We found 10 episodes of The Year That Was with the tag “world history”.
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Through Cloud, Hopeful: Eddington, Einstein, and the Eclipse of 1919
July 4th, 2021 | Season 1 | 58 mins 16 secs
1919, albert einstein, arthur eddington, astronomy, european history, gravity, physics, relativity, science, season 1, technology, world history, world war 1
Arthur Eddington was committed to testing Einstein's General Theory of Relativity during the 1919 Solar Eclipse, not only to remove all doubts about the theory but also to demonstrate the value of scientific internationalism. But the British Army was determined to send him to the Front. Eddington faced the greatest challenge of his life: proving his opposition to violence and his dedication to science were both a matter of conscience.
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The Pursuit of Truth: Eddington, Einstein, and the Eclipse of 1919
June 28th, 2021 | Season 1 | 51 mins 51 secs
1919, albert einstein, arthur eddington, astronomy, european history, gravity, physics, relativity, science, season 1, technology, world history, world war 1
In 1914, most scientists claimed their work knew no borders, but the Great War slammed the door on international scientific cooperation. So when a obscure German physicist named Albert Einstein presented a radical new explanation of gravity, he feared no one outside of Germany would be willing to help confirm his theory. He had no idea that his work would come to the attention of the one man able to make the critical observations and willing to explore German ideas--the pacifist astronomer Arthur Eddington.
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Dulce Et Decorum Est: The Legacies of Fritz Haber
May 29th, 2021 | Season 1 | 1 hr 7 mins
1919, albert einstein, european history, fritz haber, science, season 1, technology, world history, world war 1
German scientist Fritz Haber is credited with one of the most important scientific inventions in human history. You are likely alive right now thanks to Haber. But the same man is also responsible for introducing one of the greatest horrors of the Great War, poison gas. What do we owe this man, who gave life with one hand and took it away with the other?
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A Grubby Little War: The Collapse of the Ottoman Empire
November 12th, 2019 | Season 1 | 57 mins 9 secs
1919, colonies, imperialism, iraq, israel, mesopotamia, ottoman empire, palestine, season 1, turkey, world history
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire set off a mad scramble for territory. No one paid any attention to what the people who actually lived in the former empire actually wanted. But in the heart of Anatolia, one Turkish general was determined to preserve his homeland.
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No Question of Undue Severity: The India Independence Movement
October 29th, 2019 | Season 1 | 59 mins 29 secs
1919, colonies, imperialism, india, indian history, season 1, world history
At the end of World War I, Great Britain promised India increased autonomy with one hand and took civil rights away with another. The furious population welcomed the leadership of a nationalist with a compelling message of non-violence and self-reliance, one Mohandas K. Gandhi. But when Gandhi organized nationwide protests, the British reacted with fear and force, especially in Amritsar, where a mob lashed out against English residents. The confrontation would end in one of the most shocking events in colonial history.
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Giving the Natives a Free Hand: The Irish Fight for Independence
October 22nd, 2019 | Season 1 | 48 mins 19 secs
1919, colonies, great britain, imperialism, ireland, irish history, season 1, world history
The Irish had tried to free themselves from British control for centuries, always to fail. But in 1922, the Irish Free State took its place among the world's independent nations. Learn how an election, a shadow government, and a key literally baked into a cake brought independence to Ireland--along with a bloody civil war.
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No Cause for Panic: The Spanish Flu Pandemic
October 15th, 2019 | Season 1 | 43 mins 8 secs
1919, american history, history, india, ireland, season 1, spanish flu, world history
The emergence of the flu virus that swept the globe between 1918 and 1920 was entirely unexpected, but the resulting pandemic can't be called an entirely natural disaster. Governments made decisions that made the flu much, much worse, and those decisions would have long-lasting consequences--and leave between 50 and 100 million dead.
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Eggshells Loaded with Dynamite: Allied Intervention in the Russian Revolution
October 8th, 2019 | Season 1 | 20 mins 24 secs
1919, american history, history, russian history, russian revolution, season 1, world history
In 1919, thousands of American soldiers fought Russian troops on Russian soil--despite the fact President Woodrow Wilson had promised to allow Russia to determine its own political future. Why did the Allies rush to land troops in eastern Siberia and along the Arctic Ocean? And why have we forgotten all about it?
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A Gladiator's Gesture: Art after the Great War
September 24th, 2019 | Season 1 | 42 mins 46 secs
1919, american history, art history, dada, european history, return to order, season 1, surrealism, world history
In 1919, two competing art movements went head-to-head in Paris. One was The Return to Order, a movement about purity and harmony. The other was Dada, a movement about chaos and destruction. Their collision would change the trajectory of Western art.
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Burdened with Glorious Purpose: Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations
September 10th, 2019 | Season 1 | 37 mins 54 secs
1919, american history, episode 2, league of nations, paris peace conference, season 1, woodrow wilson, world history
Woodrow Wilson believed he and he alone could end war--forever. His plan for the League of Nations would usher in an era of eternal peace. So it really hurt the president's feelings when not everyone agreed with his vision.