Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England episode 132, the History of Europe

Part 6.

Last week we talked about lots of lovely social and economic stuff and the technology discoveries

of the 13th and 14th century.

So this time and indeed next time let's move on to the political changes across Europe.

There are incidentally vast numbers of place names in this week's episode so high

lead to the website and have a look at some of the maps.

Now since it was so long ago that we looked at the broader European political context

I'll start with a very brief recap of where I think we got to last time.

If you have a perfect memory zone out now for a minute or so.

The main theme as I remember was the beginning of the end of the old unity of Christendom

and the formation of the modern nation states of Europe as the main driver of European politics.

This is a theme which very much continues into the 14th century.

Paradoxically this decline of the unifying power of the papacy came at the very same time

as the papacy's final victory over the Hoenstalfen with the defeat of Frederick II and his legitimate

offspring Conrad and illegitimate offspring Manfred.

We saw the development of the Angerian kingdom of Sicily overthrown by the Sicilian Vespers

revolt.

So now where there was once one kingdom of Sicily and the southern part of Italy there

are two kingdoms.

One on the Italian mainland the kingdom of Naples ruled by Robert the Wise and the kingdom

of Sicily ruled by the Ariganese House of James II the Just.

...