In the first of three episodes on Armenia, we take a look at the ancient and medieval history of the Armenian plateau. The episode covers Stone and Iron age cultures on the plateau and the early regional influences of Persia and Rome. It introduces a millennia-old conflict between Persia and Byzantium which converged on Armenian solid and how that conflict evolved to one between Turkish kingdoms, Arab influences, and European powers. It also looks at the Cilician Armenian Kingdom and the decision to align with Russia as a means to fend off Ottoman and Persian colonizers. The episode chronicles the wars fought on Armenian soil through the ages up until the first Russo-Persian war in the early 19th century and sets the stage to understand the Nagorno-Karabakh war of today.

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