Welcome to the British History Podcast.

My name is Jamie and this is episode 281.

England.

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The last couple episodes have focused on the political tools that Atholstan had at his

disposal.

And marriage alliances, fostering, dynastic cults, and diplomatic entreaties were all powerful

pieces moving on a huge, dark age chess board.

And what I want you to realize about these things is first, they took a lot of time to

do.

They didn't take place instantly, but a strategic mind, a mind like Atholstans, would have

been able to see the long game and set his moves accordingly, knowing that they wouldn't

fully materialize for years to come.

And the second thing I'd like you to know is that these tools were highly cultural.

There's nothing inherently political about a marriage or fostering a child.

At least it's not political until people make it so.

So by examining the tools that political actors wield, we learn something important about

the culture and society that underlies it.

...