Ep.394 – Geo-strategic importance of the Dardanelles – Norm Coady

In this episode of the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches Podcast, history teacher and author Norm Coady discusses his book 3 Straits & a Ditch: How Chokepoints Shaped Our World.

Norm explores the argument that geography, and particularly strategically important maritime chokepoints, has shaped world history to a greater extent than is often recognised. The discussion focuses on the Turkish Straits during the First World War, examining why control of these waterways mattered to the belligerent powers and how their strategic importance influenced the course of the conflict.

The episode also considers the wider significance of geographical chokepoints and what the struggles surrounding them during the First World War can reveal about contemporary geopolitical challenges.