In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Saul David sits down with prize-winning, internationally bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss his book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East.

Montefiore shares the intense, challenging process behind crafting a fact-based, source-grounded history of the region from 1900 to the present day—a project designed to cut through modern social media disinformation, anti-factual discourse, and toxic polarisation. He highlights the importance of moving beyond a narrow, traditional lens to recognise neglected humanitarian crises in North Africa, Syria, and Sudan, emphasising that every human life carries equal moral weight.

The conversation explores key historical turning points across four distinct phases of modern Middle Eastern history:

• The agency of local regional leaders, contrasting self-made figures like King Abdulaziz Al Saud with traditional top-down imperial narratives.
• The complex collapse of the Ottoman Empire, early nationalist movements, and the tragic targeting of minorities such as the Armenians.
• Strategic military lessons drawn from historical operations like the 1976 Entebbe raid and why lasting security requires political compromise alongside military capability.
• The deeper, overarching battle of ideas within Islam, contrasting radical revolutionary Islamism with more open-minded, cosmopolitan visions.
• The forgotten origin story of the region's modern borders, explaining how most Middle Eastern nation-states were created in the wake of the two World Wars.

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Patrick Bishop examine the latest geopolitical fallout following Jared Kushner’s controversial peace deal statements and Donald Trump’s calls for Ukraine to halt energy strikes. They unpack the domestic political implications—including the passing of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act—and analyse whether the administration's stance crosses the line into treason.

• Geopolitical & Diplomatic Turbulence: The hosts discuss Jared Kushner's claims that an agreement has been reached on all issues except territorial ones, why his logic is fundamentally flawed, and how Russian officials contradicted his claims. They also examine the funding behind Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding by a Russian oligarch.
• US Legislative Action: A look at the Senate and House passing aggressive new sanctions against Russia's energy, defence, and shadow fleet sectors, overriding opposition despite pressure on Ukraine.
• Front-line Dynamics & Deep Strikes: According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces have contested the initiative and launched successful counter-attacks in Kupiansk, Oleksandrivka, and Lyman. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched its deepest strike yet—hitting gas facilities nearly 3,000 kilometres inside Russia.
• Escalations Near NATO Borders: Analysis of Russian hybrid warfare, including a drone downed in Lithuania by Italian NATO jets, a strike on a Ukrainian train station just after Boris Johnson passed through, and a Russian frigate firing flares at a Danish helicopter.
• Russian High Command Losses: The elimination of two more senior Russian officers—Lt. Gen. Sergei Milshukov and Maj. Gen. Anton Grunis—bringing the total to 24 generals lost in the conflict.
• Cyber Updates & Disinformation: How pro-Ukrainian operations hit Russian networks with massive DDoS attacks, and how the Russian group Matryoshka launched targeted disinformation campaigns following German regional elections.
• Listener Questions: Saul and Patrick answer questions about EU-China trade tit-for-tats over sanctions, the military and ethical pitfalls of targeting Russian oligarchs, Ukraine's growing domestic ballistic missile capabilities, and why casualty figures haven't sparked a domestic uprising in Russia.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop is joined by publisher and military historian Iain MacGregor to explore how the past illuminates the present and future of warfare. Drawing from his book Battle: The Moments That Transformed Warfare From Ancient Greece to Ukraine, MacGregor discusses the enduring principles of war—morale, leadership, innovation, subterfuge, and numbers—across history's pivotal conflicts.

Key Highlights

• The Human Element & Family History: MacGregor shares how his family's military lineage inspired his focus on the lived experiences of ordinary soldiers rather than just high-level strategy.
• Morale on the Battlefield: A comparative look at the Ukrainian defence of Kyiv versus Russian public sentiment. MacGregor offers first-hand insights into how ordinary Russians endure conflict and view state patriotism.
• Leadership in Modern Conflict: The conversation examines modern political and military leadership, contrasting domestic command structures with international coalition responses.
• Game-Changing Innovation: MacGregor discusses the evolution of war-altering tech—from historical turning points like radar and armour to the cost-effective, high-impact role of drones on the modern battlefield.
• Subterfuge & Satellite Surveillance: Why traditional mass-scale military deceptions are yielding to modern intelligence, drone technology, and digital information warfare.
• Democracies and Casualty Tolerances: An exploration of how public information and civilian backing shape military capabilities in Western democracies compared to authoritarian regimes.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.