(1162-1167 again) This week we will talk about the second part of the pincer movement that brought that Hohenstaufen construct of imperial power crashing down to earth. The first was the schism in the Latin church and the second was the link-up of almost all northern Italian communes in a coalition against Barbarossa, the Lombard League.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
This week we do what we have done so many times and seem to be unable to avoid, talk about the conflict between pope and emperor. And that always means trouble, bad decisions and a siege of Rome. But boy, this time is not another standard schism, this time it is showdown.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
This is just a quick announcement about this year’s Intelligent Speech Conference. Intelligent Speech brings together your favourite educational podcasters and their fans in a 3 ring circus of edutainment.
The conference takes place online from 10 am Eastern and 3pm London time on June 25th. There will 3 keynote speeches, 8 round tables and 24 individual sessions. Each sessions is about 40 minutes each with a lot of time given to Q&A.
Early bird tickets are $20 US and you get 10% off when you use the code ”Germans” at checkout. To book your ticket go to intelligentspechconference.com, there is also Facebook page @intelligentspeechconf and you can email the organisers at intelligentspeech@gmail.com.
The theme of this year‘s conference is, “Crossing Lines.” Where lines cross are junctures and our era certainly feels like a major juncture in time; at Intelligent Speech 2022, we will be exploring other times when lines have been crossed in one way or another.
There will be some amazing speakers. I am particularly excited about Roberto Toro of the History of Saqartvelo Georgia talking about Georgian influence on the Holy Land and Eric Halsey of the History of Bulgaria putting a spotlight on the forgotten story of the Circassians exodus from their homeland in the 19th century. David Montgomery from The Siecle will be there and the Pontifact girls. The list of fabulous podcasters and broad topics goes on. Jennifer Dasal from the Art Curious podcast will do a keynote speech, Alycia from Civics and Coffee and the Ancient History Fangirls will do sessions. The closing keynote will be by none other than Jamie Jeffers from the British History Podcast who needs no introduction.
Yours truly will talk about Crossing the Alps, the ambivalent relationship between Germany and Italy. As you guys know too well, German and Italian history has been inextricably linked ever since Otto the Great wooed Adelheid, queen of Italy in 951. We also talked about how historians of the 19th century saw the involvement in the south as a sink of resources that led to the collapse of central authority and the delayed nationhood of Germany. But there is another side as well, that of a deep attachment to Italy and its people. It wasn’t just the medieval emperors and Frederick II most prominently who fell for the charms of the south. The beacons of the Enlightenment were seeking the “Land where the Citrons bloom”. Goethe, Winkelmann, Jacob Burckhardt to name a few embedded love and admiration for our neighbour to the south. This ambivalent relationship between fear of wasting resources and emotional attachment may go back a 1000 years but still shines through, most recently in the question whether and how Germany should support Italy during the Sovereign Debt Crisis of 2012.
So, it is hopefully worth it. Early bird tickets are $20 US and you get 10% off when you use the code ”Germans” at checkout. To book your ticket go to intelligentspechconference.com, there is also Facebook page @intelligentspeechconf and you can email the organisers at intelligentspeech@gmail.com.
I hope you will join us.
1159-1162 This week we will see how the Italian Communes take the Laws of Roncaglia. Not well is the understatement of the 12th century. Prepare for some epic sieges and harsh imperial justice.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
By September 1158 Barbarossa had completed one of the shortest and most efficient Italian campaigns of the medieval period. He had set off from Augsburg in mid-July and by early September Milan had capitulated. By October, most troop contingents both those from north of the Alps and those of the communes were on their way home and all of Italy was his.
Barbarossa meanwhile is not going home. He takes a tour of Lombardy, visits Monza where his uncle had been crowned king of Italy and then calls an Imperial Assembly on the fields of Roncaglia for November 11th.
For the Italians this whole thing starts to look a little bit odd. Why is he still here? Milan has fallen, imperial honor has been restored and the army has returned home, so surely the emperor is going home too. There must be some domestic issue or feud or something that requires his presence up north. But it can’t be helped; they show up as requested, hoping that all he wants is a last knees-up before going home.
They are in for a shock. Barbarossa is going to unleash on them a new and unexpected weapon, more devastating than a trebuchet and more cunning than a Bohemian king, I talk of course of the professional lawyer and the Roman Law.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
(1158) This week we will see Barbarossa try using his freshly minted army to take down the city of Milan, a city of 150,000 and the one commune that he needs to defeat if he really wants to establish imperial rule in Italy
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
(1155-1158) This week we will see how Barbarossa addresses the big issue he had in his first Italian campaign, the size of the army and how he creates the Holy Roman Empire in the process.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
1153-1155
This week we finally get our narrative going. Barbarossa will boost the honour of the empire by burning cities, hanging heretics, slaughtering rabble-rousing Romans and inventing the concept of the university.
With an introduction by Robin Pearson from the History of Byzantium. Check out his website here: https://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
1152
In this episoe we examine Barbarossa’s background, childhood and education. What is it that made him so exceptional? And we investigate whether the Cappenberger Head is indeed an individual likeness of the emperor, or just another image of what an emperor is supposed to look like.
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.com
Facebook: @HOTGPod
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans