When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

30YearsWar #57: The Lion at Lutzen

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After going on a tear for 18 months, Gustavus Adolphus had finally caught Wallenstein, in a town just outside of Leipzig. Considering the enormous amount of men under recruitment, their army sizes were somewhat small, but that didn't make the battle any less ferocious. Indeed, Lutzen can be viewed as a turning point, not merely in the conflict here, but also in early modern warf...

"Eight Billion and Counting" - Dr Jennifer Sciubba and Demographic Security

Real quick - turns out Indira Ghandi is NOT related to Ghandi at all, and is in fact the daughter of Nehru. What are the odds of that? Thanks to Andrew Mence for the correction!

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For this bonus interview episode, I'm very excited to be joined by Dr Jennifer Sciubba! Here she talks about her new book, 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death and Migra...

30YearsWar #56: The Lion and Wallenstein

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With Breitenfeld changing the balance of power in the Empire, Gustavus had much to do as 1631 became 1632. First was the matter of Count Tilly's battered survivors from the battle, who had since been reinforced, and guarded the entrance to Bavaria. But over the horizon was an even greater threat to the Swedish King - Albrecht of Wallenstein, the Holy Roman Emperor's last hope. T...

30YearsWar #55: Hear The Lion Roar

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The Battle of Breitenfeld was a turning point in the Thirty Years War, but equally important was what Gustavus Adolphus chose to do after. In his race to conquer, Gustavus tore down the Rhine, seizing a wide range of cities, from Wurzburg, to Mainz, to Frankfurt. In the process, he upset the contract between the Emperor and his subjects like never before, demanding an answer whi...

30YearsWar #54: Protestant Germany Joins Sweden

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From the moment Gustavus Adolphus landed in Northern Germany, it was clear that his triumph was impossible so long as the Protestant Electors of Brandenburg and Saxony refused to join his side. Throughout spring and summer of 1631 though, Gustavus' luck finally began to turn, thanks in part to his liberal use of intimidation, and the horrendous miscalculations of the Emperor. Po...

Story Games History: Why YOU Should Be Excited!

We are joined today by Ole from Immortal Games to talk about Story Games History.

Story Games History is a ground-breaking concept for making history more accessible, both to casual fans, and for learning purposes. Ole talks about his plan for approaching schools and colleges, adding more academic clout to this exciting project. Perhaps most interestingly...

30YearsWar #53: Making A Magdeburg

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Magdeburg, the city where the Thirty Years' War changed. As the Swedes gathered in North Germany, and the Imperials moved to counter them, their paths led to Magdeburg, a city on the River Elbe with a history of defiance. The city fathers of Magdeburg may have believed that their city would serve as the turning point of the war, but what they could never have imagined was the pr...

Russia Invades Ukraine - Has Diplomacy Failed?

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Well, he did it. He actually did it. After month of posturing, years of undeclared war, and even longer lying to our faces, Putin authorised Russia's invasion of Ukraine. How did it come to this? Is Putin the only variable that matters? Does diplomacy still have a chance? Where do I see all of this going? You may not think you need yet another person talking about this war, but ...

30YearsWar #52: Sweden The Deal

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In early 1631, Gustavus Adolphus was in desperate need of allies and subsidies. Fortunately for him, Cardinal Richelieu of France was only too happy to help, but such friendship would come at a cost. France wasn't interested in throwing away good money. Instead, they wanted to effectively sponsor the Swedish invasion. 

They would fund Sweden's efforts, in return for G...

Get "A Matter of Honour" NOW

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[looking good eh?]

As per your $5 perks, you can now access this newly updated second edition of A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War simply by clicking on the link below.

If you'd prefer to wait for the paperback, that'll be available by the end of the week. ...

30YearsWar #51: The Swedish Case For War

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In spring and summer 1630, Sweden's King could put it off no longer. The months of outrages, the insults, and the straight up interefernce in his business by the Emperor's proxies had gnawed away at his patience. War would have to follow, but how to present this war to the wider world? How to track the list of grievances which Sweden felt? How to persuade Germans and Frenchmen a...

30YearsWar #50: The War In The North

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It's hard to imagine it now, but 400 years ago, Russia was THE underdog in Europe. 

Racked by the aftershocks of the Time of Troubles (1603 - 1618) Russia's Tsar had a long way to go before the name Romanov would spread far and wide. And he had a score to settle. 

The King of Poland, Sigismund III, had invaded and occupied Russia all the way to Moscow barel...

30YearsWar #49: The Peace in the East

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With Denmark exiting the war in Germany, everything seemed to be looking up Ferdinand in spring 1629, but there was a problem. While on the military front, the Emperor still held the edge, on the diplomatic front, forces were conspiring to turn the war on its head. Cardinal Richelieu recognised that if Sweden and Poland could be brought to the peace table, Gustavus Adolphus woul...

The Trent Affair: Episodes 1-5

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It's the enormous audio treat you never knew you needed - all five episodes of the Trent Affair stuck together, without intros, outros and of course ads. Listen in to this near three hour story, and you can almost pretend it's an audiobook! Consider it my gift to you, dear patrons, for making 2021 so great for this show. You're the best!

The Trent Affair #5: From The Brink

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In Episode 5 of the Trent Affair - our final episode, for now! - we ask the big questions, and finish our narrative which stretched across both sides of the Atlantic. At the last moment, it seemed, calmer heads had prevailed, and an Anglo-American War was not required as the price for stained British honour. 

But the two sides had come VERY close to such a nightmare, ...

The Trent Affair #4: Ultimatum Received

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Listen here to our penultimate episode on the Trent Affair, and the moment when peace or war hung in the balance!

After a tense wait, Britain's ultimatum finally arrived in Washington. How would Lincoln and Seward respond to its terms? The Confederate commissioners would have to be returned, and a suitable apology offered, if the British were to be satisfied, but there was...

The Trent Affair #3: Britain's War Plan

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Welcome to our third episode of the Trent Affair, here we confront an important question!

Would the Americans choose peace, or would they choose war? The ultimatum had been sent on 2 December. The restrictions of communication meant that the British would be waiting a while for the answer - as much as a fortnight. But, in the meantime, what did the British government do? I...

The Trent Affair #2: For Law and Honour

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Welcome to the second episode of this special miniseries! Happy christmas and thanksss for tuning in!

When news of the Trent Affair reached Britain, the British cried foul. The Government made immediate preparations to wrest a satisfactory reply from the Americans. Only the return of the commissioners and an American apology would satisfy Palmerston government. The Britis...

The Trent Affair #1: Setting the Scene

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Hello and merry christmas history friends and patrons! To say thanksss for your support and patience over the last year, I thought I'd give you a special miniseries, set in an unfamiliar but fascinating era. Allow me to introduce you to the Trent Affair, also known as the crisis which nearly sparked off a third Anglo-American War!

In November 1861, an American vessel board...

30YearsWar #48: The Web of War

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By summer, 1630, the stage had been set for a Swedish intervention in the German War.  But how did Sweden get to the point where this became feasible, or justifiable? What had caused diplomacy to fail between the Habsburgs and Stockholm? What gripes did King Gustavus Adolphus have with the Habsburgs? Would you believe me if a told you that a tangled web of diplomacy is all ...

30YearsWar #47: The Road to Regensburg

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By the dawn of 1630, the Emperor's triumph was secure in the Empire, but now he would have to reckon with the princes and electors of that Empire. They had some steep demands of their own - the dismissal of Wallenstein, and a lasting peace plan which would guarantee their security. The Emperor's wish for a declaration of war on the Dutch, and the confirmation of his son as heir,...

30YearsWar #46: Turning The Tide

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By late 1628, the Habsburgs appeared supreme. The Danes were on the ropes, and all of the Empire was firmly in the grip of Wallenstein. But appearances were deceptive. The Emperor's triumph was assured, but his cousins were having less luck. Spanish problems in North Italy demanded a united Habsburg response. Spain needed all the help it could get in its Dutch War, but it was th...