Footnotes Of History

Recorded in the FOH Buckinghamshire Outpost via a secure line to the Beckenham Bunker, our intrepid hosts run their mouths (again) about recent political events. This could potentially be our last episode if we are to take cultural trends seriously, so listen fast before we are ourselves “toppled”! Full site and more episodes at footnotesofhistory.com as always.

Yes we may be in the midst of a viral outbreak right now, but there was one far worse just over 100 years ago. In this episode, our daring hosts Tim and Dan take to the FOH darkweb-comms system (Tim's house phone) to discuss: The upside-down pattern of the virus that attacked the young, the strong and the able first Obscene conditions on the frontlines  that created the pandemic Why Spain was the fall guy of Europe thanks to a media blackout! The reliable methods of virus protection people are still using today! As always you can sign up for our emails on our home page but you may as well do something fun while you're there: we have a highly entertaining "survive the revolution" test which can also be found on our site!

Scrooge is practically tangible in the room with us today. Actually that’s me. As usual it falls to the sensible people to do the important work of wishing you a Merry Christmas in an entertaining and informative way. So in the absence of any sensible people on the FOH team, we’ve drafted in a glamourous assistant to do the work for us in this episode, which will be a short sleigh ride through some of the historic events we’ve covered on the podcast, as well as some we haven’t. Our assistant will draw from the hat (ok Dan, beret) each time a number linking to a particular theme. There are as always varying interpretations of the brief. For some reason, I singularly failed to make any of mine Christmassy, but Dan’s make up for it! In case you can’t keep up with what is probably our greatest rapport to date (given that Dan sounds about 30 years older than usual due to inexplicable illness, probably not), what we discuss is listed below: 1 - The number of frost fairs held on the Thames in the 19th Century (1814)

After much anticipation we release today our latest Footnotes main series episode: Number 35, on the Bryant and May matchgirls strike of 1888. As always - if you want the backdrop as well as knowing exactly when an episode is coming out and the ability to ask us email questions, join the subscriber list on the homepage: footnotesofhistory.com As you would expect from this kind of episode, we entangle ourselves in centuries of highly politicised labour history, slightly questionable economics and – surprisingly – a number of insights which we really think ought to be better known, one of which includes the historian’s number one mistake: grafting modern views onto the past. So what does a matchgirl want? Well they’re striking for a reason and you’ve got to listen in to find out. The episode will include: · A profile of the idealistic Fabian-socialist writer who exposed conditions at the factory and why she – counterintuitively - didn’t want industrial action! · The White Terror: the deadly chemical in matches

Listeners, Today after a lengthy interlude, Dan and I release the second half of the Scramble for Africa episode. It’s controversial of course since, despite our normal dismissal of all the virtue signalling in modern media about empire and European history, we actually found ourselves rather moved by the cold brutality of the operation. Dan actually burst into tears, but out of deference to his ego, I cut this from the tape. Okay that didn’t happen, but before we get too carried away by the number one mistake historians always make (i.e. imposing modern values on the past), two caveats: 1) The right of conquest of course was a recognised concept at the time and 2) many lands were bought rather than “stolen”. As historians, our role – unlike the famous quote – IS to reason “why”. This being said, it doesn’t get away from the fact that European leaders treated much of the continent as if it were essentially empty. As well as the fact that they hid their imperial ambitions behind the veneer of respectability o

On today’s tape: Dan managed to work his holiday story into the recording – he went to St. Nazaire on what he calls an “Inbetweeners Holiday” but with added history – notably from World War Two. It’s a daring story of bravery, tenacity and pocket battleships. On the flipside, I recall the numerous moments I’ve had with some people who seem to think “Austrians speak Austrian” and that’s just the way it is and always has been. Granted, the stereotype of their culture is a little different nowadays, but there are few heated moments in history when things could have turned out differently for the former heartland of the Hapsburgs. As always with these mini episodes, we’re diving deeper into the kind of topics that come up in our email dispatches. You can be a part of that secret society right here: footnotesofhistory.com

In this episode, your indefatigable young hosts delve deep into what is really the pinnacle of European Imperialism – the so-called Scramble for Africa, its effects, timeline and the apparent game that European powers seemed to be playing as it advanced. Traditionally, Africa’s dangerous interior – including disease, dense and almost unnavigable river mouths and hostile populations made it almost impossible for Europeans to even consider “empiring” Africa in the ways that people usually anticipate. This is reflective a wider trend really. The risks are simply too great for a non-industrialised power to attempt any kind of subjugation. It’s only really since Britain and Europe started to pull sharply away in terms of technology, living standards and general economic resource that their armies were able to conquer anything like the territory we see in this episode. It’s a fascinating but also slightly unnerving period of colonisation and destruction that is important to properly understand if we are to avoid an

It’s not a big secret that TV shows based in history are sometimes a bit slapdash. Often it’s time pressures, it’s adaptation for drama or even just the taste of the producer. But in this episode, your Oracles of Truth kick around two previous Dispatches topics and get to grips with the “potential” truths that could be being told to you by your very own television RIGHT NOW! These first concern the Rugby World Cup – this year in Japan no less, whose history is as dark as it is mysterious and as misunderstood as it is celebrated. The second, equally dark topic, is that of British fascism and its infamous leader Sir Oswald Mosley, its origins and its surprisingly uncontentious way of running things at the time. As always, if you want to get your controversies brought to you on a silver platter, sign up to our email list on the homepage at footnotesofhistory.com!

Quick note: Don't forget to sail yourself over the footnotesofhistory.com for more daring exploits from the past. With that announcement out of the way, today's episode is equal parts grand, intrepid adventure and terrifying horror story. In 1845, things were looking pretty good exploration-wise. Humanity knew where most things were and maps were *almost* as we see them today. That’s barring a few wars here and there in Europe – but I’m talking about islands, continents and oceans here, not Bismarck for once. But there was one itch that kept nagging at the compulsive brains of the great and the good - and that was the Arctic. The theory was sound: Logically, from the spherical shape of the globe, there should be some kind of route from Europe that went due north west across the Atlantic, between the coasts of Greenland and Canada. Then you would head sharply west at Baffin Bay and travel “over” the seas off the northern coast of Canada before finally heading south again into the clear waters of the Pacific.

In this mini-sode, we discuss 2 of our latest email dispatches in more detail, getting to grips with: Do the maps from the nineteenth century inadvertently (or deliberately) reveal the mapmaker’s sentiments (especially as new nations are born in Europe!) The terror felt by one military man in England when Prussia absorbed Germany (he was so scared that he wrote a novel to wake everyone up to the danger!) The weirdly but oh-so-Victorian story of why The Ashes is called “The Ashes” Where cricket failed as a propaganda weapon in the British Empire (when it worked almost everywhere else!) Enjoy the episode – but don’t forget you can join us on our daring historical journey simply by lending us your email address at footnotesofhistory.com!

In 1878, the Congress of Berlin assembled the Great Powers of Europe to call time on the out-of-control battle between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In our previous episode, we pointed out that every Power brought its own food to the table - be it a desire to cry foul on Russia, to balance the tension between two major Emperors or even to exploit events to snatch bonus territories from elsewhere. In this episode, the drama continues as we present:  How Britain - assisted by a cast of collaborators - somehow managed to steal the biggest slice of the pie before the negotiations even started That the delegates of “Small Men” at the Congress (including, and especially Bismarck) were almost all clueless about what “The Balkans” were and blocked all efforts by Balkans reps to educate them How the European nations humiliated the Ottomans needlessly What secret scheme the Congress’ “project manager” devised to keep everyone happy during the long debates The extremely cheeky message sent from Greece (hidi

In this episode, your daring hosts examine the tangled story of the Congress of Berlin.  In 1877, having spent the entire preceding century at each other’s throats, arch-rivals Russia and the Ottoman Empire went to war again. Russia considered itself the leader of the Slavs and the prosector of the Eastern invaders, looking to free the Holy Lands from Ottoman control.  The Ottomans were an ailing, fragile superstate, inheritors of the Islamic conquest of Jerusalem and now stretched thinly over South-Eastern Europe. Cracks had already begun to appear - in Greece, in Serbia and in several other places. In a very Russian fashion that some might recognise from other historical episodes, Russian-sponsored troops from Serbia and Bulgaria were encouraged to rise up and after much struggling, managed to defeat the Ottoman army in battle. This led to an overly ambitious Russian attempt to redraw the Balkans as it would like to see it, a dangerous move that provoked the ire of the watchful Great Powers. 

Short story long:  The one with the biggest army gets to make the rules regardless of whether they’re morally legitimate. This is essentially the story of German unification. Historians will argue that Bismarck was “clever” and that he “manoeuvred” politically etc. But realistically none of it could have been achieved without a massive Prussian army that first whipped Denmark, then crushed Austria and finally bulldozed France. D, A and F were all big players at the time. Bavaria, an ancient kingdom on the border with Switzerland and Austria was a large and wealthy state with a beautiful heritage and a very traditionalist Catholic culture, but it was never in the same league as the big players. Crucially, militarism was never a hobby for the Bavarians. So when it came to resisting Prussia, they didn’t stand a chance.  When the chips were down it took them nearly two weeks to mobilise their troops. By that time, their nearest allies were all defeated by the speedy Prussian war machine. Bavaria was red

Britain had a good nineteenth century. To know this, you really only have to compare it to other nations of Europe (and actually the world). The “Concert of Europe” – a loosely coordinated regime of quite punishing military repression, censorship and heavy taxes really did for most of the rest of Europe. Repression led to the cultural and nationalist outbreaks of 1848, which – while initially unsuccessful – eventually saw by 1870 the complete destruction of the 1815 post-Napoleonic settlement. In pursuing the opposite route, Britain actually took a secret path.  It dodged most of the challenges of aggressive revolutionary groups within society by industrialising its population out of the kind of poverty that was all too common on the continent. Of course when I say “pursued” I actually mean “allowed” – since there was no coordinated “industrialisation” government agenda per se – unlike in France or Germany.  So all well and good right? Well there was one area where the British regime bore more than

He was a man who personified his country’s culture but also rose above it – fusing Russian influences with Western to create music pieces which remain some of the world’s favourites today. By the end of his life he was wildly rich, yet subject to such emotional trauma that some say he took his own life. If you want to know more about this epic tale of the first Russian Rockstar, click on and you will discover: The rockstar who personified Russia’s nineteenth century insecurity and schizophrenia – both politically and culturally The mystery benefactor who covered his escape from academia and enabled his work to shine The dark demise of and the conspiracy theories around both his life… and his death As always, thanks for listening – you an visit the website at footnotesofhistory.com/27 and if you do enjoy our episodes, you really ought to leave us a positive review on your podcast platform – this will help more people to see and listen to all this good stuff!

Back in 1848, a gang of rather pretentious young men with a sentimental disaffection for daily life started their own cultural revolution.  They were artists, poets and intellectuals of independent means, intent on shaping a new, idealised world of their own through their own creations. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood were to some extent an early version of the 1960s cultural revolution.  Their artistic achievements have left a stunning legacy. Many would agree that works like Ophelia and the Lady of Shallot truly embody the modern perception of what art is supposed to be. But there is a darker side to this glorious success story. In many of their works is depicted a woman – a red-headed, pale and often fragile depiction of femininity that repeats across innumerable works by the Pre-Raphaelites. In this episode you’ll discover: - The powerful tragedy behind the world’s most famous red-haired muse  - The soaring artistic heights and the depraved troughs of the Pre-Raphaelites’ counter-cultural li

Having overcome our slight distraction by showbiz and movies in the last few episodes, Dan and I return to form in this episode, dabbling classic Victorian industrial revolution material with a bit of art. Henry Tate was a towering individual whose humble beginnings would make him a cliche in any novel.  Cliches exist for a reason however and Tate represented in many ways the Victorian spirit - he was born poor, built his own commercial empire through serving his neighbours and - as a bonus of sorts - shared the wealth in the process. You can get the shownotes as usual at footnotesofhistory.com/25 PLUS: you can try our new personality quiz at footnotesofhistory.com/pmquiz

Would you believe, this week it’s our SECOND episode about the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. Some people would probably have stopped at one. To tell you the truth, most people would probably have stopped at zero. But not us. Your courageous podcasters are back this week with our reviews of the film that recently hit screens in various niche locations across the country. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why the director’s emphasis on personality was probably realistic • Why having the average citizen conversing about the big issues of the day was plausible • How the film delivered a masterstroke – an emotional killer blow at the end

See the show page at Footnotesofhistory.com/23 This time round Dan and I are discussing a controversial flick with its roots in the struggles between Britain and Ireland. Or I ought to say England and Ireland (since Ireland was at the time a formal part of Great Britain). Or I ought say some aspects of England and some of Ireland! No more disclaimers, we’re discussing the Black ’47 – a grim, violent film about the Irish famine of 1845. We’ve danced around the topic for a bit in some of our other episodes. In Episode 2 for instance, we pointed out that many of the New York populace drafted for the American Civil War were not long arrived from the Emerald Isle and many of them had taken flight around 1845 to escape a hellish existence. Obviously the film is set two years after the famine so it’s not as if things have got any better. A bit of everything in this episode though – with historical context at the fore. Hopefully it won’t ruin your tea!

Show notes: footnotesofhistory.com/22 The release of a new film this very year means one particular event is undoubtedly going to be crowding the headlines of any right-thinking tabloid and broadsheet this autumn. This is of course the Peterloo Massacre. Its exact anniversary is August next year, but the film commemorating the event – directed by Mike Leigh of kitchen-sink-drama fame – is being polished for “The Can” as we speak. And we at FOH wanted to get our wild opinions out there before you all rush out to see it. The Peterloo Massacre of course - as you will all know – was a monstrous incident in which a demonstration in Manchester’s St. Peter’s Fields on 16 August 1819 was attacked by the army. Accident or otherwise, at least 15 were killed, with up to 400 injured. As you will find out in this episode –Mike Leigh captures a whole host of other issues that we are excited to see pan out on-screen. And it wouldn’t be Footnotes of History without being a bit contrarian!