Relevant History

At the beginning of 1618, the Holy Roman Empire is at peace. By the end of the year, there is a rebellion in Bohemia, and Protestants and Catholics throughout the empire are at each others’ throats. In the Third Defenestration of Prague, Bohemian Protestants, tired of royal abuses, have literally thrown Emperor Ferdinand’s royal representatives out the window. This local revolt could have been restrained to Bohemia. But Emperor Ferdinand makes a series of blunders and overreaches that draw outside powers into the war. Within a few years, the Thirty Years’ War will engulf much of Europe. Check out The History Voyager podcast, with Ben Kitchings: https://t.co/lD9RQOe76R?amp=1 SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vR4-v4x0gAnLnaeUbjZI-9RLq-xUKtYGVAdrFOrMG0u8Ua1NdlZCOglorMelWZx1BinAah5aKKJkYSr/pub Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

In the middle of the 16th century, Habsburg Spain rules over the world’s first global empire – an empire on which the sun never set. But their new king, Philip II, is dead set on centralizing his rule. All of his domains, even the newest, must submit to his taxes, his legal code, and most of all to the dreaded Spanish Inquisition. In the freedom-loving Spanish Netherlands, this royal overreach would not stand. Led by William of Orange, the Dutch people would rise up to resist Spanish tyranny. This would begin the 80 Years’ War, one of the world’s longest conflicts. And in the process, it would create a new nation, the Netherlands. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Episode transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSCvckS96O6c4cz_voX4aW9xTEYjh60ahuPBbWTT0iATq7XGZ4wZ32RtSYJBQam21lbKVEo-byPureP/pub Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

American Society for Suicide Prevention (please consider donating) - https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=1&language=en TIMESTAMPS: EPISODE 1: BOOZE, STRYCHNINE, AND FERAL DOGS – THE STORY OF THE 1904 MEN’S OLYMPICS – 04m: 20s EPISODE 2: CORPORAL VOJTEK – 30m: 20s EPISODE 3: THE FIRST SERIAL KILLER (WE KNOW ABOUT) – 54m: 33s EPISODE 4: SPOOKY HISTORY – 1h: 28m: 47s Music: “Krampus’s Workshop” by Kevin MacLeod

In the early 1500s, the Catholic Church is plagued by corruption, and the Pope is blind to his people. To fund the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he offers to sell indulgences; money in exchange for eternal salvation. In Germany, a priest named Martin Luther takes offense. The resulting crisis is bigger than anyone – even Martin Luther – expected. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V will suddenly be forced to deal with not just foreign invasion, but civil war within his own empire. The outcome would change Christianity, and the world, forever. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

When Bohemian priest Jan Hus begins preaching some novel theological concepts, he thinks he’s engaging in mere academic expression. Instead, he gets sucked into an ecclesiastical war between three Popes and an emperor. Against these forces, he fails. But the legacy of Jan Hus would spread beyond Bohemia. Over the next century, he would become a symbol of church reform, and his teachings would form the backbone that would change Christianity forever. Also, I apologize for my inconsistency in the pronunciation of “Sigismund” and “Hussite.” I am an American. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

In the 1400s, the Iberian peninsula is divided into a handful of smaller countries. By the end of the century, Spain would be one of the leading powers in Europe. By the end of the next, her colonial empire would be the greatest in the world. But what if you found out that “Spain” never even existed until the 1700s? In this episode, Dan talks about the marriage of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Their marriage, and the union of their two crowns, would forge a new kingdom, and a new national identity. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

By the end of April, 1453, the city of Constantinople is in a desperate state. Without immediate relief from their fellow Christians, the city will surely fall. Can the defenders hold out until help arrives? In his second episode on the Fall of Constantinople, Dan brings the story to its epic conclusion. MAP OF THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF THE SIEGE: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Siege_of_Constantinople_1453_map-fr.svg/2500px-Siege_of_Constantinople_1453_map-fr.svg.png SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

Whether or not 1453 is the most important year in history is a subjective question. But if it’s not on your top five list, it should be. It was the year the city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire. This isn’t just about the transfer of one city, or even the end of the Byzantine civilization. It’s the day the Middle Ages ended and the Renaissance began. It heralded a new day in the history of Islam, with the Ottomans rising to supremacy, and it motivated Western European nations to look for a new route to the riches of the east. Here is the first half of the story of the Fall of Constantinople. MAP OF THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF THE SIEGE: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Siege_of_Constantinople_1453_map-fr.svg/2500px-Siege_of_Constantinople_1453_map-fr.svg.png SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

At the dawn of the 14th century, Anatolia is divided between a handful of semi-independent governors under the nominal leadership of the Sultanate of Rum. By 1444, Ottoman troops had defeated a major European coalition at the Battle of Varna, securing a transcontinental empire. This is the story of the rise of the Ottoman Empire, a Mediterranean juggernaut that would stand for four and a half centuries. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

Dan returns from an unplanned hiatus to discuss one of history’s darker episodes: the depopulation of the Middle East in the 13th and 14th centuries. First Mongol hordes, then the Black Death ravage the region, eviscerating Islam’s Arabic cultural heartland. This one-two punch leaves an opening for a rising power: the Ottoman Empire. Dan’s appearance on The Salad Tossers (NSFW): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLPAKwpv7Jg SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

Following the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Delhi Sultanate is shrunken, weakened, and nearly bankrupt. He is succeeded by his cousin, Firuz Shah, who doesn’t even want his job. But even as Firuz Shah and his descendants rebuild the Sultanate, a new threat is gathering on the horizon: the Timurid Empire, led by the legendary general Tamerlane. Will the Delhi Sultanate withstand the Timurid horde? And will it stand against the tide of Mughal invaders that comes next? Witness the dramatic fall of the Delhi Sultanate, through the eyes of Tamerlane and his descendants. One of these descendants, Babur, will found a new empire: the Mughal Empire, that will rule India for generations. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

The Delhi Sultanate is a land of intrigue, ethnic conflict, and high art. Which one of these things is most important depends on your point of view, and on who the Sultan is at the moment. Enter an era where anything can happen. Great kings and Sultans rule over millions, and hold their fate in their hands. With great wisdom comes great prosperity. But Mongol attacks and civil conflict pose a constant threat to this multi-ethnic empire. Can the Delhi Sultanate survive the age of the Mongols, and the chaos it brings to Asia? Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheSaladTossers SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

We interrupt your regularly-scheduled program to give you something you didn’t ask for, and probably didn’t want: my thoughts on conspiracy theories throughout the ages. Sorry. My computer crashed, and I lost all my notes. Part 2 of Crossroads of Civilization will be arriving as expected next week. In the meantime, enjoy my thoughts on the Cataline Conspiracy, the Knights Templar, the Nazis, and the Kennedy Assassination. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

The story of India is the story of humanity itself. From the first humans to leave Africa to Alexander the Great and the Emperor Chandragupta, some of history’s greatest events have happened here. But how did India go from the cradle of civilization to a subcontinent divided between Muslims and Hindus? To understand why, we need to start from the beginning. The Salad Tossers Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheSaladTossers SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Relevant History Patreon: https://bit.ly/3vLeSpF SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan

During the Fourth Crusade, what began as a Christian holy war against Egypt turned into a Venetian war of conquest against the ancient Byzantine Empire. The conquest, in turn, began as what amounted to a hostile business takeover; but it would turn into something far more sinister. By the time the fires of the sack of Constantinople had cooled, the Crusaders had achieved a remarkable feat: the seemingly-permanent cleaving of eastern and western Christianity. SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTORY, AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE! Subscribe on Apple Music (iTunes): https://apple.co/2SQnw4q Subscribe on Google Music: https://bit.ly/30hUTRD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38bzOvo RSS feed: https://bit.ly/2R0Iosz Relevant History on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3eRhdtk Relevant History on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Qk05mm Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DanTolerPodcast SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/relevant-history Official website: https://bit.ly/3btvha4 Music credit: Sergey Cheremisinov - Black Swan