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Hanging with History

The first season focuses on the origins of the Industrial Revolution or the Great Enrichment, we go deep into history to gain enough background knowledge to actually understand the various theories of the origins of the Great Enrichment. Eventually we learn that we also need to know how the miracle was consolidated, as the many other close approaches to the Industrial Revolution failed.A kwirky style, but intellectually ambitious with the goal of understanding history well enough to understand the miracle that happened that one time. It's gonna be a long series.

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Hanging with History

Ottoman Empire; The Sick Man of Europe

February 25, 2026 • Harald Hansen • Season 1 • Episode 205

0:00 | 41:32

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For the Ottoman empire the French Revolution to Waterloo have a definte arc, and it isn’t pretty, and there is some coverage up to the Crimean War.

The start of the Revolution coincides with the Rule of Selim 3rd in 1789. And he was a reformer as was his father, he was raised to appreciate the West. The end of this period will see the 2nd Serbian Revolution, which will end with limited autonomy for Serbia, and the subsequent political fragmentation of the Ottoman empire.

The Ottoman empire is not a state like any other in Europe. It’s not merely that it is ruled by Moslems. It is also has a traditional culture. Traditional in this case can be heard as code for backward. And it is true the Ottoman Empire was far from the Technological frontier. And the institutional frontier. It surprising because like many traditional societies it had been at or near the frontier in the past.