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In 1861, Emperor Alexander II of Russia passed legislation intended to give liberty to millions of Russian peasants and servants. It was a remarkable moment. As to its deeper meaning, that’s a question for Melvyn Bragg and his guests on In Our Time (BBC Radio 4, Thursday 17 May), when they discuss the emancipation of the serfs. On Thursday 24 May, another set of experts meet to discuss Margaret of Anjou, the queen of England on two occasions thanks to her marriage to Henry VI.
In another continuing Radio 4 series, Great Lives ( Tuesday 29 May) includes Barbara Stocking, the former head of Oxfam, speaking up for Catherine the Great. Returning on Tuesday 5 June, Making
Historyy (BBC Radio 4) features the usual eclectic mix of stories, ranging from flirting in the Victorian era to our forebears’ hatred of hedgehogs. Historians Helen Castor and Tom Holland are the presenters. On BBC Two and iPlayer, Burma
with Simon Reeve (May) sees the adventurer head for Myanmar. As well as exploring the plight of Rohingya Muslims, Reeve also visits the ancient capital of Bagan and meets a commander in the world’s longest-running civil war.
What motivates dictators to seize and then hold power? It’s a question central to Dictators Rulebook (National Geographic, Wednesday 23 May). Each of the series’ six episodes focuses on a different strongman, with profiles of North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, Saddam Hussein, Mussolini, Franco, Manuel Noriega and Idi Amin.