Episode notes
Before Braveheart, the real fight for Scotland was even bloodier.
Historian Michael Brown (University of St. Andrews) joins Why Wars Happened to uncover the shocking truth about the Wars of Independence — Wallace, Robert the Bruce, brutal battles, plagues, and the birth of the Stewart dynasty. This isn’t just legend — it’s the story of freedom, identity, and survival.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Why Wars Happened
00:48 – Meet Michael Brown
01:20 – Scotland in the 13th century
02:02 – Language & identity shifts
03:35 – Population & clans
07:22 – Lords & nobles in Scotland
11:34 – Anglo-Scottish conflicts
14:10 – Challenges of research
16:51 – Debates in Scottish history
19:21 – Internal change in the 13th–14th c.
23:06 – Agriculture, plague & coloniza ...