In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about the French Revolution and the fascinating parallels between 18th-century French social dynamics and today's political landscape.
From bureaucratic upheaval to radical terror, journey through the chaos that transformed France and birthed modern political divisions. Learn how a centralized monarchy crumbled into revolutionary fervor, spawning new ideas of nationalism, secularism, and total war that would reshape Europe.
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FOLLOW ON X:
@whatifalthist (Rudyard)
@LudwigNverMises (Austin)
@TurpentineMedia
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TIMESTAMPS:
(00:15) Intro and Personal Anecdotes
(04:13) Introduction to the French Revolution and Secular Cycles
(08:40) Open and Closed Societies
(15:47) Sponsor Message 1
(17:33) Sponsor Message 2
(18:44) The French Monarchy and its Attempt to Protect Freedom
(25:50) The French Enlightenment and Modernity
(30:52) Causes of the French Revolution
(37:00) The Internal Conflicts and Instability of the Revolution
(46:50) The Reign of Terror and the Jacobins
(52:40) The Napoleonic Wars and their Impact on Europe
(1:00:00) The Left and Right in French Politics
(1:03:40) Counterfactual History: What if the Fronde had succeeded?
(1:04:20) The French Army and National Identity
(1:07:12) Outro
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
"Fire in the Minds of Men" by James Hadley Billington
"The Old Regime and the French Revolution" by Alexis Henri C M Clerel Tocqueville
