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<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"><title>Attention Span History</title><link href="https://blog.trentpalmer.org/" rel="alternate"></link><link href="https://blog.trentpalmer.org/feeds/all.atom.xml" rel="self"></link><id>https://blog.trentpalmer.org/</id><updated>2021-07-29T00:00:00-07:00</updated><entry><title>Lohengrin</title><link href="https://blog.trentpalmer.org/lohengrin.html" rel="alternate"></link><published>2021-07-29T00:00:00-07:00</published><updated>2021-07-29T00:00:00-07:00</updated><author><name>Trent Palmer</name></author><id>tag:blog.trentpalmer.org,2021-07-29:/lohengrin.html</id><summary type="html"><p>Have you heard of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3NtcDdgDLlnptu72CWBxWM" target="_blank">Lohengrin</a>?
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It is a German Opera written and composed by
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner" target="_blank">Richard Wagner</a>
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in 1850. I happen to think that German Opera is more
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entertaining than Italian Opera, but enough about me.</p>
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<h3>King Ludwig II</h3>
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<p>Which brings me to
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria" target="_blank">King Ludwig II of Bavaria</a>.
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If I understand …</p></summary><content type="html"><p>Have you heard of <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3NtcDdgDLlnptu72CWBxWM" target="_blank">Lohengrin</a>?
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It is a German Opera written and composed by
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner" target="_blank">Richard Wagner</a>
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in 1850. I happen to think that German Opera is more
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entertaining than Italian Opera, but enough about me.</p>
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<h3>King Ludwig II</h3>
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<p>Which brings me to
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria" target="_blank">King Ludwig II of Bavaria</a>.
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If I understand correctly,
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King Ludwig was very fond of Lohengrin, and built
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle" target="_blank">Neuschwanstein Castle</a>
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as a private world for himself where he could live alone in a fantasy
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inspired by the
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<em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_of_the_Swan" target="_blank">Knight of the Swan Legend</a></em>,
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on which Lohengrin is based.</p>
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<p>But don't judge King Ludwig II too harshly: he was after all a cigar connoisseur,
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drove a smoking-hot golden carriage, and Neuschwanstein Castle is
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an excellent place to take selfies. You really should visit the
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marstallmuseum" target="_blank">Marstallmuseum</a>
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at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphenburg_Palace" target="_blank">Nymphenburg Palace in Munich</a> and see the
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<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Dress_Coach_of_King_Ludwig_II.jpg" target="_blank">golden carriage</a>.</p>
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<p>Needless to say, Lohengrin is quite different from the
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<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2g12QZ0wXFoyOyDo8nUUsM" target="_blank">Strauss Operas</a>
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that your great-great-great Grandmother used to listen to on
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her smartphone in the bathtub.</p>
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<h3>Lohengrin</h3>
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<p>So what happens in Lohengrin?
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Fowler" target="_blank">King Henry the Fowler</a>
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fights the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarians" target="_blank">Magyars</a>.
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This means we have to talk about the Magyars, King Henry's Son
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor" target="_blank">King Otto I</a>,
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the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lechfeld" target="_blank">Battle of Augsburg</a>
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which is sometimes called the Battle of Lechfeld,
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and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongols" target="_blank">Mongols</a>!</p>
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<h3>Magyars</h3>
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<p>Ok, the Magyars are descended from a nomadic-steppe-people who settled on
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the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hungarian_Plain" target="_blank">Hungarian Plain</a>,
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which is sometimes called the Carpathian Plain.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately for them, the Hungarian Plain was not quite vast
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enough to support a prosperous nomadic lifestyle. And so for some hundreds
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of years, the Magyars raided and pillaged all over Europe. It should be noted that
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Hungary considers 1896 to be the 1000th anniversary of the Magyars entering the Carpathian Plain,
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and in that year many memorials, monuments, and museums were
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Budapest#19th_century" target="_blank">built in Budapest</a>.</p>
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<p>As stated above, the Magyars came into conflict with King Henry the Fowler
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who was the King of
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Francia" target="_blank">East Frankia</a>.
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East Frankia evolved from the Eastern Parts of the
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_Empire">Carolingian Empire</a>
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that was originally put together by
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne" target="_blank">Charlemagne</a>.
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Indeed, there is today a region of Bavaria called
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia" target="_blank">Franconia</a>, which has
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<a href="https://www.vgn.de/en/tickets/all-day-ticket-plus/" target="_blank">excellent regional passenger trains</a>
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connecting innumerable picturesque little cities and towns
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which are perfect for taking <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/odqMdaJvpB528WaQ8" target="_blank">selfies</a>
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and <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLCGa7c8xAqEJ15D8" target="_blank">drinking the local bier</a>.
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But I digress.</p>
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<h3>Battle of Lechfeld</h3>
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<p>The Magyars were finally defeated by King Henry the Fowler's son King Otto I
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near Augsburg in 955, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augsburg" target="_blank">Augsburg</a>
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being an ancient city in Bavaria that goes all
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the way back to the Roman Empire.</p>
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<p>King Otto I of East Frankia was the greatest King since Charlemagne, and the
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Battle of Lechfeld was equal in importance to the
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings" target="_blank">Battle of Hastings in 1066</a>,
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in the context of European History, but deeper analysis of that is above my
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pay grade. (This is a free blog post)</p>
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<h3>Recommended</h3>
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<p>Anyway, the Magyars gave up their raiding, became Christianized, and adopted
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a more agrarian lifestyle on the Hungarian Plain where they founded the Nation
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of Hungary around the year 1000. In the 13th Century, the Mongols invaded Hungary,
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Mongol_invasion_of_Hungary" target="_blank">but were never able to advance beyond Hungary into Western Europe</a>.</p>
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<p>For more riveting entertainment about the Mongols, I recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore
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History Podcast, in particular the subseries <em>Wrath of The Khans</em>.</p>
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<p>Thanks for reading, I'm fresh out of cigars.</p></content><category term="Opera"></category><category term="Franks"></category><category term="Magyars"></category><category term="Mongols"></category></entry><entry><title>Battle In The Middle Ages</title><link href="https://blog.trentpalmer.org/battle-in-the-middle-ages.html" rel="alternate"></link><published>2021-07-27T00:00:00-07:00</published><updated>2021-07-27T00:00:00-07:00</updated><author><name>Trent Palmer</name></author><id>tag:blog.trentpalmer.org,2021-07-27:/battle-in-the-middle-ages.html</id><summary type="html"><p>There were three type of battles in Europe in the Middle Ages:</p>
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<ol>
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<li><a href="#raids">Raids</a></li>
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<li><a href="#sieges">Sieges</a></li>
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<li><a href="#field-battles">Field-Battles</a></li>
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</ol>
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<p>There were two types of soldiers in Europe in the Middle Ages:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>cavalry</li>
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<li>and infantry.</li>
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</ol>
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<h3 id="raids">Raids</h3>
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<p>Infantry tended to not be used in raids, because horses had
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the advantage in speed and mobility.</p>
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<h3 id="sieges">Sieges</h3>
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<p>Cavalry …</p></summary><content type="html"><p>There were three type of battles in Europe in the Middle Ages:</p>
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<ol>
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<li><a href="#raids">Raids</a></li>
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<li><a href="#sieges">Sieges</a></li>
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<li><a href="#field-battles">Field-Battles</a></li>
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</ol>
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<p>There were two types of soldiers in Europe in the Middle Ages:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>cavalry</li>
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<li>and infantry.</li>
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</ol>
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<h3 id="raids">Raids</h3>
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<p>Infantry tended to not be used in raids, because horses had
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the advantage in speed and mobility.</p>
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<h3 id="sieges">Sieges</h3>
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<p>Cavalry were not much use in sieges, but when infantry were not
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available, the cavalry could obviously dismount.</p>
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<p>Later in the Middle Ages, infantry began using CrossBows, which
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were easy to use, and effective in sieges. And so, when infantry
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were available for sieges, they would often use CrossBows, and
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would often be Mercenaries.</p>
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<h3 id="field-battles">Field-Battles</h3>
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<p>In set-piece battles, cavalry and infantry could work together.</p>
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<p>For instance cavalry could not charge infantry that were in tight formation
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with spears. But cavalry were useful for attacking the enemy's flanks,
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and for pursuit in the case of a rout. However, for economic reasons,
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most field battles were fought between cavalry because it was too
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expensive to muster both cavalry and infantry most of the time.</p>
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<h3>Crusades</h3>
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<p>The Crusades demonstrate that although most field battles in
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Europe during the Middle Ages were fought between Cavalry, the warriors
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of that age were capable of more sophisticated tactics.</p>
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<p>Here it should be noted, that because lands to the East tended to
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be more arid, the opponents fighting against the European Crusaders
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were more skilled on horseback and with the bow and arrow. Eastern-style
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fighting was much more cavalry-oriented.</p>
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<p>What tipped the scale in favour of the Crusaders in certain battles
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that they won, was the fact that the CrossBow could outrange the bow-and-arrow.</p>
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<p>So, the Crusaders would line up infantry with edged-weapons in front,
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behind them would be CrossBow Infantry, with Cavalry protecting the flanks.
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The edged-weapon infantry would protect the CrossBowMen, who would shoot
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over the top and protect the edged-weapon infantry from enemy harrassment.</p>
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<h3>Recommended</h3>
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<p>This blog post is inspired by
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<a href="https://wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Wittenberg To Westphalia Podcast</a>, specifically
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<a href="https://wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com/blog/episode-38-warfare-in-the-middle-ages-part-1" target="_blank">Episode 38</a>,
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<a href="https://wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com/blog/episode-39-what-is-war-baby-dont-hurt-me" target="_blank">Episode 39</a>, and
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<a href="https://wittenbergtowestphaliapodcast.weebly.com/blog/episode-40-the-actual-war-bits" target="_blank">Episode 40</a>.</p></content><category term="Battle"></category><category term="CrossBow"></category><category term="Sieges"></category><category term="Raids"></category></entry></feed> |