Kings and Generals

During the Vandalic War, the best general of Emperor Justinian - Belisarius reconquered the province of Africa from the Vandals of Gelimer at the battles of Ad Decimum and Tricamarum. The province was back under the imperial control, but it was just the beginning, as taking Italy and Rome from the Ostrogoths was the real goal. Belisarius entered Rome with ease but had to defend it against the king Vitiges in 537-538. The Gothic War was just starting...

In one of our previous videos, we covered the battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Rashidun Caliphate. This battle largely defined the fate of Eastern Mediterranean, but to the East, Caliphate had another global power to contend with - the Sassanid Empire. Two empires fought each other for more than 20 years, across dozens of battles with the campaign of the Muslim general Khalid ibn al-Walid in 633 and the battle of al-Qadissiyah that took place in 636 being the most crucial among them.

The Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt, Manavazkert) of 1071 was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the new nomadic conquerors from Central Asia - the Seljuk Sultanate. This battle was decisive in changing the ethnic and the religious outlook of Anatolia, and probably was the reason Crusades from Western Europe began.

The conflicts of the XVII and XVIII centuries are often considered to be dull, as the tactics of the period were too rigid and positional. But even this period had its shining stars - generals whose talent changed the borders with one decisive move and pushed the tactics and warfare forward. Prussian king Frederick II the Great is rightly considered the best commander of this era. In this documentary, we will cover the First and the Second Silesian Wars that were part of the War of the Austrian Succession with the focus on the battles of Mollwitz (1741) and Hohenfriedberg (1745). Hopefully, you will enjoy this video, because we are eager to cover the Thirty Years' War, the War for the Spanish Succession, Seven Years' War and other prominent conflicts of that period.

Thanks to our generous sponsors from the Great Courses Plus and our patrons at Patreon, we are finally releasing the first episode in our 6 part series on the Rise of the Mongol Empire. This episode will describe the history of the Mongols, the birth and childhood of the first leader who united them - Temujin, who would be later called Genghis Khan. Temujin's struggle for the supremacy with his blood brother Jamukha, his reform of the Mongol army and the society are featured and the video is concluded with the battle of Yehuling of 1211 and the conquest of the Northern China by the Mongols.

The Eastern Roman Empire was under constant Ottoman pressure ever since the new conquerors appeared in the Anatolia. Although the Ottomans tried to take Constantinople on a number of occasions, they had to lift the siege of the city due to the Crusades of Varna and Nicopolis, the Timurid Invasion and the battle of Ankara, and the Interregnum period that happened after their Sultan Bayezid was taken hostage by Timur. However, after the victories at the battles of Varna (1444) and 2nd Kosovo (1448) against the crusaders of Wladyslaw III and John Hunyadi, the road to Constantinople was open and the new sultan Mehmed II set his sight on the city of the Roman emperors...

After creating their empire, and subjugating Western Xia (Xi Xia) and the northern part of the Jin domain, the Mongols of Genghis Khan started looking towards the west. The actions of the ruler of the Western Liao (Qara Khitai) Kuchlug and the shah of the Khwarezmian empire Ala ad-Din Muhammad II gave the great khan a reason to attack Central Asia and Eastern Iran. Prosperous cities were turned to rubble and the population was massacred during a three-year campaign led by Genghis, Ogedei, Jochi, Chagatai, Tolui, Jebe, and Subutai. The son of Muhammad II - Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu was able to resist the invaders in the battles of Parwan and Indus river... The Mongol invasions were just starting...

There are certain historical battles, which had very little influence immediately but changed things through the centuries. The battle of Talas between the Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Empire in 751 is a good example of such a conflict. It changed the religious outlook of Central Asia as Buddhism was slowly pushed out and Islam took its place, was crucial in changing the faith of the Turkic tribes. Later on the Seljuk Turks moved to the West, and that was one of the reasons for the Crusades. Historians also think that this battle was important for the Renaissance, as the papermaking made its way to Europe after it.

Mithridates VI of Pontus was one of the rulers deemed the Enemy of Rome by the historians, and rightly so. He and his allies waged three wars against the Roman Republic, killed thousands of the citizens and stemmed the Roman expansion for three decades. In this documentary, we are describing the events of the first Mithridatic war (89-85 BC) in which Pontic army fought against the future Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, with the central battles of Chaeronea (86 BC) and Orchomenus (85 BC). We are planning to cover the Second and the Third Mithridatic Wars, and the struggle between Lucullus an Pompey on one side and Mithridates and Tigranes on the other.

While the invasion of the Khwarezmian Empire was going on, Genghis Khan sent his best generals Subutai and Jebe to chase down the Shah of Khwarezm Muhammad II. Their raid into modern-day Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia was lucrative, as they razed and plundered many cities, but they didn't stop there and moved into the modern Russia and Ukraine, where they fought a loose alliance of the Rus princedoms and the Kipchaks (Cuman/Pecheneg/Polovtsi) in the famous battle of Kalka in 1233. This episode also describes the dynastic situation in the Mongol empire after the death of Genghis Khan.

Although the Catholic Church and the Pope had a dominant presence in the European politics, they were not unchallenged and the Western Schism allowed many movements to arise in Europe. The works of the English philosopher and theologian John Wycliffe influenced many, among them Jan Hus of Bohemia. His supporters- the Hussites soon took over the country and kept the whole of Central Europe in fear for 15 years. Five Crusades were conducted against them, led by the Hungarian king Sigismund I, but the Taborites under Jan Zizka (Žižka) won many battles (Vitkov Hill, Kutna Hora, Vysehrad, and others) using their famous Wagenburg tactics. The Hussites were only defeated at the battle of Lipany (1434) when two main groups within the movement (Taborites and Utraquists) faced each other. The Hussite Wars were important, as they became the harbinger of the Reformation and the European Wars of Religion.

After the great expedition of Jebe and Subutai, which culminated in the battle of Kalka in 1223 between the Mongol troops and the armies of the Rus principalities and the Kipchaks, it was a matter of time before the Mongols would attack Europe again. After the death of Genghis Khan, the conquests of the Mongol Empire focused on three main directions: Asia, Middle East and Europe. In this video we will cover the campaign of Batu khan and Subutai in Rus lands, Poland and Hungary with the focus on the battles of Legnica and Mohi.

The Viking Age was relatively short, but it has left its distinctive mark on the history. The warriors, raiders, pirates, seafarers, and traders from Scandinavia influenced the fate of more regions than any other culture before the Age of Discovery, and no other land more so than the British Isles. In this series, we will talk about the Viking invasions of Britain and we are going to start with the invasion of the Great Heathen Army. The first half of this invasion was concluded at the battle of Ashdown between the forces of the Vikings and Wessex in 871. It was the first battle during which one of the first great kings of England - Alfred the Great proved his mettle.

The forces of the Rashidun Caliphate achieved a decisive victory against the Byzantines at Yarmouk in 636. This allowed the Muslims to take over Syria and Egypt. But the Eastern Roman Empire was still strong and continued its resistance. The next 80 years Byzantines fought against the onslaught and the Arab-Byzantine wars reached their peak during the Siege of Constantinople in 717-718 where emperor Leo assisted by the Bulgars of Khan Tervel faced the overwhelming odds against the Umayyad forces. This battle is often overlooked in comparison to the battle of Tours that happened in France, but it was bigger and scale and had an even bigger impact on the fate of Europe.

ven though Genghis Khan was dead and the political situation in the empire was volatile, the Mongol conquests continued. A big army under Batu and Subutai invaded Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, the resurgence of the Khwarezmian empire under Jalal ad-din drew the Mongols back to Iran. This sparked a conflict with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum that culminated in the battle of Kose Dag (Kösedağ) in 1243. Under Hulagu, the Mongols attacked the Abbasids and sacked Baghdad in 1258, but with the succession crisis looming he returned to Mongolia. His general Kitbuqa was left in the area with a smaller force and fought the battle of Ain Jalut against the forces of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt under Qutuz and Baybars in 1260. This battle would become the high point of the Mongol invasions in the West.

Alexander the Great of Macedon is probably one of the most influential military commanders in the world history, but his dominance was relatively short and soon after his demise the Successors of Alexander - the Diadochi started fighting over his empire. In a way, the long struggle between Perdiccas, Antipater, Antigonus, Seleucus, Eumenes, Ptolemy, Demetrius, and others had an even bigger impact on the history of Europe and Asia. This video covers the First War of the Diadochi and struggle between two factions - one led by Perdiccas and Eumenes and the second by Antipater, Antigonus, and Ptolemy. This conflict ushered the five-decade long conflict which fractured the Hellenistic world.

The rise of the Toluid dynasty within the Mongol empire didn't stabilize the realm. The defeat at Ain Jalut and the death of Mongke almost immediately ignited two civil wars: In Mongolia, Ariq took the power and declared war on the presumed heir Kublai, while another conflict broke out between the Golden Horde of Berke and Hulagu's Ilkhanate. The civil wars continued for years and effectively divided the empire of Genghis Khan into 4 states. Moreover the conquest of China was still not finalized and the Mongols would have to fight against the final remnants of the Song dynasty at the battle of Yamen.

After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II continued his campaigns in Europe. His first moves against Serbia and Hungary sparked another conflitct against John (Janos) Hunyadi and culminated at the siege of Belgrade in 1456. In the next decade Mehmed conquered the remnants of the Eastern Roman Empire in Morea and Trapezund, ended the independence of Serbia and Bosnia and also fought a war against Vlad Tepes of Wallachia. Vlad and Mehmed fought near Targoviste in 1462. To the East a new Turkic state- Akkoyunlu was gaining power and Mehmed was forced to defend his interests in Eastern Anatolia against the Akkoyunlu Sultan Uzun Hasan.

Our secondary series called the Armies and Tactics finally makes its debut. This series will cover the armies, their tactics, formations, weaponry and other matters pertaining to the warfare. In this video, we talk about the way the armies of the ancient Greeks changed during the Persian invasions.

In the second half of the XV century, Japan entered a long period of crisis called the Sengoku Jidai or the Age of the Warring States. Ashikaga Shogunate lost its authority and the clan leaders - daimyos divided the islands into 400 small feudal holdings. Three military leaders - Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu started their struggle to consolidate Japan in the XVI century and it all culminated at the battle of Sekigahara fought in 1600 between alliances led by Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari. The battle decided the next 250 years of the Japanese history.

Previously we covered the First Mithridatic War (89–85 BC) between the Roman Republic led by Sulla and the Pontic Kingdom ruled by Mithridates VI and the battles of Chaeronea and Orchomenus. In this new video, we will describe the Second Mithridatic War (83–81 BC) during which the Romans were commanded by Lucius Licinius Murena that culminated in the battle of Halys river and the Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC). In this conflict Roman legions fought under Lucius Licinius Lucullus and he fought against the united forces of Pontus and Armenia. Lucullus had to battle Mithridates at Cyzicas and Tigranes II at Tigranocerta. The great Roman general Pompey (Gnaeus Pompeius) also took part in the later stage of the conflict.

Our Armies and Tactics series continues and in this edition we will talk about the Ancient Greek Navies, with a focus on Athens and Sparta during the Peloponnesian Wars. Which ships were used, what were the tactics, who financed the fleets and manned them - you will learn about all that and more in this video.

Despite the victory of the king of Wessex Ethelred over the Great Heathen Army at the battle of Ashdown fought in 871, Viking leaders - the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok Ubba, Halfdan, Ivar and their partner Guthrum already had control over East Anglia and Northumbria and weren't going to stop there. Mercia and Strathclyde (Alt Clut) soon fell to the Norsemen, and Wessex under its new king Alfred became the last Saxon kingdom standing in Britain. Ravaged from all sides, Alfred had to fight for his survival against Guthrum in the campaign that culminated during the battle of Edington of 878.

On the edge of Western South America, wedged between the Earth’s driest desert, largest rainforest, and second highest mountain range lay a sprawling empire. The Inca through ingenious engineering and strict central planning forged one of the world’s most unusual empires. The largest empire in the pre-Columbian Americas, without a written language, the wheel, or money and one of the only empires to stretch upwards rather than across. In this video, we will look at how the Inca rose to power from unknown origins and dominated their region.

After a long discussion, we decided to start making documentaries on the modern wars, and the first one we are going to cover will be the battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943 that was fought between Germany and its allies and USSR within the World War II. This battle is considered one of the most decisive in the second World War, as it worsened the situation of the Wehrmacht and allowed the Soviet Red Army to start counterattacking all over the Eastern Front. This battle is also symbolic, as it was one of the rare battles where the egos of two rulers - Hitler and Stalin clashed.

In our previous video within this series, we covered the first war between the Successors of Alexander the Great - the Diadochi (322-320 BC) between the alliances led by Perdiccas and Eumenes, and by Ptolemy, Antipater and Antigonus. The second group won the war, but Eumenes managed to gather new allies and challenged Antigonus in the Second War of the Diadochi. Between 317 and 316 BC their armies fought across the modern day Iran in the battles of Coprates, Paraitekene and Gabiene. The new ruler of the Macedonian Empire was decided in these battles.

The Inca built an empire that if placed over the old world would stretch from St. Petersburg to Cairo.

In our previous video, we covered king Alfred’s surprise victory over the Vikings at Edington in 878. This victory both ensured the survival of his kingdom and allowed the West Saxons the breathing room needed to prepare for the inevitable next invasion. Though Guthrum retired to East Anglia after the battle, Wessex still faced potential attack from elsewhere. When Alfred passed away his son Edward in Wessex and his daughter Æthelflæd in Mercia started uniting the lands of England under their control by fighting against the various invaders from abroad and against the Danelaw, Five Borroughs, Northumbria and others. England was forged in these conflicts.

In the new episode of the Armies and Tactics series we are discussing the changes that happened in the Greek Warfare during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. The hoplites were still dominant, but the lighter versions of them were developed, and a number of Hellenic city-states started using cavalry and skirmishers in order to gain the upper hand in battles. This series will be concluded in two weeks and we will move on to the reforms of Philip of Macedon, so exciting stuff on the way.

By the middle of the II century BC, Rome has become the dominant force in the Mediterranean. Carthage, Seleucids, Macedon, Greek Leagues, a number of Gallic and Celtiberian tribes were defeated, and it seemed that Rome is invincible. However, the economic and political situation in the Republic was degrading, and the rivalry between the patricians and the plebes reached its peak. It was then, in 113 BC Rome was attacked by the Germanic tribes for the first time. The Cimbri and Teutoni moved from Jutland and Germania and raided the Roman territory. After a number of defeats, among them at the battle of Arausio - which was the worst since Hannibal, Republic has found a new savior in Gaius Marius. This brilliant general reformed the legions and defeated the Germanic tribes at the battles of Aquae Sextae in 102 BC and Vercellae in 101 BC to end this threat. Although Marian Reform was essential for the future conquests, it also planted the seeds of the future civil wars and gave the opportunity to Sulla and Caesar to end the Republic.

500 years ago, atop the snowcapped Andes, in a still barely mapped continent, thousands of meters above sea level, two new empires smashed into each other, in a historical collision that reverberates into the modern day. Conquistador and Sapa Inca, men from different worlds, will clash. The arquebus and huaraca will meet and Tawantinsuyu, the Land of Four Parts Together will be undone.

Following his victory over Eumenes at Gabene, Antigonus became the most powerful man in Asia. Yet the one-eyed general's insatiable desire for even more power, combined with the envy of his rivals, meant that he soon once again found himself at war: the Third War of the Diadochi. Antigonus' enemies were powerful and many - including Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, Seleucus and Asander. The first major battle of the war was the Battle of Gaza in 312 BC, fought between Ptolemy and a new, rising star of the period - the son of Antigonus Demetrius.

In this new subseries within Armies and Tactics series, we will cover the various tactics, strategies, formations, doctrines etc. used by the generals throughout history. The first video will discuss the formation called Oblique Order and we will use the battles of Leuctra fought between the Spartans and the Thebans of Epaminondas in 371 BC, Battle of Hohenfriedberg in which Frederick the Great and his Prussians defeated the Austrians in 1745 and the battle of Friedland during which Napoleon decisively defeated the Russian army and forced Russia and Prussia to sign the treaty of Tilsit as an example.

The Restoration of Justinian led by Justinian and his general Belisarius began in the early 530s and was very successful early on: Eternal Peace with the Sassanid shah Khosrow was signed after the battle of Dara and the conclusion of the Iberian War, the Vandals were defeated at Ad Decimum and Tricamarum in 533, and then Belisarius landed in Italy and took Rome. The Ostrogoths besieged the city in 537, but Belisarius survived a year-long siege. With new forces in the area, the things were looking bright for the Roman Empire, but soon Belisarius lost the confidence of Justinian and entered into a conflict with another commander - Narses. All that, the Sassanid attack in the East, the start of the Justinian's Plague and invasion of Italy by the Franks prolonged the Gothic War. The conflict would culminate at the battles of Taginae and Volturnus.

The Inca emperor Atahualpa is dead and it seems that the Spaniards of Francisco Pizarro are in control of the vast empire, as even the new emperor Manco Inca accepted the rule of the Conquistadors. Yet, our story continues and the atrocities committed by the conquistadors soon spark the Inca rebellion that would threaten the rule of Spain in the region.

After the defeat at Stalingrad and the loss of the 6th army, German Wehrmacht needed a decisive victory to get the initiative back and turn the tide of the World War II. The concentration of the Soviet troops around the Kursk salient offered that opportunity and Hitler ordered the operation Citadel with a goal of cutting the salient and surrounding the Red Army forces defending it. This would be one of the last German offensives on the Eastern Front and would culminate at the arguably biggest tank battle in history - Prokhorovka and Soviet counter-attacks during the operations Rumyantsev and Kutuzov.

We are continuing our series on the Ancient Greek Warfare with a video on the siege technologies of the Greeks prior to the reforms of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great. This video covers the siege engines used during the sieges and the defenses employed.

In celebration of Canada Day on July 1, and the US independence day on July 4. Although the War of 1812 ended with no territorial or political changes, it is widely considered decisive for the course of the history of North America. The United States faced one of the best armies in the world - the forces of the United Kingdom and managed to defend its territory, and took the first steps in becoming a global power. Meanwhile, for Canada, this conflict was definitive in terms of finding its identity. The most critical battle of this war happened after the peace treaty was signed. During the battle of New Orleans fought in 1815, the future president of US Andrew Jackson led his ragtag undisciplined ragtag force against the world’s strongest military.

Previously we have covered the evolution of the Greek Armies prior to the rise of Macedon, but the military of Hellenistic World became really dominant with the reforms of Philip II. Surrounded by the enemies, he used what he learned from Epaminondas, Pelopidas, and Iphicrates, to reform his armies and created one of the most dominant units of the antiquity - the Macedonian phalanx. In this video, we will discuss how the pezhetairoi were trained, what were their panoply and the combat role and much more.

The battle of the Catalaunian Plains (also known as Battle of the Campus Mauriacus, Battle of Maurica, Battle of the Catalaunian Fields or Battle of Chalons) that was fought in 451 between the alliance led by the Western Roman General Flavius Aetius, king of the Visigoths Theodoric I and the king of Alans Sangiban against the Hun Alliance commanded by Attila, the king of Ostrogoths Valamir and the king of Gepids Ardaric. With the addition of dozens of other tribes, the battle of the Catalaunian Plains can be rightly considered the first pan-European clash. It is equally complicated and controversial, as our info on the battle between the Last Roman Aetius and the Scourge of God Attila, is both limited and conflicting. In any case, this battle was decisive for the history of the Roman Empire and Europe and influenced events of the next centuries.

Deep in the Yucatan Peninsula lie ancient stone cities reclaimed by the jungle, where a calendar dominated lives, majestically feathered kings ruled like gods and tall stone pyramids soared above the treetops. There in those jungles, stand ancient stones etched with dates and writings that tell the story of one of history’s most fascinating and dynamic civilisations. These belong to the ancient Maya. A people that made advancements in architecture, mathematics, and astronomy that we can still learn from today.

The Wars of the Successors of Alexander - the Diadochi continues. and after their defeat at Gaza, Antigonus and Demetrius are looking to restore their positions. Throughout history, control of the strategic Island of Cyprus has proved critical for any desiring naval supremacy in the Eastern Mediterranean. For Ptolemy and the Antigonids it was no different. Six years after his humiliating defeat at Gaza, Demetrius and Ptolemy's forces would clash once again off the east coast of this island - each vying for its control. This battle, dubbed the Battle of Salamis, would be the greatest naval battle of the Wars, with its result having far-reaching consequences. In this episode, we shall cover the Babylonian War and the rise of Seleucus, the execution of Alexander's family and the end of the Argead dynasty and other events leading up to this great battle as well as the climactic engagement itself.

In the previous video we discussed the beginning of the reforms of Philip II and his mighty Macedonian Sarissa Phalanx. But Alexander's father did not stop there, also reforming his Companion Cavalry and his light Prodromoi cavalry and this video explains the tactics used by the new cavalry units, their weapons and armor, their battle roles and how they were formed. Philip also employed an engineer corp, led by Polyidus. Polyidus and his successors would create and improve many siege weapons that helped Philip and Alexander in their conquests.

The Ottoman expansion into Europe was generally successful, yet every state they attacked managed to resist, and this resistance gave Lazar, Skanderbeg, Hunyadi, Vlad Tepes and others the status of legends. In this episode, we will cover the resistance of another historical figure – the prince of Moldavia Stephen III, the battles of Vaslui and Valealegendary Alba and how they shaped the region for many years to come.

The Maya civilization flourished in the 5th century AD and the stone cities jutting out of the rainforest housed millions. During this incredible era the Kings, gleaming with jade and vibrant feathers marching through the jungles with thousands of their obsidian wielding warriors are about to introduce total warfare to the Maya world. Two Maya superstates, home to the Temple of the Great Jaguar Paw - Tikal, and the massive Snake Kingdom - Calakmul will collide and cycle between moments of triumph and disaster for not only themselves, but their entire world. And no aliens. Not ancient, not modern.

As Spain lost control of its colonial possessions, from the ashes of their old Viceroyalty of the Rio De La Plata the nations we now know as Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay slowly formed. In a small civil conflict between two political parties in the smallest country in the region, Uruguay, the greatest war in South American history was sparked. The War of the Triple Alliance or as it is also often called the Paraguayan war culminated at the battle of Tuyuti fought in 1866. This battle is widely considered the Waterloo of South America.

In the last two videos, we described military reforms of Philip II of Macedon and how he changed his infantry, cavalry and siege weapons. Yet, the changes to the Macedonian army were just starting, and his son - Alexander the Great - conducted his own reforms throughout his campaigns. Alexander has built upon the work of his father and created an army that conquered the Achaemenid Empire and beyond. He created and improved some of the deadliest units of Antiquity, among them - the Silver Shields and Royal Agema.

Most of the documentaries on the Roman history depict Rome at the peak of its glory, during the Late Republic and Early Empire. Yet, Rome started from the humble beginnings, as a singular city-state that struggled for its survival, and was on the brink of annihilation on many occasions. During one of them, the Gallic Senones led by their king Brennus defeated the Romans at Allia and then sacked the city. After a 7 months long siege, the city and the Republic were saved by Marcus Furius Camillus, who would enter history as the second founder of Rome.

On the 11th June, 323 BC, Alexander the Great passed away. In his lifetime, he had conquered the superpower of the time and formed the greatest empire yet seen. His life is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating in history. Yet following his death, Alexander’s body became a continuing source of war, intrigue and mystery. His body and tomb were lost, yet the legend lives on and historians are still trying to uncover clues to their whereabouts. But how did this all come about? In this two-part documentary, we shall unravel the history surrounding Alexander’s tomb and attempt to answer this question. This is the story behind Alexander’s body and his tomb, of its importance for the Diadochi and the Ptolemies, for the Romans and the Christians.

Napoleonic Wars are back! It is 1807, and we find the Emperor of the French Napoleon Bonaparte at the height of his power, as he controls most of Europe after the War of the Fourth Coalition and the treaties of Tilsit. Napoleon decided to strangle his remaining enemy the United Kingdom economically by enacting Europe-wide Colonial Blockade, yet as Portugal defied him, he invaded it and then Spain. This was the beginning of the Peninsular War. Soon Spain and Portugal were in open rebellion. The first phase of the war ended when the British forces under Wellington landed in Portugal and fought the French General Junot at Vimeiro.

This animated historical documentary video discusses how one of the wealthiest men in history - Marcus Licinius Crassus became so rich during the era of the Late Roman Republic and features other great Roman generals and statesmen like Caesar, Sulla, Pompey, Lucullus, Marius, and others. We will find out how rich Crassus was and how he became so wealthy. More videos on the richest people in history and the Roman economy are planned.

We are continuing our series on the Wars of the Diadochi with the animated historical documentary on the Siege of Rhodes of 305-304 BC, which happened during the Fourth War between the Successors of Alexander the Great. Son of Antigonus - Demetrius took Salamis from Ptolemy in 306 BC, and continued ramping up the naval dominance in the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Seleucus in Iran, Cassander in Greece, Lysander in Thrace and Ptolemy in Egypt are strengthening their position, so the final accord in the Wars of the Diadochi is fast approaching: Ipsus will decide it all.

In our previous historical animated documentary on the Tomb of Alexander the Great we discussed why the body and the resting place of the great conqueror were so important. Not only did it spark the war between his Successors - the Diadochi - but the body also played a pivotal role in the rise of Ptolemy and his dynasty in Egypt. In the second part of this documentary, we will talk about the fall of the Ptolemies, how the Roman emperors treated the tomb of Alexander as well as what happened to the tale of Alexander's corpse during the Christian, Muslim, Ottoman and Napoleonic rule of Alexandria. Finally we will highlight the great mystery and theories that surround the body and tomb of Alexander to this day.

We are continuing our series of animated historical videos on the modern wars with the Six-Day War of 1967, also known as the Third Arab–Israeli War during which Israel fought the alliance of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq. This conflict entered history as short, but decisive, as it took less than a week for hostilities to start and end, and was mostly decided in the air.

In our final animated historical documentary on the Maya civilization we describe the reasons for its collapse, covering the societal, political, environmental reasons and the Spanish invasion of the region. By the early 8th century the Maya civilization was at its zenith. Building and maintaining cities of such scale that future explorers hypothesized that they must have been built by lost tribes of Israel or the Phoenicians. But only 150 years later the flourishing Classic Maya civilization had crumbled, undergoing one of the most devastating social and demographic upheavals in human history. Yet the Maya wouldn’t succumb to Spanish control until 1697, nearly 200 years after the Aztecs and Inca. The great collapse and fall of the Maya are a story of change, triumph and tragedy, where ancient thrones will be shattered but from them new powers will emerge.

Previously within our animated historical documentary series on the Ottoman Wars, we have covered the battles of Kosovo, Nicopolis, Ankara, Varna, Second Kosovo, Constantinople, Belgrade, Targoviste and Otlukbeli, Vaslui and Valea Alba. However, we deliberately omitted the rebellion and resistance of the Albanian leader Gjergj Kastrioti - Skanderbeg, as his war against the Ottoman sultans Murad II and Mehmed II stretched for more than 25 years. In this new video, we describe the overall rebellion and the battles of Torvioll, Kruje, Albulena, and Ohrid.

We are continuing our animated historical documentary series on the armies and tactics of the Ancient Greeks with the video covering the logistics of the Macedonian Armies. In this video, we will explain how the armies of Alexander the Great and Philip traveled and were supplied.

In this animated historical documentary, we will cover the famous battle of Pavia that was fought in 1525 during the Italian War, between France and its king Francis I and the forces of the Habsburg monarchy led by Charles de Lannoy. Ever since the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453, France and its ruling Valois dynasty was looking for ways to consolidate its holdings and conquer new lands. The rising Habsburg dynasty was often in their way. The rivalry between these dynasties continued for centuries and caused countless conflicts, among them Italian Wars, Thirty Years' War, War of the Spanish Successions and many others.

In our previous animated historical documentaries we talked about troops of Alexander the Great and Philip II, yet despite the fact formidable Companions and the devastating Macedonian phalanx epitomized the conquests of Alexander, there were many other units in Alexander’s army besides his mighty Macedonians – many of which specialized in performing roles critical to some of Alexander’s greatest military triumphs. In this episode, we will have an in-depth look at these units.

Previously we have made animated historical documentaries on the battles of Yarmouk and al-Qadisiyyah in our series on the rise of the Muslim Caliphate. Yet, there were many other reasons for the rapid expansion of the Rashidun realm, and the fall of the Lakhmid kingdom, which was the vassal of the Sassanid Empire for centuries was one of them. It sparked an anti-Sassanid sentiment among the Arab tribes and culminated at the battle of Dhi Qar in 609.

In this animated historical documentary, we will cover the extraordinary story of the Czechoslovak Legion. This army unit was recruited to serve in the army of the Russian Empire at the onset of the Great War, but the Russian Revolution stranded it in the hostile country. With the hopes to regain the independence for Czechoslovakia, the Legion needed to return home and had to fight its way through the Russian Civil War, fighting both the Bolsheviks and the Whites.

In our previous historical animated documentaries, we have covered the wars between the successors of Alexander the Great - the Wars of the Diadochi. The rise of the Antigonids - Antigonus and his son Demetrius made all the other Diadochi worried and eventually Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy united their forces. The fate of the Macedonian empire was decided at the battle of Ipsus in 301 BC.

We are continuing our animated historical documentary series on the pre-Columbian civilizations with a video on the rise of the Aztec civilization. How they went through a remarkable journey from the refugees in the region to the lords of a vast empire. This video covers the early history of the Aztecs, their capital - Tenochtitlan, their beliefs and sacrifices and much more.

Our animated historical documentary series on the Napoleonic Wars are back with another episode covering the Peninsular War. The armies of Napoleon face more rebellions this time in Spain. And if the battle of Vimiero was crucial for the resistance in Portugal, the Siege of Zaragoza of 1808 played the similar role for the northern part of Spain. The battle of Bailen is just around the corner, and the Peninsular campaign will only get more interesting from here.

After our animated historical documentary series on the Armies of the Ancient Greeks, we are moving on to Rome and we are going to start with the oldest Roman armies of the kingdom and early republic.

In this animated historical documentary video, we will cover the battles of Breadfield (Câmpul Pâinii 1479), Krbava (1493), Chaldiran (1514) and the siege of Otranto (1480), as the Ottoman Wars both in Europe and Asia are ramping up, this time against Hungary, Croatia, Naples and the Safavids of Ismail I.

In our previous animated historical documentary we have covered the Rise of the Aztecs. During the reign of Moctezuma, the empire continued its growth, but it was during this period the Spaniards of Hernan Cortes landed in the region and the fight between the Aztecs and the Conquistadors began.

In our previous animated historical documentary we have described the first meeting between the Spanish conquistadors of Hernan Cortes and the Aztec civilization that was led by Moctezuma. Soon their relationship turned hostile. In this video we will show the results of this hostility - La Noche Triste (The Night of Sorrow) and the Fall of Tenochtitlan.

The Hundred Years' War is one of the central conflicts of the Medieval era and many animated historical documentaries were made about it, and although the battles like Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt, Orleans, Formigny and Castillon are very interesting, the reasons the war happened are often overlooked. In this video, we will talk about the scandalous Tour de Nesle affair and how it influenced the dynastic situation in France and England.

In our previous animated historical documentary, we have covered the earliest Roman army. This new episode will describe the Roman army of the mid-Republic, the so-called Polybian or Manipular legion and the famous triplex acies formation. Our plan is to continue this series all the way to the fall of Constantinople, so stick around. The next episodes in this series will see how the Romans dealt with Carthage and the famous Macedonian Phalanx.

Our animated historical documentary series on the Ottoman Empire have covered the battles of Kosovo, Nicopolis, Ankara, Varna, Second Kosovo, Constantinople, Belgrade, Targoviste and Otlukbeli, Vaslui, Valea Alba, Skanderbeg's rebellion, Breadfield, Otranto, Krbava and Chaldiran. One theme that runs through these videos is the practice of fratricide, as for centuries, the Ottoman sultans killed their brothers upon assuming the throne. But why did that happen and how it influenced the Ottoman history? Find out in this video!

This animated historical documentary covers the Battle of Shiloh which was fought in 1862 within the American Civil War between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. Shiloh was the biggest battle in the first phase of the war between the North and the South and largely decided the fate of the Western Theatre of the conflict. Union forces were commanded by Ulysses S. Grant and Don Carlos Buell, while the Confederacy troops were led by Albert Sidney Johnston and Pierre-Gustave Toutant de Beauregard. The sides suffered almost 25 thousand casualties.

Paragons of virtue, exemplars of honour, beacons of integrity and masters of warfare - the knights of the east. This is what we generally picture when we think of the infamous Samurai. While it is an attractive view of these legendary warriors, it is nevertheless quite a misleading one. In this video, we shall do our best to correct this, and cover the even more fascinating roles and perceptions of the samurai in Japanese society from the earliest days all the way to the modern day.

In our new animated historical documentary, we are covering the beginning of the Wars of the Roses and the battle of Towton (1461) which marked the end of the first part of the conflict. This video explains how the reigns of Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI, alongside the Hundred Years' War influenced the dynastic situation in England and made the war between the Lancasters and Yorks inevitable.

Punic wars were one of the central events for the history of the Roman Republic. Featuring the generals like Quintus Fabius Maximus and Hamilcar, Publius Cornelius Scipio and Hannibal, and the battles like Cannae, Zama and Lake Trasimene this conflict allowed Rome to dominate the Mediterranean basin. But how did the Carthaginians fight? What was the composition of their armies and how did they match up against the Roman legions? Let's find out in this documentary.

In the previous animated historical documentary on the Wars of Roses, we have covered the battle of Towton of 1461. The winner - the first York King Edward IV was still in a precarious position as his Lancastrian enemies Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou were still eager to fight for the throne, while his closest ally Richard of Warwick was eager to increase his influence. On top of that Edward had to deal with Scotland and found himself in the middle of the conflict between the French King Louis XI and the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold. All this tension made the second phase of the Wars of Roses inevitable and the renewed conflict peaked at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471.

In this animated historical documentary, we will talk about Locusta - the first serial killer in history. This Gallic woman was employed by the Roman emperor Nero and his mother Agrippina and poisoned many of their enemies, among them emperor Claudius and his son Britannicus.

In his animated historical documentary we will describe the Battle of Königgrätz (Konnigratz) of 1866 (also known as Sadowa), which decided the fates of the Austro-Prussian War (Seven Weeks' War) and the Third Italian War of Independence. This war became a part of the German and Italian Unification Wars (Risorgimento). The effects of the French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars and Revolutions of 1848 on the situation in Europe, the ascendance of Prussia via the works of Otto von Bismarck, Helmuth von Moltke and Albrecht von Roon and the Schleswig Wars.

The conquests of Alexander the Great and the Wars of his Successors which we covered in our previous animated historical documentaries opened Asia to the Greek influence and culture and the process of Hellenization encompassed all regions from Egypt to China. However, the easternmost state the Ancient Greeks created was the kingdom of Bactria, which gained independence from the Seleucid Empire. This state became the shining beacon of the civilization in the region and influenced it for centuries to come, most famously by creating a synthesis with one of the Buddhist sects - the Mahayana.

In this animated historical documentary video, we will cover the battles of Marj Dabiq, Khan Yunis, Ridanieh within the Ottoman-Mamluk war of 1516-1517.

In this new illustrated historical documentary we will talk about Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who will forever go down in history as the man whose assassination helped lead to the First World War. However, what is less well known is the Franz Ferdinand’s painful story of undying romantic love and a great tragedy that was to forever be overshadowed by the global conflict it helped to spark.

In our previous animated historical documentaries, we described the early Roman army, its evolution into the manipular legion and struggle against the Carthaginian army, and also the Macedonian phalanx and how Philip created it. But how did the legions of Rome matched against the Macedonian phalanx during the battles of Asculum, Heraclea, Cynoscephalae, Pydna, and others? Let's find out together.

Since the start of its history, China was in a constant state of war with the neighboring nomadic peoples and no enemy was as fierce as the Xiongnu. In this animated historical documentary, we will describe the Han-Xiongnu war and the battle of Mobei of 119 BC and how this battle influenced the fates of China and the Three Kingdoms period, and the Roman empire when it was attacked by (arguably) the remnants of the Xiongnu the Huns.

In our previous animated historical documentary we have talked about the Ancient Greek state in Bactria, but this Hellenistic state had to fight a number of wars after the conquests of Alexander. The Greeks of the region (Dayuan) were discovered by China during the expedition of the traveler Zhang Qian and had to fight against the Han dynasty during the War of the Heavenly horses between 104 and 101 BC. this war changed the fate of the region, and contributed to the creation of the Silk Road.

In our previous animated historical documentaries within the series on the Wars of the Roses, we have covered the victories of the house of York and its leader Edward IV during the battles of Towton, Barnet and Tewkesbury. Yet the conflict for the English throne was not over and another representative of the Lancasters - Henry Tudor would challenge the successor of Edward, Richard III during the battle of Bosworth.

By the end of the II century BC, Rome became the dominant state in the Mediterranean, defeating Carthage, Macedon and the Seleucids, yet the internal problems and the arrival of the Germanic Cimbri showed that the victorious Roman legions are in need of a reform. Although some of the changes were started to be implemented previously, it was the new brilliant general - Gaius Marius, who reformed the legions, changing almost all aspects of their fighting and paving the way to more conquests. Unfortunately, for the Republic, this military reform would have a long-standing effect on the political life and would make the likes of Sulla, Caesar, Pompey, and others very powerful.

In our new historical animated documentary, we will cover the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 with a focus on the naval engagements at Tsushima, the Yellow Sea, and Port Arthur. This conflict between Russia and Japan was unique due to the heavy usage of the battleships and its results influenced the I and II World Wars.

Previously in our animated historical documentary series on the Ancient Armies and Tactics we have covered the Marian Reforms and their Military Effects However these reforms also had a deep political impact. In this episode, we will talk about the political situation in the Roman Republic prior to the beginning of the Gallic Wars of Gaius Julius Caesar and will give an overview of the Sulla's Civil Wars, Social War, deeds of the Gracchi brothers and Drusus and much more.

Our new animated historical documentary series will cover the battles of the Roman general Gaius Julius Caesar and his conquest of Gaul. The first episode of the Gallic Wars series will describe the war against the Helvetii and their allies Boii, and the battles of Arar and Bibracte.

The Sassanid Empire was weakened after the war of 602-628 against the Byzantine Empire and their defeats at al-Qadisiyyah and Nahavand at the hands of the Caliphate forces effectively ended the empire. Still, representatives of the House of Sasan continued resisting and found allies - the Tang dynasty in China.

Previously in our animated historical documentary series, we have covered events of the Crisis of the Third Century of the Roman empire and the creation of the Tetrarchy system by Diocletian. But that wasn't the end of the internal strife and civil wars between the Roman emperors. The battle of the Milvian Bridge of 312 AD was crucial, as it allowed Constantine the Great to take over part of the Empire and make Christianity the official religion of the realm.