Episodit
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It is a period of great changes, with Middle Ages giving way to the Modern Era. While explorers are establishing new maritime trade routes, the Czechs are struggling to combine their heritage of religious liberty with international acceptance.
The House of Jagello is not long for this world, and the kingdom will soon need to pick a new royal house for the third time in as many centuries. But will they be able to find a leader who will both respect the kingdom, and earn its respect in return?
Dramatis Personae
Vladislav Jagelonský Maxmilián Habsburský Janos Szapolyai Jan Prostějovský Ludvík Jagelonský Zikmund the Old Ferdinand Habsburský Maxmilián (II.) Habsburský Rudolf (II.) Habsburský Bohuslav Felix Hasištejnský z Lobkovic -
The Hussite Wars are over. Peace and freedom of confession were bought at the cost of a fratricidal battle, but both are still fragile as the king-emperor Zikmund died shortly after the Compacts of Basel were declared.
The Czechs have to figure out how to make the small island of tolerance in the heart of Europe last against the overwhelming might of the papacy, and to do that they need to get lucky with the choice of their new ruling dynasty. How far will they need to go to find one?
Dramatis personae
Zikmund Lucemburský Albrecht Habsburský Hynek Ptáček z Pirkštejna Jiří z Poděbrad Jan Rokycana Ladislav Pohrobek Zdeněk ze Šternberka János Hunyadi Matyáš Hunyadi (Korvín) Petr Chelčický Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini Jaroslav Lev z Rožmitálu Vladislav Jagelonský -
Puuttuva jakso?
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It is 1422. Thrice now the Czechs have beaten a Crusade called to subjugate them under the yoke of Zikmund of Luxemburg and the papacy he controls.
But what will they do with this victory? What *can* they do and how did this happen in the first place? Join us in this action-packed episode concluding the Hussite wars.
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Václav IV., Czech and Roman King, is dead. A stroke killed him only weeks after the tensions between reformists and papal loyalists broke into open conflict.
His heir is his half-brother, Zikmund, King of Hungary and Croatia; but Zikmund had spent the past ten years reconsolidating the fractured Latin church under his own thumb and isn't going to just agree to reform.
In addition, many of the Czech nobles blame him for having Master Jan Hus, the unifying figure of the reform movement, killed in the process.
In the past, Zikmund has shown willingness to declare his opponents the enemies of God and wage Crusades against them; how far is he willing to go to secure the Crown of St. Václav?
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The Golden Age of Czech Kingdom is coming to an end.
Between a disease epidemic, economic struggles, political machinations and religious schism, there is enough to weigh down the Luxemburgs' crowned heads. And it is obvious, none of Karel IV.'s sons took after their father. As they fumble through a situation that only seems to go from bad to worse, one of them turns to hunting and frivolity, while the other prefers abductions and intrigue - which earns them the respective nicknames of "the Drunkard and the Fox".
While the two rival brothers ponder which pope is the right one to get the imperial crown from and how much will it cost them, a reform movement decrying all of them sprouts under their noses.
And a single preacher gains an unprecedented following, by admonishing people to find the truth, return to it and stick with it, even in spite of the Church and her doctrines.
Join us, as we delve into one of the most tumultuous (and therefore interesting) times of the Czech history.
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Every motherland needs its father - and in 14th century the Czech lands are about to get one of their very own.
Despite not being a Přemyslid in the male line, "the foreigner king's" son will embrace the heritage and legacy of his mother's house and build the declining kingdom back up.
With the imperial political scene tangled and pulled every which way, the papacy "held hostage" in Avignon, the domestic royal coffers all but depleted and the Czech nobility as recalcitrant as ever, it will be no small feat to get everything back on track.
How long and successful will his reign really be? Will his reforms spark a Golden Age, or just another riot?
Join us as we scrutinize the life and time of Karel IV. - the Greatest Czech and Father of the country.
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A seven-year-old king without a proper regent sounds like a recipe for disaster. But in the Czech kingdom of late 13th century one such young man - Václav II. - grows up into a surprisingly accomplished ruler, who is able to remedy the sins of the lawless years.
As the face of the central European politics once again changes, the crown of Poland and crown of Hungary just might land on Přemyslid heads as well... if they play the political cards right.
But what will happen to the kingdom, when Václav III. survives his father for little more than a year? Will any of his brothers in law be able to pick up the Přemyslid kingly mantle and make the Czech lands his own?
Join us to see how important princesses and queens become, when there are no more strong males left.
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When the first hereditary Czech king - Přemysl I. Otakar - dies, the reigns of the realm are taken by his son Václav I. Will he be enough to fill his great late father's shoes and hold on to the royal crown?
The realm is facing foreign invasions from eastern nomads, southern newly minted dukes and south eastern rivals. When the dust settles on battlefields, there are still dynastic interests to protect and power hungry noblemen to corral and manage. And just as everything finally seems headed in the right direction, personal tragedy throws yet another wrench in the plans.
However, out of that tragedy rises one of the most acclaimed and famous ruler of the Přemyslid dynasty and Czech Middle-Ages in general - Přemysl II. Otakar. With him, the crown will rest upon a head full of chivalrous ideals. He will become hailed as the King of Iron and Gold, and his only fault will be his (almost) naïve faith in the omnipotence of knightly honor and martial glory.
Join us, as we tell the tale of bravery, prowess in battle and political intrigue that is the second half of 13th century in the Czech lands.
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In the 11th century, the Czechs have proved themselves mighty warriors, as well as a cohesive, self-aware nation. The neighbouring German Roman Empire lost its ruling dynasty and two families are vying for the throne. With political tensions and demand for military power rising on all sides the Czech princes see an opportunity for their own advancement.
Meanwhile the social landscape in the Czech lands begins to shift and change, as the administrators become nobility and new settlers populate areas that were previously vacant.
Join us on the tumultuous journey through 12th century court intrigues, political machinations and domestic developments that will once again earn Czechs the royal crown.
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It is the year 1000AD, and the Czech lands are now united under the rule of the Přemyslid dynasty of Bohemia. From humble origins, the Přemyslid princes have created a unitary Christian monarchy that was strong enough to preserve its autonomy and Slavic culture against both raids by warrior nomads from Hungary and repeated invasions from the Holy Roman Empire.
But this is a fragile state; the country is held together not yet by a shared national identity, but merely by shared loyalty and reverence towards the ruling dynasty. What happens when this dynasty attempts to tear itself apart several times over?
Join us today, as the Czech lands endure dynastic strife, are forced to take sides between the emperor and the pope in the investiture controversy, and their princes struggle to elevate themselves above their neighbours in dignity and don the royal crown.
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With Moravia trampled under the hooves of the Magyar steppe warriors and Frankish Empire struggling to pull itself together after yet another succession dispute, the time has come for up until then insignificant tribe settled in the middle of the Bohemian Basin to take the reins of the fate of the Czech lands.
From the legendary beginnings through the first historical records, we follow the rise of the Czech tribe and their ruling Přemyslid dynasty of princes on their quest to unite the neighboring tribes and form a successor state to the late Great Moravia.
We talk about prince Bořivoj, who was the first to accept baptism and bring Christianity to be the universal religion of his land and his wife Ludmila, who became the first Slavic woman to achieve sainthood; their grandsons (Saint) Václav, whose reputation of piety and wisdom would long outlive him, and Boleslav the Cruel, who ascended the throne through murder, only to repent and start a wave of reforms which would become the cornerstone of the first true Czech state. We also follow the foundation of the first Czech bishopric and the fate of its second bishop Vojtěch.
Over the course of the episode we mention the first four patron saints of the Czech lands - Vitus, Ludmila, Václav and Vojtěch, and finally we find out, what the Czechs sing instead of the English carol "Good King Wenceslaus" and why.
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The Dark Ages in Europe have ended, and there is a new Roman Emperor in the West; one who has a mutually beneficial understanding with the Pope, and territorial designs on the Czech lands.
Under this pressure from the Franks, a dynasty of Moravian princes rises to resist, and consolidates the Slavs in the Czech lands into the first true slavic state - Great Moravia.
In this episode, we describe how they laid the foundations of Czech statehood, introduced Christianity to the Slavs at large, and forged a uniquely Moravian culture on par with any in Europe.
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Introducing the Slavs - new inhabitants of the Czech lands, who are here to stay. Legends, fragmentary historical records and archaeology combine to piece together a story of this new ethnic. A society defined by common tongue, tribal in organization and pagan in religion; the Slavs will be joined in rebellion against Avars under a Frankish merchant Sámo, who will become the first person to unite the tribes, not just for a war, but in peace, until his death.
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Introducing the Czech lands and their pre-history. After a brief geographical survey, we will follow the Mammoth Hunters who set up residence there. Their descendants will learn agriculture, pottery and metalworking, eventually mastering the production of iron. These Celtic ironsmiths will give the land its name (in English, anyway) before being replaced by martial-minded Germans, who will keep the Romans out until they themselves vacate these lands to set up residence in former Roman territory.
For interested non-Czech-speaking listeners, we have some further reading on English Wikipedia:
Geography of the Czech Republic Věstonická Venuše Předmostí u Přerova La Téne culture Havránok oppidum Hero of Mšecké Žehrovice Roman fortress in Mušov Duhovky -
Wherein we make an effort to introduce our podcast to the listeners, describing the motives which led to its creation as well as a little bit more about what its content will be.
