Aristocratic Fury Profile picture
Jan 22, 2022 7 tweets 4 min read Read on X
The war between Teutonic Order and the Lithuanian pagans was one of the longest conflicts ever! There was some kind of fighting almost every year from 1283 to 1406, but very few big battles. It was basically a war of attrition, but with both sides getting stronger in the process. Image
The fighting revolved around raids into enemy territory where both sides pillaged enemy territory back and forth. However these raids had to be well organized and the logistics were very difficult. Campaigning was only possible for a limited time of the year! ImageImage
This is primarily due to two things: geography and climate. These lands were covered by dense forests, bogs, lakes and rivers. There was a belt of uncleared land between the two enemies as a no man's land. This presented logistical challenges that were very difficult to overcome. ImageImageImage
Furthermore campaigning was not possible for most of the year because of weather conditions. In fact, there were only two sets of weather conditions that allowed campaigning at all! And even in this case, sudden weather changes would be disastrous and could trap the army. Image
One weather condition was a very specific type of winter that was not too cold yet sharp enough to harden the ground and freeze over the rivers. The cold was devastating but a weak winter was even worse as it was impossible to move men and horses unless the ground froze. ImageImageImage
The other weather condition for campaigning was hot sun combined with drying winds. This could happen any time from April to October, or not at all, and was unlikely to last for more than a month! When it did, they could combined both land and water transport for raids. Image
The both sides raided each other to no end while getting continuously strengthened and reinforced by their expanding economies in the hinterland away from the front. This caused this brutal endless war to last so long! Image

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More from @LandsknechtPike

Nov 12
Jan III Sobieski is well known for his victory at Vienna in 1683.

But he had already made his name as a warrior long before that.

On this day 11 November he achieved a great victory against the Ottomans in 1673 at Khotyn.

This is how the Lion of Lechistan was born. 🧵 Image
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The Battle of Khotyn happened in the context of the Polish-Ottoman War of 1672-1676.

The said war was started when the Ottomans invaded the lands of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in Ukraine with a 80,000 strong army.

This army was led Sultan Mehmed IV and the Grand Vizier. Image
The invaders entered lands that were already devastated by war and faced a much weakened Commonwealth.

The Polish-Cossack-Tatar War of 1666-1671 had just ended and left the Commonwealth exhausted, tired from having to put down the unrest in Ukraine. Image
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Read 22 tweets
Oct 14
It's crazy how Americans bought the myth that during the time of Columbus people thought that the earth was flat, a complete lie popularized by quasi-historian Washington Irving in 1828.

This globe was literally made before Columbus' discovery, and has no America on it. Image
Washington Irving completely invented a fictional dialogue between Columbus and the Council of Salamanca, where the clergy supposedly objected him on the ground that the earth was flat.

His fraudulent book would become the most popular book on Columbus in English-speaking world. Image
This lie was then picked on in America and expended as some sort of anti-Catholic anti-medieval founding myth, where Columbus was supposedly representing enlightenment rationalism against irrationality and dogmatism of the Church.

All based on a total lie. Image
Read 11 tweets
Aug 16
The idea that monarchy and republic are opposed to each other is a modern thing.

The term republic (res publica) was often used to describe medieval kingdoms.

Even by 16th century the Kingdom of France was still called both a republic and a monarchy at the same time!Image
The Kingdom of France defined itself by the phrase of "chose publique" (res publica) from 1350s to 1580s, also using the word respublique, to describe the relation between the King of France and his subject.

The term was then replaced by State (État).Image
The absolutist French monarchy which emerged in 17th century preferred the term State over republic, and talked of the "good of the State".

However the term state also comes from earlier medieval concepts like status regis at regni (the state of the king and the kingdom).Image
Read 18 tweets
Jun 18
There are many mysterious legends in the Alps.

People from the village of Gurro believe that they are descendants of Scottish warriors who served the French king at the battle of Pavia in 1525!

It is said that after their retreat the Scots were stuck here due to a blizzard. 🧵

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The village of Gurro is situated in Italy close to the border of Switzerland.

The villagers are said to speak a curious dialect and have distinct traditions which they believe originate from their alleged Scottish ancestors.
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For example the people of Gurro want to say yes they say aye instead of Italian si.

They also claim that the traditional wooden support under the windows is deliberately shaped to resemble St. Andrew's cross.

Traditional clothes resemble Scottish tartan.Image
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Read 21 tweets
May 27
There are many anonymous accounts here on X.

But how did people post anonymously in the past?

16th century Romans developed an interesting tradition of "talking statues", attaching anonymous political commentary on statues.

The Pasquino was the first of such statues.🧵Image
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The Pasquino is an old statue in Rome dating back to Antiquity.

It was one of many random statues in Rome until early 16th century when Cardinal Oliveiro Carafa decorated the statue with Latin epigrams on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Mark.
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The Cardinal's actions unintentionally inspired ordinary Roman people to start writing satirical poems and attaching them to the Pasquino.

It is speculated that these were first only consisting of lowbrow humor, but they soon began including controversial political criticism! Image
Read 22 tweets
May 22
In the Middle Ages there was no word for orange color.

The Westerners only adopted the word for this color in 16th century from the Sanskrit word naranga through Portuguese merchants!

It eventually became associated with the Protestant cause.🧵Image
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The medievals adopted the idea from the ancients that there were only seven colors: white, yellow, red, green, blue, purple and black.

These were also the seven heraldic tinctures which were eligible to be used on the coats of arms.

Medieval nobles could not use orange color! Image
But in late 15th and early 16th century the Portuguese merchants brought first orange trees to Europe from Asia!

Suddenly there were fruits in Europe that were of this color orange, for which there was no name yet. Image
Read 15 tweets

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