Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. But what is the history behind this devastating war, and where did it all begin? In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, we explored Ukraine’s recent past, fro

The Falklands Conflict, with Katherine Parkinson

May 18th, 2022 53m 29s

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. But why did the United Kingdom, steered by Margaret Thatcher, send its Navy to defend the Falklands, a tiny group of islands over 8,000 miles from Britain? Why were the islands so

The Vietnam War, with Cerys Matthews

May 11th, 2022 56m 14s

The Vietnam War is one of the twentieth century’s most well-known conflicts. It has become a buzzword for military failure, synonymous with the most horrific aspects of irregular warfare between states and guerilla forces, and has had a profo

The Korean War, with Eddie Izzard

May 4th, 2022 57m 17s

Why is Korea divided between North and South? Who was Kim Jong Un’s grandfather Kim Il Sun, and what did he want? Why did the United Nations intervene in Korea? And did the Korean War really almost go nuclear? In this episode we were joined by

The Mau Mau Uprising, with Nikita Gill

Apr 27th, 2022 50m 54s

The Mau Mau Uprising was another lesser-known conflict that took place during the end of the British Empire between Kenyan insurgents and British forces. We ask questions like, What does Mau Mau actually mean? What happened in Britain’s detent

The Malayan Emergency, with Phil Wang

Apr 20th, 2022 46m 44s

Few are aware of the secretive conflict that took place in the jungles of Malaysia in the 1940s and 1950s between British colonial forces and communist guerillas. So what tactics were used by both sides? Why was it called an Emergency and not a

The Berlin Wall, with Russell Tovey

Apr 13th, 2022 40m 34s

The Berlin Wall was one of the most important symbols of the Cold War, signifying the division of Europe into communist East and capitalist West. But why was the Wall built? How did it affect the lives of ordinary Berliners? And how did it come

Trailer

Conflict of Interest: Series 2

Apr 6th, 2022 1m 57s

In this brand new series of Conflict of Interest, high-profile guests ask the simple questions about the world’s most complex conflicts from the Cold War era.

Before The War - Syria, with musician Jake Shuker

Mar 9th, 2022 17m 6s

Singer and guitarist Jake Shuker was nine when he first discovered death metal, despite the genre being banned in Syria. From that moment on he was hooked. He formed death metal band Maysaloon as a teenager living in Damascus, before being forc

Bonus

Before The War - Yemen, with artist Murad Subay

Feb 22nd, 2022 12m 52s

In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, artist Murad Subay tells his story of Yemen before the war, finding art as a teenager before sparking a street art movement that saw men, women and children painting the streets of their homes.

Bonus

Before The War - Afghanistan, with artist Samira Kitman

Feb 15th, 2022 18m 46s

In this special episode of Conflict of Interest, we hear what Afghanistan was like for a young girl growing up in Kabul before the Taliban retook power - a girl who dreamed of being a famous artist. Calligrapher and miniaturist Samira Kitman d

9/11, with Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire (RedHanded)

Sep 9th, 2021 1h 7m

In this bonus episode of Conflict of Interest podcast, marking the twentieth anniversary of the attacks on September 11th, 2001, we examine this monumental moment in history which profoundly impacted the world of war and conflict, and the way w

Northern Ireland, with James Graham

Jul 7th, 2021 44m 23s

So far, Conflict of Interest has examined wars in far-flung parts of the world like Yemen and Afghanistan. But in our final episode, we'll explore one much closer to home. When did ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland begin, and what was it like

Yemen, with Munya Chawawa

Jun 30th, 2021 49m 39s

Until recently, Yemen was seen as a remote part of the world that many Westerners knew very little about, perhaps beyond the book-turned-film 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' and a Friends episode where Chandler moves to 15 Yemen Road. But in the

Syria, with Carey Mulligan

Jun 23rd, 2021 41m

The Syrian conflict is one of the most complex and catastrophic wars of recent memory. It has left more than 380,000 people dead and over 10 million people displaced, has destroyed entire cities and drawn interventions from multiple countries.

Libya, with Inua Ellams

1 1 Jun 16th, 2021 38m 32s

Who was Muammar Gaddafi? What happened in the Arab Spring? What were the reasons behind Britain, France and America intervening in Libya in 2011? And why is there still fighting going on today? In this episode we’ll explain the story behind one

Iraq, with Rick Edwards

Jun 9th, 2021 50m 30s

The Iraq War is one of the most controversial events in recent history. But who really was Saddam Hussein? What was the rationale behind the invasion? What went so badly wrong after 2003? And what are the consequences of the War today? In this

Afghanistan, with Jamali Maddix

Jun 2nd, 2021 47m 33s

9/11. Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban. Helmand. IEDs. These are some of the phrases associated with the War in Afghanistan. But why did Britain, America and others intervene there in 2001? Why did troops stay after the intervention? And what has h

The Yugoslav Wars, with Deborah Frances White

May 26th, 2021 50m 2s

In the 1990s, countries like Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia saw some of the worst violence in Europe since the Second World War. So why did war break out in the former Yugoslavia, how did the conflict play out, and how far back does the story go?