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Empire: World History

77. The Great Game Begins

Empire: World History

Goalhanger

History

4.55.4K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It will all begin on the banks of the River Niemen. Tsar Alexander forms a pact with Napoleon; the Russian Empire, along with the French, will try to take control of British India. The British increasingly become nervous about losing their prized possession and hostile towards Russia. What will follow has come to be known as the Great Game in Britain and the Tournament of Shadows in Russia. It is the ultimate imperial rivalry; Britain and Russia, the two greatest powers of the day, vying for control of the centre of the world. Listen as William and Anita tell the story of the origins of this battle for power. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Jack Davenport + Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

If you want access to bonus episodes reading lists for every series of empire, a chat community,

0:06.7

discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcast, add free listening and a weekly

0:11.5

newsletter, sign up to Empire Club at

0:14.4

W.

0:15.1

W. Empire pod UK.com. Hello and me William Deremptor.

0:28.8

Hello and welcome to Empire with me Anita Arnan and me William

0:34.4

Durham pool we're sort of bag on on current events aren't we you William with this

0:38.1

series happen we'll be lost in distant midst of the past but we are absolutely and the whole

0:44.8

progosion plane crashing out of the sky all the conspiracy theories some elements in

0:51.0

Russia blaming the Brits this all seems very familiar.

0:53.6

Well this is very very interesting so this was last week for those of you who might have

0:57.5

missed it but it's a former pro-Russian MP who has been saying on the talk show circuit in Russia which is you know famously

1:06.8

free of any interference from the central state that I'll quote what he said is that I'm in

1:11.5

no doubt that this has the signature of the British on it and this is Ehor Markov saying this

1:18.2

This always happens is kind of a Hollywood kind of scene is what he's saying that it was all all set up and why it's

1:24.9

important and why it's relevant is that there has been this age-old face-off

1:29.8

between Britain and Russia and never more keenly felt than Afghanistan which has been this

1:37.7

arena for gladiatorial battle which is just miserable because there is a place called Afghanistan with

1:44.0

Afghans living in it who have had to endure centuries of this nonsense. But

1:49.2

Britain and Russia facing off is nothing, nothing new and William I'm the series we're doing sort of a slight dog leg in the in the

1:57.8

Russia series not really because it is all very relevant to why Russia thinks the

2:01.8

way it does and why Britain thinks the way it does.

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