Today we’re going back to the Postclassical Era in the East, or as I like to call it, “Yes We Khan!”. We’ll look at the rise of Islam, four great Chinese inventions, and figure out why no one ever learns about African history. And then we’ll get to one of my favorite figures in all …
Remember that ever since the 1898 Cuban War for Independence a.k.a. The Spanish-American War the U.S. has had extreme influence over the Cuban government. Over the next 50 years that influence grew as Havana became a destination for American tourists, businesspeople, and the mob. Inequality was massive. Sugarcane planters spent half the year unemployed, roaming …
A So how did the US support the fight against communism in Latin America? They sent money and weapons to governments fighting against leftist governments or insurgencies. More directly, they invited many officials from those governments to the prestigious US Army School of the Americas. Located at Fort Benning in Georgia, the School of the …
So remember the tension between military governments and the peasants that I mentioned popped up during and after their revolutions? Yeah, it never went away. Remember that a lot of countries gained independence under the direction of military juntas that formed to rule on behalf of the true king while Napoleon was Napoleoning all over …
Today we’re going back to the Medieval or Postclassical Era in the West, or as I like to call it “That Time Europe Lost Its Mind.” We’ll look at how people reacted to the barbarian invasions, who reunified western Europe, and how they dug their way out of the dirt hole they jumped into when …
Join us as we explore the Classical Era in the East (600 BCE – 600 CE). We’ll look at India now that we can read their writing, see how China used political philosophy to set itself up for the next two millennia and figure out why all of these massive empires collapsed. And then onto …
Forgot everything about the classical era from high school history class? Of course you did! Let’s review Persia, the Greco-Persian Wars, Athens and Sparta, Alexander the Great, and the Roman Republic and Empire! Today we are looking at an era in history that comes up in modern conversation all the time. Some relics of this …
Today we’re going back to the Ancient Era, or as I like to call it, “Ain’t No River Valley Wide Enough”. We’ll look at the Neolithic Revolution, what it takes to be civilized, and some high points of the major river valley civilizations. If nothing else, you’ll learn how to exploit ancient Chinese philosophy to …
Forgot everything about the ancient River Valley Civilizations from high school history? Of course you did – it’s ancient! Let’s review the society, politics, interaction with the environment, culture, and economy of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and China! (Listen to the full episode here!)
Forgot all the requirements to be a civilization from your high school history class? Of course you did! Let’s review the definition of a civilization including a surplus, institutions, and record keeping! (Listen to the full episode here!) “Requirements” of a Civilization After the Neolithic Revolution comes the rise of civilization which really just means …