Blitzkrieg: How Britain Invented, Then Ignored It

Blitzkrieg: How Britain Invented, Then Ignored It

Author: History Hit October 28, 2022 Duration: 38:48

Here’s a special episode of Cautionary Tales, a podcast from our friends at Pushkin Industries.


On Cautionary Tales, bestselling author Tim Harford shares stories of human error, natural disasters, and tragic catastrophes from history that contain important lessons for today. In 1917, a brilliant British officer developed a way to use an emerging military technology: the tank. The British army promptly squandered the idea – but the Germans did not. Blitzkrieg, the devastating advance of German tanks across Europe in 1940, was invented by the British.


This is a common story: Sony invented the forerunner of the iPod, Xerox the personal computer, and Kodak the digital camera. In each case they failed to capitalize on the idea. Why? Find out on Cautionary Tales. You can hear more episodes at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/warfare.


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Hosted by war historian James Rogers, Warfare digs into the conflicts that have fundamentally constructed the world we live in now. This isn't just a chronological march through dates and places; it's about understanding the forces at play. Rogers, from History Hit, brings together a compelling roster of fellow historians, veterans, and specialists for conversations that go beyond the textbook. They examine everything from the tactical realities of the Normandy landings to the geopolitical tremors of the Cold War, connecting threads between Napoleonic battlefields and the shock of 9/11. What you'll hear in this podcast are the human and technological stories that decided outcomes: moments of improbable leadership, the sudden arrival of a game-changing weapon, and the single battles that irrevocably shifted eras. Released twice weekly, each episode is built to offer a fresh angle, pulling you into the complexities of strategy, sacrifice, and consequence. Tune in for a deeply researched, narrative-driven look at how the engine of conflict has driven, for better and worse, the trajectory of modern history.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Warfare
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