In 1791, France adopted a new constitution, placing power in the hands of the people. Robespierre’s job was done... or so he thought. War was coming, and with it, the growing threat of enemies both internal and external. In his quest to squash the counter-revolution, Robespierre plunges the country into the merciless and bloody Reign of Terror.
Learn more a ... Show More
Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Just Add Arsenic
Over the ages, arsenic has had many lives — beauty fad, household product, medical prescription… and weapon of choice wielded by killers everywhere from Alabama to ancient Rome. Brine your turkey, knead your dough, and listen to our Thanksgiving Special on the regime-changing, as ... Show More
42m 41s
Mar 2025
544. The French Revolution: The September Massacres (Part 1)
‘Still more traitors, still more treason…"
It is 1792 and France has been at war since April; it is not going well. In Paris, the Tuileries Palace has been stormed, and the royal family imprisoned. Meanwhile, tensions are rising between the main political factions of the Revolut ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
504. The French Revolution: War to the Death (Part 2)
“You have shaken off the yoke of your despots, but surely this was not to bend the knee before a foreign tyrant…”
It’s January 1792, and one of the largest factions in revolutionary France, the Gironde, is calling for war against Austria. The French people’s hatred of Marie Antoi ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2024
The French Revolution, Part 2 of 2
It’s simple enough to pinpoint the beginnings of the French Revolution in 1789, but far more difficult to mark its end. Following the initial outbreak of revolution, France was plunged into years of political, social and economic instability, as various new governments sought to ... Show More
51m 39s
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