History Does You

In this first part of a three part series. We look at the rise of the Roman Republic which began in its earliest days to expand beyond its borders. However, Rome was not built overnight and faced extensive campaigns against regional foes. These led to wars against Regional powers such as Carthage and the Greek Kingdoms. After years of War, Rome ascended as the premier power in the Mediterranean and began to expand rapidly, however with this came much change and the first civil war. It was after this that Strongmen such as Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar emerged where military victories translated directly to political influence. The destruction of the alliances between these men led to more civil war and the Assassination of Julius Caesar marking the end of the Republic and transition to Empire. This episode goes very heavily into the timeline of expansion, not so much into culture, religion, or economics, I hope to eventually do another episode on that in the future. Regardless it is interesting to learn how Rome was built and how the die was cast. Next week well dive into the Empire and the Pax Romana.

30:00: Rise of the Roman Republic and the Punic Wars

47:00: The Macedonian wars and expansion into Greece

1:00:00: Social Unrest and the First Civil Wars

1:11:00: Pompey the Great

1:18:00: Julius Caesar and the end of the Republic

1:32:00: Summary and Conclusion

In October of 1962, US spy planes discovered evidence of Soviet Missiles on the Island of Cuba. What came next was a thirteen days of confusion, backchannel diplomacy, and the threat of Nuclear War. But to understand the leadup to the crisis, one must look back at the making of the Atomic Bombs and the decision to use them against Nagasaki and Hiroshima which brought World War II to an end. It set the Soviet Union and the United States on a collision course over who could use the weapon most effectively. To help explain the crisis and the policies that led to it, we interview Dr. Martin Sherwin who is an author and historian specializing in the development of atomic weapons and nuclear policy. Along with Kai Bird, he co-wrote American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of Robert Oppenheimer, which won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 2006. In addition, Sherwin has advised a number of documentaries and television series relating to the Manhattan Project, including The Day after Trinity: A History of Nuclear Strategy, and War and Peace in the Nuclear Age. He also recently wrote, Gambling with Armageddon: Nuclear Roulette from Hiroshima to the Cuban Missile Crisis

By 1914 the great powers of Europe were sliding inexorably toward war, and they pulled the Middle East along with them into one of the most destructive conflicts in human history. No region experienced more change as a result of the war than the Middle East. The Ottoman empire ceased to exist after dominating the region for more than four centuries and borders were redrawn piecemeal by the victorious allies. This set the stage for the modern Middle East and all of the conflict that will follow, much of which continues to this day. To help explain we interview Dr. Eugen Rogan who is a Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at Oxford and a Fellow of St Antony's College. He is the author of several books on the Middle East including The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East, which was An International Bestseller and Economist Best Book of the Year. His other work includes The Arabs: A History and Outside In: On the Margins of the Modern Middle East

Augustus was the first Roman emperor, reigning from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He was the first ruler of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. His status as the founder of the Roman Principate has consolidated an enduring legacy as one of the most effective and controversial leaders in human history. He rose out of the ashes of prolonged periods of civil war and set the groundwork for the Roman Empire that is well known today. To explain his life and achievements we interviewed Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy who is a leading historian of the ancient world and author of acclaimed biographies of Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Cleopatra. Some of his other work includes In the Name of Rome, Pax Romana, and Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors. A great interview about one of the most interesting figures and leaders in the ancient world.