Ep. 163: Karl IV (1346-1378) - Succession and Legacy
History of the Germans from the Middle Ages to Reunification
Dirk Hoffmann-Becking
4.9 • 550 Ratings
🗓️ 12 September 2024
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is the last episode of this season and it is time to say goodbye to Karl IV, Ludwig the Bavarian, Henry VII, Albrecht of Habsburg, Adolf von Nassau and Rudolf of Habsburg. These have been some eventful 138 years.
When Karl IV died in 1378 he left behind an impressive list of achievements but also a number of failures. And he left behind a son, Wenceslaus he had invested with so much hope and so many crowns, it not only broke the bank but even chunks of the political edifice he had so patiently built.
How and why is what we will discuss in this episode.
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
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Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the history of the Germans, Episode 163, Succession and Legacy, |
| 0:12.8 | which is also episode 26 of Season 8 from the Interregnum to the Golden Bull. |
| 0:18.8 | Now this is the last episode of this season and it's time to say goodbye to Carl the 4th, |
| 0:24.4 | Ludwig the Bavarian, Henry the 7th, Albrecht von Habsburg, Adolf von Nassau and Rudolf |
| 0:30.1 | von Habsburg. |
| 0:31.5 | These have been some quite eventful 138 years. |
| 0:36.7 | When Carl the 4th died in 1378, he left behind an impressive list of achievements, but also |
| 0:42.5 | a number of failures. |
| 0:44.6 | And he left behind a son, Wenceslas. |
| 0:47.5 | He had invested with so much hope and so many crowns, it not only broke the bank, but |
| 0:52.5 | it even took chunks out of the political edifice he |
| 0:55.5 | had so patiently built. How and why? This more we will discuss in this episode. |
| 1:02.0 | But before we start, the usual reminder that all this advertising free German history fund |
| 1:07.0 | is funded by the generosity of our patrons who have gone to Historyof the Germans.com |
| 1:11.9 | slash support and have signed up by their patrons or have made a one-time donation. |
| 1:17.6 | And today I want to thank Jim V. Chris E.J., Jill, John Thompson, Peter McCluskey, and Martin |
| 1:24.9 | E., who have so lavishly endowed us. |
| 1:28.9 | And with that, back to the show. |
| 1:32.9 | Now these last three episodes we have looked at Bohemia, the empire, the expansion of the Luxembourg |
| 1:38.0 | possessions, and the international success of Charles IV. |
| 1:41.7 | Now it is time to talk about his Achilles heel, his obsession with his |
| 1:47.1 | son and heir Vensaslas. The last time a son had followed his father on the throne of the |
... |
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