Western Civ

Francis and Charles finally resolve their differences and western Europe gets a break from the carnage. But, as usual, the fate of Milan spoils the pot and before long the two are at it again. Meanwhi...

2 Dec 202253min

Unable to help himself, Francis I pushes Charles V and much of western Europe into war. Luckily for him, his talented General Montmorency takes the reigns this time and wears Charles out resulting in ...

25 Nov 202244min

It has been a while but let's catch up with Francis and Charles. Since his release, Francis I has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of complying with the Treaty of Madrid. The French R...

18 Nov 202252min

In his upcoming book, The Mongol Storm, historian Nicholas Morton discusses the vast subject that is the Mongol Empire. All of it. Here we talk about a small fraction of his excellent work.Link to the...

15 Nov 202255min

In this episode, Anne Boleyn fails to produce a male heir (definitely NOT her fault) and loses her head while Henry does his best to enforce religious conformity. Spoiler alert: it's not going to work...

11 Nov 202248min

Last time, King Henry VIII took England right up to the brink of separation from Rome in order to divorce Queen Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn. In today's episode, pressed by his advisors, Thomas Cro...

4 Nov 202248min

Sometimes in history, an unexpected event or emergency changes its course. In the late 1520s, Henry VIII, King of England, wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn. In no...

28 Okt 202258min

In this episode, we take a step back and examine the origins of the English Reformation up to, roughly, 1522. Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey work to try and solve some of the problems facing the churc...

21 Okt 202257min