Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is episode 296, Darkening

Skies. This show is ad-free due to member support and as a way of thanking members for keeping

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It begins in France. The struggle for power between King Louis IV and Hugh the Great

had been raging for quite some time. When we last visited the continent, Hugh the Great,

King Otto of Germany, Duke William of Normandy, Count Eber II and various other supporting

characters were allied against King Louis IV, the Archbishop of Rheum's and Count Arnauf

of Landers. In response, King Atholsthan tried to intervene by sending a fleet to support

the embattled King. But then, Atholsthan died and rather than supporting the young French

King, the English fleet instead opted to raid the French coast. And I might not surprise

you to hear that things hadn't really improved following that. While King Edmund was desperately

trying to reestablish England and fend off Scandinavian claims to the throne, King Louis

IV of France was also deep in it. And the waves that this conflict was causing were about

to come barreling across the channel and hit the shores of England. And shortly after

King Atholsthan died, King Louis IV must have realized exactly how bad his situation was.

The balance of power had been shifting hard towards his rival, Hugh. The walls were

beginning to close in. But Louis wasn't without recourse. One of the biggest threats to his

rule wasn't actually Hugh. It was King Otto of Germany. And their conflict was simple.

It was over one simple issue. Who would rule over Lorraine? And now that Louis had lost

...