In Series 2 of Conflict of Interest, celebrity guests ask the simple questions about the world’s most complex conflicts from the Cold War era. What actually was the Cold War? Who was fighting in Vietnam? Where are the Falklands Islands? Guided by an IWM curator, our guest is taken on a journey through the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast in London, discovering the objects, people and stories which bring a conflict to life.
20 Available Episodes (20 Total)Average duration: 00:40:03
Aug 22, 2022
Ukraine, with Sophie Duker
00:54:40
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, from the collapse of the Soviet Union to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Guests in this episode were comedian Sophie Duker, Ukrainian journalist, expert and activist Olga Tokariuk, academic and historian Samir Puri and senior IWM curator Carl Warner.
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 important to Argentina and its government? And what are the prospects for reconciliation forty years later?
In this episode we were joined by actor and comedian Katherine Parkinson.
May 11, 2022
The Vietnam War, with Cerys Matthews
00:56:14
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 profound impact on politics and popular culture in the United States and around the world.
But why did America get involved in the first place? Who were the Viet Cong and the Viet Minh? Why were there mass peace protests back in the US? And what lessons, if any, can be learned from the conflict?
In this episode we were joined by Cerys Matthews - singer, songwriter, author, and BBC Radio 6 broadcaster, alongside Phan Thi Kim Phuc, better known as the ‘Napalm Girl’, and renowned photographer Don McCullin.
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 celebrated stand up comedian, writer, actor and activist Eddie Izzard, in a special recording that took place on the ship HMS Belfast.
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 detention camps? What was decolonisation? And what is the legacy of the conflict today? In this episode we were joined by renowned poet and writer Nikita Gill.
This episode contains references to racism and sexual violence in conflict. Some listeners may find descriptions distressing.
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 War? What happened to ordinary civilians caught in the crossfire? And why did this conflict become so important for future counterinsurgency campaigns? In this episode we were joined by stand up comedian Phil Wang.
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.
Mar 09, 2022
Before The War – Syria, with musician Jake Shuker
00:17:06
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 forced to leave the city as war escalated around him.
To learn more about the war in Syria, check out our main podcast feed.
Feb 22, 2022
Before The War - Yemen, with artist Murad Subay
00:12:52
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.
If you'd like to see a visualisation of Murad's story, head over to @thefakepan.