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Hello, you're very welcome to Long Raids, a Jacobin podcast where we look in depth at political topics and thinkers.

My name's Daniel Finn, and the features editor here at Jacobin, and I'll be presenting the show.

When we hear the word crusade, we're most likely to picture a battle for Jerusalem with Christian armies on one side and a Muslim force on the other.

Ridley Scott put this version of history on screen in his film Kingdom of Heaven.

Before I lose it, I will burn it to the ground. Your holy places, ours, every last thing in Jerusalem that drives men mad.

I wonder if it would not be better if you did.

In the 13th century, however, the Catholic Church declared a holy war against a group of Christian heretics in the south of France.

The Alba Genshin Crusade became notorious for its brutality and gave rise to a new regime of feudal oppression and religious conformity in Langadoc.

It was a defining moment in the history of medieval Europe.

Elaine Graham Lee is an historian and the author of The Southern French Nability and the Alba Genshin Crusade.

I spoke with her about the events of the crusade and its relevance to modern forms of racial and religious oppression.

Why was the Catholic Church and the French monarchy concerned about what was happening in Langadoc in the 12th and 13th centuries?

The concern to differing abouts, first of all, so taking the French monarchy first.

The important thing we have to understand here, just so everyone is clear, is that although Langadoc's obviously the south of France were used to it as being part of France,

it very much is part of the French state in any meaningful way in the 12th and 13th centuries.

In theory, the King of France is overlord, but that's very theoretical.

In practice, he's an independent lord and actually lord two are kind of in theory, sort of the port to the counter to lose are also independent.

People in Langadoc talk, when they talk about France, they'll talk about going to France as they go into a foreign country.

So it's important to remember that, that in a sense the French kings aren't interested to accept what they are in what's happening in Langadoc because it's theirs in any real way.

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