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  • The unmade bow toppled a Grand Prince of Kiev

    The unmade bow toppled a Grand Prince of Kiev
    2026/10/30
    A Grand Prince of Kiev, who ruled six principalities, faces a Mongol encampment. His refusal to bow before a statue leads to a fatal confrontation.

    The unmade bow toppled a Grand Prince of Kiev

    This episode explores the life and death of Mikhail Vsevolodovich, a powerful figure in Kievan Rus' who died in 1246. It delves into the historical mystery surrounding his final moments and the two main academic explanations for his choice.

    Person: Mikhail Vsevolodovich
    Date: September 20, 1246
    Location: Mongol encampment
    Grand Prince of Kiev
    Event: Refusal to bow

    - Mikhail Vsevolodovich governed more territories than almost any other prince of his era in Kievan Rus'.
    - His city of Chernigov flourished, with archaeological evidence still surfacing today of its economic peak.
    - He held the title of Grand Prince of Kiev twice, the symbolic apex of the Rus' political order.
    - Mikhail survived the Battle of Kalka River in 1223, where Mongol forces destroyed the assembled Rus' princes.
    - He spent the years between the Battle of Kalka and the full Mongol assault building alliances to his west, negotiating with Poland and Hungary.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • The pardoned lords who waited to take everything back

    The pardoned lords who waited to take everything back
    2026/10/29
    A medieval count, haunted by his father's unburied bones, spends his life reclaiming them, only to face a betrayal by the very nobility he pardoned.

    The pardoned lords who waited to take everything back

    This episode delves into the life of Floris V, Count of Holland and Zeeland, and the strange circumstances surrounding his death. It explores how a childhood shaped by loss and shifting power dynamics influenced his reign and ultimately led to his downfall.

    Person: Floris V
    Date: 1282
    Location: Holland and Zeeland
    Event: Retrieval of William II's bones

    - Floris V inherited the title of Count of Holland at age two and spent thirty years of his reign trying to retrieve his father's unburied bones from Frisian territory.
    - His father, William II, was killed by Frisians in 1256 after the ice gave way beneath his horse while marching across a frozen lake.
    - Floris V experienced three different regents governing in his name by the time he was twelve, shaping his approach to power.
    - In 1274, Floris defeated two rebellious lords, Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel and Herman VI van Woerden, stripping them of their lands but sparing their lives.
    - Floris V successfully retrieved his father's remains in 1282 after a victory at the Battle of Vronen.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    17 分
  • The edict that declared Hanover a usurper and unravelled his dukedom

    The edict that declared Hanover a usurper and unravelled his dukedom
    2026/10/28
    A dethroned duke, exiled for decades, plays a chess game that will be studied for centuries. His lost German duchy, Brunswick, is gone forever.

    The edict that declared Hanover a usurper and unravelled his dukedom

    This episode explores the life of Charles II, Duke of Brunswick, from his early inheritance to his eventual exile. It delves into the events that led to his loss of power and the lasting legacy of his defiance.

    Person: Charles II, Duke of Brunswick
    Date: 1858
    Location: Paris, Théâtre Italien
    Event: Chess game
    Status: Exiled

    - Charles II inherited the Duchy of Brunswick at age ten after his father, Frederick William, died at the Battle of Quatre Bras.
    - His guardianship became a political contest between powers, with George, the Prince Regent, initially claiming control.
    - Charles assumed government of Brunswick at age nineteen, having spent his formative years in exile.
    - In 1827, Charles issued an edict declaring the Hanoverian constitution invalid and calling Hanover a usurper.
    - The German Confederation ordered Charles to comply with the constitutional framework, but he refused.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    17 分
  • The sultan's hand on his cheek cost the infant king his city and crown

    The sultan's hand on his cheek cost the infant king his city and crown
    2026/10/27
    An infant king is handed to Suleiman-how do you fall from a throne you never truly held?

    The sultan's hand on his cheek cost the infant king his city and crown

    In this episode, we trace the early life of John Sigismund Zápolya, born king amid a fractured Hungary and raised under four guardians after his father's death. We follow the fragile political architecture that left a crown always within reach yet never worn, and ask how a child could inherit a throne already hollowed out.

    Person: John Sigismund Zápolya
    Date: 7 July 1540 (birth); 13 September 1540 (election); 29 August 1541 (meeting with Suleiman)
    Location: Buda; tent of Sultan Suleiman; Gyulafehérvár; Lippa
    Guardian: Isabella Jagiellon; George Martinuzzi; Péter Petrovics; Bálint Török

    - John Sigismund was sixty-seven days old when the Diet elected him king on 13 September 1540.
    - His father extracted a deathbed oath that the realm would pass to his infant son rather than Ferdinand of Habsburg.
    - On 29 August 1541 six men, including four guardians, presented thirteen-month-old John Sigismund to Suleiman in a tent while janissaries entered Buda.
    - Suleiman touched the boy’s cheek and called him a beloved son as Ottoman soldiers took the city without force.
    - Bálint Török, one guardian who entered the tent, was seized in the sultan’s camp and never returned.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分
  • The petition to Murad II that brought Ottoman arms and toppled him

    The petition to Murad II that brought Ottoman arms and toppled him
    2026/10/26
    A claimant to the Bosnian crown begs Sultan Murad II for troops and rides behind Ottoman banners to seize a kingdom-how do you fall from that high?

    The petition to Murad II that brought Ottoman arms and toppled him

    In this episode, we trace how Radivoj Ostojić, born illegitimate and barred by Church law, pursued a throne no European power would legitimize. We follow his choice to petition Murad II, the Ottoman military advance that followed, and the political fractures his reliance on foreign arms exposed.

    Person: Radivoj Ostojić
    Date: 1432-1434 (petition and Ottoman intervention)
    Location: Bosnia; the Sublime Porte (Ottoman court)
    Event: Petition to Sultan Murad II for military backing
    Ally: Stjepan Vukčić Kosača (Kosača), Pavlović, Đurađ Branković

    - Born doubly adulterine, Radivoj was structurally excluded from Christian legitimacy despite royal paternity.
    - In 1432 he traveled to the Sublime Porte and formally petitioned Sultan Murad II for Ottoman military support.
    - Sultan Murad II honored the petition and in 1433 Ottoman forces crossed into Bosnia with Radivoj riding with or just behind them.
    - Key noble houses shifted allegiance: the Kosača and Pavlović declared for Radivoj while Đurađ Branković backed the challenge.
    - By 1433-1434 Radivoj controlled most of the kingdom and held Bobovac through Ottoman hands, a military apex lacking papal or European recognition.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    17 分
  • The Salt Mountain That Grounded an Empire

    The Salt Mountain That Grounded an Empire
    2026/10/25
    In 1752, a man led jungle warriors into a Spanish highland town, held it for three days, then vanished. For 36 years, he outmaneuvered an empire.

    The Salt Mountain That Grounded an Empire

    This episode explores the story of Juan Santos Atahualpa, a man who challenged the Spanish colonial system in the Amazon foothills. It delves into the circumstances that led to his emergence and the impact he had on the region.

    Person: Juan Santos Atahualpa
    Date: August 1752
    Location: Amazon foothills, Peru
    Event: Resistance against Spanish colonial rule
    Topic: Colonialism and indigenous resistance

    - Juan Santos Atahualpa led jungle warriors into a Spanish highland town and disappeared for 36 years, evading capture.
    - The Asháninka people had lived in the Andean foothills and Amazon basin for generations, resisting Spanish encroachment.
    - Franciscan missions, established since 1635, imposed forced sedentarization and faced chronic food shortages.
    - The Franciscans controlled the Cerro de la Sal, a vital salt vein, which was essential for food preservation.
    - Juan Santos Atahualpa, educated by Jesuits, spoke multiple languages and claimed to be the reincarnation of an Inca emperor.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    19 分
  • A forged diploma created an empire that vanished in a century

    A forged diploma created an empire that vanished in a century
    2026/10/24
    A shoemaker's apprentice claims to be heir to Byzantium and issues noble titles - did he create an empire from thin air?

    A forged diploma created an empire that vanished in a century

    This episode explores the story of Gian Antonio Lazier, a man who, despite humble beginnings, managed to convince powerful European rulers of his imperial lineage. How did he build an empire that had been dead for centuries?

    Person: Gian Antonio Lazier
    Born: June 9, 1678
    Location: Perloz, Aosta Valley
    Event: Forged diploma for Ludovisi brothers
    Date: December 21, 1721

    - Gian Antonio Lazier, born to Francesco Lazier and Giacobina Neiroz, had no documented imperial connections.
    - The Byzantine Empire had fallen 268 years before Lazier's birth, with Constantinople falling in 1453.
    - On April 5, 1720, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI granted Lazier an imperial diploma to confer titles of nobility.
    - Lazier's journey began with an apprenticeship to a shoemaker and a brief stay in a monastery.
    - In 1707, the Inquisition condemned Lazier for attempted polygamy, leading to seven months in prison.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    22 分
  • The name Alexander VI locked a ghost into the list of popes

    The name Alexander VI locked a ghost into the list of popes
    2026/10/23
    A Greek orphan becomes a pope - later the Church voids his papacy. Who is this erased pope?

    The name Alexander VI locked a ghost into the list of popes

    This episode explores the improbable ascent of Pietro Filargo, an orphaned Greek child who became a cardinal and briefly held the papacy, only to have his authority voided centuries later. How did a man with no family or connections reach such a high office, and why was his legacy erased?

    Person: Pietro Filargo
    Date: 1339 (approximate birth)
    Location: Crete
    Period: Medieval Europe
    Event: Western Schism

    - Pietro Filargo, an orphaned Greek child, was taken in by Italian Franciscan friars who provided him with an education.
    - He studied at a Franciscan convent in Norwich, England, and later at Oxford, where he founded a drinking society called the Popes' drinking society.
    - After earning a doctorate in theology from the University of Paris, Pietro aligned himself with Urban VI during the Western Schism, a period when the Church had two competing popes.
    - This strategic alignment led to his advancement through the episcopate, becoming Bishop of Piacenza, Vicenza, and Novara.
    - Pietro then served as an advisor to Giangaleazzo Visconti, the Duke of Milan, before being elevated to Archbishop of Milan and then cardinal by Pope Innocent VII.

    To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

    © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
    This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.
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    21 分