The French Revolution was a watershed event in world history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte. During this period, French citizens radically altered their political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as the monarchy and the feudal system. The upheaval was caused by disgust with the French ... Show More
Jul 13
The Fall of Saddam Hussein: Butcher of Baghdad
For 24 years, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist—silencing dissent through torture, execution, and the infamous Republican Guard. But in 2003, the regime that seemed untouchable came crashing down in just three weeks. Today we trace the final days of one of history's mos ... Show More
48m 20s
Jul 6
The Rise of Saddam Hussein: From Street Thug to Dictator
Saddam Hussein with nothing. Born to a poor peasant family in a mud-brick village. Abandoned by his father before he was born. Raised by an abusive uncle who beat him daily. By thirty, he was an assassin. By forty, he controlled one of the world's most oil-rich nations. By fifty, ... Show More
40m 6s
Jun 28
The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Show on Earth: The Circus
Step right up and journey through the wild, weird, and often shocking history of the circus—from its ancient Roman origins to the multimillion-dollar entertainment empire that defined the 19th and 20th centuries, and its eventual collapse in the modern era. Watch the podcast ... Show More
55m 9s
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
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 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
Jul 2024
475. The French Revolution: Marie Antoinette (Part 1)
The French Revolution is one of the great seismic events of global history. A devouring conflagration of bloodshed, violence and utopianism, it changed France and then latterly the whole of Europe forever. Yet, amidst the panoply of colossal, colourful names that defined this cat ... Show More
55m 51s
Mar 2025
546. The French Revolution: The Monarchy Falls (Part 3)
“From this place and from this day forth commences a new era in the world’s history, and you can all say you were present at its birth!”
By September 1792, the Prussians, under the leadership of the formidable Duke of Brunswick, were closing in on revolutionary Paris. There, the ... Show More
1 h