The History of Poland Podcast

Welcome to the History of Poland Podcast! For many episodes to come, we'll be exploring the rich history of Poland. From it's humble beginnings, we'll follow the people of Poland as they form their own unique cultural identity, rise into a great European power, cross paths with the Mongol Horde, save Europe from an Ottoman invasion, and do their best to keep their independence firm from one generation to the next.

Sigismund III's Early Years 04/04/2022

Sigismund III's Early Years Sigismund the Third takes the throne after facing off against the Hapsburg Archduke Maximilian the Third. Stepping into the limelight, this member of the House of Vasa and heir to the Swedish throne immediately grates against the interests of the Polish nobility. Is he an absolutist monarch, or merely too avid a player of court tennis? Support the show(s) on Patreon: Follow along on Twitter: @historyofpoland Follow along on Facebook: History of Poland Podcast /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/22666697

Episode 58: Stefan Batory 07/23/2021

Episode 58: Stefan Batory Stefan Batory fills the power vacuum left by the departed Henry de Valois. But will his efforts to reform multiple parts of the Polish and Lithuanian states simultaneously be enough to fight off Ivan the Terrible? /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/19904363

Episode 57: King Henry of France (and Poland) 03/07/2021

Episode 57: King Henry of France (and Poland) Henry de Valois is ambitious but his brother is already King of France. And so, he has to settle for another throne (poor Henry): the throne of Poland. But how long will he last? /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/18224429

Episode 56: The Union of Lublin 12/07/2020

Episode 56: The Union of Lublin Sigismund II Augustus reigns during a time of cataclysmic change in Europe. The Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation rages, while poor Sigismund keeps having his wives murdered by his mom. The outcome? A complete change in Polish politics that endured for centuries. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/17088812

Episode 55: The Sons of Casimir IV 09/20/2020

Episode 55: The Sons of Casimir IV Casimir IV had so many kids we can’t even follow them all. So instead of trying, we’re going to focus on the three sons that became King of Poland: John Albert, Alexander, and Sigismund the Old. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/16084274

Episode 54: The End of the Teutonic Order 06/29/2020

Episode 54: The End of the Teutonic Order Due to the efforts of King Casimir III and the events of the Thirteen Years War, the Teutonic Order as it had once existed is effectively at an end. But that’s not all! We also discuss Elisabeth of Austria, the Privilege of Nieszawa, and much more. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/15002936

Episode 53: The Founding of the Jagiellonians 06/01/2020

Episode 53: The Founding of the Jagiellonians Władysław II Jagiełło takes the throne in Poland but faces dissent at home in Lithuania. Also, there are the Teutonic Knights to deal with, what with the Battle of Grunwald and all. The 1400’s were a happening time. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/14645546

Episode 52: The History of Lithuania 05/19/2020

Episode 52: The History of Lithuania In this episode we’re going to very briefly cover the complete history of the state of Lithuania. Definitely won’t skip anything. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/14477345

Episode 51: The Polish-Hungarian Union 04/26/2020

Episode 51: The Polish-Hungarian Union The ascension of King Louis the Great to the throne of Poland was not all it was cracked up to be. Instead, it was a middling affair that was eclipsed by the events it set up. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/14146562

Episode 50: The Great King Casimir 02/18/2020

Episode 50: The Great King Casimir We wrap up our time with King Casimir the Great by talking about his final years as King, what made him “the Great,” and the Congress of Kraków. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/13194125

Episode 49: Casimir and the Ruthenians 01/16/2020

Episode 49: Casimir and the Ruthenians Casimir turns his eye to the east and see some land for the taking. Specifically: Ruthenia. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/12761222

Episode 48: Teutonic Relations 10/25/2019

Episode 48: Teutonic Relations The Teutonic Order and King Casimir try to work things out, but a lot of people keep getting in the way. Pesky Popes! /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/11787656

Episode 47: The Congress of Visegrád 10/12/2019

Episode 47: The Congress of Visegrád King Casimir the Great picks up where his father, Władysław the Elbow-High, left off. But unlike his warmongering father, Casimir strikes out with a bent towards diplomacy. It’s mostly successful. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/11618012

Episode 46: King Władysław the Elbow-High 08/13/2019

Episode 46: King Władysław the Elbow-High Władysław the Elbow-High becomes King Władysław the Elbow-High, but that doesn’t mean his life is going to be all roses and fun times. No, he has quite a lot on his plate - but will he be able to successfully balance it all? We also explore the Sword of Damocles, so that’s fun! /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/10870763

Episode 45: The Reign of the Vaclav's 07/13/2019

Episode 45: The Reign of the Vaclav's Vaclav II and Vaclav III deal with the force that is Władysław, Heir to the Kingdom of Poland. They also deal with the fact that no matter how many Vaclav’s there are, there’ll never be enough. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/10494377

Episode 44: The Return of the King 07/02/2019

Episode 44: The Return of the King The Piast family finally realizes that they’ve been making a terrible mistake in fighting against one another. So, they take it upon themselves to name a new king: Przemysł II. It goes about as well as you’d expect. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/10368857

Episode 43: Leszek the Black 06/18/2019

Episode 43: Leszek the Black Leszek the Black tries his hand at ruling Poland, but will he succeed! He will not! Or, he will, but it’s not the most idyllic time in Poland. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/10190159

Episode 42: What Is Even Happening? 06/08/2019

Episode 42: What Is Even Happening? The Fragmentation of Poland is not being kind to the people of Poland. In this episode, we’re going to cover a great deal of time, but there’s a point to it all. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/10100489

Episode 41: The Machinations of Conrad of Masovia 05/27/2019

Episode 41: The Machinations of Conrad of Masovia Following the Mongol Invasion of Poland, the Poles try to come to grips with their new reality. Do they decide to unite and create a unified state? No, no they do not. Instead, Conrad of Masovia takes the lead and attempts to conquer as much land as possible. Tune in to find out how that goes. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9931406

Episode 40: The Mongols Have Arrived 05/19/2019

Episode 40: The Mongols Have Arrived At long last, the Mongol Invasion of Poland has arrived. They sweep in from the east, leaving destruction in their wake. Will Poland make a successful stand? Featuring Hospitallers from France, the Hungarian Army, the Cumans, the Teutonic Knights, and pretty much every one else playing a role in Eastern Europe Medieval politics. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9836504

Episode 39: Get It Together Piasts 05/11/2019

Episode 39: Get It Together Piasts The Piasts continue to fight with one another in what feels a lot like an interminably long civil war. This time, Henry the Bearded comes out on top, but will it last? And will there be repercussions for these short-sighted wars? /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9741152

Episode 38: Long-Term Consequences 05/06/2019

Episode 38: Long-Term Consequences This may come as a surprise, but Poland is about to descend into civil war. All the while, there are incursions in Prussia, there’s a Mongol storm brewing in the East, and there are Teutonic Knights showing up to “help” fight all comers. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9667409

Episode 37: The Baths Aren't Safe 04/29/2019

Episode 37: The Baths Aren't Safe There’s a lot going on in the life of Leszek the White. He’s got the Rus to deal with, King Andrew of Hungary to keep happy, internal rebellions, and rumors of a group of people called the Tartars to the east. But if there’s one thing he should be on the lookout for, it’s the double-cross/double-cross. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9567113

Episode 36: Spindleshanks 04/22/2019

Episode 36: Spindleshanks The newest rivalry in Medieval Europe is between two close relatives, Leszek the White and Władysław Spindleshanks. But, while the drama is between relatives, the real meat of this story centers on the character and actions of Roman, Duke of Vladimir and Grand Duke of Kiev. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9478712

Episode 35 - Around and Around We Go 04/14/2019

Episode 35 - Around and Around We Go Casimir is dead, so Mieszko the Old seizes the moment and puts himself in power. But it’s not permanent. But neither is the impermanence. I’ll be honest, this period in Polish history is a bit of a mess. But it’s our mess, so we’ll get through it together. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9383879

Episode 34: A Rebellion, But Small 04/07/2019

Episode 34: A Rebellion, But Small It should come as a surprise to no one that Casimir the Just ends up in conflict with his brother, Mieszko the Old, once again. It should also come as no surprise that it was for what the professionals call, "a real dumb reason." /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9295553

Episode 33: Casimir the Just, the Unwise 03/30/2019

Episode 33: Casimir the Just, the Unwise Casimir the II seemed like he’d be a good ruler, since he could hardly be worse than Mieszko the Old. But, it turns out that just because the inept guy leaves, it doesn’t mean someone competent will take his place. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9203561

Episode 32 - Mieszko the Old 03/23/2019

Episode 32 - Mieszko the Old Mieszko the Old takes a stab at running Poland and finds that he’s not really cut out for it. Which is too bad, since his successor is also not cut out for it. In fact, it seems like no one is really equipped to be Grand Duke, which raises the question of why the position exists. But I digress… /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9114401

Episode 31: Crafty Prussians 03/17/2019

Episode 31: Crafty Prussians Bolesław IV the Curly’s reign continues, this time with the highlight being his early porto-crusade against the Prussians. We’ll also spend some time getting to know the rest of the Piast family. /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/9032429

Episode 30: Losing the Plot 03/09/2019

Episode 30: Losing the Plot Bolesław IV the Curly becomes High Duke of Poland, as the next in a long line of rotating Piast relatives who all want to be in charge, but hate it when anyone else is. We also talk Crusades (again). /episode/index/show/historyofpoland/id/8936288

The History of Poland Podcast

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