That's Old News

• Napoleon Part 2: The Siege of Toulon and the Italian Campaign

  At this point in our story, Napoleon is still a young man but lacks direction. His posting as an artillery officer was going nowhere, he failed to bring the revolution to his native Corsica, and was cast out as a political refugee from his homeland. It was through a turn of fate that his friend, Antoine Christophe Saliceti, had recommended the young artillery officer for a position commanding the right wing at a siege ongoing in the southeast of France, and one that would finally thrust him into the history books - The Siege of Toulon.Join Arron this week as he looks at the earliest commands of the young Napoleon Bonaparte, beginning with his brilliant tactical mind first being displayed at the 1793 Siege of Toulon, continuing into his ruthless and brilliantly effective suppression of a Royalist mob seeking to overthrow the government on 13 Vendémiaire, and ending with his incredible strategic prowess in the First Italian Campaign. We have heartbreak, funny moments, incredible moments of bravery, and stunning acts of strategic oversight that would see seemingly hopeless situations turn into brilliant opportunities for Napoleon to display his mastery at the art of war.This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for That's Old News on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X or head to the linktree in our bio!========Chapters:(00:00) Preamble(01:53) Intro(03:13) Madame Tussaud(07:02) Part 1 Recap(09:37) Background to the Siege of Toulon(21:34) The Siege of Toulon(40:02) The Interim(43:40) 13 Vendémiaire(54:15) Joséphine de Beauharnais(59:01) The Italian Campaign, From Start to End(02:35:27) Post Show Banter========Sources & Further Reading:- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", Vol. 1.- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801".- Griffith, Paddy, "French Napoleonic Infantry Tactics, 1792-1815".- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon"- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars".- Phipps, Ramsay Weston, "Armies of the First French Republic, Vol. 5: The Armies on the Rhine, in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup D'État of Brumaire 1797-1799".- Popkin, Jeremy D., "A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution".- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great".

  --------  

  2:57:39
• The Irish Civil War Finale: Gone but Not Forgotten

  "Sadness, anger, horror, pain, silence, trauma – all words that describe the legacy of the Irish Civil War. Although the conflict only lasted eleven months, the trauma of the Civil War can be seen all over this island – North, South, East and West, like a wound that has not healed." - Liz Gillis.From the outbreak of the war, to the Free State offensive in the south, to the clean-up operations in the west, and to the reprisal attacks that marked its conclusion, we've explored the Irish Civil War from beginning to end. We've seen a new Free State army rise up in the remnants of the War of Independence and deal with all the struggles of a new fighting force where none existed before. We've witnessed families torn apart because of allegiances to either the new Pro-Treaty Free State Government or the Anti-Treaty IRA. Close friends turned on each other because of the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, leading to targeted attacks, heart-breaking execution orders, and wounds that won't be healed for decades. And so all that's left is to see what happened in those years following the end of hostilities.Join Conor this week as he jumps in to the last episode of his series on the Irish Civil War and how the country tried to heal after months of gruelling war. From the role of the Catholic Church in reconciling past grudges, to how the new government would retain control and quell the violence, and the demobilisation of 30,000 men from the National Army, this episode is all about building a future worthy of the Republic so many fought and died to achieve. We hope you've enjoyed the series to date, and it's time to go out with a bang,This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Hayley O'Connor and Arron Keegan. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on our socials! Just search for "That's Old News" on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in the podcast's about section and follow us from there!========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(02:03) The effects of the Irish Civil War(08:25) A Strong Democracy, Avoiding Communism and Fascism(15:37) The Role of the Catholic Church(21:59) Government Control and Regaining Control on the Monopoly of Violence(43:01) Issues in the National Army(57:05) Politics(01:16:45) Conclusion and Ireland Today(01:19:48) Post Show Banter========Sources & Further Reading:- Bielenberg, Andy, "The Irish Civil War Fatalities Project: death and killing in the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/civil-war-fatalities/2024/0306/1436312-death-and-killing-in-the-irish-civil-war/- Bielenberg, Andy, and Dorney, John, "Explore the Fatalities Map", available online at https://www.ucc.ie/en/theirishrevolution/irish-civil-war-fatalities-project/explore-the-fatalities-map/- Dorney, John, "The Civil War in Dublin".- Ferriter, Diarmaid, "Between Two Hells".- Ferriter, Diarmaid, "The legacy of the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/the-end-of-the-civil-war/2023/0228/1359432-the-legacy-of-the-civil-war/- History Ireland, "A Century On, How do we View the Civil War?".- History Ireland, "How Many Died and How in the Irish Civil War".- History Ireland, "The Irish Civil War: A Military Analysis".- Hopkinson, Michael, "Green Against Green".- Irish History Podcast, "The Road to War: How the Irish Civil War Started".- Kavanagh, Jack, "The largest losses: National Army casualties in the Civil War", available online at https://www.rte.ie/history/civil-war-fatalities/2024/0220/1433337-the-greatest-losses-national-army-casualties-in-the-civil-war/- Kinsella, Eoin, "The Irish Defence Forces, 1922-2022".- McCarthy, John P., "O'Higgins, Kevin Christopher", available online at https://www.dib.ie/biography/ohiggins-kevin-christopher-a6812- Talking History with Patrick Geoghegan, "The Irish Civil War".- The History of Ireland, "How do we View the Irish Civil War?".

  --------  

  1:46:21
• Revolting Rabies

  Rabies - a vaccine preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. It infects mammals, spreading through saliva, scratches, or direct contact with mucosa (eyes, mouth, or open wounds). As soon as clinical symptoms , rabies is near-100% fatal. It is present on all continents except Antarctica, and is responsible for, at least, some 59,000 deaths annually. Historically it has been present for thousands of years, with the first written record of a person killed as a result of rabies arising in 2300 BC in the Mosaic Esmuna Code of Babylon. And yet, it wouldn't be until 1885 AD when the first cure for rabies, in the form of a vaccine, was created and trialled.Join Hayley this week as she dives head first into the terrifying world and history of rabies, from its causes, its terrifying symptoms, and how the man who helped to revolutionise the way we consume and store milk created the vaccine that would save millions of lives with nothing more than a dream and a fascination for removing the spines of rabbits and injecting it into his test subjects all in an effort to cure this terrible disease... but it was worth it in the end!This episode was hosted by Hayley O'Connor and joined by Arron Keegan and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for "That's Old News" on Tiktok, Instagram, and Twitter/X, or head to the linktree in our bio and follow us from there!========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(05:04) 1950s America, Little Timmy, and Buddy the Rabies-Ridden Dog Story(15:38) "Mad dog disease", What is Rabies, and the History of Identifying the Virus(18:04) Symptoms, Furious and Paralytic Rabies, and How it Spreads(24:42) Louis Pasteur and the First Vaccine for Rabies(49:09) Rabies in Today's World(55:00) Post Show Banter========Sources & Further Reading:- Held, Joe R., Steele, James H., and Tierkel, Ernest S., "Rabies in Man and Animals in the United States, 1946-65: An Epidemiologic Review" in "Public Health Reports (1896-1970) 82, no. 11 (1967).- Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Animal Health Surveillance, "Rabies", available online at https://www.animalhealthsurveillance.agriculture.gov.ie/individualdiseaselistings/rabies/ .- John Hopkins Medicine, "Encephalitis", available online at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/encephalitis#:~:text=Encephalitis%20is%20inflammation%20of%20the,light%2C%20mental%20confusion%20and%20seizures- Parker, Steve, "Medicine: The Definitive Illustrated History".- World Health Organization, "Rabies", available online at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies#:~:text=Rabies%20is%20a%20vaccine%2Dpreventable,%2C%20cats%2C%20livestock%20and%20wildlife .

  --------  

  1:18:10
• Hayley and Arron Answer Some History Discussion Topics

  "The art of history lies in the debate" is an adage that Arron lives by. One can be as well read on any particular topic as possible, but it is through discussion that facts are made concrete and we can fully understand a topic. It opens our minds to opposing viewpoints that challenge what we believed, and either helps to reinforce or reassess our positions. And what better way than to do that in a freeform conversation?Join Arron and Hayley this week as they dive in to some history discussion topics, ranging from interesting thought experiments such as "Can we ever truly know history?" to more controversial questions like "Should the British Museum return artifacts to their countries of origin?", as well as mixing history with modernity and ask "Is the modern United States an imperialist power?" This was great fun to record, and we'd love to hear what you all think about either these topics or the answers we've given!This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Follow us on social media! Just search for "That's Old News" on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, or head to the linktr.ee in our bio!========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(03:52) Can we ever truly know history?(11:18) Did the French Revolution need to be so bloody?(19:20) Should history include ethical judgements?(28:28) Is the modern US an imperialist power?(33:03) Should the British Museum return artifacts to their countries of origin?(42:38) Should history lessons focus on the history of your own country?(53:53) Should British people be proud of the British Empire?(01:02:00) What was the main cause of World War I?(01:11:46) Did the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolize the definitive end of the Cold War?(01:20:29) Post Show Banter

  --------  

  1:27:42
• Ranking Historical Events of the Last 25 Years

  What do the release of Shrek, a turkey puppet singing at the Eurovision, and two tone-deaf Irish "artists" with too much free time and hairspray have in common? Well they make it onto our tier list of course! These 3 along with 27 more events of the last 25 years have made an impact on our world in one way or another, and today the gang is going to rank them from S tier all the way down to F tier! Usually when writing about history, the last 20 years can't be written about as it doesn't qualify as "historical" just yet so what about some events that will one day make its way into history curriculums? Tune in this week to find out!What do you think of your tier list? Do you agree with us, or will you fight tooth and nail to move some of our rankings either higher or lower? Let us know, and any suggestions you may have for what didn't make it onto the list!This episode was hosted by Arron Keegan, Hayley O'Connor, and Conor Daly. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda.========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(07:28) Paris Terror Attacks(12:48) Y2K Bug(20:12) Lelli Kelly Shoes(24:46) Assassination of Osama bin Laden(30:25) Deepwater Horizon(39:00) Michael Jackson's Death(43:33) US Withdrawal from Afghanistan(48:48) PlayStation 2(53:15) Shrek(55:51) Death of Gay Byrne(01:03:17) Edward Snowden(01:10:27) Swine Flu(01:14:32) The Celtic Tiger(01:23:10) Malaysia Flight 370(01:30:08) Jedward(01:32:14) Tayto Chocolate Bar(01:36:48) YouTube Launching(01:42:10) Pausing Live TV(01:46:47) Ireland at Euro 2016(01:53:10) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident(01:58:25) 2010 Chilean Miner Rescue(02:04:31) Hardy Bucks(02:10:00) The Arab Spring(02:18:36) New York City Synagogue Tunnel Incident(02:26:44) Gangnam Style(02:30:50) Xi Jinping President for Life(02:37:43) Isabelle Dinoire First Partial Face Transplant(02:42:37) F*$# You Deputy Stagg!(02:45:59) Dustin the Turkey at the Eurovision(02:48:16) Nintendo Wii(02:53:30) Conclusion

  --------  

  3:07:40

More History podcasts

Trending History podcasts

About That's Old News