Category: Uncategorised

EP057 FORWARD MARCH TO THE PASS

2024-07-01 age-of-victoria EMPIRE, EPISODES, Uncategorised 0:50:52 1 Comment

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Welcome to the podcast! I’m recording this episode on the 1st Anglo Afghan War while dealing with selling my house and going through a divorce. The podcast is a great escape for me during these difficult times.

Quick housekeeping:

I’m pleased to welcome new patron Matt Anderson as a Loveable Chimney Sweep. Update on transcripts: I’ve been working on fully footnoted transcripts back to episode 32. Apple Podcasts now automatically produces transcripts for all episodes, which is great for accessibility. Today we’re continuing our series on the invasion of Afghanistan. If you haven’t listened to episodes 054-056 yet, start there first.

Prelude to the invasion:

The First Anglo-Afghan War is remembered as a great military disaster and a masterclass in bad political decision-making. I discuss how this war doesn’t fit neatly into typical frameworks like colonialism or imperialism. The British goal was to install a friendly king as a buffer, not to rule directly.

Different world views

I explore the concept of Orientalism and how it applied to British views of Afghanistan at the time. We look at quotes from British envoys and compare them to Roman descriptions of Germanic tribes, noting similarities in how “frontier” peoples were viewed. I discuss the Afghan perspective and capabilities, including their use of the jezail rifle.

The key British players introduced:

  • Lord Auckland (Governor General)
  • Sir William Macnaughten (Secretary to Governor General)
  • Alexander Burnes (British agent)
  • Sir John Keane and Sir Willaby Cotton (Generals leading the invasion force)

Professionals talk logistics

I detail the enormous logistical challenges of planning the invasion, including assembling troops, supplies, and animals. The invasion force had to take a longer desert route instead of the Khyber Pass, covering over 1,200km on foot.


Hunger and missed opportunities

The army starts to starve, and has to force the grim Bolan pass


Next episode:

We’ll follow the army as it pushes deeper into Afghanistan and attempts to put Shah Shuja on the throne.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.

The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

MINI021 VICTORIAN MONEY – COINING IT IN

2023-01-21 age-of-victoria EPISODES, SOCIAL HISTORY EPISODES, Uncategorised 00:50:27 0 Comments

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January is here, and we are all feeling poor after Christmas. Time to talk about money. This is the first in a series of minisodes on Victorian money. To get things started we are looking at Victorian Coins. The age of gold, silver, sound money, and not having two farthings to rub together

  • Intro, thank you’s and reviews. 
  • Choosing a topic
  • Its pre-decimal so I’m going slightly mad
  • Remember this long list of coins
  • This is not a very difficult question – time for some maths
  • Some problems with the coins
  • A matter of design; florins, shillings, and silver six pence
  • A stunning Gothic Silver Crown
  • What’s money worth in tough times?
  • Looting the Summer Palace
  • Is imperial loot really priceless?
  • Victorian coins in practice
  • Victorian coins have some drawbacks
  • Liquidity, mental maths, and not enough change.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

EP041 ROOTS OF BLOOD

2021-10-03 age-of-victoria EMPIRE, EPISODES, Uncategorised 00:50:34 0 Comments

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With the hardships of the voyage across the ocean over, the settlers had to build a life in South Africa. An unsettled land, with slavery, war, opportunity, growth and social conflict, early colonial South Africa was no paradise for the rich and idle of Britain. For the lucky and hard working, their were opportunities and fortunes, but for most their was only dust, sweat and blood.

This episode covers

  • Intro & reviews.

  • A new land.

  • Opportunities for all

  • Order & the social hierarchy; know your place.

  • The 80:20 rule

  • Missionaries & evangelism

  • Slavery & Empire

  • Xhosa & settler relations

  • Language evolves

  • Growth and danger

  • Rise of the Zulu

  • The great Boer Trek

  • A profitable war

 

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com.

The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria Podcast. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. To support the show on Patreon, either CLICK HERE you can go to Patreon and search for Age of Victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.

EP036 MEET THE PRISONERS

2021-04-18 age-of-victoria AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND, CRIME EPISODES, EPISODES, SOCIAL HISTORY EPISODES, Uncategorised 00:50:20 0 Comments

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At its heart, a prison is the people. But what kind of people ended up in the hellish Port Arthur Prison in Van Diemen’s Land? Was it really just for the worst of the worst? Or was it a machine that simple chewed people up indiscriminately. How can we begin to understand it. Join me to walk a mile or two in a convicts shoe. The episode covers

  • Intro & reviews.
  • The cultural melting pot
  • A philosophy of civilisation?
  • Who were they, these desperado’s?
  • What is a historical prison?
  • The site and the barracks; evidence of the past & imaginations.
  • Prisoners; working for their own good and other people’s greed.
  • The transportation of civilisation.
  • Christian salvation was built into the land.
  • Christianity & criminal justice.

If you want to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at ageofvictoriapodcast@gmail.com, follow me on twitter @ageofvictoria, visit the website at www.ageofvictoriapodcast.com. The show also has a facebook page and group. Just search for Age of Victoria. Don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it takes less time than making a coffee. You can also subscribe for free on most major podcast apps. If you want to support the show on patreon, CLICK HERE or you can go to Patreon and search for age of victoria podcast or my name. Take care and bye for now.