697. The Troubles: Murder in Belfast (Part 1)

Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland begin a series on the Troubles in Northern Ireland, exploring the deep historical roots of the conflict and its eruption in the late 1960s. They examine the centuries of tension between the Protestant unionist and Catholic nationalist communities, the impact of partition, and the systemic discrimination that fueled resentment. The episode covers the spark provided by the civil rights movement, the violent summer of 1969, and the deployment of British troops, tracing how a long-simmering dispute escalated into a prolonged period of darkness.