Why Wars Happened History Podcast

The CIA and the Space Race — retold by Hollywood legends.

In this episode of Why Wars Happened, Jeremy Fox, Sir Howard Stringer, and Jeff Bewkes reveal how they’re reinventing history through immersiv…

Germany didn’t just “unify” — it was engineered through secret deals, ruthless power grabs, and reckless ambition that exploded into global war.

In this episode of Why Wars Happened, historian Katja H…

Step into the dramatic rise and brutal fall of King Charles I, the only English monarch ever executed by his own people.

👉 In this episode of Why Wars Happened, uncover how one man’s reign spiraled in…

The U.S. Marines had a soldier who fought with Chinese communists before WWII — and then created America’s first Special Forces.

In this episode of Why Wars Happened, Stephen Platt uncovers the forgot…

The words you speak exist because of war. From Vikings raiding villages to Normans conquering England, battles rewrote the English language forever.

In this episode of Why Wars Happened, Dr. Colin Gor…

For 300 years, Germany couldn’t escape war. Border fights, rival powers, endless battles — conflict shaped its destiny.

Oxford historian Peter Wilson joins Why Wars Happened to explain why German-spea…

The Ottomans nearly broke Europe — but their rise wasn’t just about armies. Weather, pirates, and shocking alliances decided history.

Historian Si Sheppard joins Why Wars Happened to reveal the surpri…

A king killed in battle. Princes who vanished. A dynasty born in blood.

Historian Michael Jones joins Why Wars Happened to uncover the shocking truths of Bosworth 1485 — the day Richard III fell and t…

Forget what Hollywood told you — Spartan warriors weren’t what you think.

Historian Roel Konijnendijk (and longtime r/AskHistorians mod) joins Why Wars Happened to bust myths, expose ancient tactics, …

Pearl Harbor had a spy most people have never heard of.

Leon Carroll Jr. joins Why Wars Happened to uncover the forgotten story of Douglas Wada, a Japanese-American intelligence officer whose work in …

A war that raged for over a century — and decided the fate of Europe.

Lord Jonathan Sumption, UK Supreme Court justice and historian, joins Why Wars Happened to expose the brutal politics, shocking tr…

Crusades, cathedrals, and kings who fought their way to empire.

Historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker joins Why Wars Happened to reveal how France was built through power struggles, chivalry, and wars tha…

They fought Hitler — but almost turned on each other.

Historian Tim Bouverie joins Why Wars Happened to expose the secret rivalries, betrayals, and mistrust that nearly shattered the Allied powers dur…

What’s it like to command a war you can’t control?

General George Casey Jr., former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, pulls back the curtain on the Iraq War — the decisions, the chaos, and the lessons …

They jumped into darkness with almost no chance of survival.

Bestselling author James Donovan joins Why Wars Happened to reveal the untold story of the 82nd Airborne on D-Day — chaos, courage, and the…

A single code cracked. A single battle turned the war.

Bestselling author Martin Dugard joins Why Wars Happened to take you inside the Battle of Midway — code-breaking, naval showdowns, and the fight …

Before Braveheart, the real fight for Scotland was even bloodier.

Historian Michael Brown (University of St. Andrews) joins Why Wars Happened to uncover the shocking truth about the Wars of Independen…

Weapons that didn’t exist. Myths that fueled invasion. Secrets from inside the White House.

Journalist Robert Draper (NYT, To Start a War) reveals how Bush’s team pushed America into Iraq — the intell…

 Hey guys, welcome back to the Why Wars Happened History podcast, where you learn about the causes of wars and things like, why did it happen? Was it inevitable? Who was involved? Sometimes I go back…

He was in the room when the invasion was planned.

Colonel Kevin Benson takes us inside Operation Iraqi Freedom — the war games, the chaos, and why “catastrophic success” became the Army’s nightmare ph…