During the long sequence of wars that engulfed Europe between 1792 and 1815, there was one constant: whoever else might shift allegiance, Britain and France were always against each other. Britain was the wealthiest nation in Europe. France was the first to build a mass army. Those were ingredients for an entirely new kind of war.

This episode looks at how Britain became so wealthy, France so powerful military. And, along the way, it explodes a few Industrial revolution myths about the Protestant ethic, the effect of climate and British genius.

Illustration: Schematic of a Newcomen atmospheric engine, fired by coal and driven by steam. It was used above all to pump water out of mines. Invented in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen, it was the first practical device designed to use steam power to produce mechanical work.

Music: Bach Partita #2c by J Bu licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License