History of the World podcast

A special preview of the Ancient World Cup Final between the Ancient Egyptians and The Romans

1242 - Paganism remained dominant in the north-east corner of Europe, but the race to convert the natives brought the Western Catholic Crusaders into conflict with the Eastern Orthodox Russians. The resulting conflict took place on the surface of a frozen lake.

1415 - 1431 - The incredible story of how a young peasant girl managed to convince the French royal court to show a more aggressive attitude to the wars in France and how it was able to turn the tables on the English during the Hundred Years' War.

Something completely new for the History of the World podcast.  While we wait for the new episode, we revive some of the great stories that we have already told in years gone by.  Plus the result of the first semi-final of the History of the World podcast Ancient World Cup.

1415 - King Henry V of England was committed to targetting the French and launched an attack on France to reclaim lost lands and take the hand of the French king's daughter.  Henry would actually end up in a race against time to escape France with his life.

1346 - All of the male descedants of King Philip IV of France had died out, apart from one, King Edward III of England.  The French would find a way to avoid crowning Edward in favour of a cousin and this would cause Edward to raise a massive army and invade the north of France.

1337 - 1453 - The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France and their ruling dynasties, the Plantagenets and the Capetians.  This is a whistle-stop tour of the main events that shaped the conflicts.

1346 - 1353 - It was not the first time that the bubonic plague had hit Eurasia, but this time nobody could have expected the sudden and relentless wave of devastation that affected all of the nations of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

1314 - After the death of King Edward I of England, the Hammer of the Scots, the self proclaimed Scottish king, Robert the Bruce started a campaign of seizing Scottish castles garrisoned by the English.  When Stirling Castle was about to fall to the Scots, King Edward II of England had no choice but to act.

1290 - 1314 - A series of tragedies left the comparatively stable Scottish monarchy in disarray leading to the opportunistic King Edward I of England attempting to enforce overlordship on the Scots.  William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in particular looked to oppose this action.