Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon podcast emphasizes divergent opinions about historical events. Host William Clark compares official records to insights from overlooked and minority populations. The podcast reassesses and reconfirms the who, what, why, how, where, and when of events.
Clark has a degree in commerce and works at a bank in Australia. But he also studied politics and history. Clark is passionate about what he calls the grey areas of history. He begins with the French Revolution because he believes it offers something of interest to most people. The revolt involved action, thrill, drama, scandal, and terror. Many people disagree about the causes, events, and impacts of the revolution. Clark analyzes the areas of disagreement with copious research.
The first two episodes of the podcast establish the status quo before the revolution in 1789. Clark distinguishes between the three estates. He classifies citizens as those who either prayed, fought, or worked. The first estate was the Catholic Church. The church accounted for five percent of the population but owned ten percent of French land. The second estate was nobility. Nobles accounted for about one percent of the population and owned 20 percent of the land. The third estate included commoners.
The host examines the tremendous variation of wealth and privileges among classes. The first estate monopolized bread ovens, grape presses, and more. One archbishop earned 1,500 times more money than the average commoner. But many Catholics weren't wealthy. The third estate paid taxes, but the first estate didn't. Clark explains how these discrepancies were part of what led citizens to revolt.
Clark promises treasonous plots, unpredictable trials, political schemes, rumored affairs, and hedonistic acts. He exposes state-sponsored pornography propaganda and daring escapes. But Clark says the main reason to listen is to hear the ensuing terror. Along with his interest in history, Clark enjoys popular culture. He likens aspects of the revolt to House of Cards, Gladiator, and Napoleon. But he says Hollywood's depictions don't compare to the reality of this revolution.
New episodes of the Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon podcast arrive throughout each month.
Episodes