Explaining the French Revolution

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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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