The AskHistorians Podcast

cordis_melum discusses the group led by Jim Jones known as the People's Temple. We explore its development from a integration minded church in Indianapolis with socialist tendencies to it's final chapter of mass suicide in the jungles of Guyana. This episode aims to look at the People's Temple not as an inexplicable cult, but as an extreme response to the social and political situation of America...

We wrap up our conversation with Rhodes regarding Zimbabwe. This episode picks up in the mid-20th century, as decolonization sweeps across Africa. We examine the efforts of the white minority to hold on to power, leading to the Unilateral Declaration of Independence and onwards to the Bush War. We continue through the Lancaster Agreement into post-independence Zimbabwe, the rise of Mugabe, and the...

ProfRhodes educates us on the history of the modern nation of Zimbabwe starting by introducing the Shona and Ndebele, and proceeding forward with Cecil Rhodes, the British South Africa Company, the Rudd Concession, and the Pioneer Column. This episode, the first of two, takes us through those late 19th Century events up until the formation of the Central African Federation and post-war decolonizat...

Mictlantecuhtli gives an archaeological perspective on the burial practices and monumental architecture of West Mexico, focusing particularly on shaft tombs and later on guachimontones. The discussion also digs into the current archaeological knowledge of West Mexico and gives insight into the processes of performing archaeology, including the problem of looting. (54min)

The aptly named CanadianHistorian gives a crash course in Canadian history, starting from the British seizure of New France in the Seven Years War and proceeding up until multiculturalism in "Trudeau's Canada." By covering the heavy drinking Charlottetown Conference, the symbolism of Vimy Ridge, and the traumatic October Crisis, this episode looks at the interplay of English and French groups and...

Vonadler discusses the French plans and preparations for World War 2. The purpose and efficacy of the Maginot Line, the problem of the "hollow classes," and the overall strategy are discussed along with side tangents into the French influence on American artillery tactics and geopolitics.

Kittydentures goes in depth on the   chemise à la reine, the dress worn by Marie Antoinette that was as scandalous as it was emblematic of the age. Starting from the background of the dress as coming to France via an Italian painter hired by the English to spy on the French West Indies, but who spent more time painting the local Creole women, this episode then segues into experimental archaeology...

ChocolatePot discusses clothing and the fashion scene in late 18th and early 19th Century France and England. Covering everything from links to the philosophy of Rousseau to nascent fashion magazines, this episode also examines how clothing and fashion fit into the overall discipline of history.

  Anthropology Nerd guests on the podcast to discuss topics anthropological. The conversation begins with discussing what bioarchaeology is, before moving to the methods used to identify human remains with regards to such traits as ancestry. The conversation then widens in scope to talk about the osteological paradox and preservation bias in using cemetery samples  to draw conclusions about the pa...

Commustar gives co-host Jasfss a continent-wide, millenia-spanning overview of the development, influences, and functions of urban society in Africa. Starting in ancient Egypt and rolling down the coast and through time, the episode continues into the Horn of Africa, the Swahili Coast, Great Zimbabwe, and Ghana, before addressing the growing colonial influence of European states. The episode then...

The conversation with Celebreth continues, picking up after the 2nd Punic War. This episode covers the 3rd Punic War, Marian reforms, and the ascent of Julius Caesar. The discussion ends, as did the Republic, with Octavian becoming Augustus and establishing the principate.

Celebreth covers the history of the Roman Republic through its military development and campaigns, reflecting on how conquest, politics, and society are intertwined. With host Jasfss, they cover everything from the initial militias of the city of Rome, up through the battles against Hannibal in the Second Punic War.

The conversation with Bernardito continues, picking up with the aftermath of the Phillipeville Massacre. This episode covers the rest of the Algerian War, including the  quadrillage , the Battle of Algiers, and the coup that brought the 4th Republic to an end. Also discussed are the spiral of violence in collective reprisals, David Galula's writings on counterinsurgency, and the importance of air...

Bernardito explores the rise of modern tactics of counter-insurgency through the lens of decolonialism and  nationalist movements. Starting in French Indochina, the first half of this episode gives an overview of the efforts of the French to maintain colonial control in that region. Their defeat sets the stage for conflict in Algeria, where France was determined not to lose control of what they co...

  RioAbajo discusses the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, in which the indigenous people in what is now the Four Corners region drove out the Spanish colonizers. Starting with a discussion of Pueblo social, political, and religious organization we move from there into the arrival of the Spanish and the institution of the Mission system and  encomiendas . Antagonism leads to a unified Pueblo force driving the S...

DonaldFDraper drops in to give a broad overview of how European politics and military tactics changed in the extended century running from the end of the 30 Years War up into the ascent Napoleon. Starting with Gustavus Adolphus, the development of line infantry, and the  resuscitation  of cavalry tactics, the episode progresses there into the War of Spanish Succession and the dynastic gamesmanship...

The conversation with Elos continues. The changing tactical nature of the Great War during and after the Somme is the focus of this episode. Increasing precision in artillery strikes and impletation of infiltration/stormtrooper tactics are covered as we progress towards armistice with stops at Ypres and the 1918 German counter-offensives along the way.

Elos discusses some of the prominent and popular ideas about The Great War, particularly in the anglosphere. Covered are the notion of "lions led by donkeys" and the idea of marching lockstep into machine gun fire, as well as the expected time an average soldier would spend in a combat zone. Key, however, is challenging the idea that WWI was a static and senseless conflict, instead of a dynamic en...

Caffarelli composes a special episode on Alessandro Moreschi, the famous castrato opera singer whose voice was preserved by early recording technology. She discusses his life, his music, limitations on recordings, and the practice of musical castration. This solo episode is followed by a short Q&A session.  

Usual host 400-Rabbits takes a turn as the interviewee, speaking on the relationship between the sister cities of Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco. The early history of the Mexica, the founding of the cities, and their different trajectories in Mesoamerican history are covered, culminating in the 1473 CE war between the two polities. In the background of the episode is the problem of interpreting prima...

Dr. Jennifer Evans, lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr. Sara Read, lecturer in English at Loughborough University, make a special appearance on the AskHistorians podcast to discuss women's health in England during the early modern era. Covering the medical schema and standard of care of the time, Drs. Read and Evans touch on fertility, infections, menstruation, and the...

Cordis_Melum discusses the ambitious mid-20th Century modernization program in mainland China known as the Great Leap Forward. The ideology behind the push to establish a self-sufficient communist utopia; the steps and mis-steps taken in industry and agriculture; the political blowback; and the aftermath covered.

Continuing the conversation with Husky54 about the Book of Daniel. In this episode we cover the later chapters of Daniel before moving on to chapters and additional text considered apocryphal in some traditions.  Till 18:38 - Chapters 8-12 18:38 - Prayer of Azariah 26:28 - Susanna and the Elders 33:37 - Bel and the Dragon 43:14 - Interpretations of Daniel

Husky54 returns to the podcast for an in-depth delve into Daniel, the Book of. Approaching the work as a historical text, this episode -- the first of two -- covers the relationship of Daniel to other works in the Hebrew Bible; the language and content of the first seven chapters; and situates the book within the historical context of the time it was written.  3:20 - Background and Dating the Text...

James Brooks, city editor of the Juneau Empire and author of 9.2: Kodiak Island and the World's Second-Largest Earthquake, talks on four natural and manmade disasters in Alaska. Through the 1912 Katmai-Novarupta volcanic eruption, the 1925 Nome Serum Run, the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, and the 1989 Exxon  Valdez Oil Spill, we get a picture of how the state of Alaska changed throughout the 20th c...