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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 and Saul David turned their attention to the war in Ukraine, and now every Wednesday look back to the seismic events of 1945.

Goalhanger Podcasts

Battleground

Host Saul David interviews special guest Richard Woodruff, a young British volunteer in Ukraine since 2022.

Richard shares his journey from rebuilding destroyed homes in Bucha and Irpin to delivering critical humanitarian aid near the front lines. He recounts his immediate response to the Kakhovka Dam disaster, using speedboats to rescue stranded civilians and animals.

The discussion focuses heavily on his current work running what is described as Ukraine's largest volunteer-controlled drone factory, which has produced over 5,500 FPV drones credited with destroying millions in Russian equipment. Richard also discusses the future of the war, the challenge of international support, and his post-war plans to moving to Kharkiv to help lead the massive rebuilding effort.

If you want to have a look at Richard's work check it out here: https://frontlinekit.org/

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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338. From Rebuilder to Drone Builder: The Huge Impact of Foreign Volunteers in Ukraine

The lightning war begins. Following the invasion, the North Korean military executes a devastating blitzkrieg attack, sweeping through South Korea and shattering all initial resistance.

Saul and Roger are joined by experts Robert Lyman and David Allison, who help dive into the details of the chaotic early stages of the Korean War.

First we look at the desperate retreat of the overwhelmed South Korean and early US forces as they are pushed towards Pusan. Then we look at the crucial global response: the newly formed UN Security Council, seizing a rare opportunity, debates and authorises a multinational intervention.

Can a global force be assembled in time to halt the seemingly unstoppable North Korean war machine?

The episode climaxes at the Pusan Perimeter. Battered, exhausted, and pushed to the absolute limit of the peninsula, UN and South Korean forces make a final, desperate stand. This is North Korea's furthest advance.

Outnumbered, outgunned, and with their backs literally against the sea. The fate of South Korea hangs by a thread.

Next time: The Tide Turns.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground

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337. Battleground Korea: Episode II - The Brink and the Breaking Point

Join Saul David and Roger Moorhouse as they break down a week of diplomatic upheaval, and look at the latest from the front lines with a report from Hungarian war reporter Boldi Gyori, recently returned from Donetsk.

Hopes for a quick peace vanished after the US-Russia Budapest summit was scuttled by Moscow's refusal to freeze the front lines.

The hosts analyse the shifting politics surrounding long-range missiles: why President Trump withheld Tomahawks, and why Washington seemingly green-lit a major Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile strike on a critical Russian chemical plant.

On the home front, we examine new Western sanctions hitting Russia's oil and gas giants, reports of horrific war crimes against civilians in Donetsk and Kharkiv, and the long-term future of Ukrainian air power with the massive Swedish deal for up to 150 advanced Gripen E fighter jets.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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336. The Diplomatic Roller Coaster & The New Realities of Drone Warfare

Welcome to Battleground Korea: The Unfinished War. 

We begin by exploring how Korea, a nation scarred by decades of Japanese occupation, was suddenly and arbitrarily divided by the victorious Allies in 1945. The line was the 38th Parallel.

This division birthed two fiercely opposing regimes and leaders: the Soviet-backed communist Kim Il Sung in the North, and the American-backed nationalist Syngman Rhee in the South. As the Cold War escalated, Korea rapidly became a volatile proxy battleground between East and West.

"With American and Soviet forces withdrawing, the fragile peace along the 38th Parallel began to unravel. Skirmishes grew bloodier and more audacious. Both Kim Il Sung and Syngman Rhee openly spoke of unifying the peninsula—by force. The question wasn't if the two Koreas would clash, but whether their civil conflict would ignite a wider conflagration, pulling in the global superpowers. The stage was set, but who would make the first devastating move?"

The episode concludes with the secret plotting that sealed Korea's fate. Kim Il Sung relentlessly lobbied Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong for the necessary support. After months of manoeuvring, the communist giants finally gave their approval, providing the crucial political green light.

Next time: The Invasion.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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335. Battleground Korea: Episode I - The Spark of Division

This week Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyse a week of potential shifts in the conflict.

On the frontline: Ukrainian civilians evacuate Kupiansk as security deteriorates; a UN humanitarian convoy is deliberately attacked in Kherson; and a strike hits a Kharkiv hospital. Ukraine continues hitting back, targeting the Feodosia oil terminal in Crimea amidst a potential chemical threat from a ruptured ammonia pipeline.

In the diplomatic sphere, Donald Trump rattles the Kremlin by suggesting he might send Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, prompting intense Russian warnings. Meanwhile, signs of Putin's diplomatic discomfort appear as he is forced to apologize to Azerbaijan, and early whispers of internal dissent surface in Russia's major cities.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

334. Kremlin Rattled by Trump's Tomahawk Offer

The hunt is over. Black May (May 1943) marks the U-boat campaign's devastating turning point, forcing Admiral Dönitz to withdraw his "Grey Wolves" from the North Atlantic.

In the final episode Saul and Roger track the U-boats' demise against overwhelming Allied technological advances.

We explore the grim reality for U-boat crews—the brutal conditions and a staggering 75% casualty rate—and why advanced subs like the Type XXI "Elektroboote" arrived too late.

We conclude the series by assessing the final collapse, Operation Deadlight, and the campaign's immense human cost.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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333. Wolfpack: Episode III - Broken Wolves

This week on Battleground Ukraine, hosts Saul David and Roger Moorhouse are joined by intrepid Belgian war reporter and friend of the podcast Arnaud de Decker, who recently toured the Donbas. 

In this crucial and alarming dispatch, Arnaud provides a firsthand look at the realities in Donetsk, detailing how Russian forces are steadily advancing and closing in on the key Ukrainian towns of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

Before this essential interview, the hosts dissect the political and military headlines, including the shocking rhetoric from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who all but admitted Russia's role in drone sightings across Europe.

They'll also be examining the difference between the opposing forces' long-range strikes—including Ukraine's successful hits on vital Russian oil infrastructure (like the Feodosia oil terminal), possibly using the new Flamingo missile, and an intelligence report on up to 5,000 Cuban fighters joining the Russian ranks.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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332. Is the Net Closing in for Ukraine in Donetsk?

In late 1942, German U-boats were sinking Allied merchant ships faster than they could be replaced, pushing Britain to the brink of starvation in the 'Black Pit' of the mid-Atlantic. 

In this episode Roger Moorhouse is joined by Saul David as he dives into the most critical period of the Battle of the Atlantic, from the peak losses of March 1943 to the stunning Allied victory in 'Black May.' 

They explore the high-stakes technological race—including the deployment of long-range aircraft, advanced radar, sonar, and breaking the Enigma code—that transformed the Allies from prey to predator and secured the lifeline that made the liberation of Europe possible.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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331. Wolfpack: Episode II - The Depths of Despair

Roger Moorhouse and Saul David analyze a week of intense combat and high-stakes diplomacy. Russia launched a heavy aerial assault on Ukrainian cities, while in the West, they discuss reports that Trump is a "spurned lover," frustrated by Putin's refusal to strike a peace deal.

The hosts also examine the critical power failure at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant and the safety risk it poses. Finally, they cover the new European plan for a continent-wide "drone wall" and the controversial debate over holding a wartime election in Ukraine.

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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330. Kyiv Under Fire: Trump the 'Spurned Lover' and the Zaporizhzhia Ticking Timebomb

Welcome to the first episode of our new Wolfpack series with Saul David and Roger Moorhouse diving into the intriguing origins and early, devastating success of Nazi Germany’s U-boat campaign in the Atlantic. 

This foundational episode unpacks how naval limitations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles failed to stop German rearmament and secretly fostered the development of submarine warfare doctrine.

They also explore Admiral Karl Dönitz's desperate strategic vision—the famed "wolfpack" tactics—and how a small fleet initially achieved spectacular results. From the shocking sinking of the civilian liner SS Athenia immediately after the declaration of war, to the "First Happy Time," a period where U-boat crews operated with lethal impunity, nearly crippling Britain's supply lines and setting the stage for the true Battle of the Atlantic. 

If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com

Producer: James Hodgson

X (Twitter): @PodBattleground
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334. Kremlin Rattled by Trump's Tomahawk Offer

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