Conflict of Interest (Imperial War Museums)
Explore every episode of Conflict of Interest
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 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. —------ CREDITS: Excerpt from ‘Eisenhower Two Vietnams’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Excerpt from Lyndon B. Johnson-Speech on Vietnam (September 29, 1967) https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Excerpt from Kennedy Speaks On Vietnam (1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Excerpt from Behind The Viet Cong Lines (1965) https://www.youtube.com/watch? Excerpt from NBC News Special Report, January 31, 1968 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Excerpt from President Richard Nixon Address to the Nation on the War in Vietnam, November 3, 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Exerpt from 50 years ago: Walter Cronkite calls for the U.S. to get out of Vietnam https://www.youtube.com/watch? | |||
| 09 Jun 2021 | Iraq, with Rick Edwards | 00:50:30 | |
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 episode we were joined by Rick Edwards, TV presenter and former host of T4 and Tool Academy. © AP Archive. © Parliamentary Recording Unit Excerpt from ‘Iraq War Peace Protests (2003) | Footage’ LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffEVrn6Kkpw&t=1547s&ab_channel=JourneymanPictures | |||
| 10 May 2021 | What is Conflict Of Interest? | 00:02:06 | |
A new series from Imperial War Museums - subscribe now on your podcast app of choice. | |||
| 27 Apr 2022 | The Mau Mau Uprising, with Nikita Gill | 00:50:54 | |
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. ----- CLIPS: Excerpts from CNN ‘UK settles with Mau Mau victims in Kenya’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izo4JSaQeWY&ab_channel=CNN Excerpts from 'Mau-Mau (1955) | Early Grindhouse Exploitation Documentary' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-cJC4EKAo&t=2188s&ab_channel=reelblack | |||
| 16 Jun 2021 | Libya, with Inua Ellams | 00:38:32 | |
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 of the most consequential (and confusing) conflicts of recent times. In this episode, we were joined by the renowned poet and playwright Inua Ellams, who has written plays including Barber Shop Chronicles and An Evening With An Immigrant. ----------------- CREDITS:
| |||
| 04 May 2022 | The Korean War, with Eddie Izzard | 00:57:17 | |
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. ---- Excerpt from Combat footage, Korean war - newsreel (1950): https://www.youtube. Excerpt from Korean War: President Truman Reports - June 1950: https://www.youtube.com/ Excerpt from Inchon Landings - First Pictures (1950) - https://www.youtube.com/ | |||
| 09 Sep 2021 | 9/11, with Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire (RedHanded) | 01:07:01 | |
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 we live our lives today. Our guests Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala, hosts of the true crime podcast RedHanded, ask the simple but important questions about the events of 9/11: Who were al-Qaeda and what did they believe? What actually happened on September 11th? How have the attacks shaped our current world and values? Answering these questions are IWM curator Amanda Mason and King’s College London terrorism expert Shiraz Maher. We are also joined by special guest Mohsin Hamid, author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Want the chance to win a £50 Amazon gift voucher? Just fill in this quick survey on what you thought of the podcast: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7DH98XM. Terms and conditions apply. IWM is also inviting listeners to share their stories of how 9/11, and how the events that followed have impacted their lives today. Share your story here: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/911 ------------------- CREDITS: Excerpt from ABC 9/11 9:02 - 9:12 - ABC Live Coverage on September 11, 2001. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaxo8-mvSCg&ab_channel=Resident_Pinto | |||
| 15 Feb 2022 | Before The War - Afghanistan, with artist Samira Kitman | 00:18:46 | |
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 discovered art as a young woman, allowing her to travel the world before threats to her freedom and fear of violence forced her to flee her home. To see a visualisation of Samira's story in comic book form, head to @thefakepan on Instagram. To learn more about the Afghanistan War and the September 11th attacks, check out the episodes on our main podcast feed | |||
| 30 Jun 2021 | Yemen, with Munya Chawawa | 00:49:39 | |
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 last few years, the conflict there has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing starvation. So why did the violence start? Who are the Houthis? What has been the true impact on Yemen’s civilian population? And what is Britain’s role in all of this? In this episode we were joined by comedian, rapper and satirist Munya Chawawa, as well as Yemen expert Iona Craig. Credits
| |||
| 26 May 2021 | The Yugoslav Wars, with Deborah Frances White | 00:50:02 | |
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? In this week's episode we were joined by Deborah Frances-White, host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. Please be aware this episode includes descriptions of sexual violence that some listeners may find distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, please vist Women for Women International for more information and advice. https://womenforwomen.org.uk/
----------------- CREDITS: - Oj Alija Aljo - song by Koridor - The Fall of Žepa (Zenica) - video clip from United Nations Television (UNTV) Zagreb Collection, Yugoslavia (UNT 765 ©United Nations) - Excerpt from the Initial Appearance of Slobodan Milošević on 3 July 2001 - video clip from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5AnfAglPbI&t=31s&ab_channel=InternationalCriminalTribunalfortheformerYugoslavia%28ICTY%29 - Excerpt from ‘Gazimestan, 600th anniversary of the Kosovo polje battle’ LINK: https://archive.org/details/Gazimestan600thAnniversaryOfTheKosovoPoljeBattle | |||
| 18 May 2022 | The Falklands Conflict, with Katherine Parkinson | 00:53:29 | |
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. | |||
| 14 Feb 2025 | Edmund Clark on Controlled Environments | 00:32:31 | |
How do modern conflicts change the way artists respond to warfare? In this bonus episode, Edmund Clark discusses his experiences of depicting life for those who are living in controlled environments. In this wide-ranging conversation with Rebecca Newell, Head of Art at Imperial War Museums, we touch on many of the themes explored over series three, as well as how Clark tries to capture the invisible; how relationships form an integral part of his process, and the stories and artwork that can be created from the seemingly mundane. Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums | |||
| 23 Jun 2021 | Syria, with Carey Mulligan | 00:41:00 | |
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. But what are the roots of this conflict? Why has it been so chaotic? And is there any hope on the horizon for Syria’s devastated civilian population? In this episode we were joined by Carey Mulligan, award winning actor and star of ‘Promising Young Woman’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Waad al-Kateab, Syrian filmmaker and creator of ‘For Sama’.
| |||
| 22 Aug 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. ——— CLIPS: Bird's-Eye View Of 'Euromaidan' Protests In Kyiv - https://www.youtube.com/watch? Ukraine: 'Full scale invasion' by Russia under way: https://www.youtube.com/watch? Ruslana - Wild Dances (Ukraine) - LIVE - 2004 Eurovision Song Contest - https://www.youtube.com/watch? Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution | Flashback | NBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch? Ukraine gun battle caught on camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch? | |||
| 13 Apr 2022 | The Berlin Wall, with Russell Tovey | 00:40:34 | |
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 crashing down in 1989? In this episode we were joined by Russell Tovey, renowned actor who has starred in Being Human, The History Boys and Him & Her. --------- CREDITS: Excerpt from Ronald Reagan: "Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" https://www.youtube.com/watch? Excerpt from John F. Kennedy's Speech at the Berlin Wall: https://www.youtube.com/watch? Excerpt from Vollständige Pressekonferenz Günter Schabowski / Full press conference Günter Schabowski 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch? Excerpt from Berlin Airlift - The Story Of A Great Achievement (1949) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nHdB1vJNsg&ab_channel=AIRBOYD Excerpt from Nikita Khrushchev's speech at the United Nations in 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8BZlTxRQuU&list=PLA50AB7N5S7dxS68CKFmhSkjRzCj-LSnd&index=17&ab_channel=jabarbadi Excerpt from David Bowie Heroes - Live front of the Reichstag in Berlin 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCI9o5IErwc | |||
| 17 Jan 2025 | Carl Miller on The War Dead and Wounded | 00:43:15 | |
What did artists and photographers choose to show us of the horrors of the front line? And how did Governments seek to curb what its citizens could see? Carl Miller (The Kill List) travels from the trenches of France to modern day Iraq, via the paintings and photography on display at the Blavtnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. Guiding Carl’s journey is Claire Brennard, Art Curator at IWM London, and Professor Ana Carden-Coyne, Director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War in Manchester - encountering artistic works that have rarely been seen by the public. Objects Discussed: John Singer Sargent, Gassed, 1919 Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, The Doctor, 1916 Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson, Paths of Glory, 1917 William Orpen, Dead Germans in a Trench, 1918 Steve McQueen, Queen and Country, 2008 Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums
| |||
| 10 Jan 2025 | Susan Wokoma explores The Home Front | 00:33:25 | |
How did British society react to the sudden increase of women in the workforce during the First World War? Or the thousands of colonial volunteers brought over to fight Nazism?
Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum, Cheaters) is given a personal guided tour by IWM curator Geoff Spender, as the actor discovers the artists and photographers behind those stories - encountering censored images of wartime Britain in the process.
They are joined by Dr Diya Gupta, lecturer in public history at City University of London, as our tour takes us via India and the West Indies, in search of the beginnings of multiculturalism as we know it today.
Objects Discussed: Anna Airy, A Shell Forge at a National Projectile Factory, Hackney Marshes, London, 1918 Olive Edis, Women’s Services in France, 1919 photographs John Page, Paul Rotha Productions, West Indies Calling, 1943 Cecil Beaton, Official war photographs of Asia and Africa, 1942–1944
Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums
| |||
| 22 Feb 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. To learn more about the war in Yemen, check out the episode on our main podcast feed. | |||
| 24 Jan 2025 | Rachel Parris on Protest and Propaganda | 00:35:44 | |
Is there anything new in modern propaganda? Comedian Rachel Parris discovers how governments and protesters have always pulled on the public's emotional heartstrings across the 20th and 21st centuries. From shock tactics to satire, art curator Sarah Holdaway guides Rachel on a personalised tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery - accompanied by Dr Mark Sealy, Director of Autograph London and Professor of Photography at University of the Arts London. Content Warning: description of a dead child, with the image visible on certain podcast apps. Objects discussed: H.R.Hopps, Destroy This Mad Brute – Enlist 1917 Don't Falter - Go and Meet the Hun Menace (Australia), 1917 F H K Henrion, Stop Nuclear Suicide, 1963 Charles A Ridley, Germany Calling/Lambeth Walk, 1941 Kennardphillipps (Peter Kennard and Cat Picton-Phillipps), Photo Op (2007)
| |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | The Malayan Emergency, with Phil Wang | 00:46:44 | |
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. -------------- CREDITS: Excerpt from "Malayan Jungle Patrol Aka Malaya Report (1953)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo6W2s1_AfY&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9 Excerpt from "Malayan jungle fighting in 1952" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0PzaBY8-58&ab_channel=MichaelRogge Excerpt from "Sir Eden introduces new Malaya High Commissioner (1952)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h1zqqttu3c&ab_channel=BritishPath%C3%A9
| |||
| 09 Mar 2022 | Before The War – Syria, with musician Jake Shuker | 00:17:06 | |
Singer and guitarist Jake Shuker was
If you’d like to see a visualisation of Jake’s story, head over to @thefakepan.
To learn more about the war in Syria, check out our main podcast feed. | |||
| 07 Jul 2021 | Northern Ireland, with James Graham | 00:44:23 | |
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 to live through them? Who were the IRA, and what happened on Bloody Sunday? And with the Good Friday agreement bringing an end to the conflict, what does Brexit mean for the peace process today? In this episode we were joined by James Graham, playwright and screenwriter behind This House, Quiz and Brexit: The Uncivil War. *credits*
| |||
| 06 Apr 2022 | Conflict of Interest: Series 2 | 00:01:57 | |
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.
| |||
| 07 Feb 2025 | Sanjeev Bhaskar on Dreams and Nightmares | 00:30:36 | |
How do we begin to understand how civilians felt in a time of war? We often look to diaries and poetry - but today we look to the surrealist artists that sought to make sense of the most extreme times imaginable. Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar is taken on a specially curated tour of the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Gallery by Iris Vasey - to discover history's most private thoughts as their society descends into war. Joining them both is an expert in the psychological impact of warfare; from the First World War right up to today's drone wars, Dr Beryl Pong.
Objects discussed: Beatrice Viola Fergusson, 'Snapshots' sketchbook, 1938 Keith Vaughan, Echo of the Bombardment, 1942 Julien Trevelyan, Premonitions of the Blitz, 1940 Edward Burra, Blue Baby: Blitz Over Britain, 1941 Chisty, By the Moonlight, 2013
| |||
| 31 Jan 2025 | Geoff Norcott on Technology & Innovation | 00:33:12 | |
What did it take to capture 20th Century warfare on film - and how were they used in the war effort? Geoff Norcott joins curator James Taylor for a personalised tour of the artworks on display at the Imperial War Museum, London.
From reconnaissance missions by air to the cameramen risking their lives on the ground, images from this time have endured in our consciousness and shaped the way we have recorded war since. Expert Toby Haggith explains how the increasing sophistication of filmmakers impacted our view of the world.
Objects discussed: FWW reconnaisance 'AVIATION AS A RECONNOITRING POWER © IWM (IWM 1132) Eric Ravilious, De-icing Aircraft, 1942 'AIR RAID DAMAGE, LONDON, INDIAN AMPC © IWM Fire Over Hamburg, Royal Airforce Bomber Command, 1942-45 Film still: IWM (IWM 1132) Film still: IWM (AYY 57) Film still © The rights holder (HOY 26)
Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums
| |||
| 03 Jan 2025 | Helen Lewis on Destruction and Reconstruction | 00:43:33 | |
How have artists, filmmakers and photographers shaped our understanding of wars and conflict? Journalist and writer Helen Lewis explores the recently-opened Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries at Imperial War Museum, London. From No Man's Land to mushroom clouds, Helen discovers the people that have interpreted over a hundred years of conflict, in this specially-curated tour by James Bulgin, Head of Public History at IWM. They are joined by Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters' Chief Photographer for the UK and Ireland, and a photojournalist for almost 30 years - and someone who can give us a first hand account of what it’s like to be capturing a seismic event in the moment. Objects Discussed: Paul Nash, The Menin Road, 1919 John Armstrong, Pro Patria, 1938 Mushroom Cloud over Nagasaki, 1945 Suzanne Plunkett, People Covered in Dust and Debris New York, 11 September 2001 - © AP (IWM DC 123993) © AP (IWM DC 124023) Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums | |||
| 30 Dec 2024 | Conflict Of Interest is back | 00:01:22 | |
More conflicts explained in a brand new series focusing on the role of art, film and photography in depicting warfare across the Twentieth Century. This time featuring:
New episodes from 3rd January - if you know someone who would love our show, please share the news with this link: https://podfollow.com/conflict-of-interest Narrator: James Taylor. Producer: Matt Hill at Rethink Audio, with support from Eleanor Head, Daniel BenChorin, and the IWM Institute team at Imperial War Museums | |||
| 02 Jun 2021 | Afghanistan, with Jamali Maddix | 00:47:33 | |
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 happened in the region since, in what became America’s longest running conflict? In this week's episode we were joined by comedian Jamali Maddix, presenter of Hate Thy Neighbour and guest on Taskmaster.
*credits* © AP Archive. Blair reacts to US attacks in Afghanistan, October 2001 | |||