History Off the Page

Living at the start of the digital age, it's not hard to imagine the ways in which new technologies lead to social change.  This episode charts perhaps the three most important inventions of the 20th century: cars, airplanes and radio.  For these devices not only opened new ways of doing things, they were proof in an age of cynicism of the power of science and rationality.  Thanks to technolo...

This episode continues our theme of the emergence of modernity in 1920s, focusing on the rise of the metropolis. As we'll see, the metropolis was more than just a big city, it meant experiencing mass society for the first time. For some, this was thrilling, as individuals enjoyed the glitz and glamour made possible by modern life. For others, it provoked deep anxieties about the future, as th...

In our last two episodes we looked at how waves of political violence swept over post-World War I Europe.  But not all revolutions are political.  In this episode, we investigate revolutions in art, architecture, film and music - movements that dramatically altered the European cultural landscape.  Topics covered include: Josephine Baker (4:49), Dada (17:00), Surrealism and Dali (27:22), Marc Chag...

 As we saw in our last episode, the foundation of European society after World War I was supposed to be national self-determination. All peoples would be free to form their own national states, and nations would treat each other equally, eschewing the competitiveness of Great Power politics that had lead directly to the war. Yet as this episode demonstrates, far from achieving lasting peace, the y...

In January 1918, American President Woodrow Wilson laid out his vision for a durable peace settlement that would end the Great War. Abandoning traditional diplomatic practices that called on losing powers to make territorial concessions to the victors, Wilson's vision suggested a new Europe built on mutual respect and democratic principles. In doing so, his idealism gave the Entente war effor...

In the second episode of our series on Stalinism, we try to get a better sense of what everyday life was like outside of repression.  In particular, we'll focus on Stalin's attempt to industrialize the Soviet Union, to transform it in the span of five to ten years from a backwards country to a futuristic society through central planning and collectivization.  The episode argues that it w...

Born as Ioseb Jughashvili, this son of a cobbler would strike fear in the hearts of millions as the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In the first episode of this two part series, learn how Stalin built perhaps history’s most ruthless dictatorship, why it became a living nightmare for those who lived through it (especially for members of the Communist Party).  Among other topics, the episode discusse...

As previously discussed, the Enlightenment envisioned a future where reason could be used to stamp out the imperfections of human society, creating lasting peace and prosperity. But can reason go too far? In this episode we examine some of the contradictions of the Enlightenment, noting how they led to an artistic and cultural revolution known as Romanticism. Among other topics, we'll discuss...

In our last episode, we saw how Christmas by the early modern period (c. 1600) had become a raucous affair, a time when social relations inverted and moral standards were  usually relaxed.  This is a far cry from our modern, family-centered Christmas.  This episode charts the reforms in the 18th and 19th century that gave birth to the modern version Christmas we all know and love.  Topics covered...

Christmas: perhaps the most anticipated day of the year. A time for faith and family, for Santa Claus, Christmas Trees and a warm glass of eggnog or glühwein consumed whilst listening to carolers sing classic songs. This is the modern Christmas celebrated around the globe on Dec. 25th each year. But it was not always this way. Over its long life span, Christmas has been many things - not all of th...

In the winter of 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks set out on a bold project: the construction of the world’s first socialist society.  Although much ink had been spilled on this topic over the previous century, the reality was that much work had to be done to transform these vague ideals and aspirations into lived reality.  In this episode, we examine the first steps taken by the new Soviet State in...

 In the spring of 1917, the Bolshevik Party was an important, though not dominant player in Russian politics. With a narrow political base in cities and leaders who had long lived in exile, their prospects for carrying out Marx' dream of a proletarian revolution seemed dim. And yet, six months later, their actions would shake the world, launching the world's first Communist society and a...

 One of the seminal events of the twentieth century was the Bolshevik seizure of the world's largest country and their subsequent attempts to transform Communism from a vague ideal into a practical reality. But before they could build, they first had to destroy existing authorities and political rivals. In this episode - the first in a four part series on the rise of Communism, we explore the...

In the second part of our examination of World War I, we focus on the experiences of ordinary people.  The episode begins with a discussion of the life of soldiers, from the moment of mobilization in 1914 to the long days spent in the trenches in between battles.  Find out what their major challenges were, and some of the things they did to overcome them.  The second half of the episodes switches...

While the Second World War tends to get more attention, this episode argues World War I was actually more historically significant.  Simply put, the Great War exhausted the nations of Europe, thoroughly discrediting traditional authorities, values and institutions.  This episode - the first of a two part series on the conflict - provides a general overview of the war itself, from its causes to its...

 On 8 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain – the second longest reigning monarch in history – passed away quietly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This special episode examines the life of a remarkable woman, placing her in her historical context. What was the Britain of 1952 like, and how did it change over the years? How did Elizabeth impact major events such as the collapse of the...

How do we gain new knowledge?  How do we trust the knowledge that we gain? This episode   looks at the dramatic shift in the way Europeans answers these questions over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, laying the groundwork for modern scientific practice.  Among other things, the episode discusses the contributions of major historical figures such as Copernicus, Galileo and Newton, as wel...

just a quick note to announce the end of the first season of History Off the Page and a big thank you to all the listeners who joined us this year!  We'll be back in September with new episodes on the World Wars, life in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, postwar recovery, the origins of multicultural Europe and much much more!   Support the show For more information on History Off the Page,...

Ever wonder what it would be like to reach "the future?"  For many Europeans, life in the late nineteenth century felt that way, with massive technological changes leading to the conquest of hunger, violence and disease.  Yet as we transcend existing norms and boundaries, the future can also be a scary place.  This episode explores the pleasures and perils of modernity, discussing things...

The story of how Germany finally created a national state is well known.  But to paraphrase the Italian statesman Massimo d'Azeglio, having made Germany, how did one make Germans?  This episode covers the long march of unification from liberal dream to everyday reality, showing the challenges German patriots had to overcome along the way.  Here the story was not just a triumph over external e...

Darwin's Theory of Evolution has undoubtedly been one of the most controversial scientific theories in history.  In this episode we'll explore why, while also doing some myth-busting. For example, the sensational aspect of his theory was not the idea of evolution itself - which he did not invent, but the idea of natural selection, which raised questions about the virtue of Christian mora...

On February 24, 2022, Russian troops launched a massive invasion of Ukraine, starting the biggest war in Europe since at least the 1990s.  There is talk of genocide and ethnic cleansing, over a million refugees have fled, and rising tensions between NATO and Russia have raised fears of a World War.  How did we get to this place? How could anyone support such naked aggression in the 21st century? ...

We live today in a world primarily defined by nations and national identity.  But how did nationality acquire such powerful loyalty over us?  In this episode we'll talk about the barriers that initially made many people hostile to the idea of being part of a nation, as well as how those barriers were eventually overcome.  Highlights of the show include discussions of about the French emperor...

Socialism.  Love it or hate it, the term evokes powerful emotions even to this day.  But why did socialism start in the first place?  This episode charts the rise of class consciousness at the start of the 19th century, covering major figures associated with the movement such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin and the German Social Democratic Party (SPD).  We'll als...

As Europe industrialized, millions of young people migrated from the countryside to the cities.   Find out in this episode what their lives were like and how the physical environment of the city effected their identities.  Along the way, we'll learn about challenges presented by food adulteration, the lack of modern sanitation systems, and diseases like Cholera.  We'll also discuss the R...