Episode 328: The Empire
As we begin the Thirty Years War, I back up a bit and explore the structure of the Holy Roman Empire. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Dec 27, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 328
Western Civ
A fast-moving history of the western world from the ancient world to the present day. Examine how the emergence of the western world as a global dominant power was not something that should ever have been taken for granted. This podcast traces the development of western civilization starting in the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome, past the collapse of the Western Roman Empire into the Dark Ages, and then follows European and, ultimately, American history as the western world moved into a dominant world position.
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Episodes
Early Modern Overview Four: Religion, Economics, and Technology
As you can imagine, much changed in European economic life and technology between 1450 and 1650. Here I cover many of the most relevant transformations that would alter European life in the Early Modern Period. Website Western Civ 2.0
Dec 20, 2024•58 min
Early Modern Overview Three: Politics and Culture
In this episode, we discuss major political and cultural changes in Early Modern Europe. Website Western Civ 2.0
Dec 13, 2024•42 min
Early Modern Europe Part One: 1450
We begin our overview of Early Modern Europe with a close look at the year 1450. That is the year when most textbooks begin the era. Today we explore the changes in society, the economy, politics, and technology that make the 1450 essential for understanding how far Europeans had come since the depths of the Middle Ages. Website Western Civ 2.0
Nov 29, 2024•37 min
Episode 327: Ivan the Terrible (Part Four)
Ivan's reign ends as it began, with needless death and destruction. Ivan appears powerless to resist Lithuanian advances but is more than capable of murdering his son and heir. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Nov 22, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 327
Episode 326: Ivan the Terrible (Part Three)
Ivan creates a new government and takes his anger out on the citizens of Novgorod. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Nov 15, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 324
Episode 325: Ivan the Terrible (Part Two)
Ivan goes on campaign against Kazan and the guardrails start coming off. Website Patreon Support
Nov 08, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 325
Episode 324: Ivan the Terrible (Part One)
Ivan IV assumes the throne after a twelve-year regency. It does not take him long to earn his nickname. Website Western Civ 2.0
Nov 01, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 324
Episode 323: Russian Review
Before we jump into Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV), let's catch up on the Rus. Website Patreon Support
Oct 25, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 322
Episode 322: The End of James I
Charles and Buckingham go on an adventure to Spain which ends, spoiler alert, horribly. The Thirty Years War erupts in Germany. But James does not live to see it reach a fever pitch. Website Western Civ 2.0
Oct 18, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 322
Episode 321: Trouble in Germany
James I desperately wanted to marry his son, Charles, to the Spanish Princess. However, when his son-in-law, Frederick of the Palatinate, becomes embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years War, that goal seems more and more distant by the minute. Website Patreon Support
Oct 11, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 321
The Bible: A Global History
A global history of the world’s best-known and most influential book. For Christians, the Bible is a book inspired by God. Its eternal words are transmitted across the world by fallible human hands. Following Jesus’s departing instruction to go out into the world, the Bible has been a book in motion from its very beginnings, and every community it has encountered has read, heard, and seen the Bible through its own language and culture. In The Bible , Bruce Gordon tells the astounding story of th...
Oct 09, 2024•52 min
Episode 320: King and Parliament
The Stuart dynasty did NOT have a good relationship with the English Parliament. That begins with King James I. Website Patreon Support
Oct 04, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 320
Aesop's Fables: A New Translation
Aesop’s fables are among the most familiar and best-loved stories in the world. Tales like “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “The Dog in the Manger,” and “Sour Grapes” have captivated us for generations. The fables delight us and teach timeless truths. Aesop’s tales offer us a world fundamentally simpler to ours—one with clear good and plain evil—but nonetheless one that is marked by political nuance and literary complexity. Newly translated and annotated by renowned scholar Robin Waterfield, this de...
Oct 01, 2024•40 min
Episode 319: The Gunpowder Plot
Guy Fawkes et al decide to blow up King James I and the English Parliament. Spoiler alert: it doesn't work... Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Sep 27, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 319
Episode 318: James I
The end of the reign of Elizabeth I ends the Tudor dynasty. James I becomes the first of the short-lived Stuart line. His reign begins with no shortage of economic headaches. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Sep 20, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 316
Episode 317: Henry IV of France
Henry of Navarre spends several years fighting for the crown of France, converts to Catholicism (again), and issues the famous Edict of Nantes. Website Patreon Support
Sep 13, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 316
Episode 316: The End of Tudor England
Few dynasties have had the impact on a modern state more so than the Tudors on England. Yet, the dynasty lasted hardly more than a century. Elizabeth I, the second born daughter of Henry VIII, who reigned after her younger brother and elder sister, would prove to be the final name on the list. Today we finish her story as the sun sets on Tudor England. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial...
Sep 06, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 316
Western Civ 2.0 Episode 73: Tiberius Gracchus
In this bonus episode, you get a sneak peek of the great stuff going on in Western Civ 2.0. You can join for a free trial by clicking HERE . After the Third Punic War, the Romans wasted little time turning on each other. Long-standing economic inequality became the issue of the late second century BCE and would, eventually, bring down the republic. In the late 140s, however, Tiberius Gracchus believed his land redistribution scheme might just solve the problem. The Senate felt otherwise. But, in...
Sep 02, 2024•44 min
Episode 315: England Triumphant
England emerges from the defeat of the Spanish Armada, its stock never higher. Yet all around Elizabeth the signs of the end of the Tudor age continue to emerge. Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial Website
Aug 30, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 312
Episode 314: The End of the Valois
We enter this episode with an heir and a spare. We end with neither and the end of France's ruling house since the High Middle Ages. Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial Website
Aug 23, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 312
Episode 313: The Armada
The "Protestant Wind" fells Philip's Armada, leaving Elizabeth "Eliza Triumphant". Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial Website
Aug 16, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 313
Episode 312: The Tragical Execution
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, finally meets her end. Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial Website
Aug 09, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 312
Episode 311: Henri III
Catherine D'Medic's favorite son takes over the throne of France. Henri III is going to be notable for many reasons in French history and today we begin his story in earnest. Website Patreon Support
Aug 02, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 310
Episode 310: The Death of Charles IX
Charles IX, fairly or unfairly, will forever be remembered for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. His death ushers in a new era of uncertainty for both France and England. Website Patreon Support
Jul 26, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 308
Episode 309: English Intrigues
In this episode, we return to England under Queen Elizabeth I. Around Elizabeth, her key advisors grow increasingly uneasy about her seeming unwillingness to do anything about Mary Stuart's repeated efforts to steal her throne. When the Duke of Norfolk becomes implicated, even Parliament can no longer contain its frustration. Website Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial
Jul 19, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 306
Episode 308: The Sedentary Sultan
After the death of Selim II, the Ottoman Empire goes into a period of decline. Successive Sultans seem far more interested in doling out favors to their friends and family than expanding the borders of the empire. The Janissaries, never easy to deal with under the best of circumstances, become an increasing drain on the treasury and a problem for the government. It is not over yet for the Ottomans. Not by a long shot. But the days of endless expansion are seemingly over. Website Ad Free Shows...
Jul 12, 2024•32 min•Season 1Ep. 306
Episode 307: Selim II and the Battle of Lepanto
Today we are back in the Ottoman Empire. Selim II takes over for the deceased Suleyman the Magnificent. He continues his father's policies but suffers a major setback at the Battle of Lepanto. Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial Website
Jul 05, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 306
Episode 306: The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
The swelling tide in France finally explodes in August 1572. Just as it seems like the marriage of the Protestant Henri of Navarre prepares to wed the Catholic Princess Margot and solve the religious crisis once and for all, the kingdom explodes into an orgy of violence. Website Patreon Free Trial
Jun 28, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 304
Episode 305: The Second War of Religion
Catherine D'Medici does her best to continue charting a course of conciliation but, in this episode, her luck finally runs out. France lurches into not one but two wars of religion in this episode, leaving the kingdom torn and Catherine convinced conciliation with the Huguenots is no longer possible. Website Patreon Support
Jun 21, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 305
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