The Spanish Civil War and the Birkin bag

The Spanish Civil War and the Birkin bag

From The History Hour by BBC World Service

July 18, 2026 · 1h 0m

About this episode

This episode features interviews marking the 90th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War and explores various historical events and cultural topics.

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. This week, we mark 90 years since the start of the Spanish Civil War. Our guest is historian Professor Sir Paul Preston, who explains how the conflict transformed Spain and paved the way for the rise of General Francisco Franco. We hear the story of a young refugee who fled the fighting but later returned home while the war was still under way. We then travel to the Canadian Arctic, where the Inuit fought for greater control over their land and way of life. Their campaign would eventually lead to the creation of Nunavut, Canada's newest and largest territory. We also hear the story behind ‘The Kiss of Life’, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph that captured a life-saving rescue. From Turkey, we hear memories of the failed military coup of July 2016, a night of violence that left hundreds dead. Plus, the story of the Birkin bag, the oversized handbag created in the 1980s that became one of the world's most coveted fashion accessories. And from Sporting Witness, why do thousands of sports fans around the world suddenly stand up, throw their arms into the air and sit down again…

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