Empire: World History

Throughout the 19th century, Iran was a pawn of the great colonial powers. It failed to industrialise, its economy stagnated, and resentment at foreign interference grew. This came to a head in 1906 with the Constitutional Revolution - a liberal movement that aimed to reform Iran and turn it into a modern nation. But it was not to be, chaos and war ensued. Out of that chaos emerged Reza Shah; a tough, dour, military man who would establish the next Iranian dynasty, the Pahlavis. Join William and Anita as they are joined by Ali Ansari for the first in their four-part series on the Iranian Revolution. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nader Shah was not born to rule. He was poor, the son of a shepherd in a semi-nomadic tribe, and had no connection to the throne. But he was physically impressive; he stood over six feet tall, had dark piercing eyes, and a voice so loud that it is said to have caused his enemies to flee. He also innately understood warfare and it was in the military where he started to make a name for himself. Step-by-step, this poor shepherd from Khorasan accumulated power and influence. Before long he overthrew the last of the Safavids and ruled over all of Persia, but he did not stop there. He went on to push back the Ottomans, win many victories in Central Asia, and, most notoriously, sack Delhi, carting off the Peacock Throne, the Koh-i-Noor and eight thousand wagons of bejeweled loot. Listen as William and Anita discuss the life of Nader Shah, dubbed by some as the Napoleon of Persia. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Isfahan, half of the world. It had been a city for years, but at the end of the 16th century Shah Abbas made it his capital and totally transformed it. With the immense wealth he brought to the city, Isfahan became home to some of the most beautiful architecture the world has ever seen. But it was also a place of pleasure, full of delicious food and exciting parties. In many ways the city encapsulated the golden age of the Safavids. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Sussan Babaie to discuss Isfahan. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did the great divide within Islam, the split between Sunni and Shia, develop? We trace how the great 16th century confrontation between the Ottomans of Turkey and the Safavids of Iran cemented what had previously been a much more porous division. Iran has been a Shia country ever since and this has shaped much of the modern Middle-East. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Barnaby Rogerson to discuss one of the crucial turning points of Persian history. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After conquering much of Eurasia, Timur showed no interest in building institutions and so after his death, like the Mongol Empire before it, the Timurid Empire soon fragmented and collapsed. However, some of Timur’s grandchildren took over parts of the Empire and ushered in eras of cultural advancement that matched that of the renaissance in Italy. Under the tutelage of Ulugh Begh, great developments in maths and science were made in Samarkand. Under the watch of Shah Rukh, beautiful artistic endeavours were undertaken in Herat. Some of the greatest artists of the Islamic world, such as Bihzad, came from this period. Listen as William and Anita discuss one of the golden ages of Persian culture. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Timur, known to many as Tamburlaine the Great from the iconic Marlowe play. Despite having a limp and struggling to get onto a horse, he erupted from what is now Uzbekistan at the head of a mounted army to conquer Persia and much of Eurasia. He delved deep into Russia, reached the shores of the Mediterranean after taking much of Anatolia, and conquered much of the Levant. He even sacked Delhi, in so doing surpassing Genghis Khan. His conquests were legendary, as was his brutality. Listen to William and Anita as they delve into the life of this cruel, bloody, and heartless man. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Arab conquest, Persia was turned upside down. Patronage went to Islam as opposed to Zoroastrianism. The official language of state was now Arabic. Even the very nature of the state changed; for 1,000 years Persia had been the centre of imperial power, dominating those around it. Now it was ruled by others. But, what it was to be Persian was not lost. The language, the art, the civilisation survived. And then the turn of the 10th century Ferdowsi revived it with his mighty epic poem, the Shahnameh. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis to discuss Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the timber creaked under the pressure of the Antarctic ice, Shackleton knew his voyage aboard the Endurance was doomed. What the ice gets, the ice keeps. And so followed one of the most obscenely daring - to the point stupidity - and heroic rescue attempts. Shackleton was determined to leave no man behind, so he set off on the high seas on a tiny lifeboat, with a few men, and no navigational equipment, in the hope he could bring back a bigger ship to save his men. But did he succeed? Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Gabrielle Walker to finish the story of Shackleton and his absurd bravery in the Endurance expedition. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antarctica, the great land of ice. It was first spotted in the early years of the 19th century but it wasn't until 1895 that humans, in the form of a Norwegian expedition, actually landed on one of the world's most inhospitable places. With that expedition the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration begun. Over the next 20 years some of history's great adventurers attempted to tame the continent. Scott of the Antarctic, Roald Amundsen, and the protagonist of this week's story, Ernest Shackleton. A true hero who has been immortalised due to his legendary leadership of his expedition aboard the Endurance. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Gabrielle Walker to discuss Shackleton's voyage on the Endurance. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Alexander Dalrymple sidelined, Captain James Cook and Joseph Banks are ready to set off on an expedition to track the Transit of Venus and see whether there really is a great southern continent. Over the next three years, they will encounter the indigenous populations of the Pacific antipodes for the first time, nearly get shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef, and change the course of world history. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Peter Moore to discuss the incredible journey of the Endeavour. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 1760’s a clever, young, ambitious Scotsman named Alexander Dalrymple began advocating a theory as to the existence of a great southern continent. The idea of a landmass that would counterbalance the known world had long been the stuff of legend. Now Dalrymple wanted to prove it. Momentum built behind his expedition which was a product of the evidence-based scientific approach of the Enlightenment. Soon they had a ship, a Whitby-based collier called The Endeavour. A ship that would go on to change the course of world history. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Peter Moore to discuss The Endeavour. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 15th century, Admiral Zheng He, on the orders of the Emperor of China, embarked upon a series of extraordinary voyages of exploration. These voyages were undertaken in fleets of up to 300 colossal ships, with tens of thousands of men, at great cost to the court of the Ming dynasty. Initially they went all over South-East Asia and finished in India, but as time went on they went further afield, going to Arabia and even reaching East Africa on the seventh and final voyage. Zheng He even brought back a giraffe. China looked set to become a great maritime power, with more advanced naval technology than anywhere else in the world - but Zheng He was mysteriously called home, further voyages were cancelled and all the records of the different expeditions cancelled. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Rana Mitter to discuss Zheng He in the first instalment of the Christmas miniseries on the Ships of Empire. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the Sassanian Empire defeated and the Byzantine Empire exhausted, there is a power vacuum in the centre of the world. Both of these superpowers have drained their resources fighting each other over the past 30 years, consuming many of the great cities of antiquity. To the south, on the Arabian peninsula, a new power was rising that would come to take advantage of their weakness. A power that would change the course of history. Islam. Listen as William and Anita discuss the Rise of Islam. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eurasia is divided into two great superpowers. Khusrow II rules the Sassanian Empire. Maurice, the last of the Justinian dynasty, rules their mighty rivals, the Byzantines. When he is overthrown, Khusrow looks to capitalise upon the chaos, invades his neighbour, and begins to sweep through Byzantine territory. The clash that follows over the next 30 years consumes the two empires and leads to the end of antiquity. Listen as William and Anita discuss this titanic war for the world. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three great religions have come out of Persia and all of them have influenced world history. First there was Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic religion, which had significant influence over Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Then there was Mithraism. It began in Persia but, through conquest, it filtered into the Roman pantheon. As a result, there are shrines to it as far away as Hadrian’s Wall. Lastly, there is Manichaeism. The religion that is fundamentally rooted in the struggle between good and evil, which is itself a Zoroastrian idea. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Vesta Sarkosh Curtis to discuss Persian religion and all its influence. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darius has already been defeated by Alexander. His wife has been kidnapped and has now died in childbirth. The omens sent by the gods bode ill for him. Yet, the two are ready to face off at Gaugamela. Will Darius be the first commander to defeat Alexander in battle, or will he fall like all those before him? Listen as William and Anita tell the story of the end of the Achaemenid Empire. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Darius III rules Persia and he has already demonstrated his heroism and skill in battle. The Empire itself, despite having been through a period of court intrigue, was stable. Yet, coming through their western border, originally from Macedonia, was a young man bent on conquering the whole world. His name, Alexander the Great. Listen as William and Anita retell one of the greatest stories in history. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leonidas and the 300 have been defeated at Thermopylae, leaving the way to Athens open. With the Persians advancing, many Athenians flee to the island of Salamis in the hope it will give them shelter. From there, they see flames lick the sky as the Persians burn Athens. But their leader, Themistocles, has readied the fleet for one last battle with Xerxes. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the Battle of Salamis and the end of the Persian invasion of Greece. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

August 480BC; the might of the Persian army, roughly 100,000 soldiers, face down a few thousand Greeks, led by Leonidas and his brave 300. In light of their overwhelming advantage, an embassy of Xerxes asks the Spartans to lay down their weapons. Their response, 'come and get them'. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Paul Cartledge to discuss the heroic last stand of Leonidas and the 300 at Thermopylae. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ionia has revolted and so Darius turns his gaze away from India and towards Greece. He crushes the rebellion, quelling all resistance. He then looks to take much of the Greek mainland and many city states acquiesce before his envoys, but not the Athenians. So the might of the Persian army land at Marathon, ready to face down the belligerent Greeks. What follows is one of history’s most famous battles. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the Battle of Marathon. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Persian Empire that Darius took control of was already mighty and powerful; his predecessor, Cambyses, had conquered Egypt, further expanding its territory. But it was under Darius it reached its zenith. Stretching all the way from the Mediterranean in the west to India in the east, from the Gulf of Oman in the south to southern Russia in the north, Persia under Darius was truly a global superpower. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the life of Darius the Great. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born the son of a khan, a tribal chieftain, Cyrus would go on to be a titanic figure of world history. He took Persia from being a minor regional power to the first superpower the world has ever seen. Conquering all of modern day Iran, then Turkey, and finally defeating the power of the day, Babylon: Cyrus undoubtedly deserves the sobriquet of the Great. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones to discuss the life of the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Persia was the first great superpower. The empire built by Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes and the rest of the Achaemenids stretched from India in the east to the Mediterranean in the west, from Russia in the north to the Gulf of Oman in the south. It laid the foundation for empires of the future. It was destroyed by Alexander the Great, but Iran has risen many times since. In this series we'll look at the ancient Persian empire, but also their successors; the Sassanians, who fought against Rome, in a vast war that eventually led to the Rise of Islam; then the Saffavids, during whose rule Shi'ism took root in Iran; and we'll end with the Iranian Revolution and the way it laid the foundations for political islam and much of the politics that drives the Middle-east today. First episode out Tuesday. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022, but how did we get to this point? After the brutality of the Second World War, Ukraine was completely under the control of Moscow. Then in the 1980s, with Chernobyl as the catalyst, the Ukrainian nationalist movement regained momentum and on 24th August 1991 declared independence. This was never accepted by Russia and all the tension, discord, and conflict since then has led us to the devastating war of today. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Pulitzer-winning historian Anne Applebaum to discuss the history of Ukraine from the Second World War to today. For bonus episodes, ad-free listening, reading lists, book discounts, a weekly newsletter, and a chat community. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Empire Club. Do you want bonus episodes? Do you want discounts on the books mentioned in the weeks podcast? Do you want reading lists? Do you want ad-free listening? Well now you can. All you need to do is join the Empire Club to access all of these benefits and more. Sign up at https://empirepod.supportingcast.fm/ Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The history of Russia and Ukraine has been irrevocably entwined for centuries. When the Bolsheviks took over and Civil War erupted across the Russian Empire, Ukraine was one of the bloodiest centres of the conflict. Antisemitic pogroms and wanton violence destroyed whole communities. Then during the 1930s Russia inflicted upon Ukraine one of the deadliest famines in history, the death toll is estimated to be around 4m. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Pulitzer-winning historian Anne Applebaum to discuss the traumatic history of Russia and Ukraine. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dawn breaks on 16th July 1918. For Nicholas, Alexandra, and the rest of the Romanov family this is just another day in exile. They sit down for breakfast - today it is eggs - and then go about their usual business. The Romanovs had been out in the cold ever since Nicholas II's abdication over a year earlier. First they had lived in their own home, then they were moved to Siberia. Now they have ended up in Ekaterinburg. Outside their compound, the Civil War was going badly for the Bolsheviks. The Whites were taking territory across Russia, including one army that was approaching Ekaterinburg. Fearing the Whites could recapture the former tsar and rally around him, operation 'chimney sweep' was put into action that night. Early in the morning on 17th July 1918, the order was given: the tsar and his family were all to be executed. Listen as William and Anita are joined for the final time by Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the murder of the Romanovs. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Born in Siberia to a peasant family, Rasputin was an incredibly charismatic, physically striking, and politically savvy figure. He was a holy man, a mystic, who found his way to the centre of Imperial Russian power. Once he met Nicholas and Alexandra, he gained a central place in the court as the only man who could stop the tsarevich, Alexei, from bleeding. As his influence grew, his reputation among the Russian aristocracy declined. In the end, they felt they had to act. And so, on the night of the 29th December, 1916, he was lured to the Yusopov basement... Listen as William and Anita are joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss Alexandra, Nicholas, and the life and death of their favourite adviser, Rasputin. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Tsar has abdicated and the provisional government rules Russia, but Petrograd is overflowing with revolutionaries who want more radical change. Lenin has returned from exile and is looking to seize power for the Bolsheviks. Their momentum is growing and with Russia still in the First World War, Kerensky and the provisional government's authority is draining away. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by the great Antony Beevor to discuss the October Revolution and the Bolsheviks' consolidation of power in the civil war. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russian politics is fast destabilising. Strikes, assassinations, and famines have made Russia increasingly turbulent at the turn of the century. Revolutionary politics is on the rise, as is dissatisfaction with the tsar. When compounded by the strains of the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the nation stands on the verge of implosion. And on Europe's horizon is the Great War... Listen as William and Anita are joined by the great Antony Beevor to discuss the build-up to the revolution and the events of February 1917. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fearing Russian designs on the region, the eyes of the British turn towards Tibet. Francis Younghusband, the Victorian adventurer and elite player of the Great Game, and Lord Curzon decide that with the Russians distracted by their conflict in Manchuria, now is the time to seize the territory. This is their chance to one-up their imperial rival. In this classic tale of the Great Game, British and Russian officers face each other down in far-off mountain ranges, before things take a darker turn as a British expedition sets off a cycle of violence. In this episode dedicated to the memory of his biographer, Patrick French, listen as William and Anita discuss the extraordinary life of Francis Younghusband and his role in the final act of the Great Game. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1905 was one of the most pivotal moments in history. Japan, the supposedly weaker Asian power, overwhelmingly defeated the mighty Russian Empire. The effects of this rippled through the 20th century, inspiring nationalism across Asia. The Indian independence movement, through figures like Gandhi, Nehru, and Tagore, took direct inspiration from it, as did Chinese nationalists like Sun Yat-Sen. Russia was equally rocked by this disastrous defeat, putting it well on the road to revolution. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Pankaj Mishra to discuss this epochal moment in the history of Asia and the world. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tolstoy was one of the greatest writers of all time. His books have constructed how we think about Russian imperial history. But he was not just an observer, he was also a participant. As a young man, Tolstoy fought in several of Russia's imperial wars– against the Chechens and the Ottoman Turks, then against both the French and the British in the Crimea. As he matured he grew far more critical of Russian Empire building and lamented the futility of war and conquest. His writings were a driver of the growing disillusionment with tsarism, and he began to be censored by the regime. So great was his influence that Lenin himself wrote about his role in the Russian Revolution. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Tolstoy's biographer Rosamund Bartlett to unpick this remarkable life. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill + Tabby Syrett Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the other European empires were consolidating their holdings in Asia, Russia took 1.5million square miles of territory. Moving south from the Orenburg line, the Russian Empire swallowed up the Khanates of Central Asia with minimal casualties to their own troops. Depicting the citizens of Kokhand, Khiva, and Bokhara as insolent and inferior, this conquest serves as one of classic European colonialism. Listen as William and Anita delve into the story of the conquest of Central Asia. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill + Tabby Syrett Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 18th century Vitus Bering went from Russia's east coast and landed in America. Over the next 150 years, Russia colonised more and more land, first taking Alaska and then working down America's west coast, eventually claiming areas as far south as California. Whilst this venture did fail, this failure was not inevitable. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Owen Matthews to discuss the most improbable story of Russia and its (almost successful) attempts to colonise large parts of America. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Lady with the Lamp, the great nurse who forever changed public health for the better: Florence Nightingale lives large in the national consciousness. Mary Seacole, however, has been largely forgotten by history, even though she too played a significant role in the Crimean War. Both were lauded by the press. Both were famous in Britain upon their return. Remarkable forces of will, both were women ahead of their time. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Helen Rappaport to discuss the lives of these inspirational women. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Crimean War continues to drag on. The allies' siege of Sevastopol is grinding to a stalemate. The Russians seek to counterattack to tip the balance back in their favour. As they make gains at Balaclava, the British cavalry undertake one of the most tragically heroic actions in British history: the Charge of the Light Brigade. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Orlando Figes to discuss the end of the Crimean War, the impact it had upon Russia, and the shadow it still casts today. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A slow grind of sieges and massacres. Long distance bombardments and gruelling inch-by-inch trench warfare. Battles for Sevastopol, Odessa, and control of the Black Sea. Is it 1853 or 2023? The parallels between the Crimean War and what is happening now in Ukraine are startling. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Orlando Figes to discuss this totemic 19th century clash and all of its modern-day resonances. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the calamitous retreat from Kabul left thousands of British dead, the East India Company wants revenge. They will call upon the Army of Retribution which will leave Afghanistan, once the Crossroads of Civilisation, a desolate wasteland. But once the last sepoy has descended the Khyber Pass, who will rule Afghanistan - and how will the Russians respond? Listen as William and Anita finish the story of the First Anglo-Afghan War and discuss whether Afghanistan really is the Graveyard of Empires, and whether China will be the next foreign power to burn its fingers in the Afghan furnace. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the British occupation of Kabul collapses, the troops flee. What follows is one of the darkest events in British imperial history. A treacherous journey through mountain passes in crippling winter conditions leaves the British at the mercy of the Afghan forces. Over 15,000 men, women, and children leave the capital, legend says only one man survives. Listen as William and Anita discuss the bloody, brutal, first retreat from Kabul. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is 1839 and Britain has declared its intention: to invade Afghanistan and return Shah Shuja to the throne. Despite its vast size, the British invasion force is not impressive. Overstocked with luxuries and understocked with necessities, how will it fare as it enters the Bolan Pass and the inhospitable terrain of Afghanistan? Listen as William and Anita tell the Return of a King. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rivalry between Russia and Britain continues to grow as both of their attentions begin to centre more and more on Afghanistan. In a bid to gain influence in the region, both empires send young, daring spies to infiltrate the region. Alexander Burnes and Jan Prosper Vitkevich will both battle to gain the upper hand. Listen as William and Anita discuss these two spies and their thrilling roles in the Great Game. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It will all begin on the banks of the River Niemen. Tsar Alexander forms a pact with Napoleon; the Russian Empire, along with the French, will try to take control of British India. The British increasingly become nervous about losing their prized possession and hostile towards Russia. What will follow has come to be known as the Great Game in Britain and the Tournament of Shadows in Russia. It is the ultimate imperial rivalry; Britain and Russia, the two greatest powers of the day, vying for control of the centre of the world. Listen as William and Anita tell the story of the origins of this battle for power. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With her reign in peril in three separate arenas, Catherine begins to turn her attention to a young soldier, Grigory Potemkin. What follows is one of the great partnerships (and love affairs) of history. Together, they consolidate her rule then rapidly expand; seizing vast parts of modern Ukraine, annexing Crimea, building Kherson and Sevastopol, and taking the Russian Empire to its apogee. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore for the final time as they tell the tale of the Russian Empire’s finest moment. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not a drop of Russian blood. A woman in a world ruled by men. A loveless marriage to a man who lacked even a shred of empathy. The odds were always stacked against Catherine the Great when she arrived from Prussia. But this German Princess and child of the Enlightenment was a political genius who possessed charm, beauty and impeccable people skills. All these were needed as she rose to power to become Empress of Russia and ushered in a golden age. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the life of Catherine the Great. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A giant of Russian history, and a giant of a man. Peter the Great, standing at 6'8, established Russia as the world power that it is today and is famously one of Vladimir Putin's inspirations. He expanded Russia's borders, modernised the state, and built St Petersburg from a swamp. Yet with all this, he still found time for drunken debauchery of the most absurd level; he enjoyed dwarf-throwing, wheelbarrow racing, and creating the position of Archdeacon Fuck-Off for his ministers. Listen as William and Anita are once again joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the quite unbelievable life of Peter the Great, the first emperor of Russia. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Subjected, downtrodden, brutalised. The principality of Muscovy had long suffered at the hands of the Mongols. But as their overlords weaken, their ruler, Ivan the Great, begins to lead the Muscovites to freedom. Come 1533, it is time for his descendant, Ivan the Terrible to rule. A man known to enjoy hanging people by their ribs, and drowning people under river ice, will his taste for torture throw everything into chaos? Or will he expel the Mongols once and for all, laying the foundations of the Russian Empire? Listen as William and Anita are joined by Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the early days of Russia and its empire. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The story of the Russian Empire spans centuries and continents. It is one of tsars and revolutionaries. Sex and power. Invasions and conquests. In the new season, William and Anita will explore the roots, deeds, and legacy of one the largest empires to ever exist. From the first Russian invasion of Ukraine, to the birth of Asian nationalism, with the original retreat from Kabul in between; this will leave you stunned. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/empirepod. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did the Nazis use slave labour? Should Britain pay reparations? What is the origin of the Portuguese phrase 'just for the English to see'? What was the role of Islam in abolition? Listen as William and Anita answer these questions and more... Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happened to the Caribs, the indigenous people of the Caribbean? Why did indentured labour become so prominent? What is the current Dutch monarchy's approach to slavery? Did Native Americans keep slaves? Listen as William and Anita answer your questions. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/empirepod. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices