Empire: World History11 Mar 2025

236. The Great Famine: The Blight Strikes Ireland (Ep 1)

How did the memory of the Great Famine shape Irish identity? Could it have been prevented? From 1845 to 1852, a disease decimated potato crops across Ireland. Farmers of small plots who relied entirely on this monoculture were launched into complete destitution. Desperate families were evicted from their homes and suffered through starvation. British public policy offered limited assistance, such as workhouses and public works schemes. But people who were used to hunkering down inside during winter had no warm clothes now suddenly had to work outside in freezing conditions to earn their way. Charles Trevelyan, was put in charge of handling the famine and repeatedly promoted “self-reliance”, describing the catastrophe as a “judgement of God sent to teach the Irish a lesson”. Approximately 1 million people died of disease or starvation, and around 2 million people emigrated, causing huge societal shifts that changed Ireland forever. Listen as Anita and William are joined by writer and historian Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn and Long Island, and co-author of The Irish Famine, to discuss the impact of the Great Hunger on Ireland. _____________ Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, and a weekly newsletter! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk goalhanger.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Episoder(392)

379. Algerian Revolution: Black Panthers, LSD, & Nina Simone (Ep 5)

How did Algiers become a centre for revolutionaries from around the world in the 1960s? What happened to the “pied noirs” white settlers after Algeria gained independence? Who was Frantz Fanon, and...

19 Jul 46min

378. Algerian Revolution: Birth of Independence (Ep 4)

How did the French use systemic torture during the Battle of Algiers? Which army generals plotted to overthrow the French president? Why did the bloody birth of an independent Algeria herald further t...

15 Jul 31min

377. Algerian Revolution: The Battle of Algiers (Ep 3)

What really happened during the infamous Battle of Algiers? How did the Algerian War of Independence begin? Who was the radical mastermind who restructured the resistance movement under the noses of t...

12 Jul 37min

376. Algerian Revolution: Repression and Rebellion (Ep 2)

Who were the ‘pied noirs’ and how did they come to dominate Algerian society? What was life like for the millions of Muslim Algerians living under French rule? Why did VE Day celebrations trigger horr...

8 Jul 43min

375. Algerian Revolution: The French Invasion (Ep 1)

How did the French colonise Algeria? Was the Algerian economy built on slavery? Who was the revolutionary priest who united Algerians against the invaders? What atrocities did the French commit in the...

5 Jul 41min

374. Ken Burns on the American Revolution and Empire

How did the United States change from a revolutionary experiment into a global empire? Was the American Revolution really a civil war over Native American land? Why was George Washington known as the ...

4 Jul 36min

373. The Dark Truth About Mount Rushmore

What is the dark past of Mount Rushmore, America’s most famous national Monument? How did a sacred indigenous site become a colossal shrine to the American empire? What ties did sculptor Gutzon Borg...

1 Jul 53min

372. The First British Indians: The Sisters Rejected By Queen Victoria (Ep 4)

Who were Princesses Irene and Pauline, the forgotten Duleep Singh sisters? Why did Queen Victoria shun them? Why did Irene choose to leave her fortune to Dr Barnado's, sparking a vicious legal battle...

28 Jun 54min