Relevant History

After reaching its zenith under Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid Caliphate enters into a period of stark decline. Differences of religion and ethnicity threaten to divide the Islamic empire, even as the Caliphs become increasingly reliant on slave armies...

When Serbia was founded, it was a tiny nation pinned between three great empires. Soldiers, spies, and savvy politicians ensured its survival into the 20th Century. Music courtesy of https://www.bensound.com

The story of Serbia's entry into World War I is one of intrigue and diplomacy as much as armed force. A series of territorial disputes in the Balkans would cause Serbia and Austria-Hungary to become enemies. Meanwhile, a small faction in the Serbian ...

The history of ancient Ethiopia is a mixture of myth and legend. And yet the Ethiopian people are a central part of modern history. Their royal dynasty, descended from King Solomon, made policy for centuries. But what is the origin of the Solomonic l...

As the Middle Ages give way to the Age of Exploration and the modern era begins, Ethiopia faces a series of threats. Internal divisions, foreign invasion, and colonization are all on the menu. Will the Ethiopian people survive and flourish? Or will K...

In 1896, the armies of Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II would prove their mettle against European steel. But after their defeat at the Battle of Adwa, the Italians are looking for revenge. And in Mussolini, they have a leader willing to go to war again. ...

In the waning days of World War II, a castle full of French VIP hostages is surrounded by murderous SS troops. Can a joint relief force of American and German troops reach them in time to prevent the inevitable massacre?   SUBSCRIBE TO RELEVANT HISTO...

The First Crusade was far from “merely” a religious affair. National and cultural differences influenced the entire course of the crusade, from its inception at the Council of Clermont to its culmination at the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099. This is the...

What happens when you call a holy war without a defined goal? In this episode, the leaders of Europe put on a first-rate display of incompetence, and the Second Crusade ends in predictable disaster. But on the western coast of Iberia, a king named Al...

While Crusader armies dither outside Damascus, a Turkish warlord named Nur ad-Din would forge a new Syrian kingdom. His successor, Saladin, would transform that kingdom into an Empire. Meanwhile, court life in the Kingdom of Jerusalem devolves into a...