Sophie (age 9) and Ellie (age 7) tell the story of how the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. 2000 years ago Rome was in chaos. The great Roman general Julius Caesar had been murdered. He was stabbed to death by nobles, including his friend, Brutus. They had believed he wanted to make himself King. They did not want to be ruled by a King. The murderers of Caesar were delighted with themselves. They thought they had saved Rome. However, Julius Caesar’s friends were furious. One of his friends was called Mark Antony. He was asked to speak at Julius Caesar’s funeral. Thousands of ordinary Romans were there. Mark Antony gave a speech in which he reminded everyone how much Caesar had loved the ordinary people. He also told them how in Caesar’s will he had left money for the poor people of Rome. Then he showed the crowd Caesar’s torn and bloody toga from when he had been killed. The crowd were furious. They turned on the murderers of Caesar and hunted them through the streets of Rome. Brutus and the other murderers fled. Caesar’s nephew was called Octavian. Caesar had adopted him as his son. He now called himself Octavian Caesar. Octavian and Mark Antony raised and army and chased Caesar’s murderers. They defeated them in battle. Brutus killed himself. Octavian and Mark Antony did not trust each other. They decided to divide up control of the Roman lands between them. Mark Antony took the East and ruled from Egypt. Octavian took the West and ruled from Rome. To make their alliance stronger, Mark Antony married Octavian’s sister, Octavia. However, in Egypt, Mark Antony met Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. She had been Julius Caesar’s girlfriend. Now she became Mark Antony’s girlfriend. People in Rome did not like this. Nor did Octavian. War broke out. There was a big naval battle but at the height of the battle, Cleopatra and her ships fled. Mark Antony followed her. The battle was lost. Then Mark Antony’s soldiers fled too. Mark Antony then believed that Cleopatra had killed herself. He was so upset he tried to kill himself with a sword. However, before he died he learned that Cleopatra was actually alive. He died in her arms. Cleopatra tried to make peace with Octavian but he was not interested. She killed herself by letting a snake bite her. She died from its poison. Octavian then took total control in Rome. He called himself Imperator which meant Commander. Over time this word changed and became our word for Emperor. The Roman Republic was over; now it was the Roman Empire. PATRONS' CLUB If you liked this episode you might like to join our Patrons’ Club. You can join at www.patreon.com/historystorytime. There are exclusive episodes there. We have a new episode out about the Battle of the Atlantic in World War Two.

Sophie (age 8) and Ellie (age 6) tell the story of the Fall of the Roman Republic up to the death of Julius Caesar.----more---- 2000 years ago Rome was a mighty empire. It used to have Kings. However, the people of Rome decided that the Kings were cruel so they got rid them. After that they chose their rulers by elections. They promised to never have a King again. Rome got more powerful. Her mighty armies conquered other countries because they were very disciplined. At first the Roman farmers would also be soldiers and then go back to their crops when the fighting was finished. As there was more and more fighting, further and further away Rome needed to have soldiers who were just soldiers. However, they didn’t know what jobs the soldiers could do when they had finished being a soldier. The generals had a good idea. They decided to give the land that Rome had conquered to the soldiers. This made the soldier fight extra hard. However, it also made the soldiers very loyal to the generals who were going to give them land. Over time the soldiers became more loyal to their generals than to Rome. Many Roman generals got rich and powerful. No one more so than Julius Caesar. He was a brilliant general. He conquered Gaul which was the Roman name for France. However, the senators back home were suspicious of Caesar. They told him to come home alone without his army. Caesar invaded instead. He conquered Rome and became the most powerful Roman. He chased his enemies and defeated them. Then he met an Egyptian Queen called Cleopatra and she became his girlfriend. Back in Rome the senators were worried that Caesar wanted to make himself a King. One day they stabbed him to death in the senate. Even his friend Brutus stabbed him. The people who stabbed him thought they had won. They thought that they had saved Rome from having a King. However, they had forgotten that Caesar had friends, that his army loved him and so did the people of Rome. In two weeks time we will tell the rest of the story and how Rome got its first Emperor. Patrons Club If you liked this episode then do please join our Patron’s club. We have exclusive episodes there. You can join at www.patreon.com/historystorytime

The podcast discusses the siege of Vienna in 1683, a pivotal battle between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. Vienna was poorly defended, but the Austrians courageously held their ground. Help arrived just in time as the Germans and Poles drove back the Ottomans. The podcast highlights the heroic battle and the ultimate victory, saving Vienna and establishing it as a powerful empire's capital.

Guest: Harriet Tubman, An inspirational figure who escaped slavery and helped others escape as well. Topics: Harriet's early life and mistreatment as a slave, her escape and use of the Underground Railroad, her courageous efforts to rescue 70 enslaved people, and her impact during the American Civil War.

Sophie and Ellie tell the history of Ukraine, starting with the Viking invasion and the establishment of the mighty Kyivan Rus empire. They discuss the Mongol invasion, the power struggle between the Poles and Russians, and the Ukrainian quest for independence. They also touch upon the impact of World War I, communist rule, and the ongoing conflict with Russia.

A civil war between noble families in medieval England called the Wars of the Roses is discussed. The conflict is between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists, and revolves around their claim to the throne. Topics include battles, the Duke of York's failed attempt to claim the throne, Edward's rise to power, tensions with Warwick, Richard's ascension to the throne, suspicion surrounding the murder of Edward's sons, and the invasion of England by Henry Tudor.

Genghis Khan, born in Mongolia, faced challenges and displayed remarkable determination. He overcame hardships, married Borte, defeated his enemies, and became the most powerful man in Mongolia. Known as Genghis Khan, he conquered the Chinese empire, established trade routes, and had a lasting impact on the modern world.

Captain Cook, the great explorer who was the first European to discover Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. The podcast talks about his early life and navy career, his discovery of New Zealand and Australia, and his final moments in Hawaii

Sophie (age 8) and Ellie (age 6) tell the history of the Christmas Carol. Songs used to be sung by pagans thousands of years ago to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Christmas was at the same time as the Winter Solstice so the Church carried on with the singing but instead made the songs about Christmas. The first Christmas Carol we know of was from 2000 years ago and was called the Angels Hymn. All the early carols were in Latin and over time people stopped speaking Latin – and they stopped singing the Latin carols. Then around 800 years ago a monk called St Francis of Assisi wrote the first nativity play. He had songs in the play to make it more interesting. He also had these songs in people’s own language so they could understand it. Many of the songs became so popular that Minstrels would sing them. Many of the carols from his period have survived. While Shepherds watched their flocks by night is over 500 years old. However, 400 years ago in England the Puritans came to power. They were very serious. They chopped off the King’s head and they banned Christmas and the singing of carols. People liked carols so much that they carried on singing them in secret when they were not in Churches. This is where the tradition of carol singers comes from. Different carols came from different places. 150 years ago someone in America wrote Away in a Manger. People thought is was written by a famous holy man called Martin Luther, but it probably was not. The carol Come all ye faithful was written about 300 years ago. Many people think that it remembers the old Stuart kings who used to rule England. The most famous Carol story though is from World War One. British and German soldiers were fighting in the trenches. The fighting was very bloody. Then on Christmas Eve the German trenches were decorated with candles and lights. The British were confused. Then they heard the Germans singing Silent night in German. The British sang back The First Noel. Slowly the British and German soldiers came out of the trenches. They stopped fighting and celebrated Christmas together in the middle of a war. We are taking a Christmas break ourselves. Sophie and Ellie’s mummy works in the hospital and things are a little busy there at the moment. So we will be back with more History Storytime episodes in the New Year. Patrons Club If you liked this episode then do join our Patrons Club. You can join at www.patreon.com/historystorytime  

Learn about the German strategy of blitzkrieg in World War Two, how their tanks quickly broke through enemy defenses, and the additional chaos caused by German planes. The chapter explores the use of blitzkrieg tactics in World War Two, including the swift defeat of French and British armies in just six weeks. It also discusses the battle of Britain, German attacks on Greece, the Balkans, and Crete, and Hitler's decision to attack Russia. This chapter explores the German blitzkrieg tactics, their encounters with the Russians, and the eventual defeat of the Germans by the combined forces of the British, American, and Russian tanks.