PODCAST · history
Battleground
by Goalhanger
A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points, and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop, Saul David, and Roger Moorhouse turn their attention every Friday to the war in Ukraine, and every Wednesday look back at the significant wars, events, and figures from conflicts around the world.Goalhanger Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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447. The Starlink Betrayal Allegations
As winter approaches, Ukraine faces escalating pressure on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front. In this episode, Patrick Bishop and Saul David unpack alarming allegations from Kyiv that the U.S. government—via Starshield speed restrictions—temporarily crippled Ukraine's ability to track...
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446. The Weakness of the Powerful – Challenging Impunity with Nobel Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk
In this episode of Battleground The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Centre for Civil Liberties and recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Oleksandra discusses the immense human toll of Russia's war on Ukraine, detailing how her team has…
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445. Dinosaurs, Drones, and Nero's Rome
In this special edition of the Battleground podcast, host Saul David catches up with intrepid Hungarian war reporter Boldizsár Győri following his recent three-week, cross-country journey through Ukraine. From the shifting, higher-risk atmosphere in Kyiv under new high-speed drone and ballistic...
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444. Putin Continues to Test NATO
Ukraine’s war with Russia continues to evolve. Roger Moorhouse and Saul David examine Ukraine’s latest gains around Lyman, Russia’s increasingly aggressive “grey-zone” tactics, and the growing threat of the conflict spreading beyond Ukraine. They also discuss a major German spy scandal, the...
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443. Moscow, Washington, and the New World Order
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop sits down with veteran international affairs journalist and Economist editor-at-large Xan Smiley to reflect on the shifting geopolitical landscape between Europe, Moscow, and Washington. Drawing on his years as a former Moscow...
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442. Operation Vivaldi & The Rise of the Unmanned Forces: Inside Ukraine's Drone Revolution
Want to support Matt's charity cycle raising money for SuperHumans? You can find his donation page here. www.justgiving.com/page/u2u In this episode of Battleground, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the latest developments from the front lines in Ukraine, featuring a deep dive...
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441. Can Canada Take On the US? Mark Carney, Trade Wars, and the Battle for Sovereignty
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Julius Strauss is joined by prominent Canadian political columnist and author Andrew Coyne to analyse the escalating trade tensions and unprecedented strain on Canada–US relations. The discussion covers the political shift in Canada following...
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440. Is the Tank Back? Anti-Drone Tech and Starvation in Oleshky
In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Roger Moorhouse analyse the geopolitical fallout of Donald Trump signing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, his push for Ukraine to halt refinery strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a mutual energy...
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439. The Cauldron: How the Modern Middle East Was Really Made
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Saul David sits down with prize-winning, internationally bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss his book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Montefiore shares the intense, challenging process behind crafting…
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438. Boiling the Frog: Russian Hybrid Warfare at NATO’s Doorstep
In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Patrick Bishop examine the latest geopolitical fallout following Jared Kushner’s controversial peace deal statements and Donald Trump’s calls for Ukraine to halt energy strikes. They unpack the domestic political implications—including the...
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437. The Human Element of War: Iain MacGregor on Morale, Tech, and Ukraine
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by publisher and military historian Iain MacGregor to explore how the past illuminates the present and future of warfare. Drawing from his book Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare From Ancient Greece to...
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436. Walking into the Grey Zone: A Frontline Report with Boldizsár Győri
In this special standalone edition, host Roger Moorhouse and co-host Patrick Bishop speak with intrepid war reporter Boldizsár "Boldi" Győri following his latest trip to Ukraine. Boldi provides a vivid look into the current atmosphere in Kyiv, where residents face modified S-300 and S-400 Russian...
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435. Diplomatic Amateurs
Hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse examine the latest US-led diplomatic efforts following meetings between Donald Trump's envoys—Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff—and leaders in Moscow and Kyiv. They unpack the lack of concrete diplomatic breakthroughs, Witkoff's controversial comments to...
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434. Who Was Actually Behind the Nord Stream Bombing?
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, Roger Moorhouse is joined by Bojan Pancevski, Chief Political Correspondent for Europe at The Wall Street Journal and author of The Nord Stream Conspiracy. Together, they unravel the audacious plot behind the autumn 2022 sabotage of the Nord…
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433. Can NATO Fight Back Against Russia’s Shadow War?
In this episode, Saul David and Roger Moorhouse analyze the recent escalation in long-range aerial strikes, including Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian logistics sites, as well as severe Russian missile raids on Kyiv and Odesa's power infrastructure. They discuss Indian Prime Minister Narendra...
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432. Saving the SAS & The Management of Fear
In this episode of The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by former soldier, military entrepreneur, and author Tim Spicer. Patrick and Tim discuss Tim’s latest book, An Axe and Four Balloons, which tells the story of Brian Franks—the former Etonian and hotel manager who became a wartime...
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431. Hell in Kherson – Life under the Drones & CIA's Secret Moscow Mission
In this episode of Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Saul David delve into high-stakes diplomacy and the gruelling realities of life on the front lines. First, the hosts analyse the sudden, clandestine visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow. What brought a US military aircraft to Russia's...
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430. Hungary’s New Dawn: 100 Days of Péter Magyar
In this instalment of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Julius Strauss takes a deep dive into Hungary’s seismic political shift following the April elections. After 16 years of rule, Viktor Orbán was swept aside by political newcomer Péter Magyar and his Tisza party. Now nearly 100 days into...
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429. Fedorov's Challenge: A Governance Crisis in Kyiv?
In this episode, Saul David and Patrick Bishop analyse the political shockwaves in Kyiv following former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's controversial call for wartime presidential elections. They examine the rising tension within the Ukrainian leadership, the removal of key officials, and…
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428. Echoes of ’91: The Fall of the USSR and Putin’s Future
In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Roger Moorhouse sits down with renowned historian and author Robert Service to dissect the historical threads connecting the fall of the Soviet Union to Vladimir Putin’s present-day Russia. Drawing from his recent work on the August 1991…
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427. Election Bans, Drone Offensives & National Resilience
The war in Ukraine reaches a critical new phase as Patrick Bishop and Saul David analyse Ukraine’s unprecedented, deep-strike drone campaigns into major Russian cities—and the Kremlin's nervous crackdown on domestic anti-war opposition ahead of upcoming elections. Plus, long-time friend of the...
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426. The American Pope: Leo XIV, Trump, and the New Vatican Soft Power
In this episode of The Big Picture, Patrick speaks with leading religious and political journalist Catherine Pepinster to examine the soft power, geopolitics, and spiritual influence of Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost). Episode Highlights The Rise of Pope Leo XIV: How the Augustinian friar and…
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425. Summer Special: The Caspian Strike, Falklands 2.0 & Deterring Russia
We are currently on a very short summer break, so instead of our regular news update, hosts Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop are diving into listener questions for a special long-form Q&A episode. Don't worry—we will be back next week with all the latest news and updates from the ground. In…
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424. Radek Sikorski on Russia’s Evolving Threat, European Defence, and the War in Ukraine
In this episode of The Big Picture, host Roger Moorhouse is joined by Polish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Radek Sikorski for an in-depth discussion on European security, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the evolving threat posed by Moscow. Minister Sikorski assesses how the conflict...
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423. On the Front Line with Ukraine's Drone Units with Arnaud De Decker
Hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse take a look at the latest shifting political dynamics surrounding US-Ukraine relations. They unpack the recent White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the potential transactional nature of future US support, and the growing role…
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422. Al Carns MP on Why Western Defence Policy Must Evolve
In this installment of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Saul David sits down with Al Carns—Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, former Royal Marines colonel, SBS veteran awarded the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order, and former Minister for the Armed Forces. Carns opens up about…
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421. Retail Under Fire: Drone Strikes, Oligarch Warnings, and a New Ukrainian Commander
Hosts Roger Moorhouse and Patrick Bishop return to discuss the latest critical developments in the war, starting with a major strategic shift in Ukraine's drone targeting. The hosts break down Ukraine's long-range strikes against distribution centres belonging to Wildberries—Russia’s largest…
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420. 40% of the World by 2100: Why Is Everyone Ignoring Africa?
Despite holding vast mineral wealth and being on track to represent 40% of the global population by the end of the century, Africa remains largely overlooked in global political and economic discussions. Why does a continent with such massive potential continue to be sidelined on the world stage?...
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419. Zelensky’s Spectacular Own Goal
A week of major military successes for Ukraine is overshadowed by a self-inflicted political crisis in Kyiv. Hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down President Volodymyr Zelensky's highly controversial dismissal of both his Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and the young, popular, and…
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418. Battleground Big Picture: Power Struggles in Kyiv - The Story Behind the Government Reshuffle
"If Zelenskyy decides to remove Fedorov, it’s gonna be his biggest mistake during the war." Welcome to the inaugural episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, where we cut through the fog of information to bring you the unfiltered reality of global conflicts. In this episode, we sit down with...
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417. "Make Your Own": Trump's Answer to the Patriot Interceptor Shortage
A major shift in Washington policy headlines a fraught NATO summit in Ankara. This week, Patrick Bishop and Saul David break down Donald Trump’s surprising warming of relations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marked by a critical deal allowing Ukraine to co-produce Patriot missile interceptors to…
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416. The Atomised Empire: Passivity, Cash, and the Fate of Putin’s Russia
This week, Roger Moorhouse sits down with exiled Russian journalist and Deutsche Welle commentator Konstantin Eggert for a candid look inside the Russian psyche. As Ukrainian long-range strikes push the realities of war onto Moscow’s doorstep, Eggert explains why the average Russian remains...
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415. Choking the Russian War Machine
The clock is ticking on Vladimir Putin's presidency as Ukraine’s 40-day deep-strike campaign forces a "logistics lockdown" on occupied territories. This week, Saul David and Patrick Bishop break down the surgical precision of Starlink-guided Zvezducha drones paralyzing Russian supply lines. They...
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414. Reflections from Lviv: The Highs, Lows, and Hard Truths of a "Forever War"
In the final episode of their latest journey through Ukraine, the team gathers in Lviv to reflect on a deeply moving and sobering trip. The day begins with dramatic news: Hungarian journalist and team fixer, Boldi, was detained for five and a half hours of polite but intense questioning by the…
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413. Trump’s G7 Bombshell, the Battle for Kostiantynivka, and Russia’s Desperate Draft Raids
In this episode of Battleground, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse explore what feels like a momentous and highly unpredictable phase of the war in Ukraine. They unpack the strategic fallout from the G7 summit in Evian, where Donald Trump declared that America has "nothing to do with this...
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412. The Superhumans of Ukraine with Eddie Scott
In this episode, Saul David and Julius Strauss travel to western Ukraine to visit the remarkable Superhumans Center in Lviv—a state-of-the-art reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation hospital addressing a staggering crisis of an estimated 100,000 amputees nationwide. They sit down with Eddie...
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411. The Squeeze on Crimea, Lukashenko’s Apology & Inside the Kherson 'Human Safari'
In a remarkably mixed bag of an episode, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore whether the war is finally "coming home" to ordinary Russians as a systematic Ukrainian degradation campaign triggers widespread fuel shortages and chaos across fifty-three Russian regions. The team breaks down...
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410. The Artery of the Nation & The War on Corruption
In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Julius Strauss check in from the bustling Kyiv Railway Station after completing a train journey from Kharkiv. Despite ongoing Russian infrastructure attacks that have heavily impacted the national grid, Ukraine’s rail network continues to...
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409. Gaining Dominance: Ukraine Shifts the Momentum
"History moves gradually, then suddenly." As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine crosses a somber milestone—matching the exact duration of the First World War at 1,568 days—co-hosts Saul David and Patrick Bishop analyse what feels like a definitive "hinge moment" in the conflict. This week…
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408. Geopolitical Shifts, Strategic Autonomy, and the 'Fantastic Kingdom' with Dr. Helene von Bismarck
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year , Europe finds itself facing a monumental geopolitical shift. With the United States under an erratic presidency taking a highly transactional, unpredictable approach to its historic alliances , the transatlantic network that has guaranteed Western...
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407. Black Smoke Over St Petersburg: Ukraine Targets Putin’s "Russian Davos"
In this episode, Patrick and Roger dive into what has officially become the new reality: Ukraine has gained the upper hand in the war against Russia. We break down the stunning and deeply embarrassing Ukrainian drone strikes on St Petersburg and the Kronstadt naval base—timed perfectly to shatter...
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406. Fighting the War Within – Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Battle
As the brutal conflict continues, Ukraine is fighting a war on multiple fronts—not just in the trenches, but internally within the corridors of power against a long-standing weapon of Kremlin information warfare: the accusation of irredeemable corruption. In this episode, hosts Saul David and...
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405. Escalation, Ambiguity, and the Ghost of Katyn
In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyse a week defined by Russian escalation, psychological warfare, and deep structural fractures behind the frontline. The Kremlin has intensified its campaign of domestic terror, launching a brutal round of strikes against...
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404. The Reinforced Character of Kharkiv
On their final night in Kharkiv, Saul, Boldi, Kim, and Julius gather for a debrief to reflect on a city caught between extreme opposites. Fresh off an overnight train from Odesa, they arrived just in time for International Women’s Day—witnessing a blue-sky celebration of smiles and flowers...
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403. The Unimaginable: Will Nuclear Weapons Be Used Again in Our Lifetime?
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a chilling question has continuously loomed over the international community: how real is the threat of a nuclear escalation? While the nuclear dimension has historically overshadowed the conflict, the rules of engagement and atomic posturing are…
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Friends in High Places: Putin’s Lifelines and Britain’s Sanction U-Turn
Four years and three months into a "five-day special military operation" that has dragged on as long as the First World War, Vladimir Putin continues to display a troubling resilience. In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Patrick Bishop and Saul David peel back the diplomatic theatre...
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401. The Battle for Kupiansk: Inside Ukraine's Comeback
In our latest on-the-ground episode of Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul and Boldi take you directly behind the front lines of a major tactical breakthrough. Traveling down a high-priority supply highway newly shrouded under miles of anti-drone netting , the team infiltrates a hidden, highly…
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400. Human Safari in Kherson & Drone Interceptors at Chernobyl
In this special edition of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Patrick Bishop catch up with friend of the show - intrepid Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori, who has just returned from the front lines and the deeply scarred landscapes of Ukraine. Boldi paints a vivid, surreal, and at times...
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399. Is This the Beginning of the End?
In this week’s episode, Saul David and Patrick Bishop explore whether the tide has finally turned in the four-year conflict. Following a series of strategic and symbolic blows to the Kremlin, the team asks: Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for Vladimir Putin’s "Special Military...
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398. Katya’s War: The Last Night in Avdiivka
In the second part of our interview with Katya Ratushna, she recounts the harrowing final days of Avdiivka and shares her strategic vision for the future of the Ukrainian defence. Following her account of Bakhmut in Part 1, Katya offers a raw perspective on the "fate" of being among the last to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points, and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop, Saul David, and Roger Moorhouse turn their attention every Friday to the war in Ukraine, and every Wednesday look back at the significant wars, events, and figures from conflicts around the world.Goalhanger Podcasts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Goalhanger
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Battleground have?
Battleground currently has 468 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Battleground about?
A history podcast that explores the narratives, turning points, and characters that shape conflicts, encompassing a blend of social and military history. Following on from the series on the Falklands War, best-selling military historians Patrick Bishop, Saul David, and Roger Moorhouse turn their...
How often does Battleground release new episodes?
Battleground publishes regularly with 468 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Battleground?
You can listen to Battleground on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Battleground?
Battleground is created and hosted by Goalhanger.
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