Hello and welcome to the history of the Germans.

Episode 79, Return to Sicily.

I have to start with an apology.

Last week there was no episode, even though there should have been one.

What happens is quite simple.

I was not happy with what I had produced.

That's not just a problem with the new episode I was recording,

but also with the one before, episode 78.

It simply wasn't doing justice to the story.

The Crusade of Frederick II and the creation of Frederick's Kingdom in Sicily are amongst the events in medieval history

that I really, really wanted to tell

and tell them well. So I went back to the drawing board, rewrote the script for the last

in this episode, and I hope it's now more up to scratch. Now this week we'll look in a bit more

detail how Frederick II regained his beloved kingdom of Sicily.

For 30 years after the death of the last Oudville King in 1189, the institutions of that kingdom had been eroded.

The crown estate squandered and powerful local forces had been riding roughshort over the royal administration.

Frederick will bring this land back under his firm control.

That is, however, not your usual return of the king's story,

because the way he does it is no longer typically medieval.

Before we start, just a reminder,

the history of the Germans podcast is advertising free

thanks to the generous support from patrons.

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