The AskHistorians Podcast

In this concluding episode, we discuss the aftermath and fall-out from the Battle of Jutland, including the debate over the actions of the British commanders of the Grand Fleet. Also included is discussion over whether British ship designs at the time were flawed, leading to increased casualties. We conclude by putting the role of the battleship in naval warfare, particularly after WWI, in context. (37min)

In this first of two episodes we cover the lead-up and ultimately the clash between battleships at Jutland. We discuss the changing technologies and tactics of naval warfare at the time, before moving on to the battle itself. (51min)

Join us for a special bonus episode in conjunction with our Weekly Monday Methods threads where we discuss theory, history and the practice of historians. This is an extra little bit of our last episode where we spent some time debating postmodernism, where history is today, and where we go from here. (34m)

Come join us in the discussion here!

© 2019 Brian M. Watson

Doug Priest (/u/TenMinuteHistory) gives an absolutely fascinating and in-depth look at the 'meta' of history--that is, a conversation on historiography and historical thinking. This is an episode that will be really focused on the nuts and bolts of doing history and how historians think and the places they come from. You can consider it your own personal grad school theory crash course! This week's podcast will be followed by a special bonus episode on Monday in our weekly Monday Methods thread, so please check back and join us there! Visit our guest at www.tenminutehistory.com (77m)

Join us for a discussion on AskHistorians!

© 2019 Brian M. Watson

Antonio Curet, archaeologist and curator at the Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, DC, talks with us about the Taíno civilization of the Greater Antilles. (99min)

Please leave us your thoughts and questions in the discussion thread in the subreddit, which can be found here.

Dan Howlett discusses the Salem Witch Trials and his approach to them using social network analysis. While the focus of the episode is on a digital humanities approach to historical research, the episode also covers the underlying social and political tensions, as well as the general atmosphere of paranoia, in the Salem area at the time. (36min)

In part two of a two-part series on the European Armoring Industry, WARitter joins us to discuss just exactly how the knights in shining armor got their shining armor. Wrapping up from a discussion of how exactly metal ore was transformed into armor, WARitter takes us onwards through a whirlwind tour of the history of the guilds, peoples and places that made up the armoring industry, and how armoring eventually declined and fell. (58m)

Visit us at AskHistorians to discuss this podcast!

© 2019 Brian M. Watson

In part one of a two-part series on the European Armoring Industry, WARitter joins us to discuss just exactly how the knights in shining armor got their shining armor. The first half of this two part series explores the techniques and the strategies from turning raw ore into beautiful armor, and how some of these techniques shifted over time. Next episode will bring an hour-plus long discussion on the entire arc of the armoring industry history—and the families, cities, and people that built it. (35m)

For further discussion, come visit us at AskHistorians here.

© 2019 Brian M. Watson

We explore the life and legacy of the Classical Greek general, Iphikrates with AskHistorians user Iphikrates. Famous for his use of light troops and for military reforms related to those troops, we trace the surviving evidence of Iphikrate's life and career to investigate the timing, scope, and even existence of those reforms. Along the way, the conversation touches upon the Athenian socio-political system of the time, the non-hoplite parts of Greek warfare, and a tantalizing connection between Iphikrates and Alexander the Great. (71min)

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Snapshot52 joins us to discuss the concept of cultural genocide in the context of the US government's American Indian policy. In particular, we look at the creation and evolution of obligatory boarding schools for American Indian children. (75 min).

Join the discussion!