Quotulatiousness

June 29, 2019

Ancient Rome in 20 minutes

Filed under: Europe, History — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Arzamas
Published on 30 May 2017

Caesar, The Colosseum, Republic, Nero, geese, plebeians, legions – everything that you once knew, but forgot, in a crash course video by Arzamas.

Narrated by Brian Cox.

“Ancient Rome in 20 minutes” is a Russian version of a Russian video by Arzamas.

June 24, 2019

History of England – Agincourt – Extra History – #5

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 04:00

Extra Credits
Published on 22 Jun 2019

Henry V was formidable and ruthless. Leading an army struck by dysentery, he pressed on to claim more large swaths of France, forming the irresistible Anglo Burgundian alliance.

Henry V is a serious contender for the most impressive man ever to rule England. On his death, a chronicler wrote: “He did not leave his like upon earth among Christian kings or princes.” His only fault was to die young… well, that, and being so horrifically ruthless and cold, that another historian wrote of Henry that he was “conclusive proof that a man may be a hero and yet a monster.”

Thanks again to David Crowther for writing AND narrating this series! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/pod…
Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

June 22, 2019

History Summarized: The Fall of Rome

Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published on 21 Jun 2019

Go to http://www.audible.com/overlysarcastic or text OVERLYSARCASTIC to 500500 to get a free audiobook, 2 free Audible Originals, and 30-day free trial.

Rome, in one form or another, has been around for a *while*. Kinda seemed like it was going to last forever, like it was basically immortal. Well bad news for everyone involved: Rome goes bye-bye just like all the other empires in world history. So let’s talk about when, how, and why Rome fell!

SEASONS OF ROME T-Shirt: https://www.threadless.com/discover/s…

SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
Gibbon’s Decline and Fall: https://amzn.to/2FwBRvO
Mary Beard’s SPQR: https://amzn.to/2Wwu2x3
The History of Rome Podcast: https://apple.co/2U7Q4tq
Lectures from TheGreatCourses: “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?” (Gregory Aldrete), “Late Antiquity — Crisis and Response” & “Barbarians & Emperors” (Thomas Noble)
If I see anyone complaining that I didn’t sufficiently cite this video I’m going to sack your ancient capital and pillage your temples.

PATREON: https://www.Patreon.com/OSP

OUR WEBSITE: https://www.OverlySarcasticProductions.com
Find us on Twitter https://www.Twitter.com/OSPYouTube
Find us on Reddit https://www.Reddit.com/r/OSP/

June 17, 2019

100 Years War

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military, Religion — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Ryan Reeves
Published on 2 Jul 2014

The 100 Years War between France and England lasted more than 100 years and was not one war but many. We explore Henry V and other important kings, and finish by exploring Joan of Arc as the savior of France.

Ryan M. Reeves (PhD Cambridge) is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanMReeves

Website: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/academic…

For the entire course on ‘Church History: Reformation to Modern’, see the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

June 16, 2019

History of England – Ashes – Extra History – #4

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military — Tags: , , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 15 Jun 2019

Bertrand du Guesclin was the hero the French needed. Focused on fortifying defenses and cities, Guesclin rebutted the advances of the Black Prince — who ended up contracting an illness that undid his iconic image of triumph and chivalry. Edward became beset by drama in the royal court, and England started to lose power…

Thanks again to David Crowther for writing AND narrating this series! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/pod…

Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

June 9, 2019

History of England – The Devastation of France – Extra History – #3

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 8 Jun 2019

From the end of the battle of Crecy, Edward charged on to besiege Calais (successfully), and then returned home. Right about then was when the Black Plague hit Europe head-on. But Edward carried on as king establishing order among his subjects, forming the Knights of the Garter. In France, John le Bel, son of Philip, had learned from the French defeats and was making small victories here and there…

In the middle ages, pillaging and murdering your way across Northern France was clearly considered an appropriate father-son bonding opportunity.

Thanks again to David Crowther for writing AND narrating this series! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/pod…

Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

June 7, 2019

QotD: Ruling France

Filed under: France, Government, History, Quotations — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 01:00

From the French Revolution in 1789 to the ascension of Charles de Gaulle in 1958, France had an absolute monarchy, three constitutional monarchies, a directory, a consulate, two empires with one restoration, four republics, two provisional governments, a government in exile, and the hobnailed jackboot of Nazi occupation: 17 distinct regimes in 169 years.

De Gaulle, with his Fifth Republic, appeared to have settled the ancient argument between the monarchists and the republicans by creating a monarchy and calling it a republic. But the presidents of that republic — de Gaulle, Pompidou, Giscard d’Estaing, Mitterand, Chirac, Sarkozy, Hollande — have been a downward sequence. Each was at least slightly, and sometimes sharply, less talented than his predecessor.

In 2017, in utter exasperation, France embraced a 39-year old former banker and senior financial civil servant who had no more sought elective office than had Donald Trump before running for president, Emmanuel Macron. He achieved the office not by gaining control of a political party; French political parties are very fluid and rise and disappear and change their names every few years, but by standing as an independent and setting up a new party of rank political amateurs as legislators. It was magnificent in the country of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and other triumphant theorists. It ran on a euphoric platform: a green revolution, lower taxes, a better social benefit system, completed unification of Europe, stronger armed forces, everything that was desirable and the quick elimination of all that was not.

The predictable happened and Macron is now diminished by the incoherent rioting every weekend of mobs of angry bourgeois crabbing about taxes, reinforced by outright hooligans, all wearing the silly yellow vests all French drivers are required to have in their automobiles so they can put them on to signify an emergency. It is that splendid French combination of the perfect goal and the absurd result.

Conrad Black, “What’s the Matter With Europe?”, New English Review, 2019-05-06.

June 2, 2019

History of England – Fire and Swords – Extra History – #2

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military, Weapons — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 1 Jun 2019

On the 26th of August,1346, Philip’s army drew near the English force. The French were strung out for miles. Phillip’s best commanders advised caution: put on those comfy jim-jams the Queen gave you last Christmas, don the royal slippers, get a goodnight’s snooze, and let everyone catch up, then drown the English in a river of their own blood after a light breakfast. But Phillip looked upon the current puny size of the English army, and ordered the attack anyway…

Thanks again to David Crowther for writing AND narrating this series! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/pod…
Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

Experiment 2 for social media thumbnails:

May 26, 2019

History of England – The 100 Years War – Extra History – #1

Filed under: Britain, France, History, Military — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 25 May 2019

At stake on the English side was trade, the English role in Christendom, the king’s lands in France held by right for 150 years, and the reputation and honor of the king. On the French side, a unified country, national prestige, and the right of their monarch to his own throne.

Thanks again to David Crowther for writing AND narrating this series! https://thehistoryofengland.co.uk/pod…

Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

May 25, 2019

History Summarized: Late Dynastic China

Filed under: Britain, China, Economics, History, Humour — Tags: , , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Overly Sarcastic Productions
Published on 24 May 2019

Signup for your FREE trial to The Great Courses Plus here: http://ow.ly/diiG30oC0Lk

In a shocking twist of fate, China stays in one piece for a majority of this video. The unfortunate side-effect is that when it does collapse, it collapses HARD. Find out how in this tour through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties!

Further Reading: China, A History by John Keay

PATREON: https://www.Patreon.com/OSP

The Great Courses Plus is currently available to watch through a web browser to almost anyone in the world and optimized for the US, UK and Australian market. The Great Courses Plus is currently working to both optimize the product globally and accept credit card payments globally.

May 20, 2019

QotD: Victoria Day

Filed under: Cancon, History, Quotations — Tags: — Nicholas @ 01:00

Happy Victoria Day, the day we honour an old queen by giving her not a moment’s thought. A year or two back, some professor thought we should change Victoria Day to Heritage Day to “strengthen our heritage.” We strengthen our heritage by obliterating it, apparently. … She was our first wholly constitutional monarch, and thus a critical figure at a critical time: She embodies the principle of peaceful evolution that distinguishes the Britannic world from … well, pretty much everywhere else, come to think of it.

Mark Steyn, “Victoria Day”, The National Post, 2002-05-20.

May 17, 2019

The Three Kingdoms – The Battle of Guandu – Extra History – #2

Filed under: Books, China, History, Military — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 16 May 2019

This series is brought to you by Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, a brand new strategy game set during this time period. https://store.steampowered.com/app/77…

Yuan Shao’s forces cross the Yellow River, assaulting Cao’s fortifications. Yuan has 110,000 soldiers — including the runaway warlord Liu Bei — while Cao Cao has only twenty thousand. But things are about to go in a very unexpected, brutal twist for the next eight years…

Three kings ruled in China. Three kings, each dreaming of ruling all under heaven. Three kings who rallied their armies for battle. The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.

Thanks to Jordan Martin for the guest art! https://www.jordanwmartin.com/

Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

May 11, 2019

The Three Kingdoms – Yellow Turban Rebellion – Extra History – #1

Filed under: Books, China, History, Military — Tags: , , — Nicholas @ 06:00

Extra Credits
Published on 9 May 2019

This series is brought to you by Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, a brand new strategy game set during this time period. https://store.steampowered.com/app/77…

Fierce duels. Great armies. Love, brotherhood and betrayal. These are the images conjured when we speak of the Three Kingdoms.

Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Guan Yu — these were the men who would define the Three Kingdoms period. Even though the actual history of this period is often conflated with the events of the historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there was still a lot of compelling drama and intrigue we can explore — let’s delve in to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which really did happen!

Thanks to Jordan Martin for the guest art! https://www.jordanwmartin.com/

Join us on Patreon! http://bit.ly/EHPatreon

April 30, 2019

Japan’s monarchy

Filed under: History, Japan, Religion, WW2 — Tags: , , , , , — Nicholas @ 05:00

Colby Cosh looks at the astonishingly successful Japanese monarchy over the last few centuries of change:

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward, Tōkyō Metropolis on April 24, 2014.
US State Department photo by William Ng, via Wikimedia Commons.

Most everybody knows how the office of the Japanese Emperor became “ceremonial” for the better part of 700 years, and how the archipelago was governed in isolation by what we call the shogunate. The first Westerners who established diplomatic relations with Japan in the 19th century did not think of the Emperor as analogous to Queen Victoria at all. For years they thought of the Mikado as primarily a religious functionary, a sort of pope performing funny, tedious rites in seclusion. (As anyone who has been watching Japanese news in the run-up to Golden Week knows, there is some truth to this.)

Even as reality dawned on those foreign barbarians, their presence in Japan led to social breakdown, civil war, and a sharp, sudden revival of the power of their monarchy — the Meiji Restoration. This is still an awe-inspiring event. Japan was confronted by a little-known and hated outer realm, and was able to adapt with inexplicable confidence. It did not descend into psychic and economic malaise, but almost immediately began to compete with obtrusive Western “powers.” After centuries in abeyance, their constitution somehow allowed them to conjure a enlightened despot of enormous ability, the Meiji Emperor, at the precise moment one was required.

This led in time to the war in the Pacific — and to a second miracle of the same kind. If matters had been left up to American public opinion in 1945, or to the allies of the United States, or even to the American executive branch, the Japanese monarchy would have been abolished and the Emperor given a humiliating trial and death. Such a procedure could have easily been justified then, and can be justified in retrospect now. U.S. foreign policy almost always, in practice, seems to follow the country’s republican instincts.

But while Japan was defeated, it had not been invaded. So Gen. Douglas MacArthur and a few foreign-policy brainiacs reached a magnificent, cynical modus vivendi: they would exploit and reshape the Japanese monarchy rather than smashing it. As a soldier, MacArthur, made Supreme Commander of occupied Japan, would have shot the Emperor with his own sidearm and never lost a minute’s sleep. But he and others somehow managed to overcome racial and political prejudices, and perform an act of American “nation-building” that was not a cruel joke.

April 2, 2019

How Trains Changed China | Stuff That I Find Interesting

Filed under: China, Economics, Government, History, Military, Railways — Tags: , — Nicholas @ 02:00

Jabzy
Published on 27 Mar 2016

Thanks to Xios, Alan Haskayne, Lachlan Lindenmayer, William Crabb, Derpvic, Seth Reeves and all my other Patrons. If you want to help out – https://www.patreon.com/Jabzy?ty=h

Music by Derek Fiechter – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRJ…

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