That's Old News

• The 1924 Army Mutiny: Crisis in the New Free State

  The 1924 Army Mutiny was one of the most serious internal crises faced by the Irish FreeState, coming just after the Civil War. The state, formed in 1922 after the Anglo-Irish Treaty,was financially and emotionally devastated. With a Civil War army of 55,000 soldiers, thenew government needed to downsize to around 17,000–18,000 to cut costs and meet treatyobligations.This demobilisation enraged many officers—especially those with ties to the IrishRepublican Army Organisation (IRAO), a secret society within the National Army. Theybelieved demobilisation betrayed their sacrifices and favoured ex-British officers over War ofIndependence veterans. Dissatisfaction grew over perceived nepotism, the influence of theIRB within the Army Council, and the belief that military loyalty was being undermined.Veterans like Major-General Liam Tobin and Colonel Charles Dalton, once part of MichaelCollins’s intelligence network, claimed the Army was corrupt and unfairly structured. TheNational Army, they argued, was split: 40% ex-IRA, 10% civilians hostile to the IRA, and50% ex-British Army. Demands were sent to President Cosgrave, and if such demands were not met it was possible for Ireland to descend into a Second Civil War.Join Conor this week as he dives into the 1924 Army Mutiny, an event that could have spilled into a civil war worse than what came before with the new army comprising many veterans of that very conflict. From the immediate aftermath and quality of the National Army, to the reasons and demands levied by prominent members of the officer class of that army, and the resolution that had to be reached quickly to avoid any further bloodshed, witness how the new Irish Free State almost descended into a warzone yet again.This episode was hosted by Conor Daly and joined by Arron Keegan and Hayley O'Connor. The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/ Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast ========Sources & Further Reading:- Dorney, John, "The Civil War in Dublin".- Dwyer, Ryle, "Decisive leadership and selflessness saved the nation after the Army Mutiny", (https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-20260714.html).- Irish History Podcast, "The 1924 Army Mutiny".- Kinsella, Eoin, "The Irish Defences, 1922-2022".- McElhatton, Shane, "100 years since Army mutiny threatened new Civil War", (https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0306/1436169-army-mutiny-1924/).- McElhatton, Shane, "'Set the heather on fire' - How a raid on Devlin's Pub ignited a second civil war", (https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0303/1435185-mutiny-two/) .- The Irish Times, "Opinion - March 10th, 1924", (https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/march-10th-1924-1.479008).- White, Gerry, "Call to arms: creating the Irish National Army", (https://www.rte.ie/history/2022/0125/1275830-call-to-arms-creating-the-irish-national-army/).

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• Tarrare: Showman, Soldier, Stomach

  How hungry have you ever been? Quick trip to the snack drawer? A cheeky Chinese takeaway on a Friday night? How about getting a large pizza instead of a medium one? Well have you ever been so hungry - so impressively famished - that you take a look at the family dog and think to yourself: "Yeah, that'll do the trick." For this week's episode, that's not the weirdest thing to cross Tarrare's mind.Born in 1772 near Lyon, France, Tarrare was a medical marvel unlike any other we've ever seen. The man with such an insatiable appetite that going back to the buffet counter for a second helping of everything on offer was a mandatory part of a meal and never a suggestion, he began his career as a showman travelling with a band of thieves and prostitutes demonstrating his incredible ability to just eat... and eat... and eat... An entire basket of apples? No problem. A quarter of a bullock? Piece of cake. Live animals you found roaming around the square where he was performing? Swallowed whole without the chance to ask him if he wants fries with that. If you thought The Duke from Resident Evil 8 could afford to say no to his 9th McDonalds order of the day, you've not seen anything yet.Join Hayley this week as she recounts the medical marvel that was Tarrare. From his early days as a showman to his enlistment in the Revolutionary Army during the War of the First Coalition and him putting James Bond to shame, to a potential mishap in a hospital where a one-year-old toddler went... "missing", this is one of those stories that will make you throw up whatever you ate last so it might be best to have a bucket nearby when listening to this one... just don't let Tarrare near it because he WILL slurp it up.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. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/ Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast ========Sources & Further Reading:- BBC, "The tragic fate of the man who couldn't stop eating", online at https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20161014-the-man-who-couldnt-stop-eating (15 Oct. 2016).- Bondeson, Jan, "Freaks: The Pig-Faced Lady of Manchester Square & Other Medical Marvels" (2006).- Bondeson, Jan., "The Two-Headed Boy, and Other Medical Marvels" (New York, 2004).- Bradley, T., Fothergill, Samuel, and Hutchinson, William (ed.) "Polyphagism" in "London Medical and Physical Journal, 42, (London), p. 205.- Gould, George M., and Pyle, Walter L. "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" (1896).- Millingen, J. G., "Curiosities of Medical Experience: Second Edition" (London, 1839).- O'Sullivan, Shawn Devin, "Tarrare" (2022).- Wall, Jonathan Frederick, "Intermedia, hypermedia, and metamedia" in "Tarrare: Consumption Studies" (University of North Carolina Dissertations & Theses, 2013).========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(00:30) Episode Start(05:47) Introducing Tarrare(15:58) Tarrare Enlists in the Revolutionary Army(32:36) Tarrare Becomes a Spy(41:03) Return to the Hospital and Trying to Find a Cure(44:58) Tarrare's Health Deteriorates(48:58) Post Show Banter

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• The Israeli and U.S. Strikes on Iran

  Across June 12th and 13th, the Israeli Air Force began the first phase of Operation Rising Lion - striking various targets inside Iran including, most prominently, three of its nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. The strikes were targeted to neutralise Iran's growing uranium enrichment project, with the International Atomic Energy Agency declaring the state was in breach of the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 by enriching uranium up to 60% - far from its 3.65% imposed limit. With only 3-5% being necessary for commercial reactors and 20% needed for research reactors, concerns over Iran's potential for the construction of a nuclear weapon led to U.S. intervention and the use of 16 of its bunker busters, along with 30 Tomahawk missiles, to aid in the destruction of Iran's facilities.So what was hit? How important were they? And where do we go from here? We ask all these questions and more in this week's emergency episode as we look over the events between Israel and Iran over the last week, including our own assessments of the situation and what Israel's overall strategy could be with this sudden and precise strike. Are we looking at a regime change war in the Middle East, or could this conflict spill out into the wider world? Tune in and find out what we think!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. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/ Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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• Napoleon Part 4: Rise of an Empire

  Napoleon, the Hero of Italy, has returned from his failed campaign in Egypt and Syria, and instead of being berated as a coward who abandoned his army to the harsh Middle Eastern climate - he was instead welcomed as the Hero of Egypt. His propaganda machine worked overtime, ensuring his return was met with outright praise. But fate, as we know it, comes knocking for Napoleon at every turn, and he has arrived just in time for his next conquest - this time in the halls of power.Political turmoil, coup attempts, ongoing war, incredible strategic marches, decisive battles, and the rise of an empire are all on the table in this month's instalment of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, including all the emerging controversies and a look at one of the greatest stains on Napoleon's entire career - the reintroduction of slavery and the Haitian expedition, as well as countering some myths and blatant untruths espoused by pseudo-historians (and that's being generous) like Claude Ribbe.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. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/ Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast ========Sources & Further Reading:- Broers, Michael, "Napoleon: Soldier of Destiny", (2014).- Dodge, Theodore A., "Warfare in the Age of Napoleon Volume 2: The Egyptian and Syrian Campaigns & the Wars of the Second and Third Coalitions, 1798-1805", (2011).- Doyle, William, "Napoleon at Peace", (2022).- Dubois, Laurent, "Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution", (2005).- Esdaile, Charles J., "The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792-1801", (2019).- Harvey, Robert, "The War of Wars: The Epic Struggle Between Britain and France, 1789-1815", (2007).- Johnson, Paul, "Napoleon", (2003).- Mikaberidze, Alexander, "The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History", (2020).- Phipps, Ramsay Weston, "Armies of the First French Republic and the Rise of the Marshals of Napoleon Volume 5: The Armies on the Rhine, in Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Egypt, and the Coup d'Etat of Brumaire 1797-1799".- Roberts, Andrew, "Napoleon the Great", (2015).- Strathern, Paul, "Napoleon in Egypt", (2008).- Zamoyski, Adam, "Napoleon: The Man Behind the Myth", (2019).== Sources Specific to Refuting Claude Ribbe ==- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Did Napoleon enacy 'genocide' in the French colonies?" (14 Apr. 2021).- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Napoleon's re-establishment of slavery" (14 Apr. 2021).- Fondation Napoléon, "Napoleon, the Dark Side > Napoleon and the Colonies" (14 Apr. 2021).- Lentz, Thierry, "Napoleon - Hitler, the Improbable Comparison", available online at napoleon.org (2011).========Chapters:(00:00) Intro(03:59) Episode Start(11:00) Recap(13:01) Return From Egypt and the Coup of 18 Brumaire(33:58) Constitution of the Year VIII (December 1799)(38:53) Fighting the Second Coalition(01:05:42) The Battle of Marengo(01:28:22) The Assassination Attempt, Christmas Eve 1800(01:34:28) Stabilising and Improving France: The Concordat with the Pope, the Treaty of Amiens, Consul for Life, the Napoleonic Code, and the Proclamation of the Empire(01:58:06) Controversies and Shortcomings(02:20:41) The Haitian Revolution and the Refute of Claude Ribbe

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• Historical Overrated vs. Underrated

  History is so full of people and events that opinions regarding them are often varied, but in a lot of cases some figures or events are either blown way out of proportion or had the spotlight stripped from them almost entirely to the point that even their very existence isn't a known fact. This perpetrates throughout history so much that today it can often be controversial to question the perceived excellence of certain historical figures or your take would be brushed aside because not enough people care about some obscure person or event. So what do we think?Controversy, supposedly, is our middle name, so why not ride that bandwagon off a cliff and give you guys some of our historical overrated and underrated figures and events from history! With figures like Alexander the Great and Grace O'Malley, to events like the 1914 Christmas Truce and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, all the way to the man who helped create that little tablet you take when you lose control over the flow of your back passage and the Battle of Bir Hakeim during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, we've got plenty of topics for you to scream at us for being so stupid or praise us because you never heard of it before! Who knows!Join the gang this week as they tackle the overrated and underrated figures and events from history, and see what you think of our conclusions. Will you agree with us, will you think we completely missed the mark, and did we miss any events or people that you think deserve to be mentioned? Be sure to let us know in the comments!The intro and outro music - Strollin' Along - was recorded by David Renda. Join our Discord server and follow us on social media by following the links below!Discord: https://discord.gg/ZScNqT8mP2 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsoldnewspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoldnewspodcast/ Twitter/X: x.com/oldnewscast

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