EST. Oct 2013
This podcast covers more than 1,300 years of the most exciting history you've never heard of before. From the early days of a steppe tribe fleeing destruction and challenging one of history's greatest empires for their very survival to empire building of their own and ultimately struggling to survive 5 centuries of statelessness.
I promise, you're in for quite a ride.
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The Seasons
Season 1:
The First Bulgarian Empire
The story of how a steppe tribe managed to build a European Empire and shape the history of he continent in the process.
Season 2:
Byzantine Domination
We follow events from the destruction of Bulgaria to the heights of Byzantine power, just to watch it crumble.
Season 3:
The Second Bulgarian Empire
Reborn through revolution, a new Bulgarian state explodes onto the European scene and fights for survival in a fast changing world.
Season 4:
Ottoman Domination
Just what was the experience of living inside the fast changing Ottoman Empire? This season covers the rise to power of the Ottomans.
Season 7:
Independence
Finally free from the Ottomans, Bulgaria fights to find its way in the world as great power politics, radical ideas, and wars shape and reshape the young country.
Season 5:
Ottoman Decline
As the world changes faster than ever, Ottoman expansion slows to a crawl before finally beginning its slow retreat.
Season 8:
The Calm Before the Storm
With its tumultuous politics stabilized and international recognition obtained, Bulgaria builds its strength for conflicts on the horizon.
Season 6:
Bulgarian Awakening
Rising national consciousness and resistance to the Ottoman Empire explode into literature, education, and bloody revolution.
Season 9:
The National Catastrophes
After decades spent preparing, Bulgaria finally attempts to achieve its national ambitions.
Season 10:
The Experiment
In the aftermath of the National Catastrophes, Bulgaria embarks on a series of political experiments.
And More...
The podcast will eventually cover all of Bulgarian history until the present day.
The Host
I was born in Washington DC to a family without any connections to Bulgaria, but have been studying and reading about Bulgarian history since 2005. My initial interest was sparked by Crown of Thorns, an engrossing biography of Tsar Boris III. Ironically enough, I became obsessed with podcasts around the same time.
Since then I completed a bachelors degree in history and political science at the University of Mary Washington including a year at the American University in Bulgaria and an MA in Nationalism Studies at Central European University in Budapest. My thesis was about the political ideology of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Alexander Stamboliiski, a project I then continued in Sofia with a Fulbright grant.
But after deciding not to pursue a PhD, I chose to settle in my adopted home of Bulgaria and engage in my passion for its history through this podcast instead. Over a decade later, it's become one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
Aside from working on the podcast I serve on the board of Fulbright Bulgaria, write content for clients like Agile Sherpas, and lend my voice to projects like the new Sofia metro line and the audio guide of the National Archeological Museum in Sofia.
Contact
© 2022 by Eric D. Halsey.