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History Shmistory Podcast

Two guys named Jeremiah and John find themselves lost in the weeds while ostensibly talking about a historical topic. Informative? Maybe. Definitely interesting. Enjoy! Contact us at historyschmistorypddcast@gmail.com to tell us we are wrong, or to tell us we are right, or to tell us how your day was.
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Now displaying: Page 1
Dec 10, 2023

It was very hard to come up with a title for this episode because it spans two very related but also difficult to explain topics. One centers on a look at Franz Mehring's essay "The German Reformation and its Consequences"and the other being the life and times of one Louis De Geer. John offers Mehring's explanation of the Reformation as a different framework for looking at the 30 Years War and its context, to be paired and contrasted with those offered by Wedgewood and Wilson in their more political/military histories of the time period. This context, the changing nature of economic conditions and conflict between classes and states, drives the career of Louis De Geer from humble Calvinist "refugee" in the Netherlands to the father of both Swedish industry and Swedish involvement in the slave trade. Suprisingly, there is less information available regarding the latter than the former. Come, as John purges his demons so he can finish the rest of the dang war already. 

Rage Against the Machine- Ashes in the Fall

Horse the Band- Octopus on Fire

Ensiferum- Slayer of Light

Tears for Fears- The Prisoner

Jul 13, 2023

Hello. Topics today include: Hesse-Kassel, differing views on the end of the war by Wedgewood and Wilson, the decline of Spain, the decline of Hapsburg fortunes, Wiederhold and partisans, and the opening of peace negotiations at Osnabruck and Munster. I went a little wild on the tunes for this one. 

At the Gates- Suicide Nation

Tom Waits- Earth Died Screaming

Gipsy Kings- Pena Penita

BLK JKS- Banna Ba Modimo

Sigur Ros- Flugufrelsarinn

Battle of Rocroy

May 1, 2023

The war drags on as our various powers all try to get out of the war with something more than they entered with and the troops continue to maraud across the countryside. France officially enters, Emperor Ferdinand II dies, and the lands of Germany and its surroundings continue to burn for 8 more years. 

Music used in this episode:

Talk Talk- New Grass

Tom Waits- Oily Night

Blind Guardian- Another Holy War

article John mentions about French carpenter, just because its interesting.

Oct 1, 2022

We return with the conclusion to our two part series about the Blue Dove. There's nothing really Dutch about it. However, the story includes a conniving monarch (which one isn't though), a member of the Privy Council, a lucky "privateer" (pirate), and some early petty disputes over legal jurisdiction on the part of the American Colonies.

outro- The Trailer Park Boys- Kittyman Sea Shanty

Jul 15, 2022

A few of things off the bat. One, the Kingdom of the Netherlands includes the overseas countries of Aruba, Curacoa, and Sint Maarten in addition to the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eusatius and Saba. Two, Indonesia won its independence in 1949 not the 60s. Three, Vader does mean father in Dutch. 

What is the "Blue Dove" and why do we care? Well, don't worry about writing about it because we have contacted lawyers and it is now trademarked by History Shmistory to care. You can listen.

Background: Everyone in Christian Europe treated the Jews poorly. Some of them moved to The Netherlands. Eventually a king named Charles hid out there and the Jews took care of him. Charles was a real character, but as a monarch he only gets a small amount of slack. He was less mean to the Jews and this fostered trade relationships. Also European colonization of the new world was happening as well. There are lots of other tidbits as well. 

Outro: Merck toch hoe sterck from the channel Anthem Hub on Youtube. 

Nov 23, 2021

Hey this episode is about the end of the life of Wallenstein and the cracking of the religious pretense of the war that had arguably been happening since the war started. You can email us or hit us on facebook with any questions. Also do a review!

Jun 11, 2021

John and Jeremiah talk about life during the 30 years war. Topics include plague, trade, urban growth, marauding armies, devastation, etc. It would have sucked really hard to be anybody but a noble during this time in Germany, specifically. Probably in most of Europe as well but definitely Germany. Glad we are back. Missed you guys xoxox.

Jan 25, 2021

This episode is about the black death, the reformation, guilds, courtesans, and general getting back in the saddle for John and Jeremiah after an exciting pandemic and baby filled past few months. This episode provides some context for what the Europe of the 1630s was like in a broad sense.

Check out Grand National Championships!

 

Sep 12, 2020

Thick and chunky Swedish Intervention in the 30 Years by John of History Shmistory. We tell the tale of Gustavus Adolphus, the prophesized Lion of the North, who dies on the field of conflict at Lutzen. Before that though, he looked to be well on his way to ruling a protestant Empire in Germany. Fighting from the age of 17 until his death, he is a man of contrasts. A capable administrator who had good taste in counselors, but a King nonetheless, and his armies ravaged the countryside of Germany. Also, Wallenstein is back. And at the end, we are in a different place then we were before and peace is once again avoided by all parties involved.

Outro: A Lifetime of War by Sabaton from their very terrific album "Carolus Rex"

Jul 21, 2020

Based on the definition of genocide presented in the Geneva Convention, the United States government committed genocide on the Native American people. Jeremiah explains why. This is the court case he refers to. Content Warning for explicit sexual trauma.

Jul 11, 2020

This episode is about Fannie Lou Hamer, a black female sharecropper living in poverty who went on to found an integrated Democratic Party in Mississippi and fight against racial and economic injustice in the United States. Included at the end of the episode is her testimony before the Credentials Committee of the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, NJ on August 22,1964. 

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpIlI09Lxe8

Jun 12, 2020

We have made to the year 1628! Wallenstein is on the rise, Christian of Denmark is probably drunk, and Germany is being destroyed. Before the end of the pod Gustavus Adolphus will depart from Sweden to invade Germany and Wallenstein will be dismissed. Listen to discover the juicy middle bits and a little information on early newspaper and political satire! Thanks for listening, we love you all. Also, friend of the pod Getulio showed up to the Shmistory Chateau somewhere in the middle of the recording. 

Jun 5, 2020

If it wasn't explicit in the episode, solidarity with the protesters against police brutality and for racial equality and human dignity. Donate money to your local bail fund.

This episode is about Boudica, who bravely rallied her people to fight the Romans. They didn't last long so it's a short episode. Getulio was there too. We all made alot of promises.

Apr 28, 2020

There's a guy named Boston George. He is the Dutch in this scenario. The Portuguese have product for Boston George. You know Boston George is getting his cut. How did we get here? Listen and find out the tale of sailing and spices and exploitation of native populations and battles. Have fun!

Mar 21, 2020

Pt. 4. I think we are at like 1629. Twenty more years to go. On this episode, the less impressive king of two Scandinavian Protestants quickly enters and exits the fray. TLDR: Catholics under Ferdinand doing well, France backs Denmark, Denmark loses, Catholics under Ferdinand doing well (?). Thousands of people being eaten out of house and home by wandering armies. A decade of war.

Feb 7, 2020

Prior to the start of the Civil War, when it became clear that there was a growing movement against slavery and a growing party which counted abolitionists as its members, South Carolina decided to secede. Before it did that, it readied secession commissioners to go out amongst the southern states, proclaiming the oncoming tide of racial depredations and uprooting of the treasured institution of chattel slavery of Black people in the U.S.A. (land of the free, home of the brave). Jeremiah is a history major now so now you will be taking his classes with him.

Sep 28, 2019

No snazzy title. Just new friends. Ferdinand gives us a new friend named Wallenstein. Fredrick pretends he didn't lose but eventually ends up getting help from another new friend named Christian of Denmark. He in turned is financed by Cardinal Richelieu of France. The war should've ended but didn't because France. Enjoy!

Jun 26, 2019

The 2nd part of the 30 Years War! We make it to 1622, so at this rate there will be at least more than 5 more episodes of this. I don't know I didn't actually do the math. This isn't a math podcast you nerds. 

Fredrick is King of Bohemia. Gets a mercenary army. Lots of fake friends don't show up. He's on the run. Catholics and Protestants but its also more complicated than that. Also, surprise Transylvanians!

https://www.facebook.com/historyshmistorypodcast/

Jun 12, 2019

You thought we were gone? No chance! We are putting this podcast out until the eventual end to electronic communication due to impending climate catastrophe, and even after that we will just yell this out across to the other makeshift rafts everyone will be living on between diving for submerged canned goods or fishing for mutated carp. We talk about the events leading up to some Catholics getting tossed out of a window by some Protestants, the fancy word we can use for it, and whether or not Jeremiah will commit to a topic or keep us all guessing (which is how you keep a relationship alive, fellas). Welcome back!

Nov 24, 2018

Hey guys, its the History Shmistory boys. We are back in the internet town, down at Dino's bar and grill or whatever. Thin Lizzie is the band you are thinking of. They were Irish. Anyways, we are talking about Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party wanted to be independent of the United States. Many Puerto Ricans who were not nationalists would have like that too. Or at least some of their own land maybe. The United States wanted Puerto Rico. Many people died and were arrested. The United States government does not come out looking great. I should have read more sources. But things didn't go well for the people on the island of Puerto Rico for a while after they were "liberated". They have gone rather poorly recently. Context is important, but sometimes people do bad things. Like imprison and torture people and make people subjects but not citizens of the US. Like that. Enjoy the pod!

Sep 26, 2018

Greetings. We have returned from out long slumber. We were hoping that if we just fell asleep for a month or so we would wake up in Happy Land. Unfortunately we awoke in the same Vale of Tears, so Jeremiah read a book and we got back to the drudgery. Tecumseh tried to unite the Native Americans to combat the growing American presence in the West. He lost, but his example has been handed down through the ages as a man trying to organize against oppression. Just kidding, people get excited about his command of armed combat and romanticize Amerindians without actually considering the toll exacted back men such as Andrew Jackson and William Henry Dead-in-One-Month Harrison on the native peoples of the North American continent. So enjoy another kind of depressing episode in our nation's history. But also enjoy Jeremiah and John waxing philosophically on the nature of history, and also shmistory. Andrew Jackson sucked.

Jul 30, 2018

Tampa had a leftist labor movement amongst cigar workers in Ybor City. The government of Tampa and the owners like it. Working people of all colors were coming together to demand better wages and quality of life. They tried to march on the Soviet anniversary! All this and more. Returning champ David tells us all about his research (we have experts) and John and Jeremiah do a kind of a ride along through Tampa history. Its a great time and don't forget to thank your local cigar worker and frequent your local labor temple. But don't try to help a lady trying to help her son who is being unjustly arrested by police, because then you'll get arrested too. Good night, you sweet listeners.

Jul 22, 2018

Yes we can. We're back. I feel like we've been saying that a lot recently. So do you think about the Incan civilization? We did. Or Jeremiah did. Then he told us about it. The Incan's burned out quickly due to the anger of their subjects and to the intervention of some illegal immigrants. During the time the were around they did some pretty cool stuff, like Macchu Picchu and developing a written language. Hope you enjoy.

Jun 12, 2018

Septimius Severus was a Roman Emperor. He became a Roman Emperor by having money and being a good general. Then he died, and Rome slid slowly into the sea. Not really, but it started. He was relatively interesting? The events and circumstances that led to and played out from the reign of Septimius Severus are just as if not more important than his reign itself. Also, lots of primary sources (!) and stuff. Ancient Robin Hood. All of this and more in this exciting new episode of History Shmistory!

May 20, 2018

Welcome back to us. And welcome back to you. Ever heard a man eating a carrot on a USB microphone? Well you are about to at about 1:18:00. Or before that.

Also, we are talking about the Haitian Revolution. Not a "fun" subject, but certainly an important one. A revolution to make every "Southern Gentleman" shit his breeches is a revolution we like to talk about. Jeremiah takes us to school. Turns out the French government can be real assholes. Go figure. Also, something I forgot to mention in the episode is Haitian Machete fighting (Tire Machete). Check it out. 

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