Western Civ

Today I sit down for an interview with historian Mike Rapport to discuss his latest book: City of Light, City of Shadow: Paris in the Bellé Epoch.

In City of Light, City of Shadows, Mike Rapport uncovers a Paris riven by social anxieties and plagued by overlapping epidemics of poverty, political extremism, and anti-Semitism. As the Sacré-Cœur and Eiffel Tower rose into the skies, redefining architecture and the Paris skyline, Paris’s slums were plagued by disease and gang violence. The era, now remembered as a high point of French art and culture, was also an age of intense political violence, including anarchist bombings, organized right-wing mobs, and assassinations.

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Elizabeth deals with the continued fallout from the death of Amy Dudley while word from France arrives that Mary, Queen of Scots, believes she has a better claim to the English throne.

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This is a bonus sneak-peak of what I do over on the paid feed: Western Civ 2.0. (The actual paid feed does not have ads.) 

In this episode, I cover the First Punic War. Rome came consistently close to losing this war to Carthage and it is fascinating to think how different the outcome would have been had that happened. 

The First Punic War (264-241 BC) marked a pivotal moment in ancient Mediterranean history, pitting two formidable powers, Rome and Carthage, against each other in a struggle for supremacy. The conflict was primarily fought over control of Sicily, a strategically significant island rich in resources. Initially, Rome had little naval experience, while Carthage boasted a formidable navy. However, Rome rapidly adapted, constructing a fleet from scratch and employing a innovative tactic of boarding enemy ships to turn naval battles into land-based engagements, thus neutralizing Carthage's naval superiority.The war witnessed several key battles, including the Battle of Mylae and the Battle of Cape Ecnomus, where Rome secured significant victories. Despite these successes, the war dragged on for over two decades, characterized by a grueling war of attrition and fluctuating fortunes for both sides. The conflict exacted a heavy toll on both Rome and Carthage, with substantial loss of life and resources.Ultimately, it was Rome's perseverance and adaptability that proved decisive. The Roman victory in the Battle of the Aegates Islands in 241 BC forced Carthage to sue for peace. The resulting Treaty of Lutatius effectively ended the war, with Carthage ceding Sicily to Rome and paying a hefty indemnity. This victory established Rome as the dominant power in the Western Mediterranean and laid the foundation for its eventual expansion into a formidable empire, while also setting the stage for future conflicts between Rome and Carthage.


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The death of Henry II thrusts his fifteen-year-old son Francis into the throne. From the word go Francis II is uninterested in running his kingdom. Nor will his sickly frame allow him to. Francis' brief reign is dominated by his mother, Catherine d'Medici, and the powerful Guise family. More than anything else, his reign features the beginning of a difficult period for the French Kingdom, which quickly finds itself torn apart by religious strife.

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In this episode, we break down the changes that Robert Dudley might become the next King of England. Spoiler alert, he doesn't. While Elizabeth I might have truly loved her favorite, the reality was she could not marry him. Marrying Robert would have isolated England even further as we will see. Then, when Robert's wife dies under mysterious circumstances, the door closes forever on the idea of Robert Dudley, King of England.

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Elizabeth is often known in history books as the "Virgin Queen". As we will see in this episode, to remain unwed was a conscious choice she cultivated from the very beginning of her reign. It gave her independence. And it allowed her to chart England's religious course, very much a compromise, without foreign interference.

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Today we begin Queen Elizabeth I, one of the most important British monarchs in history. Elizabeth takes over for the deceased Mary with England in absolute turmoil. She appoints William Cecil her Secretary of State and together they begin the process of righting England's ship.

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The Dutch Rebellion is the longest domestic revolt in modern European history. Over 80 years the Dutch slowly but surely ground Philip II into bankruptcy. While Philip had what he thought was an inexhaustible pool of Mexican and Peruvian gold and silver to draw from, what he did not understand were the modern forces of inflation and interest. In the end, more even than the Dutch people, Philip found himself undone by modern economics.

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In today's episode, the reign of Queen Mary I of England comes to an end. Mary's efforts to burn England free of heresy fails and Princess Elizabeth assumes the throne.

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Now we get to the Queen Mary I of England everyone knows. In the span of just over two years, Mary burned more heretics than Edward VI or Henry VIII combined. All of this was an effort to reunite England with the Papal See. Reginald Pole, the papal legate, remained confident in the project. But the enthusiasm in England for a return to the age before Henry's schism was waning and time was very much running out.

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