Ottoman Empire Archives - The Podcast Browser

Anthony Kaldellis – 1453

The Conquest and Tragedy of Constantinople

Interview with Anthony Kaldellis about his book 1453: The Conquest and Tragedy of Constantinople. Challenges prevailing misconceptions, asserting that the ‘Byzantines’ were Romans – a genuine political nation, not a ‘universal sacred empire’. Debunks romanticised narratives, demonstrating the Eastern Roman state was a sophisticated, bounded entity. Highlights the pragmatic defence of Constantinople, not a tragic last stand, and analyses the Ottoman victory as a strategic consolidation for their expanding empire. The city’s fall – a devastating event involving enslavement – also marked a pivotal step in the Ottoman Empire’s ascent. Critiques the tendency to view medieval societies as solely religious, advocating for a nuanced historical understanding.

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Simon Sebag Montefiore – The Cauldron

The Making of the Modern Middle East

Interview with Simon Sebag Montefiore about his book The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Discusses how Western-imposed nation-state ideas, following the Ottoman Empire’s collapse, led to immense suffering and ethnic cleansing, as seen with the Armenian genocide and the creation of exclusive Arab ethno-states. Highlights how Arab-Israeli hostility was not inevitable, with early Zionist discussions considering a bi-national state. The region’s complexity demands understanding its multi-ethnic past and the agency of local leaders in navigating external influences.

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Mustafa Aksakal – The War That Made the Middle East

World War I and the End of the Ottoman Empire

Interview with Mustafa Aksakal about his book The War That Made the Middle East: World War I and the End of the Ottoman Empire. Argues that the Middle East and its many ethno-national identities were products of the First World War, not its inherent causes. Contends that the Ottoman Empire’s collapse was not inevitable, instead highlighting how the war – including the disastrous Sarıkamış campaign and widespread famine – intensified internal conflicts and facilitated catastrophic decisions, such as the Armenian Genocide. Explores a lost potential for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious future, emphasising the external pressures and internal dynamics that tragically reshaped the region.

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The Siege of Malta: Knights Hospitaller vs The Ottomans

Dan Snow’s History Hit | 12 February 2025 | 0h 44m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Marcus Bull about his book The Great Siege of Malta. Discusses Suleiman the Magnificent’s attempt to conquer Malta, the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, pitting Grand Master Jean de Valette and his force of outnumbered defenders against an elite Ottoman army.

Eugene Rogan on The Damascus Events

Historically Thinking | 6 May 2024 | 1h 10m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
Interview with Eugene Rogan about his book The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Discusses the events of July 1860 when a mob attacked the Christian quarter of Damascus; the external and internal pressures that led to the Damascus events; the immediate precipitation of the events; the eight days of violence and key figures in saving lives; how the violence was ended; and finally how the Christian population was reintegrated into the Damascus community.

See also Eugene Rogan’s FT essay Lessons from history for the modern Middle East.

The Extraordinary Life of Sultan Selim I

History Extra | 28 August 2020 | 0h 58m | Listen Later | iTunes
Interview with Alan Mikhail about his book God’s Shadow: Sultan Selim, His Ottoman Empire, and the Making of the Modern World. Discusses his biography of the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, backgrounding how he transformed the empire in the early 16th century, and explaining the important consequences for the rest of the world.