On 31st of October 1517 a hitherto unknown professor at the smallish university of Wittenberg published 95 theses. And by doing so, he unleashed a sequence of events that would fundamentally change the face of Europe and still defines communities and nations.
The interesting question about the 95 theses is not why Luther rote them, but why they had any impact at all. Martin Luther stands at the end of a mile long queue of learned and sometimes less learned men who railed against the decadence of the church, called for a return to the actual text of the bible and demanded that the clergy lives like the apostles. But somehow the message on that fateful day in 1517 gained traction across the Christian world in a way no previous attempt had.
Why? That is a question I believe will be the guiding line through the coming seasons. Something about the social, political, cultural, religious and economic landscape of early modern Germany must have provided the cinder on which protestant ideas could catch fire.
You will now ask, why is Dirk talking about the Reformation. The last season ended on the 14th century, a good 150 years before “the day that changed western Christianity”. Aren’t we supposed to go through this chronologically.
Oh yes we are. But as we are moving forward at our accustomed pace we will hit the Hussite revolt that started in 1415. This religious uprising has so many common threads with Luther’s reformation, it may be seen as a dress rehearsal for the actual Reformation. Luther himself declared in 1519 “Ich bin ein Hussite” I am a Hussite.
Spoiler alert, the Hussite revolt did not lead to the fraction of the catholic church, but that makes it even more interesting. What were the circumstances that led the people of Bohemia and many other parts of the empire to take up arms to defend their convictions, how come they were successful and by what means could a reconciliation be achieved? Knowing that will help us understand why a 150 years later such a settlement failed to materialize, dividing Europe into Protestants and Catholics and spurning some of the bloodiest civil wars in history.
To explore the causes and impact of this reformation before the reformation we will take a look at the decline of the house of Luxemburg, the emergence of the Ottoman empire, the creation of Burgundy as a political entity separate from France, the defeat of the Teutonic Knights and the great western schism with its resolution at the Council of Constance where amongst other things Jan Hus was convicted and burned at the stake. We will dive into Jan Hus’ and his predecessor’s thoughts and convictions as well as the military innovations of Jan Zizka and probably a lot more things I have not yet thought about.
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.
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To 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:
Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy
Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen
The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
The Reformation before the Reformation
Click here to listen to the playlist on Spotify
Click here to listen to it as a seperate podcast on Apple Podcasts
Click here to listen to the playlist on YouTube
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.
OVERVIEW
Most histories of the German Middle Ages cut off with the fall of the Hohenstaufen. That would be a mistake. The Holy Roman Empire is still enormous, stretching from the gates of Rome to Hamburg and from Magdeburg to Arles. Its cities are still thriving and its peasants are bringing in rich harvests.
But by the time King Richard of Cornwall died in 1272, the empire as a political construct had suffered from 50 years of neglect, of rulers disinterested or disengaged. The resources of the office, the imperial regalia and castles and estates are lost. When Henry the Fowler took on the kingdom of East Francia, it was a hospital pass, but that still looks like a lottery ticket compared to becoming King of the Romans in 1273.
Still, this next crop of rulers, often derided as “minor kings” were in fact much more successful than their more glamorous predecessors. The first of these kings, Rudolf I will lay the foundation for the fortune of the House of Habsburg
The 100 years from the Interregnum to the Golden Bull of 1356 is when the medieval empire becomes the Holy Roman empire with its prince-electors, its imperial diets, courts and ceremonies. An empire often derided as ineffective and antiquated, but that survived for centuries, and bestowed a legacy of regional cultural centres that are some of the greatest attractions of modern Germany.
TRANSCRIPT LINKS AND EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
#138 The Holy Roman Empire from 919 – 1250
Catch-Up Episode
A condensed history of the Holy Roman Empire from emperor Otto the Great to Frederick II, or from 919 to 1250
Rudolf von Habsburg 1273-1291
On October 1, 1273 seven princes elected a new king of the Romans. Their choice was a momentous one that set European history further down its path away from a universal empire to separate kingdoms and principalities. The pope had demanded that they come to a unanimous decision so that the empire could again participate in a crusade to stop the remains of the Kingdom of Jerusalem to be swept away for good. So why did they chose a modest count from what is now Northern Switzerland and not any of the kings, dukes and princes who had been vying for the job and who could count on support from Naples, Rome, Prague and Paris
#139 The End of the Interregnum
The Election of Rudolf von Habsburg in 1273
The horrible time, the time without an emperor lasted from 1250 to 1273 and ended with the election of a minor count, Rudolf of Habsburg….kicking off a whole new world
#140 Rudolf von Habsburg and the Golden King Ottokar II of Bohemia
From Revindication to the Battle of Dürnkrut
Rudolf von Habsburg has to face his infinitely richer and more powerful adversary Ottokar II, king of Bohemia at Dürnkrut on the Marchfeld
#141 Rudolf von Habsburg Semper Augustus
Allezeit Mehrer des Reiches
King Rudolf von Habsburg adds a new title, Semper Augustus, Allezeit Mehrer des Reiches, but was he? and if he was, why do we hardly talk about him?
Adolf von Nassau (1292-1298)
After the death of Rudolf von Habsburg the electors chose another, now truly impecunious count, Adolf von Nassau to be king. They chose him over Rudolf’s son Albrecht and over the overwhelmingly most powerful prince in the empire, King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia.
This cultured and competent man became known to German history as a Schattenkönig, a shadow of a king, unable to wiggle out of his ties to the overbearing electors. Acting as mercenary in the pay of king Edward of England and failing to create his own Hausmacht in Thuringia, many history books skip over his six years on the throne.
#142 Adolf von Nassau
A Shadow of a King
This cultured and competent man became known as a Schattenkönig, a shadow of a king, unable to wiggle out of his ties to the Electors.
Albrecht I (1298-1308)
The fact that Albrecht I von Habsburg the new King of the Romans was murdered is therefore not the most interesting thing about him. What is astonishing is how far this man “with only one eye and a look that made you sick” got in his ambitions. Pressured from all sides, the Prince Electors, his own vassals in Austria, the Pope, the Bohemians, still he ploughed on, picking up principalities like others picking daisies. And a wrath of daisies is what did for him in the end…
#143 The Murder of a King
Albrecht I von Habsburg
That King Albrecht I von Habsburg was murdered is not the most interesting thing about him. How far this man “with only one eye and a look that made you sick” got in his ambitions, is what makes his life worth looking into
Henry VII / Heinrich VII (1308-1313)
Henry, the new king of the Romans, just 30 years of age, tall and blond, every inch his forebearer the great Charlemagne. He was the man Dante so hoped would journey to Rome and restore the glory of the Roman empire.
It is not the level of commitment on the side of the emperor that turns this adventure into a nightmare of death, disease and running battles in the streets of Rome…
#144 The Rise of the House of Luxemburg
The election of emperor Henry VII
On November 27th, 1308 the prince electors chose Henry VII, count of Luxemburg to be their new king of the Romans and future emperor. Little did they know that this decision will give rise to a dynasty that will rule the empire for as many decades as the Ottonian, the Salian and the Hohenstaufen had.
#145 How to make Friends and Influence People
The Luxemburgs become Kings of Bohemia
It is 60 years since we have last seen a crowned emperor. The last time the throne had remained vacant for so long, the title moved from the Carolingians to whoever ruled the German lands. Will something like that happen again?
#146 The Return of the King
Henry VII Crosses the Alps
In the winter of 1310 the emperor elect Henry VII not yet 40 years of age and every inch a king appears in Italy. An Italy torn apart by violence…
#147 Brescia or Bust
Henry VII’s Big Mistake
Henry VII had gained control of most of Northern Italy in less than three months. It will take him 9 months to lose it all again. How did he go from bringer of peace and justice and all out savior of Italy to brutal conqueror and godless tyrant? Let’s find out.
#148 Imperial Swansong
Henry VII’s Journey to Rome
The year is 1312 and Henry VII is finally embarking on his journey to Rome that will bring about the first imperial coronation in almost a century and hence the formal end to the Interregnum, the time without emperors.
Ludwig the Bavarian (1314-1347)
In the mid-14th century imperial politics become a three body problem. The Habsburgs, the Luxemburgs and the Bavarian Wittelsbachs were the three most powerful families in the empire kept in a precarious balance by the astute politics of this much underappreciated ruler.
He sits at the transition from the Middle Ages to the Early modern Age, is a supporter of progressive thinkers like Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham and can claim to have been the last emperor to be invested by the Roman Senate. His life and politics formed the backdrop to Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose
#149 The Real Ludwig of Bavaria
The youth of an emperor
A few months after emperor Henry VII had died in the Tuscan village of Buonconvento and before a successor had been elected, a young man, Ludwig, second son of the duke of Upper Bavaria made his name defeating a much larger Habsburg force. This success could not have come at a more opportune time as it propelled him into contention for the title of King of the Romans and ultimately, emperor.
#150 The Last Chivalric Battles
Morgarten and Mühldorf
How the conflict between the three dominating houses, the Habsburgs, the Wittelsbachs and the Luxemburg pans out, and whilst the mighty lords believe it is all about marriage alliances and knights dominating the battlefield, the ground on which their mighty warhorses are galloping is shifting….
#151 Kurverein zu Rhens
featuring Pope John XXII and William of Ockham
This week we look at the central intellectual debate of the 14th century, did Jesus own property? If yes, then it was right and proper that the church owned land, privileges, entire counties and duchies, and if not, the pope as a successor to the apostles should rescind all worldly possessions and all political power….fat chance!
#152 The (not so) Ugly Duchess
Margarete Maultasch
Much more than an ugly face. Her actions to defend her inherited county of Tyrol tilted the complex equilibrium between the Habsburgs, the Wittelsbachs and the House of Luxemburg out of kilter with unpredictable, violent results.
#153 The Rise of Nürnberg
Against all the odds..
How did this city grow within 200 years from an imperial castle far from the main transport links, without a harbour and on famously poor soil into one of the three most important urban centres in Germany whose merchants were well regarded in all corners of the world, whose printers published the works of Europe’s leading intellectuals, whose artists were and remain of global renown and whose engineers produced breakthrough after breakthrough.
#154 The Blind King John of Bohemia
A Fool of a Hero
John of Bohemia wasn’t the last knight, but he was a figure of a world that was slowly fading away. A world where armoured men on horseback were invincible and hence had to be tamed by a complex set of rules they called the chivalric code.
Charles IV / Karl IV (1346-1378)
For more than a hundred years the Holy Roman Empire was a mess of constant infighting between and within the great princely families. But by the 1360s the consistent policies and elaborate diplomacy of emperor Karl IV had produced a degree of stability not seen by anyone alive.
With the home front calm, the emperor can again assume a role on the European stage, setting in train seminal events that will reverberate across the centuries…
#155 The Youth of Emperor Karl IV
The Future Emperor’s Daddy Issues
The emperor Karl IV has divine visions. Not quite what you were expecting, but as it happened a good window into his way of thinking. But do not worry, Karl wasn’t just an excessively devout collector of relics….
#156 What Price a Crown
Karl IV Fights and Schemes his Way to the Throne
Another election, another succession crisis in the Holy Roman Empire – will Karl IV find a way to put an end to this?
#157 The Black Death and other Calamities
The Disastrous 14th Century
In around 1320 near the lake Issy-Kul in Kyrgysistan the rats started dying…25 years later the virus this event released hits a European population weakened by famine and natural disasters…
#158 Prague – A New Rome
Karl IV’s great plans for his capital city
A new Rome was to rise on the shores of the Vitava River, a place adorned with churches and monasteries evoking the holiest places of Christianity and squares on such a monumental scale that reminds one more of the 19th century than the 14th.
#159 The Rise to Imperial Power
Karl IV’s journey to Rome
In just six years the new ruler, Karl IV rebuilds the Holy Roman Empire into a serious European power, respected by the pope, the Italians and even the king of France
#160 The Golden Bull of 1356
The Basic Law of the Holy Roman Empire
The Basic Law of the Holy Roman Empire? What does it actually say, what is new and most importantly, what is not in it.
#161 A Luxemburg Empire
Karl IV’s Hausmacht
Subduing the princes never worked, so time to try a new strategy. Buy what you can, what you can’t, marry and only what resists, conquer.
#162 Schisms and Deals
International policies of Emperor Karl IV
With the home front calm, the emperor can again assume a role on the European stage, setting in train seminal events that will reverberate across the centuries…
#163 Succession and Legacy
Emperor Karl IV gets his son Wenceslaus IV crowned king of the Romans
Karl IV had hugele expanded his possessions, stabilised the empire and scored some major international successes. But now it is time to talk about his Achilles heel, his obsession with his son and heir, Wenceslaus.
Charles IV. A Portrait of a Medieval Ruler – Interview with Václav Žůrek
The Emperor and King Charles IV (1316-1378) represents today an untouchable monument in Czech history, carved into the marble of admiration and clichés. Although a new and thorough study of his reign is yet to be written, it is nevertheless useful to introduce Charles IV from a new perspective. In many regards, historical research has already brought new findings, and thus we are now able to shed new light on both his life and his reign.
The book will be published this autumn but is already available for pre-order
here: Charles IV: Portrait of a Medieval Ruler, Žurek, Stone (uchicago.edu)
Wonderful podcast, I hope you will organise this season’s page like the previous seasons with it’s timeline/emperor hyperlink and explanation of key events as it made easier to navigate.
Will you also be updating the following season’s timeline pages by any chance? the ones covering Hanse, Teutonic Knights and Eastward Expansion.