Sketches in History | The Speaking Stone

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on July 12, 2021.___The raft floated in the midst of the River Niemen. On it were two beautiful pavilions, one for the Emperor of the French and the other for the Czar and Autocrat of All the Russias. In the French tent, Napoleon Bonaparte argued with his foreign minister, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, over how harsh the peace terms with the defeated Russians should be. Talleyrand, a servant of every revolutionary government since 1789, was a snake in silk stockings, but he knew foreign policy better than anyone else in the emperor’s entourage. He begged the emperor to treat Russia gently and put an end to fifteen years of war. But Napoleon, flush with the victory at Friedland earlier that year, was determined to humiliate Alexander I, and Talleyrand, ever the obedient servant in public, fell silent. What if Napoleon had heeded Talleyrand’s advice in 1807 and treated the Russians with more respect? What would our world look like today if history had taken a different course? In this series of bonus episodes on “15-Minute History,” Joe and I will be sharing some of our favorite “What If?” scenarios from this series with you. Building on the theme of Season Four, learning from history, we hope to provide some lessons on how individuals shape the destinies of large groups and entire nations.

14 Jul 10min

With economics being all the rage these days and everyone on social media becoming experts in tariff and spending policy, Joe and Jon discuss one of the most serious economic problems a country can face.Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes and leave a comment below with a topic you'd like us to cover!

10 Jul 4min

During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on August 30, 2021.___From 1531-1532, Pizzaro and his group conquered and destroyed the Inca Civilization. Climbing the Andes Mountains, they probably never questioned the ability of the Inca Empire to feed itself in the absence of cattle and wheat. That was, by most estimations, the farthest thing from the mind of the conqueror. Amongst the riches they stole and the mining they conducted, a resource emerged that McNeill believes would have altered history had it not been discovered and transplanted throughout the world. That discovery was the potato.What if Pizzaro hadn't brought the potato to Europe? Join us as we continue asking "What if", discuss what might have happened if the conquistador had left the potato behind in the ruins of his conquest, and how such a decision would have changed the world we know today.

7 Jul 9min

Recently, Jon mentioned "Sherman's Neckties" in an episode that referenced the American Civil War. Now it's time to talk about these fascinating--and terrifying--examples of psychological warfare!Join us every Thursday this summer for new pop quizzes, and comment below with any topics you'd like us to cover.

2 Jul 3min

Where does utopianism come from? Can we really create a perfect world, and did the colonists think they could create utopia in the New World? And why did Jon pick this topic?Join us for answers to these questions and more in our last discussion of the season! We want to thank everyone who joined us each week this past year. We'll have some pop quizzes and other new content coming to you during the summer, and we will see you again with new episodes and discussions this fall!

30 Jun 31min

This season has been about good and bad ideas, and we are concluding with Jon's thoughts on a journey he's been on through early American history. In his 1989 book Albion's Seed, Dr. David Hackett Fischer describes how four groups of English settlers brought utopian ideals to the New World and created the foundations of what became the United States. Jon takes us through these English "folkways" and identifies some good and bad ideas that were part of America's cultural identity and how we still see them today.

23 Jun 16min

This week, Joe and I discuss how warfare is evolving on the battlefields of Ukraine, the role drones and other new technologies are changing the battlespace, and whether or not we are headed directly into the world of the Terminator!

19 Jun 4min