Dan Snow's History Hit

At its height, Ming China was one of the most powerful states on Earth. Its cities bustled with merchants and scholars, its goods travelled across continents, and its treasure fleets sailed as far as East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. At the heart of this vast empire stood the Forbidden City- a spectacular symbol of imperial authority.

But prosperity bred corruption, power created enemies, and rebellion threatened the dynasty from within. In this episode, Dan heads to Beijing to explore how an impoverished peasant founded a dynasty that ruled China for nearly three centuries and how war, political crisis, rebellion and environmental catastrophe ultimately brought it down. Warning: this episode refers to suicide.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore

You can check out our documentary on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHBTevu_eTc

If you want more of Jeremiah on Dan Snow's History Hit, check out these episodes on any podcast player:
The Opium Wars at https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GYkpTToitfmACR6RX9yGa
The Forbidden City at https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FdOolMSttL4aIXlMniMUj
The Terracotta Warriors at https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-terracotta-warriors/id1042631089?i=1000666138627

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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fate of the Mediterranean hung in the balance during this bloody battle between the Knights of St John and the armies of Suleyman the Magnificent in the summer of 1565. The Ottoman Empire had carved its way across three continents and now turned its sights to the tiny island of Malta. Tens of thousands of Ottoman troops descended. What followed was one of the most ferocious sieges of the 16th century: relentless bombardments, desperate hand-to-hand fighting and assaults on seemingly impregnable forts. Both the attackers and defenders were pushed close to breaking point.

Dan is joined by Heritage Malta curator Kirsty Grech at Fort St Angelo - the Knight's headquarters during the siege - to tell the extraordinary story of bloodshed, resistance and survival.

Made in collaboration with VisitMalta and Heritage Malta.

If you'd like to visit Malta and see the history discussed in this episode, you can find out more at https://www.visitmalta.com

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Matthew Wilson. With thanks to Jeffrey Powell, Liam Gauci, Patricia Ebejer, Priscilla Civelli, Jeremy Nikolai Amaira, Annie Woodman and Giles Jagger.

Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast

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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an extraordinary story of espionage, betrayal and an unlikely friendship between spies on opposite sides - and of a man who risked his life and shaped the course of history, for a deeply personal and unlikely reason. In 1981, Washington feared a Soviet takeover of Iran could trigger military intervention and potentially a nuclear war. A KGB officer - Vladimir Kouzichkin - was stationed in revolutionary Iran. He was codenamed Agent Redwood and worked with British intelligence to expose the Soviet Union's operations in Iran... in exchange for a cure to a very private medical problem.

Ben McIntyre's new book is called Redwood: The Most Extraordinary Spy of the Cold War and is out now!

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Listen to The Iranian Embassy Siege with Ben Macintyre:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Yn4pGGxsG1YLI90kf4UkM?si=sUB3ShdzQiGEDeEj9fyBNg
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-iranian-embassy-siege-with-ben-macintyre/id1042631089?i=1000670522326

Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast

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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan explains how England’s last great Viking invasion met its brutal end. At Stamford Bridge in September 1066, King Harold Godwinson’s army faced Harald Hardrada, the most feared warrior of his age, in a battle of extraordinary courage and bloodshed. Relying on new archaeological discoveries, Dan brings this pivotal clash to life in vivid detail.

You can also watch our explanation of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest that followed, on YouTube.

Written by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore.

We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6

Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast

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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Hudson, the East River - today, these are the very heart and soul of New York City. But in 1776, they were the battlefield on which the American Revolution nearly died. Today Dan explains this crucial battle, fought between the largest invasion fleet North America had ever seen and George Washington's Continental Army.

Written by Dan Snow and edited by Dougal Patmore.

We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6

Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcast

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 also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

Dan Snow's History Hit is a History Hit podcast.
History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.