That's Old News

Napoleon Bonaparte, now Emperor Napoleon I of the First French Empire, is under attack once again. Britain, in its continued strategy of undermining the French at every turn on the continental European mainland, has formed a new coalition - now the Third Coalition. Austria, Russia, and Sweden now join Britain in their efforts to finally put an end to the bloody French Revolution and oust the new emperor from this throne. A three-pronged attack is planned, with the main thrust coming through present-day southern Germany spearheaded by a combined Austro-Russian force. Whether certain of their success, ill-informed as to the present situation, or hopeful of their Russian reinforcements, Austria strikes too early, leaving the road open for what will become Napoleon's greatest campaign.

While waiting for a hopeful invasion of the British Isles since 1803, French forces along the English Channel coast have been training and perfecting their art of war for years. They are just itching for the opportunity to launch their invasion, but this new threat forces them east. However, at sea, French Admiral Villeneuve is caught by British Admiral Horatio Nelson. Villeneuve is needed back at Boulogne and quickly to allow for the crossing, but he has no choice but to turn and face the Royal Navy off Cape Trafalgar. The humiliating defeat he will suffer here will cement Nelson as one of Britain's greatest heroes and entirely destroy Napoleon's hopes of crossing into and finally destroying Perfidious Albion.

Join Arron this week as he continues his series on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, this time culminating in Napoleon's greatest battle he has ever fought - the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz. Learn about his new way of waging war that will completely shape military history into the present day, how a single battlefield victory after months of hard campaigning entirely shifted the balance of power in Europe, and how Napoleon finally becomes the master of Europe. And yet despite dealing with this threat and cementing himself on the continent, Admiral Horatio Nelson is determined to put an end to France's ambitions of invading Britain at the Battle of Trafalgar - a battle for which he will sacrifice his life to ensure Napoleon will forever be trapped on land.

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Adkins, Roy, "Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World", (2006).

- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", (2014).

- Davies, David, "A Brief History of Fighting Ships", (2002).

- Dodge, Theodore A., "Warfare in the Age of Napoleon Volume 2: The Egyptian and Syrian Campaigns & the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions, 1798-1805", (2011).

- Doyle, William, "Napoleon at Peace", (2022).

- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801", (2019).

- Griffith, Paddy, "French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics 1792-1815", (2007).

- Griffith, Robert (ed.), "Armies and Enemies of Napoleon 1789-1815", (2022).

- Harvey, Robert, "The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1789-1815", (2007).

- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon", (2003).

- McNab, Chris, "Napoleon's Military Machine: Operations Manual", (2019).

- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History", (2020).

- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great", (2015).

- Zamoyski, Adam, "Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth", (2019).

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(04:40) Haiti

(23:56) Episode Start: Boulogne

(38:49) The Ulm Campaign

(59:49) The Battle of Trafalgar

(01:27:04) Napoleon's Masterpiece - The Battle of Austerlitz

(01:54:39) Post Show

Alternative history scenarios are so much fun. With a range of well thought out scenarios where one key focal point in our timeline changes which entirely alters the course of history and leads to the near impossible becoming increasingly likely. The appeal of exploring such scenarios is so enticing that even prominent historians love delving into the depths of what could have been. Andrew Roberts, a leading historian on both Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill, said in defence of counterfactual history "... history is not on predetermined lines... it's a much more interesting and complex thing than the determinists would have you believe..."

Then there's... the other side of alternate history. The one that leaves you scratching your head wondering why pen was ever brought to paper in the first place. Blatant impossibilities that drive entire scenarios with little or no regard to the history of the setting that they've chosen. And those are the ones we're looking at today. From a peaceful unification of Korea under Kim Jong Un that leads directly to an invasion of the United States of America, to Hitler becoming an advocate for peace and the protection of animals by forming a vegan and animal rights party in Germany, and throwing in a scenario where Hayley asks Keego which royal marriage would have better suited Napoleon's empire as a palate cleanser, we've got something for everyone this episode. Stick around, tell us what you think, and let us know what your favourite alt-history scenario is!

This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and Arron Keegan. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) Episode Start

(03:00) Homefront: The North Korean Invasion of the United States

(14:43) Medieval Knights Fighting Snails

(16:55) Adolf Hitler's Vegan and Animal Rights Party

(24:00) The Guns of the South: Time Travellers Gift the Confederacy AK-47s to Win the US Civil War

(44:52) Which Marriage Would Be Better for Napoleon's Empire?

(55:07) Temeraire: Dragons in the Napoleonic Wars

The 1924 Army Mutiny was one of the most serious internal crises faced by the Irish Free

State, coming just after the Civil War. The state, formed in 1922 after the Anglo-Irish Treaty,

was financially and emotionally devastated. With a Civil War army of 55,000 soldiers, the

new government needed to downsize to around 17,000–18,000 to cut costs and meet treaty

obligations.

This demobilisation enraged many officers—especially those with ties to the Irish

Republican Army Organisation (IRAO), a secret society within the National Army. They

believed demobilisation betrayed their sacrifices and favoured ex-British officers over War of

Independence veterans. Dissatisfaction grew over perceived nepotism, the influence of the

IRB within the Army Council, and the belief that military loyalty was being undermined.

Veterans like Major-General Liam Tobin and Colonel Charles Dalton, once part of Michael

Collins’s intelligence network, claimed the Army was corrupt and unfairly structured. The

National Army, they argued, was split: 40% ex-IRA, 10% civilians hostile to the IRA, and

50% ex-British Army. Demands were sent to President Cosgrave, and if such demands were not met it was possible for Ireland to descend into a Second Civil War.

Join Conor this week as he dives into the 1924 Army Mutiny, an event that could have spilled into a civil war worse than what came before with the new army comprising many veterans of that very conflict. From the immediate aftermath and quality of the National Army, to the reasons and demands levied by prominent members of the officer class of that army, and the resolution that had to be reached quickly to avoid any further bloodshed, witness how the new Irish Free State almost descended into a warzone yet again.

This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Dorney, John, "The Civil War in Dublin".

- Dwyer, Ryle, "Decisive leadership and selflessness saved the nation after the Army Mutiny", (https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-20260714.html).

- Irish History Podcast, "The 1924 Army Mutiny".

- Kinsella, Eoin, "The Irish Defences, 1922-2022".

- McElhatton, Shane, "100 years since Army mutiny threatened new Civil War", (https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0306/1436169-army-mutiny-1924/).

- McElhatton, Shane, "'Set the heather on fire' - How a raid on Devlin's Pub ignited a second civil war", (https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0303/1435185-mutiny-two/) .

- The Irish Times, "Opinion - March 10th, 1924", (https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/march-10th-1924-1.479008).

- White, Gerry, "Call to arms: creating the Irish National Army", (https://www.rte.ie/history/2022/0125/1275830-call-to-arms-creating-the-irish-national-army/).

How hungry have you ever been? Quick trip to the snack drawer? A cheeky Chinese takeaway on a Friday night? How about getting a large pizza instead of a medium one? Well have you ever been so hungry - so impressively famished - that you take a look at the family dog and think to yourself: "Yeah, that'll do the trick." For this week's episode, that's not the weirdest thing to cross Tarrare's mind.

Born in 1772 near Lyon, France, Tarrare was a medical marvel unlike any other we've ever seen. The man with such an insatiable appetite that going back to the buffet counter for a second helping of everything on offer was a mandatory part of a meal and never a suggestion, he began his career as a showman travelling with a band of thieves and prostitutes demonstrating his incredible ability to just eat... and eat... and eat... An entire basket of apples? No problem. A quarter of a bullock? Piece of cake. Live animals you found roaming around the square where he was performing? Swallowed whole without the chance to ask him if he wants fries with that. If you thought The Duke from Resident Evil 8 could afford to say no to his 9th McDonalds order of the day, you've not seen anything yet.

Join Hayley this week as she recounts the medical marvel that was Tarrare. From his early days as a showman to his enlistment in the Revolutionary Army during the War of the First Coalition and him putting James Bond to shame, to a potential mishap in a hospital where a one-year-old toddler went... "missing", this is one of those stories that will make you throw up whatever you ate last so it might be best to have a bucket nearby when listening to this one... just don't let Tarrare near it because he WILL slurp it up.

This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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Sources & Further Reading:

- BBC, "The tragic fate of the man who couldn't stop eating", online at https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20161014-the-man-who-couldnt-stop-eating (15 Oct. 2016).

- Bondeson, Jan, "Freaks: The Pig-Faced Lady of Manchester Square & Other Medical Marvels" (2006).

- Bondeson, Jan., "The Two-Headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels" (New York, 2004).

- Bradley, T., Fothergill, Samuel, and Hutchinson, William (ed.) "Polyphagism" in "London Medical and Physical Journal, 42, (London), p. 205.

- Gould, George M., and Pyle, Walter L. "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" (1896).

- Millingen, J. G., "Curiosities of Medical Experience: Second Edition" (London, 1839).

- O'Sullivan, Shawn Devin, "Tarrare" (2022).

- Wall, Jonathan Frederick, "Intermedia, hypermedia, and metamedia" in "Tarrare: Consumption Studies" (University of North Carolina Dissertations & Theses, 2013).

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) Episode Start

(05:47) Introducing Tarrare

(15:58) Tarrare Enlists in the Revolutionary Army

(32:36) Tarrare Becomes a Spy

(41:03) Return to the Hospital and Trying to Find a Cure

(44:58) Tarrare's Health Deteriorates

(48:58) Post Show Banter

Across June 12th and 13th, the Israeli Air Force began the first phase of Operation Rising Lion - striking various targets inside Iran including, most prominently, three of its nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. The strikes were targeted to neutralise Iran's growing uranium enrichment project, with the International Atomic Energy Agency declaring the state was in breach of the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 by enriching uranium up to 60% - far from its 3.65% imposed limit. With only 3-5% being necessary for commercial reactors and 20% needed for research reactors, concerns over Iran's potential for the construction of a nuclear weapon led to U.S. intervention and the use of 16 of its bunker busters, along with 30 Tomahawk missiles, to aid in the destruction of Iran's facilities.

So what was hit? How important were they? And where do we go from here? We ask all these questions and more in this week's emergency episode as we look over the events between Israel and Iran over the last week, including our own assessments of the situation and what Israel's overall strategy could be with this sudden and precise strike. Are we looking at a regime change war in the Middle East, or could this conflict spill out into the wider world? Tune in and find out what we think!

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Hayley O'Connor, and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

Napoleon, the Hero of Italy, has returned from his failed campaign in Egypt and Syria, and instead of being berated as a coward who abandoned his army to the harsh Middle Eastern climate - he was instead welcomed as the Hero of Egypt. His propaganda machine worked overtime, ensuring his return was met with outright praise. But fate, as we know it, comes knocking for Napoleon at every turn, and he has arrived just in time for his next conquest - this time in the halls of power.

Political turmoil, coup attempts, ongoing war, incredible strategic marches, decisive battles, and the rise of an empire are all on the table in this month's instalment of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, including all the emerging controversies and a look at one of the greatest stains on Napoleon's entire career - the reintroduction of slavery and the Haitian expedition, as well as countering some myths and blatant untruths espoused by pseudo-historians (and that's being generous) like Claude Ribbe.

This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", (2014).

- Dodge, Theodore A., "Warfare in the Age of Napoleon Volume 2: The Egyptian and Syrian Campaigns & the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions, 1798-1805", (2011).

- Doyle, William, "Napoleon at Peace", (2022).

- Dubois, Laurent, "Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution", (2005).

- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801", (2019).

- Harvey, Robert, "The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1789-1815", (2007).

- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon", (2003).

- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History", (2020).

- Phipps, Ramsay Weston, "Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon Volume 5: The Armies on the Rhine, in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup d'Etat of Brumaire 1797-1799".

- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great", (2015).

- Strathern, Paul, "Napoleon in Egypt", (2008).

- Zamoyski, Adam, "Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth", (2019).

== Sources Specific to Refuting Claude Ribbe ==

- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Did Napoleon enacy 'genocide' in the French colonies?" (14 Apr. 2021).

- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Napoleon's re-establishment of slavery" (14 Apr. 2021).

- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Napoleon and the Colonies" (14 Apr. 2021).

- Lentz, Thierry, "Napoleon - Hitler, the Improbable Comparison", available online at napoleon.org (2011).

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(03:59) Episode Start

(11:00) Recap

(13:01) Return From Egypt and the Coup of 18 Brumaire

(33:58) Constitution of the Year VIII (December 1799)

(38:53) Fighting the Second Coalition

(01:05:42) The Battle of Marengo

(01:28:22) The Assassination Attempt, Christmas Eve 1800

(01:34:28) Stabilising and Improving France: The Concordat with the Pope, the Treaty of Amiens, Consul for Life, the Napoleonic Code, and the Proclamation of the Empire

(01:58:06) Controversies and Shortcomings

(02:20:41) The Haitian Revolution and the Refute of Claude Ribbe

History is so full of people and events that opinions regarding them are often varied, but in a lot of cases some figures or events are either blown way out of proportion or had the spotlight stripped from them almost entirely to the point that even their very existence isn't a known fact. This perpetrates throughout history so much that today it can often be controversial to question the perceived excellence of certain historical figures or your take would be brushed aside because not enough people care about some obscure person or event. So what do we think?

Controversy, supposedly, is our middle name, so why not ride that bandwagon off a cliff and give you guys some of our historical overrated and underrated figures and events from history! With figures like Alexander the Great and Grace O'Malley, to events like the 1914 Christmas Truce and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, all the way to the man who helped create that little tablet you take when you lose control over the flow of your back passage and the Battle of Bir Hakeim during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, we've got plenty of topics for you to scream at us for being so stupid or praise us because you never heard of it before! Who knows!

Join the gang this week as they tackle the overrated and underrated figures and events from history, and see what you think of our conclusions. Will you agree with us, will you think we completely missed the mark, and did we miss any events or people that you think deserve to be mentioned? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

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Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

In April 1876, the Western Australian coast contained many ships carrying out their normal business. It wasn't anything unusual of course, the coasts were busy and it wasn't at all uncommon for there to be commotion on the docks. But one ship in particular off the coast was here for a very different reason. Dropping anchor, it sent out a boat to the mainland and the crew jumped out and seemed to be on a mission. Later that day, the locals would learn of a daring prison escape mounted that very day and it all relied on that one ship, anchored out at sea, seemingly fitting in with every other ship in the bay but really there to aid in the escape of those Irish Fenian prisoners who just escaped from Fremantle Prison. And it's name, was the Catalpa.

Join Conor this week as he takes the gang through the daring escape of six Irish Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Prison in Western Australia and the role the Catalpa played in its success. We'll take you through the history of prisoners being sent to Australia to serve out their sentence, how Irish Fenians were sent there to keep them as far away from Ireland as possible, how Irish Fenians organised the whole escape over 11,000 miles away on the East Coast of the United States of America, and exactly how the Catalpa Rescue went down.

This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media and join our Discord server by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

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Sources & Further Reading:

- Durney, James, "Jailbreak: Irish Republican Escapes 1865-1983".

- Fennell, Philip, "History into Myth: The Catalpa" in Hibernia Review, vol. 9, pp 77-94.

- O'Connell, Ronan, "The Catalpa Rescue: The story behind one of Australia's most incredible prison escapes", online at CNN (https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/catalpa-rescue-escape-australia-perth/index.html).

- Pearse, Z. W., "The Catalpa Expedition".

- Quinn, James, "Breslin, John J." online at Dictionary of Irish Biography (https://www.dib.ie/biography/breslin-john-j-a0947).

Hayley is here to get jiggy with a bunch of 16th century villagers who started a flashmob and began dancing in the street when one local woman declared "Oh, I wanna dance with somebody!" and just could not shake it off until the footloose bug left their system... No I'm not at all embarrassed for all those song references.

From the strange beginnings, to the weird ways they tried to cure it, and looking into what scientific reasons may have caused this dancing plague, join Hayley this week as she takes the gang through this incredibly weird story of a humble German village busting moves harder than MC Hammer in parachute pants.

This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Make sure to follow us on our social media pages! Simply search for That's Old News on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X or follow the links below!

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/

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Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

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Sources & Further Reading

- Backman, LE., "Religious Dances in the Christian Church and in Popular Medicine", (Cambridge, 2008).

- Bouruignon, E., "Possession", (Illinois, 1991).

- Midelfort, EHC., "A History of Madness in Sixteenth-Century Germany", (Stanford, 1999).

- Waller, John, "A Time to Dance. A Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518", (Cambridge, 2008).

- Waller, John, "A Forgotten Plague: Making Sense of Dancing Mania" in The Lancet, vol. 373. pp 624-625.

- Wright, Jennifer, "Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them", (2017).

What makes us proud to be Irish? Well in the long and varied history of the country, there are countless things that anyone can point to, but we've got our own reasons to look on our beloved Emerald Isle and smile.
From the glowing smile of the Mr Tayto Man on a packet of cheese and onion crisps, to a succulent Irish meal in the local Supermac's after it won a landmark court case, to the history of rebellion and self determination of the Irish people, we've got a whole host of historical reasons why any of us would be proud to call this small island nation our home!
Join the gang this week as they tackle the hard hitting question of what makes us proud to be Irish and throw them into a tierlist to see how they hold up against each other. Will you agree with us or do you think we missed something? Be sure to let us know!
The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!

Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast

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Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(01:16) Tayto Crisps

(11:09) Michael Collins

(19:41) 1798 Rebellion

(27:24) Tommy Tiernan

(31:01) Chicken Fillet Roll

(38:26) The Irish Defence Forces

(43:01) Father Ted

(44:57) The Dublin Spire

(51:18) The GAA

(01:05:09) The Irish Language

(01:09:30) The League of Ireland

(01:15:39) Irish Rugby

(01:21:42) Thin Lizzy

(01:27:25) The Supermacs VS McDonalds Lawsuit

(01:35:21) The Good Friday Agreement

(01:45:52) Honourable Mention: Jackie Charlton and Italia '90

(01:50:43) The Tierlist and Post Show Banter