In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about France's metamorphosis from post-Roman fragmentation to unified nation-state, analyzing how Frankish conquests, feudal innovations, and religious conflicts shaped French cultural identity.
They reveal the paradoxical consequences of centralization—cu ... Show More
Aug 21
Explaining Imperial China
In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze 2,000 years of Imperial China's civilizational patterns, examining how Confucian bureaucracy, geographic divisions, and cyclical dynastic struggles shaped one of history's mos ... Show More
2h 23m
Aug 16
Explaining Japanese History
In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep-dive analysis of Japanese history exploring cultural patterns, honor systems, political development, and societal evolution from ancient origins through modern stagnation. - ... Show More
2h 48m
Aug 14
Explaining the Mongol Empire
In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep-dive into the Mongol Empire's rise, conquests, and civilizational impact, examining how Genghis Khan's brutal campaigns reshaped Eurasian politics and accelerated Western Eu ... Show More
2h 14m
Oct 2024
Jeffrey Ding, "Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition" (Princeton UP, 2024)
When scholars and policymakers consider how technological advances affect the rise and fall of great powers, they draw on theories that center the moment of innovation—the eureka moment that sparks astonishing technological feats. In Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How D ... Show More
35m 6s
Oct 2024
Pourquoi la France a-t-elle voulu conquérir l’Algérie ?
La conquête de l’Algérie par la France en 1830 s’inscrit dans un contexte de politique expansionniste, de raisons économiques, et d’enjeux politiques. À cette époque, la France sort d’une période de bouleversements avec la fin de l'Empire napoléonien et le début de la Restauratio ... Show More
2m 57s
May 8
960. Insights: The future of Revolut with UK CEO Francesca Carlesi
About this episode: In this episode of Fintech Insider Insights, David M. Brear welcomes Francesca Carlesi, the CEO of Revolut UK, for an in-depth conversation about one of the most transformative years in Revolut’s history. With a strong background in fintech and traditional ban ... Show More
51m 25s
Jun 2024
Inside Europe's tech hubs: France's AI push puts it on the rise
France is home to some of the most high-profile artificial intelligence start-ups. The country, which was once seen as anti-tech, has attracted big funding, backed by a public push from the government. Roxanne Varza, the head of the world's biggest startup campus Station F, which ... Show More
31m 49s
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 Declara ... Show More
1 h
Aug 4
Throwback: Shaping the Future of Leadership with Praxis Lab’s Elise Smith
We’ll be back soon with a new episode. In the meantime, enjoy this throwback conversation with Elise Smith, Co-founder and CEO of Praxis Labs. Earlier this month, Praxis Labs was acquired—marking a major milestone in the company’s journey. This episode offers a look at the vision ... Show More
26m 21s
Jul 2
Patrick Luiz Sullivan De Oliveira, "Ascending Republic: The Ballooning Revival in Nineteenth-Century France" (MIT Press, 2025)
On August 27, 1783, a large crowd gathered in Paris to watch the first ascent of a hydrogen balloon. Despite the initial feverish enthusiasm, by the mid-nineteenth century the balloon remained relatively unchanged and was no longer seen as the harbinger of a new era. Yet that all ... Show More
1h 13m