History Off the Page

In this episode, the first of several on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we reflect on some of the dominant narratives being used to understand the current crisis in Israel/Palestine.  Topics include the complicated nature of politics and identity in the region, flaws in both the decolonization and anti-Semitism narratives, the lack of Palestinian agency and failures of Palestinian leadership, problems with Wilsonian notions of national rights to territory and much more. The perils of selective historical narratives (4:42)Complications of the conflict: other actors in the story (9:30)Varieties of Palestinian experience, politics and identity (16:43)Varieties of Israeli politics and identity (28:28)Problems with the anti-colonial narrative (37:32)A refugee story?  (1:02:28) Problems with the anti-Semitism/"Jew-hatred" narrative (1:07:43)The lack of Palestinian agency (1:18:15)Failures of Palestinian leadership (1:22:14)Dehumanization and social theory (1:31:02)Problems with Wilsonian notions of national territory (1:37:57)Israeli and Palestinian history: a mirror image? (1:45:22)Support the showFor more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com! Or you can support the show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.

A brief discussion of books to help you understand the causes of the current crisis in Ukraine.  Topics covered include: Intro & significance of the topic (0:50); Honorable mentions: Timothy Snyder (8:58); Anne Applebaum (15:02); #1 Ukraine and Russia: From Civilized Divorce to Uncivil War (17:39); #2 Gates of Europe: a History of Ukraine (24:16); #3 The Man Without a Face: the Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin (30:32).  To find links to these books and more check out our blog: https://historyoffthepage.com/3_books_ukraine/  and/or check out other episodes in our series on Modern European History including episodes on the causes of the war and the Soviet Union.Support the showFor more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com! Or you can support the show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.

 Fascism.  The name has long been understood as the antithesis of  democratic society.  In this episode - the first of several exploring  the topic, we examine the rise of fascism in Italy in the early 1920s.   Topics covered include: the Intro (0:50), What is Fascism (14:58),  Italian Nation-building (25:39), Italy in World War I (32:32), Postwar  Italy (42:30), Gabriele D'Annunzio (1:05:48), Benito Mussolini  (1:14:36), the March on Rome (1:21:46). Support the showFor more information on History Off the Page, check out our website www.historyoffthepage.com! Or you can support the show via Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage?fan_landing=true.

Before 1900, few Europeans associated sexual preferences or desires with identity. One engaged in a variety of sexual acts with various partners, some licit (like your spouse in order to procreate), some illicit (outside of wedlock, a prostitute, someone of the same sex, etc.). But generally speaking the idea one was homo or heterosexual did not yet exist. How and why sexual preferences evolved into identities is the subject of this episode. Among other things, topics discussed include the politicization of sex and the body in the late 19th century (17:27), the Eulenberg Affair in 1907 and the role of scandal in driving identity awareness (19:58), the rise of sex researchers such as Magnus Hirschfeld (35:39), and postwar reactions to the new public face of homosexuality (46:15). Also see important clarifications at (5:21), or skip the intro here (0:50).Point of clarification: the episode describes trends taking place from about 1890-1930. Public displays of male homosexuality became increasingly prominent in urban centers after 1890, becoming more common after 1918. So like many of the modernity-related phenomena we've discussed, one can find traces of these developments that predate the war.find out more on our website www.historyoffthepage.com or support us on https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepageSupport the show

 Continuing on the theme of change and modernity, this episode focuses on the evolution of gender expectations across the beginning of the Twentieth Century. In particular the episode charts the emergence of the "New Woman," who began to behave in more masculine ways than her Victorian auntie: she was slender and athletic, was openly sexual, and lived for her own pleasure rather than the needs of her family. Most importantly, she also became a powerful consumer, frequenting department stores to buy things she wanted and to be attended to by men. The episode ends with a brief discussion of the fashion designer Coco Chanel, who in so many ways embodied this new ideal of femininity. Topics covered include: Intro (0:50), Victorian ideals of gender (17:12), the first feminists (26:36), the impact of the Great War (37:04), postwar political victories (51:27), woman as consumer (59:28), changes to marriage (1:06:44), and sexual behavior (1:14:57), and lastly Coco Chanel (1:24:37).find out more on our website www.historyoffthepage.com or support us on  https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepageSupport the show

After a nice summer History Off the Page returns for season 3!   This short update talks about future episodes in the upcoming season (1:03), ways to support the show (6:12), Spotify's new Q&A feature (8:27), book and movie recommendation "shorts" (9:10) and Instagram reels (10:39).links:Instagram: www.instagram.com/history_off_the_page/Patreon: patreon.com/historyoffthepage Twitter/X: @HistoryOTP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOffThePageSupport the show

In the first half of this episode (Part I) we discussed how new inventions like the airplane restored Europeans' faith in the power of science, rationality and more broadly European civilization.   In the second part of the episode, we explore similar trends related to the invention of the automobile and the radio.  Topics covered include: Intro (summary of previous episode) (0:50), meaning of the car (1:50), Benz, Daimler and the first cars (14:53), Henry Ford and the Model T (33:03), the meaning of radio (54:13), Hertz, Marconi and the invention of radio (57:39)

Living at the start of the digital age, it's not hard to imagine the ways in which new technologies lead to social change.  This episode charts perhaps the three most important inventions of the 20th century: cars, airplanes and radio.  For these devices not only opened new ways of doing things, they were proof in an age of cynicism of the power of science and rationality.  Thanks to technology, Europeans did the impossible.  In the episode, you'll hear about things like the first flight across the Atlantic, and find out why fliers such as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart became such a global superstars. Also learn about the origins of modern automakers such as Ford, Fiat, BMW, Mercedes, Peugeot, Citroen, as well as the birth of commercial aviation. Topics covered include: Intro (on modernity and technology) (0:50), the meaning of flight (9:27), The first fliers (18:01), Lindbergh, Earhart and other heroic fliers (31:37), the rise of commercial air travel (45:21) .

This episode continues our theme of the emergence of modernity in 1920s, focusing on the rise of the metropolis. As we'll see, the metropolis was more than just a big city, it meant experiencing mass society for the first time. For some, this was thrilling, as individuals enjoyed the glitz and glamour made possible by modern life. For others, it provoked deep anxieties about the future, as the individual disappeared into a sea of humanity. Topics covered include: the Dilemma of Life in the Big Apple (0:50); continued urbanization (14:42); Art Deco (21:31); Skyscrapers (27:14); Mass Transit (32:56); Crime (41:59); Fritz Lang's "M" (48:47); Georg Simmel (53:36); Advertising (1:02:29); The Department Store (1:15:46); Mass Entertainment (1:23:45); Dance Clubs (1:26:58) and movie "Metropolis" (1:32:58). 

In our last two episodes we looked at how waves of political violence swept over post-World War I Europe.  But not all revolutions are political.  In this episode, we investigate revolutions in art, architecture, film and music - movements that dramatically altered the European cultural landscape.  Topics covered include: Josephine Baker (4:49), Dada (17:00), Surrealism and Dali (27:22), Marc Chagall (32:04), Writing and James Joyce (35:36), Architecture and Erich Mendelsohn (45:22),  Walter Gropius and Bauhaus (54:00), Film and the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (100:16), Der Blaue Engel (108:33) and Jazz (112:17).note: website will be updated next week.

 As we saw in our last episode, the foundation of European society after World War I was supposed to be national self-determination. All peoples would be free to form their own national states, and nations would treat each other equally, eschewing the competitiveness of Great Power politics that had lead directly to the war. Yet as this episode demonstrates, far from achieving lasting peace, the years immediately after World War I were filled with more war and violence across most of Europe. Topics covered in the episode include the fundamental problem of measuring nationality (4:14), the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918-19 (9:20), the Irish War of Independence (22:53), Violence in the early Weimar Republic (28:25), Hungary and Bela Kun (34:56) and the Spanish Flu (39:50). 

In January 1918, American President Woodrow Wilson laid out his vision for a durable peace settlement that would end the Great War. Abandoning traditional diplomatic practices that called on losing powers to make territorial concessions to the victors, Wilson's vision suggested a new Europe built on mutual respect and democratic principles. In doing so, his idealism gave the Entente war efforts renewed purpose, and laid the foundations for the postwar era. But how effective would Wilson's ideas be? This episode examines the reception of Wilson's ideas and the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, noting some of the ways his ideals salvaged 19th century European society.  We'll also discuss some of the conference's failures, including the treaties it produced.

In the second episode of our series on Stalinism, we try to get a better sense of what everyday life was like outside of repression.  In particular, we'll focus on Stalin's attempt to industrialize the Soviet Union, to transform it in the span of five to ten years from a backwards country to a futuristic society through central planning and collectivization.  The episode argues that it was this push for modernity that led ordinary citizens to justify/accept the extraordinary violence and repression of the 1930s.  Topics discussed include: the Moscow Metro (9:53), the Soviet Economy (17:15), the Five Year Plans (25:10), Alexei Stakhanov (30:13), Soviet work culture (32:02), Magnitogorsk (35:49), shortages (55:07),  and the (Soviet) civilizing mission (102:01).

Born as Ioseb Jughashvili, this son of a cobbler would strike fear in the hearts of millions as the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. In the first episode of this two part series, learn how Stalin built perhaps history's most ruthless dictatorship, why it became a living nightmare for those who lived through it (especially for members of the Communist Party).  Among other topics, the episode discusses the leadership battle to succeed Lenin (20:39), the Great Purges of  1930s (43:00), the establishment of GULAGs (1:05:30), Collectivization (1:17:23) and the Holodomor – a Holocaust-like planned famine that targeted Soviet Ukraine (1:21:21).

As previously discussed, the Enlightenment envisioned a future where reason could be used to stamp out the imperfections of human society, creating lasting peace and prosperity. But can reason go too far? In this episode we examine some of the contradictions of the Enlightenment, noting how they led to an artistic and cultural revolution known as Romanticism. Among other topics, we'll discuss: Frankenstein, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Notre Dame, French fashion during the Napoleonic period and the painters Jacques-Louis David and Caspar David Friedrich.

In our last episode, we saw how Christmas by the early modern period (c. 1600) had become a raucous affair, a time when social relations inverted and moral standards were  usually relaxed.  This is a far cry from our modern, family-centered Christmas.  This episode charts the reforms in the 18th and 19th century that gave birth to the modern version Christmas we all know and love.  Topics covered include the origins of Santa Claus and Christmas Trees, Dickens' Christmas Carol and Hoffmann's Nutcracker, the evolution of Christmas presents and more!

Christmas: perhaps the most anticipated day of the year. A time for faith and family, for Santa Claus, Christmas Trees and a warm glass of eggnog or glühwein consumed whilst listening to carolers sing classic songs. This is the modern Christmas celebrated around the globe on Dec. 25th each year. But it was not always this way. Over its long life span, Christmas has been many things - not all of them what you might expect. In this - the first of two episodes on the history of Christmas, we examine the origins of this wonderful holiday - both its pagan and early Christian roots. In addition, we'll discuss how Christmas evolved into a raucous time for debauchery and mischief during the medieval period - so much so that it was actually banned by the Puritans several centuries later.

In the winter of 1917, Lenin in the Bolsheviks set out on a bold project: the construction of the world's first socialist society.  Although much ink had been spilled on this topic over the previous century, the reality was that much work had to be done to transform these vague ideals and aspirations into lived reality.  In this episode, we examine the first steps taken by the new Soviet State in implementing Communism, highlighting in particular Lenin and the Bolsheviks' use of violence as a tool to achieve social harmony.  We also try to understand what life in the USSR was like in the early 1920s for ordinary people, answering why they found such a violent and dictatorial regime appealing.  Along the way we'll discuss things like the Checka, the New Economic Policy (NEP), Soviet policy towards farmers, the rise of the Red Army, and experimentation in the arts.

 In the spring of 1917, the Bolshevik Party was an important, though not dominant player in Russian politics. With a narrow political base in cities and leaders who had long lived in exile, their prospects for carrying out Marx' dream of a proletarian revolution seemed dim. And yet, six months later, their actions would shake the world, launching the world's first Communist society and arguably laying the political foundations of 20th century Europe. How did they accomplish such a dramatic feat? In this episode we explore the breakdown of Russian democracy, while highlighting the ways Lenin and his fellow conspirators consolidated power and seized control of the world's largest country.  This is the story of the October revolution.

 One of the seminal events of the twentieth century was the Bolshevik seizure of the world's largest country and their subsequent attempts to transform Communism from a vague ideal into a practical reality. But before they could build, they first had to destroy existing authorities and political rivals. In this episode - the first in a four part series on the rise of Communism, we explore the failures of the Romanov monarchy and its democratic successor. Among other things, we'll discuss the role of World War I, Rasputin, Nicholas II, Alexander Kerensky,the Provisional Government and more. Perhaps most importantly, we'll highlight how idealistic views of democratic ideals and a lack of understanding of mass politics led to the failure of the first democratic experiment in Russian history. 

In the second part of our examination of World War I, we focus on the experiences of ordinary people.  The episode begins with a discussion of the life of soldiers, from the moment of mobilization in 1914 to the long days spent in the trenches in between battles.  Find out what their major challenges were, and some of the things they did to overcome them.  The second half of the episodes switches focus to the war behind the lines - i.e. the "Home-front," showing how ordinary Germans, Britons and Frenchmen (among others) dealt with the hardships and consequences caused by the conflict.  We end with a discussion of the optimism generated in the Central Powers in the spring of 1918, and the crushing defeats and collapses that followed in the late summer and fall.

While the Second World War tends to get more attention, this episode argues World War I was actually more historically significant.  Simply put, the Great War exhausted the nations of Europe, thoroughly discrediting traditional authorities, values and institutions.  This episode - the first of a two part series on the conflict - provides a general overview of the war itself, from its causes to its conclusion to the new weapons and great battles that made it so devastating.  Find out how a wrong turn literally led to the start of the war, how French taxi drivers saved the Third Republic, why poison gas was largely ineffective, the secrets to the Red Baron's rapid rise and literal fall and so much more!

 On 8 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain – the second longest reigning monarch in history – passed away quietly at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. This special episode examines the life of a remarkable woman, placing her in her historical context. What was the Britain of 1952 like, and how did it change over the years? How did Elizabeth impact major events such as the collapse of the British Empire, the rise of multi-cultural Britain and the end of the Troubles in Ireland? Why was the year 1992 so devastating to the crown, and how did she help the monarchy recover in the two decades since? Above all else, the episode helps us understand Elizabeth's historical significance, revealing how she succeeded as a monarch in a century that saw so many other monarchies fail. 

How do we gain new knowledge?  How do we trust the knowledge that we gain? This episode   looks at the dramatic shift in the way Europeans answers these questions over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries, laying the groundwork for modern scientific practice.  Among other things, the episode discusses the contributions of major historical figures such as Copernicus, Galileo and Newton, as well as showing why mathematics became the primary language for understanding both God and the cosmos. Note: this episode was originally recorded in Nov. 2021

just a quick note to announce the end of the first season of History Off the Page and a big thank you to all the listeners who joined us this year!  We'll be back in September with new episodes on the World Wars, life in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, postwar recovery, the origins of multicultural Europe and much much more!  

Ever wonder what it would be like to reach "the future?"  For many Europeans, life in the late nineteenth century felt that way, with massive technological changes leading to the conquest of hunger, violence and disease.  Yet as we transcend existing norms and boundaries, the future can also be a scary place.  This episode explores the pleasures and perils of modernity, discussing things like cabaret, Einstein and Freud, the ballpoint pen, Picasso and the building of the Eiffel Tower.

The story of how Germany finally created a national state is well known.  But to paraphrase the Italian statesman Massimo d'Azeglio, having made Germany, how did one make Germans?  This episode covers the long march of unification from liberal dream to everyday reality, showing the challenges German patriots had to overcome along the way.  Here the story was not just a triumph over external enemies in Denmark, Austria and France, but the more difficult obstacle of overcoming internal regional, confessional and class divisions even after the national state was formed.  In the episode we'll therefore discuss the genius of Otto von Bismarck, but also the various institutions, monuments and cultural phenomena that helped create the modern German nation.

Darwin's Theory of Evolution has undoubtedly been one of the most controversial scientific theories in history.  In this episode we'll explore why, while also doing some myth-busting. For example, the sensational aspect of his theory was not the idea of evolution itself - which he did not invent, but the idea of natural selection, which raised questions about the virtue of Christian morality.   As we'll see, while Darwin never drew out these conclusions, some of his acolytes began to imagine a world defined by conflict, violence and the "struggle for existence."  This episode examines the consequence of such beliefs, while also highlighting their relationship to European imperial expansion in the latter third of the 19th century.

On February 24, 2022, Russian troops launched a massive invasion of Ukraine, starting the biggest war in Europe since at least the 1990s.  There is talk of genocide and ethnic cleansing, over a million refugees have fled, and rising tensions between NATO and Russia have raised fears of a World War.  How did we get to this place? How could anyone support such naked aggression in the 21st century?  In this special episode of History Off the Page, we discuss the shorter and longer term causes behind the war, including: the Orange Revolution (2004)  and Euromaidan protests (2014), the seizure of Crimea (2014), the breakup of the USSR (1991), the origins of Russian and Ukrainian nationhood (9th-19th centuries), and the role of genocide in the 1930s and 1940s. Visit our website www.historyoffthepage.com for a list of reputable charities dealing with the consequences of the war.

We live today in a world primarily defined by nations and national identity.  But how did nationality acquire such powerful loyalty over us?  In this episode we'll talk about the barriers that initially made many people hostile to the idea of being part of a nation, as well as how those barriers were eventually overcome.  Highlights of the show include discussions of about the French emperor Napoleon III, Thanksgiving, kilts and the ways the school system was used to "teach" people national identity.

Socialism.  Love it or hate it, the term evokes powerful emotions even to this day.  But why did socialism start in the first place?  This episode charts the rise of class consciousness at the start of the 19th century, covering major figures associated with the movement such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin and the German Social Democratic Party (SPD).  We'll also see the emergence of a distinctive working class culture through things as varied as soccer clubs, May Day parades and the language socialists used to greet each other. follow us on twitter @historyOTP check out our website: www.historyoffthepage.com or support us on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyoffthepage 

As Europe industrialized, millions of young people migrated from the countryside to the cities.   Find out in this episode what their lives were like and how the physical environment of the city effected their identities.  Along the way, we'll learn about challenges presented by food adulteration, the lack of modern sanitation systems, and diseases like Cholera.  We'll also discuss the Ripper murders and how they symbolized everything wrong with the modern city.

A brief overview/explanation of History Off the Page, a European history podcast for people on the go.  

Perhaps no event had a more dramatic impact on modern history than "industrialization." But what does this word actually mean?  In this episode we document the key economic and technological changes that encompassed this revolution, focusing on inventions like the cotton gin and the railroad.  We'll see how industrialization essentially annihilated space and time, redefining people's notions of space and ultimately their very identities.  

From an unremarkable family in Corsica to master of Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte's meteoric career is one of the most dramatic stories in European history.  In this episode we'll examine the secrets to his success, and see why he was viewed as both devil and tyrant during the course of his rule.

Perhaps the most seismic political event in European history.  Learn why the Revolution began - and more importantly why it was so difficult to stop the cycle of violence as it accelerated.  We'll also see what efforts the French undertook to replace the authority of the monarchy, including the invention of modern political culture.  

This episode examines the radical intellectual project known as the Enlightenment, which tried to remake society using the power of reason.  In addition to learning about the usual suspects, we'll see how coffee, encyclopedias and Freemasons all played a key role in this project.

This episode examines what daily life was like for ordinary people in Early Modern Europe, highlighting some core differences with our own era such as the sense of geographic isolation and legal privileges of the nobility.

While we tend to think of absolutism as just a really strong king, this episode shows how the concept of the centralized state was developed in response to the 17th century crisis of order.  In particular, we look at French King Louis XIV and his magnificent palace of Versailles, showing how Louis turned his life into a performance in order to gain power over his nobles.

In this introductory episode, we consider the ways the Europe of 1600 was both similar and different to the Medieval society that existed before it.  Highlights include a discussion of the revolutionary tomato, effects of the printing press and the invention of modern science.

Mel Brooks once remarked "It's good to be the King." But what was it actually like to be a king in Early Modern Europe?  This episode examines ideals and values of the great monarchs of Europe, showing the limitations that led to a breakdown of order by the 17th century.