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Episodes from The Rest Is History

Queen Victoria’s Revenge: The Mad Emperor of Abyssinia (Part 1)

Queen Victoria’s Revenge: The Mad Emperor of Abyssinia (Part 1)

Who was Emperor Tewodros II, the colourful and controversial Emperor of Abyssinia? Why did he brutally imprison a number of British emissaries, and how did Queen Victoria respond? And, how would this spark one of the most ambitious expeditions undertaken by the British Empire…? Join Dominic and Tom…

Sep 13, 20261h 10m
Roman Civil War: Master of the Republic (Part 4)

Roman Civil War: Master of the Republic (Part 4)

Who was Gaius Marius’ son, and how did he set out to bring down his father’s rival, Sulla? Which two rising stars in Sulla’s faction, Crassus and Pompey, would go on to bring down the Republic, with Julius Caesar? And, how did a momentous battle in the East see Sulla elevated to the master of Rome?…

Sep 9, 20261h 10m
Roman Civil War: Marching on the Senate (Part 3)

Roman Civil War: Marching on the Senate (Part 3)

What shocking, unprecedented act did Sulla commit with his legions after having his ambitions frustrated once more by his bitter rival, the tribune Marius? How did Marius escape capture and death? And, would Marius retaliate…? Join Tom and Dominic as they unfold the mounting rivalry between two…

Sep 6, 20261h 13m
Roman Civil War: The Barbarian Invasion (Part 2)

Roman Civil War: The Barbarian Invasion (Part 2)

What was the ancient city of Rome actually like in the first century BC? Who was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, another great, but aristocratic, Roman general who would clash with Gaius Marius in a totemic struggle termed the Social War? And, who were the terrifying Germanic tribes amassing on the borders…

Sep 2, 20261h 18m
Roman Civil War: Rise of the General (Part 1)

Roman Civil War: Rise of the General (Part 1)

Who was Gaius Marius, one of the two men who would shape the fate of Rome in the first century BC? Why was his road to fame, fortune, and political greatness, from total obscurity, so dangerous? And, would Marius be the man to face down the existential threat facing the empire during this period?…

Aug 30, 20261h 13m
The Troubles: Bloody Sunday (Part 4)

The Troubles: Bloody Sunday (Part 4)

How did Bloody Sunday erupt on the 30th of January 1972? Why did it follow on the heels of terrible violence? And, what were the consequences of that violent day? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the tragic events of Bloody Sunday, and the final attempt at peace in Northern Ireland. *The Rest…

Aug 26, 20261h 24m
The Troubles: Return of the IRA (Part 3)

The Troubles: Return of the IRA (Part 3)

What was the Provisional IRA, and why did they return to the fray at the high point of The Troubles in Northern Ireland? How did a series of bloody battles, including the Short Strand Battle, brutally intensify tensions between the British Army and Catholic communities? And, how did the conflict…

Aug 23, 20261h 23m
The Troubles: The Brink of Civil War (Part 2)

The Troubles: The Brink of Civil War (Part 2)

Why did the violence of the Troubles escalate as it did in Ulster? How did a series of marches from Belfast to Derry in 1969 result in terrible violence, and heighten the conflict? And, which terrible events saw the British army cross the border to intervene? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss…

Aug 19, 20261h 22m
The Troubles: Murder in Belfast (Part 1)

The Troubles: Murder in Belfast (Part 1)

How did the Troubles break out in Northern Ireland in the 1960s, and how far back does the dispute really go? Why did the conflict intensify as it did? And, what did it really mean to be a Catholic in Northern Ireland? Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss one of the darkest and most contentious…

Aug 16, 20261h 26m
Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: Killing the Queen of Scots (Part 6)

Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: Killing the Queen of Scots (Part 6)

How did the Babington Plot, another Catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth I and replace her with the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots, unfold? Did the Spanish help her? How did Sir Francis Walsingham and his web of spies foil the plot? And, what would become of Mary once put on trial? Join Tom…

Aug 12, 20261h 9m
Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Shadow War (Part 5)

Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Shadow War (Part 5)

Who was the charismatic Sir Philip Sidney, a beloved but also suspect courtier to Elizabeth I? Why, in 1585, was England in such danger from a Spanish invasion? And, would Sydney, with his friend Sir Francis Drake, help to save their beloved queen? Join Tom and Dominic as they plunge into the high…

Aug 9, 20261h 1m
Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Treacherous Conspiracy (Part 4)

Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Treacherous Conspiracy (Part 4)

After ransacking Spanish treasure ships, would Elizabeth I betray Sir Francis Drake to her enemies? Who did she back in the French civil wars? And, with the help of English conspirators, would Mary Queen of Scots, incur a Spanish invasion, and see her rival Elizabeth assassinated? Join Tom and…

Aug 5, 20261h 12m