World War II didn’t appear out of nowhere. Dr. Roy begins by going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, explaining how the rise of the British Empire, the exploitation of India, the discovery of oil, and the unification of Germany set the stage for catastrophe. Along the way, he explores how nationalism spread through Europe, how industrialization and imperialism changed the global order, and why multipolar competition made world war almost inevitable.Takeaways:Understanding World War II requires examining the British Empire, German unification, and industrial capitalism.How the Seven Years’ War, the American Revolution, and the conquest of India shaped British imperial dominance.The role of oil in shifting global power, from Persia to Standard Oil and BP.The unification of Germany and Italy, and the rise of nationalism after the French Revolution and Napoleon.How the Revolutions of 1848 signaled the struggle between socialism and nationalism across Europe.The collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the tangled alliances that destabilized Europe.How competition, arms races, and colonial rivalries pushed the world into World War I, and why that war’s aftermath guaranteed another.Why World War I was the worst war in history for soldiers, and how its horrors set the stage for even greater civilian suffering in World War II.Resources & References:Treaty of Paris (1783) and British-American relations after independenceIndustrial Revolution and steam power (18th-19th centuries)Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later BP) and Middle Eastern oil concessionsGerman unification under Bismarck (1871) and the Austro-Hungarian compromiseFrench Revolution and Napoleonic Wars (1789-1815)Revolutions of 1848 across EuropeAlliance systems before World War I (Triple Alliance and Triple Entente)The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914)Trench warfare, chemical weapons, and the horrors of World War ITreaty of Versailles (1919) and its consequencesBeyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video.Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!
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1:50:35
Modern Ideologies
Ideologies are powerful tools, but also deeply flawed. Dr. Roy explains how the human brain processes fear and emotion, why leaders exploit hatred and fear to gain power, and more. From Napoleon’s use of nationalism, to socialism’s fight against capitalist exploitation, to the rise of liberalism and its sub-ideologies, Dr. Roy traces the evolution of modern politics. He also covers communism’s revolutionary promises, Mussolini’s fascism, and religious fundamentalism, while urging us to replace tolerance with a genuine celebration of others’ existence.Takeaways:How our brains filter information, and why fear and hatred mobilize voters better than reason.The difference between factions and ideologies in monarchies versus electoral republics.Nationalism: from Napoleon’s mobilization of the French Revolution to Nazi Germany.Socialism: born as a pushback against capitalism’s harshness in 19th-century factories.Liberalism: the ideology created to defend capitalism, with its four sub-branches (conservatism, populism, libertarianism, and liberalism).Communism: a more radical socialist path advocating violent revolution for rapid change.Fascism: Mussolini’s reaction to modernity and his dream of reviving the Roman Empire.Fundamentalism: the religious equivalent of nationalism, rooted in superiority and intolerance.Why ideology today is breaking down, with politics increasingly dominated by emotional manipulation rather than coherent ideas.Resources & References:Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2002 Nobel Prize in Economics)Richard Thaler, Nudge (2017 Nobel Prize in Economics)The French Revolution and Napoleon BonaparteThe 1848 Revolutions in Europe (nationalist and socialist uprisings)U.S. Great Depression: Hoover vs. Roosevelt (and the New Deal as a “vaccine” against socialism)Federalist Paper No. 10 (James Madison on factions)Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)Benito Mussolini and the creation of fascism after WWISpanish Flu pandemic (1918-1920)Beyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).
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1:05:36
Who Are the Apache?
The Apache were more than fierce warriors; they were farmers, traders, and innovators who created a vibrant culture rooted in ceremony, kinship, and respect. Dr. Roy traces their migration into the American Southwest, their clashes with Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. armies, and the devastating genocides they endured. From their matrilineal traditions to their legendary leaders like Geronimo and Cochise, the Apache story is one of survival, adaptation, and resistance.Takeaways:The Apache as part of the Athabascan migration from northwestern Canada to the American Southwest.Distinctions between raiding and war in Apache society, and why raids were designed to avoid violence.The matrilineal and matrilocal structure of Apache families and its impact on property, marriage, and ceremonies.Encounters with Spanish, Mexican, and U.S. forces, including scalp bounties and massacres.Legendary leaders such as Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, Victorio, Nana, and Geronimo.The devastating loss of life and culture from 19th-century wars and forced relocations.The resilience of the Chiricahua Apache, from imprisonment as “prisoners of war” to surviving into the 20th century.Resources & References:Accounts of Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Geronimo.The Gadsden Purchase (1854) and its role in U.S.-Mexico relations.The Bascom Affair (1861) and the outbreak of war with Cochise.Standing Bear v. Crook (1879) and Native American legal rights.Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the eventual resettlement of the Chiricahua Apache.Beyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).
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1:11:21
Who Was Muhammad II Fatih?
The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the end of the Roman Empire after more than 2,000 years and the rise of the Ottomans as a dominant global power. Dr. Roy explores the centuries of turmoil that led to this moment: Mongol invasions, the Black Death, fractured kingdoms, and shifting alliances. With vivid detail, he traces Mehmed II's relentless campaign, the innovations of siege warfare, and the last desperate defense of the Byzantine world.Takeaways:How the Mongol invasions set the stage for centuries of upheaval in the Middle East and Europe.The fragmentation of the Roman Empire and the weakening of Byzantium after the Crusades.The rise of Mehmed II as a young sultan obsessed with taking Constantinople.The building of massive cannons, including the legendary “Basilica,” to batter the city’s famed walls.The ingenious naval maneuver of dragging ships over greased logs into the Golden Horn.The desperate final stand of Constantine XI and the multinational defenders of the city.Why the fall of Constantinople was not just an ending, but the beginning of a new imperial age.Resources & References:Genghis Khan and Timur Lang.The Black Death (1347-1351) and its long-term impact on population and immunity.Orban’s great cannon, “Basilica”, and other Ottoman siege innovations.Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine emperor.The fall of Constantinople (1453).Vlad the Impaler, aka "Dracula".Beyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).
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Decoding Systems
Language isn’t just communication; it’s power. Drawing on insights from Malcolm X, George Orwell, and political history, Roy unpacks how misused words blur meaning and control our thinking. He then decodes the difference between countries, states, provinces, and nations, and why these distinctions matter for understanding politics, legitimacy, and sovereignty. Takeaways:Why Malcolm X studied the dictionary in prison, and what it reveals about language and empowerment.George Orwell’s 1984 and the dangers of shrinking vocabulary.The difference between accuracy vs. precision, theory vs. hypothesis, and why the misuse of words weakens critical thinking.Clear definitions of country, state, province, nation, and nation-state with real-world historical examples.How legitimacy, revenue, and violence form the foundations of sovereignty.The role of identity in creating nations, from the Navajo to the Rohingya.Why states fail, how legitimacy erodes, and what history teaches about repeating cycles.Resources & References:Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm XGeorge Orwell, 1984Harvard Implicit Bias Test (IAT)Case studies: Punt, Burgundy, Navajo Nation, Brexit and the EU, the Rohingya people, failed states like SomaliaU.S. Constitution and Articles of ConfederationBeyond the podcast: Want to watch this lecture? Check out the full video. Want to support the show? Buy Dr. Roy a coffee!This lecture was originally recorded at the Museum of the Future for the series Lessons from the Past (2025).
The Dr. Roy Casagranda Podcast is dedicated to unerasing the erased peoples of the world. Too often, history is written by the powerful, leaving entire communities, cultures, and truths out of the dominant narrative. This show seeks to tell those stories.Through these conversations, Dr. Casagranda digs for the truth, weeds out misinformation, and challenges conventional wisdom. The conversations span politics, world history, philosophy, and culture, always with an eye toward justice and a deeper understanding of where we've been, where we are, and where we are heading. This is the official podcast of Dr. Roy Casagranda and Sekhmet Liminal Productions, FZCO.
Ireland