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The French History Podcast

Evergreen Podcasts
France
French Revolution
First Crusade
Crusades
Occitania
World War II
Mental Health
Jerusalem
Philippe II
Louvre
Christianity
Battle Of Bovine
Relationships
Notre-Dame De Paris
Napoleon Bonaparte
Albigensian Crusade
Self-Esteem
Toulouse
Ghosting
Chivalry

A weekly history podcast that will cover France from 3 million years ago to present. Presented by Dr. Gary Girod, with contributions by numerous scholars.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes289Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistorySociety & Culture

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Artwork for The French History Podcast

Latest Episodes

Straight from the heart from someone who believes storytelling is a sacred art.

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Two holy sites claim ownership of Mary Magdalene's remains. Only one skull can be the genuine bone belonging to Mary Magdalene. What follows is an epic tale of faith, fraud and the remaking of the European mind.

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Dr. Aliza Luft discusses how high-ranking leaders in the French Catholic Church abandoned Jews during their hour of need during World War 2.

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We're talking all about one of France's greatest cities: Toulouse.

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Dr. Aliza Luft
Associate Professor of Sociology at UCLA; author of Sacred Betrayal
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Episode: Sacred Betrayal: The Catholic Church & French Jewry in WW2 with Dr. Aliza Luft
Dr. Kevin Passmore
Professor of history at Cardiff University, Wales; specialist on the French far right; author of Maginot Line, A New History
Cardiff University
Episode: The Maginot Line Reevaluated with Dr. Kevin Passmore
Paolo Aversa
Professor of strategy, King's College London
King's Business School
Episode: Naming the Guillotine with Drs. Paolo Aversa & Paul Gouvard
Paul Gouvard
Assistant Professor, SSEC Business School; researcher in evaluation of organizations
SSEC Business School
Episode: Naming the Guillotine with Drs. Paolo Aversa & Paul Gouvard
Maria Macauva
Researcher focused on innovation, creativity and institutional change
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan
Episode: Naming the Guillotine with Drs. Paolo Aversa & Paul Gouvard
Dr. Scott Dominic Carpenter
Professor of French literature and culture
Carleton College
Episode: Make America French Again with Dr. Scott Carpenter
Dr. Ashley Valanzola
Author of When She Remembered, Seven Women Who Transformed French Holocaust Memory
Clark University (Assistant Professor of History, Holocaust Pedagogy and Anti-Semitism Studies)
Episode: Jewish Women & the Memory of the Holocaust with Dr. Ashley Valanzola
Dr. Drew Flanagan
Assistant Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Episode: Civilizing Germany? The French Occupation of Germany with Dr. Drew Flanagan
James Giesler
Author, Francisco de Saavedra's American Revolutionary War
Author, Francisco de Saavedra's American Revolutionary War
Episode: Working together: Spain & France in the American Revolutionary War with James Giesler

Host

Gary Girod
host of The French History Podcast

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 856 ratings
  • Oh those Celts

    I was amazed to find out how much France changed the world. I especially enjoyed the series about the French-led first crusade.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Doublechin35
    Canada18 days ago
  • My place to come back

    Of all the podcasts I’ve followed over the years, this is the one I keep coming back to. Gary tells French history the way it deserves: thorough, well-sourced, and genuinely engaging, without ever dumbing it down. As a Dutchman with one foot in France, it has taught me more about the country I love than any book I’ve read. Easily my favourite podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Phrozbug
    Netherlands2 months ago
  • Gary is a pro!

    Stumbled upon this treasure trove after a week of galloping through prehistoric, Medieval, Roman, and WWII sites in Bretagne and realizing the internal timelines of my French husband and I were a mess. Our visit to the Carn de Barnenez led me to this podcast and I’ve been hooked for months. Gary’s start at the very beginning approach is excellent and helps to make a lot of unconnected books and visits make a lot more sense. His guest podcasters are also great. I’ve learned so much and continue t... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    WooComputerGirl
    United States4 months ago
  • Excellent Deep Dive Yet Concise

    Excellent deep dive yet Gary is still perfectly concise. He explains events in Gaul and France, with a nod to broader world events. Wonderful voice and sense of humor.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BlueBird867
    United States4 months ago
  • When!

    Are you going to make an episode that continues the narrative soon? the last one I saw was during the reign of Philip ll Augustus.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lil Phez
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests are generally seen as strong, scholarly contributors.
Listener reviews praise deep research and approachable delivery.
Some listeners critique pacing or delivery style but still value the content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#113
Poland/History
Apple Podcasts
#203
South Korea/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Sacred Betrayal: The Catholic Church & French Jewry in WW2 with Dr. Aliza Luft
Q: How did the Jewish-Catholic relationship impact how French Jews acted during the occupation and their response to new forms of discrimination?
The guest argues that because many French Jews saw Catholic leaders as moral authorities, private expressions of sympathy by church officials created a lag between state policy and public perception, leading Jews to hope for protection and to refrain from broad public protests, while continuing private support and coordination with religious leaders.
Sacred Betrayal: The Catholic Church & French Jewry in WW2 with Dr. Aliza Luft
Q: What made you want to write a book on this particular topic?
Luft explains that personal history as a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, combined with professional motivation to study how leadership frames and transmits state violence, drew her to examine how messo-level religious leaders shaped local and national responses to anti-Semitic policies in France.
The Maginot Line Reevaluated with Dr. Kevin Passmore
Q: What is the Maginot Line's legacy as it concerns military thinking, politics, and popular culture?
Its legacy is mixed: it became a symbol of both advanced technology and a criticized, expensive strategic mistake; in culture it's viewed as emblematic of decadence or a failure to anticipate strategic flexibility, though Passmore argues it was high-tech and not the sole shaper of French doctrine.
The Maginot Line Reevaluated with Dr. Kevin Passmore
Q: Can you talk about the process of constructing this line, and what the line looked like when it was finished?
The Line comprised dozens of large artillery forts and many smaller infantry forts, connected by tunnels in some cases but not all, with complex underground complexes, munitions entrances, and surface combat blocks; construction required massive expropriation of land, immigrant labor, and substantial concrete work.
The Maginot Line Reevaluated with Dr. Kevin Passmore
Q: Let's start in the realm of ideas. What lessons did French military and political leaders learn from World War I, and how did they attempt to apply them to defend France from future German aggression?
French leaders debated defense in depth versus fixed fortifications, with Pétain advocating echeloned field defenses to preserve troops and speed construction, while others pushed for large forts to deter invasion; the interwar period saw evolving doctrine in response to lessons from Verdun and shifts in technology.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The French History Podcast

What is The French History Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A comprehensive weekly history show focusing on France from ancient times to the present, often featuring scholarly guests who illuminate topics like political structures, memory, violence, and transnational connections across the Atlantic world. Episodes blend deep archival detail with accessible storytelling, peppered by sponsor messages and occasional cross-promotions. Notable strengths include a consistently well-researched approach, use of guest experts, and a broad, cross-era sweep that helps listeners connect long-running themes in French history to contemporary culture and politics. Potential listeners who enjoy rigorous historical analysis, nuanced regional contrasts (e.g., Occitania), and transnational perspectives will likely fin... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The French History Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The French History Podcast:

1. The History of England
2. History of the Germans from the Middle Ages to Reunification
3. History of Persia
4. Gone Medieval
5. The British History Podcast

How many episodes of The French History Podcast are there?

The French History Podcast launched 8 years ago and published 289 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The French History Podcast?

Recent guests on The French History Podcast include:

1. Dr. Aliza Luft
2. Dr. Kevin Passmore
3. Paolo Aversa
4. Paul Gouvard
5. Maria Macauva
6. Dr. Scott Dominic Carpenter
7. Dr. Ashley Valanzola
8. Dr. Drew Flanagan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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