Dan Snow's History Hit
History Hit
300 episodes
Historian Dan Snow journeys across the globe to tell the stories of history's defining moments. From the Colosseum in Rome to the Great Wall of China, the battlefields of Waterloo to the Tomb of Tutankhamun, join Dan as he explores the how and why of the greatest monuments, battles, heroes, villains and events that have shaped our world.
More about the show
New episodes on Mondays and Thursdays with bonus subscriber only episodes every other Friday.
You can get in touch with us at ds.hh@historyhit.com
A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts The Ancients, Gone Medieval, and Betwixt the Sheets.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™
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Episodes page 4 of 6
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Churchill vs Attlee: The Election That Changed Britain
It was one of the most dramatic political upsets in British history. Just weeks after leading Britain to victory in Europe, wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was defeated in a landslide by Clement Attlee and the…
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Is James I an Underrated King?
We dive into the reign of the first Stuart monarch of England, his political savvy, and the controversies that shaped his rule. From the Gunpowder Plot to the King James Bible, we ask whether history has judged him too…
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War of the Worlds: Orson Welles' Alien Invasion Hoax
In 1938, Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio broadcast stunned America. It was a defining moment in broadcast history - reports claimed it caused mass panic, with listeners believing Martians had truly invaded, and…
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Pirates: The Pirate Hunts
As the Golden Age of Piracy drew to a close, the oceans turned into hunting grounds where pirates became prey. Dan tells the dramatic tale of the rise and fall of Bartholomew Roberts, or Black Bart, one of the most…
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How did the Colonies win the American War of Independence?
In 1775, American revolutionaries went to war with the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years. How did a relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people…
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Christopher Wren
Architect, astronomer, anatomist, and genius who rebuilt London after the Great Fire —Christopher Wren. His life is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, Dan is joined by historian and conservationist…
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Pirates: Barbary Corsairs & The Bombardment of Algiers
For centuries, the Barbary Corsairs captured ships and enslaved European Christians, turning the Mediterranean into a sea of fear and ransom. Backed by the rulers of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, the corsairs built vast…
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Boudicca: Myths vs Reality
Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni tribe, has become a symbol of resistance and British defiance. But what do we really know about her, and her bloody revolt against Roman rule? Dr Shushma Malik from the…
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Why Do Empires Fall?
For centuries, the Roman Empire commanded unparalleled control over the world around it. It expanded its borders through trade and conquest, sucking resources from the periphery into its thriving centre - Rome. And…
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Pirates: Piracy in the South China Seas
Zheng Yi Sao was a pirate leader so formidable that she made Blackbeard and Captain Morgan look like amateurs. From humble beginnings as a sex worker in Canton, she rose to command a vast pirate fleet that wrought…
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The Rise & Fall of Sparta
Today, we trace the rise and fall of ancient Greece’s most formidable warrior society - Sparta. This society's militaristic culture and battlefield feats are the stuff of legend - but how much of its story is based on…
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The Seven Years War
The Seven Years' War in the 18th century is often called the first world war - it was fought across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. It redrew the world map, setting the stage for the rise of the…
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Pirates: Myths vs Reality
When it comes to our perception of pirates, Treasure Island has a lot to answer for. They didn't make their enemies walk the plank, they didn't keep parrots as pets, and they didn't bury their treasure. But that…
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Richard the Lionheart
Crusading hero, battlefield legend...absentee ruler? Dan explores the myth and reality behind England’s Warrior King. From storming Sicily to conquering Cyprus and striking fear into the heart of Saladin on crusade,…
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Pirates! NEW SERIES
Swashbuckling rogues with a disregard for authority surging across the oceans, the smell of salt and gunpowder in their nostrils... looking for treasure on desert islands. Just like Dan, we're sure you've also grown up…
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The Crystal Palace
The Great Exhibition of 1851 was something to behold for the 6 million Victorian patrons who travelled to London's Hyde Park to see it. It was a triumphant showcase of the most extraordinary achievements of the…
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Civil War in the Holy Roman Empire
In this episode, we hear about one of Europe’s most devastating conflicts - the Thirty Years’ War. From 1618 to 1648, the continent was torn apart by religious strife, shifting alliances, and ruthless ambition. What…
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The Mysteries of Easter Island
In the heart of the Pacific Ocean, over 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, lies one of the world’s most iconic archaeological treasure troves - Rapa Nui, known to the outside world as Easter Island. Famed for the…
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The Battle of Waterloo
Dan is joined by his dad, veteran broadcaster Peter Snow, to tell the incredible story of the clash between Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duke of Wellington on June 18, 1815. This showdown - packed with heroic last…
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Iran & Israel: Allies to Enemies
Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated with a recent Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and retaliation from Iran. The two countries openly carried out attacks on each other for the first time last…
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How Did Humans Take Over the World?
Humans are everywhere. How did we get from the savannahs of Africa across to the most northern reaches of Alaska and Greenland, to the outbacks of Australia and the islands of the Pacific millennia ago? How did we…
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The Ultimate Mesopotamian Mystery
For thousands of years, ancient cuneiform - the script of the ancient Mesopotamians was lost to time, until being dramatically rediscovered in the 19th century by an adventurous group of unlikely Victorians. A dashing…
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How the Nazis Escaped Germany
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 some of its most egregious war criminals sought to escape justice by fleeing Europe, most famously to South America. The escape routes they used, established by Nazi…
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Julius Caesar
The Romans built an empire that reshaped the world through brutal wars, brilliant strategy, and even the power of the pen. From the blood-soaked battlefields to the marble halls of Rome, a few towering figures stand…
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Disasters in the Age of Discovery
The dawn of the age of European exploration in the 16th century was absurdly dangerous. Crews on the ships of Christopher Columbus, Vasco De Gama and Ferdinand Magellan often sailed blind into uncharted waters,…
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The Rise and Fall of the Assyrian Empire
Was this the world’s first empire? To uncover the story of ancient history's most formidable powers, Dan is joined by Yale University’s Professor Eckart Frahm to explore Assyria’s military machine, its sophisticated…
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Why do India and Pakistan fight over Kashmir?
A dive into the history behind today's tensions. In this episode, Dan is joined by historian and journalist Andrew Whitehead to explain the historical context behind the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan over…
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How Did Genghis Khan Change the World?
Genghis Khan reshaped the world with brutal force and brilliant organisation. He began life in exile and rose to be a powerful nomadic warrior who united the disparate Mongol tribes to create the largest contiguous…
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The Battle of Okinawa
Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence against children and suicide. The Battle of Okinawa was the final, climactic battle of the war in the Pacific. The largest naval fleet in human history assembled…
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Captain Cook
Dan tells the extraordinary tale of Captain James Cook. Born a labourer's son, he would rise to become one of history's greatest explorers. He went about as far as it was possible to go, sailing the Pacific Ocean and…
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Mount Hiei: Home of Japan's Warrior Monks
Assassin's Creed: Shadows gives players the chance to visit the imperial capital of medieval Japan. But today, we're heading to a mountain lying just northeast of the capital: Mount Hiei, a sacred site that was…
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The Nazi Occupation of Jersey
The only British territory ever occupied by the Nazis was the Channel Islands. From 1940 to the end of the war, the Germans turned Jersey, and some of the islands around it, into an impenetrable fortress. It became a…
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Why is Timbuktu Famous?
Synonymous for somewhere far away, Timbuktu has been mythologised by the stories of old European explorers. But in fact, for centuries it was in fact a key trading post on the edge of the Sahara and the centre of the…
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The Glorious Revolution
In this episode we hear all about the Glorious Revolution, a pivotal moment in British history that saw the overthrow of King James II and the accession to the throne of William III and Mary II. For this we're joined…
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The Siege of Vienna
In the summer of 1683, Vienna was under siege. A vast Ottoman army surrounded the city, poised to breach the walls and clear the way for Ottoman expansion into Central Europe. Inside the city, famine and fear took…
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The History of Alcatraz
Home to the likes of Al Capone and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, Alcatraz was once the jewel in the American prison system. The wind-swept island fortress was the final stop for the nation's most dangerous criminals and…
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VE Day
When the Second World War finally ended 80 years ago, there was a mixed reaction in Britain. Today, we hear about these varying responses, from elation and celebration to reticence and restraint. For the final episode…
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How did Andrew Jackson Change the U.S. Presidency?
A hero to some, and a villain to others, the seventh president of the United States was a populist firebrand who reshaped America and left a legacy that still echoes today. In this episode, Dan dives into the life and…
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Germany After Hitler
80 years ago, as the war in Europe drew to a close, the world began to come to terms with the horrors of the Third Reich. This is the story of the Nuremberg Trials, the first of their kind, that would decide the fate…
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The Death of Hitler
Warning: this episode contains discussion of suicide. Berlin, April 1945: After nearly 12 years, the "Thousand-Year Reich" is crumbling. Isolated in a bunker beneath the city, as Soviet forces close in on them, Adolf…
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The Dreyfus Affair: The Spy Scandal that Shook France
It started with an inconsequential piece of military intelligence, scrawled on a piece of paper and left in a waste paper basket. But over the next decade, the infamous Dreyfus affair would mutate into a scandal that…
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The Einstein Murders
Warning: this episode contains discussion of suicide. In August 1944, German soldiers burst into the Florentine villa of Robert Einstein, cousin of the renowned physicist, Albert Einstein. As both a Jew and an…
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A History of Popes
Popes have shaped the history of the world. The Catholic Church has had a Pope for two thousand years, the first- tradition dictates- was St Peter, the fisherman turned disciple of Jesus. Pope 'Leo the Great' stared…
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How Did the American Revolution Start?
On 19th April, 1775, just over 250 years ago, the opening salvos of the American Revolutionary War were fired at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Elite British Redcoats went head-to-head with the famed provincial…
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The Battle of Berlin with Sir Antony Beevor
Warning: this episode includes discussion of subjects like suicide and sexual assault that some listeners may find disturbing. 80 years ago, the Soviets launched their final assault on the German capital. Having swept…
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The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen
Warning: This episode contains detailed discussion of the Holocaust and genocide, which some listeners may find upsetting. 80 years ago, British troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The horrors they…
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The Sinking of the Titanic
How could the unsinkable ship… sink? In this dramatic moment-by-moment account, Dan tells the dramatic tale of the Titanic from the moment of impact with the iceberg to the first steps of survivors in New York. He's…
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The Red Army Surrounds Berlin
By April 1945, Soviet forces stood at the gates of Berlin. From the summer of 1944, Hitler's armies had suffered a series of cataclysmic defeats that had left them shattered and desperately trying to hold on in front…
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The Great Tariff Battle
Have trade tariffs ever worked? Dan explores a cautionary tale from the turn of the 20th century when Britain's Conservatives' flirtation with tariffs led to huge political upheaval and a truly disastrous electoral…
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Saint Petersburg: Putin's Hometown
Founded by Peter the Great, the city of Saint Petersburg was built to rival the majesty of any capital in Europe. Its splendour made it a hub of Russian culture, and its geography made it a focal point for industry.…
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