The Persian Empire that Darius took control of was already mighty and powerful; his predecessor, Cambyses, had conquered Egypt, further expanding its territory. But it was under Darius it reached its zenith. Stretching all the way from the Mediterranean in the west to India in the east, from the Gulf of Oman in the south to southern Russia in the north, Persia under Darius was truly a global superpower. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the lif...
Nov 16, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Born the son of a khan, a tribal chieftain, Cyrus would go on to be a titanic figure of world history. He took Persia from being a minor regional power to the first superpower the world has ever seen. Conquering all of modern day Iran, then Turkey, and finally defeating the power of the day, Babylon: Cyrus undoubtedly deserves the sobriquet of the Great. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the life of the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. For ...
Nov 14, 2023•55 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Persia was the first great superpower. The empire built by Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes and the rest of the Achaemenids stretched from India in the east to the Mediterranean in the west, from Russia in the north to the Gulf of Oman in the south. It laid the foundation for empires of the future. It was destroyed by Alexander the Great, but Iran has risen many times since. In this series we'll look at the ancient Persian empire, but also their successors; the Sassanians, who fought against Rome, in a vas...
Nov 09, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022, but how did we get to this point? After the brutality of the Second World War, Ukraine was completely under the control of Moscow. Then in the 1980s, with Chernobyl as the catalyst, the Ukrainian nationalist movement regained momentum and on 24th August 1991 declared independence. This was never accepted by Russia and all the tension, discord, and conflict since then has led us to the devastating war of today. Listen as William and Anita are ...
Nov 07, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 24
Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Empire Club. Do you want bonus episodes? Do you want discounts on the books mentioned in the weeks podcast? Do you want reading lists? Do you want ad-free listening? Well now you can. All you need to do is join the Empire Club to access all of these benefits and more. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn ...
Nov 06, 2023•12 min
The history of Russia and Ukraine has been irrevocably entwined for centuries. When the Bolsheviks took over and Civil War erupted across the Russian Empire, Ukraine was one of the bloodiest centres of the conflict. Antisemitic pogroms and wanton violence destroyed whole communities. Then during the 1930s Russia inflicted upon Ukraine one of the deadliest famines in history, the death toll is estimated to be around 4m. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Pulitzer-winning historian Anne App...
Nov 02, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Dawn breaks on 16th July 1918. For Nicholas, Alexandra, and the rest of the Romanov family this is just another day in exile. They sit down for breakfast - today it is eggs - and then go about their usual business. The Romanovs had been out in the cold ever since Nicholas II's abdication over a year earlier. First they had lived in their own home, then they were moved to Siberia. Now they have ended up in Ekaterinburg. Outside their compound, the Civil War was going badly for the Bolsheviks. The...
Oct 31, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 22
Born in Siberia to a peasant family, Rasputin was an incredibly charismatic, physically striking, and politically savvy figure. He was a holy man, a mystic, who found his way to the centre of Imperial Russian power. Once he met Nicholas and Alexandra, he gained a central place in the court as the only man who could stop the tsarevich, Alexei, from bleeding. As his influence grew, his reputation among the Russian aristocracy declined. In the end, they felt they had to act. And so, on the night of...
Oct 26, 2023•48 min•Season 4Ep. 21
The Tsar has abdicated and the provisional government rules Russia, but Petrograd is overflowing with revolutionaries who want more radical change. Lenin has returned from exile and is looking to seize power for the Bolsheviks. Their momentum is growing and with Russia still in the First World War, Kerensky and the provisional government's authority is draining away. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by the great Antony Beevor to discuss the October Revolution and the Bolsheviks'...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 20
Russian politics is fast destabilising. Strikes, assassinations, and famines have made Russia increasingly turbulent at the turn of the century. Revolutionary politics is on the rise, as is dissatisfaction with the tsar. When compounded by the strains of the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the nation stands on the verge of implosion. And on Europe's horizon is the Great War... Listen as William and Anita are joined by the great Antony Beevor to discuss the build-up to the revolution and the ev...
Oct 19, 2023•56 min•Season 4Ep. 19
Fearing Russian designs on the region, the eyes of the British turn towards Tibet. Francis Younghusband, the Victorian adventurer and elite player of the Great Game, and Lord Curzon decide that with the Russians distracted by their conflict in Manchuria, now is the time to seize the territory. This is their chance to one-up their imperial rival. In this classic tale of the Great Game, British and Russian officers face each other down in far-off mountain ranges, before things take a darker turn a...
Oct 17, 2023•58 min•Season 4Ep. 18
1905 was one of the most pivotal moments in history. Japan, the supposedly weaker Asian power, overwhelmingly defeated the mighty Russian Empire. The effects of this rippled through the 20th century, inspiring nationalism across Asia. The Indian independence movement, through figures like Gandhi, Nehru, and Tagore, took direct inspiration from it, as did Chinese nationalists like Sun Yat-Sen. Russia was equally rocked by this disastrous defeat, putting it well on the road to revolution. Listen a...
Oct 12, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Tolstoy was one of the greatest writers of all time. His books have constructed how we think about Russian imperial history. But he was not just an observer, he was also a participant. As a young man, Tolstoy fought in several of Russia's imperial wars– against the Chechens and the Ottoman Turks, then against both the French and the British in the Crimea. As he matured he grew far more critical of Russian Empire building and lamented the futility of war and conquest. His writings were a driver o...
Oct 10, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 16
As the other European empires were consolidating their holdings in Asia, Russia took 1.5million square miles of territory. Moving south from the Orenburg line, the Russian Empire swallowed up the Khanates of Central Asia with minimal casualties to their own troops. Depicting the citizens of Kokhand, Khiva, and Bokhara as insolent and inferior, this conquest serves as one of classic European colonialism. Listen as William and Anita delve into the story of the conquest of Central Asia. Twitter: @E...
Oct 05, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In the 18th century Vitus Bering went from Russia's east coast and landed in America. Over the next 150 years, Russia colonised more and more land, first taking Alaska and then working down America's west coast, eventually claiming areas as far south as California. Whilst this venture did fail, this failure was not inevitable. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Owen Matthews to discuss the most improbable story of Russia and its (almost successful) attempts to colonise large parts of Amer...
Oct 03, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 14
The Lady with the Lamp, the great nurse who forever changed public health for the better: Florence Nightingale lives large in the national consciousness. Mary Seacole, however, has been largely forgotten by history, even though she too played a significant role in the Crimean War. Both were lauded by the press. Both were famous in Britain upon their return. Remarkable forces of will, both were women ahead of their time. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Helen Rappaport to discuss the liv...
Sep 28, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 13
The Crimean War continues to drag on. The allies' siege of Sevastopol is grinding to a stalemate. The Russians seek to counterattack to tip the balance back in their favour. As they make gains at Balaclava, the British cavalry undertake one of the most tragically heroic actions in British history: the Charge of the Light Brigade. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Orlando Figes to discuss the end of the Crimean War, the impact it had upon Russia, and the shadow it still casts today. Twitt...
Sep 26, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 12
A slow grind of sieges and massacres. Long distance bombardments and gruelling inch-by-inch trench warfare. Battles for Sevastopol, Odessa, and control of the Black Sea. Is it 1853 or 2023? The parallels between the Crimean War and what is happening now in Ukraine are startling. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Orlando Figes to discuss this totemic 19th century clash and all of its modern-day resonances. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer:...
Sep 21, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 11
After the calamitous retreat from Kabul left thousands of British dead, the East India Company wants revenge. They will call upon the Army of Retribution which will leave Afghanistan, once the Crossroads of Civilisation, a desolate wasteland. But once the last sepoy has descended the Khyber Pass, who will rule Afghanistan - and how will the Russians respond? Listen as William and Anita finish the story of the First Anglo-Afghan War and discuss whether Afghanistan really is the Graveyard of Empir...
Sep 19, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 10
As the British occupation of Kabul collapses, the troops flee. What follows is one of the darkest events in British imperial history. A treacherous journey through mountain passes in crippling winter conditions leaves the British at the mercy of the Afghan forces. Over 15,000 men, women, and children leave the capital, legend says only one man survives. Listen as William and Anita discuss the bloody, brutal, first retreat from Kabul. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerp...
Sep 14, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 9
It is 1839 and Britain has declared its intention: to invade Afghanistan and return Shah Shuja to the throne. Despite its vast size, the British invasion force is not impressive. Overstocked with luxuries and understocked with necessities, how will it fare as it enters the Bolan Pass and the inhospitable terrain of Afghanistan? Listen as William and Anita tell the Return of a King. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack...
Sep 12, 2023•55 min•Season 4Ep. 8
The rivalry between Russia and Britain continues to grow as both of their attentions begin to centre more and more on Afghanistan. In a bid to gain influence in the region, both empires send young, daring spies to infiltrate the region. Alexander Burnes and Jan Prosper Vitkevich will both battle to gain the upper hand. Listen as William and Anita discuss these two spies and their thrilling roles in the Great Game. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer...
Sep 07, 2023•50 min•Season 4Ep. 7
It will all begin on the banks of the River Niemen. Tsar Alexander forms a pact with Napoleon; the Russian Empire, along with the French, will try to take control of British India. The British increasingly become nervous about losing their prized possession and hostile towards Russia. What will follow has come to be known as the Great Game in Britain and the Tournament of Shadows in Russia. It is the ultimate imperial rivalry; Britain and Russia, the two greatest powers of the day, vying for con...
Sep 05, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 6
With her reign in peril in three separate arenas, Catherine begins to turn her attention to a young soldier, Grigory Potemkin. What follows is one of the great partnerships (and love affairs) of history. Together, they consolidate her rule then rapidly expand; seizing vast parts of modern Ukraine, annexing Crimea, building Kherson and Sevastopol, and taking the Russian Empire to its apogee. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore for the final time as they tell the tale ...
Aug 31, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Not a drop of Russian blood. A woman in a world ruled by men. A loveless marriage to a man who lacked even a shred of empathy. The odds were always stacked against Catherine the Great when she arrived from Prussia. But this German Princess and child of the Enlightenment was a political genius who possessed charm, beauty and impeccable people skills. All these were needed as she rose to power to become Empress of Russia and ushered in a golden age. Listen as William and Anita are once again joine...
Aug 29, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 4
A giant of Russian history, and a giant of a man. Peter the Great, standing at 6'8, established Russia as the world power that it is today and is famously one of Vladimir Putin's inspirations. He expanded Russia's borders, modernised the state, and built St Petersburg from a swamp. Yet with all this, he still found time for drunken debauchery of the most absurd level; he enjoyed dwarf-throwing, wheelbarrow racing, and creating the position of Archdeacon Fuck-Off for his ministers. Listen as Will...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Subjected, downtrodden, brutalised. The principality of Muscovy had long suffered at the hands of the Mongols. But as their overlords weaken, their ruler, Ivan the Great, begins to lead the Muscovites to freedom. Come 1533, it is time for his descendant, Ivan the Terrible to rule. A man known to enjoy hanging people by their ribs, and drowning people under river ice, will his taste for torture throw everything into chaos? Or will he expel the Mongols once and for all, laying the foundations of t...
Aug 22, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 2
The story of the Russian Empire spans centuries and continents. It is one of tsars and revolutionaries. Sex and power. Invasions and conquests. In the new season, William and Anita will explore the roots, deeds, and legacy of one the largest empires to ever exist. From the first Russian invasion of Ukraine, to the birth of Asian nationalism, with the original retreat from Kabul in between; this will leave you stunned. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhe...
Aug 15, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Did the Nazis use slave labour? Should Britain pay reparations? What is the origin of the Portuguese phrase 'just for the English to see'? What was the role of Islam in abolition? Listen as William and Anita answer these questions and more... Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 10, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 24
What happened to the Caribs, the indigenous people of the Caribbean? Why did indentured labour become so prominent? What is the current Dutch monarchy's approach to slavery? Did Native Americans keep slaves? Listen as William and Anita answer your questions. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/empirepod. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn ...
Aug 08, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 23
