The Great Betrayal: Jean-Paul Sartre and the Arabs
From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, Jean-Paul Sartre’s philosophy, and his political recipes for self-emancipation, guided the project of Arab liberation. From the very beginning, Middle Eastern intellectuals considered Sartre’s ideas rich, meaningful and appropriate for their needs. Their goal was ambitious: the invention of a new type of Arab man and woman: sovereign, authentic, self-confident, self-sufficient, proud, willing to sacrifice and therefore, existentially free.
15 Minute History
Episode 104: Foreign Fighters in the Spanish Civil War
Host: Joan Neuberger, Professor, Department of History
Guest: Lisa Kirschenbaum, Professor of History, West Chester University
During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), which pitted a left-leaning Republic, supported by the Soviet Union, against right-leaning nationalists, supported by the Nazi, more than 35,000 people from more than 50 countries went to Spain to fight against fascism for the Republic.
Today’s guest, Lisa Kirschenbaum of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, talks about who some of those people were and what role the Soviet Union played in training them and welcoming them as exiles.
Listen to the podcast (or read the transcript) on our website
Subscribe to 15 Minute History on Apple Podcasts
Episode 103: French Child Ambassadors in the East
Host: Christopher Rose, Department of History
Guest: Julia Gossard, Department of History, Utah State University
In the 17th and 18th centuries, France had its eyes on creating a worldwide trading empire. French merchant families began sending young men–teenagers by modern definitions–to the Ottoman Empire, India, and Southeast Asia, where they were expected to learn local languages and trading customs, while representing French values and serving as the vanguard of French imperialism. However, things didn’t always go according to plan.
Guest Julia Gossard shares her research into the fascinating world of child ambassadors who were expected to live in two worlds and create lasting relationships between France and a global network of allies.
Listen to the podcast (or read the transcript) on our website
Subscribe to 15 Minute History on Apple Podcasts