Welcome to the next in the Podcast Showcase series, where we share podcasts with you in the words of the podcasters themselves. This time, we talk to Three Decades of Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War.
Sum up your podcast in three sentences
The Thirty Years war is an important aspect of modern European history, yet it is little known or talked about as I found. So I wanted people to have a more comprehensive understanding of this devastating war, to understand it’s influence on European history. And to make it in shorter episodes so it’s not as overwhelming.
Who is your ideal listener? Who loves your show?
Anyone who loves history and wants to learn more about this era in European history. I want people to have an open mind when learning about this war that most people regard as a footnote.
As for who loves my show, same as above. It’s a fairly niche interest, but I have gotten reviews and comments about how I made the war easier to understand.
That was what I wanted, so history lovers are always welcome, as well as anyone who wants to learn about the topic!
What made you start this podcast?
Honestly, it was hearing stuff like The History of Rome and other podcasts like that on my commute to work a few years ago. I got hooked and loved hearing someone else put the research together in an easy to digest package.
And I remembered I liked studying Gustavus for my final paper in college, and knew little about the war as a whole, so this was a way for me to learn too, under the guise of telling others.
I had a collection of secondary and primary sources from my final paper, so I put them to good use, never looking back. Peter Wilson is a lifesaver, I’ll tell you.
What have you learned about your subject thanks to this podcast?
Honestly, there is so much that I learned. Most about the initial revolts, the whole Danish phase of the war, and the internal issues of the Swedish aspect of the war.
But the most most interesting thing was learning just how much stuff like the Spanish and Dutch moved in and out of the war, mostly staying out of any conflicts involved in the Thirty Years War. Hell, the Thirty Years War is basically an umbrella which covered a number of smaller individual wars, kind of like the Cold War.
My brain tends to forget details awhile after I finish each episode, but I love having a bigger picture of this war, and learning why it was so destructive and why it just kept going after one war ended and the next one began.
What has your experience of podcasting been? What do you love / hate about the process?
Podcasting has been a fun experience. I was never really a public speaker, so it was nerve-wracking to speak for the first time. It got easier, though I still need to work on the words slipping from my mouth.
It’s been great telling the stories and getting them out there. I was surprised at how popular I got, relatively speaking.
As for what I love and hate, I love the research process, though I admittedly had to motivate myself to get a script going early, which was the hard part. I have a better method now, but building habits was not fast.
There’s nothing I really hate, especially because I pace myself every two weeks, to make room for other hobbies and my job.
If someone wants to start listening to your podcast, which episode would you recommend they start with? Why?
The simple answer is at the start, as this is a narrative history. If a listener does know the basics of the Holy Roman Empire, they can skip right to the Defenestration of Prague. And I do segment my podcast into seasons linked to different wars and people jumping into the conflict, if one wanted to jump ahead.
Which other podcasts do you love listening to?
Other podcasts tend to be the History of Rome, which I mentioned earlier, the History of England, The History of Byzantium and Age of Conquest. They are all great history podcasts I listen to while at work.
For non-history, I’m a big tabletop nerd, so I mainly listen to a bit of Critical Role and High Rollers D&D. Always fun to listen to.
If people want to find you online, where can they do so?
You can find me at Facebook, Patreon and my own website. You can also email me at 3decot@gmail.com for any questions, comments or anything else podcast related!
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Image credit: Scottish mercenaries in the Thirty Years War, assumed to be men of Mackay’s Regiment landing in the Baltic port of Stettin in 1630 or 1631. This print is regarded as the earliest surviving depiction of Highland dress. The original caption states, “They are a strong and hardy people who survive on little food. If they have no bread, they eat roots [turnips may be intended]. When necessary, they can cover more than 20 German miles in a day’s forced march. [1 German mile = 4¾ English miles!] Besides muskets, they carry bows, quivers and long swords.” By Georg Cöler
