Departures Podcast featuring Jacob Mikanowski, author of ‘Goodbye, Eastern Europe’
Eastern Europe, from the northernmost reaches of of the Baltics and down to the Balkan statelets strung along the Adriadic Sea, is one of the most perplexing, conflicted, and interesting regions of the world which still today remains the subject of myths and misunderstanding. Since the end of the Cold War, one could say that […]
Departures Podcast featuring Dan Stone, author of ‘The Holocaust: An Unfinished History’
The gradual breakdown of the prevailing geopolitical order has brought to the fore numerous far right parties and politicians across Western democracy, bringing with them some very old (and very dangerous) tropes of anti-Semitism. In light of these frightening trends, it is more important than ever for us to confront the often difficult and challenging […]
Departures Podcast featuring Paul Preston, author of ‘Architects of Terror: Paranoia, Conspiracy, and Anti-Semitism in Franco’s Spain’
The story of the rise of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1936 is often overshadowed by that of the country’s civil war and its entanglement across the other major developments in Europe at the time. But Spanish fascism was also driven by an enduring set of beliefs – which were so thoroughly odious and absurd […]
Departures Podcast featuring Deborah Cohen, author of ‘Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took On a World at War’
The role of foreign correspondents, especially during times of war, can be extraordinarily important not only in shaping public perceptions and strategic decisionmaking at the highest level, but also in informing on revolutionary shifts in social norms, as these reporters find themselves bringing their personal lives into the public and the newsmaking process into their […]
Departures Podcast featuring Danilo Mandić, author of ‘Gangsters and Other Statesmen’
When we think of networks of organized crime, we tend to place them in their own category, occupying an “underworld” of its own rules separate from the norms and laws that guide our states operate in societies. In his new book, “Gangsters and Other Statesmen: Mafias, Separatists, and Torn States in a Globalized World,” Danilo […]
Departures Podcast with Helen Thompson, author of ‘Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century’
We can all agree that the global world order has become rather disorderly. We also seem to have trouble coming up with consistent and convincing explanations of what brought about this disorder, pointing uselessly at shocks such as the passage of Brexit to the Trump to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But for political scientist […]
Departures Podcast with Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman, authors of ‘Hitler’s American Gamble’
During one specific week in December in 1941, a series of events and calculations led to Adolf Hitler’s disastrous decision to declare war on the United States, putting the conflict on the eventual path toward the outcome we now regard with familiarity. The sequence of events leading from the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan […]
Departures Podcast with John Lough, author of ‘Germany’s Russia Problem: The Struggle for Balance in Europe’
In power since 2005, Angela Merkel’s CDU coalition has managed to govern Germany with an admirable level of success, but at the same time during this period, Vladimir Putin’s Russia has invaded multiple countries, interfered in elections both near and far away, and run amok with jailings and assassinations of dissidents. How is it possible […]
Departures Podcast with Ian Goldin, author of ‘Rescue: From Global Crisis to a Better World’
The disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has obliterated many standing global norms, but it’s less clear how this crisis could change our approach to solving the world’s biggest challenges. According to Ian Goldin, who is a Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, the coronavirus pandemic could serve as the necessary […]
Departures Podcast with Paul Jankowski
A favorite historical hypothetical question we often hear tossed around is what should the world have done differently to halt the rise of Nazi Germany and prevent World War II from taking place. But the truth is, the number of signals and signs of this approaching threat were numerous and often rather clear, and so […]
Russia News Blast
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 24, 2022
Today in Russia: Invasion. Will the world respond?
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 23, 2022
Today in Russia/CIS: Ukraine calls up reservists; Levada Center Director Volkov on public opinion in Russia; Erdogan says Turkey won’t accept Russian moves in Ukraine; EU and US latest sanctions; Russia-Ukraine crisis as viewed Uzbekistan; Israel walks a tightrope on its Ukraine position
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RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – February 22, 2022
but which borders?;’ History professor (and President) Putin delivers fiery speech; Lavrov re-writes the rules of international sovereignty; UK and EU roll out initial sanctions, and Washington plans big moves; Nord Stream 2 finally meets its end after a slow, painful death; Zelensky’s speech; White House: On second thought, that’s an invasion; How will China respond?; Russia to evacuate all diplomatic staff from Ukraine
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