15-Minute History
Walking in the footsteps of history, fifteen minutes at a time. Join us for a 15-minute episode covering a person, place, or event in history, and stay for an extended discussion. New episodes and discussions every week.
Episodes
This week's discussion covers various types of nationalism and how each manifests within a country. Jon and Joe then delve into its effects on government policy and social cohesion, talk about the controversial idea of "Christian nationalism," and make a few predictions about the future of nationalism within the framework of the European Union.
Join us every Thursday for new Political Chats or episodes of "Conspiracy," "Weird Histor...
In the summer of 1184, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa sent his eighteen-year-old son, King Henry VI, to Erfurt to settle a land dispute between Archbishop Conrad of Mainz and Landgrave Ludwig III of Thuringia. The two had been in open conflict since Conrad returned to Mainz the year before, and Henry called a royal assembly in the cathedral provost’s residence to hear them out. Everyone gathered on the upper floor. Nobody seeme...
Our first episode of "Weird History" will be delayed with our apologies!
Last episode was about imperialism, creating multi-ethnic empires that spanned the globe. This is about nationalism, concentrating state power on building and maintaining an ethnic or civic identity. It can lead to greater unity among peoples, but it can also cause world-shattering upheaval!
If you want to learn more about Germany's nationalist unification, check out this episode from Season 8--it's a good one!
In September 2026, an AI researcher quit Anthropic and posted a warning that the industry was gambling with our lives. Within days, insiders agreed, and a CEO called for slowing down as a senator pushed a bill to pause advanced AI. Then a second story took off: the whole thing is a psyop, cooked up by AI companies that are losing money and politicians who need an issue to run on.
Welcome to the first episode of Conspiracy, a new mon...
Last week, we covered imperialism through two examples, King Leopold's Congo and India under the British Empire. This week, we discuss the hard questions about imperialism, starting in Berlin, where fourteen powers divided Africa without inviting anyone from the countries being redefined.
What do you think? Let us know in your comments.
This season, we're giving the Pop Quizzes a break.
Instead, every Thursday we'll have new content from each of our presenters. On the first Thursday of the month, we will be discussing recent political events through a historical lens.
Today, Joe and Jon cover the promised $5,000 checks offered by President Donald Trump if his party wins the midterm elections, as well as the historical irony of Germany's traditional parties ignoring ...
Welcome back to a new season of 15-Minute History! Jon, Joe, and the rest of the team are glad to be back for season 10, where we are looking at the forces that made us, both the good and the bad.
It was November 15, 1884, and the German chancellor had company. Representatives from fourteen powers arrived at his home in Berlin that day, including Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, and the United States. Otto von Bismarck had called...
Was the Treaty of Versailles the cause of World War Two? And what might Germany have looked like without the political chaos that it caused?
We hope you've enjoyed these summer pop quizzes. Join us next Monday for the start of Season Ten!!
New Season starting this coming Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on December 9, 2024.
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The benefits of hindsight let us examine faults in national policy through the lens of what followed. But in the midst of a global threat of nuclear war, the United States chose to support vicious dictators in the name of anti-comm...
What rights do citizens of US territories have, and what changes when their homes become states?
New Season starting on Monday, October 6th! During the break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on May 5, 2025.
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It was still dark. The group of men felt the breeze getting warmer as the eastern horizon began to show signs of light. One of the men, tall with no expression, watched as final preparations were made to a large object in front of the group.
The...
Can conservatives promote the "common good" and public virtue using the power of government?
This will be our last new pop quiz before the start of Season 10 in a few short weeks. We hope you've enjoyed these quizzes as much as we've enjoyed having these conversations!
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 12, 2024.
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As we look at villains in history, we want to look at actions and their effects. The policies of Lyndon Baines Johnson and Ho Chi Minh were the reflection of two leaders operating in different contexts. Though the method by which they exercised their intentions was different,...
Joe asked a perfectly legitimate question about the definition of prosperity, and within minutes Jon was ranting about other podcasters. The conversation then turned to the national debt's real impact on American life. Fun times!!
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on April 22, 2024.
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"In the chill of a drizzling rain on an October morning, I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty-five wagons and started toward the west.
One can never forget the sadness and solemnity of that morning. Chief John Ross led in prayer, and when the bugle so...
During the Gilded Age, companies paid employees in scrip redeemable at corporate stores instead of in hard cash. Is this similar to modern job benefits like health insurance and pensions?
Join us every Thursday for new pop quizzes, and stay tuned for the start of our new season in just a few weeks!
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on March 22, 2022.
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Samuel Colt’s name is forever linked to the company he founded and the revolver he called the “Peacemaker.” Born in Connecticut in 1814, he was steeped in America’s gun culture from an early age. His grandfather had served in George Washington’s arm...
What was the Bank of the United States, and why did Andrew Jackson work so hard to destroy it?
And why is Eva Braun always referred to as Adolf Hitler's "mistress" even though he was not married?
Find out the answer to both questions on this week's pop quiz!
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History team will be republishing some of your favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on October 4, 2021.
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The steamboat passed the port and he looked out at the brown, muddy water. The heat was failing and the humidity began to soak his clothes. Soon it would be twilight and the lighting bugs would begin to flash on the shoreline. As the boat moved downriver, he saw an old wooden r...
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