15-Minute History14 Jul 2025

What If? | A Lasting Peace at Tilsit (Republish)

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on July 12, 2021.

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The raft floated in the midst of the River Niemen. On it were two beautiful pavilions, one for the Emperor of the French and the other for the Czar and Autocrat of All the Russias. In the French tent, Napoleon Bonaparte argued with his foreign minister, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, over how harsh the peace terms with the defeated Russians should be. Talleyrand, a servant of every revolutionary government since 1789, was a snake in silk stockings, but he knew foreign policy better than anyone else in the emperor’s entourage. He begged the emperor to treat Russia gently and put an end to fifteen years of war. But Napoleon, flush with the victory at Friedland earlier that year, was determined to humiliate Alexander I, and Talleyrand, ever the obedient servant in public, fell silent. What if Napoleon had heeded Talleyrand’s advice in 1807 and treated the Russians with more respect? What would our world look like today if history had taken a different course? In this series of bonus episodes on “15-Minute History,” Joe and I will be sharing some of our favorite “What If?” scenarios from this series with you. Building on the theme of Season Four, learning from history, we hope to provide some lessons on how individuals shape the destinies of large groups and entire nations.

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Episoder(509)

Pop Quiz | Lessons from Rome's Fall

Is America approaching an end similar to Rome's?No.But are there lessons from how the Roman Empire collapsed in the West that nations and leaders can apply to their own situations? Of course, so Joe a...

20 Aug 6min

Fredrick Douglas | Pinnacle of Freedom (Repost)

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 14, 2022.---"I once knew a little boy whose mother an...

17 Aug 15min

Pop Quiz | The Image of a Villain

Why do people continue to believe the worst about historical villains even if the facts prove they aren't quite as bad as some people thought?Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and...

13 Aug 4min

Casting the Dice | The American Revolution (Repost)

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 20, 2025.---America is often described as a nation of ...

10 Aug 14min

Pop Quiz | The Glorious Past

Why do politicians always call back to an idea--real or imagined--of the past? Is it as simple as wanting to make their country great again, or is there a deeper motivation?Join us every Thursday this...

6 Aug 4min

Changing the Constitution | The Progressive Amendments (Repost)

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 9, 2026.---American progressives at the turn of the 2...

3 Aug 15min

Pop Quiz | The Dunkirk "What If"

Would Britain have surrendered if Germany had destroyed its army at Dunkirk? This week, Joe and Jon explore one of the classic "what ifs" of the Second World War.Join us every Thursday this summer for...

30 Jul 4min

War of 1812 (Part 2) | The Fire That Reforged a Nation (Republish)

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on December 1, 2025.---Washington burns. The White House is in fl...

27 Jul 18min