Pick the Next Extra History Series! "Versus"

 It's time for our Extra History poll! Where you get to vote on what our next Extra History Series is about!

These four topics were selected from our "Versus" Patreon Suggestions and are listed in no particular order below.

The Greco-Persian Wars: Beyond Thermopylae

Despite lasting 50 years, and containing two of history's most famous battles, few people today know the Greco-Persian wars outside of Thermopylae. But the conflict was far more than the famous 300 Spartans. Sparked by a revolt against Persian rule that started because a Persian governor didn't want to be punished, the conflict would ultimately suck in a fractious colation of the Greek states and result in multiple full-scale invasions of Greece. Initially turned back at the Battle of Marathon, Persian forces would return to smash through Thermopylae and burn Athens, only to be defeated at sea, and ultimately repulsed by the unlikely alliance of Greek rivals. Yet even then, the narrative is not so simple. At the height of their victory the Greek alliance would split over anger at Spartan command, and questions remain about how our view of the war is shaped by our main source Heroditus—known to historians as both the Father of History, and the Father of Lies.

War of the Currents: Tesla, Edison and Westinghouse

In general, the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison is overblown. Sure, the men detested each other, but they were merely two players in a much larger power struggle—an electrical power struggle. In 1882, Thomas Edison founded the Edison Illuminating Company, the first investor-owned utility company. For four years they dominated the market with their Direct Current (DC) technology, but in 1886 a new challenger arose in George Westinghouse, whose rival Alternating Current (AC) technology partially developed by former Edison employee Nikola Tesla might ultimately prove more efficient. But while AC's high-voltage power lines were cheaper to install than the buried cables of the DC system, a series of grisly deaths quickly called the AC's safety into question. Edison saw his opening. What followed was a feverish, yearslong tit-for-tat campaign of press manipulation, secret dealings, behind-the-scenes collusion with smaller power companies and cruel publicity stunts such as killing elephants and ensuring electric chairs were powered by Alternating Current. The argument would culminate in rival bids to light the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition—with the prize being who would power the future.

Capone's Gang Wars: Al Capone vs. Bugs Moran

It's 1925, and there's a new boss in charge of the South Side. Al Capone has come to power after his mentor Johnny "The Fox" Torrio handed over the reigns from a hospital bed. There's already a war going on, with Torrio as a casualty, and Capone is built for gang war. Their opponents are the Irish North Side Gang, led by Bugs Moran. A strict Irish Catholic, Moran is disgusted by Capone—especially his prostitution rackets and love of publicity—but knows the young gangster is dangerous. Capone revels in the bloodshed of gangland violence, and employs bombs against establishments that refuse his illegal liquor. But the worst is in the future. By the end, Capone will dodge an assassination attempt with 1,000 bullets fired, and Moran's North Side Gang will suffer the most famous gangland slaying in history—the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre.

The Unholy Roman Emperor: Frederick II vs. The Papacy

HOOOOOOOO BOY y'all. This gets wild. Frederick II was one of the most consequential monarchs of the Holy Roman Empire, and a luminary of 13th-century Europe—but his focus mostly lay in expanding his Sicilian territory into Italy. This brought him into conflict with Pope Gregory IX, who not only was furious at Frederick's refusal to submit to papal authority, but also his perceived hostility to the Christian religion. An early Renaissance man, Frederick was interested in logic, literature, astronomy, and science... including in some rather sinister ways. Infamous for his medical experiments on prisoners (he reportedly fed two prisoners a meal, had one exercise, then cut them open to see which had digested better) he supposedly once tried to have children raised with no social contact to see if they developed natural language. These antics—plus procrastinating on a crusade, conducting public love affairs and making literal war on the pope—would see him excommunicated four times and declared a herald of the Antichrist. Yet if Frederick II had one skill, it was weaseling out of trouble—even if it meant literally groveling on his knees before the Pope, only to be forgiven and betray the holy father again. Join us for bizarre science experiments, wars with two popes, a special appearance by the Mongols and one of the wildest monarchs in European history.

Our Current Schedule is:

Giuseppe Garibaldi: Unifying Italy - Starting 8/31 -> Nazi Occultism: Oh It Gets Weirder! -> Rob's Secret Pick -> Your Vote!

***Friendly reminder: The poll will end at 11:59 PM PT on Friday the 31st. You can vote for as many choices as you want! This style of voting helps us see what people are most interested in without having to make tough decisions between a couple of close favorites. ***