Best Zack Twamley Podcasts (2025)

1
#56: 2 August 1914 IV - Let Loose World Madness 54:39

6d ago54:39

54:39

Even as Moltke examined Germany's strategic options, the world was turning against Germany. Berlin pressed its case by pointing out the Russian sins of dishonesty and pre-emption, but was anyone listening? Britain's diplomats in Berlin, St Petersburg, and Vienna had had enough. The news from Luxemburg was a clear sign of things to come, and even if…

1
Trump 2.0: Making America Progressive Again 57:43

9d ago57:43

57:43

The question of who President Donald Trump resembled in history is one that has become almost a cliche, mostly thanks to its ideological Rorschach quality, especially during his first term and in the years leading up to his second. This has become far less of a debate, thanks largely to the man himself actually citing his influences. This was what …

1
#55: 2 August 1914 III - Lichnowsky's Last Stand 46:25

13d ago46:25

46:25

While Germany covered itself in infamy, the German ambassador in London did his best to maintain the fragile Anglo-German relationship. His mission was ultimately doomed, but no one could accuse Prince Max Lichnowsky of failing to try. An avid Anglophile and advocate of closer ties between the two countries, Lichnowsky continued to hope that his ma…

1
The State of America w/ Thom Daly - Part 2 1:46:10

17d ago1:46:10

1:46:10

In this second part of my conversation with Thom, we discuss the unlawful way in which the Trump administration behaves at home, including its treatment of citizens who hold views which the President does not like. It is free speech for me, but not for thee, and we look at the historical context for these actions. Can anything stop Trump? Or are th…

1
The State of America w/ Thom Daly - Part 1 1:20:11

17d ago1:20:11

1:20:11

In this first of two episodes with Thom Daly, we focus on the United States and its position in the world following the Trump administration's many blunders and betrayals in foreign policy, trade policy, and many more things besides. If you believe what Trump has done is antithetical to America and what it is supposed to represent, then you'll be i…

1
#54: 2 August 1914 II - Britain Decides On War 47:42

20d ago47:42

47:42

The traditional picture of British intervention in the First World War normally comes down to one issue - Belgium. On 4 August, Britain did declare war on Germany. However, before this monumental step took place, Britain had already made its choice - or, rather, the British Cabinet had. The Liberal government was against intervention in a majority,…

1
#53: 2 August 1914 I - Into Luxemburg 40:31

27d ago40:31

40:31

The Schleiffen Plan demanded an invasion of the small Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, where German forces would seize key railway installations, facilitating their march into Belgium, and then to France. Of course, nobody told the Luxemburgers, but Berlin was very eager to make it clear that this unannounced invasion was not an invasion at all. Oh no, th…

1
Diplomacy on the Eastern Border (w/ Kristaps Andrejsons, Jack Johannson, & Zack Twamley) 2:53:19

1M ago2:53:19

2:53:19

I was recently invited to join in a panel discussion with three podcasting greats and people I consider friends—that is, The Eastern Border’s Kristaps Andrejsons, the Secret Police podcast’s Jack Johannson, and When Diplomacy Fails podcast’s Zack Twamley. It originally went up on the Eastern Border feed, split into two parts, but Kristaps was kind …

1
#52: 1 August 1914 IV - Desperate Diplomacy 42:37

1M ago42:37

42:37

Now that it was clear Germany would have to face the Entente, and likely Britain's imminent intervention, Berlin became much more active in sending diplomatic feelers across Europe. Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire, were all ideal targets. Some were erstwhile allies, others convenient partners, but could they be relied upon now, whe…

1
#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster 42:21

1M ago42:21

42:21

We open with the shattered dreams of Kaiser Wilhelm II, as the British claim a 'misunderstanding' must have occurred to make Berlin believe Britain and France could remain neutral. The rollercoaster of emotions ended with Wilhelm's bitter confirmation to Moltke - he could do what he liked now. What Moltke liked to do and what he had to do were one …

1
The Slave Who Would Be a Spy (w/ Isaac Willour) 1:00:49

1M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Slavery is often known as the United States’ original sin, and for good reason. Much of our perceptions of it are informed both by the Civil War’s cause and outcome, and the contradictions—and even moral hypocrisy—that it created with our Founding Fathers’ professed beliefs. Contradiction is the theme not just of the United States’ values and histo…

1
#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding' 52:57

2M ago52:57

52:57

In the final hours of peace, the German government was led to believe that a miracle had occurred. Incredibly, Britain had affirmed its intention not only to remain neutral, but to guarantee the neutrality of France as well. Where had such a monumental offer come from? Was it legitimate, or the product of a 'misunderstanding' between the German amb…

1
Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing? 1:55:14

2M ago1:55:14

1:55:14

After that disgraceful display in the White House, I couldn't stay silent any longer. Three years on from when I first offered my thoughts on the situation, in this very personal and raw episode, I cover the multilayered implications of the current crisis. What is Trump playing at? Is this new turn in American foreign policy going to fix anything, …

1
The Spirit of the American West (w/ David McGarry) 1:41:48

2M ago1:41:48

1:41:48

The American West (or the “Wild West” as it’s still sometimes known) is arguably one of the defining features of the United States’ history and culture, if not the most defining feature. After all, much of the world has the image of the American cowboy (or less often, the American settler) planted firmly in their heads when they think of “Americans…

1
#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice 39:53

2M ago39:53

39:53

We're in the endgame now, but somehow, not everyone got the message. There was plenty of waiting to be done. Berlin was waiting on Russia's reply to its ultimatum, and France was also expected to reply, but the generals felt they could not wait. Who knew how far Russia's mobilisation had gone, or how close Germany was to disaster? With this added t…

1
A Bug in the Software 56:05

2M ago56:05

56:05

Hey everyone, happy to present to all of you fine people with a brief bonus, this time adapting my recent historiographical essay that I had written my first semester in graduate school on the study of infectious disease’s effects throughout history and how it was written about from around the 1970s until the 2010s. This should serve as a nice pair…

1
#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence 44:44

2M ago44:44

44:44

In our final JULY episode of the July Crisis, we return to Britain, where the pressure was building to make a decision. Russian mobilisation was clearly in the air, and if the news was true, German mobilisation would soon follow. Was peace possible even now? Many in Britain insisted it could, and declared that to fight a war in the name of a far of…

1
#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War' 34:40

2M ago34:40

34:40

Now that Berlin had accepted that war with Russia was inevitable, it remained to prepare the diplomatic ground. German diplomacy had worked behind the scenes to court Romania and the Ottoman Empire, but the latter effort bore the most significant fruit. The Italians were less dependable, but there remained precious little time to persuade Austria t…

1
Mother's Wrath, Mankind's Bargain (The Los Angeles Fires of 2025) 1:50:57

2M ago1:50:57

1:50:57

In this episode of History Impossible inaugurating 2025 and the sixth anniversary of the show, we will be looking at the Los Angeles Fires of 2025 but from an extended, historical, and probably overly philosophical lens. Because as it turns out, natural disasters are a constant of the human experience and create some of the greatest extremes, and r…

1
#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too' 40:43

3M ago40:43

40:43

As the news of Russian mobilisation and Germany's Kriegsgefahr spread across Europe, urgent telegrams followed. Whether in London, Berlin, or Paris, the picture was becoming clearer, but that did not mean contemporaries were content to allow the march to war. The Tsar had burned his bridges in Berlin, as the disgusted Germans scoffed at his decisio…

1
#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies 39:47

3M ago39:47

39:47

Russian general mobilisation was underway, and with red imperial posters announcing this grave new step, it could hardly be kept a secret. Yet, somehow, Germany seemed the only power truly in the loop. The question was, why were France and Britain unaware of it? Were they unaware, thanks to their ambassadors in St Petersburg, or had London and Pari…

1
#44: 31 July 1914 I - Start Spreading the News 40:02

3M ago40:02

40:02

By now, Europe was on a knife edge. In Berlin, more and more rumours were pouring in that Russian general mobilisation was underway. In Vienna, no statesman was willing to make any concessions. Paris and London were both running shockingly blind. In St Petersburg, the morning of 31 July meant the official beginning of general mobilisation - with of…

1
#43: 30 July 1914 V - Britain on the Fence 1:07:47

3M ago1:07:47

1:07:47

The 30 July was a turning point for the British Cabinet. When the German Chancellor made his bid for British neutrality, yet refused to guarantee the independence of Belgium or to rule out annexations of French colonies, it set in motion a terrible chain of events. Sir Edward Grey planned to use this faux pas to pile more pressure on the non-interv…

1
#42: 30 July 1914 IV - Smash Your Telephone! 50:01

3M ago50:01

50:01

The Russian decision to commence general mobilisation against Austria and Germany was made in the afternoon of 30 July, ultimately by the Tsar. It took 24 hours of intense pressure by several leading Russian officials, but after backtracking the previous day, Tsar Nicholas was finally persuaded to go all in. His anxious generals were told that ther…

1
#41: 30 July 1914 III - Immediate Danger of War 37:48

4M ago37:48

37:48

Welcome to our first episode of 2025! We return to a pivotal moment in the crisis, when Germany experienced yet another 180 in policy. A day which began with a frantic German effort to pressure Austria into making concessions soon devolved into the more familiar mission - preparing the realm for war. What had caused this shift in German policy? Why…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Zack Twamley Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
When Diplomacy Fails Podcast

Zack Twamley

1
History Impossible

Alexander von Sternberg

1
1956: The Eventful Year

Zack Twamley

1
#56: 2 August 1914 IV - Let Loose World Madness 54:39

1
Trump 2.0: Making America Progressive Again 57:43

1
#55: 2 August 1914 III - Lichnowsky's Last Stand 46:25

1
The State of America w/ Thom Daly - Part 2 1:46:10

1
The State of America w/ Thom Daly - Part 1 1:20:11

1
#54: 2 August 1914 II - Britain Decides On War 47:42

1
#53: 2 August 1914 I - Into Luxemburg 40:31

1
Diplomacy on the Eastern Border (w/ Kristaps Andrejsons, Jack Johannson, & Zack Twamley) 2:53:19

1
#52: 1 August 1914 IV - Desperate Diplomacy 42:37

1
#51: 1 August 1914 III - The Kaiser's Rollercoaster 42:21

1
The Slave Who Would Be a Spy (w/ Isaac Willour) 1:00:49

1
#50: 1 August 1914 II - 'There Must Be Some Misunderstanding' 52:57

1
Trump Betrays Ukraine - What is America Doing? 1:55:14

1
The Spirit of the American West (w/ David McGarry) 1:41:48

1
#49: 1 August 1914 I - Rolling The Iron Dice 39:53

1
A Bug in the Software 56:05

1
#48: 31 July 1914 V - Britain On Defence 44:44

1
#47: 31 July 1914 IV - 'A Finger's Breadth From War' 34:40

1
Mother's Wrath, Mankind's Bargain (The Los Angeles Fires of 2025) 1:50:57

1
#46: 31 July 1914 III - 'We'd Like Those Chaps To Be In It Too' 40:43

1
#45: 31 July 1914 II - From Russia with Lies 39:47

1
#44: 31 July 1914 I - Start Spreading the News 40:02

1
#43: 30 July 1914 V - Britain on the Fence 1:07:47

1
#42: 30 July 1914 IV - Smash Your Telephone! 50:01

1
#41: 30 July 1914 III - Immediate Danger of War 37:48

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