326: The Year of Revolutions: 1848

How is the Dutch national anthem, that has its origins during a 1568 siege of a French city, connected to the Dutch Revolt? What is the revolt’s role in the birth of modernity? And, why does it say ‘to the King of Spain I’ve granted a lifelong loyalty’? Join Tom and Dominic as th ...  Show more

How did Benito Mussolini’s regime in the 1930s use sport to spread his ideology and prepare Italy for war? What infrastructure and propaganda strategies did he use to make the 1934 World Cup a showcase for fascism? And, did this form of propaganda actually work? In this brand new ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss 1848, the year that saw Europe engulfed in revolution. Across the continent, from Paris to Palermo, liberals rose against conservative governments. The first stirrings of rebellion came in January, in Sicily; in February the French monarchy fel ...  Show more

It’s simple enough to pinpoint the beginnings of the French Revolution in 1789, but far more difficult to mark its end. Following the initial outbreak of revolution, France was plunged into years of political, social and economic instability, as various new governments sought to ...  Show more

The British have surrendered, they’ll be leaving soon. Now the Americans have a new and arguably harder task than before. They have to meld those 13 states, each with their own sense of independence and unique characteristics, into a country. Taking inspiration from Rome, the Enl ...  Show more

David and Helen talk to historian Chris Clark about the 1848 revolutions and what they teach us about political change. What explains the contagiousness of the revolutionary moment? Is it possible to combine parliamentary reform with street politics? Where does counter-revolution ...  Show more