On the 6th of June, 2023, an explosion tore through the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine. A torrent of water cascaded downriver, flooding towns and villages, displacing thousands, and causing a catastrophic ecological disaster. Many observers suggest that this was a deliberate act of sabotage by the Russian occupiers - if true, then this would not be the first time that an army has destroyed critical infrastructure to gain the upper hand on the battlefield. Neither would it be the first time that water has been used as a weapon.
Dan is joined by historian Frank McDonough, an expert on the Third Reich to unravel any parallels between what we're seeing today in Ukraine and the 'scorched earth' policies of Nazi Germany in WWII.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.
We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rise of the Tudors
Secret Origins of the SAS
Ivan the Terrible
Charlie Chaplin
How Brutish were our Ancestors?
WWII Britain: The Home Guard's Silent Assassins
Chairman Mao
Elizabeth I's War with Ireland
The Ancient Greek Computer: The Antikythera Mechanism
Battle of Gettysburg
The Rise of the Taliban
Scottish Clans
Archimedes and the Siege of Syracuse
Surviving Hitler and Stalin
Genghis Khan
Attila The Hun
The Great Train Robbery
Ragnar Lothbrok: Viking Legend
History's Greatest Commanders
Good King Wenceslaus
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Battleground
Gone Medieval
Key Battles of American History
WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk