15-Minute History

Join us as we discuss the intention and result of each leader by examining comparisons of policy during their tenure.

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts! Every other Thursday, Joe will speak about a specific person, place, or event in history in under five minutes. This week, we answer a question we have gotten from you, our outstanding audience. Some of you have asked, "If you're doing a season on villains, why aren't you covering serial killers?" We answer that today.

As we look at villains in history, we want to look at actions and their effects. The policies of Lyndon Baines Johnson and Ho Chi Minh were the reflection of two leaders operating in different contexts. Though the method by which they exercised their intentions was different, the root of their “why” is in question. Join us as we look at both the intention and result from each leader by examining comparisons of policy during their tenure. The context of culture may require different methods for enacting said policies, but the intentions and subsequent outcomes show the result. We examine those today.

Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more with you, our outstanding audience. Have an idea for a topic? Want to try and stump Jon? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.

Join us as we discuss the actions of Charlemagne, the interpretations that followed, and how such evil can be combatted.

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts! Every other Thursday, Joe will speak about a specific person, place, or event in history in under five minutes. This week, we teach you about the history of the 40-hour work week, its origins, and why it came into being. Spoiler alert: There was a good reason.

Ten long years of war in the dark forests of Saxony, and there was no end in sight. Centuries earlier, these woods had witnessed the destruction of mighty Roman legions, a fact that several Frankish scribes had already noted in their chronicles. Per-haps their king would fare better than the Roman Emperor Augustus. Their enemy, the Saxons, were a far greater threat than the older Germanic tribes had been. When confronted with the truth of holy writ and the might of Christendom’s armies, they had refused to bow to the Frankish King Charles and clung to their pagan ways. Now, a decade after the first uprising along the border, Charles had resolved to suppress the Saxons’ desire for independence once and for all. He had learned of a re-volt near the Süntel massif that had killed several members of his court. Join us as we teach you about what happened as a result, the interpretations that followed, and how such evil can be combatted.

Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more with you, our outstanding audience. Have an idea for a topic? Want to try and stump Jon? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.

Join us as we discuss Xerxes I, his conquest, and how hubris ruined him.