Michael Rapport

Michael Rapport, Reader in Modern European History at the University of Glasgow, guides a vivid retelling of 1789 Paris. Short scenes cover why revolution caught France off guard. He unpacks the Bastille’s military role and symbolic power. Listeners hear how crowd action, troop movements and political crisis turned a royal fortress into a spark for nationwide upheaval.

Dr Michael Rapport, Reader in Modern European History at the University of Glasgow, discusses the Reign of Terror and its backdrop. He traces how war, economic collapse and emergency institutions drove mass repression. Conversation covers the Law of Suspects, local surveillance systems, the guillotine’s shift from reform to spectacle, roles of women, and why key figures like Robespierre fell.

Frank Cogliano, a Professor of American History, Kathleen Burk, a Professor Emerita specializing in modern history, and Michael Rapport, an expert in European history, dive deep into the transformative 1778 Franco-American alliance. They discuss France's motivation for supporting the American Revolution and its subsequent financial strains that fueled the French Revolution. The conversation also touches on America's tricky diplomacy amidst renewed Franco-British conflict, the influence of Benjamin Franklin, and the evolving dynamics surrounding slavery and revolutionary fervor.