Baked Battlefields

On February 2, 880, a Frankish king thought he was chasing Viking raiders. Instead, he ran straight into a professional war machine. In this episode of Baked Battlefields, we break down the Battle of Lüneburg Heath, where Louis III underestimated the Great Heathen Army—and paid for it with his life. On open heathland in Saxony, Viking infantry turned, counterattacked, shattered the Frankish army,...

The Battle of Ula (January 26, 1564) On January 26, 1564, a confident Russian army marched through the winter forests of Eastern Europe—and walked straight into one of the most devastating ambushes of the 16th century. In this episode of Baked Battlefields, we break down the Battle of Ula, where the Grand Duchy of Lithuania used patience, terrain, and discipline to absolutely dismantle a much larg...

The Conquest of Kucha (January 19, 649 CE) In 649 CE, far from China’s heartland, a desert city at the crossroads of the Silk Road made a decision that quietly reshaped Eurasian power. In this episode of Baked Battlefields, we break down the Conquest of Kucha, when Tang dynasty forces under the steppe-born general Ashina She’er laid siege to the oasis kingdom of Kucha for forty days and forced its...

The Palermo Rising (January 12, 1848) On January 12, 1848, the people of Palermo chose violence—as a birthday present. In this episode of Baked Battlefields, we break down how a popular uprising in Palermo, Sicily exploded into full-scale urban warfare against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, ruled by Ferdinand II—a man so fond of shelling his own cities that history nicknamed him King Bom...

On January 5, 1477 , the fate of Burgundy—and the future shape of France—was decided in the snow outside the city of Nancy. In this episode of Baked Battlefields , we break down how Charles the Bold , one of the richest and most aggressive rulers in late medieval Europe, ignored advice, refused retreat, and bet everything on a winter siege he couldn’t win. Opposing him was René II , backed by Swis...