Explaining 17th Century Western Europe

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch is joined by business development executive and agriculture technology industry entrepreneur Austin Padgett and explore 17th century Western Europe's pivotal transformation. They examine how the Protestant-Catholic divide, parallel to modern political polarization, shaped warfare, science, and economics.

The conversation reveals how the Dutch and English success in breaking monopolies and embracing agricultural innovation set the stage for the Industrial Revolution and modern capitalism.

,

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

🎙️ Unpack Pricing - Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg

--

SPONSOR: GIVEWELL

GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us.

FOLLOW ON X:

@whatifalthist (Rudyard)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@TurpentineMedia

--

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:27) The 17th Century: On the Edge of Modernity

(03:52) The Pike and Shot Era & Military Transitions

(06:58) Mercenaries and Defensive Warfare

(09:50) The French Revolution and Mass Conscription

(10:40) Libertarian Perspective & The Shifting Political Compass

(13:40) North Europe's Victory Over South Europe

(17:26) Economic Factors and the Weakening of Monarchies

(20:08) The Elizabethan Golden Age and the Secular Cycle

(22:41) The Protestant Reformation and its Impact

(26:47) Lessons from the 17th Century

(28:04) The Thirty Years War and its Impact on Europe

(30:00) Spain's Economic Failures as a Lesson

(35:30) England and the Netherlands' Breakthroughs

(36:24) The Scientific, Agricultural, and Social Revolutions

(44:48) The Political Context of the 17th Century

(49:51) The Enlightenment and the Thirty Years War's Legacy

(1:00:54) Louis XIV's Reign and the Cultural High Point of France

(1:02:08) Conclusion and U.S. Political Implications

(1:02:50) Book Recommendations

(1:03:46) The Importance of Agriculture

(1:04:19) Wrap

--

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

"The Global Crisis" by Geoffrey Parker

"The Military Revolution" by Geoffrey Parker

"The Age of Reason Begins" by Will Durant

"The Age of Louis XIV"by Will Durant