Dad Tangent - Why Big States Struggle to Defend Everything: From Rome to the Vikings

S3E11 - The Viking Age - Vikings Reach Paris, Spain, and Beyond: How Viking Raids Became Continental (841–850)

By the mid-800s, Viking activity was no longer limited to quick coastal attacks. In this episode of History with Dad, we follow Viking fleets as they strike Francia, raid deep into Iberia, reach the Mediterranean world, and begin changing warfare through overwintering and permanent camps. Along the way, we explore the Treaty of Verdun, the Siege of Paris (845), and the moment Viking raiding became a continental-scale problem. Support the show here: https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad [https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad]

Dad Tangent - Why Big States Struggle to Defend Everything: From Rome to the Vikings

Why do powerful states so often struggle to stop smaller mobile attackers? In this Dad Tangent, we explore one of history’s most recurring problems: defending huge borders, coastlines, and trade routes against fast-moving threats — from the Roman Empire to Ming China, the British Empire, and Pearl Harbor. Support the show here: https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad [https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad]

Dad Tangent - When Raids Become “Normal": How Societies Adapt to Constant Threats

How do people adapt when terrifying attacks stop feeling rare and start becoming part of everyday life? In this Dad Tangent, we explore how societies across history slowly adjusted to recurring threats — from Roman frontier raids to Mongol attacks, Mediterranean piracy, and even Cold War nuclear fears. Support the show here: https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad [https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad]

S3E10 - The Viking Age - The Viking Raids Spread Across Europe (794–840): Dorestad, Francia, and the End of Isolated Attacks

The Viking raids were no longer isolated shocks. In this episode of History with Dad, we follow the spread of Viking attacks across Britain, Ireland, Frisia, and Francia as Europe slowly realizes these raids are becoming recurring, adaptable, and increasingly organized around trade routes, rivers, and wealthy commercial targets like Dorestad. We also explore how Carolingian civil wars and political fragmentation weakened coordinated defenses just as the attacks intensified. Support the show here: https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad [https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad]

Dad Tangent - Who Gets to Write History? From Vikings to World War I

How much of history is shaped by the people who survived to tell the story? In this Dad Tangent, we look at how writers, conquerors, priests, and governments shaped the way later generations understood major events — from Roman accounts of “barbarians” to Viking raids, the Crusades, and World War I propaganda. Because history is not just about what happened...it’s also about who got to describe it afterward. Support the show here: https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad [https://buymeacoffee.com/historywithdad]