After going on a tear for 18 months, Gustavus Adolphus had finally caught Wallenstein, in a town just outside of Leipzig. Considering the enormous amount of men under recruitment, their army sizes were somewhat small, but that didn't make the battle any less ferocious. Indeed, Lutzen can be viewed as a turning point, not merely in the conflict here, but also in early modern warfare. The Swedish cause would never be the same again, but the Thirty Years War was only just entering its second half.....
May 11, 2022•36 min
Real quick - turns out Indira Ghandi is NOT related to Ghandi at all, and is in fact the daughter of Nehru. What are the odds of that? Thanks to Andrew Mence for the correction! For this bonus interview episode, I'm very excited to be joined by Dr Jennifer Sciubba! Here she talks about her new book, 8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death and Migration Shape our World - which you can get here! We have a fascinating conversation about population; the impact which a declining population can have on...
May 04, 2022•39 min
With Breitenfeld changing the balance of power in the Empire, Gustavus had much to do as 1631 became 1632. First was the matter of Count Tilly's battered survivors from the battle, who had since been reinforced, and guarded the entrance to Bavaria. But over the horizon was an even greater threat to the Swedish King - Albrecht of Wallenstein, the Holy Roman Emperor's last hope. The two titans faced off throughout the summer of 1632, with dramatic (and disgusting) results. Get a load of all that w...
Apr 26, 2022•39 min
The Battle of Breitenfeld was a turning point in the Thirty Years War, but equally important was what Gustavus Adolphus chose to do after. In his race to conquer, Gustavus tore down the Rhine, seizing a wide range of cities, from Wurzburg, to Mainz, to Frankfurt. In the process, he upset the contract between the Emperor and his subjects like never before, demanding an answer which would come from Wallenstein in 1632. More depressingly for the average German, Gustavus swollen army of 80,000 was j...
Apr 13, 2022•37 min
From the moment Gustavus Adolphus landed in Northern Germany, it was clear that his triumph was impossible so long as the Protestant Electors of Brandenburg and Saxony refused to join his side. Throughout spring and summer of 1631 though, Gustavus' luck finally began to turn, thanks in part to his liberal use of intimidation, and the horrendous miscalculations of the Emperor. Pointing his cannons at Berlin soon compelled a defenceless Elector of Brandenburg to make an alliance. Saxony, on the ot...
Mar 30, 2022•33 min
We are joined today by Ole from Immortal Games to talk about Story Games History . Story Games History is a ground-breaking concept for making history more accessible, both to casual fans, and for learning purposes. Ole talks about his plan for approaching schools and colleges, adding more academic clout to this exciting project. Perhaps most interestingly, Ole explains how Story Games History will bring 16 key historical world events and persons to life through this innovative new educational m...
Mar 23, 2022•45 min
Magdeburg, the city where the Thirty Years' War changed. As the Swedes gathered in North Germany, and the Imperials moved to counter them, their paths led to Magdeburg, a city on the River Elbe with a history of defiance. The city fathers of Magdeburg may have believed that their city would serve as the turning point of the war, but what they could never have imagined was the price which would have to be paid, by Magdeburg's citizens... **DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THESE LINKS!** 1) To support the p...
Mar 16, 2022•37 min
Well, he did it. He actually did it. After month of posturing, years of undeclared war, and even longer lying to our faces, Putin authorised Russia's invasion of Ukraine. How did it come to this? Is Putin the only variable that matters? Does diplomacy still have a chance? Where do I see all of this going? You may not think you need yet another person talking about this war, but just in case you do, join me here, as I explain why this war happened, and why it's personal to me. It's my first time ...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 36 min
Get your copy of the second edition of A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War! In early 1631, Gustavus Adolphus was in desperate need of allies and subsidies. Fortunately for him, Cardinal Richelieu of France was only too happy to help, but such friendship would come at a cost. France wasn't interested in throwing away good money. Instead, they wanted to effectively sponsor the Swedish invasion. They would fund Sweden's efforts, in return for Gustavus' promise to maintain a large arm...
Mar 02, 2022•37 min
Get your copy of the second edition of A Matter of Honour: Britain in the First World War! Check out the Twitter thread on Audiblegate, where I went viral, being seen by nearly 1 million people! In spring and summer 1630, Sweden's King could put it off no longer. The months of outrages, the insults, and the straight up interefernce in his business by the Emperor's proxies had gnawed away at his patience. War would have to follow, but how to present this war to the wider world? How to track the l...
Feb 16, 2022•35 min
**IF YOU LIKE, FOLLOW THESE LINKS!** 1) To support the podcast financially in return for some extra audio content, check out Patreon! 2) To find a community of history friends, look at our Facebook page and group! 3) To keep up to date with us, follow us on Twitter! 4) Matchlock and the Embassy, our new historical fiction novel, is out NOW! Get it here It's hard to imagine it now, but 400 years ago, Russia was THE underdog in Europe. Racked by the aftershocks of the Time of Troubles (1603 - 1618...
Feb 02, 2022•33 min
With Denmark exiting the war in Germany, everything seemed to be looking up Ferdinand in spring 1629, but there was a problem. While on the military front, the Emperor still held the edge, on the diplomatic front, forces were conspiring to turn the war on its head. Cardinal Richelieu recognised that if Sweden and Poland could be brought to the peace table, Gustavus Adolphus would be free at long last to intervene in Germany. Both the Swedes and the French went deeper than this, though. Each reco...
Jan 19, 2022•35 min
In Episode 5 of the Trent Affair - our final episode, for now! - we ask the big questions, and finish our narrative which stretched across both sides of the Atlantic. At the last moment, it seemed, calmer heads had prevailed, and an Anglo-American War was not required as the price for stained British honour. But the two sides had come VERY close to such a nightmare, closer, in fact, than they had since 1812. Could something be learned from this exchange? Or, as the gloomier pundits warned, was t...
Dec 31, 2021•41 min
Listen here to our penultimate episode on the Trent Affair, and the moment when peace or war hung in the balance! After a tense wait, Britain's ultimatum finally arrived in Washington. How would Lincoln and Seward respond to its terms? The Confederate commissioners would have to be returned, and a suitable apology offered, if the British were to be satisfied, but there was room for some manoeuvre. This breathing space was thanks to the fact that nobody was particularly enthusiastic about the pro...
Dec 29, 2021•39 min
Welcome to our third episode of the Trent Affair, here we confront an important question! Would the Americans choose peace, or would they choose war? The ultimatum had been sent on 2 December. The restrictions of communication meant that the British would be waiting a while for the answer - as much as a fortnight. But, in the meantime, what did the British government do? Incredibly, the British prepared for the unthinkable: the third Anglo-American war in under a century. Indeed, the British dev...
Dec 27, 2021•35 min
Welcome to the second episode of this special miniseries! Happy christmas and thanksss for tuning in! When news of the Trent Affair reached Britain, the British cried foul. The Government made immediate preparations to wrest a satisfactory reply from the Americans. Only the return of the commissioners and an American apology would satisfy Palmerston government. The British people demanded justice for broken laws and their dishonoured flag, but what did such ideas mean? Why was something as diffi...
Dec 25, 2021•30 min
Hello and merry christmas history friends and patrons! To say thanksss for your support and patience over the last year, I thought I'd give you a special miniseries, set in an unfamiliar but fascinating era. Allow me to introduce you to the Trent Affair, also known as the crisis which nearly sparked off a third Anglo-American War! In November 1861, an American vessel boarded the Trent , a British steamer, and whisked away two Confederate commissioners who were bound for Europe. The act violated ...
Dec 23, 2021•36 min
By summer, 1630, the stage had been set for a Swedish intervention in the German War. But how did Sweden get to the point where this became feasible, or justifiable? What had caused diplomacy to fail between the Habsburgs and Stockholm? What gripes did King Gustavus Adolphus have with the Habsburgs? Would you believe me if a told you that a tangled web of diplomacy is all to blame? Would you also believe me if I told you that it's an absolutely fascinating story, and one which is rarely, if ever...
Dec 15, 2021•32 min
By the dawn of 1630, the Emperor's triumph was secure in the Empire, but now he would have to reckon with the princes and electors of that Empire. They had some steep demands of their own - the dismissal of Wallenstein, and a lasting peace plan which would guarantee their security. The Emperor's wish for a declaration of war on the Dutch, and the confirmation of his son as heir, would have to wait. Further afield, storm clouds loomed on the horizon which threatened the hard won triumphs. The Spa...
Dec 08, 2021•47 min
By late 1628, the Habsburgs appeared supreme. The Danes were on the ropes, and all of the Empire was firmly in the grip of Wallenstein. But appearances were deceptive. The Emperor's triumph was assured, but his cousins were having less luck. Spanish problems in North Italy demanded a united Habsburg response. Spain needed all the help it could get in its Dutch War, but it was the North Italian front, specifically in Mantua, that the Spanish seemed most invested. Wallenstein was even petitioned. ...
Nov 19, 2021•35 min
The 1628 portion of the siege of La Rochelle was an anxious time for Cardinal Richelieu, as much as it was for the inhabitants of Casale, the bastion of the Duchy of Montferrat. Because of extensive commitments to the French Protestant conflict, Richelieu could spare little for North Italy, where the Habsburgs had become deeply involved. Braving winter snows and angry Italians, the Spanish had rushed to besiege Casale while the French were preoccupied. But unfortunately for Count Olivares back i...
Nov 03, 2021•48 min
The Huguenots and the English landing on the Isle of Re presented a serious challenge for Richelieu in the summer of 1627, but it was in North Italy, in the Duchies of Mantua and Montferrat, that the Franco-Spanish rivalary truly began to heat up. Indeed, this confrontation in North Italy would prove to be the prelude for French intervention in the war, in 1635. But not yet! Richelieu had to put down the Huguenots first. Only then could he take the steps on the European stage that would make his...
Oct 20, 2021•38 min
So, the Thirty Years War eh? What's in it for me, and why do you never shut up about it Zack? Well, if you'll let me, I want to explain why, while I also explain the reasons why yes EVEN YOU will be interested in the Thirty Years War... If an in-depth examination of the Thirty Years War isn't your thing, how about a historical fiction series set during that era, which will let you dip your toe in, until you jump in utterly obsessed! I recommend you check out Matchlock and the Embassy, the first ...
Oct 07, 2021•41 min
Welcome to the Thirty Years War...like you've never seen it before! Learn here how the personal rivalry and hatred between Emperor Ferdinand and his subject Frederick pushed Europe to the brink of the abyss... Over three decades, this history spat out a wide range of fascinating stories and tales, but in this episode I'm going to focus on one in particular - the incredible story of Frederick V's rise, fall then rise and then fall again! It's a winding tale, but it's also emblematic of the wider ...
Oct 07, 2021•55 min
NEW TO WDF? PLEASE START HERE! We've been on quite a journey over the last few episodes, and I think it's time we take stock. In this episode, for the benefit of new listeners, I'll explain not only what happens in this conflict, but also why it's fascinating and absolutely worth your time. We bring our story up to 1619, or Episode 18 of the Thirty Years' War back catalogue if you want to listen from the beginning of this incredible story! Matchlock is my new series set during the Thirty Years' ...
Oct 07, 2021•53 min
Our historical fiction series set during the Thirty Years' War is finally ready for you! Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Although he had been lurking in the background for some time, as he sorted through France's internal problems, by 1629, Cardinal Richelieu was finally ready to make a bold strike in a determined anti-Habsburg direction. That story has since become immortalised, but what of those internal problems? And was this French Cardinal really as willing to...
Sep 22, 2021•33 min
Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. In this special episode, I explain some details about Matchlock and the Embassy, which you can now access in all your favourite book vendors, online and off! Not sure about it ? I read our first review, which provides a brilliant analysis of what this novel brings to the table, and why you'll aring war on historical fiction, and I enjoy it if you enjoy Thirty Years War content. Want to dip your toe in ? Have a listen to the new and i...
Sep 19, 2021•22 min
Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. 1629 was THE year of the Thirty Years War, when all the tributaries seemed to join the main river, and flow as one. The Swedish and Poles made their peace, under French sponsorship. The French expelled the Huguenots from La Rochelle. The Spanish continued their siege of Casale, in North Italy. The Danes made their peace with Wallenstein and the Emperor, and the Emperor let the ink dry on his Edict of Restitution, before releasing it ...
Sep 07, 2021•38 min
Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. The war was going well for Emperor Ferdinand by 1629, fallout from the Edict of Restitution notwithstanding, but the Habsburg dynasty wasn't based in Vienna alone. Over in Madrid, things by 1629, with the Dutch war, were beginning to look increasingly dicey. How did such things happen, especially when the Dutch were brought to such a low ebb by 1625? Well, let's find out, we we trace the story of Dutch deliverance, beginning with a n...
Aug 25, 2021•30 min
Order your copy of Matchlock and the Embassy by clicking here. Time to enlighten you on how our new content and plans will factor into our Patreon page going forward, and why you should be very excited indeed! Don't want to listen? Read instead! Join the Facebook group Read this blog post to learn more Read this blog post to learn how all this will be injected into Patreon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 11, 2021•24 min
