How did a routine safety test turn into the worst nuclear disaster in history? How did Soviet secrecy, impossible targets, and corner-cutting set the stage for Chernobyl? Why did the disaster begin long before 1986, and end with the unravelling of the Soviet Union itself?
 
Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga trace the political and historical failures which led to the fateful Chernobyl nuclear disaster. 
 
Social Producer: Emma Jackson
Assistant Producers: Alfie Rowe, Alfie Norris 
Producer: Alice Horrell
Head of History: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

69. Chernobyl: The Countdown To Catastrophe (Ep 2)

Forgotten stories from history and how they shaped the way we live today.

Hear about the ordinary people from history and the extraordinary impact they’ve had on the present. Hosted by historians David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell, Journey Through Time will show how everyday actions have the most remarkable unintended consequences that ripple through time.&nbsp;

From the first woman to run for President to the unknown story of how the world came to the brink of nuclear war in 1983, this podcast is for everyone, not just history lovers.

To hear more Goalhanger podcasts, go to www.goalhanger.com