A History Of Europe, Key Battles

The History of Medieval Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, and rivalries between the Hanseatic League (a naval merchant alliance), Denmark, Sweden and Poland-Lithuania Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Livonian Order, in decline for years, suffers defeat at the Battle of Ermes 1560 against an army of Ivan the Terrible, triggering a conflict to fill the power vacuum; the Northern Wars Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Battle of Lepanto - the largest naval battle in Western history since classical antiquity. A clash for supremacy of the Mediterranean between the Ottomans and a Christian Holy League Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sultan Selim II directs an Ottoman invasion against the Venetian controlled island of Cyprus, leading to the siege of Famagusta which lasted almost a year from September 1570 to August 1571 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Philip II of Spain suffers a major setback by the failure to capture the port of Tripoli. Then in 1565 the Ottomans, in the ascendancy in the Mediterranean, attempt to capture the island of Malta, leading to one of most epic sieges of all time. Also, the passing away of Suleiman the Magnificent Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Ottoman Turks and their Barbary Pirate allies fight against Emperor Charles V and Italians for influence in the Mediterranean but form an alliance of convenience with France which shocks Christendom. Meanwhile there is court intrigue in Constantinople centred around the sultan's harem. And Charles V decides to abdicate after a long reign (pictured: a tapestry of the abdication ceremony) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Barbary Pirates fill a political vacuum in North Africa in the 1400's. Then in the 1500's, after the capture of Cairo, the Ottomans expand into the Mediterranean. Emperor Charles V captures the strategic city of Tunis in 1535 but Christendom soon after faces numerous setbacks against the Turks, most notably defeat the naval Battle of Preveza 1538 (pictured) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Unfortunately I must put the podcast on hiatus for 4 months. Having been elected to represent my local village of Eynsham, for a period I will not realistically be able to keep the podcast going at the same rate as before. But when I'm back, there will be lots of great stories to tell of key battles, from the Battle of Lepanto 1571, Spanish Armada, French Religious Wars of Religion, and many more. See you again in the autumn. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Siege of Kazan 1552. The conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan by Muscovy can be seen as the birth of a Russian Empire. It had profound consequences for the steppe region and beyond, allowing Russian expansion eastwards, eventually as far as the Pacific.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Early years of Ivan IV, the Terrible. On his reaching maturity, Moscow resumes its bid for control of the neighbouring khanate of Kazan, already weakened by decades of instability Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The story of the complex relationship between the Russians and their southern and eastern neighbours in 1400s-early 1500's. Those neighbours were the successor states of the once mighty Mongol-Tatar empire known as the Golden Horde; the khanates of Kazan, Crimea, Siberia, the Great Horde and Nogay Horde. These relationships were at least as important to Muscovy as those with her western neighbours. Pictured: QolSharif Mosque in the city of Kazan, Russia Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Suleiman the Magnificent leads a huge army across the Balkans to confront the leadership of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Battle of Mohacs proved to be a key event in the history of eastern Europewww.historyeurope.net Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1500's. Conquest of the Balkans and Mamluk-controlled Egypt, and rivalry with Shia Persia. Also, the story of the kingdom of Hungary in the same period, leading up to the Battle of Mohacs 1526. Pictured - the coat of arms of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary 1458-1490www.historyeurope.net Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The fight for naval supremacy of the lucrative spice trade of the Indian Ocean between the Mamluk Sultanate based in Cairo and the Portuguese Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Portuguese begin to seize control of the spice trade of the Indian Ocean, by a mixture of diplomacy and brute force. For King Manuel of Portugal, his new maritime empire becomes not just an end in itself but a possible opportunity to weaken the Mamluk Sultanate, and perhaps even a means to recover the Holy Land for Christianity. Pictured: the Zamorin of Calicut Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The epic voyage of Vasco Da Gama 1497-1499, who sailed from Portugal, around the southern tip of Africa, along the eastern coast of Africa and then onto India. The discovery of a sea route from Europe to India began the European age of exploration, with huge consequences for both Europe and the rest of the world Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Portugal, having established its position in Iberia, begins to make conquests in Morocco. At the same time the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator (pictured) sponsors the beginning of a series of discoveries along the west coast of Africa. In 1487-88 Europeans, led by Bartolomeu Dias , circumnavigate the southern tip of Africa for the first time, and reach the Indian Ocean  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Russo-Lithuanian Wars 1500-1503. Ivan III the Great (pictured) continues the expansion of Muscovy by the capture of Lithuanian territories Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Russia in the 1400's. The Conquest of Novgorod by Ivan III the Great, Grand Prince of Moscow Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

King Charles VIII of France, following his conquest of Naples, heads back through Italy to France but is attacked on his way back by a combined Venetian-Milanese army. The two sides meet near the village of Fornovo, near Parma. Although ultimately a failure, Charles' expeditions had major repercussions for it triggered the decades long Italian Wars, when the Italian peninsula became the battleground between foreign powers Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/ahistoryofeurope.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.