The Rest Is History
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742 episodes
Episode details
Three days after one of the most devastating IRA attacks launched upon British soil, the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath called an election, in circumstances that had never been more dire. Running against him was the veteran Labour leader, Harold Wilson, now as tired and beleaguered as his rival, and whose party was increasingly divided by internal conflict. Jeremy Thorpe, the charming but reckless leader of the liberal party, had also thrown his hat into the ring. As the election drew closer, the parties were neck and neck, and with the sense of national hysteria and economic chaos rising, escalated by a baying press and the likes of Enoch Powell, the stakes had never been higher. Could the longstanding Labour and Conservative duopoly finally be broken? Join Dominic and Tom for the second part of their series on 1974, one of the most disastrous years in British history, as they discuss the terrible circumstances surrounding the seismic February election, and its momentous outcome. *The Rest Is History LIVE in 2024*Tom and Dominic are back onstage this summer, at Hampton Court Palace in London! Buy your tickets here: therestishistory.comTwitter:@TheRestHistory@holland_tom@dcsandbrookProducer: Theo Young-SmithAssistant Producer: Tabby SyrettExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
742 episodes
423. Carthage vs. Rome: The Wolf at the Gates (Part 3)
“Every man is the architect of his own destiny”Long before Rome reigned over the Mediterranean, there was Carthage: the supreme predator of Antiquity. But how did Rome rise to become one of the most ruthless powers of all time, united in c…
422. Ancient Carthage: Rise of a Superpower (Part 2)
“An aristocratic republic, secret and well-ordered, where individuals are subject to the harsh laws of the austere and disciplined rich…”The mysterious, wealthy and glamorous city of Carthage flourished between the ninth and second centuri…
421. Ancient Carthage: Lords of the Sea (Part 1)
“Carthago delenda est.”Carthage must be destroyed: this was the rallying cry of Cato the Elder, the senator endlessly pushing for war against Rome’s sworn enemy, Carthage. But what are the origins of this supposedly decadent and sinister c…
420. Britain in 1974: Thatcher Enters the Ring (Part 4)
The horrific Guildford Pub Bombings of Saturday 5th October 1974 sent shockwaves through Britain, worsening the sense of crisis sweeping through the nation. It cast a dark shadow over the election campaign due to take place five days later…
419. Britain in 1974: Countdown to a Coup (Part 3)
Following a tumultuous election in February 1974, Labour’s Harold Wilson has been re-elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wilson, an unpretentious, kind man, has inherited a nation in crisis: train strikes in Norfolk, students fig…
418. Britain in 1974: The Crisis Election (Part 2)
Three days after one of the most devastating IRA attacks launched upon British soil, the Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath called an election, in circumstances that had never been more dire. Running against him was the veteran Labou…
417. Britain in 1974: State of Emergency (Part 1)
“Who governs Britain?”Britain in the early 1970’s was a state in crisis, and by 1974, things had never seemed bleaker. Held hostage by the Trade Unions, British industry was flailing. England’s sporting record was atrocious, the economy wa…
416. The Canterbury Tales (Part 4)
Geoffrey Chaucer stands as a founding father of English literature, and ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is an enthralling account of his age, holding a mirror up to the traditional hierarchies of 14th century England. Chaucer’s own life was spent n…
415. The Murder of Richard II (Part 3)
“For within the hollow crown that rounds the hollow temple of a king...”Richard II, son of the dashing Black Prince and grandson of Edward III, became King of England at only ten years old. By the age of fifteen he had overcome one of the …
414. The Peasants’ Revolt: London’s Burning (Part 2)
On the 13th of June 1381, the rebel army of English peasants, led by Wat Tyler, entered London and brought chaos, death and destruction upon some of the city’s most important buildings and figures, among them the Archbishop of Canterbury a…