It is the most famous revolution in Europe and saw the continent's most populous country execute its monarch and restructure its society.
From guillotines to out of touch queens, the French Revolution is the story of how France became the country of "liberté, égalité, and fraternité".
Full transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: ... Show More
Aug 27
#629 | “Please, Sir, I Want Some More": The Truth About Victorian Workhouses
Charles Dickens made the Victorian workhouse famous, but the reality behind Oliver Twist was even worse than fiction. This episode tells how workhouses treated Britain’s poorest people, and how pensions and the welfare state finally replaced them. Oliver Twist and the image of hu ... Show More
22m 37s
Aug 13
#626 | The Strange Story of Punch and Judy
He wears a red hat, carries a stick, and laughs as he beats almost everyone he meets. This episode tells the odd, violent story of Punch and Judy, the puppet show that began in Italy and became a British seaside symbol. It looks at how Mr Punch survived for over 300 years, and wh ... Show More
25m 31s
Aug 2024
480. The French Revolution: The Rights of Man (Part 6)
“Liberté, égalité, fraternité!”
Alongside violence, the French Revolution is a story of principles and values. It is the ultimate intersection of brutality and Enlightenment idealism, as epitomised by the Fall of the Bastille. So too the creation and implementation of the Declar ... Show More
58m 42s
Mar 2024
The French Revolution, Part 1 of 2
During the late 18th Century, a series of political, social, cultural, and economic issues reached breaking point, exploding in what is now known as the French Revolution. This unprecedented event affected not just France, but the rest of the world - reinventing centuries-old app ... Show More
52m 1s
Mar 2025
547. The French Revolution: The Execution of the King (Part 4)
The second revolution that engulfed France over the course of 1792 reached its climax in December, with an astonishing, world-changing spectacle, which held all the eyes of Europe spellbound: Louis Capet, formerly King Louis XVI of France, was on trial for his very life. A guilty ... Show More
1h 2m