Now for something a little different, I am going to look at a documentary on Holland. As far as I remember, we barely touched on the Netherlands in history class. This episode was part of the Rise of the Great Power Series and has a run time of 47:27. This episode is called Tiny Holland, Great Empire.
The Netherlands would rise from a humble beginning in the 16th Century. The Netherlands, the size of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, declared independence from Spain. Why would they declare independence from Spain? Freedom of religion would be the national creed. Eventually, the Netherlands would rule the oceans of the world. How did the tiny Netherlands become such a superpower? Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor abdicated his empire in 1555. He was an old man struggling to walk. He was walked to the throne by the Prince of Orange, his most trusted friend. Charles V was succeeded by his son Philip II. The Prince of Orange would swear allegiance to the new king. This allegiance was not to last and the two would face each other in battle. What happened? The Dutch had been loyal to the Habsburg family, however, it was King Philip that drove them to revolt. King Philip was a devoted Catholic and wanted to unite Europe under Catholicism. However, religious reform was spreading through the Netherlands. The reformation was spreading through the Dutch trade towns. However, this was opposed to King Philip’s philosophy of a united Europe under Catholicism. Persecution spread throughout Philip’s lands. Charles V would have allowed a different practice of Catholicism in the Netherlands. However, that changed under Philip II. Dutch protestants would suffer persecution, eventually, they would protest their treatment by burning churches and tearing down statues. At the time, nobody knew that tearing down the statues would have led to Dutch independence. In fact, the people loved the King and the royal family. They wanted the freedom to practice a different faith, something that King Philip would not allow. The tearing down of statues was an affront to King Philip. William of Orange, who was brought up as a Catholic, did not believe that King Philip had the right to dictate the consciousness of the people. He was a man willing to talk and debate with both sides. He wanted religious freedom and tolerance and not an empire where religion was dictated to either Catholic or Protestant. He wrote to King Philip pleading for religious toleration, but those pleas fell on deaf ears. The Duke of Alba was appointed to govern the Netherlands. He was a ruthless man who would put King Philip’s stamp on the Netherlands. He was a mass persecutor of the Protestants. Over 10,000 Dutch men were put on trial with over 1,000 men executed. These numbers shocked the people, even more shocking was the execution of a high-ranking statesman. Religious toleration was a sin in King Philip’s eyes. Then there is a short discussion on the Spanish Inquisition and the terror it had spread throughout Europe. The narrator talks about the cruelty of the Inquisitions. How people were burned and humiliated. People were imprisoned and sometimes they would die. There was no escape for the people who were accused of departing from the Catholic faith. Then there is a history of religious toleration in Spain and how the Spanish were open to different faiths. Jews, Christians, and Muslims would have lived in peace in Spain. Toledo was the center of this tolerance. However, as time move forward things would have changed and Spain would have grown less tolerant of other faiths. So what does the Spanish Inquisition have to do with Dutch Independence? What about the Jewish expulsion? What would be the official spark that would lead to Dutch independence? What role would William of Orange play? Tune into the rest of the episode to find out. This is a good start on the history of the Netherlands because it provided a good background on the lead-up to Dutch independence. That said, the Spanish Inquisition discussion went on far too long and should have been shortened. Then there would have been more time for Dutch independence. Despite the long discussion on the Spanish Inquisition, I would consider showing this to a history classroom and would recommend this documentary for research purposes too.
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Good morning, I am going to look at a documentary about Christopher Columbus and the explorers who discovered America before him. The run time for this documentary is 51:54. It is called First Before Columbus: The True Discoverers of America.
There were other explorers before Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas. They even hinted at the Americas in their maps. Leif Erickson was one. Legend has it that a Welsh prince-built castles along the Ohio River Valley. An African King, who is said to have used his wealth to finance one of the world’s biggest fleets. So was Christopher Columbus would be the first to discover America? Or did he use oral traditions and written records to map out his voyage to the Americas? The story begins in Seville and Holy Week. Christopher Columbus is participating in the celebrations. In Seville, a statue of Columbus was erected to celebrate his achievement in discovering America. However, there is another tomb in the cathedral, and it is the tomb of Hernando Columbus, Christopher Columbus’ son. Today the papers of Christopher Columbus are well cared for her. Christopher Columbus carefully detailed his voyages and geography. It was said that Christopher Columbus made his way to Iceland and it is here that we are introduced to Leif Erickson. Iceland is the land of the sagas. Leif grew up on his father’s farm. His father was Erik the Red. Erik was eventually exiled from Iceland because he killed someone. After this, Erik would take his family to Greenland, a land covered with ice. Erik would come back to Iceland and announce he discovered a “Green Land.” He convinced many people to come over and settle in Greenland. The documentary then transitions to a dig in Iceland. This ship seems to hint as to why people left Iceland. It was a Viking homestead. It would have been established after much of Iceland was settled. Resources and land were becoming scarce in Iceland, so there would be a need for more land. Eventually, the Vikings would turn their eyes to Greenland. Getting to Greenland and settling in Greenland would be a challenge. The Viking sagas also mention Vinland. What would make Leif Erickson leave Greenland? Where was Vinland? How far did the Vikings explore the Americas? Would Christopher Columbus know about these Viking Sagas? Would he realize that there was land in the West? This documentary really did spend a lot of time on the Viking journeys to America. I was expecting equal timing for all three men mentioned at the start of the documentary but that did not happen. Then there is a discussion on the Cornish connection to the discovery of the Americas, this felt really short and came really late in the documentary. I thought the Cornish fishermen would have been mentioned instead of a Cornish Prince. The Cornish Prince story was a very interesting story and the evidence was compelling. To learn more about the explorers before Columbus continue to watch the rest of this documentary. This documentary goes to show that there are discoveries continuously being made that will have an impact on how we understand history. The island in Greenland where polar bears were kept was a pretty random and interesting tidbit to learn. It was also fascinating to learn how technology hinted at another Viking settlement but excavation found nothing. This was a refreshing change of pace when it comes to documentaries about the discovery of the Americas with know-it-all-better-than-you-historians that serve to annoy the viewer rather than inform the viewer. I really wish that this documentary would have been divided into chapters to help facilitate easier viewing and to divide it up for lectures. Better yet, with the implied size of Christopher Columbus’ library, this could have been spread out over three episodes, one episode looking at Leif Erickson, the other looking at Prince Madoc, and the other at the African expedition. There is also a good discussion on how drones are used to look for anomalies to help determine where to dig. Overall, even though I felt like there was some time sacrificed and it could have been longer, this is a good documentary to show to a history class. Well, speaking of mummies, I will now do a documentary on mummies discovered on Tenerife Island. This is a Spanish-produced documentary with English translations and subtitles. The run time for this documentary is 57:40. The documentary is called The Secret History of the Mummies: The Guanche Mummies.
Deep within the caves of Tenerife Island, there is a world frozen in time. These are the sacred caves of a long-lost civilization. The Guanches' civilization called this island home and it is a civilization that was lost to the ages, until now. An expedition is organized to learn more about the Guanche mummies and with the aid of cutting-edge technology new insights are going to be discovered about these mummies. What will technology reveal about this civilization? The story of the Guanche civilization beginnings in the Ravine of the Dead on the Island of Tenerife and the time period is the Middle Ages. What was discovered on the island was surprising. Tenerife was inhabited and there were mummies on the island. IT was the first time that someone had found a corpse on the island. One thousand years later, this mummy is going to be examined by scientists and doctors. The corpse was naked in a high state of preservation. The National Archeological Museum in Madrid is going to take DNA samples and carbon dating samples to help date the mummy. The Tenerife Islands are part of the Canary Islands system. Not all islands deliberately created mummies, only Tenerife where there were mummies that were deliberately preserved. When the mummies were discovered, it was thought they were wood because they were so well preserved and because of their color. The mummies of the ancestors could be identified by looking at them. There was a mummy that had hair and the scientists take a sample of the hair. Between 2015 and 2020 a huge study on the Guanches’ mummies was carried out. It was the single biggest study done on a group of people on the planet. Twenty-one individuals were scanned and these studies may shed light on the human experience. The mummies are carefully transported and scanned. Then we get the story of the Gauche people, they had moved to the Canary Islands and had learned to use the sea. They were an isolated community for centuries at least until people started arriving again. Sailors rediscovered the islands and were surprised to discover that there were people on the island. Both sides were surprised. The Canary Islands were surrounded by mystery for centuries. The explorers and missionaries described those people as giants and well-built. Time had stood still on the island and the inhabitants lived in caves and stone structures on the islands. They had their own rulers and women could separate themselves from their husbands. There was plenty of food for the people. How did these people arrive in the Canary Islands? The results are coming back from mummy scans. The results are extraordinary. The Guanche mummies were mummified differently from the Egyptian mummies. Their organs remain in the mummies and their muscles are very well preserved. One scientist talks about how they are better preserved than Egyptian mummies. How did the Guanche mummies get so well preserved? There were groups of embalmers on the island and they were considered the lowest in society because they handled dead bodies. There is a good description of the mummification process for the Canary Island mummies. After the mummification process was done, they were then put into the caves, and how they were put in the caves puzzles historians and scientists. Then the discussion transitions to the condition of the mummies themselves. There was evidence of violence done to the mummies before death. There was evidence of head injuries. So what else do these scans tell about the Guanche people? What were their origins? Tune into the rest of the episode to find out more! This was a very well-done documentary; I had never heard of the Guanche Civilization and this was a good start in learning about that civilization. Overall, this was a very well-done documentary. This would be a good documentary for a history class as well as a STEM class because of the technology aspect. Good morning, after exploring the Silk Road I am throwing it back to Ancient Egypt. With new technology being implemented, discoveries continued to be made about Ancient Egypt. The run time for this documentary is 56:52 and the documentary is called The Secret History of the Mummies: The Golden Mummy. This documentary was found on the DW Channel but is a Spanish-produced documentary with subtitles and translations.
Ancient Egypt continues to inspire historians, scholars, and laypeople alike. It is a civilization still surrounded by mystery with its origins, intricate religious beliefs, and architectural feats. From towering pyramids to magnificent temples, the grandeur of Egypt continues to fascinate and bewilder. One team of archeologists continues to work to find out what lies beneath the bandages. This documentary explores the secret lives of mummies with a team from the National Museum in Madrid, Spain. Who are these mummies? What can the latest in technology tell us about these mummies? The documentary kicks off with a doctor talking about his experience in saving people’s lives, however, he is now taking part in an intriguing case of some Spanish Mummies. When it was suggested that the mummies at the National Archeological Museum in Madrid, Spain be scanned, the answer was no. It took a lot of persuasion for all the mummies to be scanned. There was value in scanning the mummies to study the human body, even though these humans died over two thousand years there are secrets that need to be discovered. Scanning the mummies was an opportunity of a lifetime for scientists and archeologists. They were brought to a hospital in Madrid and scanned with a CT scanner. Scanning allows scientists to study these mummies without unwrapping the mummies. Even the date selected to scan the mummies was carefully selected, the weather had to be absolutely perfect. Four mummies were selected to be scanned. The doctors and the scientists work at night to examine the bodies and scan them. Everything is carefully planned to minimize risk to the mummies. There are three Ancient Egyptian mummies and one mummy from the Ptolemaic period that are being scanned. The doctors respectfully treat the mummies and feel the weight of what they are doing. Scientists and doctors do not know what to expect when it comes to scanning the mummies. The star of the show is a mummy that was covered in gold. It was a man who was a priest from the Ptolemaic period. It is a special mummy in the collection and is the heaviest in the collection. The mummies are scanned and the scans are examined by a doctor. The scans are fascinating one mummy shows a headband on the mummy’s head and there are sandals on the mummy’s feet. The team works with Egyptologists and discovers other objects in the mummy. The findings were only the beginning. Then there is a short discussion on mummification and the process of mummification. Natron salt was the secret ingredient behind mummification. The examinations of the mummies continue. One of the mummies was discovered with his organs intact. Three mummies had their hearts in their bodies. The teeth were in poor condition. They would have eaten cereals and the cereals would have had sand in them which would have ground on the teeth. The scientists discovered different types of bandaging too between the mummies. The different bandages would have indicated a mummy’s status. There is a good discussion on the burial rituals. The documentary then moves from Spain to Egypt to follow the trail of the mummies. To learn more about the secrets of the mummies, continue to watch this documentary. This is another good documentary that highlights how technology is helping make historical discoveries. Technology has definitely made an impact on historical discoveries and will continue to make an impact. It was also neat to hear about the precautions about the weather that was taken when the decision was made to scan the mummies. The documentary had a very nice flow to it and was narrated very well. This is an excellent documentary to show to both a history class as well as a STEM Class because of the emphasis on technology and historical discoveries. Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening, depending on when you are reading this. Wow! I cannot believe Get Factual put up the last episode of the Silk Road documentary pretty quickly after episode two was posted. It took a long time, but I can at last finish up the Silk Road documentary. The run time for this episode is 52:14 and is called Revolutions.
The story begins with paper and the paper-making process. Chinese invented paper and many historians believe that the Silk Road should have been named the Paper Road. The paper had a huge impact on history, bigger than silk did. It was believed that paper was invented in the year 100 by a eunuch and he was using it to write. However, there is evidence that paper was invented further back and that it was used to wrap things. The Chinese would use bamboo to write on. However, if you were writing a novel there would be many bamboo shafts that would be needed. Eventually, the switch to paper was made because it was lighter in comparison to bamboo shafts. Eventually, the paper would leave China as a result of Buddhism. The Chinese Buddhists were interested in finding the writings of the Buddha. They traveled to India to get Buddha’s words. Eventually, a Buddhist library would be established in China and the monks would make paper from ropes and rags. The popularity of paper spread as a result of Buddhism and its usefulness for commercial accounts. Papermaking would spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Islam rose and would invade Central Asia. The Arab World and the Chinese world would clash. The Arabs were making their own paper. How they learned those skills is up today. The legend is that the Chinese army had paper makers and they were captured by the Arabs and taught the Arabs how to make paper. Reality may be very different and the Arabs may have learned paper-making as a result of the Silk Road. The Islamic government officials helped make the paper a valuable part of the government. The cheap paper also fueled the writing of books and fueled an age of literature and learning. I can understand why historians would want to call the Silk Road the Paper Road. It seemed that it was in Spain that Europeans encountered paper. However, in the same breath, it was mentioned that Venetian merchants would have encountered paper in the Muslim world too. Merchants would have witnessed paper use and would have brought it back. The paper was eyed with suspicion because the paper was flimsy in comparison to parchment. The Holy Roman Emperor required documents written on paper to be transcribed to parchment. However with a growing middle class, paper would be a cheaper alternative to parchment. Europe could also mass-produce paper, the rivers, and streams would provide the energy to produce paper pulp. Linen rags were also plentiful in Europe and it was a good source to make paper. Fabriano and Amalfi, two Italian towns, would become the leaders in paper manufacturers in Europe. The cheap paper would change Europe in many ways. To learn more about the ways continue to follow along with this section. Artists and writers would have been able to write and draw their ideas out. Drawing took off during this time as a result of the paper. Parchment was too expensive to waste. Meanwhile, printing was invented in East Asia. Printing allowed for standardization in printing and mass book printing took off. To learn more about the impact of books and the printing press continue to watch this episode to find out. I have to say, Esther reminds me of historians that present on Mysteries of the Abandoned. Her tone and cadence really took me to the Mysteries of the Abandoned series. The paper discussion was very well done and really went in depth about the spread of the paper. I can agree that maybe the Silk Road should be called the Paper Road. Over all, this would be an excellent episode to show in a history class because of the well-done presentation on paper and the impact of paper on the world. I would also use this for research purposes. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on when you are reading this blog. Today I am looking at a documentary on the Silk Road. This is the second episode in How the Silk Road Made the World series. This episode is called Light from Darkness. The run time for this documentary is 52:14.
This episode kicks off with the English defeating the French at the Battle of Crecy. The English are using a new invention that was imported from China on the Silk Road: gunpowder. Two thousand kilometers from Crecy in Caffa, another battle is looming. The Mongols are sieging the City of Caffa a Silk Road trading post. The city had held out for two years. Suddenly the Mongol army collapsed as a result of a mysterious disease. The Mongols tossed the corpses over the city walls and the residents died as a result of this disease. Soon this disease started spreading throughout Europe: The Black Death. In under a decade, one-third of Europe’s population was decimated. Today, scientists believe that the Black Death was spread through disease-ridden fleas that traveled on the backs of rodents. Not only did the Silk Road promote an exchange of trade and technology but disease. However, there is a sudden transition as to the crops that were transported. It made the documentary feel disjointed going from disease to food corps. Maybe the filmmakers should have changed the order of the documentary between crop and disease exchange. The archeological records document the arrival of Chinese Millett to Europe. However, it is not clear how or why this millet was transported from China to Europe. At least until discoveries in China lead to the conclusion that Millet farmers were seeking water. In addition to the transport of Millet to the West, Europe sent wheat to China. This would have changed farming dynamics in both Europe and China. Millet requires a shorter growing season in comparison to wheat, so in Europe, farmers could sneak in another crop before winter. Like Secrets of the Castle, this is another documentary that highlights that people moved more than you thought they did. There is a continued discussion on how crops moved across the Silk Road as well. This discussion centers on a Silk Road post. This post was a cosmopolitan post. The toilet paper was discovered in this post. The Chinese people would use a cloth-wrapped stick to wipe themselves. Scientists have studied the sticks and the cloth around the sticks to discover many different organisms. This leads to a discussion on the Chinese Liver Fluke and this was a demonstration of how humans could carry diseases long distances. This leads to a discovery in Germany. A mass grave with four hundred people was discovered. Why were these people buried in one place? There was one clue discovered: the people were buried in the Sixth Century. The Plague of Justinian was ravaging the known world. About half the people died. There were so many corpses nobody knew how or where to bury them. Eventually, the bodies were thrown into watch towers and sealed off. The plague arrived in Constantinople from Egypt on ships. A scientist examines the bones from the grave, looking for more clues about the Justinian Plague. Perhaps the bones can tell what the disease was. So where did this disease come from? There is a return to the discussion on the Black Death and how it came to Europe from Central Asia. It swept through Europe. Nobody would have known what to do to combat this disease. Physicians were confused as to treat it. Did people fleeing from the Black Death cause it to spread even faster? To learn more about the Silk Road continue to watch this documentary. The discussion on crop and food movement does not seem to fit in with this documentary because it focused on the spread of disease and bacteria. If there was more evidence about crop movement, that discussion would have been better served by a separate episode, leaving the focus on disease. The recreations were done well and the participants spoke well on the subject. I would put this on my potential list to show to a history classroom and would be using this documentary for research purposes. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening! I am going to review the final episode of the series More That Just Enemies. The run time for this episode is 51:51.
Prince Eugene of Savoy was a man who was reckless, he did not listen to advice. The story begins with orders to for his troops to move to surprise the troops. They march to surprise the Ottoman Troops. However, Prince Eugene’s recklessness turns the tide of battle. He was also the man who could see and foresee the direction of the battle and this skill made him one of the great generals in history. If he did not have soldiers to fight, he would join the battle as well. This was illustrated in the documentary when he and several men took a cannon. The Hapsburg soldiers threw themselves into battle and the Ottomans were routed. Many drowned in the river because they could not swim. Prince Eugene of Savoy only lost 500 men in this battle. War was particularly brutal against the Turks. The Battle of Zenta puts an end to the Ottoman Empire’s expansion. One prized possession of the battle was the seal of the Sultan and today it is on display in a museum. The rest of the Sultan’s war chest was “destroyed in the battle.” After this battle, Prince Eugene was able to pay off his debts and expand his palace. He rose quickly in society because he flaunted normal conventions. Prince Eugene quickly purchases land and build grand palaces. His victories, give Prince Eugene status and wealth. Although he was a general and soldier, he was a businessman and a shrewd moneyman. He even went to the London stock exchange and made out war loans in his name to refill his war coffers. This victory also enabled the Hapsburg Empire to expand. The Ottoman Empire had to surrender more land to the Hapsburg. This loss of territory did not sit well with the Ottoman soldiers. Taxes were high and the Ottoman soldiers were not getting paid. However, the Sultan preferred hunting to governance. It was a powder keg that was waiting to explode. In 1703, the Ottoman soldiers rebelled and overthrow Sultan Mustafa II and assassinate the Grand Mufti. In the meantime, the War of the Spanish Succession begins. This section jumps around quickly and feels disjointed to my ear. Prince Eugene of Savoy is on his way to becoming the richest man in the Hapsburg Empire and works to reform the military. There are special corps that were assigned different spots. New tactics were adopted and weapons were unified. Every soldier would have the same type of weapon, instead of using the weapons that their field marshals would pick. Troops are organized into lines. Prince Eugene now heads to France to participate in the War of the Spanish Succession. Prince Eugene was a man who not only tried to increase his wealth but also increased his knowledge as well. He paid artists to work for him and through his influence Baroque art made its way to the Ottoman Empire. Gülnuş Sultan witnesses the Ottoman Troubles. She makes deals with the Ottoman rebels to spare Mustafa II in return for his abdication. Her youngest son would take control and be guided by Gülnuş Sultan: Ahmed III. The Ottoman Empire would now have a cultural heyday. Ibrahim, a Transylvanian who converted to Islam, helps with this heyday. Prince Eugene invites Ibrahim to his palace where he houses the biggest library. They make a deal; the Ottomans would provide the leather that Prince Eugene needed to bind the books. Prince Eugene’s library would expand as a result of the deal. Ibrahim brings back some books from Prince Eugene’s library as a souvenir. To learn more about Prince Eugene of Savoy watch the rest of the documentary. This is a good conclusion to the series and provides an excellent glimpse at a period of history we really do not study in school. At least I do not remember studying it in school. The recreations were very well done and it was a good look at the later life of Prince Eugene of Savoy. This would be a good documentary for research purposes. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening depending on when you are reading this. I am constantly amazed as I continue to comb through YouTube discovering a variety of different documentaries to review and share. Today, we are looking at a little-known figure from history: Eugene of Savoy. This two-part series is called More Than Just Enemies and the run time for this episode is 51:20.
On October 11, 1697, the Ottoman army is annihilated in the Battle of Zenta. The victorious army was led by Eugene of Savoy and this victory ends the steady rise of the Ottoman Empire. It is a look at the two empires at the time: The Hapsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire. During times of peace, there were many cultural exchanges. However, there were times of war and thousands were killed as a result. Who were the people that lead these empires? What is the story of the battles between the Hapsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The story begins with Prince Eugene of Savoy. He is one of eight children and he has extraordinary interests. He is growing up under the rule of King Louis XIV and Eugene of Savoy was his son. He is growing up in a world of court politics and intrigues. Even in this world, Eugene of Savoy had a love for knowledge. He enjoyed learning mathematics and astrology. In the Ottoman Empire, they too use astrologers to study the stars. There are court astrologers who tell the fortunes of the Sultan. Astrologers are respected, but it can be a dangerous job. They would tell the Sultan to make war. One wrong prediction and the astrologer could lose their head. It is here we learn about Harem and meet Gülnuş Sultan. She was captured at five years old and sent to the Harem. She, like Eugene of Savoy, had to assert their place. Gülnuş Sultan would eventually become a favorite. The Harem ensured the continuance of the Ottoman Dynasty. Then we go back to the court of Louis XIV and the court politics. Eugene of Savoy’s mother Olympia was mistress of Louis XIV. She was the most important woman in court and rumors flew around her. There were rumors that she used poison to dispatch her rivals. In fact, she becomes accused of several poisonings. She escapes from Paris. Her son Eugene of Savoy was left in the care of the church. His thirst for knowledge seems to be better suited to live in the church. However, he decides on a new path and this is one path that will cause him to rebel against King Louis XIV. Louis did not appreciate the insolence. Eugene of Savoy flees Paris and makes his way to the Hapsburg Empire. It was at the time the Ottoman Empire was expanding its borders towards the Ottoman Empire. Now we find ourselves back at the harem and the tensions among the women, particularly between the sultan’s mother and the favorites. There was also competition between the women who had the Sultan’s sons for power as well. Normally when a new sultan was crowned his brothers would be killed. This section is pretty funny with the recreation of an ambassador and the sultan discussing the Hapsburg emperor. Then the filmmakers show a clip from the Turkish television series The Magnificent Century. Additional to showing this clip, the filmmakers talk about how interest is growing in Turkey in this era in history. The Ottomans were going to march on Vienna. The Hapsburg emperor grows nervous about Ottoman progress. Eugene of Savoy arrives at the Hapsburg court. He is looking to fight for the emperor. Eugene of Savoy asks for a regiment, but the Emperor allows him to volunteer as a soldier. Vienna comes under siege and thousands die in the siege. Will Vienna and the Hapsburgs emerge victorious? Or will Vienna fall? How does Eugene of Savoy deal with the battle? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. This is a good change of pace in terms of a documentary exploring this little-taught area of history. The storylines were good and the pacing was very good as well. I also enjoyed hearing from the experts and the recreations were very well done. This would be a documentary to mine for clips for a history class and for research purposes. Good morning, I am going to explore a documentary on the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was considered one of the grandest palaces built and it was the vision of one man. The run time for this episode is 52:42.
The Forbidden City is in the heart of Beijing and was home to the Emperors of China. It was the vision of one man who seized power and this city was a show of his power. He was a despot who seized power by force and he would ruthlessly stamp out anyone who opposed him. It was the grandest palace ever built and it was built in three years under the direction of a brilliant mind. It was home to endless and repeated rituals. However, even as the walls were built the seeds of its destruction were also sown. The city’s roots begin with a successful general riding back after defeating the Mongols. The Mongols ruled China for a hundred years and were expelled. Zhu Di was a brilliant general and a member of the Ming Dynasty. This victory has won him honor and respect. He was an ambitious man and destined for a military career as the fourth son of the emperor. Zhu Di begins his military training young and learns that he can only trust himself. At age forty he has achieved all the ambitions his family laid out for him, now what? History would remember him very differently. Eventually, he marches to the capital and rises against the emperor. He exploits the greed of corrupt courtiers. The men are well paid and the gates of the capital are open. The man makes himself the Emperor of China. The capital is ransacked and the population is helpless to defend themselves against the pillaging. The deposed Emperor disappears without a trace. Did he die? Or did he survive to take his revenge? The new emperor takes the throne anyway. Zhu Di is seen as a usurper by a few officials, which makes them reluctant to serve him. One brave official stands up against the new emperor and is sentenced to death for his opposition. There are more that follow as the new emperor purges the government officials. Not even the officials’ families are spared in this purge. The new emperor secured his position with blood. He endures many a sleepless night and moves the capital to a new city: Beijing. It is here that the new Emperor will demonstrate his power by building a grand palace. It is here that Zhu Di wants to show that he has the mandate of heaven. Work begins immediately by tearing down the old palaces to build the new palace. A brilliant architect is appointed. His name was Kuai Xiang. The only problem is that the architect was a eunuch. Normally eunuchs were forbidden from government offices, but no more under the new emperor. Many eunuchs are appointed to positions in the new emperor’s government. Eunuchs were often prisoners of war and were used as servants and guards. Nobody respected eunuchs or even liked them. In fact, they were the butt of insults and made fun of. It would have been a shock to established government officials to accept a eunuch in their ranks. However, they had the trust of the emperor. This architect was no different and had to please a paranoid emperor. How could this architect please the emperor? Will he lose his life building a city? Will the Emperor be satisfied with the design? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. Wow and woah the beginning of this documentary really laid out the roots of the Forbidden Palace under General and Emperor Zhu Di. The story of Kuai Xiang was also interesting especially how the four towers were designed. This episode really goes into how and why the city was built. I also really appreciated seeing the efforts that were made to restore and take care of the Forbidden City in the modern world. The historian’s contributions were very well done as well as the recreations. This is a very well-produced documentary on the Forbidden City and would be something that I would show to a history classroom. Good morning, now for something a little different. We are going to look at a pair of legends from the Wild, Wild West. David Adams is on the trail of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is called the Last Trail of Butch and Sundance. The run time for this episode is 50:23.
David Adams follows the trail of two American outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids in the deserts of Bolivia. They had moved out of the US and settled in South America for a time. In 1908, these two outlaws disappeared south of Bolivia, not far from Argentina. Did they fake their deaths? Or were they killed by the Bolivian Calvary? Why do these outlaws continue to capture the public imagination? David Adams learns more about this mystery and tries to discover the true story of what happened in their final hours. Bolivia was the perfect place for outlaws to settle. Its remoteness provided a hiding place for people running from the law. David Adams starts at the foot of the Andes and ends in San Vincente. Tracing the path of Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid will be a challenge. Adams has to find someone who will take him up a winding road. He finds a truck that is making the trip. Thousands of people have been killed on these roads. It is a bouncy ride for David Adams. Adams sees why Butch and Sundance would have settled in this area. The winding and dangerous roads in the craggy mountains would have been excellent for them to hide in. Adams arrives at La Paz, the Bolivian capital. It is the highest capital city in the world. He takes in the remains of its colonial history. La Paz is also famous for its revolutions and there is a witchcraft market. There is a market where you can buy and sell stolen goods. Butch and Sundance would have fled to Bolivia to escape the law and a changing world. These outlaws were running out of time. Adams meets up with his travel guide. He is a member of the Bolivian cavalry, the same soldiers that would have chased down the pair. They meet at a restaurant where Butch would have frequented. The next day, Adams and his travel guide are off-tracing the outlaws’ steps. The outlaws would have continued their wily ways robbing mining camps. Adams notes that both Butch and Sundance would have stood out to the locals and with a big reward for them it would have been tempting for a farmer to turn them in. Butch and Sundance worked in a mining town as payroll guards. Which is funny considering they were bank robbers. However, they would never rob the people they worked for. The steady work did not stop them from taking time and performing a train robbery. David Adams tries to board a moving train using his horse and finds it a challenge. He concludes that Butch Cassidy and Sundance were expert horsemen. David Adams tries his own experiment but nobody warned him about slippery riding boots. This section is rather amusing with David Adams trying to perform the same feet that Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid. Adams goes to a post office and explores how important the post office was for Sundance and Butch. Butch Cassidy would write home frequently. After the trip to the post office, they would often go out to party. However, they stuck out among people and the law would soon close in on them. Adams continues to follow the trail of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, learning about the harsh realities people face every day. Where did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid go on their sojourn in Bolivia? What else does David Adams learn about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? How did they get caught? Or did they get caught? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more. This was a very nice change of pace for the blog. David is really good with his narration exploring Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It was funny that he would try to recreate their trail. This would be a good series for a geography class instead of a history class. |
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |