Reichs & Republics | The German Histo...

Takes you beyond the familiar clichés to uncover the richness and diversity of the German past.

Join us as we untangle this complex story, dispelling the popular myths and misapprehensions about a national history that still shapes the world we live in. 


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Host: Katja Hoyer & Dr Christopher Dillon

⁠⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/reichs-republics#host⁠⁠


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Untitled History Podcast: http://listen.untitled-history.com/

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General Enquiries: republics@battleguide.co.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

- Host: Katja Hoyer and Dr Christopher Dillon

- Production: Linus Klaßen

History
1
Episode 9: 'We Are The People'. How the Berlin ...
In this episode, Katja and Chris dive into the final, frantic days of the GDR. They explore the lived reality of the Wende (the turning point) from the perspective of East Germans watching their world dissolve in real-time. From the bravery of the Monday Demonstrations to the surreal shock of the first border crossings, they discuss what it felt like to suddenly step out from the known and into an uncertain, reunified future.
56 min
2
Episode 8: What did you do in the war, Papa? Th...
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore how West Germany transformed from a conservative postwar society into one rocked by youth rebellion. From the economic miracle of the 1950s to the student protests of 1968, they examine why a new generation began questioning their parents’ past, asking uncomfortable questions about Nazism, authority, and democracy. Along the way, they uncover how cultural change, political tensions, and global movements collided to reshape modern Germany.
58 min
3
Episode 7: East Germany’s Forgotten Uprising
In this episode, Katja and Chris dive into the dramatic events of 17 June 1953, when East Germany was shaken by a mass uprising that nearly toppled the young socialist regime. What began as a workers’ strike in East Berlin quickly spread across the country, drawing in over a million people.
56 min
4
Episode 6: Where Did All the Nazis Go After 1945?
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore how the Allies attempted to denazify Germany after Hitler’s fall, focusing not just on top Nazi leaders but on the millions of ordinary Germans who had supported the regime. They compare the very different approaches of the American, British, French, and Soviet occupation zones, and examine how politics, pragmatism, and the early Cold War shaped the process.
62 min
5
Episode 5: Terror Before the War: Concentration...
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the origins of the Nazi concentration camp system before the Second World War. They examine how the early camps were created, who they were meant to imprison, and how terror was normalized in German society. They discuss the differences between the early pre-war camps and the later wartime camp system, the role of Dachau as a model for SS violence, and why so many ordinary Germans tolerated or accepted what was happening. The episode also looks at how the camps evolved from tools of political repression into institutions that pointed toward the wider horrors of Nazi persecution and genocide.
53 min
6
Episode 4: Weimar 1928: The Humiliation of the ...
In this episode, Katja and Chris examine the Weimar Republic at its apparent high point in 1928 and ask the question that still haunts historians today: was German democracy ever truly secure, or was collapse already built in? Looking at elections, economic recovery, Stresemann’s diplomacy, rural unrest, and the Nazis' ongoing inability to gain a hearing from German voters, they explore how a republic that seemed stable and modern could still be far more fragile than it appeared.
52 min
7
Episode 3: The Turnip (and Crow) Winter of 1916/17
In this episode, Katja and Chris explore the brutal reality of the 'Turnip Winter' of 1916/17, when the German civilian population was forced to endure extreme hunger, freezing temperatures and a collapsing food system. They explore how the British blockade, disastrous harvests and government mismanagement forced people to survive on animal fodder such as turnips (and crow). The episode reveals that food shortages weakened Germany not only physically, but also shattered morale, fuelled social tensions and played a decisive role in the country's eventual defeat in the First World War.
54 min
8
Episode 2: The Iron Chancellor: Bismarck and th...
The position of Prussia in Germany will not be determined by its liberalism but by its power [...] Prussia must concentrate its strength and hold it for the favourable moment, which has already come and gone several times. [...] Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided [...] but by iron and blood (Eisen und Blut).
54 min
9
Episode 1: Reich? What Reich?
In the first episode of Reichs and Republics, we set the scene for a journey through German history, from the Holy Roman Empire to reunification. We explore the meanings of 'Reich' and 'Republic', explain why Germany's past continues to shape the modern world, and share what sparked our fascination with the subject.
42 min