The Northern Crusades.

A collection of military campaigns in the Baltic region of Europe to convert the pagan people there to Christianity by Catholic military orders, primarily the Teutonic Order.

Here is the story of these campaigns and the bloodshed and zeal behind them 🧵 The Northern Crusades began officially in 1195 with the call by Pope Celestine III.

Christian monarchs throughout Europe sought the Christianization of land that included modern day Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

THE DYNASTIES OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE 🧵

The House of Hohenstaufen

Origin: Swabia
States: Duchy of Swabia, Holy Roman Empire, Kingdoms of Italy, Sicily and Jerusalem.
Titles: Holy Roman Emperor, Duke of Swabia, King of Italy, Sicily, Jerusalem, Burgundy, Count of Burgundy. The Hohenstaufen dynasty were also known as the Staufer, founded in 1079 by Frederick I, Duke of Swabia.

The name Staufen derives from the old high german word "stouf" which meant "chalice". This term was applied commonly to conical hills in Swabia.

Set against the backdrop of 14th century France.

Knights Jacques le Gris and Jean de Carrouges engaged in a brutal trial by combat. A tale of brotherhood, accusation and betrayal. A tale of comrades in arms would end in violent bloodshed.

Here is the story of The Last Duel 🧵 Jean de Carrouges was born in the 1330s in Carrouges, France. He was a knight who had governance of estates in Normandy and was a vassal to Count Pierre d'Alencon.

Castle of the week #2: Eltz Castle! 🇩🇪

Still belonging to the original family to this day, this castle played an important role in protecting trade routes in the Holy Roman Empire under Frederick Barbarossa.

Here is its story🧵 Nestled deep within the hills above the Moselle river, between the cities of Koblenz and Trier in Germany lies Eltz Castle or Burg Eltz in German.

The land originally had a manor hall with an earthen palisade belonging to Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne in 814.

The greatest knight who ever lived.

William Marshal was an English knight, a man of honor and integrity. A man who served five kings, fought in the crusades, became a Templar and was an undefeated tournament champion.

This is the story of the greatest knight, a thread. 🧵 William Marshal was born in either 1146 or 1147 to his father John Marshal and mother Sybilla of Salisbury. He was a member of the noble Marshal family, below is their coat of arms.

The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order from the Holy Roman Empire. It was charged to defend the cross and fight the enemies of Christianity, primarily the Ottoman Empire.

Here is the story of these Imperial Knights and their order, a thread.🧵 The Order was founded in 1408 by Sigismund of Luxembourg who at the time was King of Hungary and Croatia but would later become Holy Roman Emperor.

Vlad the Impaler was the Prince of Wallachia, known for his stand against the Ottomans advancing on his lands and his infamous executions and the blood he spilled in the process.

Here is the story of the legendary hero of Romania and how he stood against the Ottoman Empire. 🧵 Vlad was born in 1431 in Sighisoara Transylvania now modern day Romania. He was the second of four brothers, sons of Vlad II Dracul.

Life in the Middle Ages for the average citizen could be unforgiving and winter was no different.

The bitter cold and heavy snowfall in areas could prove deadly in Medieval Europe, leading to food shortages and more.

Here's what it was like enduring a Medieval winter 🧵 Winter is typically the harshest and most unforgiving season. This was no different in the Medieval era.

In 1300 lasting until around 1870 there was a period known as the "little ice age". This meant the winters would be far more colder and more dangerous.

Over the thousand years of the period of the Middle Ages many incredible groups of warriors emerged to seize glory on the battlefield and cement their place in history.

Here are my favorites. 🧵

(Artwork by Jama Jurabaev) 1. The Knights Templar: Founded in the early 12th century the Knights Templar were created to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land. They would soon rise in power and wealth and become some of the most elite warriors of their time.

Renowned for their prowess in battle during the Siege of Jerusalem and the Battle of Ascalon in 1099 and 1153 respectively.

The Battle on the Ice is one of the most legendary battles in the history of Russia. The forces of the Novgorod Republic and their leader Alexander Nevsky, stood against the might of the Teutonic Order.

What ensued was a bloody battle atop the frozen surface of Lake Peipus. 🧵

The art used in this thread belongs to Territory Studio! This battle took place as a part of the larger conflict known as the Northern Crusades in the Baltic region of Europe by the Teutonic Knights and their allies against the regions pagans.

King Philip II of France, also known as Philip Augustus, reigned as the monarch of France from 1180 to 1223.

He played a major role in shaping the medieval history of France and is often regarded as one of the most successful and capable kings of his time. Here is his story.🧵 King Philip was born in 1165 on the 21st of August in Gonesse, France. His father was Louis VII, King of France and his mother was Adela of Champagne.

In the year 732 on October the 10th, the Battle of Tours would take place. The Umayyad Invasion of Gaul threatened Europe. The leader of the Frankish forces Charles Martel faced the daunting task of taking on the invading force. This is it's story. 🧵 In 710, the Visigothic king Witiza died. This event left Spain in political disarray. The Gothic nobles chose to not recognize Witiza's sons as the rightful heirs and instead chose to elect Roderick the Duke of Baetica.

The date is July 15th in the year 1410 near the village of Grunwald in modern day Poland. The Knights of the Teutonic Order clashed with the Polish-Lithuanian alliance. The ensuing Battle of Grunwald would be a defining moment in Medieval history. 🧵
The Teutonic Order, who were originally founded during the Crusades had expanded their influence and power to the Baltic region and now became rulers of a state in Prussia.

The Teutons would conduct crusades against their non-Christian neighbors, including the Duchy of Lithuania

It is the 12th century. The church seeks to find a means of protecting merchants and Christian pilgrims on the roads to Jerusalem and so one of the most elite chivalric orders was founded. The Knights Templar.

Let us begin. 🧵 The Knights Templar were founded in the year 1119 at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Templars upon creation was a small order with only a handful of knights but as time went on it would grow drastically and become a force across Europe.

Fan of my work? Want to see previous threads you may have missed? I come bearing gifts. A thread of threads: The Medieval Scholar Compendium

https://twitter.com/MedievalScholar/status/1706049696605618310

https://twitter.com/MedievalScholar/status/1713967516102373409

The Battle of Poitiers, fought between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France, unfolded on the fields near Poitiers, France, on September 19, 1356 reshaping the course of the war and leaving an indelible mark on the pages of history. 🧵 The port of Calais fell to the English in 1347 after the Crecy campaign. The Truce of Calais would be signed after. Fighting between the two nations was halted until 1350 due to the arrival of the Black Death, which would result in the death of a third of Western Europe.

On August 26th 1346, English forces traversing northern France were attacked by the French forces. The battle that ensued would be a devastating loss for the French and a great victory for England.

The Battle of Crécy 🧵
In 1337, disputes began between King Edward III of England and Philip VI of France about lands held by Edward and his claim to them.

King Philip's Great Council agreed that they should be taken back. This dispute would result in the beginning of the Hundred Years War.

The Battle of Agincourt. One of the most famous battles of the Middle Ages. A tremendous underdog victory of the valiant English forces that would cement King Henry V into the records of history.

Here is the story of the battle. 🧵
In 1415 following failed negotiations with the French, King Henry V of England would claim the title of King of France through his grandfather Edward III and invade France.

The Holy Roman Empire, a vast collection of complex political territories. It stood for over a millennia, from the early Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Many lands, cultures and ideas inhabited it, creating one of the most interesting chapters in history. 🧵
To talk about the Holy Roman Empire, we must first note the fall of the Western Roman Empire, which occurred in the 5th century, in 476 AD. After this, the Roman Empire would be reduced to it’s eastern half with its capital being Constantinople.

The gleaming, illustrious city of Constantinople stood as the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire for over 1,100 years.

In 1453, one man would do what a millennia of armies could not. Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire. This is his story 🧵 Mehmed was born on March 30th, 1432 in Adrianople to his parents Sultan Murad II and Hüma Hatun.

He received a great education in various fields, including military strategy, science, and the arts.

When you think of the greatest knight in history, many will think of William Marshal, many will think of Godfrey of Bouillon, perhaps the Black Prince.

But the man whom I believe deseves this title is the legendary Castilian Knight Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, known as El Cid. 🧵 El Cid was both a Castilian knight and a warlord, who would play a pivotal role in the Reconquista of Spain and would take part in combat for both the Christian and Muslim armies.