Show Notes
In the aftermath of the First Crusade, four Christian kingdoms were established in the near east. In this episode we explore the history of the Crusader States, and the many myths that surround them.
Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli and Jerusalem. Four Christian kingdoms were all established after 1098. The popular image of these kingdoms is as fortified outposts, ruling over poor and often barren lands. Lands where they were treated as an occupying force.
Yet the reality of the Crusader States is far more complex. The states were often in political conflict with themselves or newcomers from the west, as much as their perceived enemies. They had a love-hate relationship with the Byzantines to their north, the Muslim rulers on their borders and eventually both the Mamluks and Mongols.
They were also vibrant, rich and often multicultural kingdoms thanks to the nature of the trade routes and geography over which they sat. Kingdoms that were not guaranteed to fail. Indeed the Kingdom of Jerusalem would survive, in some form, for almost 200 years.
Guest Dr Nic Morton is an associate professor at Nottingham Trent university, he specialises in medieval middle eastern history and is the author of Mongol Storm which looks at the Mongol invasions of the middle east from multiple perspectives, and most recently Crusader Storm, which takes the same approach but for the 12th century.
Cats present Cecilia
Useful links Nic on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:53uj5t35g6salgtelolzsrmq Nick at the University of Nottingham Trent: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/arts-humanities/nicholas-morton The Crusader Storm: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-crusader-storm-a-global-history-of-the-wars-for-the-middle-east-nicholas-morton/c0bd72f03740cfae?ean=9781399818728&bkshp-astro=t
Do you like our podcast? Then please leave us a review, it helps us a lot!
Host: Gareth Edwards More about Gareth Edwards: https://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-history#host
To comment and ask questions, please join our community: https://untitled-history.com/supporters Use our code: Rabbit and get one month free as a Captain, or join as a free member.
Support via Paypal: http://battleguide.co.uk/untitled-paypal Merchandise and Shop: https://untitled-history.com/collections/all
Our WW1 Podcast: @NSQPod Our WW2 Podcast: @BSOWPod Battle Guide YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BattleGuideVT
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what the team at Battle Guide have been getting up to, why not sign up to our monthly newsletter: https://battleguide.co.uk/newsletter
Gareth socials BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/garius.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.me.uk/@garius
Battle Guide Twitter: https://x.com/BattleguideVT General Enquiries: [email protected]
Credits: - Host: Gareth Edwards - Editing: Hunter Christensen - Production: Linus Klaßen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from The Untitled History Podcast
In post-war Britain, the drive to build new housing and a better world led to a number of plans focused on creating modern towns. The boldest and most visionary of these was to be Milton Keynes, a city from nothing.
The Roman Army was powered by cheese. It fuelled its soldiers through war and occupation and, as Rome’s armies swept through western Europe, altered how an entire continent produced and consumed cheese.
In September 1926, art expert Paul Arndt was shown a newly-unearthed Ancient Greek statue by an Italian dealer. It was an extraordinary piece. Its sale for a vast sum of money to an American museum, along with other pieces unearthed, would create excitement across America.
On the 8th of 1940, a lone British destroyer encountered part of the German invasion force bound for Norway. The heroic last stand of HMS Glowworm against overwhelming odds earned her captain the first Victoria Cross of the war. Incredibly, this award was granted based on the recommendation of the German Admiral he had fought.
In 1940, Charles de Gaulle saved France. He called for resistance to the Nazi occupation from London. In 1958, with the French republic crumbling, he stepped forward to save France again.