History, told well
History documentaries and videos that tell the story well. Brian Cox narrates an 18-minute crash course on ancient Greece, and another video explains how Nero turned from good ruler to tyrant. Others cover how the Berlin Wall worked and the origins of nationalism after the French Revolution. 8 picks from the Bez Tytułu newsletter, in reading order.
The picks
Ancient Greece in 18 Minutes
Watch · youtube.com · 18 min · Issue #117
An English-language crash course on ancient Greece from the Russian channel Arzamas, narrated by Brian Cox. In about 18 minutes it covers Homer, the Minotaur, the 300 Spartans, Greek theatre, the Parthenon and democracy. The video is an English version of an earlier Arzamas video, published in May 2017.
Calcio Storico: Florence's Historic and Brutal Sport
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #133
RugbyPass's 21-minute Next of Kin documentary follows Max Lahiff to Florence to watch Calcio Storico, a historic and very physical Florentine tradition. The video calls it one of the most savage sports in the world.
Nero failed after ignoring his advisers
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #225
The speaker says Nero failed after good early years, when he stopped listening to advisers like Seneca and Burrus.
The speaker says Nero's early reign went well because he listened to advisors Burrus and Seneca and accepted limits on his power. As he grew convinced of his own brilliance, he relied on instinct and stopped listening, shown in a famous statue of Seneca advising a bored, slouching Nero. The speaker presents this as the point where Nero slid into delusion and cruelty, and argues that everyone needs experts.
Key points- His first five years went well while he heeded Burrus and his teacher Seneca
- As he grew convinced of his brilliance, he relied on instincts and stopped listening
- A statue shows Nero slouched and bored while Seneca tries to teach him
How the Berlin Wall Worked
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #190
A 12-minute video from the channel neo that examines the border wall separating East and West Berlin. The description credits historical photos from Getty, AP and Reuters.
Nationalism is about 230 years old
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #185
Nationalism is about 230 years old and began when Napoleon used the French Revolution's energy in a new way.
The speaker argues that nationalism is about 230 years old and was spread by Napoleon Bonaparte. After the French Revolution, Napoleon framed France's achievement as proof of French superiority, which he used to justify wars across Europe. Germans responded by adopting the same idea of their own superiority. The speaker claims that every form of nationalism dehumanizes other groups.
Key points- The speaker says no nationalists existed on the planet before that point
- Napoleon was made dictator to end a revolution that could not be switched off
- Revolutionary leaders kept telling crowds the revolution was over
Auschwitz: Survivors Tell Their Own Story
Watch · youtube.com · 87 min · Issue #243
The documentary tours Auschwitz I and Birkenau with historian Dr Joanna Lubecka and guide Jarek. It includes interviews with survivors, including Bogdan Bartnikowski, deported at 12, and Stefania, born in the camp, whose mother, a Polish midwife, reportedly delivered about 3,000 babies there with no deaths during birth. It also covers the camp economy, including German firms that used prisoner labor and tested drugs on inmates.
Key points- Block 11, its execution courtyard, and where Maximilian Kolbe died
- Zyklon B was tested on 850 people in September 1941
- Witold Pilecki imprisoned himself voluntarily to build a resistance network
The End of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
Read · nathangoldwag.wordpress.com · 7 min · Issue #165
Nathan Goldwag's essay traces the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, roughly the late 1890s to the 1920s, as the last flowering of Victorian ideals, cut off by the First World War. It covers the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897 to 1899, Shackleton's Endurance expedition, and Scott's party, which reached the South Pole 31 days after Amundsen's team and died on the return journey.
Why the Military Plays Games to Prepare for War
Watch · youtube.com · Issue #198
Independent journalist Johnny Harris plays a wargame about a conflict over Taiwan at a military think tank, with a panel of experts guiding it and Sam Ellis opposing. The video explains what wargames are, their history, and why militaries use them, using a South China Sea scenario as an example. It credits CNA's wargaming team for research.