The Siècle History Podcast
Evergreen Podcasts
Overview
Episodes
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The Siècle is a history podcast covering France's overlooked century between Napoleon and World War I. Visit thesiecle.com for annotated scripts, pictures, maps, sources and more.
Recent Episodes
JAN 26, 2026
Episode 49: The Trial
The July Revolution may be done, but France isn't sure if it's done with revolution. As King Louis-Philippe and a band of squabbling politicians try to govern France, the people of Paris take to the streets to demand one thing above all else: the heads of Charles X's former ministers. Will Jules de Polignac and company meet their end at a guillotine — or at the hands of a lynch mob? See a full annotated transcript of this episode: http://thesiecle.com/episode49/ Check out the "La Fayette, We Are Here" podcast by Emmanuel Dubois: https://www.lafayettepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
68 MIN
NOV 13, 2025
Episode 48: Citizen-King
France has a new king after the July Revolution of 1830, and Louis-Philippe wants everyone to know he's not like a regular king — he's a cool king. See a full annotated transcript of this episode here. Like the show? Help spread the word by posting reviews on social media and tagging The Siècle. The show is active on Bluesky, X, Facebook, and Instagram. (Apologies if these timestamps don't work — this is a work in progress) (00:00:00) Ad (00:02:15) Cold Open (00:04:15) Introduction (00:07:07) What’s in a name? (00:11:36) The King as politician (00:15:04) The King as citizen (00:22:30) The King as man (00:26:25) Courage to the sticking place (00:30:39) Teaser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
29 MIN
SEP 29, 2025
Fact Check 3: Polignac's Visions
French prime minister Jules de Polignac believed he was receiving visions of the Virgin Mary during France's 1830 July Revolution — or so many sources claim. But is it true? Join me as we sort fact from fiction, and see how these claims tie into the religious history of 19th Century France. Support independent historical research like this podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/thesiecle See a full annotated transcript of this episode: http://thesiecle.com/factcheck3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
43 MIN
AUG 16, 2025
Episode 47: The July Settlement
The July Revolution is over, and Louis-Philippe will be France's next king. But what sort of monarchy Louis-Philippe will lead is yet to be determined, as France's politicians gather to hash out the final details of the nascent July Monarchy. Like the show? Support it on Patreon, where all patrons giving as little as $1/month receive an ad-free feed: https://patreon.com/thesiecle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
54 MIN
JUN 30, 2025
Episode 46: Revolutions
Revolutions podcaster Mike Duncan talks about the July Revolution, why Charles X is one of the great idiots of history, the dissident elites who can make or break any revolution, and the value of narrative history podcasting. Help support The Siècle by backing the show on Patreon, where all supporters receive an ad-free feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
67 MIN
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