Between the Seas: A Central European History

In this episode, we finally introduce the looming threat to Carpathia which has book-ended several of our previous episodes - the Magyar. We trace their mysterious origins near the Ural Mountains, the confederation of tribes which made them up, their migration into Pannonia, and their series of raids and domineering throughout Europe in the early 10th century, to ultimately answer the question: ho...

In this series, we will see the aftermath of the disintegration of the Frankish Empire, through the eyes of its challengers within Inner Europe, namely the Magyar and the Pagans of the Baltic Coast (Scandinavian Vikings, Polabian Slavs, Balts). This will be the last push of peoples from East to West for some time, before that direction shifts into West to East. From this extended clash though, wou...

In this final episode of the Trial and Error Series on the 9th and early 10th centuries, we focus on two Balkan identities which are created in the tumultuous wars of the era: the Serbs and the Bulgarians. Both will find a way to unite many Slavic tribes of the Balkans, and both will incorporate Christianity into their new identity, though one will be built for autonomy, and one for imperial glory...

In this episode, we introduce the Rise and Fall of Great Moravia, a 9th century Slavic "Imperial Confederacy" which would attempt to unify several of the frontier slavic tribes of Pannonia and the Carpathians into an organization set against both the East Franks and the Bulgarians. Unlike previous confederacies, this one would be organized also around Christianity, which the missions of Cyril and...

In this episode, we pivot north, onto the great plains and swamps of the Riverlands. Here, we examine the Pagan Slavic culture and the patterns of its settlement. The 9th and 10th centuries would bring change to all aspects of the tribal societies, as international trade reopens, a force which will invite both wealth and increased attention from foreign threats on all sides. These forces will then...

In this 5th series introduction, we talk about some of the more abstract foundations of state formation, specifically two types of "order", the state, and culture. Both present stated or unstated limitations that promote cooperation between groups of people, but in different ways. Only the state can be changed directly. The 9th and 10th centuries for Inner Europe will be a time of waxing and wanin...

In this episode, we take a focused look at the tribes and alliances which take place in the fall of the Avar confederacy, specifically along western Pannonia and the Dinaric Range. Here, societies are fully introduced to Frankish institutions, Christianity, and back and forth great power conflict. We also cover origins of political organization among Croats, Dalmatian cities, and the Slavs of Lowe...

In this episode, we dissect Charlemagne's Empire, along with the aristocracies of the time. We look at how his successors attempted to hold it together, and the blend of formal institution and traditional ritual which would dominate its politics. We also follow its inevitable fragmentation, and the tell the story of the final Carolingians of East Francia. New episodes every Monday! Have a question...

In this extended episode, we take a look at the life and influence of Charlemagne, the Frankish hegemonic leader who would create the Frankish Empire. HIs reign will overhaul the structure of the Catholic church, kickstart the spread of writing, forge a new christian identity across Europe, and bring the power of the plateau to the level of the Byzantines. We will look at how Charlemagne's armies...

Today, we introduce the 4th series of the podcast, where we will look at the history of the Frankish Empire, focusing specifically on what ideas led to its creation, and how these ideas will interact with the changing Inner European world around them. Would Charlemagne succeed in restoring Rome, the seeming standard for civilization? Or would he, the church, and the rising aristocracy create somet...

We turn back to the Franks in this episode, in order to see how Clovis' successors utilize the new political formula which has been created. The Merovingians will have several devastating and fratricidal civil wars, and yet the influence of their civilization will solidify and spread all the same. We will also compare the Merovingians to the Carolingians, who will begin to gain power in the 8th ce...

In this episode, we rejoin the drama of Carpathia, as the Avars face a serious internal crisis during the 7th century. From this crisis, we get the birth of several states and cultures, some of which will last, and some of which won't. Regardless, their stories will inspire the future of Inner Europe, especially for the Western and Southern Slavs. We also talk about the 250 year reign of the Avars...

Here, we move away from Carpathia and on to the plateau, in order to introduce the story since the dissolution of the Roman Empire in the West. Many tribal super-confederations finally settle, and begin to permanently influence the land around them. One particular confederation of the west meanwhile, the Franks, will come to find unique ways to blend the Latin and Germanic populations, through the...

In this series introduction, we catch up with the story of Christianity since its founding, and talk about the state of the church going into the "long 8th century". In particular, we'll look at what characterized the Latin Church, Celtic/Anglo-Saxon Church, and Byzantine Church, and how they would each aim to influence Inner Europe differently through their shared efforts of converting the pagans...

In this episode, we contract from the sweeping dramas that encompassed the migration periods, to focus on a few fundamental things: What was the village life that now encompassed the majority of Inner Europe like? How did these entities structure themselves? What were the rural roles of villagers in the early medieval ages? How had the institution of slavery changed from the Fall of Rome and the R...

In this episode, we begin to explore the Germanic order left behind in the ashes of the Roman Dominion, introducing aspects which enabled this change to take place. We also introduce monumental challengers to the stage of the Inner European story - the Slavs. Together with the Avars, they will bookmark the migration periods, and open the door to a new age for Inner Europe. New episodes every Monda...

In this episode, we will refocus our scope on Inner Europe, and Carpathia in particular, as we witness the clash of worlds across the Danube. The Romans will take the south, while the Germanic tribes will take the north. With the ebb and flows of the Roman state, its only a matter of time before a major shift occurs... New episodes every Monday! We will return in January from the Christmas break....

In this series introduction, we return to the depths of Inner Europe to go over the fate of the Celts during and after the Roman Conquests, and introduce the groups of people who will form their successors and launch the plots of the Migration Period, the Germans. New episodes every Monday! Have a question or comment? Contact me at BetweentheSeas@zohomail.com Sources Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nat...

In this episode, we narrow our focus specifically to the Italo-Celts, and their legacy on Inner Europe and the wider world. The Celts would create a decentralized system that would come to lay foundations for many Inner European identities, while Rome would lay the foundations for what was seen as civilization in Europe for millennia to come. Here, we dissect them both. New episodes every Monday!...

In this episode, we rewind our story to talk about the introduction of agriculture to Inner Europe, looking at how agriculture works and how it affects societies based on their surroundings. We then combine the two stories into one, going over the melding of steppe and agrarian influences on early cultural formation in Inner Europe, looking at the convoluted processes that spring the more well kno...

In this introductory episode, we discuss just which lands we mean to learn the history of on the show, using geography as a guide. We also again return to some of the themes to expect from the rest of the series, by looking at all the seas which Central Europe lay between. New episodes every Monday! Have a question or comment? Contact me at BetweentheSeas@zohomail.com Sources Intro: Zachary Wheele...

Welcome to a History of Central Europe, a show we call Between the Seas! In this introduction, we go over what makes studying the history of Central Europe so unique, motivations for starting the show, and how the themes we see in the history of this vast land can be applied to a great variety of subjects. New episodes every Monday! Have a question or comment? Contact me at BetweentheSeas@zohomail...