Western Civ

Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Subscription Feed: www.glow.fm/westernciv

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 st...

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. Visit our website for more content: www.westerncivpodcast.com Become a Patron to support the show and get ad-free episodes: www.patreon.com/westernciv...

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 al...

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 like this episode you will love the...

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 re...

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...

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 of how Luther's personality would impact the Reformation in his later years.  Website: www.westerncivpodca...

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...

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...

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. ...

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...

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. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial: www.glow.fm/westernciv

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. Website: www.westerncivpodc...

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. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial: www...

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. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial: www.glow.fm/westernciv

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. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-...

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...

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, h...

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. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial: www.glow.f...

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 o...

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. Check out the Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Get Ad-Free Versions of...

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 the Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Get Ad-Free Versions of the Show: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Try Western Civ 2.0 for Free: www.g...

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: https://amzn.to/3mRgwmV Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Show: www...

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 the Website: www.westerncivpodcast....