Episodios

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

    337. Battleground Korea: Episode II - The Brink and the Breaking Point
    Oct 29 2025
    The lightning war begins. Following the invasion, the North Korean military executes a devastating blitzkrieg attack, sweeping through South Korea and shattering all initial resistance. Saul and Roger are joined by experts Robert Lyman and David Allison, who help dive into the details of the chaotic early stages of the Korean War. First we look at the desperate retreat of the overwhelmed South Korean and early US forces as they are pushed towards Pusan. Then we look at the crucial global response: the newly formed UN Security Council, seizing a rare opportunity, debates and authorises a multinational intervention. Can a global force be assembled in time to halt the seemingly unstoppable North Korean war machine? The episode climaxes at the Pusan Perimeter. Battered, exhausted, and pushed to the absolute limit of the peninsula, UN and South Korean forces make a final, desperate stand. This is North Korea's furthest advance. Outnumbered, outgunned, and with their backs literally against the sea. The fate of South Korea hangs by a thread. Next time: The Tide Turns. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 m
  • 336. The Diplomatic Roller Coaster & The New Realities of Drone Warfare

    336. The Diplomatic Roller Coaster & The New Realities of Drone Warfare
    Oct 23 2025
    Join Saul David and Roger Moorhouse as they break down a week of diplomatic upheaval, and look at the latest from the front lines with a report from Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori, recently returned from Donetsk. Hopes for a quick peace vanished after the US-Russia Budapest summit was scuttled by Moscow's refusal to freeze the front lines. The hosts analyse the shifting politics surrounding long-range missiles: why President Trump withheld Tomahawks, and why Washington seemingly green-lit a major Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile strike on a critical Russian chemical plant. On the home front, we examine new Western sanctions hitting Russia's oil and gas giants, reports of horrific war crimes against civilians in Donetsk and Kharkiv, and the long-term future of Ukrainian air power with the massive Swedish deal for up to 150 advanced Gripen E fighter jets. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    50 m
  • 335. Battleground Korea: Episode I - The Spark of Division

    335. Battleground Korea: Episode I - The Spark of Division
    Oct 21 2025
    Welcome to Battleground Korea: The Unfinished War. We begin by exploring how Korea, a nation scarred by decades of Japanese occupation, was suddenly and arbitrarily divided by the victorious Allies in 1945. The line was the 38th Parallel. This division birthed two fiercely opposing regimes and leaders: the Soviet-backed communist Kim Il Sung in the North, and the American-backed nationalist Syngman Rhee in the South. As the Cold War escalated, Korea rapidly became a volatile proxy battleground between East and West. "With American and Soviet forces withdrawing, the fragile peace along the 38th Parallel began to unravel. Skirmishes grew bloodier and more audacious. Both Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee openly spoke of unifying the peninsula—by force. The question wasn't if the two Koreas would clash, but whether their civil conflict would ignite a wider conflagration, pulling in the global superpowers. The stage was set, but who would make the first devastating move?" The episode concludes with the secret plotting that sealed Korea's fate. Kim Il Sung relentlessly lobbied Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong for the necessary support. After months of manoeuvring, the communist giants finally gave their approval, providing the crucial political green light. Next time: The Invasion. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 m
  • 334. Kremlin Rattled by Trump's Tomahawk Offer

    334. Kremlin Rattled by Trump's Tomahawk Offer
    Oct 16 2025
    This week Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyse a week of potential shifts in the conflict. On the frontline: Ukrainian civilians evacuate Kupiansk as security deteriorates; a UN humanitarian convoy is deliberately attacked in Kherson; and a strike hits a Kharkiv hospital. Ukraine continues hitting back, targeting the Feodosia oil terminal in Crimea amidst a potential chemical threat from a ruptured ammonia pipeline. In the diplomatic sphere, Donald Trump rattles the Kremlin by suggesting he might send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, prompting intense Russian warnings. Meanwhile, signs of Putin's diplomatic discomfort appear as he is forced to apologize to Azerbaijan, and early whispers of internal dissent surface in Russia's major cities. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    26 m
  • 333. Wolfpack: Episode III - Broken Wolves

    333. Wolfpack: Episode III - Broken Wolves
    Oct 15 2025
    The hunt is over. Black May (May 1943) marks the U-boat campaign's devastating turning point, forcing Admiral Dönitz to withdraw his "Grey Wolves" from the North Atlantic. In the final episode Saul and Roger track the U-boats' demise against overwhelming Allied technological advances. We explore the grim reality for U-boat crews—the brutal conditions and a staggering 75% casualty rate—and why advanced subs like the Type XXI "Elektroboote" arrived too late. We conclude the series by assessing the final collapse, Operation Deadlight, and the campaign's immense human cost. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    38 m
  • 322. Is the Net Closing in for Ukraine in Donetsk?

    322. Is the Net Closing in for Ukraine in Donetsk?
    Oct 10 2025
    This week on Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul David and Roger Moorhouse are joined by intrepid Belgian war reporter and friend of the podcast Arnaud de Decker, who recently toured the Donbas. In this crucial and alarming dispatch, Arnaud provides a firsthand look at the realities in Donetsk, detailing how Russian forces are steadily advancing and closing in on the key Ukrainian towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Before this essential interview, the hosts dissect the political and military headlines, including the shocking rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who all but admitted Russia's role in drone sightings across Europe. They'll also be examining the difference between the opposing forces' long-range strikes—including Ukraine's successful hits on vital Russian oil infrastructure (like the Feodosia oil terminal), possibly using the new Flamingo missile, and an intelligence report on up to 5,000 Cuban fighters joining the Russian ranks. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 m
  • 331. Wolfpack: Episode II - The Depths of Despair

    331. Wolfpack: Episode II - The Depths of Despair
    Oct 8 2025
    In late 1942, German U-boats were sinking Allied merchant ships faster than they could be replaced, pushing Britain to the brink of starvation in the 'Black Pit' of the mid-Atlantic. In this episode Roger Moorhouse is joined by Saul David as he dives into the most critical period of the Battle of the Atlantic, from the peak losses of March 1943 to the stunning Allied victory in 'Black May.' They explore the high-stakes technological race—including the deployment of long-range aircraft, advanced radar, sonar, and breaking the Enigma code—that transformed the Allies from prey to predator and secured the lifeline that made the liberation of Europe possible. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    27 m
  • 330. Kyiv Under Fire: Trump the 'Spurned Lover' and the Zaporizhzhia Ticking Timebomb

    330. Kyiv Under Fire: Trump the 'Spurned Lover' and the Zaporizhzhia Ticking Timebomb
    Oct 3 2025
    Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyze a week of intense combat and high-stakes diplomacy. Russia launched a heavy aerial assault on Ukrainian cities, while in the West, they discuss reports that Trump is a "spurned lover," frustrated by Putin's refusal to strike a peace deal. The hosts also examine the critical power failure at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant and the safety risk it poses. Finally, they cover the new European plan for a continent-wide "drone wall" and the controversial debate over holding a wartime election in Ukraine. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 m