The History of Modern Politics
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14: Plague & Revolt
You have heard “Timbuktu” as a stand-in for the ends of the earth, but this episode opens with West Africa at the center of wealth, learning and trade.
Feb 5
•
Chris Spangle
53:51
December 2025
13: The Reigns of Three Edwards
In Episode 2 of Season 2 of The History of Modern Politics, Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief trace the period from Edward I’s legal reforms and…
Dec 26, 2025
•
Chris Spangle
and
Matt Wittlief
1
46:53
12: Things We Didn’t Tell You in Season One
Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief open Season 2 with essential background for the late 1200s, tracing how the Holy Roman Empire’s electoral system emerged…
Dec 6, 2025
•
Chris Spangle
and
Matt Wittlief
1
53:34
November 2025
History of Modern Politics is Back! An Update from Matt and Chris
Chris Spangle and Matt Wittlief reunite to bring back History of Modern Politics after a long hiatus.
Nov 24, 2025
•
Chris Spangle
18:08
Podcast Reflections: Behind the Scenes of Season One
Season One was a ton of fun and my first foray into a podcast series.
Nov 18, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
Podcast Reflections: How We Got Started
Some insights on our origin and glimpses of what is coming next.
Nov 14, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
11: The Birth of Parliament
Universities, law, and the limits of kings: how the 13th century reshaped English power.
Nov 13, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1
52:20
10: The Angevins and the Magna Carta
Empire and law: Henry II’s restless crown and the long road to Magna Carta.
Nov 12, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1:02:54
9: Italy, Jerusalem, and The Crusades
Forged faith, rising swords: how papal reform, Norman power, and holy war built the architecture of medieval Christendom.
Nov 8, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1
47:44
8: William the Conqueror, Norman Rule of England and The Anarchy
From conquest to chaos: how Norman order unraveled into The Anarchy.
Nov 7, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1
45:51
7. Succession Crisis
One crown, four claimants: the storm of 1066 and the end of Anglo-Saxon England.
Nov 6, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1
1
38:03
6: Vikings and the King of the English
The hammer and the quill: Alfred, the Vikings, and the making of English kingship.
Nov 3, 2025
•
Matt Wittlief
1
37:32
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