TH2022 Ep12 5 Villains from History

Season 2022 – Talk 12 – 5 Villains from History

In 5 Villains from History our five speakers explain the villany of these characters who are responsible for many deaths, often in unpleasant ways.

Warning: the details may be upsetting to some.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

Vlad III:

In the first part of this talk Jenny Staple tells us about Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler because of his favoured method of execution. He is also known as Vlad Dracula.

Vlad was Voivode of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.

He is the second son of Vlad Dracul, ruler of Wallachia from 1436 to 1447. The Ottomans hold Vlad and his younger brother, Radu, as hostages to secure their father’s loyalty.

Vlad’s father and eldest brother are murdered in 1447. Vlad replaces his second cousin as Voivode in 1448 and exacts revenge on his enemies.

Che Guevara:

A hero to the poor and oppressed but a villain to big business and the US. A doctor, a terrorist or, depending on your view, a freedom fighter. An image on millions of T shirts. You choose.

Ian Wallace weaves the fascinating story of Che, his travels and his activities to foment revolution.

Idi Amin:

Michael A’Bear tells the story of Idi Amin, a man he describes as a ‘rotter’. People believe that he was born around 1925, however no none is sure of the exact date.

Michael tells us that his father abandoned the family after naming his son after himself. The young Amin grows up with his mother’s family in a farming area.

He joins the Kings African Rifles as an assistant cook in 1946 and, by 1952, becomes a Corporal. In Michael’s opinion he should have remained a Corporal!

He falsely claims to have served in Burma in the Second World War. By July 1961 he has risen to be a Lieutenant, one of Uganda’s first two commissioned officers. When Uganda becomes independent in 1962 his rise through the ranks continues.

One officer says of him ‘Idi Amin is a splendid type and a good rugby player, but virtually bone from the neck up, and needs things explained in words of one letter’.  Unfortunately he seizes power in a military coup and becomes a military dictator. Estimates of the number killed by his regime vary between 300,000 and 500,000.

Mao Zedong:

Another person where people have ‘Marmite‘ views. The China of Mao’s youth is ruled by a corrupt dynastic aristocracy and warlords and so the majority of citizens count for nothing.

In 1921 Mao becomes a founder member of the Chinese Communist Party and over the years works his way up the hierarchy. He suffers a number of rebuffs but is always proven right.

In 1934 he leads the Communists on the Long March to North West China. On 1 October 1949 Mao announces the formation of the People’s Republic of China which he leads as Chairman until 1976. Alan Freeland explains all!

James Warren Jones:

A Vicar, a supposed ‘man of God’, a person who persuades his followers to take poison in a mass murder/suicide and one who says ‘I was ready to kill by the third grade’.

Jones forms a religious cult where his followers must give up their assets and do as he instructs. He is in contact with some powerful people in the US, including Walter Mondale, J Edgar Hoover and Rosalynn Carter.

The cult moves to Jonestown in Guyana. Following a fact finding visit in 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan and four others are shot by Jonestown’s Red Brigade. The residents of Jonestown drink Flavor Aid laced with a number of sedatives and cyanide.

Listen to the podcast and hear our five speakers tell the story of these ‘5 Villains from History’. Then decide who to save!

About this podcast:

This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History  Group.

It is not possible to use some of the images from the original talks for copyright reasons.

The Farnham u3a site is here.

You can also listen using Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2023

USRJ S3 Ep03 The journey begins..

The journey begins….. – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 3

As ‘The journey begins…..’ we pull out of Amtrak’s Miami station. Our train is longer than usual because it includes carriages for the suspended Silver Meteor service.

View the photographs that accompany this podcast:

Please click on a thumbnail to open the gallery:

My first breaker’s yard:

As we travel through the north Miami suburbs we pass a train full of scrap metal and then a breaker’s yard. The first breaker’s yard of the series! I’m sure there will be many more.

Hollywood, Florida:

Our first stop is in Hollywood, the Florida one. The town is between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The paved broad-walk by the beach is nearly 2 1/2 miles long.

Apparently there are seven miles of beach, seven golf courses and many parks in the town. Find out more by clicking here. Or watch their beach cam.

Fort Lauderdale:

The city is known as the Venice of America because it has a large canal system. It is a popular tourist destination with many restaurants,  nightclubs and, of course, beaches.

Check out the weather and waves on this beach cam. Because advertising funds the webcam it turns off after 10 seconds if you use an ‘ad blocker’.

Deerfield Beach:

This town is named after the deer that grazed along the Hillsboro river.

The historic station not only has trains but also hosts SFRM – The South Florida Railway Museum. Their website is here. Sadly the train doesn’t stop for long enough for a visit to the museum.

The museum takes part in the Operation Lifesaver rail safety programme which makes the public aware of the dangers associated with level crossings.

Delray Beach:

Another short journey to the next station in the next small town with a beach. You can find out more here. The land boom in the 1920s brought prosperity and now tourism is a major industry.

West Palm Beach:

This is the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida with the station dating from 1925. In 2019 53,700 Amtrak passengers used it.

The city is home to over 117,000 residents.

Okeechobee:

According to the town’s website ‘if you’re looking for a friendly, rural, small town community with a forward-thinking attitude, you’ll feel right at home here in Okeechobee!’

The station is next to a level crossing and the long train causes a traffic queue because it has to make multiple stops as the platform is shorter than the train.

Next up:

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this podcast. Please join me in a couple of weeks for the next part of my journey on the Silver Star to New York.

Links:

To visit the Amtrak website please follow this link.

This podcast is also available through Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

Music:

AKM Music licenses the theme, Steam Railway and The 50s 56 Caddy for use in this podcast.

© The MrT Podcast Studio 2019 – 2023

TH2022 Ep11 John Churchill

Season 2022 – Talk 11 – John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough

In John Churchill – the First Duke of Marlborough David Simpson explains why many believe that he was Britain’s greatest general.

Click a thumbnail below to view the image gallery that accompanies the talk.

Childhood:

He is the second, and surviving, son of the first Sir Winston Churchill. His father backs the Royalists in the Civil War and has to pay a large fine. The family has little money. Their mother in law takes the family in although she is a staunch Parliamentarian!

The Restoration sees Winston becoming Member of Parliament for Weymouth and John’s eldest sister, Arabella, becomes maid of honour to the Duke of York’s wife. Arabella begins an affair with James, Duke of York which results in four children.

John becomes a page to the Duke and the becomes an Ensign in the Foot Guards.

Youth:

John (allegedly) has an affair with Barbara Villiers, an ex-mistress of Charles II. It is possible that a child results from the affair but John never acknowledges this. John is getting to have powerful contacts.

Military career:

Churchill becomes a Captain in the Duke of York’s Admiralty Regiment. This is part of the British Brigade under the command of the Duke of Monmouth, an illegitimate son of Charles II.

We hear of Churchill’s part in the abdication of King James II, his famous victories,  his difficult relationships with William and Mary, Queen Anne and George I.

Britain’s greatest general:

David concludes by giving his reasons as to why he, and many other historians, rate John Churchill, the First Duke of Marlborough, as Britain’s greatest general.

Listen to the podcast and hear David Simpson tell the full story of this great General.

About this podcast:

This is an edited recording of a talk given to the Farnham u3a World History  Group. Unfortunately there is, in places, some background noise from a keep fit class in another room in Farnham Maltings.

It is not possible to use some of the images in the original talk for copyright reasons.

The Farnham u3a site is here.

You can also listen using Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox , Deezer, Podchaser, Spotify, Stitcher and Vurbl and others.

AKM Music licenses Media Magazine for use as the theme music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham u3a World History Group 2018 – 2023