History of the Germans

From the Middle Ages to Reunification in weekly chronological 20-30 min episodes

Author: Dirk Hoffmann-Becking

A narrative history of the German people from the Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. Episodes are 25-35 min long and drop on Thursday mornings. "A great many things keep happening, some good, some bad". Gregory of Tours (539-594) HotGPod is now entering its 9th season. So far we have covered: Ottonian Emperors (# 1- 21) - Henry the Fowler (#1) - Otto I (#2-8) - Otto II (#9-11) - Otto II (#11-14) - Henry II (#15-17) - Germany in 1000 (#18-21) Salian Emperors(#22-42) - Konrad II (#22- 25) - Henry III (#26-29) - Henry IV/Canossa (#30-39) - Henry V (#40-42) - Concordat of Worms (#42) Early Hohenstaufen (#43-69) - Lothar III (#43-46) - Konrad III (#47-49) - Frederick Barbarossa (#50-69) Late Hohenstaufen (#70-94) - Henry VI (#70-72) - Philipp of Swabia (#73-74) - Otto IV (#74-75) - Frederick II (#75-90) - Epilogue (#91-94) Eastern Expansion (#95-108) The Hanseatic League (#109-127) The Teutonic Knights (#128-137) The Interregnum and the early Habsburgs (#138 ff - Rudolf von Habsburg (#139-141) - Adolf von Nassau (#142) - Albrecht von Habsburg (#143) - Heinrich VII (#144-148) - Ludwig the Bavarian (#149-153) - Karl IV (#154-163) The Reformation before the Reformation - Wenceslaus the Lazy (#165) - The Western Schism (#166/167) - The Ottomans (#168) - Sigismund (#169-#184 The Empire in the 15th Century - Mainz & Hessen #186 - Printing #187-#188 - Universities #190 - Wittelsbachs #189, #196-#199 - Baden, Wuerrtemberg, Augsburg, Fugger (#191-195) - Maps & Arms (#201-#202) The Fall and Rise of the House of Habsburg - Early habsburgs (#203-#207) - Albrecht II (#208) -Freidrich III (#209-
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Ep. 232: The Ottomans – From Mehmet the Conqueror to Selim the Grim (1444-1520)
Episode 232
Wednesday, 8 April, 2026

These last dozen or so episodes we have examined the genesis of two of the three major strategic preoccupations of the Habsburg empire, the rivalry with the French kings and the relationship with the imperial princes. Today we will look at the build-up of the third major strategic challenge to the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, the Ottomans. One can argue, and many have, that the threat of an Ottoman invasion in the 1520s and 1530s prevented the emperor Charles V from clamping down on the protestants in the empire. By the time the border had been stabilised and the Habsburgs could focus again on the religious and political changes in the German lands, it was too late to reverse events. There is an element of irony here that I will refrain from elaborating on.When Constantinople fell in 1453, the Christian nations of Western Europe assumed that they could regain the ancient capital of Byzantium and even Jerusalem if only they were united under the crusading banner. By the time Suleiman the Magnificent appeared before Belgrade in 1521, that had become inconceivable. The Christian nations, and in particular the Habsburgs were on their back foot.So, what had happened in these 70 years that made the Ottoman armies appear unbeatable?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.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFor do it yourself merchandise go to: Merchandise • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo 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:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356The Reformation before the ReformationThe Empire in the 15th centuryThe Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs