Western Civ

In this episode we cover the Norman conquests of Southern Italy and Sicily between roughly 1025 and 1100. A series of brothers from the house Hauteville in Normandy personally begin the expansion as the demand for mercenaries spikes in Apulia. The conquest proceeds apace until finally Sicily and Southern Italy are united under Roger II.

In this episode we follow the reigns of King Richard I and King John as they battle to maintain their Plantagenent Empire against King Philip of France. We will see King Richard die after foolishly failing to wear armor one April evening. We will see King John battle the French King and his own nobles before eventually signing the Magna Carta. And we will see the final collapse of the Plantagenet...

This episode covers the disaster that was the Fourth Crusade. Pope Innocent III will try and reinvigorate crusading and wind up sacking one of the most Christian cities in the world. Then we will take a quick look at life in the Near East between the Third and Fifth Crusades. 

In this episode we take a look at the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries from the Byzantine perspective. We will go from the death of Basil II through the beginning of the Fourth Crusade. These centuries give us our last look at Byzantium as an "Empire". We will also cover some of the major political and economic changes that will dictate Byzantine history in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries. 

In this episode we wrap-up the Third Crusade. Richard the Lionheart will battle Saladin to very end for Jerusalem. We will see how Richard's misunderstandings about how a crusade could be run ultimately undermine the Third Crusade. 

Richard the Lionheart, King of England and the Angevin Empire, arrived in the Holy Land in June, 1191. When he arrived he found the crusaders already battering the walls of Acre surrounded on the other side by Saladin's army. The fight for Acre would prove to be Richard's first real test in the Holy Land. But it would not prove to be his last. Yet, with Richard's arrival the Third Crusade could tr...

In this episode we set the stage for the Third Crusade. Frederick Barbarossa will make an overland march to Asia Minor while Richard I and Philip Augustus use naval transportation for the first time en masse to start a crusade. Meanwhile, back in the Near East Saladin pressed to capture Tyre and destroy the remaining crusader outposts. 

In this episode we follow the career and reign of the ruler widely considered to be Germany's greatest medieval Monarch: Frederick Barbarossa. In total Frederick will conduct six Italian campaigns, battle a Pope, and rework Germany's economy. And all this before he leaves for the Third Crusade with the likes of Richard the Lionheart and Philip of France to take on Saladin. 

In this episode Saladin cements his hold over the Near East by subduing Damascus, Aleppo, and Mosul. Then he turns his attention to the Crusader State: the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the death of King Amalric in his early thirties results a child succeeding to the throne in Jerusalem. The young Baldwin IV would live a tragic life and suffer from leprosy throughout his short reign. His death...

In this episode we turn back to the Near East as the fortunes of the Crusader States continue to fall. Nur al-Din presses his empire further and further into the declining Latin Kingdoms while both Nur al-Din and the Kingdom of Jerusalem fight over the future of Fatimid Egypt. Finally, at the end of the episode a new man rises to power: Saladin. 

When we last left off, Henry of Normandy and Aquitaine had just become King Henry II of England. Now, in this episode, we will follow the reign of one of England's strongest kings as he navigates conflicts with Louis VII of France and his own Archbishop of Canterbury: Thomas Becket. This episode will take us to the succession of King Richard I (the Lionheart) and will be as far as we go in western...

In this episode we return to our narrative though not to the Crusades. We will head back to the year 1095 when the First Crusade was launched and set about catching the rest of Europe back up to speed. Then, we spend the bulk of the second half of the episode tackling Norman England. The realm of William the Conqueror is once again fractured by civil war and it is going to take Geoffrey Plantagene...

In this supplemental episode we examine music in the Early Middle Ages. Essentially, this comes down to Gregorian Chanting (Religious) and secular music.

In this episode, I cover some of the major architectural trends of the early to mid-Middle Ages. So, yeah, castles and churches. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Patreon:www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Subscription Feed 7-Day Free Trial: www.glow.fm/westernciv

The West kicks into gear in a last-ditch effort to save the crusader states. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Subscription Feed: www.glow.fm/westernciv

In this episode we take a look at the Counties of Edessa and Tripoli and give a quick overview of life in the Near East during the Crusades. Finally, the Crusader States are dealt a series of crushing blows in the 1140's setting the stage for the Second Crusade.

In this episode we follow the development of the four key Crusader States after the unexpected success of the First Crusade. King Baldwin I leads the Kingdom of Jerusalem to new heights while Tancred is forced to clean up a royal mess in Antioch. 

In this episode the First Crusade finally reaches Jerusalem. Once again, it turns into a make-or-break for the European invaders.

In this episode, we follow the First Crusader as the crusader army swings south into Asia Minor and approaches the formidable city of Antioch. At Antioch, the First Crusade will nearly meet its premature end as the crusaders quickly go from besiegers to besieged. 

In 1095 Pope Urban declared a "pilgrimage" to the Holy Land. In this episode we start with his declaration and then follow the First Crusade as it moves through Byzantine territory and faces its first challenge: Nicaea. 

In this episode we begin the Crusades. Specifically, we need to catch up on Byzantium a little bit since we left off with Michael IV in the middle of the Eleventh Century. After we get back up to speed in the East we will then turn our attentions towards setting the stage for the First Crusade which begins in 1095. 

In this episode we wrap-up our survey of Early Medieval Art by looking at the changes brought about by the transition to the Middle Ages particularly the advent of Christianity. Like in the last episode, here are a few links to images that I reference: Ivory Carving of Jesus Quedinburg Itala Cross of St. Martin  Gospel of St. Augustine (St. Luke with Gospel)

In this episode we are going to begin our look at Early Medieval Art by considered Late Classical and specifically Roman influences on artistic expression that outlived the empire itself. For this episode, you might want to view the following images: Coronation of Otto III Trajan's Column Marcus Aurelius' Column Four Tetrarchs  Click the hyperlinked text to see the image. 

Last time we covered some of the major social and political trends sweeping Italy in the Early Middle Ages. This time we dig into the specifics and talk about the major changes that hit Italy after the Byzantines left the scene. Website: www.westerncivpodcast.com Ad-Free Version: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcast Western Civ 2.0 Free Trial: www.glow.fm/westernciv

In this episode we take a break from the political narrative to focus on some of the key social and economic changes that are taking shape in Northern Italy between 875 and 1000 AD. During this period, Medieval Italy experiences a number of changes (urbanization, estate fragmentation) that will result in major changes to Italian economic and social life in the very near future. Next time, we will...