In the words of the historian John A. Lynn, " trying to understand seventeenth-century European history without weighing the influence of war and military institutions is like trying to dance without listening to the music ." For the last 15 episodes, we've surrounded ourselves with a heck of a lot of music, so I hope you're ready to dance! This is it, our FINAL episode of 2019 [if you're not a patron!] and our last instalment of the 17th Century Warfare series! We've come a long way in our exam...
Dec 18, 2019•40 min
Our war is nearly over, but we still have some matters to discuss! Here we summarise what we’ve learned over the last few episodes, and pave the way for the narrative to come. There is much we still don’t know about warfare in the 17th century, simply because there is so darn much to know! However, over the last several episodes, we’ve given a very good grounding in what 17th century warfare was all about. We saw how important the theory of the military revolution was, because it shaped debate a...
Dec 04, 2019•38 min
This is a tale of two sieges! We examine the siege of St Martins on the Isle of Re by the ENglish, and the siege of Mantua by the Imperials and Spanish. These two sieges in the late 1620s were pivotal cases where the Thirty Years War hung in the balance. Unrelated though these theatres were to the main war in Germany, they each created ripples which had a profound effect on the outcome of the war. But these sieges did more than that - they also provided us with an ideal opportunity to focus our ...
Nov 20, 2019•44 min
We've heard a great deal about how armies changed during the 17th century, and how their commanders adopted new tactics and reforms to increase their firepower and ferocity. BUT what about the states that commanded these armies? Here we look at a specific case study, Austria, to see not just how the creation of a standing army empowered this curious state, but also how it defined what it meant to be an Austrian Empire. Where exactly did the Austrian Empire come from, carved as it was from the ru...
Nov 06, 2019•36 min
Breitenfeld . The most important battle of the Thirty Years War in my view, and the ideal but also terrifying testing ground for all of Gustavus' new reforms. Could the Swedish King leverage all his innovations in the infantry drill, in the use of artillery, or in the harnessing of cavalry's best bits? Or would he be just another victim to Count Tilly's war machine? You probably know the answer, considering his large fame, but you may not know the story of how it all happened. With a focus that ...
Oct 23, 2019•41 min
At long last, our series on 17th century warfare smacks straight into the man many of you probably came all this way to see. What did Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden do to make his name in the military sphere? Did he really do all that is often assumed? Do we give me too much credit? What, at the base level, can it truly be said that he accomplished? Come and find out here, as we look at the Swedish king's innovations in infantry drill, firepower, artillery and cavalry, to build a picture of the mos...
Oct 09, 2019•38 min
In our ninth installment on 17th century warfare, we assess the overall contribution of the Dutch to the military revolution, through a few important spheres. We will learn that spreading the word about new technological innovations was not an unusual practice, and that Europeans were far more willing to share their discoveries than we may have previously imagined. In addition, we examine how the drill became the supreme method of warfare, and how it inculcated a sense of discipline which profou...
Sep 25, 2019•37 min
How did Poland and Lithuania come to be joined together as one state? Here we answer that critically important question, as well as several others which go along with it. Of course, our story may begin in the year 1700, but we would be remiss if we didn't mention several threads of the story which brings the narrative to that point. Why did the Commonwealth have an elective monarchy? Why were the nobility so powerful? And perhaps the most pressing question - how did a pagan grand duke of Lithuan...
Sep 16, 2019•32 min
Where did the inspiration to tackle this project come from, what sources have we devoured, and what can you expect from this series? These questions and so many more besides will be addressed here, so make sure you get the full picture of what we're up to by listening in! Click here to access all of what Poland has to offer! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 16, 2019•34 min
FINALLY! After several years, countless teases, numerous changed plans, and no shortage of research, one of the most anticipated series we have ever tackled lands at long last. Poland Is Not Yet Lost has been made possible thanks to the incredible support I received from you, my patrons, so I hope you'll check this first introduction episode out as we set the scene, and set forth some of our plans for this fascinating and very chunky series. Click here to sign up on Patreon and get ALL Poland ha...
Sep 16, 2019•31 min
After covering the adoption of a revolutionary new musket drill by Maurice of Nassau in the late 1590s, in this episode we come to the point where all of these innovations would be put to the test, so I hope you’re ready to listen in, as the full horrors of constant barrages of lead on the human body were felt to their full effect for the first time in Western Europe, in the relatively unknown Battle of Nieuwpoort, in July 1600. This episode provides a key example of what made the Military Revol...
Sep 09, 2019•50 min
We're back! At long last, after a lot of confusing scheduling and weird decisions, WDF is finally ready to introduce to you what we have planned for the next few years. It is an investigation of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) like you've never seen it before, and I couldn't be more excited to begin! Listen in here for a rundown of what we've done so far since our too eager release back in May 2018, and what we plan to do going forward. For those confused with what this all means, and why there...
Sep 09, 2019•41 min
What a lovely surprise! I sat down with Kaner [Ken] and Amby [Gavin], two Ozzies with a love of the game Diplomacy, which I have name dropped many times on this show. The three of us chat about a whole range of topics, from our experiences playing the game, to my recent projects and the processes involved with them, to current examples of diplomacy failing. It was a great chat and I had a wonderful time, and if you did too, make sure to check out their show Diplomacy Games , and follow the links...
Aug 17, 2019•1 hr 5 min
The Versailles Anniversary Project consumed 8 months of my life, and 8 months of your attention. It was the largest, most ambitious, and most exhausting project we have ever taken on. What did this 'taking on' actually look like though? You may know that it was a long hard enjoyable slog, but what else is there to the story of this monster, which, as the statistics show, has taken more than 67 hours to fully unwrap? Well history friend, look no further, as finally bid farewell to this project on...
Jul 10, 2019•30 min
After 8 months and 85 episodes, what is left to say? As it turns out, quite a lot, so I hope you'll join me as we wrap up the longest project we've ever tackled here at WDF. The questions of German responsibility, of Woodrow Wilson's selective compromising, and the exercise of finger pointing all come under our microscope, as we deliver our final words on this saga. Thanksss so much for your support over the last few months, and here's to our next audio adventure! **** The Versailles Anniversary...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 9 min
In this episode, we conclude our story f the delegates who partook in this romp through alternative history and imagination land over the last six months. You are all a credit to history podcast listeners, and thanksss so much for making such hard work be so much darn fun. What does the world look like up to 1945? What did the delegates do after 1919 to make their mark upon the world? Furthermore, who would walk away with the coveted 74th ANNUAL DELEGATION GAME AWARDS!? Find out here! Thanks aga...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 37 min
It's high time we examined where the Germans fit into all of this mess. Having been left with the most unfair treaty in the universe, how could these poor unfortunate Germans possibly repair and move on? My point, as I make many times in this final episodes of our project, is that the German responsibility for this 'moving on' rested with the Germans and the Germans alone. An imperfect Treaty was not an excuse for Nazism. A did not automatically equal B, and the Treaty of Versailles did not have...
Jul 06, 2019•58 min
Vittorio Orlando, George Clemenceau, David Lloyd George and Woodrow Wilson. Four men, who over the last eight months, had been more central to the development of the peace, and thus the development of the 20th century, than any other figures. In this episode, we remember each man and his story during this eight month period. What struggles did each face, what triumphs did they enjoy, and what has history come to say about each of them? Can any one of them truly claim to have succeeded? If all ha...
Jul 05, 2019•1 hr 36 min
Germany and Austria receive their peace treaties, amidst an atmosphere which was calm and collected in some places, but scheming and troubling in others. Could it be guaranteed that these arrangements would stand the test of time? Who was left pleased, where others were enraged? Was anyone listening to the small people? Find out in our final narrative episode of the Delegation Game! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Just because the main event had been and gone, did not mean that the story ended here. For many delegates and peacemakers, the mission remained one of leveraging as many advantages from the peace treaty as possible. For others, it was a case of working with friends and foes alike to secure their borders or their interests once they returned home. Returning home, indeed, was on the agenda on many statesmen who had helped make the treaty. Yet, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles did not mean t...
Jun 30, 2019•45 min
On This Day in history a century ago! What else, other than that infamous scene. After more than eight months, we reach that scene. What exactly was the Hall of Mirrors like to sit in? We have the answers. What did the Germans look like? Again, we have it covered. What were the consequences, of these signatures of the century? Again, we have it covered in Episode 82 of this whopper project. We've been on quite a journey over the last few months, and I couldn't have done without you all. So thank...
Jun 28, 2019•44 min
If you thought we'd simply fast forward to the infamous scene where the Germans signed on the dotted line, then you haven't been paying attention! Between the 24 and 27 June, there was a great deal going down, even if many of the peacemakers had mentally checked out, knowing that the signing was only a few days away. As the allies blamed the Germans for Scapa Flow, and Clemenceau imagined a new scheme involving the occupation of the city of Essen, the Germans worked to find someone, anyone, who ...
Jun 27, 2019•45 min
With a German Treaty tantalisingly close to completion, it remained to do the rounds, and find out exactly what was bothering or motivating the various delegates. Some last minute agreements, goals, and even strategic alliances were possible, as these peacemakers imagined life after the Treaty of Buckingham... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 24, 2019•53 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! On This Day a century ago, the Germans finally accepted the unacceptable. They finally arrived at the point where they determined that enough was enough. O...
Jun 23, 2019•31 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! Our latest episode contains the following theme, expressed by the Germans, to the effect that Germany would not accept the so-called 'war guilt clause'. Th...
Jun 22, 2019•33 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! Within this episode we tell the incredible story of Scapa Flow, that infamous event in the twilight of the peace conference, where the German admiral von R...
Jun 21, 2019•35 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! While the allied rejection of the Counterproposals seemed to signify that there was no going back for Germany, certain individuals within the German delega...
Jun 21, 2019•41 min
Operation Redeemer - that plan to relieve the besieged forces commanded by General David McCay in Kiev, spearheaded by a force commanded by Paul von Lettow Vorbeck, composed of Freikorps soldiers and other German volunteers. It was a story almost too incredible to be true - and yet, onwards the redeemed marched. Back in London, the peacemakers chaired the Arbitration Committee, and imagined life after the conference. It seemed that the pieces were coming together, but would everyone be standing ...
Jun 18, 2019•48 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! On This Day in history a century ago, a significant milestone in the history of the Paris Peace Conference was reached, and like so many others we have com...
Jun 16, 2019•44 min
Join me and other history friends on Flick - a great app for history friends and important conversations! My agora friends and others are going to be in New York for a special conference on 29th June - meet Mike Duncan, Kevin Stroud, David Crowther and more! Search Intelligent Speech Conference now! Use the code WDF to get 5% off your ticket! Between 5 to 10 June 1919, one could be forgiven for imagining that the allies would be far too buys discussing the German counterproposals and their inten...
Jun 12, 2019•49 min
