In 1789, the French Monarchy's habit of supporting democratic popular revolutions in North America backfired. Today, we're talking about the French Revolution. Across the world, people were rising up to throw off monarchies, and Louis...

Last time we learned about the Enlightenment, and the philosophers and thinkers whose ideas would shape governance for hundred of years. This week, we're learning how monarchs across Europe were influenced by those ideas. Adoption of...

The House of Habsburg, one of the most influential royal houses in European history, played a pivotal role in shaping the continent's political landscape. Among their many significant contributions, the War of the Spanish...

So far, the rulers of Europe have been working to consolidate their power and expand their kingdoms, and this is it. The moment they've been working toward: Absolute Monarchy. We're going to learn about how kings and queens became...

Feudalism was dying. In the age of globe-spanning colonial empires, commercial printing, and the scientific revolution, the idea of a state held together by a myriad of personal arrangements between ruler and nobility was beginning to...

You know I had high hopes for Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell, I really did. In my head I always sort of lumped him in with Maximilian Robespierre. I thought they were each a forward-thinking guy who leapt into action and spearheaded the...

To Queen Victoria, marriages were about strategic alliances. Correction: At 5:38, the map of post-war Germany is missing eastern Prussia. The borders of Austria-Hungary should also include portions of northern Serbia and southern Poland....

In March, the German national parliament in Frankfurt finalized a constitution for a united Germany, proposing a constitutional monarchy under Frederick William of Prussia. However, when Frederick declined the offer, citing a lack of...

In 1848, amid growing economic crisis and widespread dissatisfaction with King Louis-Philippe's rule, revolution broke out in France. Protests escalated into violent confrontations, forcing the king to abdicate and flee, leading...

In which John Green completes his introduction to the history of the French Revolution, discussing the rise of the Committee of Public Safety, Maxmillien Robespierre, the reign of terror, the guillotine, the death of Marie Antoinette,...

The Pacifist who Killed 20,000 | The Life & Times of Robespierre

The revolutions of 1848 created nationalism as we know it. In this episode on world-revolutions, we look at the causes and effects of this temultous time in history. Through YouTube's cowardice, this video has been demonetized, pending...

In which John discusses the causes of the French Revolution and its initial events, including the French debt crisis under King Louis XVI, the convocation of the estates general, the rise of the third estate, the formation of the...

The story of the metric system begins in Belgium, where this dude, Simon Stevin came up with the idea.The British philosopher John Wilkins expanded on Stevin's idea and helped promote it further, but it wasn't until the French Revolution...

Schönbrunn Palace, Austria’s most visited tourist destination, was acquired by the Habsburg Dynasty in 1559 and later expanded under Emperor Karl IV and Empress Maria Theresia into the magnificent Rococo-style landmark it is today....

Why did the US want Hawaii? With even a glance at its sensual beaches and lush jungles, it's no surprise that the scenic islands have always been desirable. But as with any story of settlement, the development of Hawaii didn't come about...