The Untitled History Podcast

Episode 15: How Firearms Became Fashionable in the Renaissance

In the 15th century, guns were often seen as the devil’s weapon. Unchivalrous and “unmanly”, they were viewed with suspicion by the European elite. Within a hundred years, this had changed. Guns were now luxury items among the rich, sometimes in odd, novelty combination with axes, polearms or with multiple barrels. Today, we’ll be exploring why and when this changed. Today's Guest: Catherine Fletcher link to Catherine's "show notes": https://catherinefletcher.info/books/the-firearm-revolution/the-firearm-revolution-a-guide-to-primary-sources/ [https://catherinefletcher.info/books/the-firearm-revolution/the-firearm-revolution-a-guide-to-primary-sources/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Episode 14: The Surprising History Behind the Eurovision Song Contest

In May 1950, at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay, representatives from 23 European national broadcasters gathered to discuss future cooperation. The result was the creation of the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU. Today, the EBU’s biggest legacy is undoubtedly the Eurovision Song Contest. But just how big a deal is Eurovision these days? Guest: Jonn Elledge Books: * The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything: All the Facts You Didn't Know You Wanted to Know (2021) * Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them (2022) * A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps (2024) Jonn's Newsletter: ⁠The Newsletter of (Not Quite) Everything⁠ [https://jonn.substack.com/] Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://untitled-history.com/supporters Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member. Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypalMerchandise and Shop: https://untitled-history.com/collections/allOur WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.comBattle Guide YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Gareth socials BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius Battle Guide Twitter: https://x.com/BattleguideVT General Enquiries: untitled@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing : Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Episode 13: The Forgotten War between Britain and the USA

By 1812 Imperial France, under the leadership of Napoleon had become the dominant force in Europe. Only Britain and Portugal were still fighting against an Empire that now stretched from the shores of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to modern Russia. It was at this point that a young United States decided to declare war on Britain. For the next two years, the countries would fight battles on land and sea to try and establish supremacy over North America. It was a war that would end in stalemate and reconciliation, but which - if things had gone differently - could have changed the fate of Europe and the US forever. Guest: Jonathan (Angry Staff Officer) ⁠https://angrystaffofficer.com/⁠ [https://angrystaffofficer.com/] Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host [https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host] To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://untitled-history.com/supporters [https://untitled-history.com/supporters] Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member. * Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal [http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal] * Merchandise and Shop: https://untitled-history.com/collections/all [https://untitled-history.com/collections/all] * Our WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ [https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/] * Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com [https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com] * Battle Guide YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT [https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT] If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter [https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter] Gareth socials BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social] Mastodon: https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius [https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius] Battle Guide Twitter: https://x.com/BattleguideVT [https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius] General Enquiries: untitled@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing : Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Episode 12: The Reichswehr and the Weimar State

On 9th November 1918, with a revolution underway in Germany, a new republic was declared in Berlin. The next day, German Chancellor Friedrich Ebert and General Wilhelm Groener, acting in the name of the Supreme Army Command, concluded the Ebert–Groener Pact. This saw the German army pledge to support the new republic, as long as the government acted promptly against any leftist uprisings. The Germany military in the two world wars is endlessly discussed. Much less talked about, is the Reichswehr, the military as it existed in the era of the Weimar Republic. Yet the Reichswehr, and its officers, were critical to the Republic’s survival and, in some ways, eventually it’s fall. Today, we’re going to explore its fascinating history. Reading & Resources: * "The Oxford Handbook of the Weimar Republic" * Edited by Nadine Rossol and Benjamin Ziemann * "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo" (Handsome Gigolo, Poor Gigolo) * "Living the German Revolution, 1918-19: Expectations, Experiences, Responses" (2024) * "Dachau and the SS: A Schooling in Violence" (2015) Works by Today's Guest: Dr. Christopher Dillon: * "Living the German Revolution, 1918-19: Expectations, Experiences, Responses" (2024) * "Dachau and the SS: A Schooling in Violence" (2015) Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host⁠ [https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host] To comment and ask questions, please join our community: ⁠https://untitled-history.com/supporters⁠ [https://untitled-history.com/supporters] Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member. * Support via Paypal: ⁠http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal⁠ [http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal] * Merchandise and Shop: ⁠https://untitled-history.com/collections/all⁠ [https://untitled-history.com/collections/all] * Our WW1 Podcast: ⁠https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/⁠ [https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/] * Our WW2 Podcast: ⁠https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com⁠ [https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.com] * Battle Guide YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT] If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: ⁠https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter⁠ [https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter] Gareth socials BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social] Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius⁠ [https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius] Battle Guide Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/BattleguideVT⁠ [https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius] General Enquiries: untitled@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing : Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Episode 11: The Battle That Changed Football: Spion Kop 1900

For football fans, just the mention of Liverpool’s ‘Kop End’ evokes an image of a packed stand full of fans. Many other football clubs also have a Kop stand too. But why do those stands have that name? In this episode we’ll be talking about the Battle of Spion Kop. Fought in South Africa in the dying years of the Victorian era, the battle was the bloodiest day for the British army up until the First World War. The battle featured incredible heroism, command incompetence and the presence of figures such as Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi. So let’s look at the battle which, as a notable historian once said: “became the byword for a bloodbath. Guest: Dr. Spencer Jones YouTube: http://listen.not-so-quiet.com/ Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot! Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://untitled-history.com/supporters Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member. Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypalMerchandise and Shop: https://untitled-history.com/collections/allOur WW1 Podcast: https://listen.not-so-quiet.com/Our WW2 Podcast: https://listen.both-sides-of-the-wire.comBattle Guide YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter Gareth socials BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius Battle Guide Twitter: https://x.com/BattleguideVT General Enquiries: untitled@battleguide.co.uk Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing : Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]