In this episode, I unpack the tangled causes and far-reaching consequences of World War I, tracing how alliances, imperial rivalries, and rising nationalism transformed a regional crisis into a global catastrophe. I begin with the formation of the Triple Entente and explore how imperial competition—especially in Africa, Asia, and the Balkans—created a world primed for conflict. From there, I explain how the assassination of Franz Ferdinand set off the chain reaction that activated Europe’s alliance system. I then explore why the Western Front became so devastatingly lethal, and how Russia’s battlefield failures reflected deeper social tensions that eventually helped ignite revolution. The episode also examines how World War I reshaped diplomacy, elevating the United States to global prominence, and how Germany’s collapse and the “stab-in-the-back” myth destabilized the Weimar Republic. Finally, I look at the failures of the Paris Peace Conference, the rise of anti-colonial nationalism, Gandhi’s strategy of satyagraha, and the enduring legacy of European betrayal in the Middle East. Together, these themes reveal how World War I shattered old systems and set the stage for the upheavals of the 20th century.

Question 1 00:00

Question 2 01:49

Question 3 04:32

Question 4 06:25

Question 5 09:53

Question 6 13:27

Question 7 15:29

Question 8 17:42

Question 9 20:11

Question 10 23:56

Question 11 26:07

In this episode I explore the factors that contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. I will discuss the role colonialism played in the Yugoslavian and Rwandan genocides. Finally, I will discuss the origins of the continuing turmoil in the Middle East/Western Asia

Question 1 00:00

Question 2 02:50

Question 3 04:43

Question 4 08:40

Question 5 11:12

In this episode I examine developments in East Asia in the latter half of the 20th century. I will discuss the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and how those conflicts illustrate different aspects of the Cold War. I also take a closer look at the evolution of China from the Revolution of 1911 to the beginning of the Deng Xiaoping era.

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  Question 1 00:00

  Question 2 01:39

  Question 3 03:23

  Question 4 06:48

  Question 5 08:31

  Question 6 10:32

  Question 7 12:59

  Question 8 15:00