History Uncensored

For ad-free & bonus content, join the Uncensored Club: piersmorgan.tv Britain once ruled a quarter of the world. Its navy dominated the seas and its military projected power across continents. But today, could Britain sustain a major war without America? Britain is being told to prepare for the possibility of serious disruption. The Government's new 'Be Ready' campaign is urging households to stockpile three days' worth of essentials, including food, bottled water and emergency supplies, amid growing concerns about cyberattacks, hostile states and the threat of conflict. With ministers increasingly warning that Britain must be prepared for war, and Donald Trump raising fresh questions about America's commitment to NATO, how secure is Britain's reliance on the United States? In this episode of History Uncensored, Tim Marshall and Bianca Nobilo explore how Britain went from global superpower to a nation increasingly dependent on American military strength. From the decline of the British Empire and the end of the Cold War to shrinking armed forces, depleted stockpiles and weakened industrial capacity, how did Britain lose the ability to sustain a major war? And if America could no longer be relied upon, could Britain defend itself? (00:01:18) Britain: prepare for war (00:01:15) Britain’s geographic advantage (00:05:49) The rise of an empire (00:10:58) The World Wars - decline begins (00:13:52) Britain’s shrinking map (00:17:54) Reliance on America, nukes & NATO (00:20:58) Cold War & "The End of History" (00:25:12) Can Britain revive the home front? (00:29:34) Could modern Britain sustain a war? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How was Israel created, why was it established in the Middle East, and what decisions shaped the country we know today? As Israel votes in its first national election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, the country's history is once again closely linked to its present. With the war in Gaza and the future of Israelis and Palestinians still at the centre of global attention, understanding how the region reached this point has never been more important. In this episode of History Uncensored, we explore the story behind Israel's creation in 1948 and how the movement for a Jewish homeland reshaped Palestine. From the events that led to Israel's establishment to the displacement of Palestinians and the ongoing struggle between two peoples with competing national aspirations, we look at how the past continues to shape the politics, conflicts, and future of the Middle East. (00:01:20) Before Zionism there was Zion (00:02:07) Why Jews wanted a homeland (00:09:11) Theodor Herzl and political Zionism (00:12:30) Pogroms rip through the Russian Empire (00:14:08) Could Israel have been somewhere else? (00:16:23) Why Palestine? (00:23:29) A dictator’s offer (00:26:47) Partition Plan for Palestine (00:30:08) 1948 - Israel is born #history #israel #elections #palestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why does France have such a long history of political unrest and revolution? As the latest riots dominate the headlines and President Emmanuel Macron speaks out, understanding France’s past may offer important clues to the tensions unfolding today. In this episode, Tim Marshall and Bianca Nobilo explore why France has experienced such recurring political upheaval and how centuries of revolution, regime change and resistance continue to shape the country’s political culture. (00:00:12) A timeline of riots & revolution (00:00:26) Can history explain Paris' protests? (00:01:52) Normandy and a broken bargain (00:04:18) Birth of the barricade (00:06:39) Power concentrated in Paris (00:07:49) How the weather shaped history (00:11:15) Taking to the streets (00:15:17) France’s final kings (00:20:49) Ideas beyond borders (00:26:13) The role of historic memory (00:28:43) 'Violence can pay' (00:31:02) Join the club! Exclusive content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the suspected plague death of Darya Shipilova in Russia an accident, or could it point to a wider threat from biological weapons? In this episode, hosts Bianca Nobilo and Tim Marshall investigate the history of plague as a weapon, exploring how it has been used and feared from ancient Egypt to the modern day. As questions emerge over the circumstances surrounding the suspected case in Russia, we examine the history of biological warfare, the dangers of weaponising deadly diseases, and the concerns surrounding Russia’s potential bioweapons capabilities. (00:00:19) Plague as a weapon (00:01:02) Soviet biological weapons program (00:07:06) How it spread: Fleas, rats & trade (00:09:25) Empire weakened by plague (00:11:41) 'Leaking out of every orifice' (00:15:17) Black Death, The Decameron & Bianca's pirate links (00:18:25) Shakespeare & the bubonic plague (00:22:13) Who else used biological warfare? Germany, Japan & Unit 731 (00:29:54) Empathy with our ancestors (00:31:57) Watch more History Uncensored & 'avoid cliches like the plague' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who are the Houthis, and how did they become powerful enough to challenge Saudi Arabia and disrupt global trade? Following the attack on Riyadh airport, Bianca Nobilo and Tim Marshall examine how Yemen’s long running war has become a major regional and global security threat. From Yemen’s strategic position on the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb strait to the origins of the Houthi movement and its long running rivalry with Saudi Arabia, we explore why instability on the kingdom’s southern border poses such a significant security threat. (00:00:00) Bianca and Tim discuss "Why now?" (00:02:01) How ancient geography shapes today (00:04:50) Look to history to understand the Houthis (00:08:30) Enter British empire (00:12:49) An Iranian proxy? (00:18:26) Path to resolution? (00:20:39) Asymmetric warfare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The news is out… Tim Marshall joins Bianca Nobilo as co-host of History Uncensored! In this brand-new episode, Tim and Bianca explore the strange, dramatic and often terrifying history of aircraft hijackings. Following the attack aboard a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, they look back at the origins of hijackings, the political motives behind them and their evolution into a defining feature of modern terrorism. From the Cold War and Russia to 9/11, Tim and Bianca revisit some of the most notorious hijackings in history. (00:00:00) Hijackings 'as old as air travel' (00:00:40) BIG NEWS - welcoming Tim Marshall (00:01:19) Flydubai to 9/11 - History of hijacking (00:02:19) Hijacking's origins (00:04:40) Before hijacking there was piracy (00:08:39) Baron Franz Nopcsa (00:10:44) First recorded aircraft hijacking?? (00:12:47) Terrorism was not always the reason (00:14:27) D.B. Cooper mystery, 1971 (00:16:24) Hijackings reflect geopolitical tension (00:22:44) The changing face of hijacking (00:24:57) Flydubai incident 2026 (00:27:34) Terrorism as theatre and propaganda of the deed (00:34:14) Dawson's Field hijackings (00:37:58) How will historians view the Flydubai attack? (00:42:13) History Uncensored's goal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How does Vladimir Putin use history to justify Russia’s war in Ukraine? In this episode, Bianca Nobilo speaks to Bill Browder about the Kremlin’s use of historical narratives and how Putin’s version of Russia’s past has helped frame the war as a fight against fascism, Nazism and threats to the Russian people. They explore why Putin needs these myths to sustain support for the war, and whether the West should pay closer attention to the history leaders invoke before they act. (00:00:00) How history is wielded as a weapon (00:02:37) History, manipulation, propaganda (00:04:50) Putin understands history is emotive - Bill Browder (00:07:41) Do Putin’s historic narratives contradict? (00:10:24) 'We need to start paying a lot more attention' (00:14:05) Would Putin stop at Ukraine? (00:15:55) Bill Browder on being expelled from Russia (00:19:47) Do Russians believe Putin's version of history? (00:23:23) A warning to world leaders (00:25:23) Could Russia use nukes? What does history suggest? (00:28:17) Bianca's goal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On September 24, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the leaders of two global rivals will meet at the White House. But to understand why this meeting matters, we have to go back to 1985, when Ronald Reagan welcomed China’s leader Li Xiannian to Washington. Back then, the balance of power looked completely different. 41 years later, Trump and Xi meet in a world of trade wars, Taiwan tensions, AI competition and global conflict. Bianca Nobilo is joined by American political scientist Ian Arthur Bremmer to take a look at the history of the world’s biggest superpowers. (00:00:14) Trump and Xi - leaders and legacy (00:00:51) How China became a U.S. rival (00:03:34) How the past shapes these leaders - with Ian Bremmer (00:05:54) How leaders use and control history (00:11:05) Term limits v decades (00:15:38) Taiwan - how important is this moment? (00:19:04) The Thucydides Trap (00:23:16) AI, Cuban Missile Crisis, and mutually assured destruction (00:27:30) This moment in the broad sweep of history (00:29:34) Bianca's goal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Artificial intelligence could change humanity forever. But the history of AI began thousands of years before computers, machine learning and ChatGPT existed. In just a few decades, humans have gone from mechanical computers and early ideas about machine intelligence to powerful AI systems capable of generating text and images, writing code, solving complex problems and performing tasks once thought to require human intelligence. But how did we get here? Bianca Nobilo explores the fascinating 2,000 year history of artificial intelligence, alongside AI engineer George Zarkadakis.  (00:00:05) AI - millennia in the making (00:00:29) From Talos to Turing... to total extinction? (00:04:23) Theory of Mind - with George Zarkadakis (00:05:55) Gods and demons - When does fear creep in? (00:08:14) Scientific foundations (00:11:51) Sex, war and robots (00:15:12) Is AI conscious? (00:16:56) Consciousness v intelligence (00:22:17) "We don't know what's happening inside those machines" (00:26:39) Human extinction in the coming decades - is it likely? (00:32:40) Does AI have a survival instinct? (00:36:15) 'Mutually assured destruction' and Cold War parallels (00:37:41) Is there an off switch? (00:40:37) Will humanity view this as our greatest mistake? (00:42:30) Why it’s so hard to stop research Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton joins Bianca Nobilo to reflect on the decisions that followed September 11 and how they reshaped American foreign policy and the world. From NATO’s historic invocation of Article 5 and relations with Russia, to the rise of China and the conflict with Iran, Bolton examines the choices that brought America to this moment. Is Donald Trump an aberration, or is America’s post Cold War foreign policy tradition disappearing? And if Bolton could return to September 10, 2001, what would surprise him most about the 25 years that followed? (00:00:00) 9/11 - 25 years on (00:02:46) America under attack - with John Bolton (00:04:16) Cold War rivals briefly align (00:07:18) The only time NATO invoked Article 5 (00:11:05) 'I don't stand by all the actions taken' after 9/11 - Bolton (00:13:47) Did fear drive decisions on Iraq? (00:20:41) Was America distracted as China rose? (00:22:46) Differences with Trump (00:26:50) 'Trump is an aberration' (00:29:00) 'The end of history' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices