History of the Germans

• Ep. 203 – From Rudolf I to Albrecht the Wise 1273-1358

  The Habsburg dynasty, originating from Radobot’s castle in 11th-century Switzerland, rose from obscurity to European prominence. In 1273 Rudolf of Habsburg was elected King of the Romans. Far from the later myth of a poor, humble count, Rudolf was wealthy, shrewd, and ruthless. He expanded his family’s holdings through inheritance, war, and diplomacy, eventually securing Austria and Styria after defeating Ottokar II of Bohemia—an acquisition that became the dynasty’s heartland.Rudolf’s hopes to found a hereditary imperial dynasty failed, and his son Albrecht I was murdered in 1308. For decades, the Habsburgs teetered on decline. Friedrich “the Handsome” briefly contended for the throne but left little mark. His brother Albrecht II “the Wise” revived the family, gaining Carinthia and Carniola in 1335 and shifting focus to Austria. Near extinction due to lack of heirs, the dynasty was saved when Albrecht’s wife Joan miraculously bore sons, including Rudolf IV, who would secure the Habsburg future.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire...

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• The Fall and Rise of the House of Habsburg - Trailer

  "Let others wage war: you, happy Austria, marry’. Is that really it? Did this family acquire an empire where the sun never sets through just luck and longevity?That is what we will try to find out in this season where we follow the family from the murder of king Abrecht I in 1308 to the election of emperor Charles V in 1519. For most of that period the Habsburgs had been languishing in the wilderness. They experienced defeats, divisions and humiliations, were even expelled from their duchy of Austria just before they rose meteorically to world leadership under Maximilian and Charles V. Something must have happened in this period that forged them into the most successful European dynasty. As they say in the music industry, every overnight success was years in the making”.That is why this season is called “The Fall and Rise of the House of Habsburg” and is dedicated to the question, what made the Habsburgs so special.

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• Guest Episode: A History of Italy on "A German Priest and a New Emperor"

  Hello and welcome friends of the History of the Germans Podcast.This week I will again showcase an independent history podcast I really like and listen to. And just to avoid any misunderstandings, I do this not for commercial reasons. This is literally so that you can find other great shows and well, I can have a break. Today’s show is one you probably already know since I mention it regularly, Mike Corradi’s A History of Italy. Mike is funny, thorough and something I struggle with enormously, concise. And this recent episode is a prime example. He runs through half of our coming season and half of the season thereafter in 20 minutes. I enjoyed that and I hope it gives you a foretaste of what is to come here and what you can find at A History of Italy.A History of Italy – A podcast on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the presentAnd so, without further ado Mike’s episode 189: “A German Priest and a New Emperor”. The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic Knights

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• Guest Episode: History Rage talks to Roger Moorhouse about Stauffenberg

  Hello friends of the History of the Germans Podcast. As I mentioned last episode, I am on holiday now, which means I spend my time reading up about the Habsburg and getting into gear for the next season.In the meantime, I will showcase some podcasts I really enjoy and listen to regularly. And one of those is History Rage. The host, Paul Bavill interviews historians and history podcaster about the one thing they really hope people would stop believing. Interview is such a lame term for what he does, it is more of a therapy session for geeks to let out their rage. Professional historians come armed with evidence, fury, and a burning desire to set the record straight. From “Vikings wore horned helmets” to “Britain stood alone in 1940” and “medieval people never bathed,” this is history with attitude, myth-busting with academic rigor, and truth-telling that pulls no punches. In the last 284 episodes he allowed some of the greatest names in history let off steam, including Roger Moorhouse. In this episode you will hear right now, Roger goes after the focus on Stauffenberg in the remembrance of the resistance against the Nazis inside Germany. By doing so, he argues, we are overlooking equally if not more deserving figures like Henning von Tresckow and the other members of the Kreisauer Kreis. And by the way Paul even allowed yours truly to vent about the perennial pun that the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire. That will come out on September 29. So in the meantime here is History Rage with: Stauffenberg: Hero or Hypocrite? The Complex Legacy of the July 20th Plot with Roger MoorhouseI hope you enjoy it.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early...

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• Ep. 202 - Arms and Armour

  In 1550 Spanish court records show that the Augsburg armorer Kolman Helmschmied was paid an advance of 2,000 ducats for a full armour for king Philipp II. The final price for this piece was 3,000 ducats. At the same time Raphael could charge at max 170 ducats for an altarpiece. Even the Renaissances’ best paid artist, Michelangelo received just 3,000 gold florins for the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. Armour, along with tapestries, were the most valuable artworks of the 15th and 16th century.That was just one set of armour made for the most powerful monarch of the time. But what about the thousands of soldiers he commanded, did they have armour? Oh yes they did. Not quite as sophisticated and certainly not as decorated, but they did. And where did these thousands of helmets and breast and back plates come from? From the same places where their prince’s fancy metalwork came from, from Nürnberg and Augsburg. Their swords came from Passau and Solingen and their firearms from Suhl. How come these mostly southern Germn cities became the armories of Europe whose output clad the armies that fought the never-ending wars of the 15th, 16th and 17th century? How did they supersede Milan, the centre of weapons production in the preceding century in terms of quality, scale and availability, and create a tradition of metalworking and entrepreneurship that lasts until today?That is what we will look at in this episode.

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