The Siècle History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 21: The Afterlife of Napoleon May 23, 2020

Show notes

Napoleon Bonaparte is dead — but he still lives on, in myth and legend, in flowers and tobacco boxes, in jails and asylums, and above all in the political memory of Restoration France, for whom even death cannot rid them of their greatest foe.

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Supplemental 7: Memorial of St. Helena May 01, 2020

Show notes

A recitation of the "19th Century Bonapartist Bible," a memoir from one of Napoleon's aides on St. Helena recounting the emperor's life in exile and his discourses on his rule and historical rulers before him.

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Episode 20: The Death of Napoleon Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

Halfway across the world from France, the most famous man of his age dies in isolated exile — but not before profoundly reforging his legacy through both story and suffering.

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Episode 19: France and the Monroe Doctrine Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

French schemes in Spain play an underappreciated role in sparking one of the monumental documents in American history.

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Episode 18: The Road to Trocadero Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

The conservative powers of Europe strike back at the wave of liberal revolutions sweeping the continent, and France struggles with how to respond — a crisis that brings down one prime minister and elevates a new politician to center stage.

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Episode 17: Europe in Concert Feb 02, 2020

Show notes

When the victorious powers met at the Congress of Vienna after Napoleon's defeat, they did more than just punish France. They redrew the map of Europe and tried to create a new, more stable world order. Learn about this new order and its impact on Restoration France.

Visit thesiecle.com/episode17 to see helpful maps about this episode's content.

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Supplemental 6: France & England After Waterloo Jan 21, 2020

Show notes

Chris Fernandez-Packham of the Age of Victoria podcast and I talk about the different experiences of erstwhile rivals France and Great Britain in the years after Waterloo.

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Supplemental 5: Assassination Vacation Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

This cross-post with Pax Britannica is a discussion between that podcast's host Sam Hume and myself about the two political murders we've both covered in recent months: that of the Duc de Berry on The Siècle and that of the Duke of Buckingham on Pax Britannica.

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Episode 16: Romantiques Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

A discussion with Philippe Moisan, a professor of French at Grinnell College, about the literary movement of French Romanticism — everything from what made it distinct to which books you should read to get started.

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Episode 15: The Miracle Child Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

France swings hard to the right, as the government passes new repressive laws and the nation celebrates the birth of a Bourbon 'miracle child.' Pushed back on their heels, the French left turns to conspiracy.

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