Western Civ: Recent Episodes
Adam Walsh
A fast-moving history of the western world from the ancient world to the present day. Examine how the emergence of the western world as a global dominant power was not something that should ever have been taken for granted. This podcast traces the development of western civilization starting in the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome, past the collapse of the Western Roman Empire into the Dark Ages, and then follows European and, ultimately, American history as the western world moved into a dominant world position.
In a fun little twist, today I sit down with Attorney Edward Cohn and we argue (and sometimes agree) about the justness of plea bargaining, the state of the Fifth and Fourth Amendments, and the overall state of our justice system.
Attorney Cohn is a 23-year litigation attorney, currently practicing as a criminal defense attorney and legal commentator. He’s one of fewer than 10% of attorneys nationwide to have earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has achieved full jury acquittals on charges ranging from domestic violence to felony fleeing law enforcement. His background is as rigorous as it is practical: Edward holds an LL.M. from Boston University, a certificate in negotiation from Harvard Kennedy School, and is licensed to practice in Arizona, Michigan, and Massachusetts.
Jazz. Radio. Talkies. Cars. All of it. The Roaring Twenties are when the world starts to look modern. Oh, and did I mention fascism, corruption, and the KKK? Well, there's that too.
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This one is new.
I'm trying my hand at fiction interviews and, I have to say, I enjoyed it.Here I am sitting down with Jeffrey Stephens and we are talking about his newest book: Illusions of Trust. It's a lovely legal thriller with twists and turns and simply wonderful character development. I hope you enjoy the interview.
You can buy the book HERE.
Woodrow Wilson came home from Paris thinking the hard part was behind him. Little did he realize Republican opposition and his own intransigence would doom his League of Nations and nearly cost him his life.
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Today we step back and catch up with events we passed in the Great War as the Russian Revolution unfolded. We follow the war to its brutal conclusion. Then we pick up the Russian Civil War and take that to its equally brutal end with a sprinkling of influenza for good measure.
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The Bolsheviks did not need to take over Russia. It was never a foregone conclusion. But after October 1917, it became increasingly inevitable.
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The Russian Revolution's final result was never a foregone conclusion. Lenin made several crucial mistakes early on that might have resulted in his demise. We see that today.
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It is that time. The Russian Revolution would be a lot different without Vladimir Lenin (Lenin is not his real name by the way...) But Lenin strikes a deal with the Germans who hope that he can steer Russia out of the Great War and he hits Petrograd like a lightning bolt.
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The Russian Revolution did not come out of nowhere. It was not merely the result of World War One. Its legacy is long. Today, we go all the way back to the abolition of serfdom and hit the main events that lead to that critical month: March 1917.
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1916 is one of the most depressing years in human history and today we're covering it. This is the year that makes World War One the horror it is. This is the year of Verdun, of the Somme, and of countless deaths on other fronts.
It is also the year everyone starts wondering: will it all be worth it?
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The western front grinds to a slow halt, despite the best efforts of the generals on both sides who appear to be overly committed to killing their own men in pointless offensives... Across the pond, America tries to stay neutral while watching the unfolding Mexican Revolution to the south.
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The Eastern Front in World War One is often overlooked. But, even beyond the Battle of Tannenberg, the Eastern Front is critical not only in understanding the outcome of the war but the 20th century as a whole.
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In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with Marc Baer and discuss his latest book: Children of Abraham: The 1,400-Year History of Jewish–Muslim Relations.
Today, the dominant narrative of the relationship between Jewish and Muslim peoples assumes a long history of violent hostility. In Children of Abraham, historian Marc David Baer lays this myth to rest, showing how Jews and Muslims lived together in the Middle East and Europe, more often in cooperation than in conflict, for more than a millennium. When Islam emerged in the seventh century, Muslims and Jews were bound by shared religious tenets and common cultural practices, and for centuries afterward, they were often allies.
Baer introduces readers to Muslim warriors fighting for a medieval Turkish Jewish kingdom on the Caspian Sea, Jewish viziers leading the Muslim sultan’s troops in Spain, and Jewish literary lights and political party leaders in modern Egypt and Iraq. But Baer resists the alluring fable that Jews and Muslims ever lived in interfaith utopia, and he shows how European colonization and nationalism fed the emergence of modern antisemitism and Islamophobia and helped to drive these two peoples further and further apart.
Traversing the full spectrum of Jewish–Muslim relations, this is an urgent, essential history for understanding today’s unending conflicts in the Middle East and beyond.
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This is a bonus look at what I do on our other feed: Western Civ 2.0. The feed covers similar topics compared to this one but in much greater detail. The number one way you can continue to support the show and enjoy bonus content is to sign up for this feed. For only $2 per month, you get ad-free versions of this feed plus all my bonus content.
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Germany nearly won World War One in the first six weeks, just as it planned. Nearly.
But it turns out that timetables are a heck of a lot easier to work out on paper than in real life....
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Somehow, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, throws the entire world into war. Of course, it was not an accident. The alliance systems, the militarism, the nationalism, all of it conspires to doom Europe to its own destruction. But it all starts with two bullets fired by a nineteen-year-old assassin.
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World War One did not happen accidentally. There were a multitude of factors that led up to the Great War. Today we cover them.
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The period from 1877 to 1912 saw America transform from an agrarian, second-tier power, to one of the more dominant nations in the world. This is that story.
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Today I sit down with Brendan Ballou and discuss a book EVERYONE should read: When The Companies Run The Courts.
America has a hidden justice system. There, decisions are made in secret, and “judges” are paid for by the companies and abusers who are being sued. Victims usually lose. But when they do, they cannot appeal, and they cannot turn to real courts for help.
They are trapped in this system, and quite likely, so are you. You joined it when you accepted the Terms and Conditions on a website, opened a new credit card, or started a new job. When you did, you agreed to be trapped in this secret justice system called “forced arbitration.” Through its secrecy and corruption, forced arbitration helps companies cheat their workers, helps banks deceive their customers, and helps predators act with impunity. If companies and the very powerful often seem beyond the reach of the law, it’s because they are, and forced arbitration is the reason.
Yet despite the fact that forced arbitration profoundly shapes our lives, almost nothing has been written about it. Brendan Ballou’s When Companies Run the Courts changes that. It shows how forced arbitration came to be, how it makes your life worse, and how we might escape it.
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Today I am proud to welcome back renowned historian, Adrian Goldsworthy, to discuss his latest book: Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry That Shaped Ancient Greece.
No period has more profoundly influenced the Western world than classical Greece, and at its center stood two cities: Athens and Sparta. Side by side, they beat the Persians, the only superpower of that age. Yet later, they spread conflict and destruction throughout the eastern Mediterranean, culminating in the horrors of the Peloponnesian War.
Athens and Sparta tells the definitive history of the relationship between brutal, militaristic Sparta and brash, radically democratic Athens. Eminent historian Adrian Goldsworthy narrates their incredible rise to prominence and how they became allies, rivals, and enemies. Ultimately, Goldsworthy shows that Athens and Sparta were more than competitors vying for power. They were polar opposites in ideology and culture, both driven by the Greek longing to excel, who led radically different experiments in how to run a state.
A remarkable account of ancient Greece at its height, this is the tale of the two cities that helped build it—before almost tearing it apart.
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The era we call Reconstruction is one of the most hopeful, and ultimately, heartbreaking of American history. The passage of the Reconstruction Amendments provided legal rights to thousands of people. But the bargain of 1877 and the corruption of the Gilded Age ultimately prove too much weight for the promise of equality to bear.
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In the second half of the 19th Century, Europe goes nuclear and expands across the globe. The "Scramble for Africa" and press for colonies drove the European states to compete with one another in ways that will have disasterous consequences.
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In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with historian Roderick Beaton and discuss his latest book, Europe: A New History.
What do we talk about when we talk about Europe? Is it defined by geography? Or is it politics, or shared culture? In Europe, award-winning historian Roderick Beaton tells the story of Europe as never before—as the history of an idea, and a collective identity.
Since its dramatic birth in ancient Greece, “Europe” has been defined, and redefined, by its people. Through this powerful lens, and with the narrative drive and scope of a novelist, Beaton deftly surveys Europe’s major historical developments: the rise and fall of Rome; the explosion of Christianity; the intellectual ferment of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment; the arrival of Europeans in the Americas; the violent upheavals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and the uncertainties of the present. Throughout, original sources allow the voices of the past, from Tacitus to Thatcher, to speak for themselves.
Grappling with the multilayered identities that have always come with being European, Europe places the Europe of today in a long arc of history stretching back more than 2,500 years.
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In the span of a decade, Bismarck does the unthinkable. He unites Germany, changing the history of western civilization forever.
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Over a period of thirty years, Italy goes from a fragmentation of independent, kind of, states and kingdoms and into a unified, kind of, nation.
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The Crimean War really does sound the advance warning of the death knell for the Concert of Europe. If only anyone knew that...
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Here I quickly cover Russian history from Peter the Great, through Catherine the Great, and then down to the beginning of the Crimean War.
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After Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the Confederacy slowly fades. Despite Lee's efforts, Grant grinds his army down through murderous battles such as the Wilderness and Cold Harbor. Ultimately, the resouces of the Union are simply too much. But even as America ultimately wins its civil war, its greatest president falls to an assassin's bullet.
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In three days in Pennsylvania in 1863, the American Civil War turns forever.
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The Battle of Antietam drives President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. But Robert Lee wins two dramatic victories in this aftermath at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
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Two ironclads face off to change the shape of naval warfare while Robert E. Lee emerges from the Seven Days Battles as the lead Confederate commander.
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The Battle of Shiloh starts as an apparent Confederate victory, but the loss of General Johnston and the resulting chaos dooms the South. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Anaconda Plan takes hold.
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When the American Civil War begins, everyone expects a picnic. The Battle of Bull Run erases those false expectations.
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From Nat Turner's Rebellion to the Compromise of 1850, Americans did everything they could to avoid the Civil War.... and failed.
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In the 19th Century, Europeans carved up the globe with devastating consequences.
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In the United States today, there is no faith more dominant than Christianity. In Chosen Land, historian Matthew Avery Sutton chronicles Christians’ five-hundred-year endeavor to turn North America into their version of the kingdom of God, revealing the fruitful and dynamic entanglement between the history of America and the history of American Christianity.
In the centuries after Christianity first arrived on American shores, colonizers and colonized from New England to Spanish California practiced many varieties of the faith. After the founding of the United States, the nation’s lack of a state religion forced new and evolving strains of Christianity to battle for potential adherents, as they still do to this day. As American Christianity has bent, fractured, and adapted to changing times, Christian belief has shaped everything from the promise of Manifest Destiny to Ronald Reagan’s approach to the Cold War, the rise of the Southern Lost Cause narrative to the triumphs of the civil rights movement.
Buy the book HERE.
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When the potato crop failed in 1845 in Ireland, no one at the time knew just how momentous it was. By the close of 1847, Ireland's population, through death and emigration, had fallen by nearly three million souls. It still has not recovered.
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From Paris to Vienna, 1848 rocked Europe. While the revolutions themselves failed, they set the stage for dramatic changes to come.
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Political, economic, and social currents sweep Europe, bringing massive change and setting the stage for the Revolutions of 1848.
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The presidency of Andrew Jackson was instrumental in reshaping America politically, socially, and economically. Today we cover the Bank War, Nullification Crisis, and Indian Removal.
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The Congress of Vienna was supposed to freeze the map of Europe in time. It did not take long for it to thaw.
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Before we move on to more political history, I want to broadly discuss some of the changes sweeping Great Britain and then ultimately the rest of Europe driven by the Industrial Revolution. Today we focus in on "Cottonopolis" - otherwise known as Manchester.
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Simon Bolívar drives the Spanish out of South and Central America. His vision for what came afterwards, however, did not last.
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The Cry of Dolores sparks the Mexican Independence Movement ending in victory over Spain in 1821.
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There is no issue that dominated American politics like chattel slavery between the American War of Independence and the American Civil War. Today we go back to Bacon's Rebellion to try and explain why and then work our way all the way through the administration of John Quincy Adams.
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Today I sit down with author and historian James McDougall and talk about his most recent book: Worlds of Islam: A Global History.
From its birth in seventh-century Arabia, Islam has been a faith on the move. Over the span of a thousand years, armies, missionaries, and merchants carried it to the edges of Europe, the coasts of Southeast Asia, and the remote interior of China. By the nineteenth century, Islam encompassed a world of great diversity, from Muslim-ruled empires to new nations where Muslims lived out their faith among many others. As empires fell and new superpowers rose, Muslims proved to be as adaptable and dynamic as modernity itself.
In Worlds of Islam, historian James McDougall explores Islam’s origins and transformations as Muslims adapted to changing times and conditions, from Late Antiquity to the digital age. In the twentieth century, while monarchs in the Gulf asserted dynastic privilege and fundamentalists in Egypt and Pakistan preached social morality, revolutionaries from Algeria to Indonesia fought for national self-determination, and activists in North America and Europe campaigned for civil liberties and social justice.
Sweeping and authoritative, Worlds of Islam narrates the epic story of how Muslims emerged as a community, built empires, traversed the globe, came to number in the billions, and became modern.
Buy The Book HERE.
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The Congress of Vienna sought to put Europe back together after the Napoleonic Wars. It was not an easy task. But, by and large, the delegates were successful and peace prevailed for 99 years until the outbreak of World War One.
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Napoleon returns from exile for one last chance at empire. His defeat at Waterloo, however, seals his fate.
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Desperate to enforce his Continental System, Napoleon invades Russia. But Tsar Alexander will not fight and, instead, Napoleon finds himself cornered and finally beaten.
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James Madison watches as Washington DC burns. But America emerges from the War of 1812 more united and confident than ever before.
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Thomas Jefferson's administration was full of contradictions and sweeping successes.
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France, under Napoleon, reaches the apex of its power. But, within the empire, the Spanish Ulcer and Continental System begin to unravel everything he had built.
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Napoleon reaches the height of his powers on the frozen fields of Moravia.
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It does not take long for Napoleon to consolidate power. But reversals in the Caribbean require the First Consul to rethink his North American strategy resulting in the Louisiana Purchase.
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We catch up on the fledgling United States. George Washington becomes the first President of the United States (obviously...) and then the Election of 1800 secures the first peaceful transition of power in American history. Well, peaceful unless your name is Alexander Hamilton or Aaron Burr, that is...
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Napoleon Bonaparte becomes First Consul in what will be, thankfully, our final coup of the French Revolution.
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This one is a bit different and I admit that. But I like opportunities to speak with incredibly intelligent people so I took it.
I sit down with Arman Verjee today and discuss a book he is finishing up: A Brief History of Financial Bubbles. The conversation is much more of a back and forth than an interview. But I think our discussion of the Dotcom Bubble and its application to the present AI circumstances is worth the listen.
You can preorder Aman's book HERE.
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Napoleon and Talleyrand move the French armies to the east to pressure Britain and the Directory starts to run out of steam.
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The French Revolution begins to end with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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It is about time to introduce the man who will change it all: Napoleon Bonaparte.
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Toussaint Louverture changes the situation in Haiti from a rebellion to a full-on revolution.
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Maximilien Robespierre leads France into the maw of violence and blood. His death ends this period of the French Revolution.
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France sleepwalks into one of the vicious periods of the French Revolution as the countryside erupts in revolt.
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The trial of Louis XVI ends with the last Bourbon monarch being led to the guillotine. The reaction of the rest of Europe is not good. Hence, the War of the First Coalition.
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Europe finally reacts to the French Revolution, and a startling discovery sets in motion events which will condemn Louis XVI to death.
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Saint-Dominque, soon to be Haiti, erupts in its own revolution.
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Louis XVI makes a break for it. France passes a new Constitution into law. And the storm clouds continue to grow around the French Revolution.
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Riots in Paris provoke unrest, while in the countryside French peasants recoil at attacks upon the Catholic Church.
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In his own day, the ancient philosopher Diogenes the Cynic had a reputation for eccentricity, heckling his fellow philosophers in the marketplace, living in a clay pot, and relieving himself in public. Since his death in 323 BCE, devoted followers made him and his ideas famous the world over. But what we think we know about Diogenes remains distorted and sanitized.
In Diogenes, classicist Inger N.I. Kuin scours all existing evidence of Diogenes and his followers to offer an in-depth account of Diogenes’ life and thought, revealing a man whose innovative ideas about power, death, nature, and the body have much to teach the contemporary world. He pioneered a vision of simplicity and autonomy in his day-to-day life, stressing the importance of living in the here and now, and of always thinking for oneself. Diogenes stands apart as history’s first recorded critic of slavery and a proud exile from polite society whose challenging thought proved foundational for the Stoics and their successors.
Diogenes rehabilitates Diogenes as a compelling thinker for the twenty-first century, one who demands that we look at our society with fresh eyes and be unafraid of change—starting with ourselves.
The French Revolution gets serious as the people of Paris rise up and storm the Bastille.
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In this bonus interview, I sit down with Phillips Payson O'Brien and we discuss his latest book: War and Power: Who Wins Wars—and Why.
For nearly two centuries, international relations have been premised on the idea of the “Great Powers.” As the thinking went, these mighty states—the European empires of the nineteenth century, the United States and the USSR during the Cold War—were uniquely able to exert their influence on the world stage because of their overwhelming military capabilities. But as military historian Phillips Payson O’Brien argues in War and Power, this conception of power fails to capture the more complicated truth about how wars are fought and won.
Our focus on the importance of large, well-equipped armies and conclusive battles has obscured the foundational forces that underlie military victories and the actual mechanics of successful warfare. O’Brien suggests a new framework of “full-spectrum powers,” taking into account all of the diverse factors that make a state strong—from economic and technological might, to political stability, to the complex logistics needed to maintain forces in the field.
Drawing on examples ranging from Napoleon’s France to today’s ascendant China, War and Power offers a critical new understanding of what makes a power truly great. It is vital reading in today’s perilous world.
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An oath on a tennis court, of all things, sparks the French Revolution.
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Efforts to reform France under Louis XV and Louis XVI fail, plunging the kingdom into the flood of revolution.
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Today I sit down with historian Michael Livingston and talk about one of my favorite subjects: the Hundred Years War.
Henry V at Agincourt. Edward III at Crécy. The Black Prince at Poitiers. Joan of Arc at Orléans. The period we call “the Hundred Years War” was a cascade of violence bursting with some of the most famous figures and fascinating fights in history. The central combatants, England and France, bore witness to uncountable deaths, unbelievable tragedy, and uncompromising glory. But there was much more to this period than a struggle between two nations for dominance.
Bloody Crowns tells a new story of how medieval Europe was consumed, not by a hundred years’ war, but by two full centuries of war from 1292 to 1492. During those years, blood was spilled far beyond the borders of England and France. The Low Countries became war zones. Italy was swept up. So, too, the Holy Roman Empire, the Iberian Peninsula, Scotland, and Wales. The conflict drove enormous leaps forward in military technology and organization, political systems and national identities, laying the groundwork for the modern world.
With a keen eye for military intrigue and drama, Bloody Crowns critically revises our understanding of how modern Europe arose from medieval battlefields.
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Also known as the Ancien Regimé, the system of France going into the revolution was maddeningly complex and, seemingly, designed to fail.
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The Americans won their independence, but what would they do with it?
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Today I sit down with historian Edward J. Watts and talk about his latest book: The Romans.
When we think of “ancient Romans” today, many picture the toga-clad figures of Cicero and Caesar, presiding over a republic, and then an empire, before seeing their world collapse at the hands of barbarians in the fifth century AD.
The Romans does away with this narrow vision by offering the first comprehensive account of ancient Rome over the course of two millennia. Prize-winning historian Edward J. Watts recounts the full sweep of Rome’s epic past: the Punic Wars, the fall of the republic, the coming of Christianity, Alaric’s sack of Rome, the rise of Islam, the Battle of Manzikert, and the onslaught of the Crusaders who would bring about the empire’s end. Watts shows that the source of Rome’s enduring strength was the diverse range of people who all called themselves Romans. This is the Rome of Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and Constantine, but also Charlemagne, Justinian, and Manuel Comnenus—and countless other men and women who together made it the most resilient state the world has ever seen.
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Thucydides called his work a “possession for all time,” and his History of the Peloponnesian War has been essential reading for generals and politicians for centuries.
Robin Waterfield’s translation of Thucydides’s sweeping narrative vividly depicts the events of the war between Athens and Sparta that began in 431 BCE and would continue until 404, a conflict that embroiled not only mainland Greece but Greek states from the eastern Mediterranean and as far west as Italy and Sicily. The only extant contemporary narrative of this conflict, Thucydides’s History brims with military, moral, and political reflections, offering critical commentary on challenges that still dominate our world today, from the strife of civil war to the devastation of widespread plague to the nature of political power.
Thucydides died before completing the account—it ends in 410—but his legacy is timeless. One of the great masterpieces of classical Greece, The History of the Peloponnesian War offers an incisive and timely window into the conflicts of the past.
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Washington's victory at Yorktown effectively ends the war and costs Great Britain her colonies.
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The Battle of Saratoga turns the tide while Washington builds resilience in Valley Forge.
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The American colonists vote for independence and Washington crosses the Delaware.
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By the end of the Second World War, more than seventy million people across the globe had been killed, most of them civilians. Cities from Warsaw to Tokyo lay in ruins, and fully half of the world’s two billion people had been mobilized, enslaved, or displaced.
In 1942, historian Peter Fritzsche offers a gripping, ground-level portrait of the decisive year when World War II escalated to global catastrophe. With the United States joining the fight following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, all the world’s great powers were at war. The debris of ships sunk by Nazi submarines littered US beaches, Germans marauded in North Africa, and the Japanese swept through the Pacific. Military battles from Singapore to Stalingrad riveted the world. But so, too, did dramas on the war’s home fronts: battles against colonial overlords, assaults on internal “enemies,” massive labor migrations, endless columns of refugees.
With an eye for detail and an eye on the big story, Fritzsche takes us from shipyards on San Francisco Bay to townships in Johannesburg to street corners in Calcutta to reveal the moral and existential drama of a people’s war filled with promise and terror.
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In the span of one decade, Great Britain went from winning a war against France to fighting a war with its own colonies. This is that story.
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Over the course of roughly three decades, Lithuania-Poland ceased to exist.
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AKA the French and Indian War for those of you who ever took US History...
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A number of factors led into the Seven Years War. Here I break them down.
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Frederick I founds the Kingdom of Prussia and the Great Frost of 1709 grips Europe.
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Russia enters our story as a major power player under Peter the Great.
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I cover a few remaining issues from the year 1700 including the rise of Russian and the formation of Great Britain.
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William of Orange supplants James II, the Stuart line ends, and with it, the English Civil War.
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The restored monarchy ends, but not with a bang. Charles II's death, however, thrusts the question of the succession front and center.
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We introduce Louis XIV. The French King quickly bribes his way into controlling Charles II.
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Oliver Cromwell dies. His son is NOT a chip off the old block. And Charles II sees the Stuart line restored.
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Oliver Cromwell refuses the crown but agrees to become the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth.
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Charles II becomes the only king in English history to be executed by the state.
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Charles' inability to raise men and capital finally dooms his cause and he surrenders to the Scottish army rather than fall into the hands of Parliament.
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The King begins the war with a run of successes. Arguably, Charles squanders them.
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For the first time terms Cavalier and Roundhead come into the vernacular. Charles decides the time for negotiation is over. And the English Civil War begins.
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Charles begins to rule without his key advisor. It doesn't go well...
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The first casualty of the English Civil War could be said to be the Earl of Strafford.
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The dam finally breaks in Scotland where discontent over Charles' religious policies ends his period of personal rule.
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Charles continues his period of personal rule. He successfully demands ship money from England, but unsuccessfully tries to rein in the Scottish church.
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After the death of Buckingham, Charles I would begin a period of personal rule that would last just over a decade.
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After two more military debacles, the Duke of Buckingham is ingloriously assassinated, leaving Charles alone.
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Charles I ascends the English throne and almost immediately things turn south.
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In what is perhaps one of the most infamous episodes in all of American history, in the winter of 1692 the tiny village of Salem, Massachusettes descends into paranoia and chaos. The cause? Witches...
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Virginia finds itself torn apart by the first rebellion in North America by colonists against their own government. Spoiler alert, it won't be the last. Nathaniel Bacon finds himself leading disgruntled farmers, indentured servants, and Africans (both enslaved and free) against the wealthy planters of the coast.
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We finish our coverage of the First Nations of North America (for now) with the Great Lakes and upstate New York.
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Today we turn our attention to the tribes of the southeast and southwest United States.
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European farms are not the only kind... In this episode, I explore Native American farming in general and hunting.
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Today I begin a short series on pre-Columbian North American Indian history and culture. In this episode, I give a broad overview of several aspects of Native American culture and their use of fire to craft the world around them.
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Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson found Rhode Island.
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In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Colonel Joseph Molyson Jr and discuss the second book in his series on World War Two: Air Battles Before D-Day: How Allied Airmen Crippled the Luftwaffe and German Army in France.
In this groundbreaking analysis, retired Air Force Colonel Joseph T. Molyson reveals how a year of strategic bombing and aerial warfare created the conditions necessary for D-Day's success. Drawing on his thirty years of military intelligence experience, Molyson pieces together the complex puzzle of amphibious planning, airborne operations, and inter-Allied coordination that culminated in Operation Overlord. Key revelations include:* How the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic enabled the crucial flow of American resources * The strategic bombing campaign's dual role in weakening both German industry and Luftwaffe capabilities * The intricate coordination between British night raids and American daylight bombing missions * Previously overlooked connections between air superiority and the success of the D-Day landings
Perfect for military history enthusiasts and World War II scholars alike, this meticulously researched account offers fresh insights into the aerial strategy that changed the course of history.
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Today I sit down with advocate and author Maria Foscarinis and discuss her latest book: And Housing for All: The fight to End Homelessness in America.
In And Housing for All, founder of the National Homelessness Law Center Maria Foscarinis reveals the human impact of the housing crisis by sharing personal stories and examining the flawed policies that have perpetuated it. As millions face rising housing costs and encampments spread nationwide, she uncovers why past efforts have failed and what must change to achieve lasting solutions.
Drawing from over 35 years of national advocacy, Foscarinis shares compelling stories of individuals and families impacted by homelessness, highlighting their resilience and growing leadership. Blending personal narratives with policy analysis, she reveals how deliberate decisions have fueled the crisis and how public narratives have sustained it.
And Housing for All is essential reading for social justice advocates, policymakers, lawyers, and anyone invested in solving one of America’s most pressing challenges.
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John Winthrop and others found the Massachusetts Bay Company.
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Jamestown was not the only English colony. Enter stage left: the Pilgrims. (Well, really Separatists but you get the point...)
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The English at Jamestown finally find a savior. It just turns out that savior is tobacco...
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Jamestown survives as James Smith guides the colony. Meanwhile, in London, new plans are hatched to turn Jamestown profitable.
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A reminder that every other episode of the series on Jamestown will be available only to patrons. To try a free membership for a week or to support the show and get access to all the materials, check out the link below.
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Today, I sit down with Tom McMillan and discuss his most recent book: The Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence, 1775-1776.
This gripping account reveals the precarious path to American independence through a series of pivotal dates that history has nearly forgotten. While July 4th claims the glory, the actual vote for independence came on July 2nd—and even that historic moment almost didn't happen. From January's publication of Common Sense to December's darkest hours of the Revolution, McMillan reconstructs the dramatic months when rebellious colonies transformed into a new nation.
Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, the book reveals:
* How the pivotal events of May 15, June 7, and July 2 shaped America's destiny
* Why Congress's bold January declaration triggered a chain of unstoppable events
* The behind-the-scenes feud between Adams and Jefferson on their views of government after independence was won
* How the Declaration's influence extended from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to modern times
This timely narrative strips away the myths to expose the raw political courage that launched a revolution. From heated Congressional debates to the dangerous aftermath of declaring independence, McMillan delivers a fresh perspective on America's founding that resonates powerfully with today's political challenges.
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Today I interview Historian John Bicknell about his newest book: The Pathfinder and the President.
In 1856, John C. Frémont—the famed "Pathfinder" of the American West—became the Republican Party's first presidential nominee on an anti-slavery platform. Five years later, now a Union general under President Lincoln, he sparked a national crisis by unilaterally declaring emancipation in Missouri. Drawing from extensive research, author John Bicknell masterfully chronicles the volatile relationship between these two leaders as they grappled with slavery, military strategy, and the future of the nation.
From award-winning historian John Bicknell comes an essential new perspective on the Civil War era, acclaimed by scholars as "powerful," "engaging," and "distinctive." Perfect for readers of both Civil War history and political biography, this compelling narrative shows how the clash between Lincoln and Frémont helped determine the course of emancipation and the outcome of the war itself.
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Today we begin an in-depth look at Jamestown - England's first successful colony in North America. I will examine the situation in England and along the Chesapeake leading up to 1607. Then John Smith and the rest of the English arrive and the real fun begins.
To listen to Part Two, you will need to be a Patreon member. To become one, click this LINK for a free trial.
I briefly cover the Dutch East and West Indies Companies plus Dutch colonization efforts in the Americas.
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In this episode I cover Spain's colonial efforts between 1492 and 1600, focusing on the broad economic, political, and social trends.
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In recent years, from school board meetings to the halls of Congress, Americans have engaged in fierce debates about how slavery and its legacies ought to be taught, researched, and narrated. But since the earliest days of the Republic, political leaders, abolitionists, judges, scholars, and ordinary citizens have all struggled to explain and understand the peculiar institution.
In Making Sense of Slavery, historian Scott Spillman shows that the study of slavery was a vital catalyst for the broader development of American intellectual life and politics. In contexts ranging from the plantation fields to the university classroom, Americans interpreted slavery and its afterlives through many lenses, shaping the trajectory of disciplines from economics to sociology, from psychology to history. Spillman delves deeply into the archives, and into the pathbreaking work of scholars such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Annette Gordon-Reed, to trace how generations of Americans have wrestled with the paradox of slavery in a country founded on principles of liberty and equality.
As the debate over the place of slavery in our history rages on, Making Sense of Slavery shows that what is truly central to American history is this very debate itself.
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Before turning to the New World, we bring the Old World up to speed, covering Louis XIII and France, Philip's heirs in Spain, the Ottoman Empire, and the Time of Troubles in Russia.
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The Thirty Years War comes to an end, leaving Germany devastated and divided.
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The Holy Roman Empire wilts under the combined pressure of Sweden and France. Spain exits our stage. And Central Europe lurches toward peace.
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Shifting alliances continue to hamper peace efforts in the Thirty Years War.
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The Thirty Years War continues to drag on in Germany after the death of Ferdinand II and the ascension of Ferdinand III.
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The years after the death of the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus saw the ever-shifting alliances of the Thirty Years War do maximum damage.
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King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden briefly, but decisively, intervenes in the Thirty Years War.
The German Peasants’ War was the greatest popular uprising in Western Europe before the French Revolution. In 1524 and 1525, it swept across Germany with astonishing speed as well over a hundred thousand people massed in armed bands to demand a new and more egalitarian order. The peasants took control of vast areas of southern and middle Germany, torching and plundering the monasteries, convents, and castles that stood in their way. But they proved no match for the forces of the lords, who put down the revolt by slaying somewhere between seventy and a hundred thousand peasants in just over two months.
In Summer of Fire and Blood, the first history of the German Peasants’ War in a generation, historian Lyndal Roper exposes the far-reaching ramifications of this rebellion. Though the war’s victors portrayed the uprising as naive and inchoate, Roper reveals a mass movement that sought to make good on the radical potential of the Protestant Reformation. By recovering what the people themselves felt and believed, Summer of Fire and Blood reconstructs the thrilling, tragic story of the peasants’ fight to change the world.
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Cardinal Richelieu comes to power in France, altering the course of French history.
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For millennia, land has been a symbol of wealth and privilege. But the true power of land ownership is even greater than we might think. In Land Power, political scientist Michael Albertus shows that who owns the land determines whether a society will be equal or unequal, whether it will develop or decline, and whether it will safeguard or sacrifice its environment.
Modern history has been defined by land reallocation on a massive scale. From the 1500s on, European colonial powers and new nation-states shifted indigenous lands into the hands of settlers. The 1900s brought new waves of land appropriation, from Soviet and Maoist collectivization to initiatives turning large estates over to family farmers. The shuffle continues today as governments vie for power and prosperity by choosing who should get land. Drawing on a career’s worth of original research and on-the-ground fieldwork, Albertus shows that choices about who owns the land have locked in poverty, sexism, racism, and climate crisis—and that what we do with the land today can change our collective fate.
Global in scope, Land Power argues that saving civilization must begin with the earth under our feet.
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Frederick V's brief stint as the leader of the Protestant resistance comes to an end.
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The Thirty Years War begins with the Bohemian revolt. That begins by a bunch of guys getting chucked out a window...
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The death of Emperor Rudolf in 1612 brought his brother Matthias to the throne. While this marked a period of recovery for the Habsburg dynasty, Matthias's position was precarious. He lacked the same authority as his brother and was already 55 years old, making his grip on power tenuous from the outset. The empire Matthias inherited was one riddled with internal divisions and vulnerabilities. The Turkish truce of 1606, though bringing much-needed peace, had ironically diminished the emperor's international standing. The Austrian Habsburgs' policy of neutrality in European conflicts further sidelined them in international affairs, further weakening the perception of imperial strength.
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The years leading up to the Thirty Years War saw the repeated failures of various institutions within the Holy Roman Empire.
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We have not covered Denmark or Sweden much since the Viking Age. Today that changes. Both kingdoms will play major roles in the Thirty Years War so today we break down how both look coming into that conflict.
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Spain was truly a world empire by the opening of the Thirty Years War in 1618. While it was not without weaknesses, it was perceived as being the most dominant European power of the early modern period.
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Today I interview historian Josiah Osgood and we discuss his latest book: Lawless Republic: The Rise of Cicero and the Decline of Rome.
In its final decades, the Roman Republic was engulfed by a crime wave. An epidemic of extortions, murders, and acts of insurrection tested the court system’s capacity to maintain order. As case after case filled the docket, an ambitious young lawyer named Cicero seized every opportunity to litigate, forging a reputation as a master debater with a bright future in politics. In Lawless Republic, historian Josiah Osgood recounts the legendary orator’s ascent and fall, and his pivotal role in the republic’s lurch toward autocracy.
Cicero’s first appearance in the courts came shortly after the end of a brutal civil war. After leveraging his fame as a lawyer to become a consul, he ruthlessly crushed a coup by suppressing the liberties of Roman citizens. The premiere legal mind of Rome came to argue that the pursuit of a higher justice could sometimes justify sweeping the law aside, laying the groundwork for Roman history’s most famous act of political violence—the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Lawless Republic vividly resurrects the spectacle of the courts in the time of Cicero and Caesar, showing how politics trumped the rule of law and sealed the fate of Rome.
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Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. And yet, to Ukrainians, this attack was painfully familiar, the latest episode in a centuries-long Russian campaign to divide and oppress Ukraine.
In Intent to Destroy, political scientist Eugene Finkel uncovers these deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ukraine is a key borderland between Russia and the West, and, following the rise of Russian nationalism in the nineteenth century, dominating Ukraine became the cornerstone of Russian policy. Russia has long used genocidal tactics—killings, deportations, starvation, and cultural destruction—to successfully crush Ukrainian efforts to chart an independent path. As Finkel shows, today’s violence is simply a more extreme version of the Kremlin’s long-standing policy. But unlike in the past, the people of Ukraine—motivated by the rise of democracy in their nation—have overcome their deep internal divisions. For the first time, they have united in favor of independence from Russia.
Whatever the outcome of the present war, Ukraine’s staunch resistance has permanently altered its relationship to Russia and the West. Intent to Destroy offers the vital context we need to truly understand Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
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The Thirty Years War might not have happened had the Habsburg monarchy been stronger. But a series of internal and external conflicts beginning in the late sixteenth century begin to change that dynamic for the worse.
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One simply cannot understand the Thirty Years War without first digesting the Austrian Habsburgs. Today, we tell that story.
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Today, I cover the convergence of faiths in the Holy Roman Empire that will, to an extent, drive the conflict of the Thirty Years War: Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Calvinism.
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As we begin the Thirty Years War, I back up a bit and explore the structure of the Holy Roman Empire.
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As you can imagine, much changed in European economic life and technology between 1450 and 1650. Here I cover many of the most relevant transformations that would alter European life in the Early Modern Period.
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In this episode, we discuss major political and cultural changes in Early Modern Europe.
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We begin our overview of Early Modern Europe with a close look at the year 1450. That is the year when most textbooks begin the era. Today we explore the changes in society, the economy, politics, and technology that make the 1450 essential for understanding how far Europeans had come since the depths of the Middle Ages.
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Ivan's reign ends as it began, with needless death and destruction. Ivan appears powerless to resist Lithuanian advances but is more than capable of murdering his son and heir.
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Ivan creates a new government and takes his anger out on the citizens of Novgorod.
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Ivan goes on campaign against Kazan and the guardrails start coming off.
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Ivan IV assumes the throne after a twelve-year regency. It does not take him long to earn his nickname.
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Before we jump into Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), let's catch up on the Rus.
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Charles and Buckingham go on an adventure to Spain which ends, spoiler alert, horribly. The Thirty Years War erupts in Germany. But James does not live to see it reach a fever pitch.
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James I desperately wanted to marry his son, Charles, to the Spanish Princess. However, when his son-in-law, Frederick of the Palatinate, becomes embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years War, that goal seems more and more distant by the minute.
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A global history of the world’s best-known and most influential book.
For Christians, the Bible is a book inspired by God. Its eternal words are transmitted across the world by fallible human hands. Following Jesus’s departing instruction to go out into the world, the Bible has been a book in motion from its very beginnings, and every community it has encountered has read, heard, and seen the Bible through its own language and culture.
In The Bible, Bruce Gordon tells the astounding story of the Bible’s journey around the globe and across more than two thousand years, showing how it has shaped and been shaped by changing beliefs and believers’ radically different needs. The Bible has been a tool for violence and oppression, and it has expressed hopes for liberation. God speaks with one voice, but the people who receive it are scattered and divided—found in desert monasteries and Chinese house churches, in Byzantine cathedrals and Guatemalan villages.
Breathtakingly global in scope, The Bible tells the story of this sacred book through the stories of its many and diverse human encounters, revealing not a static text but a living, dynamic cultural force.
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The Stuart dynasty did NOT have a good relationship with the English Parliament. That begins with King James I.
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Aesop’s fables are among the most familiar and best-loved stories in the world. Tales like “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Dog in the Manger,” and “Sour Grapes” have captivated us for generations. The fables delight us and teach timeless truths. Aesop’s tales offer us a world fundamentally simpler to ours—one with clear good and plain evil—but nonetheless one that is marked by political nuance and literary complexity.
Newly translated and annotated by renowned scholar Robin Waterfield, this definitive translation shines a new light on four hundred of Aesop’s most enduring fables.
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Guy Fawkes et al decide to blow up King James I and the English Parliament. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work...
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The end of the reign of Elizabeth I ends the Tudor dynasty. James I becomes the first of the short-lived Stuart line. His reign begins with no shortage of economic headaches.
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Henry of Navarre spends several years fighting for the crown of France, converts to Catholicism (again), and issues the famous Edict of Nantes.
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Few dynasties have had the impact on a modern state more so than the Tudors on England. Yet, the dynasty lasted hardly more than a century. Elizabeth I, the second born daughter of Henry VIII, who reigned after her younger brother and elder sister, would prove to be the final name on the list. Today we finish her story as the sun sets on Tudor England.
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In this bonus episode, you get a sneak peek of the great stuff going on in Western Civ 2.0. You can join for a free trial by clicking HERE.
After the Third Punic War, the Romans wasted little time turning on each other. Long-standing economic inequality became the issue of the late second century BCE and would, eventually, bring down the republic. In the late 140s, however, Tiberius Gracchus believed his land redistribution scheme might just solve the problem. The Senate felt otherwise. But, in the end, it was not the Lex Agraria per se that cost Tiberius his life. Rather, it was his refusal to play the political game by the old rules.
England emerges from the defeat of the Spanish Armada, its stock never higher. Yet all around Elizabeth the signs of the end of the Tudor age continue to emerge.
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We enter this episode with an heir and a spare. We end with neither and the end of France's ruling house since the High Middle Ages.
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The "Protestant Wind" fells Philip's Armada, leaving Elizabeth "Eliza Triumphant".
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Catherine D'Medic's favorite son takes over the throne of France. Henri III is going to be notable for many reasons in French history and today we begin his story in earnest.
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Charles IX, fairly or unfairly, will forever be remembered for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. His death ushers in a new era of uncertainty for both France and England.
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In this episode, we return to England under Queen Elizabeth I. Around Elizabeth, her key advisors grow increasingly uneasy about her seeming unwillingness to do anything about Mary Stuart's repeated efforts to steal her throne. When the Duke of Norfolk becomes implicated, even Parliament can no longer contain its frustration.
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After the death of Selim II, the Ottoman Empire goes into a period of decline. Successive Sultans seem far more interested in doling out favors to their friends and family than expanding the borders of the empire. The Janissaries, never easy to deal with under the best of circumstances, become an increasing drain on the treasury and a problem for the government. It is not over yet for the Ottomans. Not by a long shot. But the days of endless expansion are seemingly over.
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Today we are back in the Ottoman Empire. Selim II takes over for the deceased Suleyman the Magnificent. He continues his father's policies but suffers a major setback at the Battle of Lepanto.
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The swelling tide in France finally explodes in August 1572. Just as it seems like the marriage of the Protestant Henri of Navarre prepares to wed the Catholic Princess Margot and solve the religious crisis once and for all, the kingdom explodes into an orgy of violence.
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Catherine D'Medici does her best to continue charting a course of conciliation but, in this episode, her luck finally runs out. France lurches into not one but two wars of religion in this episode, leaving the kingdom torn and Catherine convinced conciliation with the Huguenots is no longer possible.
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Today I sit down with author DW Gibson and discuss his latest book: One Week to Change the World: An Oral History of the 1999 WTO Protests.
One week in late 1999, more than 50,000 people converged on Seattle. Their goal: to shut down the World Trade Organization conference and send a message that working-class people would not quietly accept the runaway economic globalization that threatened their livelihoods. Though their mission succeeded, it was not without blowback. Violent confrontations between police and protestors resulted in hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars in property damage. But the images of tear gas and smashed windows that flashed across TVs and newspapers were not an accurate representation of what actually happened that week.
In the oral history One Week to Change the World, award-winning journalist DW Gibson pieces together a complex and compelling account of what really went down in Seattle, immersing you in the angst that defined the end of a millennium, complete with fight clubs and Y2K doomsday scenarios. In more than 100 original interviews with protestors, police, politicians, anarchists, artists, activists, union members, and many others, Gibson reconstructs the events in gripping detail; documents its antecedents and aftermath; and shows how so many of its themes remain just as pressing today, including the vitalness and difficulty of grassroots activism, the aspirations and limitations of globalization, the militarization of policing, the sensationalism of the media, and the undeniable power of the people.
Timed to the 25th anniversary of the protests, this book is a page-turning drama, an essential history, and a practical handbook for how to make one’s voice heard.
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Catherine d'Medici and Charles IX take a grand tour of France while religious turmoils continue to simmer.
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In this two-part episode, we follow Elizabeth as she deals with a major northern uprising and potential treason surrounding Mary Stuart. Then we pause and, about twelve years into her reign, look at Elizabeth as a queen in general.
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In this episode, we follow Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots, as they deal with similar issues. Elizabeth continues to grapple with demands that she marry which are more persistent and problematic due to her financial problems. Mary has a husband but Lord Darnley proves her undoing as Mary ends the episode as a permanent "guest" of the English monarch.
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Today I sit down with historian, Adam Smyth, and we discuss his latest book: The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives.
Books tell all kinds of stories—romances, tragedies, comedies—but if we learn to read the signs correctly, they can tell us the story of their own making too. The Book-Makers offers a new way into the story of Western culture’s most important object, the book, through dynamic portraits of eighteen individuals who helped to define it.
Books have transformed humankind by enabling authors to create, document, and entertain. Yet we know little about the individuals who brought these fascinating objects into existence and of those who first experimented in the art of printing, design, and binding. Who were the renegade book-makers who changed the course of history?
From Wynkyn de Worde’s printing of fifteenth-century bestsellers to Nancy Cunard’s avant-garde pamphlets produced on her small press in Normandy, this is a celebration of the book with the people put back in.
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Queen Elizabeth falls ill, bringing the nation up to the cusp of a complete succession disaster. Immediately afterwards Parliament pressures the Queen to wed immediately. Elizabeth, however, continues to resist.
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Today I sit down with historian, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, and discuss his latest book: The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt.
One of history’s most iconic figures, Cleopatra is rightly remembered as a clever and charismatic ruler. But few today realize that she was the last in a long line of Egyptian queens who bore that name.
In The Cleopatras, historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the dramatic story of these seven incomparable women, vividly recapturing the lost world of Hellenistic Egypt and tracing the kingdom’s final centuries before its fall to Rome. The Cleopatras were Greek-speaking descendants of Ptolemy, the general who conquered Egypt alongside Alexander the Great. They were closely related as mothers, daughters, sisters, half-sisters, and nieces. Each wielded absolute power, easily overshadowing their husbands or sons, and all proved to be shrewd and capable leaders. Styling themselves as goddess-queens, the Cleopatras ruled through the canny deployment of arcane rituals, opulent spectacles, and unparalleled wealth. They navigated political turmoil and court intrigues, led armies into battle and commanded fleets of ships, and ruthlessly dispatched their dynastic rivals.
The Cleopatras is a fascinating and richly textured biography of seven extraordinary women, restoring these queens to their deserved place among history’s greatest rulers.
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In House of Lilies, historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today.
Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetians became the most powerful monarchy of the Middle Ages. Consolidating a fragmented realm that eventually stretched from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, they were the first royal house to adopt the fleur-de-lys, displaying this lily emblem to signify their divine favor and legitimate their rule. The Capetians were at the center of some of the most dramatic and far-reaching episodes in European history, including the Crusades, bloody waves of religious persecution, and a series of wars with England. The Capetian age saw the emergence of Gothic architecture, the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and the Church’s role at the center of daily life.
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Despite her best efforts to reach a compromise, the Massacre at Vassy finally pushed France over into its First War of Religion. Spoiler alert, it won't be the last.
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Today I sit down for an interview with historian Mike Rapport to discuss his latest book: City of Light, City of Shadow: Paris in the Bellé Epoch.
In City of Light, City of Shadows, Mike Rapport uncovers a Paris riven by social anxieties and plagued by overlapping epidemics of poverty, political extremism, and anti-Semitism. As the Sacré-Cœur and Eiffel Tower rose into the skies, redefining architecture and the Paris skyline, Paris’s slums were plagued by disease and gang violence. The era, now remembered as a high point of French art and culture, was also an age of intense political violence, including anarchist bombings, organized right-wing mobs, and assassinations.
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Elizabeth deals with the continued fallout from the death of Amy Dudley while word from France arrives that Mary, Queen of Scots, believes she has a better claim to the English throne.
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This is a bonus sneak-peak of what I do over on the paid feed: Western Civ 2.0. (The actual paid feed does not have ads.)
In this episode, I cover the First Punic War. Rome came consistently close to losing this war to Carthage and it is fascinating to think how different the outcome would have been had that happened.
The First Punic War (264-241 BC) marked a pivotal moment in ancient Mediterranean history, pitting two formidable powers, Rome and Carthage, against each other in a struggle for supremacy. The conflict was primarily fought over control of Sicily, a strategically significant island rich in resources. Initially, Rome had little naval experience, while Carthage boasted a formidable navy. However, Rome rapidly adapted, constructing a fleet from scratch and employing a innovative tactic of boarding enemy ships to turn naval battles into land-based engagements, thus neutralizing Carthage's naval superiority.The war witnessed several key battles, including the Battle of Mylae and the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, where Rome secured significant victories. Despite these successes, the war dragged on for over two decades, characterized by a grueling war of attrition and fluctuating fortunes for both sides. The conflict exacted a heavy toll on both Rome and Carthage, with substantial loss of life and resources.Ultimately, it was Rome's perseverance and adaptability that proved decisive. The Roman victory in the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC forced Carthage to sue for peace. The resulting Treaty of Lutatius effectively ended the war, with Carthage ceding Sicily to Rome and paying a hefty indemnity. This victory established Rome as the dominant power in the Western Mediterranean and laid the foundation for its eventual expansion into a formidable empire, while also setting the stage for future conflicts between Rome and Carthage.
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The death of Henry II thrusts his fifteen-year-old son Francis into the throne. From the word go Francis II is uninterested in running his kingdom. Nor will his sickly frame allow him to. Francis' brief reign is dominated by his mother, Catherine d'Medici, and the powerful Guise family. More than anything else, his reign features the beginning of a difficult period for the French Kingdom, which quickly finds itself torn apart by religious strife.
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In this episode, we break down the changes that Robert Dudley might become the next King of England. Spoiler alert, he doesn't. While Elizabeth I might have truly loved her favorite, the reality was she could not marry him. Marrying Robert would have isolated England even further as we will see. Then, when Robert's wife dies under mysterious circumstances, the door closes forever on the idea of Robert Dudley, King of England.
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Elizabeth is often known in history books as the "Virgin Queen". As we will see in this episode, to remain unwed was a conscious choice she cultivated from the very beginning of her reign. It gave her independence. And it allowed her to chart England's religious course, very much a compromise, without foreign interference.
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Today we begin Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most important British monarchs in history. Elizabeth takes over for the deceased Mary with England in absolute turmoil. She appoints William Cecil her Secretary of State and together they begin the process of righting England's ship.
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The Dutch Rebellion is the longest domestic revolt in modern European history. Over 80 years the Dutch slowly but surely ground Philip II into bankruptcy. While Philip had what he thought was an inexhaustible pool of Mexican and Peruvian gold and silver to draw from, what he did not understand were the modern forces of inflation and interest. In the end, more even than the Dutch people, Philip found himself undone by modern economics.
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In today's episode, the reign of Queen Mary I of England comes to an end. Mary's efforts to burn England free of heresy fails and Princess Elizabeth assumes the throne.
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Now we get to the Queen Mary I of England everyone knows. In the span of just over two years, Mary burned more heretics than Edward VI or Henry VIII combined. All of this was an effort to reunite England with the Papal See. Reginald Pole, the papal legate, remained confident in the project. But the enthusiasm in England for a return to the age before Henry's schism was waning and time was very much running out.
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Queen Mary I of England survives the first challenge to her power and emerges with the sense that she is God's ordained monarch. As a result, the pace of religious change quickened by the fall of 1554.
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With the death of Edward VI and the failure of Jane Grey to seize the throne, Queen Mary's ascent seemed likely to mean there would be a dramatic and immediate change in religious policy. The evangelical faction was now firmly out of power - many would flee to the continent in fact. But at least initially Mary and her court was a bit hesitant to push too hard too fast. For decades now the people of England had heard nothing but criticism of the Pope, it seemed unlikely they would forget all that overnight. Besides, Mary had to deal with the practical issues of being queen. Namely, she was not a young woman, was not married, and had no children. The proverbial clock, in other words, was ticking.
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The English Reformation really heats up between 1551 and 1553. Unfortunately, the boy king, Edward VI, dies young leaving the dream of a final evangelical nation unfulfilled. Edward attempts to cut his half-sisters out of the inheritance and leaves the throne to Lady Jane Grey. but England isn't having it.
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In this episode, Dudley, the Earl of Warwick, now dominates the Privy Council. As a result, the pace of religious reform decidedly quickens. The Mass is condemned. Altars are torn down. The "Old Religion" more or less disappears. This then brings matters to a head with a certain member of the royal family who remains an ardent Catholic: the Princess Mary. Spoiler alert, THAT is going to be a major problem going forward.
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Somerset survived his brother's poorly planned coup, but this time he won't be so lucky. The enclosure crisis continues to rock England and today that crisis erupts into the most dangerous domestic uprising in England since the 14th Century. Somerset will manage to survive Kett's Rebellion but his failure to effectively manage the crisis leads the English nobility to wonder openly whether he is the best person to lead England. Dudley, the Earl of Warwick, decides to attempt a coup of his own and manages to steal the power from behind the throne from the Lord Protector.
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Today I sit down with historian David Reynolds and talk about his latest book: Mirrors of Greatness: Churchill and the Leaders Who Shaped Him.
Winston Churchill remains one of the most revered figures of the twentieth century, his name a byword for courageous leadership. But the Churchill we know today is a mixture of history and myth, authored by the man himself. In Mirrors of Greatness, prizewinning historian David Reynolds reevaluates Churchill’s life by viewing it through the eyes of his allies and adversaries, even his own family, revealing Churchill’s lifelong struggle to overcome his political failures and his evolving grasp of what “greatness” truly entailed.
Through his dealings with Adolf Hitler and Neville Chamberlain, we follow Churchill’s triumphant campaign against Nazi Germany. But we also see a Churchill whose misjudgments of allies and rivals like Roosevelt, Stalin, Gandhi, and Clement Attlee blinded him to the British Empire’s waning dominance on the world stage and to the rising popularity of a postimperial, socialist vision of Great Britain at home.
Magisterial and incisive, Mirrors of Greatness affords Churchill his due as a figure of world-historical importance and deepens our understanding of his legend by uncovering the ways his greatest contemporaries helped make him the man he was, for good and for ill.
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Today I sit down with Christopher Goscha to discuss his new book, Vietnam: A New History.
In Vietnam, Christopher Goscha tells the full history of Vietnam, from antiquity to the present day. Generations of emperors, rebels, priests, and colonizers left complicated legacies in this remarkable country. Periods of Chinese, French, and Japanese rule reshaped and modernized Vietnam, but so too did the colonial enterprises of the Vietnamese themselves as they extended their influence southward from the Red River Delta. Over the centuries, numerous kingdoms, dynasties, and states have ruled over -- and fought for -- what is now Vietnam. The bloody Cold War-era conflict between Ho Chi Minh's communist-backed Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the American-backed Republic of Vietnam was only the most recent instance when war divided and transformed Vietnam.
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In this episode, we return to England. Edward VI is still a teenager and not in control of his own realm. His uncle, the Lord Protector Somerset, is trying his best to maintain power. But his brother, Seymour, the Lord Admiral, is making life difficult for him. Today it all comes to a head.
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Henry takes command determined not to repeat his father's mistakes. Catherine, at his side, does her best to help him while continuing to battle Diane de Poitiers for her husband's attention. France faces external pressures in Italy and from the Holy Roman Empire, still led by Charles V, while religious unrest within the kingdom grows.
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Francois, the Dauphin and heir to the throne of France, abruptly dies. Suddenly, Henry becomes first in line to inherit the throne of France. Henry and Catherine suddenly find their lives under tremendous scrutiny, made all the worse because the two lack an heir. The two, with the help of a skilled physician, finally solve this problem. Catherine, in the end, would have many children. It was a good thing...
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Henry, Duke of Orleans, and Catherine de' Medici are destined to become the King and Queen of France. But you would not have thought so at the beginning of their respective lives. Today we start their story.
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Edward's coronation sets off a wave of religious reforms. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with Lord Somerset as Protector - least of all his own brother.
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It is time to talk to historian Nic Morton again, we last discussed the Mongols and today are talking about the Crusades and crusading warfare. We talk about why it is a problematic idea to paint the Crusades as simply an East versus West or Christian versus Muslim conflict. We talk about the military challenges confronted by the Crusaders when besieging Jerusalem and the later problems they encountered when building a kingdom with the holy city as its capital. We discuss religious relics and whether anyone actually believed the Holy Lance (discovered during the siege of Antioch) saved the Crusaders. And, of course, we evaluate the military tactics of each side and the best leaders.
Purchase Dr. Morton's Book: The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187
Try the Medievalist Online Course (Feb. 2024): Medievalists.net
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Now it's time to get back to politics. When we last left off, the deaths of Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V and Sulieman the Magnificent left Europe with a major power void. To an extent, that is going to be the case for a while. Those long-reigning monarchs will be replaced with a series of heirs who will, with the exception of Philip II of Spain, die relatively quickly. Case in point: Edward VI. Today, we return to Tudor England.
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Today we wrap up our Galileo story arc. Galileo is tried for heresy after the publication of the Dialogue and, spoiler alert, found guilty. The father of modern science dies in isolation, bitter, but undaunted.
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In our final episode on the Spanish Inquisition, I cover its structure and organization. Specifically, I explain how the Spanish Crown, notably King Ferdinand, controlled the Inquisition for his purposes. Then I discuss the Acts of Faith or Autos de Fe as they were originally called, which were the large performances that were part sentencing and part executions.
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It is our last bonus author interview of the year - and it's a good one! I sit down with historian Nick Bunker and break down his amazing book: In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950.
Halfway through the twentieth century, the United States towered over the world in industrial might. After winning the 1948 election, Harry Truman hoped to use this economic strength to build on FDR’s achievements with new liberal reforms. But then, in just ten months between September 1949 and June 1950, the president’s ambitions were overtaken by events that left the country gripped by rage and fear. The Soviets tested an atomic bomb, Mao’s army swept through China, and at home Truman faced labor unrest and a Republican Party desperate for power.
In the Shadow of Fear is an innovative and gripping history of this pivotal moment. Recounting the launch of Senator Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade, the defeat of Truman’s liberal program, and the start of the Korean War, prizewinning historian Nick Bunker shows us a polarized nation facing crises at home and abroad—a story with deep resonances today.
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Had it not been for the Reformation, the Inquisition probably would have died out in the early Sixteenth Century. But, of course, there was a Reformation and so suddenly there was plenty of heresy to keep the Inquisition humming well into the Eighteenth Century...
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Today I am joined by author Charles Fischer to discuss his book: The Eunuch.
Why would a eunuch want to write a secret history of life in the court of ancient Babylon's most famous king? To get back at his brother: that's why. Abducted as young boys by soldiers during the conquest of Nineveh, the brothers Uruk and Nergal receive very different fates in the ancient kingdom of Babylon. Uruk enjoys favors and climbs the Ziggurat of power to become a trusted advisor and the chief propaganda minister of King Nebuchadnezzar II, while Nergal is castrated and assigned to keep records of the daily life of the King's harem. While Uruk's cushioned prosperity is enviable, his real life is anxious because the King is viewed as the Divine Plowman who must seed the land and bring forth a bountiful harvest -- in other words, make whoopie in the harem and father many children because as the King's virility goes, so goes the harvest -- but the King is both crazy and chronically impotent, and a severe drought has withered the grain fields of the kingdom, so Uruk works nervously to spin propaganda into the official court records to hide the real state of affairs. Mostly out of contempt for his brother and his brother's official history, but also partly because of a deep respect for truth, Nergal the eunuch decides to write his his own secret, eye-witness, tell-all account of the real life inside the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, in all of its hilarious and embarrassing unseemliness. All goes well until, at a crucial moment during a high festival orgy, the King calls for Nergal to assist him in performing a mating ritual with a harem concubine chosen to be the symbolic holy bride of Babylon. Eager to please the King his master, Nergal unexpectedly receives a caressing touch from the concubine, Siduri of Megiddo, and he nearly swoons with love for her. The moment turns Nergal's life upside down and tosses him in a nearly treasonous bind of mixed loyalties. Although he does not know it at the time, the moment changes not only Nergal's life but also everyone else's, because it is the first of a series of events that result in the collapse of the kingdom. So The Eunuch is a laugh-out-loud funny narrative that begins as an effort to extirpate the lies of the hagiographic official history of Babylon, becomes a story of a very peculiar love triangle between a King with mental health issues, an alluring and manipulative concubine, and an obsessive eunuch slave-scribe, and then ends by describing the fall of an empire.
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Both Ferdinand and Charles V refuse to reform the obvious abuses inherent to the Inquisition. And so the fires of the Acts of Faith burn. And burn. And burn...
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In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Andrew Pettegree and discuss his latest work: The Book at War. I talked with Professor Pettegree previously about his other recent work about the history of the library and, together, the two make excellent companion pieces. We talk about how books encourage war, how they can win wars, and even how they might end wars.
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Today we cover the 1492 expulsion of the Jews and how that event created the need for the Inquisition by dumping rocket fuel on the already smoldering converso problem.
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In this episode, we switch gears and begin to unpack the Inquisition. The beginning of the Inquisition revolves around the Jews and the Spanish monarchs. By 1492 Isabella and Ferdinand have become convinced that the Jews of Spain must be expelled to protect the Christian population. While no one knew it at the time, the consequences of that decision would be long-reaching and disastrous.
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In today's bonus author interview, I sit down with Moshik Temkin to discuss his most recent book on leadership: Warriors, Rebels, and Saints: The Art of Leadership from Machiavelli to Malcolm X.
We live in a period of leadership in crisis. At home, and across the globe, we sense that unqualified and irresponsible individuals are being elevated to positions of power, strong men and autocrats are consolidating their hold on governance, and the people are losing faith in the prospect of a better future. How have we arrived at this point? And how can we correct our course?
For the past decade, Moshik Temkin has challenged his students at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and around the world to grapple with the nature of leadership as part of his wildly popular course “Leaders and Leadership in History.” Now, in Warriors, Rebels, and Saints, Temkin refashions the classroom for a wider audience.
Using art, film, and literature to illustrate the drama of the past, Temkin considers how leaders have made decisions in the most difficult circumstances—from the Great Depression of the 1930s to the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and from the anticolonial wars of the 20th century to the civil rights struggle—and how, in a world desperate for good leadership, we can evaluate those decisions and draw lessons for today.
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Today I sit down with historian Roger Moorhouse and discuss his most recent work: The Forgers: The Forgotten Story of the Holocaust's Most Audacious Rescue Operation. Between 1940 and 1943, a group of Polish diplomats in Switzerland engaged in a wholly remarkable—and until now, completely unknown—humanitarian operation. In concert with Jewish activists, they masterminded a systematic program of forging passports and identity documents for Latin American countries, which were then smuggled into German-occupied Europe to save the lives of thousands of Jews facing extermination in the Holocaust. This is that story.
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Galileo publishes The Dialogue, essentially sealing his fate with the Inquisition.
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Galileo travels to Rome and puts all his cards on the table. It was time to make the argument Copernicus was right. The Jesuits don't buy and he leaves Rome, formally or perhaps informally, warned never to advocate for Copernicanism again.
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In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with historian Adrian Goldsworthy and discuss his most recent book: Rome and Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry.
The Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale.
Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the region Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest that tantalized Greeks and Romans alike. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together. Despite their endless clashes, trade between the empires enriched them both, and a mutual respect prevented both Rome and Persia from permanently destroying the other.
Epic in scope, Rome and Persia completely reshapes our understanding of one of the greatest rivalries of world history.
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Today we get to the meat of our series on Galileo, the publication of The Starry Messenger. Galileo turns his much-improved telescope to the heavens and realizes: Jupiter has moons, Venus orbits the sun, and that same sun has spots. None of these discoveries are compatible with Ptolemy's never-changing universe. Today Galileo sets himself on a collision course with the Inquisition.
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In this bonus, author interview, I sit down with Historian Paul Carter and discuss the role Richard Nixon played in modern American History. Needless to say, we both agree that Nixon was a lot more than merely the "Watergate guy". In fact, were it not for Watergate, Nixon would likely be remembered as one of the most influential modern American Presidents.
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In this episode, Galileo finally turns his attention firmly to the heavens. Quickly, Galileo recognizes that, with this new technology, the telescope, he can decisively prove that both Ptolemy and Tycho Brahe were wrong. Copernicus was right. Today Galileo sets himself on a collision course with the Inquisition and the Roman Catholic Church.
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In this author interview, I sit down with Peter Sarris and discuss his latest book: Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint. It is an excellent historical biography that covers the importance of one of the most influential figures of the Early Middle Ages. We talk about Rome, Persia, the plague, Belisarius, and, of course, Hagia Sophia.
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In this historian interview, I sit down with Tom Wheeler, author of Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age? We talk about economic explosion, social unrest, international competition, and even fake news. Can the problems of the past provide inspiration to the solutions of the future? Are we doomed to repeat the growing pains of the early Twentieth Century? We discuss all this and more.
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Here is a bonus, sneak peak of Western Civ 2.0. In my Patreon feed, we hit the proverbial reset button and start from scratch. The episodes are more detailed but the storytelling is the same. This is the principal way I support the show. Patreon offers a variety of options for support running as low as $1 per month. There is also a free trial wherein you check it out for a week free of charge.
In this episode, I wrap up the Wars of the Successors. Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE shattered his empire before it had the chance to get up and going. Ptolemy, Seleucus, and a slew of others fought over the remains until Rome gobbled it all up.
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Today we get more into the meat of Galileo. He is remembered as someone willing to challenge the church on the issue of the geocentric universe. But he actually challenged a lot more than that. Today we will explore how Galileo challenged Aristotle's perceived truths and how that changed science.
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We come now to the most recognizable name from the early Scientific Revolution: Galileo. Galileo studied motion, falling bodies, and, of course, the stars. His infamous Inquisition trial has made him a nearly household name. Today we begin his story.
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In this author interview, I sit down with renowned mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and talk about his newest book: Around the World in 80 Games. I LOVE games, as will be apparent in this interview. And I could not miss the chance to talk to a mathematician about how, for example, my Risk strategy has been all wrong.
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Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei usually get all the credit for the breakthroughs in astronomy in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and rightfully so to an extent. However, though his efforts were far from "sexy", Tycho Brahe was an essential innovator in his own right during the early Scientific Revolution. Without Brahe, we might not get many aspects of modern science that we, frankly, take for granted today. In today's episode, I tell the tale of the early modern astronomer who lost half his nose in a duel.
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Today we finish Copernicus and inch toward Tycho Brahe. On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres was a truly monumental achievement. Sadly, its release was marred by a poorly added preface by Andreas Osiander. In the end, no one involved with its publication was pleased by the final product. Still, in this history podcast, we evaluate the role the work played in the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.
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There is no discussion of modern Roman Historiography without Tom Holland. He is one of the premier historians covering the medieval, classical, and ancient world. Today I get the pleasure of talking to him about his new book: Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age. We discuss Nero, Vesuvius, the Year of the Four Emperors, Vespasian and his sons: Titus and Domitian, and then the emperors of Rome's true golden age: Trajan and Hadrian.
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You probably know the name, Copernicus. But you likely don't know the name, Rheticus. Well, today I explain why you should. Without Rheticus, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies might never get published and the Father of Astronomy might have been an unknown. In this history podcast, we take a look at Copernicus between roughly 1531 and 1540.
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Copernicus completes his studies and begins his major astronomical research. Before long, the Father of Modern Astronomy becomes convinced Ptolemy was wrong. The sun does not revolve around the earth. And that is not all Ptolemy was wrong about.
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Today we begin the life of Nicholas Copernicus - the father of modern astronomy. While there is a lot of validity to Copernicus' title, what I cover today are his immediate predecessors: George Peurbach and Regiomontanus. Without these two men, Copernicus might never have written On The Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies.
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Bismarck. Napoleon III. France. Prussia. Germany. The siege of Paris. The great precursor to World War One. Today I talk about it all when I sit down with Rachel Chrastil and talk about her new book: Bismarck's War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe. Click the link to buy the book. But, honestly, even if you don't, you are going to love this excellent historian interview.
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In our last overview episode, before we start Copernicus, I want to cover the concept of the "fact" and the "experiment" as each pertains to the Scientific Revolution. Both were products of the Scientific Revolution and did not exist, at least in our modern sense, in the Middle Ages or prior. While Francis Bacon usually gets the credit for the "fact", the true story is more complicated.
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Today I sit down with Historian Mark William Jones and discuss his newest book: 1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler's Putsch.
The story of Hitler's rise to power is documented in many histories. Jones, however, gives a much more detailed account that describes how Hitler's rise was anything but inevitable. More than anything, the work serves as a cautionary tale about how we can never take democracy for granted.
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Prior to the Scientific Revolution, math was considered a part of philosophy. But with a new emphasis on measurement and objective facts, it did not take long for mathematics to have a profound impact on the European world.
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Today we continue exploring the origins of the Scientific Revolution. If it was possible to sail across the Atlantic Ocean, and if there were large landmasses directly opposite Asia, then how the ancients had thought about the earth was wrong. The idea of Earth would need to be rethought and reconsidered. Moreover, while Columbus' discovery might have implications for the continents, it also had implications for the cosmos.
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It is weird to think about, but when Columbus "discovered" the New World there was no word for "discover" in English. Or French. Or Latin for that matter. Discover, as a word, did not exist because it was not something one did. Today I talk about the origins of the Scientific Revolution which are inherently grounded in the Age of Discovery. I also answer the question: can there be a Scientific Revolution without discovery?
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***NOTE: I was not able to upload this episode as one file which is not what I originally planned. So I had to break it in half.
In this episode, I begin a deep dive into Hernando de Soto who, in so many ways, absolutely represents the conquistador era. I over Soto's travails through Panama with Balboa, in Nicaragua on his own, in Peru with Pizarro, and, ultimately, to La Florida. Soto would die in the wilds of Arkansas, still searching for that El Dorado he would never find.
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***NOTE: I was not able to upload this episode as one file which is not what I originally planned. So I had to break it in half.
In this episode, I begin a deep dive into Hernando de Soto who, in so many ways, absolutely represents the conquistador era. I over Soto's travails through Panama with Balboa, in Nicaragua on his own, in Peru with Pizarro, and, ultimately, to La Florida. Soto would die in the wilds of Arkansas, still searching for that El Dorado he would never find.
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Today I sit down with author Jason Voiovich and discuss his most recent book: Booze, Babe, and the Little Black Dress. Jason and I talk about all manner of topics related to the Roaring Twenties, everything from Prohibition and speakeasies to baseball and the radio. It is a fantastic book and, as always, Jason is an engaging interview.
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After so many battles and insurgencies today the Inca Empire finally runs out of gas. The Inca free state is destroyed and the last Inca Emperor is executed. Then I examine some of the common themes that run through the stories of our two conquistadors: Cortés and Pizarro.
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Francisco Pizarro failed to recognize the growing discontent from Almagro's old faction and, today, it costs him his life. Gonzalo, his brother, outlives him by a little over three years and dies challenging the Spanish crown for the right to rule Peru. Meanwhile, Manco Inca mistakenly trusts yet another Spaniard and this time it, likewise, costs him his life.
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I was fortunate enough to take a short trip to Columbia: Medellin and Cartagena. Columbia is a wonderful country to visit. I decided to do a short show with my recommendations for traveling in Columbia and a few pitfalls to avoid.
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Avianca: https://www.avianca.com/us/en/
La Causa: https://www.lacausa.com.co/
Alambique: http://www.alambiquemedellin.com/
Coffee Tour: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g297478-d14045057-Coffee_Tour_In_Horse_Riding_and_Lunch_In_Medellin-Medellin_Antioquia_Department.html
Guatape: https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g297478-d15567422-Full_Day_Guatape-Medellin_Antioquia_Department.html
Celele: https://celelerestaurante.com/en/home/
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In this episode, Manco Inca flees to the Amazon to avoid capture with Gonzalo Pizarro in hot pursuit. But before that can happen, Hernando Pizarro exacts revenge on Diego de Almagro by executing the man in cold blood. As a result, Hernando returns to Spain to explain his conduct - leaving two Pizarro brothers in Peru.
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Diego de Almagro returns from conquering the wealthy Inca Empire of the south. Just kidding. There is no southern Inca Empire, as Almagro and his royally ticked-off, men now understand. Fuming and frostbitten, Almagro returns to the scene to find Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro holed up in Cusco surrounded by Manco Inca's army. Eager to exploit the situation, he reaches out to both groups to try and ensure that he, Almagro, is the new lord of Cusco moving forward.
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Manco Inca now has the Spaniards in Peru on the ropes. Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro are trapped in Cusco. Francisco Pizarro is likewise trapped in what will become Lima. The brothers are desperate to help each other but Manco's armies have the mountain passes sealed shut. This time, Manco comes tantalizingly close to ending the Pizarro family business once and for all. And then it all falls away...
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Manco Inca launches his Great Rebellion in Peru. While Francisco Pizarro is pinned down in Lima, Manco seeks to crush the remaining Pizarro brothers in Cuzco.
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Up to this point, Francisco Pizarro has done a fantastic job of following the conquistador playbook. But now the weakness of the Pizarro family business - namely Francisco's brothers - comes into play. Juan and Gonzalo Pizarro torment Manco Inca to the point that he has no choice but to begin the Great Rebellion.
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Atahualpa's time finally runs out. Pizarro believes his captive emperor has ordered an Inca army to attack and finally consents to his death. Luckily, shortly thereafter Pizarro finds a new, puppet emperor: Manco Inca.
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Atahualpa promises Pizarro rooms full of gold in the hope of getting the conquistador to leave. Little does he realize, in the Sixteenth Century sated the Spanish lust for gold is an impossibility.
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In another of those history-making meetings of two cultures, Pizarro and Atahualpa finally come face to face. Against overwhelming odds, Pizarro succeeds in capturing the Inca Emperor.
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Last time I introduced Francisco Pizarro. Today we bring Atahualpa onto our board. He will be the Incan Emperor at the time of Pizarro's conquest. But Atahualpa wasn't sitting around waiting for Pizarro to arrive. He had actually just defeated his half-brother in a short civil war caused by the ravages of European smallpox. In other words, there's a lot of context here...
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Today we introduce our Conquistador: Francisco Pizarro. Pizarro hears rumors of a great and wealthy Native American empire to the south: Peru. After a reconnaissance voyage, Pizarro discovers that there is some truth to the rumors.
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Today we look more closely at the Inca political and military structure. These two aspects of the Incan Empire will be crucial to understand how Pizzaro, like Cortés, is able to conquer such a vast and powerful empire with so few men.
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In this episode, I cover the beginnings of Macedonia as we track the rise of Philip of Macedon and his son. You might have heard of him. We call him Alexander the Great.
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Today I sit down with Historian Martyn Rady and discuss his latest book: The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe. This is a sweeping, survey history of Central Europe that is accessible to any reader whatever their knowledge of Central European history. There is a lot in the book and we, in the interview, only get to the Thirty Years' War. Though we do start in the Roman Empire so I guess that's progress!
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Today we pivot again and travel further south to the land of the Inca. Long before Pizzaro arrived, the people of the Andes built a miraculous civilization along the highest mountains in North or South America. In this episode, I cover the broad geography and culture of the Andean people.
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With Tenochtitlan conquered, Cortés tries to figure out how to make New Spain work.
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Cortés returns to Tenochtitlan and finally forces the great city into submission, effectively ending Old Mexico.
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Today I sit down with historian Eckart Frahm to discuss his new book: Assyria: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire. The Assyrians have a fascinating history that ranges from the ancient sands of Mesopotamia to the pages of the Old Testament. Frahm covers it all in this excellent and readable work.
Click HERE to purchase the book.
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Cortés recovers from the disaster of La Noche Triste and plans for a triumphant return to Tenochtitlan. At the same time, Smallpox ravages Central America.
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Cortés rushes back to Tenochtitlan only to find the city beyond saving. After the death of Montezuma, he has no choice but to cut his losses and run.
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Cortés gambles again, taking Montezuma captive in the hope that he can turn the entire kingdom over to Charles V. But, the arrival of a relief force from Cuba sent to capture Cortés upsets his plans.
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Cortés finally reached the capital of the Mexica Empire and comes face to face with Montezuma.
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This is the episode where Cortés really starts to come into focus. Up to this point, he has been just another explorer. But after this episode, his ambitions come into focus: Mexico or bust.
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Hernan Cortes and his expedition continue to explore the Yucatan as they round toward modern-day Veracruz. He begins to learn what works and what does not as he encounters different tribes of indigenous peoples. Horses, it turns out, are a major advantage.
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This week we finally meet Hernan Cortes. Cortes has an interesting history himself, though much of it remains shrouded in myth and shadow. Yet, in 1518 he gets tapped as the man to lead a new expedition west to follow up on Grijalva's latest voyage. Everyone thinks he is going to explore another island chain. What no one realizes is that he is about to run straight into the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom.
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Hernan Cortes was not the first Spaniard to reach Mexico. But, somewhat shockingly, even as late as 1518, the Spanish did not know about Mexico. They knew something of the land to the west of Cuba, but not much. In this episode, I talk about the first interactions between the Mexica and the Spanish.
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in this bonus, author interview, I sit down with Professor Gayle Greene and discuss her book: Immeasurable Outcomes: Teaching Shakespeare in the Age of Algorithms. This book is for any educator right now. There is a lot for us all to commiserate with.
Note: Full disclosure, we had some tech issues with this one. I could not use my normal recording system and what we did use abruptly cut off about thirty-eight minutes in. So the end is rather sudden.
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The recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria destroyed a large portion of Gaziantep Castle in Turkey. This site dated back to the Second and Third Century CE to the never-ending wars between the Romans and Parthians. Seeing the footage of the destruction, I was reminded how fragile history can be. We need to work to preserve sites like this so that they are not lost because once they are lost, we cannot get them back.
To donate to UNESCO's efforts to preserve sites like this, click HERE.
In this bonus interview, I sit down with historian Kate Cooper and discuss her most recent book: Queens of a Fallen World. This gripping and innovative history of St. Augustine looks at the four women who influenced his life, theology, and writing. Like any work, Confessions was not written in a bubble. Augustine, one of the most important church fathers, was highly influenced by his mother, fianceé, and lover. And if that weren't enough, Cooper analyzes the role of Empress Justina as she tangles with the powerful Bishop Ambrose - another leading figure in Augustine's life. The book is an excellent read and you can get a copy HERE.
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In this episode, we take a look at the Aztecs as they are commonly known or the Mexica as they are correctly known. The Mexica ruled a flourishing, cohesive empire when Hernan Cortes showed up. Today I cover the basics of the Mexica civilization.
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Today we cover what we can in terms of Mayan political history. The Maya organized themselves into essentially what we might call city-states. These centered around some locations you might recognize like Chichen Itza and Tikal, and many more you will not recognize. Sadly, much of Mayan history is lost to us as much of the written record did not survive the centuries. But, I'll give you what I can.
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Today we really switch gears. Before we explore the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca civilizations, we have to set the stage. Long before those conquests, the Maya dominated the jungles and mountains of the Yucatan. Today we introduce them.
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In our final episode on Suleiman the Magnificent, he nearly completes his conquest of the Mediterranean and Iran. Meanwhile, succession issues threaten to derail the entire Ottoman Empire. Still, when Suleiman dies in 1566 it is officially high tide for the Ottoman State.
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In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Historian Felicia Kornbluh and discuss her most recent book: A Woman's Life is a Human Life. This objective history of the battle over reproductive rights is a true tour de force. To purchase the book, please click on the link below.
Disclaimer: The book covers the fight to end sterilization and legalize abortion. Listeners who are sensitive to this subject would be advised to skip this one.
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In this episode, we follow Suleiman as he leads the Ottoman Empire to its territorial height. After teaming up with the intrepid Barbarossa, Suleiman leads the Ottoman navy across the Mediterranean until Ottoman hegemony over the eastern Mediterranean is complete and Charles V is forced into a defensive posture. Then, in 1541, Suleiman formally annexes Hungary, which will remain in Ottoman possession until 1699.
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In this bonus author interview, I sit down with Historian Jacqueline Jones and talk about her latest book: No Right to an Honest Living. The book details the Black experience in Boston between roughly 1840 and 1880. It is an excellent book and I hope you enjoy the interview.
To purchase the book, click HERE.
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Last time Suleiman the Magnificent came to the throne and immediately threw himself at the west. Before two years were out Belgrade and Rhodes were both in Ottoman hands. Suleiman marshaled Ottoman artillery superiority to quickly expand his borders on all sides. Charles V and the rest of Europe sat, paralyzed. Charles and Francis were at each other's throats as we already know. Henry was too far away and too preoccupied with his own unraveling heir situation to do anything. The Pope might scream into the wind but no one outside Hungary was going to do anything to shore up Europe’s rapidly collapsing borders. This week Suleiman continues his expansion as Europe searches for answers.
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Having covered the period between the Fall of Constantinople and 1520, we can now get into the most famous Ottoman Sultan of all: Suleiman the Magnificent. In this first episode, we introduce Suleiman and cover the campaigns of his first two years in power.
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Mehmet II's death leads to a brief power struggle between his two sons: Bayezid and Cem. In the end, the Janissaries pick Bayezid and Cem finds himself packed off to Rome. Bayezid enlarges the Ottoman Empire picking up new territory in northern Syria. His death leads to his son, Selim I, taking the throne. Selim I expands the Ottoman Empire even further than his grandfather, ending the Mamluk Empire and extending Ottoman control to the Holy Land.
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We last left the Ottomans in May 1453, as Mehmet II triumphantly rode into the gates of a conquered Constantinople. After thousands of years, the Romans were finally vanquished. In this episode, we catch up with the remainder of Mehmet's reign. And yes, there is plenty left to go.
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Marking the end of a turbulent beginning to the Sixteenth Century, the deaths of Henry VIII, Francis I, and Charles V (who technically abdicates before his death) brings one era to a close. Francis and Charles are left exhausted after years of pointless war, but both die knowing that their lines will live on. Henry VIII believes to have put in place an iron-clad succession plan, but Thomas Cranmer and Edward Seymour have other ideas. Oh, and Henry marries one last time. Katherine Parr will become his sixth and final wife.
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Francis and Charles finally resolve their differences and western Europe gets a break from the carnage. But, as usual, the fate of Milan spoils the pot and before long the two are at it again. Meanwhile, in England Henry deals with the factionalism that is threatening to tear his court apart. Henry marries (twice) and ultimately divorces (twice). But only Katherine Howard loses her head this time.
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Unable to help himself, Francis I pushes Charles V and much of western Europe into war. Luckily for him, his talented General Montmorency takes the reigns this time and wears Charles out resulting in a pyrrhic French victory. Meanwhile, back in England Henry VIII FINALLY gets the male heir he was so desperately (and that's an understatement) wanted.
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It has been a while but let's catch up with Francis and Charles. Since his release, Francis I has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of complying with the Treaty of Madrid. The French Royal Council is only too happy to rubbers-stamp that decision. Charles V, infuriated, does what he can to take revenge. Meanwhile, in England, the Pilgrimage of Grace nearly topples Henry VIII from power.
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In his upcoming book, The Mongol Storm, historian Nicholas Morton discusses the vast subject that is the Mongol Empire. All of it. Here we talk about a small fraction of his excellent work.
Link to the Book: https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/nicholas-morton/the-mongol-storm/9781541616295/
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In this episode, Anne Boleyn fails to produce a male heir (definitely NOT her fault) and loses her head while Henry does his best to enforce religious conformity. Spoiler alert: it's not going to work.
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Last time, King Henry VIII took England right up to the brink of separation from Rome in order to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. In today's episode, pressed by his advisors, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, Henry formally declares himself the head of the Church of England and marries his mistress.
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Sometimes in history, an unexpected event or emergency changes its course. In the late 1520s, Henry VIII, King of England, wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn. In normal times, this would not have been an issue. But it just so happened that at that exact same time the Pope was the prisoner of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who happened to be Catherine's nephew. And he was not about to let that happen. So Henry, with the help of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer, pushes England to the brink of reformation. Oh, and Thomas Wolsey, he gets kicked to the curb.
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In this episode, we take a step back and examine the origins of the English Reformation up to, roughly, 1522. Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey work to try and solve some of the problems facing the church while the intersection between civil and canon law eats away at the delicate balance between church and state.
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The Battle of Pavia left Francis I in Imperial custody, Henry VIII utterly jubilant, and Charles V hopeful but wary. While Francis stews in Italy and then Spain, Charles weds Isabella of Portugal to the delight of his Castilian subjects. Henry, however, begins to have major doubts about the validity of his own marriage as he falls deeply in love with Anne Boleyn.
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In this bonus episode, I sit down with Sean Connolly, author of "On Every Tide" a new history of Irish emigration. It is an amazing book that covers the story of the Irish diaspora from the oft-told stories of New York and Boston all the way to New South Wales. I highly recommend the book and you can pick up a copy here:
https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/sean-connolly/on-every-tide/9780465093960/#:~:text=In%20On%20Every%20Tide%2C%20Sean,%2C%20Australia%2C%20and%20New%20Zealand.
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While last week Charles V and Henry VIII slowly boxed Francis I in, this time the French King risks all on one more throw of the dice. And loses. The Battle of Pavia will see the French King become the prisoner of the Emperor, turning the tables upside down on the political life of pre-modern Europe.
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This week we really just focus on Francis I. The rise of Charles V left Francis out in the proverbial cold. Desperate to rekindle some kind of momentum, Francis provokes the Holy Roman Emperor and winds up in a fight to the death with both Charles and Henry VIII.
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In this episode, we begin following King Henry VIII, King Francis I, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V as the tumultuous 1520s unfold. Francis sees his stock fall after his failed attempt to become Holy Roman Emperor. Charles deals with unrest in Castile while also confronting Martin Luther. Henry finds himself courted by both men.
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Here's a quick bonus look at the kind of thing I am doing at Western Civ 2.0. This episode covers the rise of Corinth and Sparta and sets the stage for Greece leading up to the Persian Wars.
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In this episode, we follow all three of our major protagonists for the first time. Charles I of Spain tries to win the Imperial Election and become the next Holy Roman Emperor after the death of Maximilian I. Henry VIII continues his quest for an heir after the birth of Princess Mary. Meanwhile, Cardinal Wolsey attempts to negotiate an entente between Francis I and Henry while the former continues his efforts to thwart Charles in any way possible.
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Years before her pregnancy, Louise of Angouleme was given a prophecy. Not only would she have a son, but that son would go on to be the King of France. At the time the idea seemed fanciful. Charles VIII sat on the French throne she was married to a minor member of the royal extended family. But then the unexpected death and ascension of the childless Louis XII suddenly made it seem as if her dream might come true.
Today we introduce Francis I and follow the French King through his roughly first ten months of kingship as he battles for Milan at Marignano.
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Henry VIII begins his reign as king immediately provoking a war with France. Henry's accomplishments in France, however, fighting against Louis XII would prove not worth the cost. Meanwhile, now-Cardinal Wolsey pushes Henry to reconsider his continental ambitions. Wolsey's Pro-France attitude would ruffle a few English aristocratic feathers, but ultimately he got his way with the marriage of Princess Mary to the aging Louis XII.
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Henry VIII begins his reign as king immediately provoking a war with France. Henry's accomplishments in France, however, fighting against Louis XII would prove not worth the cost. Meanwhile, now-Cardinal Wolsey pushes Henry to reconsider his continental ambitions. Wolsey's Pro-France attitude would ruffle a few English aristocratic feathers, but ultimately he got his way with the marriage of Princess Mary to the aging Louis XII.
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In this episode, we explore Henry VIII's court broadly while considering the first few months of his reign. Henry quickly marries Katherine of Aragon in an effort to cement an alliance with King Ferdinand of Spain in the hope that the two would shortly declare war on France.
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In this episode, we explore Henry VIII's court broadly while considering the first few months of his reign. Henry quickly marries Katherine of Aragon in an effort to cement an alliance with King Ferdinand of Spain in the hope that the two would shortly declare war on France.
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Henry VII's reign reaches the end of the line. After finally cementing an alliance with the Hapsburgs, Henry finally succumbs to tuberculosis. Richard Fox and Thomas Wolsey then help a young Henry VIII succeed his father - the first peaceful succession in England for one hundred years. England was lucky. Henry VII's former finance ministers... not so much.
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King Henry VII decides he wants to play with the big boys on the continent while a freak storm finally delivers the Earl of Suffolk into his grasp.
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The deaths of Prince Arthur and Queen Elizabeth decisively change Henry VII's reign. With only the young Henry VIII between the earl of Suffolk and the throne, Henry VII becomes increasingly paranoid and preoccupied with protecting his dynasty. To do this to turn to a new financial counselor: Edmund Dudley.
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Henry VII comes into his own as the king of England. His efforts to make England a major power player are effective until his eldest son, Arthur, tragically dies.
Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field to become Henry VII. But he is immediately beset by various pretenders to the throne leading to the question: were the Wars of the Roses truly over?
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While Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin were leading the charge for reform, the Roman Catholic Church was not sitting idly by. Today we cover the Catholic response: re-entrench and slam the door. The Council of Trent reaffirms Catholic doctrine while the newly-minted Jesuits spread the Gospel through the schools. Then, we close out the episode with a look at the overall significance of the Reformation.
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John Calvin passes his final years still attempting to stitch together a Protestant alliance with Zurich and Germany. Simultaneously, he executes a Reformed Priest for failing to fall in line with his doctrine, earning him universal ire. Calvin's death in 1564 heralded the end of John Calvin and the true beginning of Calvinism.
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Now in complete control in Geneva, John Calvin sought to forge a Protestant alliance with first Strasbourg, then Saxony, and finally with Bullinger in Zurich. While dealing with foreign issues, within Geneva itself, things were getting rough. The situation in France had deteriorated for Protestants, leading thousands to flee. Many of these refugees found their way to Geneva. But the influx of hundreds of foreigners always causes issues and, in the case of Geneva in the Sixteenth Century, the issue was thorny and struck right at the heart of Calvin's church.
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In this episode, John Calvin makes his triumphant return to Geneva where he can all his plans into action. Here he will build his Godly society and found his famous "Consistory": designed to regulate human moral conduct. As you can imagine, it was controversial.
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John Calvin is famous for putting together the first concise and complete doctrine for Reformed Christianity. His Institutes of the Christian Religion laid out precisely what it meant to be Calvinist in a way that Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli never did - they both left that task to their successors.
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There are few issues that divide people in the United States like guns and gun ownership. The Second Amendment is normally cited as protecting citizens' right to bear arms of any kind. But is that what the Founding Fathers intended? In this history ramble, while I make attempt to decide this divisive issue for contemporary Americans, I look into the history of the Second Amendment. What did the Framers of the Constitution mean by "militia"? Then, I examine how the issue has changed historically over time to see if we still interpret the Second Amendment like our forebearers.
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Today we meet our final early reformer: John Calvin. Calvin was significantly younger than Luther or Zwingli and does not even begin his reformation efforts in Geneva until the latter had died. But John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion are probably more important in the long run than Luther or Zwingli. Calvin, unlike either of those two, took the time to create a completely reformed doctrine. In this first episode, we meet Calvin and discuss his early life.
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Last time, Zwingli rose to prominence in Zurich, creating his model for the perfect Reformed Christian community. For him, this was nothing less than the revelation of a prophecy foretold millennia earlier. The Swiss were to be the New Israelites and the Swiss Confederation a New Israel. And then, in shocking speed, it all came crashing down. Within less than a decade of his success in 1525, Zwingli would lay dead on the battlefield, a causality of his own aggression. Today Zwingli remains a bit of a mixed bag. A national hero in Switzerland, some still regard the reformer as "the ugly side" of the Reformation.
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Today I sit down with historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss his most recent work: "The Persians: Age of Kings". We talk about all your usual topics: Cyrus and Darius the Great, the Persian Wars and Xerxes, and, of course, Alexander the Great. All from the Persian perspective.
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Last time, we introduced Ulrich Zwingli and walked through his initial struggles with the Roman Church and his transition to Zurich. This time, we follow Zwingli as he changes the Zurich Church, creating arguably the most reformed church in Reformation Europe at the time.
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Time for another history ramble. (Pun intended.) Have you ever thought about the history of time? How did we, as a species, decide to divide the day? Why did we do that? What does our conception of time tell us about ourselves as a civilization? I answer all these questions and more in this topic-centered history ramble.
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Having finished with Martin Luther, we now shift our gaze to the Swiss Confederation, Zurich, and Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli is another of our early reformers. His efforts in Zurich took place around the same time as Luther though the men, while both opposed to Rome, did not see eye to eye on much else. Yet, like Luther, Zwingli began his career within the Roman Catholic Church. Today we begin his story.
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Today we finish with Martin Luther, the man credited with beginning the Reformation. Luther's final years are filled with increasingly angry battles with everyone from the Anabaptists to the Pope in Rome and, lastly, with Europe's Jewish population.
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While Martin Luther thought his reformation was about theology and humankind's relationship to God, many people felt it was about a great deal more. The peasants of Germany, for example, heard Luther's words and thought this meant the time was right for REAL change on earth, not in heaven, but here in Germany and right now. Luther sides with the princes during the rebellion and, in the midst of all the chaos, Martin Luther gets married. Check out the WEBSITE for more content. Become a PATRON today and support the show. Sources: Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet
Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, right? Nope. Mexican Independence is nearly four decades before the battle from which we get Cinco de Mayo. The true story is soooo much more delicious than just an independence day. The real Cinco de Mayo is about Napoleon III's bizarre attempt to put an Austrian Archduke on the throne of a new Mexican Empire. If you liked this episode, you will LOVE the book. But it HERE. Check out our website for more content.
In this bonus interview, I sit down with Jon Marshall and talk about his latest book: CLASH: Presidents and the Press in Times of Crisis. The book itself covers numerous United States Presidents all the way from John Adams to Donald Trump. Obviously the question of how the press treats each President and vice versa has been a hot topic of late, making Marshall's book extraordinarily topical and relevant. Pick up a copy of the book HERE. Check out our WEBSITE for more content. Want to support the show? Become a PATRON today and for two dollars per month get access to over fifty hours of bonus content with at least three more hours of bonus content per month.
I enjoy the narrative format we usually use but I wanted to do something different this time when covering a topic that is more thematic than chronological: the United States President and the Press. United States Presidents have famously, some infamously, fought with members of the press over the centuries. Today I ramble on a bit about three of those Presidents: John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and Woodrow Wilson, and talk about what this all means. If you enjoy the format, check out the PATRON feed where we do this much more often. Check out the WEBSITE for more content. Consider ordering CLASH by Jon Marshall for more information about the topic.
Andreas Karlstadt and Martin Luther began the Reformation as fast friends. Karlstadt and Luther faced off against Eck together in the Leipzig Debates. But over time the two slowly fell out over a variety of issues including the Eucharist. Karlstadt's relationship with Luther became emblematic as to how Luther's personality would impact the Reformation in his later years. Check out the WEBSITE for more content. Become a PATRON to support the show. Try a free trial of AUDIBLE and help to support the show.
Martin Luther's early Reformation built to one moment: the Diet of Worms. Held in the spring of 1521, the Diet of Worms offered Luther his first chance to lay out his faith before the Princes of Germany and the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. Before doing so, however, Luther wrote three crucial works that will define the early evangelical movement in Germany, the most important of which was On the Freedom of a Christian, which, theologically, is denser than his 95 Theses. For tons more content check out the website. Become a PATON to support the show and get over one hundred additional hours of content. Sources: Martin Luther: A Life Inspired The Freedom of a Christian Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
In this bonus episode, I sit down with author and historian Joan DeJean and discuss her new book: Mutinous Women. When we tell the story of the settlement of North America, so often we focus entirely on the Thirteen Original Colonies which will become the United States of America. But when I found out that the French hatched a scheme in the early Eighteenth Century to populate the Gulf Coast with French convicts, and women at that, I simply had to learn more. In her book, DeJean covers the insane miscarriage of justice that leads nearly two hundred women from Paris to the Gulf Coast where, above all odds, many of them not only thrive but found dynasties that continue to this day. To purchase the book, click HERE or just go literally wherever books are sold. Check out our WEBSITE for more content. Become a PATRON of the show and support Western Civ while getting over one hundred hours of bonus content.
The world changed forever on October 31, 1517. On that day a hitherto unknown monk named Martin Luther posted Ninety-Five Theses meant for debate. And oh would they be debated. The Ninety-Five Theses begin a period of western history known as the Reformation. But, as we shall see, a schism in the western church was not certain at this point, nor did anyone take Luther's criticisms too seriously. For more content check out our website HERE. To support the show and have access to over eighty hours of bonus content, check out our Patreon Page.
And at last, we have made it. I "began" the Reformation in January. It's April. And at last, we are at Martin Luther. You simply cannot discuss the Reformation and not begin with Martin Luther. While the Reformation is going to fracture fairly quickly, it begins with Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses. Today we start the story, learn about Luther's origins and family, and how his upbringing forged the man brave enough to challenge the might of the Roman Catholic Church. For more content, check out our WEBSITE. For bonus content and to support the show, consider becoming a Patron for as little as $1 per month.
In our final episode, before we (finally) get to Martin Luther, we cover the papacies of Julius II, the Warrior Pope, and Leo X, the Medici Pope. Check out the WEBSITE for more content. Become a PATRON and support the show. Sources: Julius II: The Warrior Pope The House of Medici
All good things must come to an end, as they say. And, for some, the Borgia Age was actually a good thing. Just not for the Catholic Church in general. In this episode, the deaths of Rodrigo Borgia and his son Cesare bring the "promise" of the Borgia Age to an unexpected end. Meanwhile, in Ferrara Lucrezia Borgia comes into her own outliving both her father and brother. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show.
Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia schemes to make his son Cesare the unrivaled master of Italy. Forming an alliance (and then unforming it before forming it again) with the French King Louis XII, Pope Alexander almost succeeds at making Cesare the duke of Naples and Romagna... almost. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show.
Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, had plans for his son Cesare. Big plans. Like, Roman Empire-sized plans. No joke on that one. In this episode, Cesare Borgia sets his sights on Romagna with the intention of creating a permanent Borgia empire in Italy. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show.
While Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, could have created a mystique in his own right, we know the Borgia family just as much for the children as the father. Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia would have made fascinating case studies in psychology then and they still do now. In this episode, the Borgias begin to make their name synonymous with ambition at any cost. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show.
Just like the last bonus episode I released, this is another episode off of my Patron's feed that I thought, in light of current events, was worth sharing with the larger audience. The history of Ukraine is complex and, decidedly, not synonymous with the history of Russia. In fact, many ethnic Ukrainians suffered greatly under Stalin and Moscow's iron grip. This is a condensed history of Ukraine that sets its unique history and story in perspective. Ukraine has always straddled east and west and I hope this short history explains that. If you are interested in more show content, you visit the website HERE. If you would like to support the show and have access to all our bonus content, check out our PATREON PAGE. Support the show for free by trying a free thirty-day trial of Audible.
In light of current events, I decided to release an interview I completed last year with Professor Serhii Plohky discussing his book: The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine. We talk about the early history of Kyiv, the Cossacks, the differences between ethnic Ukrainians and Russians, and even talked about what the future for Ukraine might be if Putin continued his aggressions, which, clearly, he has. Ukrainian history is complicated and, in this difficult time, it is important to remember its history is certainly not the same as Russia's history. If you are interested in the book you can buy a copy HERE. This is an example of the types of bonus author interviews available on my Patrons' Feed. If you are interested in supporting the show, check out the site HERE. Want to support the show for free? Try an Audible Free Trial and the show gets five bucks. Not bad.
Last time, Rodrigo Borgia climbed the ladder up the Papal Curia. In this episode, he outmaneuvers his opponents and manages to secure the unthinkable: the throne of St. Peter. Borgia takes the name Alexander VI and immediately begins setting forth his vision for a Borgia Italy. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show.
Decided to have fun with this one. Rather than do the same old author interview, I sit down with author Scott Rank and conduct my first ever Presidential Draft. We take turns each of us drafting a United States President and justifying our reasons. If you like United States History and certainly US Presidents. You will enjoy the show. Happy Presidents Day! Full Disclosure: The audio did not come out perfect on this one. Books by Scott Rank: History's 9 Most Insane Rulers The Age of Illumination: Science Technology and Reason in the Middle Ages Want to enjoy Audible for free and support the show? Click HERE for a free trial.
The Borgias is a name infamous for treachery, naked ambition, and depravity. But how did a relatively unknown Cardinal from Spain manage to will his way to becoming Pope Alexander VI? Today, we begin the story of the Borgia family and watch Rodrigo Borgia climb the ladder of the Curia, positioning himself for that final step. Sources: The Borgias: Power and Fortune The Borgias: The Hidden History The Borgias and Their Enemies Become a PATRON and support the show. Check out the WEBSITE for more content.
In this episode, we cover the first several Renaissance Popes. The Avignon Papacy did plenty of damage to the reputation of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. But, unfortunately, those Renaissance Popes who came afterward did not help the situation. Check out our website for more: www.westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this bonus episode, I sit down with Jason Voiovich and talk about his most recent book: "Marketer in Chief". In this unique American history, Jason explains how each United States President sold the idea of America. We talk about Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Buy the book here: Consider supporting the show by becoming a Patron at www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Realizing that I have referenced "Christendom" and "Europe" interchangeably for a bit, I figured I needed to correct any misunderstandings. So in this "half" episode, I walk through what Christendom was the main factors that brought it down: the Renaissance, the Reformation, growing nationalism, economic disruptions, and the discovery of the New World. Check out www.westerncivpodcast.com for more.
Beginning in the early Fourteenth Century, the Papacy went through a period of protracted exile from Rome. The Popes changed the seat of the Papal Government to Avignon, on the Rhone River in modern-day France. This period of exile coincided with the further decline and secularization of the Roman Catholic Church in ways that would hurt the overall reputation of the church in the decades to come. For more, check out our website at: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show at: patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Sources: Avignon and Its Papacy The Avignon Papacy Contested The Avignon Papacy and the Crusades The Church of the West and the Middle Ages
Here's a super quick review of about one thousand years of church history. This will take us up to the tragic years of the Avignon Papacy. Check out more at our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Sources: The Medieval Church Going to Church in Medieval England Medieval Christianity A History of the Church in the Middle Ages
I sit down with Virginia Postrel and talk about her new book: "The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made The World". We discuss how the development of textiles has often been overlooked in historical study and why that is such a crucial mistake. Buy the book here: The Fabric of Civilization Become a Patron of the show here: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today we examine the ways in which Roman Catholicism impacted the lives of everyday European in the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance period to better understand the impact that the Reformation will have on normal early modern Europeans. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Interested in learning more about the Middle Ages? Check out the following excellent work by Dan Jones: Powers and Thrones
In this bonus episode, I sit down with historian Jeremy Popkin and talk about his latest book: "A New World Begins". In this exhaustive and excellent history of the French Revolution, you get a complete sense of just how complicated was this all-important event in world history. You can purchase the book here: A New World Begins
I have a bonus preview of one of my Patron Deep-Dives this week: It's All Greek To Me. This is a several-hour-long look at the Greek civilization and Greek cultural influences on the world at large. In this part, I take the Hellenes from Minoan Domination through the Persian Wars. To check out the entire thing, consider becoming a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast and for $2 per month support the show. Buy the Book: The Greeks
Here is a sneak peek of some of what goes on in our Patron's feed, available for $2 per month at patreon.com/westerncivdpodcast This is the first of four episodes detailing the lives of two of history's most important women: Cleopatra of Egypt and Eleanor of Aquitaine. In total, this four-part series covers their lives and the tumultuous times in which they lived in around six hours of total content. This is episode one of four. Check out more at westerncivpodcast.com or patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today I sit down with Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman and talk about their most recent book: Hitler's American Gamble. It is an hour-by-hour breakdown of one of most the crucial thirty-six-hour periods in world history. Enjoyed the interview? You'll love the book, check it out here: Hitler's American Gamble Enjoy the show? Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpocast
Today I sit down with scholar Roderick Denton to discuss his new book: The Greeks. The book is available now at all the usual places, but if you buy it HERE you get the same book for the same price AND the show gets a kickback. The book covers everything from Mycenae to the more recent economic collapse in Greece during the early 2000s. In the interest of time, we focused our interview on the period of Greek history from Mycenae to the death of Constantine the Great in 337 CE. Interested in more? Check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com or become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today I sit down with renowned expert Michael Foley as we talk all things Johnny Cash in his new book: Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash. This was definitely something different from me but who doesn't love a little "Ring of Fire" now and again? Buy the book HERE
Pilgrims, turkey, and United States Presidents. What do these three things have in common? Thanksgiving. Interested to know more? Listen to find out the real history behind Thanksgiving. Become a Patron and help to support the show and get bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
It has been a bit since we've done one of these but I wanted to step back and cover broadly everything we have covered in the last six months or more. We'll go over Henry the Navigator, Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, and more. Check out the website for more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for more content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today I sit down with historian and author Jay Cost and talk about his new book: James Madison: America's First Politician. Madison to me tends to be the forgotten Founding Father - at least since the epic revitalization of interest into Hamilton. But, as we talk about in this interview, Madison is so much more than just the "Father of the Constitution", as if that were not enough. You can get the book HERE
Ponce de Leon and the fountain of youth... right? Not so much. Today we discuss the historical reality of Juan Ponce de Leon, which has nothing to do with fountains and much to do with Florida. Check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Tis the season of bonus author interviews on Western Civ! This time, I sit down with Andrew Petegree and Arthur Der Weduwen to talk about a subject near and dear to us all: books. Specifically, the library. Their new book: The Library: A Fragile History, covers the history of the library from the Great Library of Alexandria all the way to our modern children's section. Buy the book HERE
Without Magellan, the remaining three ships still must find a way to get to the Spice Islands and back to Spain if they are to complete their mission. Under normal circumstances, this would be difficult, but a storm, a betrayal, and an angry Portuguese fleet make the prospect even more difficult. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for bonus content and to support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today I sit down with scholar Peniel Joseph and talk about his latest book, The Sword and the Shield, a new history of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. Buy the book HERE To check out bonus podcast content, consider becoming a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Now that Magellan has passed through the Dragon's Tail, he still has to cross the Pacific Ocean, which proves to be much larger than anyone in Europe believed. Arriving in the Philippines, Magellan's early success goes to his head and he begins to believe God will not allow him to lose. He puts this theory to the test on the island of Mactan. Check out our website for more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcst
Today I sit down with author Paul Lockhart and discuss his latest book: Firepower: How Weapons Shaped Warfare. It is a brilliant book that covers the evolution of warfare from pikes and longbows to heavy bombers and tanks. You can purchase the book HERE For my own abbreviated coverage of parts of the work check out our members feed at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Magellan had made it through several mutinies. But he had yet to defeat his most intractable foe: the strait. But where was this mysterious strait around South America? To find it, Magellan would need to pass through the Dragon's Tail. Find more content at westerncivpodcast.com. Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
I sit down for an interview with historian and author Edward Shawcross to discuss his new book, The Last Emperor of Mexico. Did you know that in the 1860's Emperor Napoleon III of France tried to put an Austrian Archduke on the throne of Mexico? Did you know this is where we get the origin of Cinco de Mayo? Find out all this and more here and BUY THE BOOK. Check out more about the show at westerncivpodcast.com
While many different explorers discovered new lands, only Magellan tried to circumnavigate the globe. In our first of three Magellan episodes, we discuss not only how the voyage began but the various reasons it almost did not. Check out westerncivpodcast.com for more episodes! Become a Patron for exclusive bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
A short bonus episode covering the, totally gross, life at sea during the early Age of Discovery. Hygiene? Not much. Stench? You got it! Check out westerncivpodcast.com for more! Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast and for only $2 per month support the show and gain access to over fifty hours of bonus content and growing!
*** NOTE: I changed the order of the episodes, so this is the correct episode 173. While Spain and Portugal were sailing the southern seas, England took a chance on a different explorer promising to find a northern route to Asia. We know little even today about the voyages of John Cabot (Anglified version) but what we do know offers a tantalizing view of early exploration in the northern Atlantic. Check out westerncivpodcast.com! Become a patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco da Gama returns to India one last time. Portugal builds an empire in the Indian Ocean but before long its glory fades like the setting sun. Check out more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco da Gama's voyages to India revolutionize the Portuguese Overseas Empire. By the end of his second voyage to India, Portugal (and Europe) has effectively replaced the Muslim trading cities of Arabia and Egypt as the dominant force in the Indian Ocean. For more content, check out westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco da Gama returns to India intent upon enforcing Portuguese authority and will. This requires him to deal with the Zamorin and Calicut. And he decides there is only one way to do that... violence. Check out the website for more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco da Gama gives up on Calicut and sails for Portugal. News of his successful voyage infuriates the Spanish and Venetians in equal parts. Before long, Vasco da Gama finds himself once more forced into service. Check out more episodes at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for more content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco da Gama reaches India but quickly finds out that it is not the paradise he expected. Faced with the intractable Zamorin of Calicut, eventually, de Gama realizes he has to resort to force to deliver the spices he so badly must. Check out our website for more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for more content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco de Gama rounds the Cape of Good Hope and moves up the Eastern Coast of Africa - a first for Europeans. The Age of Exploration hits several new firsts as, among other things, Christians and Muslims come to blows on the waves of the Indian Ocean for the first time in recorded history. For more, check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Or, become a Patron and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Vasco de Gama eventually became famous as the first European explorer to sail into the Indian Ocean. But, in reality, his selection for the job was a surprise to everyone at the time. In this episode, we cover the basics of the man and the beginnings of his first voyage. Check out the website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today to support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today we begin our Vasco de Gama story arc. Vasco de Gama did what Columbus could not: he found a sea route to India. But, In this episode, we explore how it was SO much more than a commercial endeavor. It was a crusade. Check out more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron for bonus content at pateon.com/westerncivpodcast
Columbus's voyaging comes to end marooned in Jamaica. He makes it back to Spain, but... where did his body end up? Check out our website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for hours of additional content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Columbus returns to Spain in chains only to have his fortunes reverse once more and set sail on his third voyage. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show for only $1.00 per month. For $2.00 per month gain access to over 20 hours (and always increasing) of bonus content.
Christopher Columbus's shaky hold on Hispaniola finally breaks apart. Now, with India still nowhere to be found and with ever-dwindling supplies of gold, Columbus has to deal with a revolt by the very mayor of Santo Domingo. Check out our website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Columbus's efforts to capitalize on the New World quickly turns exploitive, disgusting Las Casas. When an Inquisitor from Spain arrives to investigate his conduct, Columbus finds he has no choice but to return to Spain and defend himself. Check out our website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for more content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Columbus crosses the Atlantic Ocean a second time, this time intent upon founding a series of colonies to build the wealth of Spain (and himself) in the New World. He quickly determines that is much more difficult than it seems. Check out our website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show plus gets tons of bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
After a shipwreck destroys the Santa Maria, Columbus must somehow figure out how to get back to Spain with only two ships remaining. Check out more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Well, we made it. In this episode the Northern and Southern Americas enter our story as Columbus lands in the Bahamas, changing the world forever. Check out westerncivpodcast.com for more content. Become a Patron at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast.com for hours of bonus content.
Christopher Columbus. The name itself conjures up so many different images. But how much of this son of Genoa do you really know? When the Spanish monarchs agreed to send three caravels across the Atlantic, did they have any idea what they had begun? We begin to answer all those questions and more here in this first part of our Columbus narrative. Check out more at westerncivpodcast.com
There is perhaps no person who is less known today but more important to the Age of Discovery than Henry the Navigator. In thirty years he took an un-sailable ocean and turned it into a thoroughfare. His exploits gave Portugal unfettered access to the Western Coast of Africa and, sadly, brought Europe firmly into the slave trade. For more episodes check out westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today. For $2 per month, you can have access to over twenty hours of bonus content. Visit patreon.com/westerncivpodcast to learn more.
A quick preview of my second installment to our Atlantis series: The Search For Atlantis: What We Know. In this episode, we cover Plato's dialogues and the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean. For those interested in purchasing the full episode, it is available for $.99 at westerncivpodcast.com or free to all Patrons at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast. For only $2 per month, become a Patron and enjoy access to over 50 bonus episodes.
A quick preview of my Russian Revolution deep-dive for those who cannot wait for the podcast to get there (in approximately 2045). Check it out at: westerncivpodcast.com or for Patrons at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today I sit down with Professor Sean McMeekin and discuss his latest book: The Russian Revolution. In this excellent and fast-paced work, McMeekin studiously details the revolution, explaining what it was, debunking what it was not. Purchase a copy HERE. Become a patron and hear the entire bonus episode HERE.
In this overview episode, I cover the Reconquista through three broad lenses: military, financial, and liturgical. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for more content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
After the Battle of Las Navas, the Christian Kingdoms of Spain drive out what remains of the caliphate until only the rump state of Grenada survives. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Continuing where we left off, in this episode, we cover the transition of the Reconquista from small-scale raids to full-blown crusades. As the Almoravid Caliphate collapses the Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon begin pushing south with purpose. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and for only $2 per month get access to ALL our bonus episodes and more! Check it out at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
This time we begin our series covering the Reconquista. The Reconquista was the long and sometimes confusing process whereby the small Christian Kingdoms of Northern Spain slowly wrested control of the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslim caliphates that ruled it after defeating the Visigoths in 722 CE. In this episode, we cover the beginning of the struggle up to the pivotal 11th Century. Check out our website for more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today to support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
A quick bonus preview of our "History of Western Thought" series. In Part Four, we cover early Catholic thought between St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. Check out the full episode at our website: westerncivpodcast.com Or, become a Patron today and get access to all our bonus materials plus support the show for as little as $1.00 per month. www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
An interview with author and translator Robin Waterfield whose new translation of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius became available on April 9. Buy a copy of the book HERE. For those interested in stoicism, check out our bonus episode on the History of Western Thought at westerncivpodcast.com. Or become a Patron today to get all our bonus episodes at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
A quick bonus look at my recently-recorded Shakespeare murder mystery novel: If It Were Done. To purchase the full audiobook, check out our website westerncivpodcast.com Or, become a Patron today for access to ALL our bonus episodes, audiobooks, and early episodes at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Richard III murders his nephews and seizes power. Yet, before he gets too comfortable, Henry Tudor crosses the Channel and the final War of the Roses begins. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today to support the show and for tons of bonus content: patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
After the Battle of Towton, Edward IV became the first Yorkist King of England. But, the Wars of the Roses know no boundaries and soon Edward found the crown easier to win than hold. Check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
York takes over with Henry VI in tow. But, how long can he keep the masses happy as the power behind the throne? Check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
St. Patrick's Day today is synonymous with drinking, the color green, and parades. But, it was not always that way. Learn about how the holiday developed and, over time, became a way for the Irish diaspora to celebrate their heritage. Become a Patron today at Patreon.com/westerncivpodcast for bonus episodes and full-length audiobooks.
As the 1440's come to a close, those around Henry VI begin to come to terms with his ineptitude. First, the Duke of Suffolk and then the Duke of Somerset tries to control the government from behind the scenes. Both lose their heads. Ultimately, one man steps into power: Richard, Duke of York. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for as little as $1.00 per month at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
We begin our Wars of the Roses story arc by looking at the death of Henry V and the minority of his son, Henry VI. The Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester vie for power as England desperately tries to stabilize the situation in France. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for tons of bonus content plus every episode early at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today we catch up on early modern France after the Hundred Years' War. Then we do a quick run through the medieval Low Countries, Scandinavia, and Ireland to catch everyone up to 1492. Check out our website for images and more: westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today and support the show for as little as $1 per month at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this episode, we cover the Rus as they do battle with the Mongol's Golden Horde and medieval Russia begins to emerge around Moscow. Then, we turn back to the Holy Roman Empire for the first time since 1250 and see how developments within the empire lead to economic growth but also political decentralization. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! For only $2.00 per month, you'll get access to over six hours of new content with new bonus content monthly.
Valentine's Day has not always been all flowers and heart-shaped cards. Our eighth most popular holiday today, St. Valentine's Day is the product of a combination of ancient, medieval, and Victorian traditions, not all of which are pleasant or even relate to love. In this bonus episode, we cover the history of the holiday.
Leonardo da Vinci. Everyone knows the name. But how much do you really know about the great man? The Mona Lisa? Sure. The Last Supper? Of course. But, Lady with Ermine? Probably not. Groundbreaking medical discoveries? Nope. In this mega-episode, we cover all this and more. Check out Walter Isaacson's amazing book HERE. Become a Patron today! Check out our website!
Today we wheel east and bring our narrative up to date for several regions we have not discussed in some time: Bohemia, Hungary, the Balkans, and Poland. We cover the early modern/renaissance history of each region. Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this bonus episode, we do cover the basics of Renaissance painting, sculpture, writing, and architecture. I highly recommend looking at the images on our website, westerncivpodcast.com, while listening so you can follow along. Become a Patron today and support the show for $1 per month at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In our last look at the Italian Renaissance, we turn to Florence and the Medici, the name that is almost synonymous with the Renaissance. Check out our website for the images referenced in the show: westerncivpodcast@gmail.com Want more content? Become a patron today for as little as $1 per month at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this episode, we turn to Milan and its contributions to the Renaissance as well as doing a quick overview of the city's history during this early-modern period. Then, we shift south to Rome and catch up with the Papacy as well as reviewing the history of the Sistine Chapel. Check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com Support the podcast now on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast?fan_landing=true
Inspired by my interview with Historian Robin Lane Fox, I put together a brief overview of Classical Greek medical thought and practice. If you want much more information, check out Robin's book here: https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/robin-lane-fox/the-invention-of-medicine/9780465093458/ Become a patron today at: patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Check out our website at: westerncivpodcast.com
In our first Renaissance episode, we cover the traditional "Fathers" of the Renaissance: Petrarch and Boccaccio. We discuss Humanism. Then, finally, we end with an examination of early-modern Venice. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram (@westerncivpodcast) and on our website: westerncivpodcast.com for the most up to date information and bonus content.
In this very quick supplemental, we take a short tour of Europe around the year 1450 (well, really 1453). There is a map posted on the website, westerncivpodcast.com, for those interested in following along. Then, next time, we start the Italian Renaissance! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @westerncivpodcast.
A bonus episode covering the history of the western world's most popular holiday. From Santa Claus to December 25 and the origins of the Christmas tree, we cover it all. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today to support the show and for hours of bonus content: patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
The entire "Alexander Redux" series is complete and now available for purchase at the website: westerncivpodcast.com. For only two dollars you get four hours of audio content. Enjoy a free preview here! As always, the content is free to my patrons. To become a patron for as little as one dollar per month check out patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
The battle for Constantinople comes to a head. Mehmet and Constantine fight for the future of Europe outside the great Theodosian Walls. Nearly sixty days of siege come down to five short hours. Giustiniani suffers a severe injury that sidelines him at the last moment, just when he was needed the most. When the sun set over Constantinople on May 28, 1453, it would set over the greatest city in Christendom for the last time.
Now months into the siege, Mehmet and Constantine trade blows to determine the fate of Constantinople. Mehmet launches several new attacks, which the Byzantines hold off, but just barely. Then, with his army becoming increasingly disgruntled, Mehmet settles on one last attack.
The lost city of Atlantis. Is there any more romantic archeological find remaining? Is it real? Or, does Atlantis continue to reside merely in Plato's imagination? In a three-part series, I take a look and answer those questions and more. Full episode available at: westerncivpodcast.com patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
The battle for Constantinople continues as Constantine and Mehmet punch and counter-punch before the Theodosian Walls. This time, the battle extends to the Golden Horn for the first time as both sides look to the sea to score a key victory.
Today, on Veterans Day, we take a look at why we celebrate veterans when we do and how the holiday developed. And do not forget to thank any veterans you see today and every day! More at westerncivpodcast.com
Bonus episode! A sneak peek inside my new deep-dive series: Alexander Redux! In this ten-part series, we look at the lives of two of the most important people in western history: Philip of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. Each episode is available to patrons at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast and for fifty cents each at westerncivpodcast.com. In part five we follow Alexander as he finally encounters Darius at the Battle of Issus.
Today's bonus episode is a very scary (not really) history of the third most popular holiday in America: Halloween. From Jack-o-Lanterns to Trick-or-Treat, our modern holiday of Halloween owes more to our ancient Celtic roots than anything in American history. Check out more at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast for more content!
Last time, we reviewed the Theodosian Land Walls and covered the opening moves made by Constantine XI and Mehmet II upon the latter's ascension to power in 1451. Now, we get into the gritty world of medieval cannons and how those were going to change the game completely as the siege of Constantinople truly begins. Don't forget to check out our website, westerncivpodcast.com, for extra content!
A conversation with Adrian Goldsworthy about his latest book: Philip and Alexander is available HERE. We talk all things Greek and Macedonian. Tons on Alexander the Great and his father, Philip. Plus, a little fun on a historical what-if between Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. Check out our new (Goldsworthy-inspired) episodes on Alexander the Great at westerncivpodcast.com Available for free for patrons at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Constantine XI and Mehmet II make their opening moves for the battle for Constantinople. Constantine begs for aid, which is slow to come from a medieval Europe inching ever closer to modernity. Mehmet is more proactive, constructing a massive new fort only six miles north of Constantinople itself. But, in the end, let's face it, this is all window dressing. The true conflict will be decided at the Theodosian Walls, which we here review.
This is a bonus preview of the complete episode I did on the history of western thought covering Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. These three Greek thinkers form the cornerstone of western philosophy in many ways until this very day. The entire episode, which clocks in in just under two hours is available for purchase at our website: westerncivpodcast.com. Of course, the entire episode is available for free for Patrons. Become a Patron today for loads of bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this episode, we get the other half of the story. This time from the perspective of the Ottomans, occasionally known to history as the Turks. We cover Ottoman history from roughly the time the Ottomans became a state until the rise of Mehmet II in 1451.
In a new Patrons-only (also available for purchase at the website) series, I am covering the history of western civilization but from the perspective of thought and philosophy. This first deep dive episode covers western thought from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to the early Greek thinkers that predate Socrates. The full hour and fifteen-minute long episode is available at westerncivpodcast.com And, this plus all the episodes, are available to Patrons at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast for only $2 per month! Plus, it supports the show.
This time, we bring ourselves up to speed on Byzantium before we take that final plunge towards its final demise. This episode covers late medieval Byzantine history from roughly the Fourth Crusade until 1450.
A quick reap of the Hundred Years War including my analysis of why we should all DEFINITELY study this incredible conflict that straddles the line between medieval and early modern European history. If you enjoy this episode, check out all our other, much more detailed, episodes on the intricacies of the war.
After the death of Bedford, things begin to unravel quickly for English interests in France. Gunpowder has now replaced the longbow as the preeminent weapon on the field and Charles VII takes full advantage. By the end of 1453, the English have been driven from all but Calais, effectively ending the Hundred Years War.
Led by Bedford, the English in France attempt to snuff out the remaining resistance under the Dauphin. Suddenly, an unexpected challenge rides to the future French King's rescue: a young peasant girl that history will come to know as Joan of Arc. Together, Joan and Charles VII push back the English as Bedford struggles to hold Lancastrian France together as the Hundred Years War reaches its final stages.
A quick announcement regarding some ways to engage with and support the show. Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram! @westerncivpodcast Two Free ebooks available: If It were Done: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084RMNPF9 Star Crossed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FH86LJH Western Civ is now on Patreon! Consider supporting us at: https://www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Henry V returns to England after his victory at Agincourt to a jubilant population. Parliament quickly votes the king the money to continue the war and now Henry joins forces with the Duke of Burgundy to fight the Dauphin. Henry's early death in 1422 denies him the right to rule both kingdoms, but his son, Henry VI becomes King of both England and France that same year. In the years after the death of Henry VI, a fractured France allows John, Duke of Bedford to nearly complete the Lancastrian conquest of the realm.
The Hundred Years War continues in this episode as Charles VI descends into madness, France into a quasi-civil war, and Henry IV deals with issues at home, granting France a brief reprieve. That reprieve then comes to a crashing end then as Henry V takes the helm at the Battle of Agincourt.
All good things must come to an end. In this episode, we are back in late Medieval England as the two-hundred-year reign of the Plantagenets finally comes crashing down. Henry Bolingbroke sizes the throne from Richard II and the House of Lancaster rules England.
After Poitiers, Edward III, and his son, the Black Prince were flying high. They had the French King, John II, in captivity, and France was in turmoil. But, the fortunes of the Hundred Years War are fickle. This time, we follow Charles V, the new French King, as he rolls back English gains. Then, after the deaths of the Black Prince and Edward III, Richard II takes the throne and faces the Peasants Revolt of 1381.
I have fifty copies of my novel, If It Were Done, free to give away on Audible. Please send me an email at westerncivpodcast@gmail.com for the promo code if interested. Or go to the website, westerncivpodcast.com. If you are not a member of Audible and are thinking about joining, here is a link you can use to access Audible and help out the show:https://www.audible.com/pd/B089MYT9H3/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-199604&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_199604_rh_us
In this episode, we pick up the Hundred Years War where we left off after the English victory at Crecy. Now, Edward III and his son, Edward the Black Prince, press the English forces once more into France, resulting in the English victory at Poitiers.
In this bonus episode, we take a quick look at how the Black Death altered medieval European medical practices, including changes in medical education, practice, hospitals, and the development of the public health system.
Three quick announcements: A new website coming! New (Totally Free) Book Available Call for Educational Experiences Related to the Hundred Years War
In this episode, I provide a complete recap of the Black Plague story arc from beginning to end in a highly condensed format. This episode covers the scientific nature of Yersinia Pestis, the spread of the Black Death through Europe in the mid Fourteenth Century, and the consequences of the plague, both long and short term.
In this episode we examine in more detail the short and long-term consequences of the plague. The Black Death has been credited with bringing about the end of the Middle Ages, which, as we will see, is both true and false. Here are the links to my books available for purchase on Amazon: The Agency: Crisis at Kadesh The Agency: A Whole New Kind of Marathon If It Were Done: A Shakespeare Mystery Series Novel As always, I appreciate the support.
In this bonus episode we look at games, sports and tournaments in the Middle Ages. Check my newest historical fiction novel on Alexander the Great: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087PJ5S9N
In this episode we finish our historical story arc for the Black Death. Last time, we watched as the first cycle of plague died out on the Russian Steppe. But, this time we cover the Flagellants - one of the most memorable groups to come out of the plague. For all their hilarity though, the Flagellants remain an example of militant anti-semitism and apoplectic overreaction that we would do well to remember today. If you have not, please check out my historical fiction novel: The Agency: Crisis at Kadesh here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0859LCJ4M
Today we take a look at food, cooking, and baking in the Middle Ages. We are going to focus on England and France because the types of food available would have varied so much by region that it would be impossible to give an effective overview if we did all of Europe. We will cover Medieval foods commonly eaten, the banquet, cooking techniques, and I even try my hand at a few Medieval European recipes.
In this episode, we continue to follow the Black Death as it ravages medieval Europe. In 1348 the Black Plague hits London and devastates its population. From their the plague moves to Scotland and Ireland, Scandinavia, and Central Europe, before dying out somewhere in the wilds of the Russian steppe. If you have not, don't forget to check out, The Agency: Crisis at Kadesh, a young adult historical fiction novel about Ancient Egypt. Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0859LCJ4M
While we all shelter in place, I thought I would put out a few fun supplemental episodes on cultural topics that I have not been able to fit into the narrative. This first episode in the series looks at the mechanics of cathedral building: finances, plans, workers, and the basic structure. If there are other cultural topics you want immediate episodes on, email me at westerncivpodcast@gmail.com.
We return to the plague narrative proper in this episode. Edward III sits victorious upon the medieval English throne fresh from victories in France. However, the Black Death cares not for kings or victories and marches towards England in the summer in 1348. In England, we get some of our best statistics for the plague due to the English tendency towards record-keeping. If you are interested in another free ebook, check out the second installment of The Agency here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085NDFT49
We back the narrative up a little bit this time to catch up with England and France before continuing with the Black Death. In this episode, Edward III becomes King of England in his own right and the Hundred Years War begins. We explore the Battle of Crećy as well as the King's son, also a rising start: Edward the Black Prince. Finally, we look at how the longbow revolutionized combat in the Late Middle Ages. For those interested, I have included the link to my first Young Adult Historical Fiction Novel, The Agency: Crisis at Kadesh, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0859LCJ4M It will be available free of charge in ebook form from March 13-15.
We continue tracking the Black Death as it moves from Italy to France in this episode. First we follow the plague to Marseilles and see our first anti-semitic response to the mounting death toll. Then the plague chases the Pope out of Avignon. Finally, we follow the plague across the medieval French countryside before it descends on Paris.
In this episode, we continue our Black Death narrative. Last time we considered the impact of the plague on medieval Genoa and Venice. This time we turn to Florence, Siena, and Rome. From Florence we get our greatest plague chronicler: Giovanni Boccaccio.
In this episode, we follow the Black Death as it moves from Sicily to Italy - striking the Italian cities of Genoa and Venice.
We resume our narrative proper and take up the story of the Black Death in this episode. Now, the Black Death finally arrives in Europe in 1347 via, according to some truth and a lot of legend, the Genoese traders of Caffa on the Black Sea.
In this final introductory episode to the Black Death, we consider the ecological factors that made Europe especially susceptible to plague in the Fourteenth Century.
In this episode, we begin our Black Death narrative arc with a look at the plague itself. We will cover what causes the plague and what made the Black Death so destructive in Medieval Europe.
In this supplemental episode, we take a whirlwind tour of Europe at roughly the year 1350, when the plague will begin to hit Europe. We cover quickly which kingdoms were where and who was rising or declining. Then, we take stock of the huge period of history we have covered since the fall of the Western Roman Empire before moving on to the Late Middle Ages.
In this episode we follow the hapless reign of King Edward II of England. King Edward would find himself dominated by one court favorite after another starting with the infamous Piers Gaveston until finally he is simply removed from power in favor of his son, Edward III. In France, things are no better. The death of of Philip IV would led to three kings in the better part of two decades with no producing male heirs. This will lead to our first encounter with the so-called, Salic Law, which will ultimately plunge England and France into the Hundred Years War.
In this episode we continue our look at the High Medieval period in France and England. When we last left off, the deaths of two Kings, Henry II in England and Louis IX in France, left new kings in power. In this episode we will watch as Philip of France and Edward I of England led their kingdoms increasing toward nationhood.
As the title suggests, we are heading back to western Europe for this episode. When we last left England, King John had died in the midst of a civil war. Now, the young Henry III was King of England. In this episode we follow his turbulent reign as England moves from the brink of civil war, to civil war, and back again. Meanwhile, in France, the death of Philip II will, ultimately, bring Louis IX to power. We have already met Louis during our episodes on the crusade but will get deeper into his reign during this episode.
In this episode we head back to 1204 and pick up the narrative of the Byzantine Empire after the sack of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade. The sack of Constantinople leads to a crusader/Venetian coalition in charge of what had once been the greatest Christian city in the world. True to their style, the crusaders waste no time in fighting amongst themselves. Meanwhile, in Nicaea and Epiros, two rival successor states to the Byzantines work to restore all that remains.
In this episode we see the Mamluks bring the crusader states to their final end and the end of the crusading epoch in Europe. Then, I do my level best to break down the importance of the crusades to European history and Western Civ.
In this episode we conclude our brief Mongol storyline. We cover how the Mongol Empire transitions from one global empire to several, massive nation-states. We will also see how the Mongols successfully transition from warriors to managers. Finally, we will begin to discuss the Mongol Peace (Pax Mongolica) and how that will usher the Black Death to Europe.
In this episode, the newly titled, Genghis Khan, sees the Mongol horde explode out of the steppe against China. Then, a chance event leads the Mongols to seek out new plunder from the Middle East as a caravan raid gone bad changes world history. Then, when Genghis Khan dies, a disputed succession leaves the lovable, but drunk, Ogedei Khan in control and badly in need of new conquests. The only question is, which direction should the horde go?
For the first time on this podcast, we really leave Europe and the Near East. Genghis Khan has had a greater impact on the world than perhaps any other person in world history. His impact and the impact of the Mongol conquests are undeniable. So, in this episode we begin to look at the man who would become Genghis Khan and his rise to power. Multiple people had emailed about resources that I use for the podcast. So I am going to start listing the major sources here for those who want more information. I highly recommend them all. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Jack Weatherford. The Secret History of the Mongols. Translation. Multiple Versions Available. The Mongol Empire. Michael Prawdin. The History of the Mongol Conquests. John Joseph Saunders.
This episode covers the crusade of King Louis IX of France which started out with a lot of promise and ends... well, I guess the title kind of gives this one away. This is our last episode before we take a HUGE divergence from the narrative to introduce the Mongols because of the massive impact they will have on our narrative.
This episode covers the second half of Frederick II's reign as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Southern Italy, and King of Sicily. I try to answer the question: why is Frederick II considered to be one of Europe's greatest Medieval Monarchs?
This episode covers roughly the first half of Frederick II's reign from his regency through his crusade to recover Jerusalem. We will also discuss Cardinal Pelagius and his pathetic efforts to invade Egypt.
In this episode we cover the Norman conquests of Southern Italy and Sicily between roughly 1025 and 1100. A series of brothers from the house Hauteville in Normandy personally begin the expansion as the demand for mercenaries spikes in Apulia. The conquest proceeds apace until finally Sicily and Southern Italy are united under Roger II.
In this episode we follow the reigns of King Richard I and King John as they battle to maintain their Plantagenent Empire against King Philip of France. We will see King Richard die after foolishly failing to wear armor one April evening. We will see King John battle the French King and his own nobles before eventually signing the Magna Carta. And we will see the final collapse of the Plantagenet Empire as England and France begin to form into nation states.
This episode covers the disaster that was the Fourth Crusade. Pope Innocent III will try and reinvigorate crusading and wind up sacking one of the most Christian cities in the world. Then we will take a quick look at life in the Near East between the Third and Fifth Crusades.
In this episode we take a look at the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries from the Byzantine perspective. We will go from the death of Basil II through the beginning of the Fourth Crusade. These centuries give us our last look at Byzantium as an "Empire". We will also cover some of the major political and economic changes that will dictate Byzantine history in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries.
In this episode we wrap-up the Third Crusade. Richard the Lionheart will battle Saladin to very end for Jerusalem. We will see how Richard's misunderstandings about how a crusade could be run ultimately undermine the Third Crusade.
Richard the Lionheart, King of England and the Angevin Empire, arrived in the Holy Land in June, 1191. When he arrived he found the crusaders already battering the walls of Acre surrounded on the other side by Saladin's army. The fight for Acre would prove to be Richard's first real test in the Holy Land. But it would not prove to be his last. Yet, with Richard's arrival the Third Crusade could truly and fully begin.
In this episode we set the stage for the Third Crusade. Frederick Barbarossa will make an overland march to Asia Minor while Richard I and Philip Augustus use naval transportation for the first time en masse to start a crusade. Meanwhile, back in the Near East Saladin pressed to capture Tyre and destroy the remaining crusader outposts.
In this episode we follow the career and reign of the ruler widely considered to be Germany's greatest medieval Monarch: Frederick Barbarossa. In total Frederick will conduct six Italian campaigns, battle a Pope, and rework Germany's economy. And all this before he leaves for the Third Crusade with the likes of Richard the Lionheart and Philip of France to take on Saladin.
In this episode Saladin cements his hold over the Near East by subduing Damascus, Aleppo, and Mosul. Then he turns his attention to the Crusader State: the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the death of King Amalric in his early thirties results a child succeeding to the throne in Jerusalem. The young Baldwin IV would live a tragic life and suffer from leprosy throughout his short reign. His death would then lead directly to the devastating crusader defeat at the Horns of Hattin and the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Saladin would emerge from these decades as the undisputed ruler of the Near East.
In this episode we turn back to the Near East as the fortunes of the Crusader States continue to fall. Nur al-Din presses his empire further and further into the declining Latin Kingdoms while both Nur al-Din and the Kingdom of Jerusalem fight over the future of Fatimid Egypt. Finally, at the end of the episode a new man rises to power: Saladin.
When we last left off, Henry of Normandy and Aquitaine had just become King Henry II of England. Now, in this episode, we will follow the reign of one of England's strongest kings as he navigates conflicts with Louis VII of France and his own Archbishop of Canterbury: Thomas Becket. This episode will take us to the succession of King Richard I (the Lionheart) and will be as far as we go in western European Medieval history before turning back to the Holy Land and Third Crusade.
In this episode we return to our narrative though not to the Crusades. We will head back to the year 1095 when the First Crusade was launched and set about catching the rest of Europe back up to speed. Then, we spend the bulk of the second half of the episode tackling Norman England. The realm of William the Conqueror is once again fractured by civil war and it is going to take Geoffrey Plantagenet and his son, the future King Henry II, to put it all back together again. (Years: 1095-1154)
In this supplemental episode we examine music in the Early Middle Ages. Essentially, this comes down to Gregorian Chanting (Religious) and secular music.
Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.
Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.
In this episode we take a look at the Counties of Edessa and Tripoli and give a quick overview of life in the Near East during the Crusades. Finally, the Crusader States are dealt a series of crushing blows in the 1140's setting the stage for the Second Crusade.
In this episode we follow the development of the four key Crusader States after the unexpected success of the First Crusade. King Baldwin I leads the Kingdom of Jerusalem to new heights while Tancred is forced to clean up a royal mess in Antioch.
In this episode the First Crusade finally reaches Jerusalem. Once again, it turns into a make-or-break for the European invaders.
In this episode, we follow the First Crusader as the crusader army swings south into Asia Minor and approaches the formidable city of Antioch. At Antioch, the First Crusade will nearly meet its premature end as the crusaders quickly go from besiegers to besieged.
In 1095 Pope Urban declared a "pilgrimage" to the Holy Land. In this episode we start with his declaration and then follow the First Crusade as it moves through Byzantine territory and faces its first challenge: Nicaea.
In this episode we begin the Crusades. Specifically, we need to catch up on Byzantium a little bit since we left off with Michael IV in the middle of the Eleventh Century. After we get back up to speed in the East we will then turn our attentions towards setting the stage for the First Crusade which begins in 1095.
In this episode we wrap-up our survey of Early Medieval Art by looking at the changes brought about by the transition to the Middle Ages particularly the advent of Christianity. Like in the last episode, here are a few links to images that I reference: Ivory Carving of Jesus Quedinburg Itala Cross of St. Martin Gospel of St. Augustine (St. Luke with Gospel)
In this episode we are going to begin our look at Early Medieval Art by considered Late Classical and specifically Roman influences on artistic expression that outlived the empire itself. For this episode, you might want to view the following images: Coronation of Otto III Trajan's Column Marcus Aurelius' Column Four Tetrarchs Click the hyperlinked text to see the image.
Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.
In this episode we take a break from the political narrative to focus on some of the key social and economic changes that are taking shape in Northern Italy between 875 and 1000 AD. During this period, Medieval Italy experiences a number of changes (urbanization, estate fragmentation) that will result in major changes to Italian economic and social life in the very near future. Next time, we will see how these broader changes influence the political development of Italy during this same period. Finally, in this episode I want to answer the often asked question: what did happen to the old Roman Senators and wealthy landowners after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire?
In this episode we continue our examination of the Holy Roman Empire between 973 and 1106. We pick up the story with Otto II and then follow Otto III and Henry II as they try desperately to both expand and consolidate German power in medieval Europe. Then, we detail the stories of Henry III and IV who would battle increasingly powerful and difficult Popes. The story comes to a climax in the epic showdown between Pope Gregory VII and Henry who must humble himself before the Pope and then seeks his revenge.
In this episode we start our in-depth look at the Holy Roman Empire. This episode covers the time period from the collapse of the unified Carolingian Empire to the death of Otto I in 973. In this episode we will also take a larger look at the Empire in general, its political system, culture, and economy.
In this episode we conclude our close look at the Papacy by picking up the story at the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 and following the Vicars of Christ through to Gregory VII and his death in 1085. The Popes during this period were often far from moral.
Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.
In this episode, we swing south to the Iberian Peninsula to catch up on Islamic Spain and the small, Christian Kingdoms that surround it. We begin with the quick and total collapse of Visigoth Spain in 711 AD and end with the disintegration of the united Cordoba Caliphate between circa 1000 and 1035 AD.
In this episode we return to what we will loosely be calling "France". The Carolingian Empire is forever gone. In its place are a patchwork of small kingdoms ruled over, nominally, by the new King, Hugh Capet. Over the next roughly one-hundred years, Capet and his successors would battle Dukes, Counts, and other Kings, in an effort to re-centralize authority in Medieval France.
In this episode William the Conqueror cleans up the last few rebellions in England, only to turn around see his possessions back on the continent under siege. While William fights his son and the King of France, his subordinates in England nearly drive the English to yet another rebellion.
Between 1066 and 1074 William the Conqueror fights off a series of rebellions in England to solidify his rule.
In this episode we follow Harold Hardrada and William of Normandy across the seas to England to battle Harold Godwinson for the throne. When the dust settled, William the Bastard would be re-titled, William the Conqueror.
We resume our narrative in this episode circa 1000 AD in the Kingdoms of England and Normandy. Things are not going well in England. A series of inept English rulers allow different Scandinavian Kings to seize control over the English throne. Finally, when Edward the Confessor established himself as the English King things appear to be headed in the right direction. But, left without an heir, the question looms large in the distance: who will rule when he is gone? Then, a fishing trip gone really, really bad, has a very odd result when Harold Godwinson, the heir apparent, shows up in the court of William of Normandy. And all that sets the stage for one of the most unusual and fateful years in human history: 1066.
In this episode, we step back again from the narrative to consider the major demographic changes which swept Europe during the High Middle Ages (1000 - 1300 AD).
In this episode we consider the question: what are the Dark Ages? And specifically, when should the Early Middle Ages be said to begin?
In this episode we swing back to Ireland and explore the fascinating story of the battle that took place on Good Friday, 1014 AD.
In this episode, we examine England in the Viking Age. In the late Ninth Century England was nearly overrun by the Northmen. Only the tiny Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex held out. Enter stage left: Alfred the Great. (England 793 - 920 AD)
This episode traces Byzantine History from the middle of the Seventh Century through the reign of Leo V in the middle of the Eighth Century.
In this episode we trace the Viking Invasions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries as they ravage Francia.
A background of early Scandinavian history. In this episode, we back up and provide the background of the Viking invasions of the Ninth and Tenth Centuries. Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for bonus content! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast.com
In this episode, we delve into the murky past that is Anglo-Saxon England and consider the major impact that the influence of Christianity had on Anglo-Saxon culture and politics. Then, we examine the reigns of two critical Anglo-Saxon Kings: Aethelbald and Offa. Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Believe it or not, modern Europe actually finds its origins as early as the Ninth Century. Today, we look at how the division of the Carolingian Empire actually corresponds nicely with the map of modern Europe. Medieval France (802-843) Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Charlemange makes a claim to be the new Emperor of Rome. The new HOLY Roman Emperor in fact... Check out our website for more at westerncivpodcast.com and become a Patron today for bonus content and to support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Feudalism dawns in Carolingian France. Serfs, lords, fiefs, and so, so much more! Check out our website for more! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In today's episode, we cover a wide range of events during the Early Middle Ages in Italy and Spain. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and support the show for as little as one dollar! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Today we step away from our narrative and shift our focus to the Arabian Penninsula. We will detail the creation and rapid expansion of the first Islamic Caliphate in the years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Things will never be the same. Check out our website for more content! westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today and enjoy bonus content for as little as $2.00 per month! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
After the death of Justinian, Justin II takes the reigns and tries to reverse the course of the declining Empire. His death is followed by the brief reigns of Tiberios and Phokas as well as the long and relatively successful reign of Maurice. This episode finishes with the Great Persian War under the Emperor Herakleios during which the Empire nearly falls.
Today we cover English History after the fall of the Roman Empire and until the Anglo-Saxon invasions. Check out our website for more content at westerncivpodcast.com. Become a Patron today for extra content! Check it out at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Justinian takes his forces West to re-conquer the Roman Empire under a brilliant young general: Belisarius.
A look at western Europe between immediately after the fall of the Roman Empire. (476 - 533 CE) Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this episode, we cover the reigns of various Eastern Emperors leading up to Justinian's attempted reconquest of the West. Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
In this episode, we recap the last 4,500 years of Western History and set the stage for the turbulent Dark Ages to come. Check out our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Take it for what it is worth. Here is my list of the top ten BEST and WORST Roman Emperors. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today! patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
By 476 AD, the Western Roman Empire had fallen. In this episode, we trace the final twenty years of Roman History in the West. We continue with the collapse of the Hunnic Empire after the death of Attila and see how the West gets on without Aetius. Then, the Eastern Empire mounts one last rescue mission before the final Roman Emperor in the West is deposed. Before finishing, we briefly consider the different arguments as to why the Western Empire fell and discuss the merits of each.
In the late 430's power in Hunnic Society finally centralized around one, powerful leader: Attila. He would use this power to assault both the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. These episodes follow those turbulent years and then take stock of the total damage wrought on the Empires by the arrival of the Huns.
In 410 AD the Roman Empire hit one of its lowest points. But, within a decade it had rebounded. The reason Flavius Constantius. Constantius would rebuild the West only to die and early and unexpected death which would then throw the West back into chaos. Aetius would spend a decade cleaning up the mess (again) and would become the dominant force in the West by 433 AD. Meanwhile, the Vandals set sail for Africa with terrible consequences.
Our story continues with Theodosius briefly reuniting the Empire in 394. Then, all hell breaks loose again as the Huns force different Germanic Tribes from the Hungarian Plain in the first decade of the Fifth Century. Gaul is overrun and the situation is compounded by a growing rift between the East and West halves of the Roman Empire. Then, the Goths return to Italy around 408 AD behind a new leader, Alaric, desperate to find a permanent homeland within in the Empire. All that sets the stage for the epic sack of Rome in 410.
In this Episode, we take a step back and chronicle the changing social and political landscape beyond Rome's borders to the North. There, the arrival of the Huns from the Eurasian Steppe has a dramatic domino effect on the people's of Northern and Central Europe which eventually brings a group of Goths to the Danube in 376 seeking asylum. Once the Goths are allowed in things go from bad to worse culminating in the critical Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD.
Jovian Tries to Turn Back the Clock. Valentinian Tries to Keep the Peace. And Valens Fights with Everyone... Check out our website for more content!!! westerncivpodcast.com
Constantine wins the civil war, ushering in a new age for the Romans. For the first time, the empire will be Christian. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Also, become a Patron today and support the show at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Between 284 CE and 305 CE, Emperor Diocletian rebuilds the Roman Empire. His model for what will become known as "The Dominant" would become the model for European kingship for centuries. Check out our website for more content: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron today for hours of additional content plus support the show for only $2.00 per month! Check out patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
The Third Century was not a kind century to the Roman Empire. A rising Persia coupled with nearly non-stop civil unrest nearly ended the empire long before the final fall of Rome. In this episode, we cover this tumultuous period in detail. For more information, check out our website at westerncivpodcast.com.
After the death of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Empire begins a slow and steady decline. And, it all begins with Commodus...
Rome reaches its height under the Antontines. Trajan leads the Empire to its greatest territorial heights.
Nero's suicide leads to a year of unprecedented chaos in Rome. Four men stake their claim to the throne and ultimately only one can triumph and lead the Empire into a new golden age.
Rome gets a short reprieve under the reign of the unexpectedly good Emperor Claudius. Then, after his murder, Nero brings the short-lived age of the Julio-Claudians to an end.
In this episode, we cover the turbulent reigns of Tiberius and Caligula. If you like random persecutions and insanity, this episode is for you as the vision of Augustus Caesar gets off to a rocky start. (14 - 41 AD)
This supplement takes a closer look at everyday life in Rome under Emperor Augustus. We will explore commerce, how people lived, where they lived, what they ate, who they congregated with, and what they did for fun.
In this supplemental, we look more closely at the citizens of Rome under Augustus. Who lived there? What did they do? What were the laws that governed them?
An overview of where the podcast has gone. We have traveled over 4,000 years and there have been some major changes. Populations have shifted. Empires have risen and fallen. And now Rome has come to dominate the Western World. But why does it all matter?
This episode wraps up the reign of Rome's first Emperor. Caesar Augustus struggles with family dynastic issues and deals with a major setback in Germany.
Julius Caesar becomes Dictator for life. It just turns out that was a lot shorter time period than everyone was expecting.... (47 - 44 BC)
Julius Caesar Crosses The Rubicon And Civil War Grips The Roman World. Check out our website for more content! westerncivpodcast.com Become a patron today for more bonus content at patreon.com/westerncivpodcast
Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus Ally While Cicero Fights the Antics of Publius Clodius (62-58 BC)
Sulla and Marius battle it out in another Civil War that end's with Sulla's Dictatorship. Marius reforms the Roman Army with major consequences. And a quick look at the structure of Ancient and Classical families.
Rome Struggles with its New Role of Mastery of the Classical World While Tensions Within Threaten to Destroy All it has Won
The Third and Final Punic War and a Look at Why The Punic Wars are so Significant to the Development of Western Civilization
In this episode, we shift our scene to the land of the Pharaohs. While in the Near East different cities vied for dominance, in ancient Egypt the lands along the Nile are quickly united, allowing the world's most sophisticated ancient civilization to develop. Check out more at our WEBSITE. Become a PATRON to support the show and get over one-hundred hours of bonus content. Sources: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt The Good Kings A History of Ancient Egypt
Civilization takes hold in the ancient Near East. In this episode, we cover ancient Sumeria and Syria. We discuss Babylon and the rise of civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Check out our WEBSITE for more content. Become a PATRON to support the show and get hours of bonus content. Sources: The Ancient Near East A History of the Ancient Near East The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy Sumerians: A History from Beginning to End
Welcome to Western Civ! In this podcast, we cover Western History from its origins in the sands of Mesopotamia and Egypt, through the Roman Empire, Medieval European Kingdoms, the horrors of the Crusades, the nightmare that was the Black Death, the rebirth of the Renaissance, and the age of glory that followed both exploration and revolution in a fast-paced, survey format. Check out more at our website: westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron for exclusive content at: Patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Follow us on Instagram for show updates!