent, and the splendor of the glorious.” This verse reveals how God is the cause behind all creation and the source of brilliance in human beings. Swamiji explains that just as a seed contains the potential for a tree, God is the seed of all beings, the ultimate cause from which everything emanates. He emphasizes that intelligence and brilliance are not self-generated but bestowed by the Divine. Saints like Tulsidas admitted they were merely instruments, with God working through them to produce astonishing scriptures like the Ramcharitmanas. Similarly, the Bible affirms that holy men spoke as they were moved by the Spirit. Swamiji illustrates this truth with vivid examples: Bill Gates was empowered to create Windows, a common operating system, solving global interface problems—God chose him for that role. Swami Vivekananda explained that even the British Empire, despite its faults, served God's purpose of uniting the world under a common language. Tulsi Das revealed how Lord Ram Himself was the true doer behind his writings, showing that divine power manifests through chosen instruments. Even humorous anecdotes, like the Gujarati millionaire cleverly using a bank loan for cheap parking, highlight how intelligence manifests in surprising ways—all ultimately sourced from God. Swamiji concludes that whether brilliance or folly, all abilities originate from God. Recognizing this truth inspires humility, gratitude, and devotion, reminding seekers that they are instruments of the Divine. About Swami Mukundananda: Swami Mukundananda is a renowned spiritual leader, Vedic scholar, Bhakti saint, best-selling author, and an international authority on the subject of mind management. He is the founder of the unique yogic system called JKYog. Swamiji holds distinguished degrees in Engineering and Management from two of India's most prestigious institutions—IIT and IIM. Having taken the renounced order of life (sanyas), he is the senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, and has been sharing Vedic wisdom across the globe for decades.
Hey before I begin I just want to thank all of you who have joined the patreon, you guys are awesome. Please let me know what other figures, events or other things you want to hear about in the future and I will try to make it happen. If you are a long time listener to the Pacific War week by week podcast over at KNG or viewer of my youtube channel you have probably heard me talk about Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Tiger of Malaya quite often. It goes without saying when it comes to Japanese generals of WW2 he stands out. Not just to me, from the offset of the war he made a large impression on westerners, he achieved incredible feats early on in the war. Now if you look up books about him, you will pretty much only find information in regards to his infamous war crimes trial. Hell it was so infamous the legal doctrine of hierarchical accountability for war crimes, whereby a commanding officer is legally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his subordinates, was created. This is known as the command responsibility or “the Yamashita standard”. His court case was very controversial, he remains a controversial figure, certainly to the people of territories he campaigned in, but I think what can be said of him the most is he was special amongst the Japanese generals. Anyways lets get the show on the road as they say. So who was Yamashita? When he was 59 years old commanding forces in the Philippines against General Douglas MacArthur, he weighed 220 ls and stood 5 feet 9 inches. His girth pressed out against his green army uniform. He had an egg shaped head, balding, wide spaced eyes and a flat nose. He wore a short mustache, sort of like Hitlers, until it grayed then he shaved it off. He was not a very attractive man, Filipinos referred to him as “old potato face” while Americans called him “a florid, pig faced man”. Tomobumi Yamashita was born in 1885, he was the second son of Dr. Sakichi Yamashita and Yuu Yamashita in Osugi village, on Shikoku island. Like most males of his day he was indoctrinated into military preparatory school from a young age. Yamashita had no chosen the army as a career, in his words ‘my father suggested the idea, because I was big and healthy, and my mother did not seriously object because she believed, bless her soul, that I would never pass the highly competitive entrance examination. If I had only been cleverer or had worked harder, I would have been a doctor like my brother”Yamashita would graduate from the 18th class of the IJA academy in november of 1905, ranked 16th out of 920 cadets. In 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Lt and during WW1 he fought against Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the famous siege of Qingdao, which if you are interested I did an episode over on my Youtube channel about this battle. Its a very overlooked battle, but many histories firsts occurred at it like the first carrier attack. In 1916 he was promoted to captain and attended the 28th class of the Army War college to graduate sixth in his class that year. He also married Hisako Nagayama in 1916, she was the daughter of the retired General Nagayama. It seems Yamashita's brush against the Germans in 1914 had a huge influence on him, because he became fascinated with Germany and would serve as assistant military attache at Bern and Berlin from 1919-1922. He spent his time in Germany alongside Captain Hideki Tojo, both men would run into each other countless times and become bitter rivals. Both men toured the western front, visiting Hamburg and witnessed first hand the crippling inflation and food prices that came from Germany's defeat. Yamashita said to Tojo then “If Japan ever has to fight any nation, she must never surrender and get herself in a state like this.” He returned to Japan in 1922, was promoted to major and served a few different posts in the Imperial Headquarters and Staff College. Yamashita became a leading member of the Kodoha faction, while Tojo became a leading member of the rival Toseiha faction. In 1927 Yamashita was sent again to Europe, this time to Vienna as a military attache. Just prior to departing he had invested in a business selling thermometers starting by one of his wife's relatives, the business failed horribly and Yamashita was tossed into debt, bailiffs literally came to seize his house. As told to us by his biographer “For a regular officer to have contracted such a debt, however innocently, was a disgrace. He felt he should resign his commission.” Yamashita's brother refused to allow him to quit, instructing him to leave for Vienna, while he resolved his debts. His days in Vienna were the best of his life, professed Yamashita. He studied economics at Vienna university and made friends with a Japanese widow, who introduced him to a German woman named Kitty and they had an affair. This would spring forward his reputation as an eccentric officer. Yamashita was obsessed over hygiene,and refused to eat fruit unless it was thoroughly washed. He avoided ice water, hated dancing and never learnt how to drive a car. One of his most notable quirks was his habit of falling asleep often during meetings where he legendarily would snore. Like I may have said in previous podcast and youtube episodes, this guy was quite a character, often described as a big bear. Now this is not a full biography on Yamashita so I cant devolve to far into things, such as his first fall from grace. During the February 26th coup incident of 1936, Yamashita was a leading member of the Kodoha faction and helped mediate a peaceful end to the standoff, however in truth he was backing the coup. He simply managed to not get caught red handed at the time doing too much for the mutineers, regardless he lost favor with the outraged Emperor and many young captains whom he loved like sons killed themselves in disgrace. If you want to know more about the February coup of 1936, check out my series on Emperor Hirohito or General Ishawara, they both talk about it in depth and touch upon Yamashita's role a bit. The coup led to the dissolvement of the Kodoha faction and the dominance of the Toseiha, led by Tojo. Yamashita tried to resign from the IJA, but his superiors dissuade him. He was relegated to a post in Korea, which honestly was a punishment. Yamashita would say “When I was posted to Korea, I felt I had been given a tactful promotion but that in fact my career was over. Even when I was given my first fighting company in North China, I still felt I had no future in the Army, so I was always on the front line, where the bullets flew the thickest. I sought only a place to die.” He had some time to reflect upon his conduct while in Korea, he began to study Zen Buddhism. He was promoted to Lt General in November of 1937 and when the China war broke out he was one of those speaking out that the incident needed to end swiftly and that peaceful relations must be made with the UK and US. He received a unimportant post in the Kwantung army and in 1938 was assigned command of the IJA 4th division. He led the forces during in northern china against insurgents until he returned to Tokyo in July of 1940. His fellow officers lauded him as Japan's finest general. Meanwhile Tojo had ascended to war minister and one of his first moves was to send a delegation to Germany. Tojo considered Yamashita a ruthless and forceful commander and feared he would become a powerful rival against him one day. Yamashita would go on the record to say then “I have nothing against Tojo, but he apparently has something against me.” You see, Yamashita had no political ambitions, unlike Tojo who was by nature a political monster. “My life, is that of a soldier; I do not seek any other life unless our Emperor calls me.” In late 1940, Tojo asked Yamashita to lead a team of 40 experts on a 6 month train tour of Germany and Italy, a move that kept him out of Tokyo, because Tojo was trying to solidify his political ambitions. This is going to become a looming theme between the two men. He was presented to Adolf Hitler in January of 1941, passing along messages from Tojo and publicly praising the Fuhrer, though privately he was very unimpressed by the man “He may be a great orator on a platform, with his gestures and flamboyant way of speaking. But standing behind his desk listening he seems much more like a clerk.” Hitler pressed upon him to push Japan to declare war on Britain and the US. At the time of course Japan was facing China and had two major conflicts with the USSR, thus this was absolutely not in her interest. “My country is still fighting in China, and we must finish that war as soon as possible. We are also afraid that Russia may attack us in Manchuria. This is no time for us to declare war on other countries.” Yamashita hoped to inspect Germany's military techniques and technology to help Japan. Hitler promised open exchanges of information stating “All our secrets are open to you,”, but this would prove to be a lie. “There were several pieces of equipment the Germans did not want us to see. Whenever I tried to persuade the German General Staff to show us things like radar—about which we had a rudimentary knowledge—the conversation always turned to something else.” Yamashita met with field Marshal Hermann Goring who gave him an overview of the war in europe. Goring would complain about Yamashita falling asleep during lectures and meetings and he believed the man was drunk often. Yamashita met Benito Mussolini in June of 1941 receiving a similar rundown to what he got in Germany. Yamashita visited Kitty in Vienna for a quick fling, but overall the trip deeply impacted Yamashita's resolve that Japan should stay out of the Europeans war and that Germany made a grievous error invading the USSR in June of 1941. This is what he said the members of the commission “You know the results of our inspection as well as I do. I must ask you not to express opinion in favor of expanding the alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy. Never suggest in your report that Japan should declare war on Great Britain and the United States. We must not and cannot rely upon the power of other nations. Japan needs more time, particularly as there may be aggression against us from Russia. We must have time to rebuild our defense system and adjust the whole Japanese war machine. I cannot repeat this to you often enough.” His report was similar, and it really pissed off Tojo who was trying to develop plans for a war against America. Yamashita would then get exiled to Manchuria in July of 1941, but Tojo's resentment towards him could only go so far, because Yamashita was one of their best generals and in his planned war against Britain and America, he would need such a man. Yamashita's time in Europe reshaped his views on how to conduct war. He saw first hand blitzkrieg warfare, it seems it fascinated him. He consistently urged the implementation of new proposals calling for the streamlining of air arms; to mechanize the Army; to integrate control of the armed forces in a defense ministry coordinated by a chairman of Joint Chiefs of staff; to create a paratroop corps and to employ effective propaganda. Basically he saw what was working for the Germans against the allies and wanted Japan to replicate it. Tojo did not like many of the proposal, hated the fact they were coming from Yamashita, so he obviously was not keen on making them happen. Luckily for Yamashita he would be given a chance to implement some of his ideas in a big way. On November 6th of 1941, Lt General Yamashita was appointed commander of the 25th Japanese army. His orders were to seize the Malay Peninsula and then the British naval base at Singapore. The Malaya Peninsula snakes 700 miles south of Thailand, a rugged sliver of land that constricts at its narrowest point to about 60 miles wide. It hold mountains that split the peninsula in half, some going as high as 7000 feet. During this time Malaya produced around 40% of the worlds rubber, 60% of its tin, two resources vital for war. At its very southern tip lies Singapore, a diamond shaped island connected to the mainland by a 1115 stone causeway. Singapore's largest asset was its naval base guarding the passage from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Together Malay and Singapore represented the key to controlling what Japan called the Southern Resource Area. Singapore was known as the gibraltar of the east for good reason. It was a massively fortified naval base. The base had been developed between 1923-1938 and cost 60 million pounds, around 2 billion pounds today. It was 21 square miles, had the largest dry dock in the world, the 3rd largest floating dock and enough fuel tanks to support the entire royal navy for 6 months. She was defended by 15 inch naval guns stationed at the Johre battery, Changi and Buona vista battery. And despite the infamous myth some of you may have heard, these guns were fully capable of turning in all directions including the mainland. For those unaware a myth perpetuated after the fall of Singapore that her large 15 inch guns could not turn to the mainland and that this spelt her doom, no it was not that, it was the fact they mostly had armor piercing shells which are using to hit ships and not land targets. Basically if you fire an armor piercing shell at land it imbeds itself then explodes, while HE shells would have torn any Japanese army to pieces. Alongside the 15 inch monsters, there were countless other artillery pieces such as 9.2 inch guns. By December of 1941 Malaya and Singapore held 164 first line aircraft out of a total of 253 aircraft, but many of the fighters were the obsolete Brewster F2A Buffalo, a pretty slow, fat little beast that could take a licking as it was armored, but against the Zero fighter it was unbelievably outmatched in speed and maneuverability. The Japanese acquired a major gift prior to the outbreak of war. On november 11th, 1940, the SS Automedon, a German raider attacked the HMS Atlantis which was carrying documents intended for the British far east command. The documents indicated the British fleet was not going to help Singapore; that Britain would not declare war if Thailand was invaded and that Hong Kong was expendable. The Germans gave the documents to the Japanese who were very excited by the information. Starting in January of 1941, Colonel Masanobu Tsuji led the Taiwan Army Research section based on Formosa to investigate how a campaign could be waged in Malay and Singapore. His findings on the defenses of Malay and Singapore were summed up in these 3 points: 1. Singapore Fortress was solid and strong facing the sea, but vulnerable on the peninsular side facing the Johore Strait; Newspaper reports of a strong Royal Air Force (RAF) presence were propaganda; Although British forces in Malaya numbered from five to six divisions (well over 80,000 men), less than half were Europeans. Now just a little bit about Tsuji as he was to become the chief of staff operations and planning under Yamashita. Tsuji was extremely insubordinate and a political schemer. He was a Toseiha faction fanatic, loyal to Tojo and thus definitely an enemy to Yamashita. Yamashita wrote of Tsuji in his war diary “is egotistical and wily. He is a sly dog and unworthy to serve the country. He is a manipulator to be carefully watched.” Tsuji would go on to have a infamous reputation for ordering atrocities in the name of his superiors, often without them knowing and this would be very much the case under Yamashita. Now using Tsuji's intelligence Yamashita began plans at his HQ at Samah, a port on Hainan island, starting in November of 1941 on how to launch the campaign. He was initially offered 5 divisions for the invasion, but he felt he could accomplish the objective with only three. There are a few reasons why he believed this; first, Tsuji's research suggested the peninsula roads would be the center of the battlefront and that the flanks would extend no more than a km or so to the left or right due to the dense jungle terrain (in fact Yamashita was planning to assault from the jungle specifically); 2nd intelligence indicated the defending troops were not of the highest caliber (the British were busy in Europe thus many of the troops in southeast asia were poorly trained, half were british regulars the rest were Australian, Indian and Malayan); 3rd Yamashita was aware “the Japanese army were in the habit of flinging more troops into the battle than could possibly be maintained” boy oh boy tell that one to the future boys on Guadalcanal. Thus he calculated 3 divisions was the maximum to be fed, equipped and supplied. Based on his recommendations the 25th army was created with 3 divisions; the 5th under Lt General Takuma Matsui; 18th under Lt General Renya Mutaguchi and the Imperial guards division of Lt General Takuma Nishimura. Supporting these would be two regiment of heavy field artillery and the 3rd tank brigade. Something that made Yamashita's campaign quite interesting was the usage and amount of tanks. He was invading with around 200 or so tanks consisting of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 89 I-Go medium tanks and Type 97 Te-Ke tankettes. For aircraft he had the 3rd Air division, 459 aircraft strong with an additional 159 aircraft from the IJN to support them. The 3rd air division had a variety of aircraft such as Nakajima Ki-27 Nate's, Nakajima ki-43 Oscars, Kitsubishi ki-51 Sonia's, Kawasaki ki-48 Lily's, Mitsubishi ki-21 sally's, Mitsubishi ki-30 Ann's, Mitsubishi ki-15 babs and Mitsubishi ki-46 dinahs. For the IJN it was the 22nd air flotilla using Mitsubishi G3M1 Nell's, Mitsubishi A5M4 Claudes and some A6M Zeros. To say it was a lot of firepower at his disposal is an understatement, Yamashita was packing heat, heat he could use in a blitzkrieg fashion. His staff at Samah identified 5 operational objectives: 1 Simultaneous capture of Singora and Patani, Thailand and Kota Bharu, Malaya. 2 Capture of all enemy airfields in southern Thailand and Malaya. 3 Occupation of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya. 4 Occupation of Johore Bahru, and control of Johore Strait. 5 Conquest of Singapore. Colonel Tsuji, appointed Chief of Operations and Planning for the 25th Army, proposed the following plan which was readily approved: Land the main strength of the 5th Division simultaneously and without warning at Singora and Patani, and at the same time land a powerful section of the 18th Division to attack Kota Bharu. The troops disembarked at Singora and Patani to press forward immediately to attack the line of the Perak River Hand capture its bridge and the Alor Star aerodrome. The troops landed at Kota Bharu to press forward along the eastern coast as far as Kuantan. The landing at Kota Bharu, the only one in Malaya was expected to be opposed and quite risky. But if it was successful, it would create a useful diversion away from the main force landings in Thailand. The landings took place around 2:15am local time on December 8th, about an hour and 20 minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The landings went largely unopposed, except at Kota Bahru where the Japanese saw heavy resistance. The British had anticipated this landing point and created operation Matador, a plan to pre-emptively invade southern thailand to secure defensive lines against the Japanese, however this plan was never accepted by British high command for obvious political reasons. But on December 5th, with a Japanese invasion looking certain, suddenly London gave permission to the Far east commanders to decide if Operation matador should be activated or not. The commander in Malaya, General Arthur Percival recommended forestalling it, fearing to violate Thai sovereignty, which ultimately would be the doom of a defense for Malaya. At the battle of Kota Bharu, the 9th infantry division of Major General Barstow attempted holding off the Japanese from taking the important Kota Bharu airfield. The 8th brigade of Billy Key had fortified the beaches with pillboxes, barbed wire and land mines. The Japanese took heavy losses, but they were able to find gaps and fill them up until Brigadier Key had to ask permission to pull out. The royal air force at Kota Bharu tossed Hudson bombers to hit the troop transports, but it was a suicide mission to do so. Meanwhile the IJA 5th division landed at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand while the Imperial guards division marched over the border from French Indochina. The Japanese encountered very little resistance, the leader of Thailand Plaek Pibulsonggram had been trying to get assurances from the allies and Japanese all the way up until the invasion, once the Japanese landed he knew his best option was to play nice and sign an armistice. This basically spelt doom for malaya as the Japanese were given access to Thailand's airfields which they used to smash the forward airfields in Malaya. The first day of aerial encounters were a catastrophe for the British. General Percival would comment “The rapidity with which the Japanese got their air attacks going against our aerodromes was quite remarkable. Practically all the aerodromes in Kelantan, Kedah, Province Wellesley, and Penang, were attacked, and in most cases fighters escorted the bombers. The performance of Japanese aircraft of all types, and the accuracy of their bombing, came as an unpleasant surprise. By the evening our own air force had already been seriously weakened.” Brigadier Key withdrew after causing an estimated 800 casualties upon the Japanese while taking roughly 465. While Kota Bharu was being fought over, Percival unleashed Operation Krohcol, a 2.0 of Matador seeing British forces cross into Thailand to intercept the incoming enemy. It was an absolute disaster, the British attackers were defeated not only by the Japanese 5th division, but some Royal Thai police also defended their territory. The operation had basically become a race to who could seize the important focal point first and the Japanese took it first thus winning decisively. To add to that misery, force Z, consisting of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales,, battlecruiser Repulse and 4 destroyers tried to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet only to be utterly destroyed by overwhelming Japanese airforces. Within 4 days of the landings, the 5th division advanced from Singora through the town of Jitra to capture the RAF airfield at Alor star, around 100 miles away. Yamashita managed this using flanking techniques that saw his army take town after town and airfield after airfield. There were numerous natural obstacles to the advance such as dense jungles, very long supply lines, torrential rain and heat, but he had a secret weapon, bicycles. At Jitra Percival made his first major stand. Holding Jitra would safeguard the northern airfields of Malaya, but it was a folly to do so as the airfields in question were not provided adequate aircraft and the British lacked something extremely important to be able to defend themselves, tanks. Colonel Tsuji saw the fighting at Jitra first hand and reported “Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot … The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks … It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue.” The British had spread themselves far too thinly across a 14 mile front with jungle on their right flank and rubber plantations and mangrove swamps to their left. Yamashita used a innovative blitzkrieg like tactic, he combined his air, artillery, tanks and bicycle infantry to punch holes in concentrated attacks forcing allied defenders to withdraw. As Percival would write later in his memoirs “This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred … the withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased” Yamashita had ingeniously thought of employing large numbers of bicycles for his infantry so they could keep up momentum and speed with his mechanized forces. Oh and he didn't bring thousands of bicycles over to Malaya, the real genius was that they were there ready for him. His intelligence prior to the invasion indicated nearly all civilians in malaya had bicycles, so when the Japanese came over they simply stole them. Half of Yamashitas troops moved in motor vehicles while the rest road on 18,000 bicycles. As noted by Tsuji “With the infantry on bicycles, there was no traffic congestion or delay. Wherever bridges were destroyed the infantry continued their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream.” They Japanese overwhelmed the defenders who were forced to fight, flee into the jungles or flee along the roads where they were simply outsped by the faster Japanese. The defenders left numerous stores of food, abandoned vehicles, and supplies that Yamashita's men would dub “churchill's allowance”. British Lt Colonel Spencer Chapmanwas forced to hide on the sides of roads watching Japanese pedal past remarking “The majority were on bicycles in parties of forty or fifty, riding three or four abreast and talking and laughing just as if they were going to a football match.” The Japanese had the ability to carry their gear on the bicycles, giving them an enormous advantage over the allies fleeing on foot. The Japanese could travel faster, further and less fatigued. When the British destroyed 250 bridges during their flight, “the Japanese infantry (to continue) their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream”. The British could not escape the bicycle blitzkrieg as it became known, countless were forced to surrender under constant pressure and relentless pursuit. Alongside the bicycle warfare, whenever Yamashita faced terrain unsuitable for his tanks, he ordered amphibious landings further south to outflank the enemy's rear. Meanwhile the war in the air went equally terrible for the allies. The RAF had pulled back its best pilots and aircraft to deal with the war for Britain against the Luftwaffe. 21 airfields were in Malaya and Singapore, few of them had modern facilities, only 15 concrete runways. The heavy rain made the grass airstrips unusable. All the airfields were allocated around 8 heavy and 8 light anti aircraft guns. Quality radar units were completely inadequate. The Super Spitfires and Hyper Hurricanes were mostly in Britain fighting the Germans, while Buffaloes were allocated to Malaya. The Japanese airforces easily overcame the allied opposition and established air superiority quickly. Launching from airfields in Vietnam, they bombed all the airfields into submission and continuously applied pressure to Singapore. . The aerial dominance of the Zero and ‘Oscar' fighters served to undermine the morale of the British infantryman on the ground. As historian H. P. Wilmot has observed, “in the opening phase of the war the Zero-sen was just what the Japanese needed, and the Allies were devastated by the appearance of a ‘super fighter.' To add insult to injury, every airfield taken starting at the most northern going further and further south towards Singapore offered the Japanese new launching points to make for faster attack. Yamashita's forces reached the southern tip of the peninsula in just 8 weeks, his men had covered some 700 miles, about 12 miles a day on average. They fought 95 large and smaller battles doing so. Multiple lines of defense were erected one after another to try and halt the Japanese advance, to kill their momentum. Starting at the beach landings, to Jitra, then to Kampar, over the Slim river, then Johor. The British failed to employ “leave behind forces” to provide guerilla warfare in lost territories leading not only the Japanese to easily consolidate their gains, the Thai's also came down and grabbed some territory. At the battle of Muar Major General Gordon Bennet deployed the allied defenders south of the Muar River and it was widely believed here they would finally halt the Japanese. Then the Imperial Guards division outflanked them performing an amphibious landing and advancing down the coastal route. The 5th Japanese division followed a parallel route through the center and the 18th division landed near Endau. The allies were thus surrounded and took heavy casualties, countless were forced to flee through swamps and thick jungle abandoned their stuff. Gordons 45th brigade were absolutely shattered, effectively disbanded and left north of the Muar river as the rest of the allies fled south. The defeat at Muar broke the British belief they could hold even a toehold on Malay. Percivals strategy to fight delaying actions until the arrival of reinforcements to Singapore had fatally undermined his troops ability to hold onto defensive positions. As the British governor of the Johore straits settlement, Sir Shenton Thomas would say on January 6th ‘“We … have gone in for mechanized transport to the nth degree. It is a fearsomely cumbersome method. We have pinned our faith to the few roads but the enemy used tracks and paths, and gets round to our rear very much as he likes.”” Yet alongside the conquest came a series of atrocities. At the Parit Sulong Bridge south of the Muar, Captain Rewi Snelling was left behind with 150 wounded Australian and Indian soldiers not able to trek south. The Imperial guards division herded them into buildings, denied them medical treatment, many of the Indians were beheaded, others shot. This become known as the parit sulong massacre. Its hard to saw what Yamashita would have known about this incident, it technically was under the command of Takuma nishimura. On January 22nd, Nishimura gave the orders for prisoners to be forced outside, doused with petrol and set on fire. Nishimura would be sentenced to life in prison by a Singapore court, but on a flight back to Japan he was hijacked by Australian military police in Hong Kong who grabbed him and held a trial for the Parit Sulong massacre, finding him guilty and hanging him on june 11th of 1951. When the Japanese reached the straits of Johore, Yamashita took several days to perform reconnaissance, allowing his forces to regroup and prepare to attack the massive fortress. His plan for the invasion would see the Imperial guards perform a feint attack on the northeast side of Singapore, landing on the nearby Palau Ubin island on february 7th. The 5th and 18th division would remain concealed in the jungle until the night of the night of the 8th when they would cross the Johore and hit the northwest side of Singapore. The causeway to Singapore had been blown up by the retreating British, but the ability for Singapore to defend itself from a northern attack was lackluster. When Churchill was told by Wavell the Japanese sat on the other side of the Johore strait ready to attack the fortress he said ““I must confess to being staggered by Wavell's telegram. It never occurred to me for a moment that … Singapore … was not entirely fortified against an attack from the Northwards …”” With barely enough supplies or logistical support for his campaign, Yamashita's rapid advance down the Malay peninsula walked a tightrope of what was possible. His 70,000 men of which 30,000 were frontline troops had overcome a British force double their number. In Japan he garnered the epithet “Tiger of Malaya”, which ironically he was not too happy about. Later on in the war he would bark at a German attache “I am not a tiger. The tiger attacks its prey in stealth but I attack the enemy in a fair play”. By this point Singapore had swollen from a population of 550,000to nearly a million. Percival had a total of 70,000 infantry of mixed experience plus 15,000 clerks and support staff to man lines if necessary. 38 battalions, 17 Indian, 13 British, 6 Australian and 2 Malayan. He placed his weakest troops west of the causeway, near the abandoned naval base rather than nearby the airfield which he considered was going to be Yamashita's thrust. He placed his best forces over there, which would prove fatally wrong as Yamashita hit west of the causeway. Yamashita meanwhile could only muster 30,000 troops, he was outnumbered 2:1 and amphibious assaults called for the attacker to hold a 2:1 advantage for success. Yamashita's men were exhausted, they had suffered 4565 casualties, roughly 1793 deaths in their 55 day advance south. Worse yet, Yamashita had a critical supply issue. He had greatly exceeded his supply lines and had been surviving on the abandoned churchill stores along the way. His ammunition was critical low, it is said he was down to 18 functional tanks, allowing his men to fire 100 rounds per day, the fuel ran out, and as Yamashita put it “My attack on Singapore was a bluff—a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.” He told his men of the 5th and 18th division not to build any cooking fires so they could conceal their positions in the jungle as he gathered hundreds of collapsible boats and other crafts to ford the strait. He gathered 40 divisional commanders and senior officers to a rubber plantation and with a flushed red face read out his attack orders while pouring them Kikumasamune (ceremonial wine). He made a traditional toast and said “It is a good place to die; surely we shall conquer”. He had to get the British to surrender quickly, he had to essentially ‘bluff” his enemy. He had to make the British think he was fully armed and supplied for a prolonged siege, how could he do so? He fired his artillery like a mad man, knowing full well they would run out of shells. Starting on February 3rd, Yamashita's artillery supported by aerial bombings hit Singapore for 5 days. On the night of the 7th, 400 Imperial Guards crossed to the Ibin island performing their feint attack. Percivals attention was grabbed to the east successfully, while on the night of the 8th the 5th and 18th divisions assembled carefully at the water's edge. At 8:30pm the first wave of 4000 Japanese troops crossed the Johore strait aboard 150 small vessels. The noise of their engines was drowned out by artillery. The thinly spread Australian lines, 3000 or so men led by Major General Bennet were breached fast leading to pockets of surrounded australian troops. As Lewis Gunner cliff olsen recalled “We were horribly spread out and it was pitch black and they [Japanese troops] were very hard to see. They walked through us half the time.” A beachhead was formed, a soon 14,000 Japanese had crossed by dawn. Communications broke down for the allies, Percival unwilling to believe the Japanese's main thrust was in the west declined to send reinforcements there. When he did finally realize the main thrust was in the west he began to withdraw troops from quiet sectors and built up a reserve. The Japanese held air supremacy and their artillery was fierce. The big 15 inch guns of singapore held mostly armor piercing shells designed to hit ships, there were few HE shells available. When they fired upon the Japanese the shells would hit the ground they would embed deeply before exploding doing little damage. The defenders had no tanks, basically no more aircraft. The last departing ships fled the scene as everything was burning chaos around them. Morale was breaking for the defenders. By the 9th, Japanese bombers were raining bombs on allied positions unopposed. Bennet was forced to pull men back to a new line of defense from the east of the Tengah airfield to the north of Jurong. Poor communications hampered the northern sector of Brigadier Duncan Maxwell whose troops actually battered the hell out of the Imperial Guards who had landed at 10pm on the 9th. The Imperial guards gradually managed a foothold on a beach, but Maxwell feared encirclement and withdrew his men against direct orders of Bennet. The retreat opened up the flank of the 11th indian division who were overrun. All of the beaches west of the causeway fell to the enemy, when they did Yamashita brought over his tanks to smash the new Jurong line. The Japanese could have potentially stormed the city center at this point, but they held back, because in reality, Percival had created a formidable reserve in the middle. The Australian 22nd brigade took the brunt of the fighting. Yamashita was running out of reserves and his attacks were reaching their limit, but he needed the battle to end swiftly. Yamashita was shocked and shaken when he received a report that the British troop strength within the city was twice what they believed. With covert desperation, Yamashita ordered his artillery to fire until their last rounds and sent Percival a demand for surrender. “In the spirit of chivalry we have the honour of advising your surrender. Your army, founded on the traditional spirit of Great Britain, is defending Singapore, which is completely isolated, and raising the fame of Great Britain by the ut¬ most exertions and heroic feelings. . . . From now on resistance is futile and merely increases the danger to the million civilian inhabitants without good reason, exposing them to infliction of pain by fire and sword. But the development of the general war situation has already sealed the fate of Singapore, and the continuation of futile resistance would only serve to inflict direct harm and in¬ juries to thousands of non-combatants living in the city, throwing them into further miseries and horrors of war. Furthermore we do not feel you will in¬ crease the fame of the British Army by further resistance.” Singapore had received another order prior to this from Churchill “It is certain that our troops on Singapore Island greatly outnumber any Japanese that have crossed the Straits. We must defeat them. Our whole fighting reputation is at stake and the honour of the British Empire. The Americans have held out on the Bataan Peninsula against far greater odds, the Russians are turning back the picked strength of the Germans, the Chinese with almost complete lack of mod¬ ern equipment have held the Japanese for AVi years. It will be disgraceful if we yield our boasted fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces. There must be no thought ofsparing troops or the civil population and no mercy must be shown to weakness in any shape or form. Commanders and senior officers must lead their troops and if necessary die with them. There must be no question or thought of surrender. Every unit must fight it out to the end and in close contact with the enemy. ... I look to you and your men to fight to the end to prove that the fighting spirit that won our Empire still exists to enable us to defend it.” What was Percival to do? The Japanese had seized control over Singapore water reservoirs, the population would die of thirst within 2-3 days. Japanese shells were causing fires and death everywhere. People were panicking, trying to get on the very last boats leaving the port, even though that surely meant death to the IJN. An American sailor recalled “There was a lot of chaos and people killed on the docks during these bombardments. Everywhere you looked there was death. Even in the water there were dead sharks and people floating all around.” Defeatism was endemic. Australian troops were overheard saying “Chum, to hell with Malaya and Singapore. Navy let us down, air force let us down. If the bungs [natives] won't fight for their bloody country, why pick on me?” Sensing a complete collapse Percival formed a tight defense arc in front of the city, and by the 13th his commanders were telling him they believed Singapore was already doomed. Wavell was asked for approval for surrender, but he replied “to continue to inflict maximum damage on enemy for as long as possible by house-to-house fighting if necessary.” Percival then told him the water reservoirs were taken, so Wavell sent back “YOUR GALLANT STAND IS SERVING A PURPOSE AND MUST BE CONTINUED TO THE LIMIT OF ENDURANCE” On the 15th, Percival held a morning conference reported there was no more fuel, field gun nor bofor ammunition. In 24 hours their water would be done. He told them he would ask for a ceasefire at 4pm, by the end of the day Wavell gave him permission to surrender. Over at his HQ on the Bukit Timah heights, Yamashita was staring at a Union Jack fluttering over Fort Canning. Then a field phone rang, and a frontline commander reported the British were sending out a flag of truce. Meanwhile back on February the 14th, Japanese forces reached the Alexandra Barracks hospital at 1pm. At 1:40pm a British Lt greeting them waving a white flag and was bayoneted on the spot. The Japanese stormed the hospital and murdered the staff and patients. 200 male staff and patients, badly wounded were bound over night and marched to an industrial estate half a mile away. Anyone who collapsed was bayoneted. The survivors of the march were formed into small groups and hacked to death or bayoneted. For a few days over 320 men and women were massacred. Only 5 survivors would give recounts of the event. It is suspected by historians that Tsuji was the architect of the Alexandra hospital massacre. This is because he was the instigator of countless atrocities he ordered unbeknownst to his superior commanders such as Yamashita. Percival was ordered to go to the Ford motor factory to where he met with Yamashita. Yamashita was hiding his surprise that the surrender party came and as he glanced at the surrender terms he said through his interpreter “The Japanese Army will consider nothing but surrender,” Yamashita knew his forces were on the verge of running out of ammunition and he still held half troops Percival did, he was anxious Percival would figure it out. Percival replied “I fear that we shall not be able to submit our final reply before ten-thirty p.m.,” Percival had no intention of fighting on he simply wanted to work out specific details before signing the surrender. Yamashita was sure Percival was stalling. “Reply to us only whether our terms are acceptable or not. Things must be settled swiftly. We are prepared to resume firing.Unless you do surrender, we will have to carry out our night attack as scheduled.”” Percival replied ““Cannot the Japanese Army remain in its present position? We can resume negotiations again tomorrow at five-thirty A.M”. Yamashita screamed “Nani! I want the hostilities to cease tonight and I want to remind you there can be no arguments.” Percival replied ““We shall discontinue firing by eight-thirty p.m. Had we better remain in our present positions tonight?” Yamashita said yes and that firing would cease at 8:30pm and that 1000 allied men could keep arms to maintain order within the city. Yamashita stated “You have agreed to the terms but you have not yet made yourself clear as to whether you agree to surrender or not.” Percival cleared his throat and gave a simple nod. Yamashita looked at his interpreter “There's no need for all this talk. It is a simple question and I want a simple answer.” He turned to Percival and shouted, “We want to hear ‘Yes' or ‘No' from you! Surrender or fight!” Percival finally blurted out “Yes, I agree. I have a request to make. Will the Imperial Army protect the women and children and British civilians?”Yamashita replied “We shall see to it. Please sign this truce agreement”. At 7:50 the surrender was signed off, 40 minutes later Singapore was in the hands of the Japanese. In 70 days Yamashita took at the cost of 9824 casualties, had seized Malaya and Singapore, nearly 120,000 British surrendered. It was the greatest land victory in Japanese history. Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history" Churchills physician Lord Moran wrote The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? Though his mind had been gradually prepared for its fall, the surrender of the fortress stunned him. He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: 'I cannot get over Singapore', he said sadly With the fall of singapore came another atrocity, the Sook Ching massacre. After February 18th, the Japanese military began mass killings of what they deemed undesirables, mostly ethnic Chinese. It was overseen by the Kempeitai and did not stop in Singapore, but spread to Malaya. It seems the aim of the purge was to intimidate the Chinese community from performing any resistance. According to postwar testimony taken from a war correspondent embedded with the 25th army, Colonel Hishakari Takafumi, he stated an order went out to kill 50,000 Chinese, of which 20 percent of the total was issued by senior officials on Yamashita's operations staff, most likely Tsuji. It is certain at the behest of Tsuji the orders were extended to Malay. The death toll is a tricky one, the Japanese went on the record to admit to 6000 murders, the Singaporean Chinese community and the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew allege 70,000-100,000. Historians analyzing the scale of discovered mass graves after some decades think around 25,000-50,000. How much Yamashita knew of the massacre is debatable, the orders came from his office after all, but it seems Tsuji had orchestrated it. Many of Japan's generals wanted Yamashita to be appointed war minister, a move that obviously threatened then Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who feared his rival. Tojo retaliated, ordering Japan's new war hero back to Manchuria. On the surface, the assignment appeared worthy as Yamashita would serve as the first line of defense against a possible Soviet invasion. But since the two nations had signed a neutrality pact in April 1941, and Soviets were bogged down fighting the Germans, immediate war appeared unlikely. In reality, Tojo had parked Yamashita on the war's sidelines. Tojo went even further, he barred Yamashita any leave in Tokyo, preventing him from visiting his wife as well as from delivering a speech he had written for the emperor. No worries though, an aide of Yamashita's sent him three geishas. Allegedly he said this “I know they want to please me with these girls. But send them back—and don't forget to tip them.” The Tiger of Malaya would maintain a low profile in Manchuria where he received a promotion to full General. As months fell to years Yamashita sat on the sidelines helpless to aid the Japanese forces. His exile would come to an end in 1944 when Tojo was outed and the Tiger was required to try and save the Philippines from General Douglas MacArthur.
This is The Prog & Roll Radio Show 0:41 THE BEATLES Hey Bulldog 3:14 Yellow Submarine (1969) THE KINKS Arthur 5:23 Arthur or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire (1969) DAVID BOWIE Velvet Goldmine 3:13 Single B-Side (1975) THE BEATLES Happiness is a Warm Gun 2:43 White Album (1968) Prog & Roll www.Progrock.com 0:24 SCORPIONS Fly People Fly 5:04 Fly to the Rainbow (1974) BLACK SABBATH Snowblind 5:31 Vol. 4 (1972) IRON MAIDEN Quest for Fire 3:42 Piece of Mind (1983) IRON MAIDEN Hallowed Be Thy Name 7:13 The Number of the Beast (1982) Prog & Roll Radio Show with George and Nihal 0:35 GALAHAD Termination 7:15 Empires Never Last (2007) BIG BIG TRAIN Judas Unrepentant 7:17 English Electric (Part One) (2012) ARENA Painted Man 4:41 Contagion (2003) MARILLION Market Square Heroes 3:59 Single A-side (1983) PINK FLOYD The Trial 5:18 The Wall (1979) PROCOL HARUM A Rum Tale 3:24 Grand Hotel (1973) GENESIS Visions of Angels 6:51 Trespass (1970) STRAWBS Shine on Silver Sun 2:47 Hero and Heroine (1974) PINK FLOYD Brain Damage / Eclipse 5:26 The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST The Poet / After the Day 9:35 Barclay James Harvest & Other Short Stories (1971)
You can't move for people talking about the Roman Empire or the British Empire, but what about the Ottoman Empire?It spanned a huge period of time and at the heart of it was the Royal harem: enslaved women who lived in closed-off servitude to the Sultan.Peaking in the 17th century, who were these women? What were their lives like inside the palace? And why have westerners been particularly fascinated by this part of history?Joining Kate today is Dr Michael Talbot, Professor in the History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Middle East at University of Greenwich, to help us find out.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.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 take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/australian-and-new-zealand-studies
The pivotal year of 1870 brought down the curtain on the redcoat garrison world at both the metropolitan and colonial ends of the empire . . . In fewer than forty years, less than a lifetime, Aotearoa had gone from being a Māori world in which rangatira dominated, to a colony in which the settler state was in control of the economy, politics and people's social destiny. Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire (Bridget Williams Books, 2025) by Professor Charlotte Macdonald explores the lives of soldiers, sailors and their families stationed in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the British empire in the nineteenth century. Spanning the decades from 1840 to 1870, this major new history from Charlotte Macdonald places the New Zealand Wars within the wider framework of imperial power. It shows how conflict and resistance throughout the empire, from rebellion in India to the Morant Bay uprising in Jamaica, were connected to the colonial project in New Zealand. At the centre of this history are the thousands who served in the British military – from rank-and-file soldiers and bluejackets drawn from working-class Britain and Ireland, to officers from elite backgrounds who purchased their commissions. Their presence in New Zealand was vital to the imposition of imperial control, both during times of war and in the intervening years when the garrison underpinned a fragile settler economy and society. Through rich archival detail and personal accounts, Garrison World traces the structures, experiences and legacies of military occupation. Acknowledging the impact on Māori communities and whenua, the book offers a critical and unflinching account of how imperial authority was imposed – and often violently asserted. This is a compelling and significant contribution to understanding the reordering of power that shaped Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies
Anton Chaitkin is an American author, historian, and investigative journalist known for his works on U.S. political and economic history, often critiquing imperialism, oligarchy, and figures tied to the British Empire's influence in America. He gained prominence through his association with the LaRouche movement, serving as History Editor for Executive Intelligence Review, a publication linked to activist Lyndon LaRouche. Chaitkin's writing emphasizes America's revolutionary heritage, industrial progress, and struggles against elite factions, drawing from extensive research into primary sourcesTickets to Cornerstone Forum 26': https://www.showpass.com/cornerstone26/Tickets to the Mashspiel:https://www.showpass.com/mashspiel/Silver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: SNP@silvergoldbull.comText Grahame: (587) 441-9100Bow Valley Credit UnionBitcoin: www.bowvalleycu.com/en/personal/investing-wealth/bitcoin-gatewayEmail: welcome@BowValleycu.com Prophet River Links:Website: store.prophetriver.com/Email: SNP@prophetriver.comUse the code “SNP” on all ordersGet your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500
Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait – were bound together under a single imperial banner, an entity known officially as the ‘Indian Empire', or more simply as the Raj. It was the British Empire's crown jewel, a vast dominion stretching from the Red Sea to the jungles of Southeast Asia, home to a quarter of the world's population and encompassing the largest Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities on the planet. Its people used the Indian rupee, were issued passports stamped ‘Indian Empire', and were guarded by armies garrisoned in forts from the Bab el-Mandeb to the Himalayas And then, in the space of just fifty years, the Indian Empire shattered. Five partitions tore it apart, carving out new nations, redrawing maps, and leaving behind a legacy of war, exile and division. Shattered Lands, for the first time, presents the whole story of how the Indian Empire was unmade. How a single, sprawling dominion became twelve modern nations. How maps were redrawn in boardrooms and on battlefields, by politicians in London and revolutionaries in Delhi, by kings in remote palaces and soldiers in trenches. Its legacies include civil war in Burma and ongoing insurgencies in Kashmir, Baluchistan and Northeast India, and the Rohingya genocide. It is a history of ambition and betrayal, of forgotten wars and unlikely alliances, of borders carved with ink and fire. And, above all, it is the story of how the map of modern Asia was made. The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage They would always choose the Crown over their family. It was the pact they made for the honour of wearing it. Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's an ordinary, happy kind of life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time. But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne—albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident which has claimed the life of her father and her twin brother, Lexi—the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare—is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own, not knowing who she can trust. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, OUR FORTUNES, and our sacred Honor." Why did the signers of the Declaration of Independence have to pledge their fortunes (their money) to the revolutionary cause? How did unorthodox American ideas about money help win the Revolutionary War? And were the Founding Fathers, in fact, the first crypto bros? We explore these ideas in this episode about money, bills of credit, taxes and coinage in the 13 Colonies and the British Empire with economic historian Dr. Andrew Edwards. Topics include: -an explanation of money as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value -a survey of the different forms of money that existed int he 1700s -the use of the novel payment system of BILLS OF CREDIT to pay for military expeditions due to the shortage of gold and silver in the Colonies -its use in the first invasion of French Canada in 1690 by Massachusetts -early British thinkers about money in the 1600s, including Cromwell's Treasurer of the Army, John Blackwell -the use of bills of credit and taxes to pay for Colonial infrastructure and other collective projects -the creation of the Continental Dollar -the fragility of the new American financial system, given that the British Army both captured entire regions, eliminating all the tax revenue there, and also printed counterfeit Continentals to undermine faith in the system -the collapse of the Continental Dollar and the US financial system while the war was still raging -the creation in 1781-82 of the Bank of North America in Philadelphia, which mimicked the Bank of England -the eventual triumph of the English banking model despite the triumph of the Colonies in the War of Independence
With reaction to the autumn Budget still on the lips of news outlets everywhere, your co-pilots are here to make sense of the chaos.Allison doesn't hold back and thinks Reeves has ‘lied' to the electorate and inflated her own words in order to try and sneak her Budget past everyone.Meanwhile Liam thinks the fighting between Number 10 and 11 is harming the economy on a fundamental scale.Meanwhile stowaway Lord Nigel Biggar tells the co-pilots why history should recognise the UK fought against slavery across the British Empire.Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorRead Allison ‘A jury took 17 minutes to find Jamie ‘not guilty'. I hate to think what a Left-wing judge would've done': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/02/jury-trials-lammy-left-wing-judiciary/ |Read Allison ‘Joyless and fake, what a strange person Meghan is': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/03/id-pay-not-to-spend-a-christmas-with-meghan-and-harry/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ | Read Liam ‘If Labour sticks two fingers up to the bond market, Britain will pay the price': https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/30/labour-two-fingers-bond-market-britain-pay-price/ |Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read Liam's Substack: https://liamhalligan.substack.com/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carl, Harry and Josh discuss the long shadow of the British Empire.
While Cathleen and I are working on new content for the podcast—lots of great episodes are on the way—we're also taking time to revisit some of Michael's excellent past interviews.For my second “best of” pick, I chose Episode 54, The Allure of Empire, which first aired on July 4, 2023. In this episode, Michael talks with historian Chris Suh about his award-winning book The Allure of Empire: American Encounters with Asians in the Age of Transpacific Expansion and Exclusion. Suh's work invites us to rethink the Gilded Age and Progressive Era through the lens of empire—tracing how U.S. expansion in the Pacific intertwined with racial exclusion and the politics of belonging at home.It's a rich, thought-provoking conversation that shows how the legacies of the Gilded Age still shape America's place in the world today.We hope you'll enjoy (re)listening as much as we did—and, as always, we'd love to hear which past episodes have been your favourites!Essential Reading:Chris Suh, The Allure of Empire: American Encounters with Asians in the Age of Transpacific Expansion and Exclusion (2023).Recommended Reading:David C. Atkinson, The Burden of White Supremacy: Containing Asian Migration in the British Empire and the United States (2016).Eiichiro Azuma, Between Two Empires: Race, History, and Transnationalism in Japanese America (2005).Thomas Bender, A Nation among Nations: America's Place in World History (2006).Akira Iriye, Pacific Estrangement: Japanese and American Expansion, 1897– 1911 (1972).Richard S. Kim, The Quest for Sovereignty: Korean Immigration Nationalism and U.S. Sovereignty, 1905– 1945 (2011). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Calls to rename streets with British empire origins. Should we or is making an issue when none exist? Shane and Ciara discusses this morning.
A Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent St. Matthew 21:1-13 by William Klock The Gospel we read on Christmas Day is the introduction to St. John's Gospel. Those familiar words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” The light, God's Messiah, Jesus has come into the world. He's brought light into the darkness. He's brought life into the middle of death. In him, God has become present to the world. But between us and Christmas, between us and the coming of the light, stands Advent—to remind us what the world was like before light and life came into the midst of darkness and death—so that we might appreciate more the gift that God has given us in Jesus, so that we might appreciate more his love, his mercy, and his grace; so that we might appreciate more his faithfulness as we see his promises fulfilled in the Christmas story. So that we might better live out the story he's given us in preparation for the day when he comes again. And so Advent begins with Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed king, on the Sunday before his crucifixion. Palm Sunday. Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Today we have St. Matthew's telling of that day. He writes—at the beginning of Chapter 21: “When they came near to Jerusalem and arrived at Bethpage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead.” The road from Jericho up to Jerusalem made its final approach to the city around the southern slope of the Mount of Olives. As the road came over the ridge, there was Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, a mass of great walls and rooftops, and above it all on Mount Zion, was the temple—the place where earth and heaven were supposed to overlap, the place where men and women could draw near to the presence of God, the shekinah, the cloud of glory that sat on the ark in the holy of holies. A cloud of smoke went up perpetually from the altar in the temple court where the burnt offerings were made. This was the scene that met Jesus as the road took him over the Mount of Olives: the city, bustling with crowds of visitors for the Passover, the temple in all its beautiful glory standing above the city, and that column of smoke going up, an aroma to the Lord. A Jewish man or woman, walking over that ridge and seeing this scene ahead, might be overcome. It was heaven on earth—or the closest you could get to it. It was a scene of glory. It was a scene that would make your heart swell with pride, knowing that you were the people who lived with the living God in your midst. And it was exciting for all these people travelling from the outlying regions of Judea and Galilee—like they were arriving at the centre of the universe. I think of the description Victorian travellers gave of arriving in London, to the heart of the British Empire. To the way I've heard New Yorkers talk of flying home from other parts of the world and seeing the skyscrapers or the Statue of Liberty out the window and knowing that you're home and swelling with pride because their home is—today—the centre of the universe. This past March, Veronica I drove down Highway 101 to the central California Coast. Between Sausalito and the Marin Headlands, you pass through the Waldo Tunnel and when you come out the south end of the tunnel, you're greeted with a stunning panoramic vista of the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco's skyscrapers in the background. That's where I was born. And when we drove out of the tunnel and saw that view, I think I felt something very much like the Jews would have felt coming round the Mount of Olives and seeing Jerusalem and the temple in the distance. Jesus' disciples—a bunch of bumpkins from Galilee, way up in the north—must have felt that way. But not Jesus. Matthew leaves this part out, but St. Luke tells us that Jesus, seeing that beautiful and glorious view, stopped and began to sob. The beauty, the glory wasn't lost on him, but he sobbed because he knew that it masked a people with no heart for God. The city and temple were like a whitewashed tomb—beautiful, but full of dead men's bones. He knew—as everyone knew, but dared not admit—the glory, the presence of God was not there. The smoke my have risen from the altar, but the holy holies was bare and empty—just like the heart of the people. Jesus saw the coming judgement of God on a faithless people. He saw the city and the temple as they would be in a generation: a smoking ruin. Matthew puts our attention on Jesus' acted out prophecy. He sends two of his disciples ahead into the village of Bethphage, “‘Go into the village,' he said, ‘and at once you'll find a donkey tied up and a foal beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, say, “The lord needs them, and he'll send them back straightaway.”' He sent them off at once….So the disciples went off and did as Jesus had told them. They brought the donkey and its foal and put their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.” Why? Well, says Matthew, “This happened so that the prophet's words might be fulfilled: ‘Tell this to Zion's daughter: Behold! Here comes your king; humble and riding on a donkey, yes, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matthew quotes from the Prophet Zechariah. Matthew could see what Jesus was doing here. Jesus never did anything randomly or without reason. The location, the donkey, the colt—they're all important. Jesus could have taken a different route to Jerusalem, but he picked this one so that he'd be standing on the Mount of Olives when all this happened. This was the spot were Zechariah said that the Lord would stand when he came in judgement on faithless Jerusalem. And Zechariah explains the strange command to the disciples about the donkey. This was not how kings made their triumphal processions. At least, not ordinary kings. They were carried by their servants or they rode on horseback or in a chariot. But Zechariah, hundreds of years before, had highlighted the humble nature of the coming Messiah. He was the one who would ride to his coronation on the back of a humble donkey. Jesus' acted out prophecy reveals who he is and it exposes all the wrong ideas his people had about the Lord and his Messiah—and it probably exposes some of our wrong ideas, too. To the people who longed for the Lord to come in judgement on the nations, Jesus comes in judgement to his own people. To the people who imagined the Messiah coming in a chariot with a great army to liberate Jerusalem and to reign over his people like a greater David, Jesus comes riding on a donkey with an army of ordinary pilgrims. To the people who imagined God coming in merciless, vengeful, pitiless wrath to bring judgement on sin, Jesus comes in humility, weeping over the coming judgement. Jesus is coming to take his throne, to fulfil what the Prophets—like Zechariah—had spoken, to show the Lord's faithfulness, but not in the way anyone expected. I think of our Epistle today from Romans, where St. Paul writes those words: “Owe no one anything, but to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the torah.” I don't think Paul could have written those words before he met the risen Jesus. He certainly knew what the greatest commandments were: to love God and to love his neighbour. But he didn't understand. He was part of that Jerusalem Jesus wept over. A city that talked about love of God and love of neighbour, but a city—a nation—of people at each other's throats, a people longing eagerly for fire and brimstone to rain down on their enemies, a people with little if any thought for those in their midst most in need, a people ready to cry out in demonic rage for the crucifixion of their own Messiah. And a people who did all these things with an absolute and devoted passion for a God they utterly misunderstood. And this was why what should have been the beating heart of Jerusalem—the presence of the living God in the temple—this is why it, why he was missing. The people had returned from their Babylonian exile, they had rebuilt the temple, but the heart of the people was still far from God. They were impure. Their salt had lost its savour. Their light had turned to darkness. They were false witnesses of their God. And so his presence, the cloud of glory, had never returned. The road to Jerusalem was jammed with people who say Jesus sobbing. They probably thought his tears were tears of joy to see the holy city. Little did they know. They were just excited to see him. They'd heard the stories. Word was no doubt spread through about the healing of blind Bartimaeus in Jericho. Pilgrims from Galilee told others of the amazing things Jesus had done and taught there. And as the disciples places their coats on the donkey and Jesus took his place, word was going through the crowd: “That's him!” So, says Matthew, “the great crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and scattered them on the road. The crowds went on ahead of him and those who were following behind shouted: ‘Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” The crowd surrounds Jesus. All the way to Jerusalem they'd been singing the psalms of ascent and the royal psalms. Songs full of hope. Psalms about that recalled the glory days of David, psalms about God coming to his people, psalms about God finally setting this broken world to rights. Psalms that looked forward to the coming Messiah. And now—maybe, they hoped—here he was. Not like anyone expected, but they'd heard the stories. Maybe they'd heard him preaching. Maybe they'd seen his miracles. And that was enough. So they parade him down the Mount of Olives, across the valley, and back up and into the gates of Jerusalem. Along the way they, Matthew says, they laid their coats and palm branches on the ground. Now it's the people acting out prophetically even if they didn't know it. Matthew, writing to a Jewish audience makes sure that as they read this, they're reminded of a scene or two from their own history. In 2 Kings 9 we read about Jehoram. He was King of Israel, the son of the wicked King Ahab. And in Jehoram, the apple had not fallen far from the tree. He was as wicked as his father, so the prophet Elisha ordered that Jehu, instead, was to be anointed King in his place. He announced that Jehu would bring the Lord's judgement on the wicked house of Ahab. As Jehu was anointed by the prophet, the men who were gathered cast their coats on the ground before him and blew a trumpet. And then there's Judas Maccabeus. 2 Maccabees 10:7 describes the people hailing Judas as king by laying wreathes and palm branches at his feet. Judas had not only defeated Israel's enemies and liberated the nation, but he had purified the temple from its defilement by the Greeks. He was a national hero—particularly for the Pharisees and the Zealots. Judas' kingdom inspired hope. But Jehu was not the saviour the people hoped for. As a king he was a mixed bag. He put an end to the more outrageous form of idolatry in Judah. He got rid of the altars to Baal. But he never removed the golden calves that Jeroboam has set up at Bethel and Dan. He failed to dig out the root of Judah's idolatry and faithlessness to the Lord. In the end, the Lord still allowed the people to be exiled for their faithlessness. And Judas Maccabeus. He was a national hero. But his kingdom was short-lived. The shekinah never returned to the temple, despite his zealousness for torah. The hope he'd brought to the people was quickly crushed. But this time, looking at Jesus, the people hoped, it would be different. And so they sing to him. They acclaim him as the Messiah, the anointed king. “Hosanna—save us—O son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. O Hosanna—save us—we cry to heaven!” Matthew gives us a sense of the longing and hope of the people. They're desperate for the Lord to come and set their broken world to rights. Jesus sees it too and I expect it made him weep all the more, because he knew that God's new world was not going to come the way they wanted it to, he knew that he would not going to his messianic throne the way they wanted him to, because he knew that to set everything to rights would mean judging the sin and corruption of his people and the city and even the temple. And he knew the only way to his throne was through their rejection and death on Roman cross. But on he went into the city. Acting out the prophecy. Matthew writes that “When they came into Jerusalem, the whole city was gripped with excitement. ‘Who is this?' they were saying. ‘This is the prophet, Jesus,' replied the crowds, ‘from Nazareth in Galilee!” This is the Prophet. They weren't saying that Jesus was just another prophet. He was the Prophet. The one the people hailed Jesus as in our Gospel last Sunday, after he fed the multitude. He was the one promised to come, like another Moses, to save the people and lead them out of bondage. In other words, “This is the Messiah, Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.” He had come to take his throne. And so from the gate of the city, Jesus led the triumphal parade of cheering people through the winding streets—the same route he would take in reverse, bearing a cross, just five days later. He made his way up and up through the city to the temple and through the gate. And when he got there, Matthew says, “Jesus threw out all the people who were buying and selling in the temple. He flipped over the tables of the money-changers and the seats of the dove-sellers. ‘It is written,' he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a lair of bandits!” Jehu and Judas Maccabeus had cleansed the temple. That was the expectation of the Messiah. But not like this. I think we often focus too much on Jesus' actions as a condemnation of the commerce going on in the temple—probably because we're aware of the evils of our own overly materialistic and commercialistic culture. I don't think Jesus was angered by the commerce itself. People needed animals for the sacrifices and not everyone was a farmer. A lot of people were travelling from far away and it wasn't easy or realistic to bring the animals with them. And the money changers, well, since the temple only used its own coinage, they were at least a necessary evil. Nevertheless when you think of Mary and Joseph going to the temple for her purification after the birth of Jesus and offering two turtledoves, it says something about how poor they were. When you think about the words of her Magnificat, singing about filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away empty, when you think of the widow offering her “mite” in the offering box, you certainly get the sense that the system was privileging the rich and making access to the temple a burden for the poor—and in that this whole system was emblematic of the way in which Israel had lost the heart of God and was desperately in need of judgment…or renewal…or as it would happen: both. But the really important thing about Jesus flipping tables and driving out the merchants is something I think we're prone to missing. Again, this is another acted out prophecy. The really important thing is that what Jesus did brought the work of the priests and the whole sacrificial system that day to a grinding halt. It goes along with everything else he said about the temple—like announcing that he would tear it down and rebuild it in three day—and it goes right along with all the times that he bypassed the temple, the priests, and the sacrificial system by offering forgiveness apart from them. That, far more than everything else, is what had angered the Pharisees. That was what got him arrested and crucified. So what Jesus is getting at here is that the Messiah has come, not just to purify the temple, but to establish a new and better one. To really inaugurate the work of new creation that the old temple had always pointed to. The people had forgotten this. The temple was never meant to be an end in itself. The temple pointed to God's future—to the day when sin is gone, to the day when creation is made new and the garden restored, and to the day when men and women are made new as well, to the day when a renewed humanity once again lives in God's presence and serves in his temple as priests. And, Brothers and Sisters, that's what Jesus inaugurated through his crucifixion and resurrection. He shed his blood, not for a building, not for an altar made of stone, but for a people: a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for their sins. At the cross, Jesus washed his people clean and he's washed them—he's washed us clean—so that we can be God's temple. And so Jesus rose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of his Father, the perfect man, the new Adam, to take up his vocation as high priest. And as high priest, he's poured God's Spirit into his people, purified by his blood. He's made us his temple and called us to join in the vocation we were originally created for: to be God's priests and stewards serving beside our saviour. So Advent comes as a forced pause. We're racing towards Christmas and to the joy it represents. And the church says, “Hold on. Slow down. You need to stop and think about what it all means. You need to stop and think about why Jesus came, why he was born, why it was necessary for light and life to be born into the world. You need to reflect on the darkness of this fallen and broken world. You need to reflect on the awfulness of sin and of death and of our slavery to them so that you can fully appreciate the gift in the manger with more than mushy holiday sentimentalism. This is the Messiah, this is the saviour—Israel's saviour and now our saviour. Come not just to make us feel good, but come to deliver us from sin and death, come to set God's creation to rights. Come to purify us with his blood, to dwell in the midst of the people, to fill us with Gods' Spirit, and to sweep us up into his messianic mission. Brothers and Sisters, to make us the people in whom the world encounters the glory of the living God and meets the humble saviour whose kingdom has come, not by a sword, but by the cross. To make us stewards of the Gospel that, empowered by the Spirit, we might prepare the world for Jesus' return. Let's pray: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
EPISODE 639 - Deepa Anappara - Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, Letters to a Writer of Colour and The Last of EarthDeepa Anappara's debut novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line was named as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and NPR. It won the Edgar Award for Best Novel, was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020, and shortlisted for the JCB Prize for Indian Literature. Time included it in its list of ‘The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time'. It has been translated into over twenty languages.Anappara is the co-editor of Letters to a Writer of Colour, a collection of personal essays on fiction, race, and culture, published by Random House (US) and Vintage (UK) in 2023. Her second novel, The Last of Earth, will be published by Random House in the US, and Penguin Random House in India, in January 2026, and by Oneworld in the UK in February 2026.She has a PhD in Creative-Critical Writing and an MA in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia, Norwich. She teaches creative writing and is a mentor on the South Asia Speaks mentorship programme for emerging writers in South Asia. Anappara was born in Kerala, southern India, and worked as a journalist in India for eleven years. Her reports on the impact of poverty and religious violence on the education of children won the Developing Asia Journalism Awards, the Every Human has Rights Media Awards, and the Sanskriti-Prabha Dutt Fellowship in Journalism. Book: THE LAST OF EARTHFrom the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a stunning historical novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that follows two outsiders—an Indian schoolteacher spying for the British Empire and an English “lady” explorer—as they venture into a forbidden kingdom.1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rapidly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians—permitted to cross borders that white men may not—to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet.Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of another Westerner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa.A polyphonic novel about the various ways humans try to leave a mark on the world—from the enduring nature of family and friendship to the egomania and obsessions of the colonial enterprise—The Last of Earth confirms Deepa Anappara as one of our greatest and most ambitious storytellers.https://www.deepa-anappara.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca
Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies, King's College London and No More Napoleons: How Britain Managed Europe from Waterloo to World War One, joins the show to discuss how the British Empire maintained the balance in Europe between the fall of Napoleon to the summer of 1914. ▪️ Times 02:59 Studying the Problem of War 06:20 British Perspectives of the European Coast 11:33 The French Likelihood of Invading Britain 21:40 The Scheldt River Estuary 30:33 Marlborough, Wellington, and Eisenhower 36:48 The 19th Century and the Rise of Steampower 47:35 Divided attention and British Mistakes of 1914 54:40 The Failure of British Strategic Off-Shore Balancing Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack
For this month's episode of Magus we're chatting about a genuine icon of esoterica and the occult, Doctor John Dee!Born during the reign of Henry VIII, Dee lived under five fundamentally important English monarchs, and birthed the idea of "The British Empire" over a century before the United Kingdom even coalesced. He spent seven years speaking with angels, created a Hermetic system for understanding the Universe that is still in use today, fathered eight children, had three wives, and signed his letters to Queen Elizabeth I as '007.'Who was this crazy guy? When and how did he learn what he learned? Was he completely deluded, or did he actually propose a unifying theory of the Universe that is only now being viewed as potentially theoretically correct?An illusionist who could stun a room filled with skeptics. A Catholic priest with a drive to bring on Judgment Day. A man who proposed that he was Merlin reborn, sent to guide the rebirth of a perfect Albion.It's an episode we've been working on for a long time, we really hope you enjoy it, and speak to you on Saturday for our full Local Legends interview with the wonderful Mhara Starling!ALL MATTER IS ONE!!!Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcastProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How is the history of cricket completely intertwined with the history of the British Empire? What was the Bodyline Controversy of the 1930s and how did it nearly kill a player? Who was Don Bradman and why is he believed to be the greatest sportsperson of all time? Anita and William are joined by Tim Wigmore, author of Test Cricket: A History, to discuss the history of the cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Make someone an Empire Club Member this Christmas – unlock the full Empire experience with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Just go to empirepod.supportingcast.fm/gifts And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ever heard of the time Scotland tried to become a global superpower… and instead accidentally bankrupted itself out of independence?Welcome to the Darien Scheme, aka the 1600s version of an MLM.Today we dive headfirst into Scotland's wildest history fail — when a bunch of rich men decided to “colonize” Panama armed with wigs, wool coats, and zero survival skills. We're talking tropical disasters, redheads, ghosts, Game of Thrones connections, and how one epic mess-up led to the creation of the U.K. itself. It's chaos, history, and Scottish pride all rolled into one.What You'll Hear in This Episode:Scotland's biggest “get rich quick” scheme (and why it failed)The wild true story behind the Darien SchemeHow a few bad decisions changed Scottish history foreverkey points: Scotland history, Darien Scheme, Scottish independence, colonial history, British Empire, Panama history, historical comedy podcast, funny history show, Scottish podcast, U.K. history, queens podcast style, The Dollop styleText for a shoutout! Support the showWant your episodes early? Sign up HERE to the newsletter. You will get episodes a week early!Connect:Instagram: @culturecultshowEmail: culturecultshow@gmail.comSend in your best travel story to share on the podcast via voice message or email:culturecultshow@gmail.comTo Help Aseel Escape Gaza:Follow her and support her on Instagram! : @aseel_dentartDonate to her Go Fund Me ( ANY amount helps)To Help Sally Escape Gaza:Follow her and support her on Instagram!: @sallyhjeerDonate to her Go Fund Me ( ANY amount helps)
Don't be shy, send me a message!Thomas Felix Creighton continues The Alphabet of Britishness, looking especially at Queen Victoria.The first ten minutes covers:Thomas' top three cinematic and TV depictions of Queen VictoriaMrs. Brown (1997)The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)Doctor Who “Tooth and Claw” (modern season 2, episode 2)...and also in brief some other 'V' topics such as:Victoria & Albert MuseumVauxhall (London)VermouthVesper (seems silly not to)Victory! Although perhaps we'll cover this far more in the next installment…Vicar - again a great suggestion for a deep diveViceroy – check out my video and podcast episode looking at my top five books on the British Empire: www.youtube.com/britishcultureVickers machine gun The main part of this podcast comprises of two readings, one on the height of the Victorian Era, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee of 1897, and the second on The Great Exhibition of 1851.“Pax Britannica: The Climax of the Empire” by James / Jan Morris.“A Portrait of Britain Between the Exhibitions 1851 – 1951” by Donald Lindsay and E.S. Washington, part of the Oxford Introduction to British History series.Visit the website: https://albionneverdies.com/ Support the show
The difference between people who supported the British Empire and people who support the US empire is that those who supported the British Empire knew they were supporting an empire. Reading by Tim Foley.
The weather has always been a critical element of the human experience - deadly during storms and droughts, sustaining when aligned with the harvest schedule, beautiful and frightening, and integrated into the myths and religions of all societies. How did a scientific understanding of the weather come about? Here to guide us on this question is Simon Winchester. Simon's articles and approximately 30 books range in topic from travel writing to politics, geography, biography, and science history. Simon is best known for his books The Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, and Krakatoa, all of which were New York Times bestsellers. In 2006, Simon was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the II. Today we discuss Simon's new book about the weather entitled, The Breath of the Gods, published by HarperCollins.
3. From Newtonian Physics to Canals: Projecting Life onto Mars. Matthew Shindell discusses how the shift from ancient cosmology to modern science was a slow process, with figures like Galileo and Newton developing new observations and physics. Enlightenment thinkers, including Buffon and Laplace, began searching for a natural (rather than divine) origin for the solar system, establishing that the planets are related and obey universal laws. This led to speculation about life elsewhere. Astronomer William Herschel believed that all planets, especially the Earth-like Mars, were likely inhabited, as it was common Enlightenment belief that God would not create empty space. By the late 19th century, Richard Proctor and Giovanni Schiaparelli intensified focus on Mars. American astronomer Percival Lowell popularized the idea of Martian "canals" and interpreted Mars as a glimpse into Earth's eventual desert-like future. This vision influenced authors like H.G. Wells, who used the idea of alien Martian invaders in War of the Worlds as a satire of the British Empire's destructive colonial actions. 1960
In November 1775, as tensions between the British Empire and its rebellious colonies continued to escalate, Virginia's royal governor made a radical—and to some, terrifying—proclamation: Any enslaved person who fled a revolutionary enslaver and joined the British Army would gain their freedom. Known to history as Dunmore's Proclamation, this single decree changed the course of the American Revolution in the South. It offered a lifeline to thousands of enslaved men, women, and their families, ignited fierce debates about loyalty and liberty, and revealed deep contradictions at the heart of a revolution that claimed to fight for freedom. In honor of the 250th anniversary of Lord Dunmore's Proclamation, we're taking a deeper look at the man behind it: John Murray, Fourth Earl of Dunmore, and at the Revolution in Virginia, which he helped fuel. Our guide for this exploration is Andrew Lawler, an award-winning journalist and author of A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution. Andrew's Website | Book |Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/424 RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES
Echoes of 1919: How Underestimating the PLA After Tiananmen Created a Strategic Failure. Jim Fanell and Brad Thayer connect the current geopolitical threat posed by the PLA Navy to past strategic failures, drawing an analogy to the British Empire's "10-year rule" instituted in 1919. The US made a similar miscalculation regarding China after the brutal Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, as the US Navy and Pacific Command did not perceive any threat from the PRC. Fanell, who worked at the US Joint Intelligence Center Pacific from 1989 to 1991, confirms that intelligence focused on the Soviet threat, and China did not become a priority until around 2014 or 2015. Following Tiananmen, the US should have highlighted the Chinese Communist Party as a "sadistic monster," but instead the George H.W. Bush administration rushed to repair the relationship. Thayer emphasizes that US leaders in 1989 had a great understanding of communism's evils, but this understanding has since faded, and China is now incorrectly viewed as a capitalist state. Deng Xiaoping learned from Tiananmen and the Soviet collapse, focusing on economic reform while establishing a relationship of dependence between US business and the CCP.
Today I'm joined by CJ Killmer, host of the Dangerous History Podcast, for a hard look at where America might be headed as tensions and political violence keep rising. A lot of people compare our current divide to the Civil War, but CJ makes a strong case that's the wrong model. Instead, he points to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, a messy, decades-long conflict that mixed politics, religion, and insurgency in ways that feel a lot closer to what a modern breakdown could look like. CJ knows this history inside and out. He studied the British Empire and Irish history … Continue reading →
How was George Orwell's childhood rooted in the British Empire and the opium trade in India? Why did George Orwell become a colonial police officer in Burma? When did Orwell develop his anti-imperialist stance? In the first part of this miniseries, Anita and William explore the early life of Eric Blair - later George Orwell - and his time in India and Burma. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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