April 25, 2014
Despite its humble beginnings, the Persian Empire would
become the largest political force in world history. Although remembered for
its lavish building projects and continuous cultural achievements, the Persian
world would not have been possible if not for the efforts of one man. Known as
Cyrus the Great, this ruler reshaped the world and built the first empire to
rule of three river valleys simultaneously. From the Nile to the Indus, Cyrus
was one of the only people to truly be deserving of the title great. On this
episode we discuss Cyrus rise to power and the birth of the Persian Empire.
April 17, 2014
After
the fall of Mesopotamia’s first great empire, two rivals vied for power in a
titanic struggle for the fate of the region. The Babylonians to the south, and
the Assyrians to the north, challenged one another for centuries. With a penchant
for violence, the Assyrians would build the largest kingdom yet seen, only to
have it wiped away with the birth of the mighty Babylonian empire. Still
regarded as perhaps the most exquisite city in ancient history, Babylon’s
glories ring through the annals of time. On this episode we discuss the Babylonian empire.
April 10, 2014
In the year 1922, the golden age of archaeology was in full
swing. In late fall, an unlikely duo of explorers combined their efforts to
make what many consider to be the greatest discovery in world history. Since
their great find, Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon changed the face of
archaeology and shed new light on a figure that without their efforts would
have been lost to history forever. On this episode we discuss King Tut’s tomb.
April 3, 2014
Following a century of domination by an outside force, the
Egyptians reclaimed their territory and began the great period of growth and
expansion known as the New Kingdom. Spearheaded by a powerful lineage of
aggressive pharaohs, this period is best known as the age that transformed
Egypt into an empire. In part one of our two part study we will see the rise of
Egypt’s most powerful female ruler and the fall of its most controversial
reformer.
March 27, 2014
After years of growth, the Old Kingdom of the Egyptian world
crumbled into the hands of a few elite families scattered across the Sahara
desert. Although financially prosperous, these dark ages drove the land of
Egypt into disarray and allowed for a new leader to reunify the kingdom. Known
as an age of great cultural, militaristic, and societal achievement, the Middle
Kingdom is considered a golden age of Egyptian history. But was this new system
sustainable? And what forces brought it crashing down. On this episode we
discuss the Middle Kingdom.
March 20, 2014
After establishing itself as an agricultural superpower, the
Egyptian world developed at a frenetic pace to usher in the period of time
known as the Old Kingdom. Highlighted by powerful pharaohs and endless building
projects, divine kingship became a staple of Egyptian life and a primary
feature of Egyptian life. For centuries these leaders constructed massive
buildings in their own name until eventually their already waning support
collapsed beneath their feet. On this episode we discuss the Old Kingdom.
March 14, 2014
Described by Herodotus as the gift of the Nile, the land of
Egypt has captivated foreign
imaginations for thousands of years. Situated on the vast Mediterranean Sea,
this ancient paradise of wonder built its own unique world on the shores of its
great river, and developed a culture wholly based on its presence. The society
that emerged has been touted as one of the most sophisticated of the ancient
world, and still draws intense examination to this day. On this episode we
discuss the ancient Egyptians.
March 6, 2014
Considered by many to be the first emperor, Sargon the
Great built the western world’s most powerful political domain and transformed
into an empire. Known as Sumer, Sargon pushed the limits of power and set a new
precedent that would be followed for thousands of years. On this episode we
discuss the conquests of Sargon the Great.
February 27, 2014
Known as Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers is widely
considered to be the cradle of the western world. Although home to many
peoples, it was the Sumerians who earned the right to be called the world’s
first true civilization. A land of great achievement and constant warfare, the
Mesopotamian landscape would be the first home to power and politics that set
the course for the modern age. On our SEASON TWO PREMIERE we discuss the fertile crescent.
February 14, 2014
The following broadcast
was recorded live by the Pennsylvania Cable Network and is distributed weekly
on PCNtv.com. In the year 1758, in the midst of the first global war in world
history, the empire of Great Britain vanquished their longtime French enemies
on the frontiers of North America. To signify their victory and the consolidate
their power, they began to construct the largest fortification on the continent
that would give them sole possession of this new and uncharted land. “Fort
Pitt: A Frontier History” is in stores now. Remember, an all new season of
wartime begins on February 28th.
February 7, 2014
The following broadcast was recorded live by the
Pennsylvania Cable Network and is distributed weekly on PCNtv.com. “Guyasuta
and the Fall of Indian America” is in stores now. Remember, an all new season
of wartime begins on February 28th.
February 1, 2014
For nearly fifty years the Iroquois chief Guyasuta battled
for the sovereignty and future of his people. Beginning his career with a 21
year old George Washington, Guyasuta would eventually come to fight the young Virginian
in a catastrophic French alliance. Instrumental next in the Indian rebellion of
1763, Guyasuta waged a war of terror and violence against British settlements
before ultimately succumbing to European control. Although he served as a peace
chief early in the American Revolution, his eventual siding with the British Empire
appeared to doom his people. Spanning over seven decades, Guyasuta’s life
offers a front row seat to the fall of Indian America. Remember, an all new season
of Wartime premieres Feb. 28!
January 3, 2014
It's been twelve weeks and twelve episodes, and Season One is in the books! In this wrap-up episode we discuss the successes of the season and what to expect in the future.
November 21, 2013
Called the first truly
world war by Winston Churchill, the Seven Years’ War pitted Great Britain and
France in a titanic struggle to determine the fate of empire around the planet.
Fought on five continents, the Seven Years’ War saw the world’s two superpowers
engage in the largest war in world history at that time. After three years of disastrous losses, an innovative new strategy turned the tide of the war, and gave King George control over one the largest empires in history.
November 14, 2013
Called the first truly world war by Winston Churchill, the
Seven Years’ War pitted Great Britain and France in a titanic struggle to
determine the fate of empire around the planet. Fought on five continents, the
Seven Years’ War saw the world’s two superpowers engage in the largest war in
world history at that time. From 1755 to 1757 though, the war seemed to fully
in French control, and the wavering British referred to this trying time as "The Years of Defeat."
November 7, 2013
Called the first truly world war by Winston Churchill, the
Seven Years’ War pitted Great Britain and France in a titanic struggle to
determine the fate of empire around the planet. Fought on five continents, the
Seven Years’ War saw the world’s two superpowers engage in the largest war in
world history at that time. In the year 1755 however the conflict was isolated
to a small corner of the North American world. In part one of this three part
episode we focus on the origins of the war in the year 1755.
October 31, 2013
From 1500-1800 the Caribbean Sea was the world’s most lucrative
and attractive basin of trade, yet the constant threat of piracy shook the
European world to its core. Known as the “Enemies of all Nations,” Piracy
flourished in the Atlantic World for over one hundred years, and its effects
are still as present as ever in the modern world.
October 24, 2013
At the end of the seventeenth century, the New England village of Salem was torn to pieces by the fear and paranoia of witchcraft. Although often sensationalized, the Salem Witch Trials are very real indicators of how power and politics defined the difficult and complex world of Colonial America.
October 10, 2013
In the spring of 1676, Nathaniel Bacon, a hotheaded young newcomer to Virginia,
led a revolt against the colony's Indian policies. Bacon's Rebellion turned into
a civil war within Virginia bringing North America's most powerful holding to its knees, sending shock waves
throughout the British colonies and into England itself.
October 3, 2013
Often thought to be unified because of their rich history of cooperation and shared Revolution, the American Colonies of Great Britain spent the vast majority of their existence as anything but. Although all thirteen colonies would ultimately form a rebellious union in 1775, the origins of these bodies were unique. Each had its own character which is still apparent and equally contentious in the twenty-first century.
September 27, 2013
While the harrowing drama of the New World is often told as
a story of two empires, the mighty struggle seen in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries between Britain and France is only the beginning. The
vaunted Iroquois Confederacy controlled some of the most vital territory on the
continent, and only when understood in the larger context of history does its
true meaning come to fruition.
September 19, 2013
Founded in 1608, France's great experiment of empire in North America became one of the single wealthiest colonies in the world. Although it stretched from a distance that of Paris to Moscow, this imperial goliath was built on unstable foundations that would ultimately doom its very existence.
September 12, 2013
The Battle of Fort Necessity stands as one of the most
controversial and misunderstood events in the long and tenuous history of North
America. A clash of opposing cultures, this firefight in the wilderness defined
the future of Colonel George Washington and forever altered the course of three
separate empires.
September 6, 2013
During the winter of 1753, George Washington accepted the first, and potentially most dangerous, mission of his life--he was twenty-one. The resulting tale is one of international intrigue and heartbreaking disappointment that set the stage for the French and Indian War and forever changed Washington's destiny
