Podcasts about napoleonic

Discover the untold story of Napoleon Bonaparte's parents — Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino — and how their influence shaped the future Emperor of France.

AI Weekly Rundown From October 19th to October 26th 2025:Welcome to AI Unraveled, Your daily briefing on the real world business impact of AI

Wes and Eneasz are joined by Jimmy to keep the rationalist community informed about what's going on outside of the rationalist communitySupport us on Substack!News links:Trump issued layoff notices for >4,000 employeesA federal judge has blocked some of themTrump commuted George Santos' sentenceAt least one Venezuelan boat is maybe a fishing boatNow he's authorized some kind of CIA covert opRubio is on record that his strategy is to force Maduro outUS admiral in charge of the region retiring suddenlyUS Senate votes down restricting president's war powers against drug cartelsSouth America NewsNoble peace prize awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader, but winner leaked to PolyMarket 12 hours beforehandWinner dedicates peace prize to TrumpWaPo: Trump made a deal with Bukele to deport several FBI informantsArgentina continues to make huge strides under MileiUS bails out Argentina, buying $20B of pesos with dollarsTrade war with ChinaTrump said he's doing 100% tariffsUS & Australia made a deal to supply some rare EarthsPress hand over badges and leave Pentagon after refusing to sign new press requirementsTrump reportedly trying to extort $230 million from the Justice DepartmentBig “No Kings” protests happened on SaturdayCalifornia passed SB 53. Zvi summarySam Altman announced ChatGPT erotica is coming soonThat Mad OlympiadThe Future Will Be Hyper-LocalClaude can tell when it's being evaluated and scores much higher when this is the case.Louvre heist! Smash-and-grab in 7 minutes in broad daylight, men make off with $100M in Napoleonic jewels!Happy News!Waymos in London next year!Niger eliminates “river disease” after 4 decades of Ivermectin treatmentGot something to say? Come chat with us on the Bayesian Conspiracy Discord or email us at themindkillerpodcast@gmail.com. Say something smart and we'll mention you on the next show!Follow us!RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themindkillerGoogle: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqs7r7t6cdxw465zdulvwikhekmPocket Casts: https://pca.st/vvcmifu6Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-mind-killerApple: Intro/outro music: On Sale by Golden Duck Orchestra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindkiller.substack.com/subscribe

Paris, midday. In a matter of minutes, history vanished. The theft of Napoleonic-era artefacts from the Louvre has left France reeling, and investigators scrambling. The jewelry taken from the museum is estimated to be worth 88 million euros ($102 million), according to a French prosecutor, as the search continues for the stolen treasures. Are these priceless artefacts now gone for good? What's at stake for France’s cultural legacy? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with George Dyson, Associate Director, Control Risks, to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I would like to thank Patreon member Xizer for suggesting this one, as Xizer put it    “An in depth look at General Kanji Ishiwara would be interesting. The man was the architect for the Mukden Incident that led to the Second Sino Japanese War, but he was vehemently opposed to the abuse and exploitation Japan's colonialism indulged in. His vocal condemnation of the brutality and excesses of the Imperial Japanese military foreign policy and Tojo in particular led to his removal, but he couldn't be executed for popularity in the rank and file. Even at the trials after the war he remained defiant, declaring that President Truman should be tried alongside the Axis War criminals for firebombing Japanese cities. He was truly a fascinating figure.   Indeed Kanji Ishiwara is a fascinating character and his story has a startling impact on the Pacific War and global history as a whole. Now by the time I am reading this the script got out of hand, its a long one haha, so it might have to be a multi parter, but I want to limit the first part to Ishiwara and how the Mukden Incident occurred first. It might come further down the road but I will finish the story of this fascinating man later on after hitting up more Patrons desired subjects, without further adieu enjoy part one of Kanji Ishiwara.    Kanji Ishiwara was born in Tsuruoka, Yamagata prefecture on January 18th of 1889. He was the second son of a policeman who was a descendent of a samurai family serving the Shonai Domain. His clan supported the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Boshin War and as a result of their defeat, alongside other Shogunal allied clans would see themselves shut off from larger governmental positions in Meiji Era Japan. Not to go too deep down that rabbit hole, but domains like Choshu and Satsuma would see the lionshare of higher positions, while domains who served on the opposite side would be cast out more.   Ishiware began his army career at the military preparatory school in Sendai at the age of 13, followed up by 2 years at the Central military preparatory school in tokyo. In 1907 he entered the military academy as a member of its 21st class. He left the academy in july of 1909 with the commission of Lieutenant and an assignment as platoon commander of an infantry regiment in Tohoku. After the annexation of Korea in 1910 his regiment was shipped over to the peninsula and he served at Ch'unch'on in a small garrison. After two years of occupation duty, Ishiwara returned to Tohoku and in 1915 passed the examinations necessary to enter the Army Staff college. He held an outstanding record, graduating top of his class in november of 1918 and would be amongst the elite ranks of the Gunto Gumi, receiving the imperial sword.   Now in 1920 he had a frustrating assignment with the department of military training he applied for service in China and received an assignment to the Central china garrison in Hankow. He spent a year traveling through central china before returning back to Tokyo in 1921 where he worked as a lecturer at the army staff college. He sought another China assignment, but his superiors sent him instead to Europe, as they did with all their promising young officers. He went to Germany for 3 years, studying languages and military history. In 1925, he was now a Major, 36 years of age and he received an assignment to the faculty of the army staff college to lecture about the history of war. Now from the very beginning of his character, Ishiwara proved himself a very unconventional officer. He was on the eccentric side, quite argumentative and burdened with a lot of health problems. He had multiple kidney infections, gastro-intestinal problems, tympanitis and other ailments that clawed at him. You also cant forget his ancestry which was important to the Japanese military even in the 1930s. Many of those that came from a disgraced clan had the habit of going above and beyond in terms of imperial loyalty, sort of like a way to rid themselves of the stigma of distrust that was seen in the early Meiji years.   Ishiwara was a bit bizarre, he was nonconforming, quite an independent spirit you would say. Many biographers of his point out, while he held an outstanding record in his education, this went alongside things like his disregard for military punctilio, such as his dress and appearance. In his early career he spoke out against inequalities he saw within the military such as what he saw as favoritism for staff college graduates. Such talk was quite reckless. He read a lot about politics, religion, history and philosophy, he seemed to have quite the restless mind. His behavior drew attention from his colleagues, many deeming him brilliant.   Now everyone in any military has to learn about military history, but not all seek to learn it outside the required readings and such. Ishiwara is one of those rare individuals who was obsessed with learning more about military history. He read about the Russo Japanese war and took quite a critical look at it. He believed the Japanese victory was due to a large part because of luck. He thought Japan had taken the von Moltke strategy of annihilation, but Russia was simply to large to be dislodged from Asia with a swift stroke. If Russia had preserved herself better, he believed Japan would have lost and it was only by a peculiar set of circumstances that Japan had avoided a war of endurance. Ishiwara believed if such a set of circumstance occurred again, Japan defense planning would need to change dramatically to base itself on the realities of modern warfare. This led him to read thoroughly about WW1 in europe and he looked critically at the differences between a short duration vs long duration war. How prolonged conflicts eventually became total wars where politics, economics and social order played larger roles, than just that of the military. This led him to think of categories for different types of war such as “kessenteki senso / decisive war” and “jizokuteki senso / continuous war”. He viewed these two types as flowing back and forth throughout history, in a cyclical rhythm.    While in Germany he studied Clausewitz, von Moltke and the works of Hans Delbruck. He was particularly taken by Delbrucks niederwerfungstragie “strategy of annihilation, the decisive battle” and ermattungsstrategie “the strategy of exhaustion”. He could see his own theorizes more fleshed out in such works and took quite a liking to them. This brought him to analyze the Napoleonic war as the archetype of the war of annihilation and the wars of Frederick the Great as that of a war of exhaustion.    Now further on in his studies, Ishiwara became convinced like many of his colleagues, that Japan and the United States for reasons of power and ideology were on a set course for war. He also concluded such a war would be a protracted one, that of a strategy of exhaustion. But how could Japan prepare for such a protracted war when her natural resources were so clearly inadequate. This led him to think more so about Asia. Ishiwara believed Asia was an entity distinctly different from the west. He held beliefs that Asia should be liberated and unite. During the Xinhai revolution of 1911, as a young cadet in Korea, Ishiwara was quite excited by the idea China might revitalize itself, but he became disillusioned during his time in China later. In the 1920's he dealt with bandits, warlord era conflicts, chaos and disorder, seeing poverty everywhere, all of this shattered his image of China progressing and reforming herself. He wrote this during that time “Looking at the situation in China, I came to harbor grave doubts as to the political capacities of the chinese race and came to feel that, though they were a people of high cultural attainment, it was impossible for them to construct a modern state”. Despite how disappointed he was with the political problems of China, he was likewise disgusted with how his Japanese colleagues treated the Chinese. He recalled feelings of shame when he saw fellow colleagues in Hankow descending from rickshaws and tossing coins to the ground at the rickshaw mens feet. He would constantly write of how the Japanese needed to shed their racial superiority feelings, but funny enough he would write this alongside his beliefs it was necessary for Japan to help guide nations like China to their destiny. While he may have held beliefs in racial equality between Japan and China, he certainly did not think the same of China's politics. Like the majority of his colleagues he believed China required reform and modernization that Japan should usher in. To Ishiwara the issue at hand was if Japan did not help China, the west would aggressively do so and thus subjugate her further. To Ishiwara China needed liberation. Ishiwara also linked the incoming war between Japan and the United States to play a large role for what would occur between China and Japan.   Ishiwara like many Japanese officers held beliefs concerning the Kokutai. I will try to summarize exactly what the Kokutai is, but honestly its a unbelievably complex cultural phenomenon. The Kokutai was a spiritual motive force that influenced the Japanese military. It can be viewed as the national character of Japan. Japan was a constitutional monarchy that held the Kokutai (national body or character)  and Seitai (government body/structure). Thus there was in reality two ideologies, one held the traditional belief focusing on that of the emperor and that of the official government. If I were to give you a overly confusing summary, I would tell you “Japan is run by the emperor and the government simultaneously” this of course if confusing as hell, and it should be. Article 4 of the former Japanese constitution held “the emperor is the head of the empire, combining in himself the right of sovereignty, uniting the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, although subject to the consent of the imperial diet”. Its like saying you have an absolute monarch, but he will be listening and following the democratically elected people. This contradiction would lead to the Pacific War. A large issue that would emerge is that the constitution literally said the navy and army were controlled by the Emperor and not the political diet. Thus many in the military viewed themselves subject to the Kokutai, which as an ideology would evolve dramatically from the Meiji era to the Showa Era. For example, what if you are a military high ranking officer who views the political elites as nothing more than criminals, taking the emperor hostage against his will and thus against the will of the Japanese people. Well this might lead you to try and overthrow the government to make sure the Emperor was really in charge as you think he should be. A real rabbit hole I could go down.   Ishiwara had a unique view of the Kokutai. In his early education he wrote this about his doubt on understanding it as a principal. “Even though I, myself, because of my training…had come to have an unshakeable faith in the kokutai I began to lack confidence that I could imparts this belief to others –to the common soldier, to the civilian, to non-Japanese”. His issue was how did the Kokutai apply outside Japan? How could its value transcend the national boundaries and interests of Japan? If a Japanese soldier was to sacrifice his life for the Kokutai, how did this take on any meaning for men of all races? How could the kokutai's supra-national value by linked to other outside ideologies?   Ishiwara found some answers to these questions in Nichiren Buddhism. It seems here he was able to combine his conceptions about war, history and national purpose. Now Ishiwara did not come from a religious family. He dabbled in christianity for a bit, but did not pursue it. Shinto likewise did not sufficiently fulfill Shiwara' beliefs. Nichiren Buddhism is strongly patriotic, has a apocalyptic character to it and represents a holy mission to be the religion for all mankind with the center of propagation as Japan. There was this kind of quasi idea of world regeneration behind it with Japan as the moral righteous leader. Thus as you can imagine the Kokutai and Nichiren buddhism sort of fit like a glove in many ways.    Utilizing Nichiren Buddhism, the kokutai could be raised from its purely national dogma and be amplified to the entire world. Ishiwara was introduced to all of this by Tanaka Chigaku who was part of the Kokuchukai “national pillar society” a nichiren nationalist organization with an HQ in tokyo. After attending a public meeting held by Tanaka, he quickly converted to Kokuchukai and he would write down in his journal “I was attracted to the Nichiren faith's view of the kokutai”. Nichiren buddhism.    One aspect of Kokuchukai's nichirenism that greatly appealed to Ishiwara was its combative passages. Ishiwara would justify and attribute much of the military force Japan used on the asian continent drawing parallels to Nicherns idea of drawing the sword to defend righteousness. He often quoted nichirens statement “that the significance of the art of war appears in the wonderful law”. Ishiwara become engulfed by the nichiren doctrine and came to believe in its prediction that there would be a “Zendai mimon no dai toso / titanic world conflict, unprecedented in human history”, something like a global armageddon. After this would come a reign of universal and eternal peace under the harmony of “the wonderful law”.   While in Germany Ishiwara became convinced that if Japan and the United States were destined for war and the US won that war, the kokutai would be destroyed. He took the trans-siberian railway enroute back to Japan and stopped in Harbin. There he met with Nichiren believers and he spoke to them about his idea of “a final war”. He stated he believed it would come through religious prediction and his military analysis. He warned everyone Japan must hasten herself for it and that “the final war is fast approaching”. Ishiwara came back to Japan in 1925 fired up with conviction to lecture at the army staff college about his final war. His audience was the army's bright and youthful officers. He taught them Frederican and Napoleonic campaigns, Moltke and WW1 and of course his thoughts on the future conflict before them all. The Army staff college continuously called for him to expand his lectures because they were so popular. Then in 1927 he drafted an essay titled “Genzai oyobi shorai Nihon no kokubo / Japan's present and future national defense”. Here he spoke about the inevitable war between the US and Japan. These were quite provocative and took a hell of a lot of attention from colleagues. Later on in april of 1931, he would brief his fellow Kwantung officers using the essay, arguing the need for decisive action on the asian mainland.   In 1928 he would have given another course on European war, but he came down with influenza and was forced to take leave. As he was getting better he was hit with a case of tympanitis in his ear and had to be hospitalized for 6 months. It was to be one of many ailments that would grind at his health. He eventually was drawn into an elite study circle to talk about war theories led by Major Suzuki. The group consisted of young reformist type officers who talked about political and military issues. He carried on his work on the final war and eventually wrote “Sensoshi taikan / general outline of the history of war” which was delivered as a lecture before Kwantung officers at Changch'un in Manchuria on July 4th of 1929. It would receive revisions in 1931, 1938 and became a book of the same title after 1941. As he began lecturing using Sensoshi taiken he also circulated amongst an inner circle within the Kwantung army “kokuun tenkai no konpon kokusakutaru man-mo mondai kaiketsuan / Plan for the solution of the Manchuria and Mongolia problem as a basic national policy to revolutionize our country's destiny”, what a title. As you might guess the plan called for occupying Manchuria in preparation for the upcoming war with America. By the way, all of his lectures and works would gain so much fame, he was asked in 1936 to adapt the materials for a text on military history for Emperor Hirohito.    Now the 1930's were quite a tense time for Japan. The Japanese leadership saw Marxism everywhere, and believed it was withering away their nation. Japanese liberal types were arguing the military budget was out of hand, many were calling for reduction. To Ishiwara it was insanity, how could Japan not arm itself? Marxists preached communism would save Japan; Liberals preached true democracy would save Japan; Ishiwara and many in the army preached the Kokutai would save Japan. Ishiwara preached his final war theories and that the coming apocalypse would not see an American synthesis, but a supreme victory for the Japanese kokutai that would unify the world. “Japan must be victorious not for the sake of her own national interest, but for the salvation of the world. The last war in human history is approaching, Nichiren's titanic world conflict, unprecedented in human history”.   From the offset of his initial theories, Ishiwara believed the final war would be a strategy of exhaustion. But WW1 and the 1920's brought technological advances such as tanks, poison gas and the airplane. The airplane in particular made Ishiwara believe the defensive stalemate seen in WW1 was coming to an end. Airpower could deliver bomb loads past all known defenses such as naval surface units, fortresses, armies with automatic weapons. He believed the final war would see absolute horrors brought upon the greatest cities of the world. London, Shanghai, Paris even Tokyo would be wiped out within a day of the commencement of hostilities. Air bombardment would deliver victory and he would be quite right about that in regards to what would happen to Japan. He believed such a war would be waged only once and “we will enter an age where war will become impossible because of the ultimate development of war technology”.   Ishiwara argued Japan must directly or indirectly control Manchuria and to a lesser degree over parts of China. He asserted Japan had a moral obligation to the asian continent and a special relationship to Manchuria and China. China must be stabilized, for her people were threatened by turmoil, corruption and conflict. He argued Japan would be eventually obliged for the sake of peace and the welfare of the Chinese people to take a more active effort to stabilize her, particularly in Manchuria. He wrote in 1930 “To save China, which has known no peace, is the mission of Japan, a mission, which, at the same time, is the only means for the salvation of Japan itself. To accomplish this task it is an urgent matter that the interference of the United States be eliminated”. Ironically, he was advocating that in order to prepare for a conflict with the US, Japan must take a stronger hand in Manchuria and China…which would probably force the United States to confront her. He advocated against the strategy of a decisive battle at sea, instead emphasizing a continental strategy. “If the worst comes about and the war at sea turns against us, if proper measures have been taken, Japanese forces on the Asian mainland can be made self-sufficient and the war continued.” Above all else, Manchuria was the key, alongside parts of Mongolia and China.    In 1931 he began writing about how China needed to reform and it would be in her best interest to accept Japanese guidance. He saw China as the most valuable ally to be beside Japan in the event of war with the United States. If anything he argued Japan must try to not become involved in a war with China, every effort should be made to avoid provoking such an event. Yet as he continued his writing he began to see the diplomatic issues play out between China and Japan and came to the conclusion, “every attempt should be made to avoid provoking China, but in the event that it is impossible to bring about China's understanding, then Nanking should be swiftly attacked and north and central China occupied” way to go 0-60. His attitudes to Britain and Russia were quite similar, every effort should be made to remain friendly, but in the case of war Hong Kong and Malaya should be quickly occupied or in the case of the USSR, predetermined objectives inside Siberia should be seized quickly.    Now lets talk about Manchuria, specifically Manchuria in the late 1920's. Manchuria was in a huge tug of war between Russia, China and Japan. Her ties to China proper were severed by years of warlordism allowing Japan to grow her position. For Japan, the quote “manchurian problem” as it would be known centered on a single question “how to consolidate and expand it under Japanese influence in the face of an expanding China”. Japan saw 3 viable methods, taking control over the south manchuria railway, using the kwantung army and Japanese colonists, the good old filibuster approach. Each of these 3 methods offered different approaches to the same problem which of course would have very different outcomes.    Controlling the railway allowed quite a lot of control over southern Manchuria. The issue with this of course being Japan having to constantly fight off Chinese political efforts against such control. Zhang Zuolin, the Tiger of Manchuria and arguably greatest of the warlords of China held control over Manchuria and was firmly acting in Japanese interests, but for how long would he play ball? To the Kwantung Army members operating in and around Manchuria, the northern expedition of Chiang Kai-shek was getting out of hand and threatening Zhang Zuolin and thus their interests as well. Anti-Japanese sentiment was only getting worse as the northern expedition climbed north. The Kwangtung army sought more than anything to assert and retain their control over Manchuria, because it offered a buffer against the USSR. Anything that threatened that control had to be dealt with. Ultimately it was believed by many in the Kwantung Army that Manchuria would have to be separated officially from China and in order for this to occur, Japan would most likely need to use force.    Senior officers of the Kwantung army were invited in June of 1927 for a meeting called upon by Premier Tanaka Giichi. The purpose of the meeting was to formulate Japan's policy toward China and Manchuria. A more radical Kwantung army group headed by Colonel Komoto Daisaku sought to eliminate Zhang Zuolin, as he was increasingly being seen as a major obstacle to Japanese ambitions in Manchuria. Well they would do just that in 1928 when Zhang Zuolin was assassinated via a bomb placed on train tracks known as the Huanggutun incident. The assassination did not work out as the Kwantung Army officers thought it would. Instead of their groomed puppet General Yang Yuting taking up the role as leader of Manchuria, it went instead to Zhang Zuolin's son, Zhang Xueliang, who lets just say was not too happy the Japanese had obviously killed his father. Thus the Kwantung Army did not assert the forceful policy they wanted in Manchuria, they had actually made it worse for them.   The half-hearted investigation into those responsible for killing Zhang Zuolin, led to the removal of Colonel Komoto from his post. Tanaka's cabinet was toppled. The Kwantung army were now embarrassed and angry that their stance in Manchuria was weakened. The Japanese colonists within Manchuria felt more threatened and called more so upon the Kwantung army for protection against Chinese nationalists wishing to kick them out. The Kwantung army was grasping at straws trying to think of a way to sever Manchuria from China. In 1928, Ishiwara was a lt colonel and he was consulted in length by Kwantung officers about his views on the Manchurian problem. While he had not fully hashed out his Final War theory by this point, he nonetheless spoke about the fundamentals of it, arguing the necessity of taking action to control Manchuria. For the next few years, all efforts were made by Kwantung officers to influence policy towards Manchuria. Ishiwara's ideas were being stimulated and influencing the debate over Manchuria amongst his high ranking colleagues. In October of 1928, Ishiwara sought and received an appointment to the Kwantung army staff. The assignment was to be as an operations officer and his number one backer was Colonel Komoto Daisaku. It seemed Komoto saw Ishiwara as the firebrand necessary to push the Manchurian policies they wanted.   When Ishiwara arrived at Port Arthur, he found the Kwantung Army HQ in a state of confusion and demoralization. This of course was a large part due to the cluster fuck of a failure from the bombing of Zhang Zuolin. The investigation into the assassination led to many shifts within the Kwantung army staff, many quite restrictive. Even though Komoto's career was shattered by the Zhang Zuolin failure, he kept arguing to his colleagues that the Manchurian crisis hamukdend to be resolved by force. Ishiwara it seems agreed with this and during the early months of 1929 worked alongside Komoto, planning operations against Chinese forces in the Mukden area. By spring of 1929, Komoto was officially being kicked out. By May he was relegated to a divisional backwater in Japan and by June he was out of the army. This did not mean however that he lost influence on Manchurian affairs. Komoto's replacement was Lt Colonel Itagaki Seishiro and old comrade of Ishiwara since Sendai military preparatory school.    For the next two and a half years, Ishiwara and Itagaki worked alongside other Kwantung Army staff to solve the Manchurian problem as they saw it. By the mid 1931's the idea Manchuria needed to be seized via force was now the mainstream viewpoint for the Kwantung army in general. Ishiwara believed firmly that Japan could no longer stand idle in Manchuria, because every day that went by saw little by little, Japan relinquishing rights and interests in Manchuria to China, and at some point they would simply be kicked out. To “quit manchuria” would be a national disaster, they would lose their buffer state, the resources and the land for their booming population to emigrate to. Simply put Manchuria was the steroid keeping Japan alive, she needed it to continue to grow. Ishiwara would often say “manchuria provides Japan with breathing space” where have we heard that type of talk before?. To the military heads in Tokyo Ishikawa would often assert Manchuria had to be seized via force, because of the soviethreat of the USSR and communism as a whole “In view of the traditional russian policy in that area, once the soviets advanced into manchuria, it would become a base for the communization of asia. Not only would the internal stability of manchuria become impossible to maintain, but Japan would be unable to maintain its own national defense, and China's defenses, too, would become imperialized". The Army HQ in Tokyo likewise agreed Manchuria was the vital defensive line against the USSR. But unlike the Kwantung army who sought all of Manchuria, the heads in Tokyo sought to absorb southern Manchuria via the south manchurian railway and did not seek anything north of it. Ishiwara however assumed the only way Japan could prevent the USSR from placing pressure on southern Manchuria was no less that Japan having to occupy northern Manchuria and even further north towards the Amur River so Japan could control the mountain ranges flanking western and eastern frontiers of northern manchuria.  Once Japan controlled northern Manchuria, Ishiwara stated in 1931 “With the solution of our defense problems in the north, we would then be free to plan an advance in any direction: to China proper, for example, or even to Southeast Asia”.   Ishiwara took all of this a step further, after Manchuria was conquered, Japan would have to somehow administer and pacify the peoples of it. Ishiwara argued the stability of Manchuria would be developed through the special talents of various races living there. The Chinese would develop the small businesses in the region, the Koreans would use their paddy farming knowledge, etc. These racial ideas would contribute to the development of Manchukuo and the greater east asia co-prosperity sphere. But above all else, Manchuria would serve the interests of Japan, many of which would be exploitative and economic in nature.    By early 1930 Ishiwara and Itagaki worked out a plan using the same strategy used during the Russo-Japanese war, a surprise night attack. The Kwantung army would assault the Liaoning area hitting important Chinese garrisons. The plans had to be meticulous as the Kwantung army was severely smaller than most of the Manchurian forces led by Zhang Xueliang. Around Mukden alone Zhang held 20,000 men well equipped with aircraft and tanks. Throughout all of Manchuria, if a war arose, Zhang could assemble roughly 250,000 troops to bear down on an enemy. The Kwantung army meanwhile could muster 10,000 men which were basically garrison units around the railway. They did not have significant aircraft nor mechanized forces at hand, and were pretty poorly equipped to boot. Ishiwara's answer to the disparity in forces called for the use of intelligence and rigorous training. He sought to perfect specific assault techniques so that when the conflict broke out, the Japanese would use lightning speed and effective concentration of force to overwhelm the Chinese. The plan overall was remarkably simplistic, wagering everything on dealing a crushing blow at the center of Zhang Xueliangs military powerbase at the Peitaying barracks at Mukden. If this fell, he predicted the enemy's morale would break, giving the Kwantung the necessary military and psychological momentum to subdue the surrounding areas. If the USSR got involved, the plan would have gone to utter shit.   One important variable Ishiwara highlighted was the necessity to pull off the operation before any attempt to restructure the domestic order in Japan occurred. Ishiwara knew his arguments and those of his colleagues would influence the heads in Tokyo, and they had to act before they did. However the heads at Tokyo and the Kwantung army held very different perspectives on when to act. In June of 1931 the Central army HQ stated in its General Outline of a solution to the Manchurian problem “we must defer the question of military action for a whole year. During this time the foreign ministry would attempt to dampen anti japanese activities in manchuria through negotiations with the government of Nanking. In the meantime the government would launch an information campaign to try and drive acquiescence at home and aboard for military action ”. Ishiwara as you can imagine was very bitter about the idea of prolonging for a year and argued the international environment meant they must strike immediately. The Soviet 5 year plan was still in mid course; the US, Britain and France had yet to overcome their financial crisis and could offer limited resistance in the far east and most obviously the Nationalist regime in China was still busy in its unification efforts south of the Great wall, but that would change soon. If they waited a year all of this would change for the worse, the time was now or never to Ishiwara.   In july of 1931 Ishiwara and Itagki organized a final major staff reconnaissance designed to get the newest Kwantung officers up to date with northern Manchuria. To cover for what they were doing they told high command it was a survey against the USSR, but it was of course to investigate the Chinese power in northern manchuria. On their return trip, the party heard of the disappearance of one Kwantung staff officer, captain Nakamura Shintaro. Ishiwara and the others found out when they reached Port Arthur and the rumor spread that Captain Nakamura had been killed by Chinese soldiers under “mysterious circumstances”. Now over the past few months there had been violent riots, murders, work strikes and other incidents occurring in Manchuria. The Nakamura affair flared all of these tensions up. Seeing the paint on the wall, Chinese and Japanese foreign ministries tried to negotiate the issue, but those at the central army HQ like Nagata Tetsuzan who were sympathetic to the impatience of their Kwantung colleagues felt compelled to aid them. For Ishiwara the issue was clear as he wrote “the Nakamura incident adds just one more issue to the others. What the army should do now is to ignore the foreign ministry and solve the problem by taking matters into its own hands”. And that is just what he did. The Kwantung officers took their forces outside the railway zone, which they had been restricted to and without waiting for approval from Itagaki who was in Japan at the time, initiated the steps to despatch an armored train and a mixed regiment of infantry and artillery forces to go to Mukden to get the Chinese military to help investigate the Nakamura disappearance. Tokyo got word of this and dispatched a telegram to stop their departure from the railway and to not use the Nakamura incident as a way to use force to solve the manchurian problem.   For Ishiwara this was the last straw. On August 20th he sent a message to Nagata condemning the current diplomatic situation and that negotiations were an utter waste of time. “There is no way to settle the matter except by placing it in the hands of the army. If central hq finds it so difficult to trust its field personnel then it had better replace them with representatives more suitable to the conditions it imagines to exist in Manchuria”. Ishiwara doubled down and pushed for a plot to provoke military conflict outside of Mukden. As he wrote in almost a messianic Nichiren conviction ‘I will be the pillar of Japan; I will be the eyes of Japan; I will be the great vessel of Japan” .   “Gekokujo / ruling from below” is a Japanese historical term referring to when subordinates defy or manipulate their superiors. Ishiwara and his like minded close colleagues were about to perform Gekokujo. On september 18th, 1931 a bomb was planted by the Kwantung army on the tracks of the south manchuria railway at Liutiaokou and it exploded. Japanese troops under the guise the bomb was a “chinese terrorist attack” moved to swiftly overrun the Peitaying barracks. Ishiwara's plot had finally unfolded. 

As you no doubt have seen in the news, eight priceless Napoleonic jewels were stolen from the Louvre. The burglary is like something out of a movie; the thieves brought their own lift .. rode it up to window .. stole the jewels and escaped .. all in broad daylight. We have been gripped by this story .. because if this can happen at the world's most popular museum .. could it happen here? Jesse talks to investigative crime writer and heist expert Scott Bainbridge.

Today on America in the MorningUS-Australia Talks President Trump welcomed Australia's Anthony Albanese to the White House on Monday where the two leaders signed a rare earths deal the White House hopes will off-set moves by China.  John Stolnis has the details from Washington.   Gunman Stopped At Atlanta Airport A catastrophe was averted at one of America's busiest airports after police tracked down a man at the terminal of Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport armed and ready to kill.  Bob Brown reports a tip from that man's family and quick police action potentially saved dozens of lives.   Comey Wants Charges Dismissed Attorneys for former FBI Director James Comey are asking to have the indictment against him dismissed.  Correspondent Clayton Neville reports that Comey is charged with making false statements to Congress and obstruction in a federal criminal case.   Young Republicans Politician Resigns There's more fallout from the situation surrounding the Young Republicans group chat.  Correspondent Julie Walker reports a Vermont state senator who took part in the racist chat controversy has resigned.   Arrest In Philadelphia Missing Woman Case A man is in custody following the disappearance of a Philadelphia woman nearly two weeks ago.  Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports an anonymous tip led police to the woman's body, and their suspect.   Kimmel Reaction The fallout of Jimmy Kimmel's brief suspension on ABC television or Disney's streaming services did not end well for either Disney or Hulu.  Correspondent Ed Donahue reports.    Latest On Russia-Ukraine President Trump is turning his focus to ending the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, after speaking recently with leaders of both countries. Correspondent Clayton Neville reports this comes after a Ukrainian drone attack damaged a Russian gas refining plant, but Ukraine's president did not get the Tomahawk missiles he was hoping for.   Vance To Israel Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance have departed Washington for Israel, where the V-P will work to advance the next phase of President Trump's Gaza ceasefire deal, and will arrive in Tel Aviv today.  Correspondent Joe Federman reports that Israel, which temporarily halted aid shipments from going into the Gaza Strip over safety concerns, has resumed aid operations.   Prison Guard Guilty A former New York state prison guard has learned his fate in the case of the death of an inmate in his custody, while two others are acquitted.  The details from correspondent Julie Walker.   Judge OK's Portland Guard A federal judge gave the go-ahead for the Trump administration to proceed with deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon.   GOP Against Trump Nominee A nominee of President Trump is facing sharp criticism from Senate Republicans.    Tech News The Internet suffered a major blackout for most of Monday, especially along the eastern part of the US, as services across the tech sector fought hard to remain online.  Chuck Palm has that in today's tech report.     Finally   The investigation in France continues after the brazen theft by four suspects of priceless Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre museum, happening just feet away from the famed Mona Lisa portrait.  Correspondent Karen Chammas reports the most-visited museum in the world will remain closed until Wednesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports that the Louvre museum remains closed, a day after thieves stoles priceless Napoleonic jewels just meters away from the Mona Lisa.

Angela White (formerly Blac Chyna) says she and Rob Kardashian are “going with the flow” as they rekindle their relationship, emphasizing healing and faith while co-parenting their daughter Dream. Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa accused her of cheating and slammed her claims about never being truly loved, saying she's the one who was unfaithful. A private investigator in the D4vd case believes there was a “sadistic” plan to dispose of Celeste Rivas' body, calling the gruesome Tesla discovery part of a larger cover-up still under investigation. In Paris, the Louvre was forced to close after a high-stakes jewel heist saw masked thieves use power tools and a lift to steal priceless Napoleonic-era treasures in just minutes, with footage showing one suspect sawing through a display case. Hosts: Charlie Cotton & Deven Rall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Experts now say it's unlikely the jewels, most recently stolen from the Louvre will ever be seen again. The thieves rode a basket lift up the museum's facade, forced a window and fled with France's Crown and Napoleonic jewels - in just seven minutes. The museum had just opened on Sunday - local time. Newstalk ZB's Paris correspondent Catherine Field says it's already been 24 hours, and authorities have no idea who they're looking for. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare daylight robbery has been executed at the world's most visited art museum. Items of 'incalculable' value were stolen in a seven minute heist at the Louvre museum in Paris - just after it opened. The thieves rode a basket lift up the museum's facade, forced a window and fled with France's Crown and Napoleonic jewels. UK correspondent Gavin Grey unpacked the ongoing investigation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution (Reaktion Books, 2022) ends by discussing Napoleon's one great failure--his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution (Reaktion Books, 2022) ends by discussing Napoleon's one great failure--his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution (Reaktion Books, 2022) ends by discussing Napoleon's one great failure--his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution (Reaktion Books, 2022) ends by discussing Napoleon's one great failure--his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace: How to End a Revolution (Reaktion Books, 2022) ends by discussing Napoleon's one great failure--his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun. Charles Coutinho, PH. D., Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, received his doctorate from New York University. His area of specialization is 19th and 20th-century European, American diplomatic and political history. He has written for Chatham House's International Affairs, the Institute of Historical Research's Reviews in History and the University of Rouen's online periodical Cercles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prof Emeritus Alan Forrest of the University of York, biographer of Napoleon, is back in conversation with Alex Stevenson to give his appraisal of imperial France as it was in 1804-05. Featuring - France's shift from revolutionary chaos to Napoleonic stability in 1804-1805, with the rise of executive power and curtailment of parliamentary influence.Ongoing security threats and conspiracies from both Jacobins and royalists, including assassination plots and political purges.The challenges and social impact of conscription, causing widespread resentment, draft dodging, and community resistance.Transformation of the French economy and society under the pressures of renewed war, British blockade, and loss of overseas colonies.The emergence of new administrative strengths and legal reforms, alongside the growing reach of centralized state authority into everyday life.Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

BARD annotation A sense of the world: how a blind man became history’s greatest traveler DB62703 Author: Roberts, Jason Reading Time: 12 hours, 41 minutes Read by: David Cutler Subjects: Biography of Persons with Disabilities, Disability, Travel Biography of Englishman James Holman (1786-1857), who was blinded at twenty-five after serving in the Napoleonic wars and who then achieved fame as a world traveler. Quoting from Holman’s memoirs, describes how he fought slavery in Africa, survived captivity in Siberia, charted the Australian outback, and published three books. 2006. New York : Harper Collins Publishers, c2006. Bookshare This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6462474?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPUElMkJzZW5zZSUyQm9mJTJCdGhlJTJCd29ybGQlMjUzQSUyQmhvdyUyQmElMkJibGluZCUyQm1hbiUyQmJlY2FtZSUyQmhpc3RvcnklMjUyNiUyNTIzMzklMjUzQnMlMkJncmVhdGVzdCUyQnRyYXZlbGVyJTJC

In this episode of the Wargames Soldiers and Strategy Podcast, Angus is joined by Guy, Mark, Chris and Jasper. After the latest updates from “Bowers Towers,” Guy sits down with Martin Feller to talk about his game Kugelhagel. Originally published in German 18 years ago and now available in English, Kugelhagel offers fast-play rules for eighteenth and nineteenth-century battles, including the Napoleonic wars.   Links: Kugelhagel Bring & Battle Wargaming, Barons War Battle Report Dark Ages Army Builder, Wargames AtlanticArmies of the Soviet Union: Third Edition, Warlord GamesDragon Rampant: Second Edition, Osprey GamesRichard Sharpe 1809, Wargames AtlanticBloodybacks AK Quick Gen Paints    

In the wake of Napoleon's defeat in 1815, French liberals set out to create an informal empire. Their efforts to cultivate unequal partnerships with Christian, Greek-speaking elites in southeast Europe shaped national identities and structured global civilizational hierarchies over the decades that followed. Unintended Nations: France's Empire of Civilization, Southeast Europe, and the Post-Napoleonic World (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025) tracks a notion of civilization that developed in early nineteenth-century France. Dr. Alex Tipei explores the constellation of ideas, beliefs, and practices this concept invoked – what she calls civilization-speak – and charts the cross-continental networks that employed it as an organizing principle. Drawing on archival and printed primary sources in six languages, Dr. Tipei maps out the uses of this civilization-speak on both sides of the continent, focusing on France and the lands that make up significant parts of present-day Greece and Romania. She shows how and why French liberals mobilized civilization-speak to, offering an innovative analysis of liberalism and capitalism's relationship to informal empire. Calling into question long-standing assumptions about the rise of nationalism in southeast Europe, Unintended Nations explores how Franco-Balkan exchanges helped define political, civilizational, and biopolitical boundaries in the post-Napoleonic era. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the wake of Napoleon's defeat in 1815, French liberals set out to create an informal empire. Their efforts to cultivate unequal partnerships with Christian, Greek-speaking elites in southeast Europe shaped national identities and structured global civilizational hierarchies over the decades that followed. Unintended Nations: France's Empire of Civilization, Southeast Europe, and the Post-Napoleonic World (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025) tracks a notion of civilization that developed in early nineteenth-century France. Dr. Alex Tipei explores the constellation of ideas, beliefs, and practices this concept invoked – what she calls civilization-speak – and charts the cross-continental networks that employed it as an organizing principle. Drawing on archival and printed primary sources in six languages, Dr. Tipei maps out the uses of this civilization-speak on both sides of the continent, focusing on France and the lands that make up significant parts of present-day Greece and Romania. She shows how and why French liberals mobilized civilization-speak to, offering an innovative analysis of liberalism and capitalism's relationship to informal empire. Calling into question long-standing assumptions about the rise of nationalism in southeast Europe, Unintended Nations explores how Franco-Balkan exchanges helped define political, civilizational, and biopolitical boundaries in the post-Napoleonic era. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

In the wake of Napoleon's defeat in 1815, French liberals set out to create an informal empire. Their efforts to cultivate unequal partnerships with Christian, Greek-speaking elites in southeast Europe shaped national identities and structured global civilizational hierarchies over the decades that followed. Unintended Nations: France's Empire of Civilization, Southeast Europe, and the Post-Napoleonic World (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025) tracks a notion of civilization that developed in early nineteenth-century France. Dr. Alex Tipei explores the constellation of ideas, beliefs, and practices this concept invoked – what she calls civilization-speak – and charts the cross-continental networks that employed it as an organizing principle. Drawing on archival and printed primary sources in six languages, Dr. Tipei maps out the uses of this civilization-speak on both sides of the continent, focusing on France and the lands that make up significant parts of present-day Greece and Romania. She shows how and why French liberals mobilized civilization-speak to, offering an innovative analysis of liberalism and capitalism's relationship to informal empire. Calling into question long-standing assumptions about the rise of nationalism in southeast Europe, Unintended Nations explores how Franco-Balkan exchanges helped define political, civilizational, and biopolitical boundaries in the post-Napoleonic era. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

In the wake of Napoleon's defeat in 1815, French liberals set out to create an informal empire. Their efforts to cultivate unequal partnerships with Christian, Greek-speaking elites in southeast Europe shaped national identities and structured global civilizational hierarchies over the decades that followed. Unintended Nations: France's Empire of Civilization, Southeast Europe, and the Post-Napoleonic World (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025) tracks a notion of civilization that developed in early nineteenth-century France. Dr. Alex Tipei explores the constellation of ideas, beliefs, and practices this concept invoked – what she calls civilization-speak – and charts the cross-continental networks that employed it as an organizing principle. Drawing on archival and printed primary sources in six languages, Dr. Tipei maps out the uses of this civilization-speak on both sides of the continent, focusing on France and the lands that make up significant parts of present-day Greece and Romania. She shows how and why French liberals mobilized civilization-speak to, offering an innovative analysis of liberalism and capitalism's relationship to informal empire. Calling into question long-standing assumptions about the rise of nationalism in southeast Europe, Unintended Nations explores how Franco-Balkan exchanges helped define political, civilizational, and biopolitical boundaries in the post-Napoleonic era. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies

Aside from the generic tourist attractions & fantastic restaurants, Paris is also rich in Jewish history. Some locations evoke tragedy such as the Drancy transit camp which was the point of deportation during the Holocaust, and the Place Hotel de Ville where the Talmud was burnt on the orders of King Louis IX in 1242. Others are more quaint, such as the Pletzl, the historic neighborhood of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the heart of the city. We also visit the gravesite of Rav Yosef David Zintzheim (1745-1812), a towering leader of French Jewry during the challenging times of the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, emancipation of French Jewry and the Napoleonic era. As the head of Napoleon's ‘Sanhedrin' in 1806-1807, he navigated the challenging questions posed by Napoleon regarding integrating France's Jews without compromising an iota of Halacha or Jewish tradition.  Subscribe to Jewish History Soundbites Podcast on: PodBean: https://jsoundbites.podbean.com/ or your favorite podcast platform Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram at @Jsoundbites For sponsorship opportunities about your favorite topics of Jewish history or feedback contact Yehuda at: yehuda@yehudageberer.com

Bernie Campbell is joined by Rachel Blackman-Rogers of King's College London and Olivier Aranda of the University of Western Brittany to discuss naval strategy in the Mediterranean theatre in the 1790s, with a particular emphasis on the Battle of the Nile.The episode explores the strategic importance of the Mediterranean for both France and Britain during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, particularly focusing on the lead-up to the French invasion of Egypt and the Battle of the Nile. It highlights how each nation's naval priorities shifted over the 1790s depending on political alliances and military objectives.Olivier Aranda explains the French dilemma of having to split their naval forces between the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and how this dual-front created both opportunities and problems for the French navy. The discussion contrasts the fortunes of France's Mediterranean (Toulon) and Atlantic (Brest) fleets, illustrating the divergent outcomes and strategic thinking.Rachel Blackman-Rogers provides insight into British strategy, emphasizing the significance of trade, power projection, and political influence in the Mediterranean. The episode also discusses Britain's reliance on bases, alliances with smaller regional powers, and the critical impact of controlling Mediterranean routes for economic and diplomatic reasons.Both speakers detail the roles and shifting alliances of other Mediterranean powers—such as Spain, Naples, Venice, the Ottoman Empire, and the Barbary States—influencing French and British strategies. The complexity of these ever-shifting diplomatic relationships is shown to be a constant challenge for both major powers.The consequences of the Battle of the Nile are examined in terms of their profound impact on French and British strategic options. The destruction of the French fleet isolated Napoleon in Egypt, shifted the naval initiative firmly to Britain, and set the stage for changing coalitions and further military campaigns in the region.Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Scott sits down with Tanner Goodman, who just got back from the EU, and his time at Gamescom in Germany. They talk about everything he saw! Including the standout demos like Crimson Desert (beautiful but overloaded with systems), Silent Hill f (creepy immersive theater), Honor of Kings: World (surprise hit with fun elemental combat and raids), and Valor Mortis (first-person Soulslike with grotesque Napoleonic bosses). Also, reasons why Chronos on Switch 2 disappointed due to poor performance and clunky design. Beyond games, Xbox showed its new handheld, cosplay was everywhere, swag was abundant, and even Netflix, Disney+, and Chiquita Bananas had booths. Give it a listen and huge thanks to Tanner for his time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott sits down with Tanner Goodman, who just got back from the EU, and his time at Gamescom in Germany. They talk about everything he saw! Including the standout demos like Crimson Desert (beautiful but overloaded with systems), Silent Hill f (creepy immersive theater), Honor of Kings: World (surprise hit with fun elemental combat and raids), and Valor Mortis (first-person Soulslike with grotesque Napoleonic bosses). Also, reasons why Chronos on Switch 2 disappointed due to poor performance and clunky design. Beyond games, Xbox showed its new handheld, cosplay was everywhere, swag was abundant, and even Netflix, Disney+, and Chiquita Bananas had booths. Give it a listen and huge thanks to Tanner for his time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

48 - Napoleonics with Jim Owczarski. And a wee floodThis episode can be found on pushingcardboard.com, as well as wherever you get your podcasts. (On youtube, it's still audio-only.)Don't forget to complete our episode survey!Cardboard Central under waterGMT August updateNow available: Against the Iron Ring from VucaBrief Border Wars 2 Kickstarter finally announced.Video version of my interview with Jim OwzcarskiLive Cardboard 13 with Gina WillisJoin us on our DISCORD CHANNELKo-FiSign up to support the show monthly, or with a one-time donationNoble Knight GamesThe best place to find out of print games without paying Ebay prices!Cube4Me Storage SolutionsCube4Me are a revolution in trays for games. Multiple sizes, configurations, and depths!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

In the discussion, Napoleon's marshals are examined through a collaborative, idea-driven chat among hosts Craig, Gav, and guest Victor. The central idea is constructing “dream teams” of marshals by weighing each commander's strengths, weaknesses, and rivalries within the context of the Napoleonic Wars. The conversation treats selection criteria as a mix of battlefield performance, leadership style, logistical acumen, and interpersonal dynamics, rather than a simple roster ranking. The hosts emphasize three key evaluation axes. First, battlefield effectiveness: which marshals demonstrated strategic genius, adaptability under pressure, and reliable execution of Napoleonic tactics. Second, leadership and management: how effectively each marshal could coordinate diverse corps, maintain morale, and sustain supply lines during campaigns. Third, personal characteristics and rivalries: how rivalries or alliances among marshals shaped decision-making, risk tolerance, and political reliability, especially in moments of strategic ambiguity or political pressure from Napoleon himself. Throughout, the participants acknowledge the complexity of historical judgment. They recognize that champions of the era often excel in certain theaters or campaigns while underperforming in others, and that personal dynamics could both galvanize and destabilize an army. The dialogue suggests that a “dream team” is not a static best-of list but a nuanced combination tailored to mission goals, terrain, and the anticipated adversaries. The takeaway is a nuanced appreciation for the multi-dimensional value of Napoleon's marshals: tactical brilliance, organizational capacity, and the volatile influence of rivalries. The discussion invites further exploration of how different constellations of marshals could alter campaign outcomes, underscoring the enduring intrigue of Napoleonic warfare.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Cameron reconnects with historian and longtime friend J. David Markham on the eve of his 80th birthday. They reflect on two decades of working together on the Napoleon podcast, swap family updates, and dive into Markham's latest projects—including his forthcoming book Simply Caesar and several Napoleonic works in progress. The discussion […] The post Napoleon #62 – 20 Years of Napoleon and Friendship appeared first on Napoleon.

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Greg Jenner is joined in nineteenth-century France by historian Professor Olivette Otele and comedian Celya AB to learn about acclaimed novelist Alexandre Dumas. Alexandre was born to an innkeeper's daughter and a legendary Black general who fought for Napoleon. After his father's death the family grew up in rural poverty, but after a visit to Paris as a teenager, Dumas fell in love with the city and its theatre. Using his father's connections he found a job there and was soon a successful playwright, before turning his attention to novels. He was a prolific author, writing such blockbusters as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Christo. But amidst the writing, Dumas also found plenty of time for romantic dalliances, political entanglements, and global travel. This episode explores his extraordinary life and the incredible works of literature he created, set against the turbulent background of French politics in the years after the Napoleonic wars. If you're a fan of French revolutionary politics, trailblazing Black figures and the messy personal lives of best-selling authors, you'll love our episode on Alexandre Dumas.If you want more Black history with Professor Olivette Otele, check out our episode on the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. And for more figures from French history, listen to our episodes on Josephine Baker, Young Napoleon and Catherine de'Medici.You're Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past.Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Emma Bentley Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

This episode offers a deep dive into the pivotal Battle of Assaye fought on September 23, 1803, a clash that shaped British dominance in India and forged the reputation of Arthur Wellesley—better known to history as the Duke of Wellington. Host Clemens Bemmann welcomes a special panel to explore the campaign, armies, personalities, and chaos that defined one of the most dramatic battles on the Indian subcontinent during the Napoleonic era. Josh Provan is the battlefield correspondent; Zack White is the East India Company expert; Andy Copestake is the Maratha army expert. Featuring: The Maratha Confederacy: European mercenaries, regular brigades, and command strugglesBritish Army composition: The rise of Arthur Wellesley, Indian sepoys, and logistical prowessLead-up to Assaye: The Treaty of Bassein, Maratha-British diplomacy, and campaign maneuversThe battlefield: Terrain, climate, and strategic optionsThe battle unfolds: Surprise encounters, flanking maneuvers, massed artillery, discipline under fireLeadership and morale: Command breakdowns vs. individual heroism on both sidesThe outcome: Heavy losses, psychological aftermath, and the reshaping of Indian and British military futuresThe panel considers how the mix of European mercenaries and Indian soldiers within the Maratha army both enhanced and undermined its fighting ability at Assaye; what the leadership style of Arthur Wellesley at Assaye—and the razor-thin margin of his victory—reveal about the nature of military success and reputation in the colonial era; and, in a battle filled with confusion, split-second decisions, and shifting morale, the role of discipline, training, and individual initiative in determining battles like these.Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

Are you easily offended by Doug's hostile words towards grognards? Have you dried your salty grog tears with the pages of your hex-and-counter game rulebooks? Do you rage at these newfangled gamers with their “SpamHammer Forty Million?” Do you actually know what color “Prussian Blue” is? If so, please listen to this episode so that your nerd rage will make you a beacon for our Grognard Rendition Team - who will remand you to a black-site prison, stocked with metal Napoleonics miniatures and 1970's flat pack wargames! Do you want to join the Grognard Rendition Team? Head over to the LPP store and pick up one of the cool, athletic t-shirts to represent your allegiance! https://www.leadpursuit.net/store/grttshirts As always, check out our store for the latest in Blood Red Skies and Aerial Wargaming miniatures, accessories and more! https://www.leadpursuit.net/store

Step into the hallowed halls of London's Guards Museum with Mat McLachlan as he uncovers extraordinary artifacts from one of history's most pivotal battles. In this captivating episode, Mat takes you behind the scenes to examine authentic Waterloo relics that have survived over two centuries - from battle-worn uniforms and weapons to personal effects that once belonged to the soldiers who fought on that fateful day in 1815. You'll discover how these precious artifacts made their way from the Belgian battlefield to their current home in London, and what they tell us about courage, sacrifice, and the brutal reality of Napoleonic warfare.Presenter: Mat McLachlanGuest: Lee MurrellProducer: Jess StebnickiWatch the full video version of this episode at: https://youtu.be/aWVEQ9_r7Hs?si=Zy_NqutT4gFgxX6kReady to walk in Wellington's footsteps? Join Mat McLachlan on an exclusive private tour of the Waterloo battlefield, where you'll explore the very ground where history was made. Discover the stories behind the strategy, visit key locations, and gain insights that only come from experiencing this legendary battlefield firsthand. Book your unforgettable Waterloo adventure at: https://battlefields.com.au/waterloo-private-tour/Find out everything Mat is doing with books, tours and media at https://linktr.ee/matmclachlanFor more great history content, visit www.LivingHistoryTV.com, or subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/LivingHistoryTV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Provan is joined by Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze, with Alex Stevenson and Clemens Bemmann along for the ride, to discuss some military topics in this Q&A episode. Including: [2:00] - The Royal Navy PR machine[10:11] - Elite units of the Napoleonic Wars[22:30] - Suvorov in 1799[34:00] - Feedback on our battle episodes

Myroslav Shkandrij is a prominent scholar of Ukrainian cultural history and Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba in Canada. He has written extensively on topics such as avant-garde art in Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalism, Jews in Ukrainian literature, cultural imperialism, and decolonization. His book “Russia and Ukraine: Literature and the Discourse of Empire, from Napoleonic to Postcolonial Times”, published in 2001, remains a classic text on Russian cultural imperialism and Ukrainian resistance to it. Find the book here: https://diasporiana.org.ua/literaturoznavstvo/shkandrij-m-russia-and-ukraine-literature-and-the-discourse-of-empire-from-napoleonic-to-postcolonial-times/ *** I invited Myroslav to revisit this work and reflect on how literature has, for centuries, served as a battleground of ideas between Russia and Ukraine. My name is Volodymyr Yermolenko. I'm a Ukrainian philosopher, the chief editor of UkraineWorld, and the president of PEN Ukraine. UkraineWorld.org is an English-language media outlet that explores Ukraine and its connections to the wider world. It is run by Internews Ukraine. Choose your platform: https://li.sten.to/explaining-ukraine You can support our work on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld — your help is crucial, as we rely heavily on crowdfunding. You can also contribute to our volunteer missions to frontline areas in Ukraine, where we deliver aid to both soldiers and civilians. Donations are welcome via PayPal at: ukraine.resisting@gmail.com. *** This episode is made in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and under the framework of the project “HER-UKR: Challenges and opportunities for EU heritage diplomacy in Ukraine”, co-funded by the EU within the ERASMUS+ Jean Monnet Policy Debate action. *** Contents: 00:00 - Intro. Support us on patreon.com/ukraineworld 08:46 - Why is assimilation so crucial to Russian imperialism? 16:59 - Were there any anti-imperial voices within Russian culture? 21:30 - Who were the key figures of Ukrainian intellectual resistance in the 19th century? 35:33 - Why did Ukraine's fight for independence fail after 1917? 40:56 - How does "decolonization" theory apply to Ukraine's struggle?

Did you know a British cavalry captain once held the army rank of lieutenant general… and still just led a squadron? In this episode, we dive deep into the gloriously confusing world of the Napoleonic-era British Army with historian Steve Brown. From "Brevet" ranks, to gentleman volunteers who wielded muskets while hoping someone died so they could get a promotion—this is the army as you've never heard it before. We uncover forgotten garrisons, militia mysteries, and the strange story behind those regimental county titles that mostly meant nothing at all. Expect penal battalions, Greek soldiers in red coats, and dashing hussars who were all moustache and no discipline. It's the military equivalent of Monty Python meets Yes Minister—only it really happened. Steve's books can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/4eRDm85  Sign up for my mailing list here - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ 

What's up, dudes? It's the gentleman thief...or at least his grandson! Yes, Robbie Sherman from Conversations with Robbie Sherman joins me to talk "Lupin III" Christmas episodes! Taken from part 2,  we meet Lupin and gang as they try to steal an important bottle of wine and rob Tiffany's jewelry store on a dare.In “The Sleight Before Christmas,” the last remaining bottle of Bordeaux from Napoleon for his wife will be given to the President on Christmas Eve. The team hides in wine barrels, and follows Zenigata to its location. Unfortunately, it was a trap, bud with Goemon's sword, they escape. Of course, they sneak onto the plane, gas everyone, and get away with the wine. Oh, and there's a bonjour/Bon Jovi joke.In “Christmas at Tiffany's,” the team is bribed by the owner of the jewelry store to attempt to rob it. The ratings of her show will skyrocket! Lupin refuses because he wants to relax, but Fujiko's spending forces his hand. Naturally, hilarity ensues. Is there an old boat captain who invented a lightsaber? Yes. They get away, and leave the jewels on the Statue of Liberty, of course!Blank check they can fill in? Check (no pun intended). A sword that cuts through buildings? Got it. A laser lasso gun? Now we're getting into James Bond territory! So grab your Napoleonic bottle of wine, put on your disguise, and steal this episode on the “Lupin III” Christmas episodes!Conversations with Robbie ShermanSherman Sux at SonicGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett do a deep dive into the thousand-year Holy Roman Empire, exploring how this decentralized German confederation shaped European civilization, from Charlemagne's coronation through medieval peak to Napoleonic dissolution, revealing patterns that illuminate modern geopolitics. --

No interview this month, just news and a look at two games. Castelnuovo 1539 from Draco Ideas and the classic Quebec 1759 from Columbia, which is out in a new 50th Anniversay edition.This episode can be found on pushingcardboard.com, as well as wherever you get your podcasts. (On youtube, it's still audio-only.)Castelnuovo 1539 from Draco Ideas is now on Kickstarter No Retreat Russian Front is now in Early Access on Steam Kevin Zucker has released a ton of back issues of his Napoleonics magazine for free in pdf format.My appreciation of and quibbles with the CSR awardsKo-FiSign up to support the show monthly, or with a one-time donationNoble Knight GamesThe best place to find out of print games without paying Ebay prices!Cube4Me Storage SolutionsCube4Me are a revolution in trays for games. Multiple sizes, configurations, and depths!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Josh Provan is joined by Charles Esdaile and Alex Mikaberidze, with Alex Stevenson and Clemens Bemmann along for the ride, to discuss all things politico-diplomatic in this Q&A episode. Including: 02:30: British dirty tricks (Warning: Grumpy Charles alert)24:00: French brinkmanship32:00: Poland's prospects36:32: Napoleonic ghost storiesLink: Napoleon's little red man41:00: Listener feedback

‘With Potocki,' Italo Calvino wrote, ‘we can understand that the fantastic is the exploration of the obscure zone where the most unrestrained passions of desire and the terrors of guilt mix together.' The gothic is a central seam of the fantastic, and in this episode Marina and Adam turn to two writers in that mode who lived over a hundred years apart but drew on the period of the Napoleonic wars: Jan Potocki and Isak Dinesen (the pseudonym of Karen Blixen). Potocki's The Manuscript Found in Saragossa (1805) is a complex sequence of tales within tales, written from the point of view of the early 19th century but describing events in Spain in the 18th century. It's a powerful commentary on the preoccupations of the Enlightenment and the repression of historical guilt. In Seven Gothic Tales (1934), Dinesen confronts some of the most unsettling aspect of sexual guilt and desire with psychological astuteness. Adam and Marina discuss the ways in which, in both works, the gothic was able to explore areas of human experience that other genres struggled to accommodate.Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen to the full episode, and all our other Close Readings series, subscribe:Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/applecrffIn other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadingsffRead more in the LRB:On Potocki:⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v17/n02/p.n.-furbank/nesting-time⁠On 'Out of Africa':⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v08/n12/d.a.n.-jones/the-old-feudalist⁠On Denisen's letters:⁠https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v04/n10/errol-trzebinski/perfect-bliss-and-perfect-despair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back in Spain, and I've got questions. Why is Spain growing faster than Germany, France, and even the US? Why can they build high-speed rail for a fraction of the cost, and why are they the only major EU country where immigration is boosting GDP without blowing up politics?This week, we talk to Professor Joe Haslam in Madrid about what's being called Europe's miracle economy. Since COVID, Spain's growth has outpaced every major European economy, driven by smart immigration (nearly 1 million working Latin Americans), a tourism boom (especially in the cooling north), and €160 billion in EU funds that they've actually used. But it's not all cerveza and sunshine. Spain's power grid recently collapsed for nine hours, revealing the fragility of the green energy transition. Despite the boom, Spain's productivity and housing market are heading the wrong way. Public servants now outnumber private sector workers, and even El Guapo himself, PM Pedro Sánchez, is afraid to touch buy-to-lets. We also dig into what Spain's infrastructure success says about Ireland's failure. Is it Napoleon vs. Wellington all over again? Because if you inherited the Napoleonic state, like Spain did, you can build metros, fast trains, and affordable housing. If you inherited British common law? You get planning objections and overpriced shoeboxes in Drimnagh. Join the gang! https://plus.acast.com/s/the-david-mcwilliams-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aaron of Administrative Results joins us to talk about YouTube and firearms influencing, but as usual, Isaac can't stay on topic. The discussion quickly turns to law enforcement, sci-fi, the strengths of combat exoskeletons, longbows and yeomanry, the weak points of French knights, the best long-running book series about Napoleonic warfare, and other extremely unsurprising rabbit trails. 

Day 1,129.Today, amid reports of precision strikes on Russia's Belgorod region – the site of Ukraine's latest incursion – we discuss news from the Paris defence summit, Trump's new minerals deal proposal, and hear the latest acts of resistance in the occupied territories. Later, we discuss the lessons from the Napoleonic era for ceasefires and peace treaties.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Dr. Jade McGlynn (War Studies Department of King's College). @DrJadeMcGlynn on X.With thanks to Thomas Clausen (Historian). @DrThomasClausen on X.Content Referenced:Revealed: Trump's plan to force Ukraine to restore Putin's gas empire (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/03/27/revealed-trump-plan-force-ukraine-restore-putin-gas-empire/Ukrainian forces destroy strategic bridges in Russian Belgorod Oblast (Euromaiden Press):https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/03/28/ukrainian-forces-destroy-strategic-bridges-in-russian-belgorod-oblast/ Trump reverses termination of program tracking mass child abductions in Ukraine (Washington Post):https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/03/27/trump-ukraine-russia-child-abductions/ He Fought for Ukraine. Now Morocco is Punishing Him (Kyiv Post):https://www.kyivpost.com/post/49104Ukrainian lions - now in Kent!https://x.com/ZaluzhnyiUA/status/1904867664826167686 NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them, or click the links below.Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestLearn more about the tech: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/24/ukraine-the-latest-podcast-russian-ukrainian-ai-translation/Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.