The GCSE History Revision Podcast

Herodotus and the Conquest of Lydia, Ancient History: Persia Part 3

In this episode we look at what our old friend Herodotus has to say about the Conquest of Lydia. Featuring lots of interference by the Gods, fortune telling oracles and more camels than you shake a stick at.  

The Conquest of the Medes Ancient History Persia Part 2

In this episode we look at what Herodotus and our other sources have to tell us about the conquest of the Medes covered in Episode 1 of this series. 

Who was Cyrus the Great? Ancient History: Persia Part I

The first episode in our new Ancient History GCSE series on the Persian Empire looks at the problems with sources and where Cyrus came from. 

Castle Acre Priory - Norman England Site Study 2021

What can castle Acre tell us about the influence of the Cluniac Order on England? Who were the Cluniacs? And how did the complicated relationships between powerful individual men in this period impact on the revival of monasticism in England? How did monasteries impact on the political, economic and social fabric of this new, Norman state?

 

Buckle in, because it's a long one as we look at the site study for the 2021 exam and dig into the birth and development of Castle Acre Priory. 

Norman England: Castle Acre Priory - Monasticism

The Historic Site Study for 2021 is Castle Acre Priory; but you can't understand why Castle Acre is so important without the context of monastisicm in Norman england. What is a monastery? Who do monks do?

 

The next episode will dig deeply into Castle Acre and how it links to the rest of Norman England. 

Germany: A golden age? Weimar Culture

Alongside the economic and political stability of the Stresemann period came a flowering of Weimar Culture. What did this look like, how did it impact our world today and how did it give the Nazis a wedge issue they could use to gain political traction with people in the countryside?

Germany: A Golden Age? Stresemann and the 1920s

The Weimar Republic seemed on the brink of collapse in 1923 - yet it survived for another ten years. Was this miracle a true recovery or merely papering over the cracks? Join us as we look at the career of Gustav Stresemann and struggle to agree on a single pronunciantion for his name. 

Norman England: How Much Did Life Change?

1066 is regarded as a watershed moment when all of life in England changed. How far is this accurate? In this episode we look at the various ways that life changed in Norman England - and the ways in which is changed. 

Film Studies: Skyfall

In this special episode for GCSE Film Studies students we are joined by John Rain, host of SMERSHPOD

And author of THUNDERBOOK to talk about the underlying aesthetic of Bond films. Unsuprisingly, we also veer off the topic a bit and end up talking about Marvel films and why Infinity War is better than Endgame and why Film Studies students should watch JFK. 

Leather and Steel: Young People in Nazi Germany

The Nazi state had very clear plans for the young men and women of Germany; these plans would be reflected in the changes to the education system and the creation of youth groups. In this episode we look at the interplay of these two factors and the overall impact of Nazi youth policies. 

BONUS GCSE English Episode: AQA Anthology - Remains and the Light Brigade

For this episode we are joined by two colleagues from the English Department who are discussing two poems from the AQA anthology. Apologies for the sound quality - this episode was obviously recorded in lockdown. 

Kinder, Küche, Kirche: Women in Nazi Germany

Germany was a totalitarian state - one where the government imposed control over every aspect of its citizens lives. One of the areas worth looking at in depth is now Nazi social policy effected women. What were the laws passed in relation to women and how was the role of women seen by the state - and how far did this role have the support of the german people?

The White Tower: Norman England Historic Site Study

This is our bumepr episode on the Tower of London, the White Tower. William I's residence, symbol of power, refuge of last resort... why was it built? How did it function? How does it fit in with other castles built across England? Why was it white?

 

This is key episode for the 2021 exam as there will be a 16 mark essay question on this. 

Germany Bonus Episode: The SA

In this episode we look at the rise and fall of the SA. How important was it to early Nazi success and what impact did it have on their electoral victories - and at what point did it become a hinderance rather than a help?

We are joined for this episode by Stephen Graham of the Faces of Fascism podcast. 

Germany: Alcohol and Politics Don't Mix, Munich 1923

In November 1923 a bunch of politcal chancers launched an attempted coup - a 'putsch' - from a beer cellar. A collection of ex-soldiers and political monomaniacs led a failed artist they thought they could repeat Mussolini's March on Rome. Who were they?

In this episode we look at the early history of the National Socialist German Workers' Party - the Nazis - and the causes of the Beer Hall Putsch. We look at the events of the failed rebellion and then look at the consequences for Hitler, the Party and Germany as a whole. As a special bonus we are joined buy Stephen Graham of the Faces of Facism Podcast for some expert input. 

Germany: Out of the Frying-Pan 1919-23

The newborn Weimar Republic did not have an easy life; rocked by attacks from both without and within, it seemed doomed to fail. In this episode, we look at the first few years of the Republic and the attacks it faced from both the left and the right. We cover Sparticists, Kapp and the invasion of the Ruhr. 

Germany: Rising from the Flames 1920

After the catastrophe of the Great War, Germany found itself without a leader, without a government and without a future. From this wreckage rose a new state; birthed in Weimar because Berlin was too dnagerous, it was known as the Weimar Republic. An experiment in democracy in an age of autocracy, was it doomed from the start? In this episode we consider the structure of the Weimar Constitution and the problems it creates for the future. 

Germany: Apocalypse Now 1918

What was the impact of WW1 on Germany? In this episode we look at the economic, social and political aspects of the War's impact and consider how that effects the birth of the Weimar republic. 

Germany: Before the Fall 1890-1914

What was Germany like before the First World War? What kind of power structures were in place and what difficulties were there in governing it?

 

The Battle of Hastings

This is the episode to support the Norman England Historic Site study. An in depth examination of the factors that influence success or failure in medieval warfare with a focus on the Battle of Hastings.