History 102 with WhatifAltHist's Rudyard Lynch and Austin Padgett

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. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess -- SPONSOR: INCOGNI | GIVEWELL Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ECON102 at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/econ102 GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- 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

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore pivotal historical moments about the English Civil War. They masterfully weave together religious conflict, economic transformation, and cultural dynamics to explain how this crucial conflict shaped modern capitalism, the Industrial Revolution, and even contemporary progressive politics. Their engaging conversation style makes complex history accessible and relevant. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess -- SPONSOR: INCOGNI | GIVEWELL | NOTION Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code ECON102 at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/econ102 GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at notion.com/cognitiverevolution. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction and Significance of the English Civil War (03:15) The Importance of Engaging with Politics (04:43) The English Civil War and its Long-Term Effects (07:21) Context: The 16th Century and the Seeds of Conflict (08:09) Economic and Religious Factors (12:32) Underlying Issues and Symbolism in Conflict (14:13) Sponsor: Incogni | Givewell (17:22) The English Civil War: A Seesaw Conflict (20:26) Social Conservatism and the Secular Cycle (21:33) The Secular Cycle and its Parallels to Modernity (24:10) Escaping Malthusian Traps (27:14) The Agricultural Revolution and Property Rights (29:08) Trade Restrictions and the Industrial Revolution (30:18) The Anglo Diaspora (31:00) The Cousin's War and Genetic Factors (33:13) Sponsor: Notion (34:27) Cultural Homogeneity and Genetic Markers (36:00) The Role of Monopolies and Religious Divisions (41:20) The Spark of the English Civil War (44:50) The Course of the War (48:07) The Rise of Cromwell and the Interregnum (51:18) Cromwell's Rule and Religious Tolerance (53:00) The Conquest of Ireland and the British Navy (57:10) Anglo-Dutch Wars (1:00:00) The Role of Cambridge and Saxony (1:01:20) Puritanism and Modern Progressivism (1:02:40) Puritanism and Modern Social Justice (1:03:50) The Death of Cromwell and the Restoration (1:07:00) The Glorious Revolution and England's Long Period of Stability (1:08:01) Conclusion and Book Recommendations -- BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: "History of Western Warfare" (Volume 2) by JFC Fuller "History of the English Speaking Peoples" (Volume 2) by Winston Churchill "The Age of Reason Begins" by Will Durant "Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World" by Alec Ryrie "Albion's Seed" by David Hackett Fischer

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett talk about the Protestant Reformation, masterfully drawing parallels between historical information technology revolutions (like the printing press) and our current internet age, exploring how such advances fundamentally alter how societies process information and relate to authority. They offer fresh perspectives on well-worn historical territory, suggesting for instance that the Reformation wasn't just about religious doctrine, but represented a quantum leap in human agency and individualism that helped birth the modern world. -- 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess -- SPONSOR: GIVEWELL | NOTION GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at notion.com/cognitiverevolution. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:10) History as psychological/biological process (01:50) Importance of psychological shifts in Reformation (02:10) Two modern parallels to Reformation (02:50) Warhammer Fantasy analogy (03:10) Catholic Church's medieval dominance (05:39) Carl Jung's analysis of Catholicism (10:11) Information technology breakthrough comparison (10:35) Gutenberg's printing press invention (11:24) Media control in 20th century (12:29) Sponsors: GiveWell | Notion (15:20) Catholic Church's role in literacy (18:26) Catholic Church as science investor (19:00) Discussion of Cathars and early heresies (20:01) Impact of Black Death (21:30) Italian Renaissance discussion (31:30) Martin Luther's background (35:40) Luther's 95 Theses (43:40) Introduction of Calvinism (46:06) Calvinism and totalitarianism (49:52) Spanish attempts to destroy Protestantism (51:20) Germanic and English Protestant adoption (52:34) Modern elite's Protestant/French Revolution roots (54:40) Harvard's Calvinist origins (56:02) Left's appropriation of Protestant ideas (57:30) Modern rejection of rational inquiry (58:41) Elite perspectives on population control (1:00:07) Book recommendations begin (101:09) Show outro and network information -- BOOKS RECOMMENDED: "The Reformation" by Will Durant" "Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World" by Alec Ryrie "Doubt" by Alec Ryrie "A Secular Age" by Charles Taylor "Rise of the West" by William H. McNeill

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch is joined by business development executive and agriculture technology industry entrepreneur Austin Padgett and explore 17th century Western Europe's pivotal transformation. They examine how the Protestant-Catholic divide, parallel to modern political polarization, shaped warfare, science, and economics. The conversation reveals how the Dutch and English success in breaking monopolies and embracing agricultural innovation set the stage for the Industrial Revolution and modern capitalism. , RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg -- SPONSOR: GIVEWELL GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:27) The 17th Century: On the Edge of Modernity (03:52) The Pike and Shot Era & Military Transitions (06:58) Mercenaries and Defensive Warfare (09:50) The French Revolution and Mass Conscription (10:40) Libertarian Perspective & The Shifting Political Compass (13:40) North Europe's Victory Over South Europe (17:26) Economic Factors and the Weakening of Monarchies (20:08) The Elizabethan Golden Age and the Secular Cycle (22:41) The Protestant Reformation and its Impact (26:47) Lessons from the 17th Century (28:04) The Thirty Years War and its Impact on Europe (30:00) Spain's Economic Failures as a Lesson (35:30) England and the Netherlands' Breakthroughs (36:24) The Scientific, Agricultural, and Social Revolutions (44:48) The Political Context of the 17th Century (49:51) The Enlightenment and the Thirty Years War's Legacy (1:00:54) Louis XIV's Reign and the Cultural High Point of France (1:02:08) Conclusion and U.S. Political Implications (1:02:50) Book Recommendations (1:03:46) The Importance of Agriculture (1:04:19) Wrap -- BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: "The Global Crisis" by Geoffrey Parker "The Military Revolution" by Geoffrey Parker "The Age of Reason Begins" by Will Durant "The Age of Louis XIV"by Will Durant