Western Civ

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 th...

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, prizewi...

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 th...

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. Website Patreon Free Trial

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. Website Patreon Support Free Trial

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 goo...

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. Website P atreon Support/Western Civ 2.0

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. Website Patreon Bonus Content

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 encou...

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 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. Website Bonus and Ad-Free Episodes

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. Website Patreon Support/Bonus Epis...

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: I n 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...

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... Website Patreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial

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...

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... Website Patreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial

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. Buy the Book Website Patreon A...

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. Website Patreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial

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. Website P...

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 c...

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 fo...

Galileo publishes The Dialogue , essentially sealing his fate with the Inquisition. Website Patreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial

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. Website Patreon Free Trial Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial

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 th...

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. Website Patreo...