Grand Dukes of the West: A History of Valois Burgundy Podcast

After the Kingships of Rudolf and Albert, the Habsburg's fortunes on the Imperial Stage diminished, but the family was still one of the leading Houses in the Holy Roman Empire, and their story is far from over.

Time Period Covered: 1290-1440

Notable People: Albert II of Habsburg, Rudolf IV of Habsburg, Leopold III of Habsburg, Frederick of the Empty Pockets, Ernst the Iron, Albert V of Habsburg, Frederick III

Notable Events/Developments: Birth of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Battle of Mortgarten, Battle of Sempach, Habsburg Acquisition of Carinthia and Carniola, Habsburg Acquisition of Tyrol, Privilegium Maius

When the Electors of the Holy Roman Empire chose Rudolf of Habsburg to be the new King of Germany, they were hoping that he'd be someone they could control. But Rudolf, despite being a minor Count from Swabia, would prove to be nobody's puppet, and over the course of his reign he transformed the fortunes of his family, and the Empire as a whole.

Time Period Covered: 1250-1330

Notable People: Rudolf I of Germany, Albert I of Germany, Ottokar II of Bohemia, Frederick the Fair, Ludwig the Bavarian

Notable Events/Developments: Great Interregnum of the Holy Roman Empire, Election of Rudolf I, The Battle on the Marchfeld, Establishment of Landvogts, Habsburg acquisition of Austria, Election of Adolf of Nassau, Election of Albert I, Double Election of Frederick the Fair and Ludwig the Bavarian

The Hanseatic League was a major player in Northern Europe for centuries, it dominated trade in the North and Baltic Seas, fought wars with rival powers, and dictated terms to princes. But the League was not a state, proto-state, or quasi-state, it was a collection of Merchants, Guilds, and Towns.

Time Period Covered: 1143-1441

Notable Events/Developments: Founding of Lubeck, Formation of the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic Boycotts of Bruges (1280-1282, 1358-1360, 1388-1391), Danish-Hanseatic War, The Confederation of Cologne, Dutch-Hanseatic War