History of the Hungarians

By every metric of his own time, Béla the Blind should have been unfit to rule. And yet, it is his kingship that begins to heal the wounds of István II’s reign – even if that means brutal bloodletting and cutting out some parts first. Come, join us this week for a tale of an unlikely king, brutal vengeance, shrewd diplomacy, wars and usurpers! Website: historyofthehungarians.com Facebook:https://w...

The Kingdom of Hungary enters the 12th century proper with king latter medieval chroniclers uniformly seem to loathe. István II obviously drew the short end of the historical stick: his father was already disliked by posterity, but his accomplishments were, at least, harder to deny. István will spend his reign bumbling from one foreign entanglement to another, desperate to maintain the kingdom’s s...

The passing of King Kálmán provides us with an opportunity to stop, look back, and take in all the changes the 11th century had wrought. Today’s topic is going to be a little different than our usual tale of kings and usurpations: we will look at what can be gleamed about the shifts in society, culture, and religion that this first century of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary had experienced. How di...

King Kálmán the Learned – also seen it translated as “the Bookish”, which is delightful – was the final Hungarian ruler of the 11th century. He is a fascinating case: much maligned by posterity for his actions against his brother, Kálmán was one of the most learned, and easily one of the most enlightened rulers of medieval Hungary. His rule is an excellent bookmark,not just on the century, but by...

This week’s episode pauses the ongoing narrative a bitto take a look at a country that’s history is going to be inextricably tied to that of the medieval Hungarian state: the Kingdom of Croatia. We shall discuss the origins of the Croatian people, the effects of them living right on theborder of two empires, and a document that is an obvious forgery, but still manages to get almost everything that...

The first century in the history of the Kingdom of Hungary is almost perfectly framed by two saint-kings. And it might besurprising, but the topic of today’s episode, László was, for the longest time, the more popular of the two. In contrast to István’s stern reputation, László garnered that of a chivalrous knight, a warrior-king, who expanded the borders and warred against pagans and his fellow C...

This week, we continue to follow the infighting amongst the early Árpádians, as generations shift, but old ambitions remain open. The story of Géza and Salamon is not as well-known even in Hungary, but it is a tale full of twists, turns, conniving nobles, and fits well into the international battle of their age. For the Investiture Controversy will shape the contest between the King and the Duke,...

After the Árpádians reassert themselves, the two brothers, András and Béla find themselves working side-by side to keep Hungary out of the Holy Roman Empire’s orbit. But even the best working relationships can become frayed when succession is at stake. Come, see how a…somewhat pre-decided choice between a crown and a sword led the newly restored Árpádians down on the path to generations offeuding!...

Peter Orseolo was the only foreign-born king of Hungary in the Árpádian period, and as such, the target of many attacks, deserved and otherwise. The chroniclers later on would have a vested interest in depicting him as one of the worst kings Hungary ever had – but his contemporaries rose against him in open revolt not once, but twice. In this week’s episode we do not simply discover Peter’s ill-fa...

Today we shall discuss the events of István’s reign. How lucky that the man himself left us an entire treatise about his rulingphilosophy, as he sought to prepare his heir to follow after him. So come, join us as we discuss István’s reign, his foreign policy towards the two great empires on his doorstep, and how the best laid plans may go awry when facing a boar in the forest… Website: historyofth...

The second season of our show begins with a deep-dive into the Kingdom’s reorganization under the reign of István I, better know internationally as Saint Stephan. The task before our protagonist is daunting: his newly formed Kingdom was, just a few short years ago, not much more than a patchwork of tribal lands, still somewhat nomadic in their lifestyle. Join us in exploring the steps István took...

After two episodes of horsing around all over Europe, it is time to return to the Carpathian Basin. In our season finale we see a father and a son attempt to change their people’s destiny and a familial struggle that ends in four parts. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or write a question to historyofthehungarians@gmail.com!

While the western Adventures are surprisingly well-documented, in the Balkans we deal with battles that may or may not have happened, tales of revenge that are likely all fabrications, and a musical chair of relationships, as the Byzantines and the Bolgars jockey for power. Come, join us as we explore this mess! And if you just can't get enough of history podcasts, A History of Italy awaits!

Around the same time the Vikings were causing some hay on the coastlines, the Hungarians got on the road to steal anything that was not nailed down inland. Let's discuss how these campaigns went, what made them successful, and the effects they had on the emerging Hungarian Principality.

The Hungarians took over the Basin with little effort, but by 907, the hammer was about to fall. We shall follow the unfolding confrontation between the Bavarians, seeking to reconquer their lost territories, and the Magyars now occupying them, and discuss the myths surrounding this battle.

No biggie, just the most consequential event in Hungarian history. Let's discuss how it went, the theories surrounding it, and the issue with our major source for the event.

A discussion of the Carpathian Basin's history and geography. Follow the show on Facebook and other social media! If you have questions, or just feel like saying hi, send it to historyofthehungarians@gmail.com

The Hungarians leave behind the Khazars, and then the Steppes altogether. Let's get them right up to the Conquest, shall we?

From the wide grasslands, a people take shape. A long-winded discussion on the origins of the Hungarians, both linguistic and mythical theories.

A short introduction and discussion of what the show will be all about. See you on the 20th of August!