VIDEO ARCHIVE

Revolution in Ukraine (3:27): “Window to Europe—the Official Euromaidan Song,” a reference to the Maidan (Freedom) Square where the 2013-2014 uprising in Ukraine took place.

Peasant Life in Pre-Modern Europe (3:15): hilarious clip from Monty Python’s “Holy Grail” (1975).

Official trailer for “Into the Woods” (2:41): this 2014 Disney film with an all-star cast shows the staying power of age-old fairy tales even in our modern era.

French Revolution Song—“Ah! Ça ira!” (1:57): A song from the French Revolution, “Ah! It’ll be fine,” first heard in May 1790, performed here by famed French singer Édith Piaf in a French film about the French Revolution.

The CNN Millennium Series: 18^th Century—the Furnace (45:05): deals with the European Enlightenment, the devastating 1755 earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, the American and French Revolutions, and developments in India and China as well.

The French Revolution In a Nutshell (2:50): a brief but instructive video that highlights key aspects of the late 18^th century French Revolution.

History Channel Documentary on the French Revolution (1:30:17): an excellent overview of developments leading up the revolution and of the events of the revolution itself.

French Revolution—Assassin’s Creed (1:54): the events of the French Revolution popularized in a modern video game, “Assassin’s Creed Unity: Inside the Revolution.”

The French Revolution: Crash Course World History (11:54): John Green gives a humorous but accurate summation of the key events leading up to, during, and after the French Revolution, with comparisons to the American Revolution along the way.

A musical tribute to Napoleon (3:31): With scenes from a French film about him set to the music “Two Steps from Hell” by “Protectors of the Earth.”

Documentary on Napoleon Bonaparte (3:32:00): An Excellent four-part documentary on the former leader done by PBS in 2000:

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4

Film about Napoleon’s Life (4:16): A short film of Napoleon’s rise and fall set to the music “Lachrimae” by Audiomachine.

The Industrial Revolution (and how it ruined my life) (5:13): a humorous and critical take on the legacy of the Industrial Revolution by “Voltaire.”

The CNN Millennium Series: 19^th Century—the Machine (44:47): deals with the rise of steam power and the early Industrial Revolution, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, European colonial expansion, the Opium Wars in China, and the impact of industrialization around the world.

BBC Documentary on the Industrial Revolution (57:58): In this 2013 BBC program renowned historian Jeremy Black takes viewers on an odyssey to 18^th and 19^th century England to determine why the Industrial Revolution began there.

The Song of the French Revolution (2:11): From the film Les Misérables (2012) based on Victor Hugo’s famed novel that culminates in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris.

BBC Documentary of Marxism (54:03): This 1983 BBC documentary written and narrated by Stuart Hall spells out the basics of Marxist thought as well as some of the details of Marx’s life.

Italian Unification—3 Minute History (3:34): This brief piece summarizes nicely the key developments leading to the unification of Italy in the nid-1800s.

European Colonialism (5:22): An overview of colonialism based on European newsreels from the 1930s.  The newsreels emphasize the colonial mission of bringing health care, education, and general "care" for the native populations around the world as part of their "burden" of "civilizing" the world's savages. 

Europe 1895-1900 (5:12): early video images of various European cities—Paris, Dresden, Milan, London, Budapest, Brussels, Nice, Venice, and Barcelona—in the final years of the 19^th century set to the music “At the Ivy Gate” by Relaxing Piano Music.

Songs of World War I (5:40): “Songs of WWI”—in order: “It’s A Long Way to Berlin but We’ll Get There”; “The Yanks Started Yankin”; “I May Stay Away A Little Longer”; “It’s A Long Way to Tipperary”; “What Kind of an American Are You”; “How Ya Gonna Keep Them Down on the Farm.”

“Killing Fields—1914” (53:41): This episode of the PBS series “The People’s Century” (2000) is about the First World War or The Great War or The War to End All Wars as it was variously known.

The Versailles Peace Treaty (3:06): this is a succinct but precise report on the 1919 Versailles Peace Treaty; it ends with a note on the rise of fascism in Germany.

“Lost Peace—1919” (53:21): This episode of the PBS series “The People’s Century” (2000) focuses on the Versailles Peace Treaty and how it failed to avert the coming of another war.

Biography of Benito Mussolini (10:32): An excerpt from the Biography Channel episode on the Italian fascist leader, this one dealing with his early life and rise to power.

“Master Race—1933” (53:39): This episode of the PBS series “The People’s Century” (2000) is about the rise of fascism in Europe and specifically Adolph Hitler in Germany with his ideology of racial superiority and his policies leading the world to war.

“Total War—1939” (53:42): This episode of the PBS series “The People’s Century” (2000) is about World War II and the devastation it wrought to counties and people around the world.

“Atomic Café” (1:25:26): a fascinating documentary film on the Cold War era based exclusively on old newsreels, television interviews, commercials, and footage, and school filmstrips, including the old “duck and cover” video for schoolchildren.