Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon.
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The history of 19th century and 20th century China, leading up to the Chinese Revolutions, the Republic of China and then the People's Republic of China. This podcast was inspired by Mike Duncan's Revolutions. This podcast follows him by telling the stories leading to the Chinese Revolutions. The episodes cover the Opium Wars, Taiping Rebellion, foreign treaties and concessions bringing trade and Christianity to China, the Boxer Rebellion, China's 1911 Revolution, the Warlord Period, the KMT ...
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Think history is a boys club? Think again. In this podcast History Gap we are looking back to pull up the women throughout history that might have fallen through the cracks. Join (extremely) amateur history fans comedy writer Mollie Goodfellow and creator and producer Jorja McAndrew as they educate themselves on some of the cool women from the past that they didn’t learn about in history lessons - mostly because they weren’t listening. From Junko Tabei, incredible mountain climber, to Anne L ...
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A Comedy History Podcast featuring two women telling the stories of two great Women throughout history each week. Highlighting one famous and one infamous women and their impact on the world.
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the notorious attack of 4th of May 1886 at a workers rally in Chicago when somebody threw a bomb that killed a policeman, Mathias J. Degan. The chaotic shooting that followed left more people dead and sent shockwaves across America and Europe. This was in Haymarket Square at a protest for an eight hour working day fo…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the major figures in Victorian British politics. Disraeli (1804 -1881) served both as Prime Minister twice and, for long periods, as leader of the opposition. Born a Jew, he was only permitted to enter Parliament as his father had him baptised into the Church of England when he was twelve. Disraeli was a gifte…
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In this episode Jorja and Mollie look at the life and sporting career of American Swimmer Gertrude Ederle. From multi gold medalist to being the first woman to swim the English Channel this is a story of grit and determination in a time period where women had to fight hard to even be in the pool.History Gap
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Alice Coachman was the first black woman in history to win a gold medal. Growing up in the deep south of America, Alice faced racism and segregation for her entire sporting career. This didn't stop her breaking records and setting a legacy for black athletes to come. Jorja and Mollie tell her story.History Gap
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In this episode of History Gap, Jorja and Mollie tell the story of Alice Milliat, a woman who fought tirelessly to make sure there were women competing at the Olympics. Founder of the 'Women's World Games' this is a story of wit, courage and making your own seat at the table.History Gap
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It's only right we kick off the History Gap Olympic Special with the first woman to win a gold medal in the history of the Olympics - British tennis player Charlotte Cooper. From playing tennis in skirts to serving up the patriarchy the girls explore the life and sporting career of Charlotte.History Gap
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Saga of the Earls of Orkney, as told in the 13th Century by an unknown Icelander. This was the story of arguably the most important, strategically, of all the islands in the British Viking world, when the Earls controlled Shetland, Orkney and Caithness from which they could raid the Irish and British coasts, from…
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In collaboration with the National Trust Podcast, join Jorja and Mollie as they dive into the ultimate girl gang - Fergusons Gang, a group of aristocratic women who used mystery and intrigue to help the National Trust save rural England. A story of fake names, bomb scares, and secret meeting places.History Gap
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In 1938, after the Battle of Wuhan, Wang Jingwei left Chongqing and the Republic of China team in Chongqing for Hanoi. He negotiated with Japanese officials and eventually set up a puppet regime know as the Wang Jingwei Regime and also as the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China. It was almost totally under Japanese domination, …
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the canonical figures from the history of political thought. Marsilius of Padua (c1275 to c1343) wrote 'Defensor Pacis' (The Defender of the Peace) around 1324 when the Papacy, the Holy Roman Emperor and the French King were fighting over who had supreme power on Earth. In this work Marsilius argued that the p…
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In this week's episode Mollie and Jorja explore the life and controversy of British Scientist Rosalind Franklin who's work helped discover the structure of DNA. The girls also discuss the men who took the credit and the history of women in STEM.History Gap
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the woman who, for almost fifty years, was the most powerful figure in the Chinese court. Cixi (1835-1908) started out at court as one of the Emperor's many concubines, yet was the only one who gave him a son to succeed him and who also possessed great political skill and ambition. When their son became emperor he wa…
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This week on History Gap Mollie and Jorja look into the life and inspirations of Estee Lauder the make up and beauty tycoon. From rags to riches, chic rumours about her age, and daring adventures in the skincare world. The girls also explore the history of make up and beauty from ancient Egypt to the present day.…
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On this week's episode Mollie and Jorja explore the life of British diarist Anne Lister. Famously nicknamed 'Gentleman Jack' and coined as the 'first modern lesbian' Anne lived a life controversial to the status quo. From coded diaries, to lesbian love affairs, join Jorja and Mollie into the adventures of Anne Lister.…
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On this episode of History Gap, Mollie and Jorja look into the life and characters of Agatha Christie. As an accomplished writer her work stands the test of time, but how much do we really know about her life?History Gap
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Japan controlled Taiwan as a colony from 1895 to 1945. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese language education and publications stopped and the Imperial Subject Movement tried to Japanize residents of Taiwan. The Baojia system was helpful in controlling the locals and confiscating grain during the war. The Taiwanese were mobilized to suppor…
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From teenage concubine to an Empress ruling China, this is episode is about to get a little bit Game of Thrones. Join Mollie and Jorja as they tell the story of Cixi and how she worked her way up the ranks of the Imperial Chinese Harem. To some she's a trailblazer that brought change to China, to others she's a cunning murderer. What will you think…
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Bessie Coleman was America's first black and Native American woman to gain a pilots license and was known as 'Queen Bess' by her fans. From fearsome stunts, to paving the way for black women after her, Bessie lived quite the life of adventure. Join Jorja and Mollie as they tell her story.History Gap
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Napoleon Bonaparte's temporary return to power in France in 1815, following his escape from exile on Elba . He arrived with fewer than a thousand men, yet three weeks later he had displaced Louis XVIII and taken charge of an army as large as any that the Allied Powers could muster individually. He saw that his best c…
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From a young girl Grace O'Malley learned the ways of piracy and the ocean, before long she was a fearsome Pirate Queen with a 20 ship fleet and over 200 men under her thumb. She was so infamous she even caught the attention of Queen Elizabeth herself. Join Jorja and Mollie as they tell her story.History Gap
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Virginia Woolf is one of the world's most famous women in literature, but how much do we actually know about her? In this episode of History Gap join Mollie and Jorja as they explore the life of Virginia including her relationship with Vita Sackville-West.History Gap
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As a young girl Junko Tabei had a dream to climb mountains and so she did. Junko would go on to summit over 70 of the world's highest peaks and would even be the first woman to climb Mount Everest. Mollie and Jorja tell her story.History Gap
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The myth, the legend, the Martyr most people have heard the name Joan of Arc, but how much do we really know about her? From peasant girl to taking charge of armies, Joan lives quite the life and pays the price. Jorja and Mollie tell her story.History Gap
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History Gap is back with a new series and a new co-host. Join (extremely) amateur history fans comedy writer Mollie Goodfellow and creator and producer Jorja McAndrew as they educate themselves on some of the cool women from the past that they didn’t learn about in history lessons - mostly because they weren’t listening. From Junko Tabei, incredibl…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the last pagan ruler of the Roman Empire. Fifty years after Constantine the Great converted to Christianity and introduced a policy of tolerating the faith across the empire, Julian (c.331 - 363 AD) aimed to promote paganism instead, branding Constantine the worst of all his predecessors. Julian was a philosopher-emp…
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By the early 1940s, the Communists in Yan’an were feeling relatively secure. The Japanese advance in north China had not reached that area. The Sino-Japanese War and the United Front meant that Chiang Kai-shek’s main concern had been Japan and not the Communist Party. The Nationalist Government in China even funded the Communists in Yan’an. Thousan…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the revolt that broke out in 1871 in Algeria against French rule, spreading over hundreds of miles and countless towns and villages before being brutally suppressed. It began with the powerful Cheikh Mokrani and his family and was taken up by hundreds of thousands, becoming the last major revolt there before Algeria’…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the infamous assault of an army of the Holy Roman Emperor on the city of Rome in 1527. The troops soon broke through the walls of this holy city and, with their leader shot dead early on, they brought death and destruction to the city on an epic scale. Later writers compared it to the fall of Carthage or Jerusalem an…
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For ten months in 1938, Hankou in Wuhan was the center of China's Second United Front and defense against the Japanese invasion. Artistic expression, political parties and free speech all blossomed. Neither the KMT nor the Communist Party fully controlled the city and a variety of generals, thinkers and artists came together to defend against Japan…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Hanseatic League or Hansa which dominated North European trade in the medieval period. With a trading network that stretched from Iceland to Novgorod via London and Bruges, these German-speaking Hansa merchants benefitted from tax exemptions and monopolies. Over time, the Hansa became immensely influential as rul…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the woman who inspired one of the best known artefacts from ancient Egypt. The Bust of Nefertiti is multicoloured and symmetrical, about 49cm/18" high and, despite the missing left eye, still holds the gaze of onlookers below its tall, blue, flat topped headdress. Its discovery in 1912 in Amarna was kept quiet at fir…
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The treasures of the National Palace Museum, originally the Forbidden City, followed China's path. They escaped the invading Japanese by leaving Beijing, first for Shanghai, then Nanjing and then followed southern, central and northern routes to Sichuan and safety. The Chinese government followed a similar path, as did countless Chinese individuals…
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On July 7, 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. It is also known as the Lugou Bridge Incident. Within days of the small skirmish with 100 Chinese garrison troops, the Japanese had brought in 180,000 troops. After that, the fighting between the Chinese and the Japanese did not stop until 1945…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Roman emperor Tiberius. When he was born in 42BC, there was little prospect of him ever becoming Emperor of Rome. Firstly, Rome was still a Republic and there had not yet been any Emperor so that had to change and, secondly, when his stepfather Augustus became Emperor there was no precedent for who should succeed…
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After the Long March, the Chinese Communists were mostly in northern Shaanxi, wanting a breather. Japan had continued its aggression in China after it set up the puppet state of Manchukuo under Emperor Pu Yi. It manufactured incident after incident and had expanded its army’s reach into northern and northeast China. It was trying to influence Inner…
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Zhou Enlai planned in secret the details of the Chinese Communist's escape from the encirclement of the Central Soviet. He identified a Guangdong warlord who preferred to save his troops rather than fight the Red Army. The First Red Army was able to pass through a number of blockhouses, before reaching the last of Chiang Kai-shek's fortifications n…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Marguerite, Queen of Navarre (1492 – 1549), author of the Heptaméron, a major literary landmark in the French Renaissance. Published after her death, The Heptaméron features 72 short stories, many of which explore relations between the sexes. However, Marguerite’s life was more eventful than that of many writers. Bor…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the most influential work of Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929). In 1899, during America’s Gilded Age, Veblen wrote The Theory of the Leisure Class as a reminder that all that glisters is not gold. He picked on traits of the waning landed class of Americans and showed how the new moneyed class was adopting these in ways th…
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In this episode of History Gap the girls take a look at the complicated life and legacy of fashion designer Gabrielle Chanel from orphanages to Nazi Spies, and dresses with pockets.History Gap
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Mao Zedong had been chosen as President of the Chinese Soviet Republic, but he never controlled its Red Army. Wang Ming and the 28 Bolsheviks had more control, including over land policy and preparations to defend against the Fifth Encirclement Campaign. On land, the Communist Party of China officials didn't want land redistribution to result in a …
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the North African privateers who, until their demise in the nineteenth century, were a source of great pride and wealth in their home ports, where they sold the people and goods they’d seized from Christian European ships and coastal towns. Nominally, these corsairs were from Algiers, Tunis or Tripoli, outreaches of …
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Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas is ICONIC and welcomes us into the Christmas spirit every year. But how did Mariah become a Christmas legend, and what role did her childhood play in her love for Christmas?History Gap
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In September 1931, junior officer's of Japan's Kwantung Army in Manchuria set off explosives to make it look like a Chinese attack on Japanese interests along the South Manchuria Railway. This is often called the Mukden Incident or named after the nearby Liutiao Lake. The Kwantung Army then attacked Zhang Xueliang's nearby garrison and, with Japane…
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Mao had long desired revolution to peace. Even as a student, he wrote of his desire for the destruction of the old universe. Thanks to his teacher Yang Changji, he met early leaders of the Communist Party, got a job as a junior librarian in Beijing and met his second wife. Yang Kaihui fell deeply in love with Mao and stayed loyal to him, even after…
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In this episode of History Gap, the girls uncover the story of Nellie Bly a ground breaking investigative journalist who spent 10 days undercover in a New York women's insane asylum, changing mental health legislation forever.History Gap
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On this week’s episode of History Gap, Lucy and Jorja consider the role of magic and superstition during World War 2 as Lucy tells the story of Russia’s ‘Night Witches’ - an all-female air division who were feared greatly by the Nazi’s and Hitler himself. The girls also discuss the sexism women experience during and after the war effort and theoris…
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Chiang Kai-shek used strong-armed tactics to fundraise for his army and government. Kidnapping, ransoms and execution were part of his tactics. He allied with the Green Gang of Shanghai, as did the French authorities. Shanghai businessmen were kidnapped and held for ransom unless they bought Nanjing's bonds during the Northern Expedition. T.V. Soon…
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In this episode of History Gap, Jorja tell's the story of two women doctors and suffragettes who ran entirely female staffed military hospital at a time where women were excluded from the medical profession. Join Jorja and Lucy as they explore the lives and impact of Dr Flora Anderson and Dr Louisa Garret on WW1 and medicine.…
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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay's essays written in 1787/8 in support of the new US Constitution. They published these anonymously in New York as 'Publius' but, when it became known that Hamilton and Madison were the main authors, the essays took on a new significance for all states. As those two men p…
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Lucy tells the scandalous story of the Mafia queen Virginia Hill and how she rose through the ranks of a violent American mob. The history of the mob is brutal and intense and on this episode of History Gap, Lucy and Jorja explore the story behind this powerful woman and how she earnt her title as the 'queen of the mob'.…
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