30. The Fall Of The Aztecs (Part 2)

In this episode we discuss Cortes’ meeting with Montezuma, the time the Conquistadors spent in Tenochtitlan, and the siege of the city that effectively ended the Aztec empire. Ethan Bleskie returns as guest.

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Notes: Episode 29, The Fall Of The Aztecs (Part 1)

As with every show, I’ll list any corrections or clarifications here. If there’s anything I’ve overlooked, please contact me by email or in the comments and I’ll edit the notes to reflect the new information.   9:13 – I really overstate the size of the Mayan empire here – it doesn’t even extend all the way through central America, let alone into South America. Really it’s the Incan empire that shines in terms of size; the Mayans were larger than the Aztecs […]

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29. The Fall Of The Aztecs (Part 1)

In this episode we discuss the Aztec empire just prior to contact with Europeans, as well as the Spanish in the Age of Exploration and the first legs of Cortes’ journey into the mainland of the New World. Ethan Bleskie joins as guest.

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Notes: Episode 28, Charlemagne (Part 2)

As with every show, I’ll list any corrections or clarifications here. If there’s anything I’ve overlooked, please contact me by email or in the comments and I’ll edit the notes to reflect the new information.   2:26 – I was right! We’re on our third pope now. 4:29 – If you want the long version of this story, I get into some more detail in last month’s episode about the Knights Templar, which you can find here. 12:22 – You know, the […]

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28. Charlemagne (Part 2)

In this episode we focus mainly on Charlemagne’s coronation by Pope Leo III as Roman Emperor and the far-reaching consequences of the act. Phil Downey returns as guest.

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Notes: Episode 27, Charlemagne (Part 1)

As with every show, I’ll list any corrections or clarifications here. If there’s anything I’ve overlooked, please contact me by email or in the comments and I’ll edit the notes to reflect the new information.   6:51 – It looks as though Charlemagne’s date of birth may have been shifted forward several years from 742 to 747 by some chroniclers both to coincide with Easter and to mask the fact that Charlemagne may have been born out of wedlock. 742 is by […]

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27. Charlemagne (Part 1)

In this episode, we discuss the stretch of time between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the rule of Charlemagne, as well as Charlemagne’s first years of rule. Phil Downey returns as guest.

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Notes: Episode 24, The Meiji Restoration (Part 2)

3:20 – For more on German unification in the 19th century, you can see my series with Dan McGinnis. The first episode can be found here. 25:30 – Oh, goodness. If you’re not at least passingly familiar with Marxism, this section might have gotten a little muddled, and for that I apologize. This is what can happen when two people trained in a discipline hold a conversation about it, especially when both have further links to political science – we […]

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24. The Meiji Restoration (Part 2)

In this episode we examine the the drastic social and political changes instituted by the Meiji emperor after his restoration and consolidation of power, as well as Japan’s first forays into global politics. James Mitchell returns as guest.

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Notes: Episode 23, The Meiji Restoration (Part 1)

As with every show, I’ll list any corrections or clarifications here. If there’s anything I’ve overlooked, please contact me by email or in the comments and I’ll edit the notes to reflect the new information.   19:42 – The incident I was thinking of was an American ship, not British, which in 1837 tried to return three Japanese sailors who had shipwrecked on the coast of Oregon. The ship was turned away by Japanese authorities. Granted, the return of the sailors was […]

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