In this engaging discussion, Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie, an expert on the Hanseatic League and economic history at Oxford, illuminates this medieval trading federation likening it to a crocodile that hid its true motives. She dives into its intimidation tactics against nation states and its influence on King Edward III. Revelatory insights also highlight the essential roles of women entrepreneurs like Margareta and Hildebrandt Weckenhusen. The complexities of the League's trade methods and its parliamentary-like diet reveal its lasting impact on European commerce.

Exploring the rise and fall of the Hanseatic League, a dominant force in North European trade. Topics include tax exemptions, monarch reliance on loans, and decline due to nation-state power. The league's impact on global trade networks, economic tactics, and enduring legacy discussed. Reflections on historical economic growth and security dynamics of the Hansa highlighted.