Summitry: End of the Evil Empire part 1

Creating History

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8M ago 42:01

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In the first of a double episode charting the end of the Cold War, we go behind the scenes of the dramatic 1985 Geneva Summit, where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev - ideological archenemies - met and glimpsed humanity in one another.

How did a single meeting ignite a chain reaction that dismantled decades of nuclear brinkmanship, tore down the Berlin Wall, and dissolved Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe - all without a shot fired? The episode unravels the paradox: Reagan, the anti-communist 'hawk', and Gorbachev, the 'reformist' Soviet, defied expectations by finding common ground in their distrust of nuclear deterrence… and their surprising personal chemistry.

Discover how whispered jokes, shared frustrations and a flicker of mutual respect between these leaders helped to thaw a frozen conflict.

From Creating History - the team behind Creating Churchill - comes a gripping new season of high-stakes diplomacy, backroom negotiations and world-altering decisions.

This is Summitry. Twelve episodes exploring pivotal meetings that shaped history.

When Hitler met Chamberlain. When Kennedy clashed with Khrushchev. When Bush and Blair stood shoulder to shoulder. When Trump had a shouting match with Zelenskyy... History isn’t just written - it’s negotiated.

Hosted by Russell Barnes and historian David Reynolds, Summitry takes you inside the rooms where power, pressure and politics collide. Each episode unpacks a defining diplomatic summit, revealing the human drama, strategic manoeuvring and lasting impacts of these encounters. Featuring expert analysis and rich historical context, this series pulls back the curtain on the meetings that changed the course of history. Because when leaders meet, the world changes…

Follow the show at @Creating_Hist on X or Instagram, and send us your comments, voice notes and questions by email to: [email protected]

Please rate, review and recommend our show on your favourite podcast app. It really helps us get the word out and extend our reach.

Check out our first series Creating Churchill, also available wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1772845516

If you’d like to buy us or the team a coffee at Ko-Fi.com/creating_history, we’d be very grateful. https://ko-fi.com/creating_history

Creating History is hosted on Podbean, produced and edited by Russell Barnes, with music by Rich Farnsworth, digital marketing by Lee Mann, and sound engineering by Andrew Chappell. Creating History is a ClearStory production. www.clearstory.co.uk

24 episodes

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