In this series, we introduce finally the stories of the native-led conversions of the influential dyansties of eastern Inner Europe, namely, the Přemyslids of Bohemia, the Piasts of Poland, and the Arpads of Hungary. With them will come the "birth" of their unique societies and written histories. To set up these stories in this introduction, we summarize a few of the important parallels in worldview between the traditional beliefs of Inner Europe and 10th century Catholic Christianity, which help to explain why these rulers underwent such sweeping change, and why this change was largely successful.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Davies, Norman. God’s Playground: A History of Poland Volume 1: Origins to 1795. Columbia University Press, 2005.

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe. Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University, 2020.

Berend, Nora. Urbanczyk, Przemyslaw. Wiszewski, Przemyslaw. Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland, C.900-C.1300. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Obolensky, Dimitri. The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe 500-1453. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

In this episode, we focus once more on the southern frontier of Inner Europe, to see the bloody resolution of conflict between the First Bulgarian Empire and a revived Byzantium. This includes the rule of the tsar Peter I, but also the unexpected rise of the Cometopuli, led by the ambitious and talented conqueror and later Tsar Samuel. We will also discuss Byzantine administration during this time, the "Byzantine Golden Era", and how it was adapted for rule in the Balkans, and what influences it would begin to show within Inner Europe.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Fine, John VA Jr. The Early Medieval Balkans. University of Michigan Press, 1991.

Obolensky, Dimitri. The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe 500-1453. Praeger Publishers, 1971.

Krsmanovic, Bojana. The Byzantine Province in Change (On the Threshold Between the 10th and the 1th Century). Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute for Byzantine Studies, 2008.

Moravcsik, Gyula. The Role of the Byzantine Church in Medieval Hungary. Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies. 1947.

Heath, Ian. McBride, Angus. Byzantine Armies 886-1118. Osprey Publishing, 1979.

Schwerpunkt, Basil II Porphyrogenitus. Youtube.com, 2023.

Apostolic Majesty, The Byzantine Golden Age. Youtube.com, 2021.

In this episode, we tell the narrative of the Renewal of the Roman Empire into the form later known as the "Holy Roman Empire", through following the narrative of the Saxon Ottonians of East Frankia from 918 to 983. In it, we break down the new society being created within the Germany of the 10th century, one based on consensus Kingship, and talk about the ideals of an Ottonian Emperor.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe. Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University, 2020.

Rady, Martyn. The Middle Kingdoms. Basic Books, 2023.

Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades: Second Edition. Penguin Books, 1998.

Nicolle, David. McBride, Angus. The Age of Charlemagne. Osprey Publishing. 1984.

Apostolic Majesty. 5. Formation of the Holy Roman Empire. Youtube.com, 2021.

In this episode, we descend to the marshes and forests of the Saxon-Slavic Frontier east of the Elbe, to introduce the development Saxon society through the lens of the brutal campaigns launched back and forth across the river. In this episode, we both set up the future conflicts that will take place in this buffer area of the Western Riverlands, and learn more about the hardened soldiers who will restore the Roman Empire in the West.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe. Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University, 2020.

Berend, Nora. Urbanczyk, Przemyslaw. Wiszewski, Przemyslaw. Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland, C.900-C.1300. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades: Second Edition. Penguin Books, 1998.

Nicolle, David. McBride, Angus. The Age of Charlemagne. Osprey Publishing. 1984.

Schwerpunkt. Henry the Fowler's 929 Campaign against the Slavs, Otto I's campaigns against the Slavs, and The Margraviate of Meissen (965-1423). Youtube, 2024.

medievalelbe.org

In this series, we will look at the incredible stories of Imperial rebirth, which defined the Ottonian founding of what would become the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the Golden Age of the Macedonian Dynasty among the Balkans. In the introduction, we introduce the themes of cultural values and moral forces, immaterial motivations which will help these actors to overcome the stacking factors of fragmentation in Europe.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Rady, Martyn. The Middle Kingdoms. Basic Books, 2023.

Fine, John VA Jr. The Early Medieval Balkans. University of Michigan Press, 1991.

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe. Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University, 2020.

Schwerpunkt. The Ottonian Renovatio Imperii. Youtube.com, 2024.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Schmidt, Knud Rahbek. The Social Structure of Russia in the Early Middle Ages. University of Aarhus. 1960.

Nicolle, David. McBride, Angus. Armies of Medieval Russia 750-1250. Osprey Publishing, 1984.

Stefanovich, Petr. The Political Organization of the Rus in the 10th Century. Jahrbucher fur Geschichte Osteuropas. 2016.

In this introductory episode, we discuss just which lands we mean to learn the history of on the show, using geography as a guide. We also again return to some of the themes to expect from the rest of the series, by looking at all the seas which Central Europe lay between.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Davies, Norman. God’s Playground: A History of Poland Volume 1: Origins to 1795. Columbia University Press, 2005.

Iorga, Nicolae. A History of Romania. Center for Romanian Studies, 2018.

Wilson, Peter H. Heart of Europe. Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University, 2020.

Fine, John VA Jr. The Early Medieval Balkans. University of Michigan Press, 1991.

In this introductory episode, we introduce the show by talking about what makes the study of Central Europe unique, motivations for its creation, and some of the themes that we will find emerging again and again throughout our stories.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

We continue the series on the 2nd Time of Invasions by looking at the Scandinavians and Northern Europe during the Viking Age. We will examine what caused this expulsion of men and material into the pursuit of loot across the trading routes of Europe, as well as what the effects were of their sustained influence along the Southern Baltic Coast, which makes up part of Inner Europe. Along with this, we more formally introduce ourselves to the Pagan cultures of this Baltic Coast, from the Wendish Slavs in the West to the many Baltic Tribes of the East.

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades: Second Edition. Penguin Books, 1998.

Nicolle, David. McBride, Angus. The Age of Charlemagne. Osprey Publishing. 1984.

Davies, Norman. Moorhouse, Roger. Microcosm: A Portrait of a Central European City. Jonathan Cape, 2002.

Schwerpunkt. Medieval Baltic Warfare (XI-XIV Centuries): A Very Short Introduction. Youtube, 2025

In this episode, we finally introduce the looming threat to Carpathia which has book-ended several of our previous episodes - the Magyar. We trace their mysterious origins near the Ural Mountains, the confederation of tribes which made them up, their migration into Pannonia, and their series of raids and domineering throughout Europe in the early 10th century, to ultimately answer the question: how was this confederation able to build a civilization within Pannonia?

New episodes every Monday!

Have a question or comment? Contact me at [email protected]

Sources

Intro: Zachary Wheeler and Nathaniel Scarborough, "Hej, Sokoły" folk tune

Outro: Antonín Dvořák, Serenade for Strings, Op. 22 (London Symphony Orchestra 1960)

Berend, Nora. Urbanczyk, Przemyslaw. Wiszewski, Przemyslaw. Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary, and Poland, C.900-C.1300. Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Nicolle, David. McBride, Angus. The Age of Charlemagne. Osprey Publishing. 1984.

Fine, John VA Jr. The Early Medieval Balkans. University of Michigan Press, 1991.

Rady, Martyn. The Middle Kingdoms. Basic Books, 2023.

Szabo, Christopher. The Magyar Raids: Fact and Fable. Jounral of Eurasian Studies, Vol 4:4.

Schwerpunkt. The Magyar and the origins of Hungary (IX-XI Century). Youtube.com, 2022.