La Fayette, We Are Here!

King Louis XIII and the Cardinal de Richelieu. These two men are quite important and deserve to be better known. The Cardinal is probably the most known of the two, because of his policies, wars and his long lasting impact on French institutions and Europe's destiny.

Louis XIII is often perceived as the weaker of the two, the king who merely signed his minister's recommendation. But history is never quite that straightforward, that easy. It is under these men that France will become an absolute monarchy and will begin her rise as Europe's dominant power. Louis XIII's son, Louis XIV will complete his father's work and become Europe's most powerful monarch. 

Join me as I discuss the Just king and the famed red eminence, France's dynamic duo! 

Timecodes:
Introduction
04:13 - Bloodied France
09:47 - The Red Eminence
13:48 - The Phoenix Rises
19:56 - The Great Partnership
26:28 - A Reinforced Kingdom
33:40 - France and the World
38:31 - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Artwork: Louis XIII in coronation costume and Portrait of Cardinal Richelieu. Both by Philippe de Champaigne.

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The Nouvelle France (New France) is the French colonization of North America. And by this I mean North America, not just Canada. Over a couple of centuries, the French established settlements all over North America, especially along the St-Lawrence and Mississippi River but also in Nova Scotia, Florida, Louisiana and more.

New France basically existed from the first adventures of Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763 and the signature of the treaty of Paris, that saw France lose most of its American possessions. It is a remarkable, violent, tragic and perennial story. Embark with me on this grand adventure! 

Timecodes:
Introduction
06:03 - Adventure and Discovery in America
13:27 - The First French Settlers
21:09 - Expansion Along the Rivers
26:53 - War and Peace
35:25 - New France Peaks
44:07 - New France Dies
53:26 - The Following Years
57:42 - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Artwork: L'expédition de Cavelier de la Salle pour la Louisiane, 1684, by Théodore Gudin (1844). (Grand Palais, Château de Versailles).

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We delve into the life and reign of King François I (Francis the First), who ruled France from 1515 to 1547. Despite facing significant challenges and experiencing notable failures during his rule, François I remains one of the most renowned French monarchs. He is particularly associated with the Renaissance in France and has left a lasting legacy, particularly in the fields of arts and sciences.

He's also responsible for the establishment of New France by sending Jacques Cartier across the Atlantic. Join me for one of the most extraordinary adventures of the Sixteenth century!

Timecodes:
Introduction
03:55- An Unexpected King
09:02- A Young and Ambitious King
16:50- A Builder King
26:24- A Torn King
32:33- An Old King
36:25- Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Artwork: François Ier around 1530 by Jean Clouet (Louvre Museum).

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In this special episode, I am joined by Sean J. McLaughlin, historian specialized on the relationship between Charles de Gaulle and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  He is the author of JFK and de Gaulle: How America and France Failed in Vietnam, 1961-1963 (University Press of Kentucky, 2019).

Together, we discuss the complex but utterly fascinating relationship between France and America in the post-WWII world, especially in Southeast Asia. France and America, two Allies with very different perspectives, had a rough time discussing the situation in Vietnam in the 1950's and 1960's. Add to that the personalities of key characters like de Gaulle and Kennedy, and you end up with a fascinating, if sad, story.

Join us for this great discussion!

Find Sean's books at the University Press of Kentucky

Timecodes:
Introduction
02:35- France's Place at the Outcome of WWII
10:23- De Gaulle's Relationship with America
21:21- John F. Kennedy, France and Vietnam
45:50- Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and France
54:52- France's International Role Since the Vietnam War
59:24- France and America's Relationship Now
1:01:55- Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Photo: De Gaulle and JFK in Paris, 1961. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Boston

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"The pearl of the Empire", that's how the French described their colony of Indochina, comprised of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. They took over control in the nineteenth century, exploited the place for decades, and finally got kicked out in 1954-55. 

It is a story of violence and exploitation. Of colonization and war. Of exchanges and legacies. And sometimes, of beauty. A story also rarely told in France, as the French aren't proud of what they did there.

Let’s find out more about French Indochina; from Imperial Jewel, to Hell on Earth. 

Timecodes:

Introduction
03:23- The Second French Colonial Empire
08:26- The Establishment of French Indochina
16:43- A Colony of Exploitation
21:58- Bloody Greed
25:52- World War II and the Vietnamese Emancipation
30:07- The Indochina War
42:43- Conclusion


Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Poster for tourism in French Indochina drawn by J. Lhuissier, circa 1920.

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In this very special episode, I am joined by a coalition of Napoleonic experts to discuss this fascinating period of history and its legacy. We cover Napoléon's personality, some campaigns, the roles of his marshals, the era's lasting impact, as well as a variety of other topics. A truly interesting and enjoyable discussion.

My guests are:

Dr. Zack White, historian, battlefield guide, host of  "The Napoleonic Wars Podcast", Chair of the Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity. (Twitter: @ZwhiteHistory), from the United Kingdom.

Marcus Cribb, podcaster, battlefield guide, blogger & author in progress on Duke of Wellington & the Peninsular War Heritage Manager, former Manager of Apsley House & a founding trustee of Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity. (Twitter: @mcribbHistory), from the United Kingdom.

Philipp Wagenknecht, historian and teacher specialist of Prussia and the German States from 1740 to 1815. (Twitter: @PertinaxS), from Germany.

John Viscardo, host of the "Generals and Napoleon Podcast". (Twitter: @AndNapoleon), from the United States of America.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you listen to our two episodes on Napoléon. Listen to Part I and to Part II.

Timecodes:

Guests Introductions
06:00- Our Favourite Napoleonic Subjects
1:02:32- Napoléon’s lasting influence & Legacy
1:25:38- Uchronia: Napoléon Wins Waterloo. What happens next?
1:52:00- Open Discussion
2:08:42- Conclusion & Goodbyes


Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Statue of Napoléon by French sculptor Pierre Stenne, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. (photo by Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters)

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Charles de Gaulle, the famous general who led the French Resistance during the Second World war before becoming President and the father of the current French political system: the Fifth Republic.

De Gaulle is a very, very complicated man. You will often read in the same paragraph that he was ultra-conservative, but that he was a troublemaker and favoured change. If anything, de Gaulle proves that great leaders are rarely black or white, but often many shades of grey. I shall offer you here, an overview of his character and what he did. Hopefully, this will help you understand Le Grand Charles a bit better.


Timecodes:

Introduction
03:32- The Great Asparagus
08:10- The First World War
14:33- France's Collapse
19:50- The Leader of the Résistance
31:12- The Fall of the French Empire
36:06- De Gaulle President
45:10- May 1968 and the Fall of de Gaulle
47:54- Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Charles de Gaulle broadcasting from the BBC studios in London, June 1940

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The Fall of France of 1940, the famous military campaign that saw France being conquered by the German army in a few weeks. This subject is one of the most misinterpreted military events in history.

Reading online, you’d believe that the French went to war with sticks to fight German Panzers, or that they fled at the first sign of enemy artillery. While it is perfectly true that the French army was defeated by the German in a short amount of time, the reasons for this are worth exploring and not just on the military level.

Join me as I dig into the deep roots of the French defeat of 1940.

Timecodes:

Introduction
06:10- Prelude to a Defeat
13:25- The Phoney War
19:17- The Great Offensive
28:02- The Final Collapse
36:30 - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Adolf Hitler visits Paris with architect Albert Speer (left) and artist Arno Breker (right), June 23, 1940.

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December 2nd 1804, Napoléon Bonaparte is crowned Emperor of the French. Over the next decade, he will keep reforming and modernizing France, but he will also fight the rest of Europe. He will become master of the continent, defeating all his enemies on land, only to go too far and to see Europe strike back at him and at France.

This is the second part of Napoléon's great adventure. If you haven't already done so, I encourage you to listen to the first part as well as to my episode on the French Revolution. Let us follow Napoléon and the Grande Armée on the battlefields of Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain and France. And then we will land on a tiny island, on the middle of the Atlantic. The Napoleonic adventure is one of strong contrasts, as you shall see.

Timecodes:

Introduction
04:20 - From Consul to Emperor
12:40 - The First French Empire and the Grande Armée
24:04 - The Fourth Coalition War and the Continental System
31:48 - The Peninsular War and the Fifth Coalition
44:02 - The Beginning of the Downfall: Russia
50:50 - Europe Strikes Back
1:00:00 - The Exile on Saint Helena
1:03:23 - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: 1814, Campagne de France, by Ernest Meissonier

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Napoléon Bonaparte doesn't really need an introduction. He's the most famous Frenchman ever. He's had more books written about him than any other person, except for Jesus Christ. This French general and emperor shook France, Europe and the world at the turn of the nineteenth century.

He is also a polarizing figure. Enlightened ruler, or tyrannic dictator? In this episode, we will explore the fantastic story that led him from humble origins in Corsica to being the focus of all of Europe's monarchs and armies.

Note: I strongly encourage you to listen to my previous episode on the French Revolution. You might miss a bit in the years of 1789 to 1799 if you are not aware of some facts that I talked about then.

Timecodes:

Introduction
06:10 - Humble beginnings
14:36 - From promising officer to superstar General
20:12 - Joséphine and the Italian Campaign
29:48 - The Egyptian Legend
42:36 - Napoléon takes over France
53:51 - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Bonaparte devant le Sphinx by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1867-1868

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