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This episode we continue with the Jinshin War.  This episode we follow Prince Oama on his dramatic escape to the east:  From Yoshino he dashed through the mountains, through Iga and over to Ise.  In so doing he secured both Suzuka and Fuwa--areas that would be important chokepoints throughout Japan's history.   For more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-130 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 130: Jinshin no Ran, Part II:  Gathering Stormclouds.   The soldier on watch was doing his best to keep alert.  The night shift was never pleasant duty, and it was even less pleasant out here in the mountains.  There were plenty of sounds in the night—birds and animals out in the darkness—but rarely was there much actual action.  At least the sky was clear, with only the occasional cloud. Guarding a post station was hardly the worst duty in the world. There was a decent amount of traffic: after all, they were along one of the major routes between Ise and Yamato.  But at night, well, who wanted to try and navigate the mountain roads?  That was a great way to fall into a river and drown, or get lost in the woods, unable to find your way back to civilization. It must have been a shock when he saw a light in the distance.  There were almost always a few fires somewhere in the village, but most of them were out or covered at this time of night, with the exception of the odd torch.  But this was something more.  At first the guard thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.  And then he wondered if it was some kind of mountain spirit—he'd heard of ghost parades that could come and take people in the night.  He shivered, and instinctively checked his own torch to ensure that it was burning well and bright.  Indeed it was. It took him a little time for his eyes to adjust again to the darkness, but now, sure enough, he saw the torches coming—and not just one, many of them, and he could now hear the faint metallic clank of metal on metal.  He then heard a faint sound like a tight rope being suddenly plucked.  It only just started to dawn on him what was happening when the first arrows started to rain down on his position. They were under attack!   Welcome back.  This episode we are continuing with our coverage of the Jinshin no Ran—the Jinshin War of 672—and if you haven't already, I highly recommend you start with episode 129, where we talk about some of the background for what was happening.  That said, let's do a quick recap to bring us up to speed on where we are.  And then we'll dive into an account of an absolutely unbelievable journey, which is impressive for multiple reasons, but mostly for the speed at which it was able to take place. So as you may recall, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, passed away at the end of 671 after months of illness.  After falling ill, the Chronicles tell us that he offered the state to his younger brother, the Crown Prince, Prince Ohoama, but Ohoama was warned that it was a trap, and as such, he turned down the offer.  Instead, he retired from his position to become a monk, and left for Yoshino, taking half of his household with him.  With Ohoama retired, Naka no Oe's son, the 23 year old Prince Ohotomo, took the throne. After Naka no Oe's death, Ohotomo effectively ruled Yamato from the Ohotsu palace in Afumi, running things along with the ministers of the left and right, Soga no Akaye and Nakatomi no Kane, and other high ministers.  Though the Nihon Shoki does not acknowledge it, Ohotomo is thought to have been a formal sovereign, in deed if not in name, at this point.  Much later, he would be given the posthumous name of “Koubun Tennou”. It would seem that Ohotomo and the Afumi court had misgivings about Prince Ohoama's promise to retire from the world and not challenge the throne.  The Nihon Shoki recounts that they began to make subtle preparations for a conflict, including levying men to build Naka no Oe's tomb, but issuing them weapons instead of tools.  They also set up checkpoints along the road from the court in Ohotsu down to Asuka—the main route to where Ohoama was residing in Yoshino.  And then, finally, someone told Ohoama that they were no longer allowing Prince Ohoama's people to cross the Uji bridge to bring him and his household supplies. Prince Ohoama was not going to sit idly by while the Afumi court gathered up enough forces to claim he was doing something treasonous and then march on him in Yoshino.  And so he sent one of his trusted vassals to the east to seek support.  Meanwhile, he himself was making ready to move.  There was just one more thing before setting out:  seeing if he could get posting bells.  This was sparked by the words of one of his advisors, who suggested that they should be careful.  They did not have many soldiers in Yoshino, and they had already sent out a general like Woyori to start raising troops in the East.  At the same time, if the Afumi Court was also maneuvering, it was likely that they would have sent words to the various post stations to bar the roads and prevent any movement. As such, Prince Ohoama decided to send several messengers to ask for Posting Bells, so that Ohoama and his men could make use of the official horses at the various post stations, allowing them to travel much more quickly and freely.  However, it was not clear if such orders had come and, if they had, where the local government officiallys might place their loyalty. Of particular importance was the case of Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Okamoto Palace, and thus the governance of the ancient capital. He would be the one to grant posting bells if they were to receive them.  If he provided the bells, then Ohoama and his party could assume they would have little to no trouble making their way East. And so Prince Ohoama sent his evnoys to the Okamoto palace.The messengers requested posting bells, but Prince Takasaka refused to issue them.  This sent a clear message to Prince Ohoama:  the Afumi court had no intention of letting him and his household have free access to the roads, and the local officials in Asuka were not going to provide any support.  In fact, Prince Takasaka now knew that Ohoama planned to travel, and if he wanted to, Takasaka could likely raise troops to try and stop Ohoama from leaving.  At the very least he would no doubt be sending a swift horse to Ohotsu to inform the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his followers would have to hurry if they wanted to do anything. And so, on the 24th of the 6th month, the same day that he got word back about the posting bells,  Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  He and his entourage left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East – and keep in mind that everything I'm going to describe in the next few minutes happened over the course of one night, truly an epic journey for Ohoama and all of those with him..  The Chronicles lists about 20 men and over ten women who originally set out with Ohoama from Yoshino, including his wife, the Royal Princess Uno no Sarara, daughter of Naka no Oe.  She wasn't walking, however—she followed a little behind in a palanquin, or litter, carried on poles.  I do wonder if those carrying the palanquin are among those mentioned, or were they servants or even enslaved persons who weren't considered worthy of note. The path they traveled wound its way through the mountains.  Streams and rivers had carved channels and valleys into these mountains.  People had settled these areas, and created paths through the wilderness.  Now, the valleys were fairly well populated, with roads connecting the communities that had grown up in the nooks and hollers. These facilitated trade through the mountain communities and between the eastern and western sides of the Kii peninsula, but even still, it was difficult terrain.  Unlike roads in the flat plains, the width of the roads in the mountains would have been constrained by steep mountainsides and the natural twists and turns of the valleys.  There may have been rope or wooden bridges that they had to cross, as streams constantly flow down the hill sides to the river below.  This route would make it much easier to avoid any official Afumi forces that might have been sent out, as those would likely be sticking to the main roads, but there were still government outposts along the way.  If these outposts proved loyal to the Afumi court, they could raise the alarm and send a messenger on horseback, who could likely flee much more quickly than Ohoama's men could follow.  And if Afumi learned that Ohoama was on the move, they could quickly mobilize their forces, secure key strategic points, and Ohoama's mad rush would be for naught.   The path Ohoama chose would lead from Yoshino, through the valleys, up through Iga, and then over to Suzuka, in Ise—modern Mie prefecture.  The journey was long and it wasn't going to be easy, but they needed to move quickly. Speaking of which, since Ohoama was traveling on foot, one of his men, Agata no Inukahi no Ohotomo, gave Prince Ohoama his own horse to ride.  Oh, and in case you are wondering: There are a lot of people named “Ohotomo” in the narrative, not just the Prince, Ohoama's nephew and rival for the throne.  Sorry, it was apparently a somewhat popular name AND it was also a clan, or uji, name as well.  I'll try to distinguish some of them in the podcast blog page. The party hadn't traveled far when Ohoama's own carriage—or possibly a palanquin, like his wife's—showed up for him, so I assume Ohotomo got his horse back, but they were still constrained to the speed of their slowest member, and I doubt that the mountain roads were all that wide and flat—most likely just the opposite. The group journeyed upstream along the Tsuburo river and eventually made it to Aki, in the area of Uda, due east of Sakurai and Mt. Miwa.  Here they were overtaken by two men, known as Ohotomo no Muraji no Makuda and Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, both hurrying on from the Yoshino Palace. Makuda had been at the Afumi court, but word was starting to spread there that there was going to be some kind of move against Prince Ohoama, so he and his brother, Ohotomo no Fukei, had feigned illness and returned to their home in the Asuka region.  Once there, Makuda had made straightaway for Yoshino, only to find that Ohoama was already on the move.  Ohotomo no Fukei, on the other hand, chose to stay in the area of Asuka and see what he could do there.  He was looking to see what kind of forces he could raise in the ancient capital region.  We'll learn more about him, later. It was also in Aki, apparently, where they met Hashi no Muraji no Mate, who was from the Department of the official rice fields.  Even though he was a government official, he was a supporter of Ohoama and his cause, and so he supplied Ohoama and his people with food for their journey. Just north of the Aki fields they came upon Kammura—thought to be near modern Kaguraoka—where the Yoshino forces conscripted 20 hunters into service, almost doubling their numbers, and now they at least had some weapons with them.  Prince Mino, and presumably his men, also joined forces with Ohoama and his party—their ranks were starting to grow. In Uda, they were no doubt glad of any assistance, and at the government offices in the village of Uda itself, they were also warmly welcomed.  There they found 50 pack-horses that were laden down with rice meant for the hot baths at Ise.  The rice was discarded and Ohoama commandeered the pack animals so that his forces could ride, rather than walk.  Nonetheless, it was still a long way to go.  Indeed, night was approaching by the time they reached Ohono—likely the modern area of Muro-ohono and Ohonoji, along the Uda river.  They didn't want to stop, but it could be treacherous trying to navigate in the mountains in the dark.  What they needed was a light source.  And so we are told that they pulled down some of the fences of nearby houses and created makeshift torches to light their way.  Thus they were able to continue on until they reached the town of Nabari at approximately midnight. Nabari was not quite so friendly.  It was the home of a post-station, which had a duty to report things to the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his men arrived with their torches and in the middle of the night they attacked and set fire to the post station.  One can only imagine how surprised those manning the station must have been.  Presumably Ohoama's party took any horses and provisions, both for their own use and so that they couldn't be used against them.  To those members of the village that were woken up and who came out to see what was going on, Ohoama's entourage proclaimed that Prince Ohoama was heading east and that people should join them.  More specifically we are told that he said that the “Sumera no Mikoto” was on his way to the East Country. I want to pause here a moment, because there are some that say that this was the first use of the term “Sumera no Mikoto”, or, as we more commonly read the characters today, “Tennou”.  At the very least we believe that the term “Tennou” may have first used in this time period—though I do wonder about it being used in this particular instance.  I'll come back to this at the end, but for now, let's get back to the story.  So Ohoama announced to the people that he, the sovereign—for he had declared himself as such—was heading to the Eastern lands, and he invited anyone who wished to join him.  Nobody took him up on his offer, however.  It must have sounded crazy.  Ohoama had swept in at midnight, his forces carrying torches, and had attacked the post station, the symbol of the government in their midst.  I imagine that the people wanted little to nothing to do with any further conflict if they could help it. Continuing on in the darkness, Ohoama and his party came to a river—probably the Nabari River.  The Chronicle refers to it as “Yokokawa”, a term that shows up multiple times, and means something like “side river” and I suspect it was just the name for a river that ran alongside the fields or something similar.  As they were crossing, a dark cloud spread across the night sky for over 10 rods—about 100 feet.  Ohoama kindled a light and took a look at a geomantic rule to determine what it could mean.  This “rule” was possibly a type of stick or even a kind of compass-like device with a square bottom and round top, indicating the heavens and the earth.  He announced to everyone that the cloud was an omen that the country would be divided into two parts but, ultimately, their side would win out. One can only imagine how tired and worn out everyone was at this point, but apparently this urged them onward.  They reached Iga, where once again, they attacked and set fire to the posting station. Now getting through Iga must have had Ohoama's head on a swivel.  After all, Prince Ohotomo's mother was apparently from that region – he was the Iga Royal Prince, after all - so it would be understandable if people were loyal to him.  Fortunately, for Ohoama, he had his local supporters as well.  In fact, Joan Piggot points out in “The Emergence of Japanese Kingship” that Ohoama may have had a surprising amount of support from the various local elites.  Remember that the policies that Naka no Oe and the court had put into place had given power to court appointed officials at the expense of the traditional local elites.  So it may have been that those traditional local elites were more inclined to assist Ohoama against the Afumi Court, while those appointed officials, such as those who were managing the post stations, were more likely to swing the other way, since their positions and their stipends were directly reliant on the court's good graces.  This seems to have been the case in this instance, around Nakayama, in Iga, where we are told that they met with local district governors who had heard that Ohoama was on the move and who had raised several hundred men in support of his cause.  Now their ranks really had grown—compared with the relatively small group that had first set out from Yoshino the previous day, there were now hundreds of men on the march. Ohoama's forces finally arrived at the plain of Tara, or Tarano, by dawn, and with the sun coming over the mountains they briefly stopped for a moment to catch their breath and eat something.  They had just marched through the night—a distance of approximately 70 kilometers, or 43 and a half miles.  That included stops to attack and set fire to two post stations along the way, and much of the journey early on was done on foot.  During that march, their ranks had grown tremendously.  This is an incredible feat, especially with much of it being accomplished at night. Let's also quickly discuss those extra troops that had come to his banner.  Remember that prior to this, Prince Ohoama had sent messengers ahead to Mino and Owari to try and raise forces in those areas.  They had likely traveled these same roadways, and told  any allies they had to prepare.  So while the forces were raised quickly, there were no doubt some logistics that went into it. After a brief rest, the army was back on their feet, heading to Yamaguchi—modern Tsuge city.  Here Ohoama was greeted by his son, Prince Takechi, who had come from Afumi down through Kafuka—modern Kouka, aka Kouga.  He had brought several other men of his own, and presumably soldiers as well. The entire party crossed Mt. Miyama and into Suzuka, in Ise, where they were joined by the provincial governor, Miyake no Muraji no Iwatoko; Deputy Governor, Miwa no Kimi no Kobuto, and the magistrate of the famous hot baths, Tanaka no Omi no Tarumaro, among others.  That same morning, they set a troop of 500 soldiers to guard the pass.  After all, it would do them no good to have a government force suddenly appear behind them.  Also, you may recall that Ohoama's request to his allies in Mino was to take the Fuwa pass, in the north—the area more popularly known today as Sekigahara.  So now, with both the Suzuka and Fuwa passes under Ohoama's control, his forces controlled access to the Eastern countries.  The only other viable route, at least if you didn't want to get lost in the mountains, was to take the road to the north, through Koshi, and that was going to be a slog around or over the Japan Alps. So a garrison was left as a rear guard, but the troops who were not staying to guard the pass continued, turning northwards.  By sunset on the 25th day of the 6th month of 672, they had reached the foot of Kahawa Hill.  Here, Ohoama's consort, Princess Uno no Sarara, asked if they could take a break.  She was not exactly used to this kind of travel, and even riding on a palanquin, she was exhausted and fatigued.  As they looked to the sky, though, it was clear that dark clouds were gathering.  So they cut their rest short and pushed on, hoping to make it to the government offices at Mie—likely meaning modern day Yokkaichi city. Sure enough, as they continued to march, the heavens opened with a thunderstorm pouring down on them.  The entire army was soaked to the bone.  Cold and wet, when they did get to the government center or Mie district, they deliberately set fire to an entire building just so that the troops could try to warm themselves a bit.  Those who had set out from Yoshino had marched over 122km, or 75 miles, including over 700 meters of elevation up and 800 meters down.  Checking a map of the route, it suggests that a person walking it, today, without any breaks, would take around 28 hours to complete the trip, and indeed, Ohoama's took roughly one and a half days.  That includes time for their assaults on the various post stations, and a brief rest at the Tara fields.  Now, granted, they had procured horses for parts of that, and many of the soldiers had not necessarily been there since the beginning, but it is still an incredible feat, when you think about it.  I'm honestly surprised that it doesn't get more of a mention in various historical contexts.  Then again, we are still well before the age of the Samurai, which is the period most martial historians typically examine. So that night, as they were settling in at the Mie government center following their amazing dash across the mountains, word came from forces at Suzuka:  Prince Yamabe and Prince Ishikawa had apparently come to offer their allegiance to Ohoama.  However, as they weren't known to the men, they were held at the Suzuka barrier until someone could verify.  Ohoama sent Michi no Atahe no Masubito to go fetch them and bring them to him. The following morning, Ohoama worshipped towards Amaterasu on the banks of a river in the district of Asake.  Thinking about it, I'm not sure if they meant that he worshipped south, in the direction of Ise Shrine, or if he worshipped east, the direction of the rising sun.  The exact direction doesn't entirely matter, but I think we will come back to this, as it would have consequences later on. Later, Masubito returned from his errand, catching back up to the army, which was continuing on its way.  It turns out that it was not Princes Yamabe and Ishikawa that Masubito had found at Suzuka, but instead  Ohoama's own son, Ohotsu, who had come along to join his father.  I presume he had been traveling under a false name in case he ran into men loyal to the Afumi court.  He was followed by a number of others, including a list of names which I am not going to go over here because it wouldn't mean all that much.  Suffice it to say that the Chroniclers were doing their best to make sure that various families were remembered for what they did. Now just as Prince Ohotsu was joining the main force, Murakami no Woyori arrived with word that 3,000 Mino troops were mobilized and currently blocking the Fuwa Road.  You may recall that Woyori was the one that Ohoama had sent to Mino for just that purpose, scouting out the lay of the land. Ohoama sent Prince Takechi ahead to Fuwa to organize the forces there.  Then he sent two others to mobilize troops along the Tokaido region, and two others were sent into the mountains to levy soldiers from the Tousando region.  As a quick reminder: the Tokaido was the eastern sea highway, while the Tousando, the Eastern Mountain Road, went through the middle of eastern Honshu, through the more mountainous regions.  Together, these two routes would have pulled from the most populous regions of the east. As for Ohoama, he took up residence at the government center in Kuwana, where he spent some time resting for a bit. Now just as Ohoama was building up his forces, so, too, was the Afumi court.  As soon as word made it to the capital that Ohoama was on the move, chaos ensued.  Many people fled the capital, some heading to the East, perhaps to join Ohoama, while others went to hide in the mountains and marshes until all the chaos was over and the dust settled.  The young Prince Ohotomo asked the ministers what he should do, and they recommended that he immediately set out with cavalry to pursue Ohoama and catch him before he could assemble too many troops.  However, he decided not to heed their advice, instead opting to assemble an army of his own, to add to the soldiers that had already been levied.  He sent Ina no Iwasuki, Fumi no Kusuri, and Wosaka no Ohomaro to the East country, while Hodzumi no Momotari, his younger brother, Ihoye, and Mononobe no Hiuga headed to the Yamato capital—which is to say Asuka.  Ohotomo also sent Saheki no Wotoko to Tsukushi and Kusu no Iwate to Kibi, all with orders to levy troops.  He gave Wotoko and Iwate special instructions, since there was some concern that neither Tsukushi nor Kibi would be compliant, as they both had been supported by Ohoama and may feel ties to him.  So if the leaders of either of those areas were to resist, Wotoko and Iwate were authorized to execute them for treason. As Iwasuki, Kusuri, and Ohomaro headed east, they traveled around Lake Biwa and were headed to the Fuwa pass, not knowing that it was already controlled by Ohoama's forces.  Iwasuki, however, was cautious.  He realized that they might be ambushed, and so he held back from the main group.  Sure enough, he was right:  Kusuri and Ohomaro were ambushed and captured, at which point Iwasuki fled, barely escaping. The following day, Prince Takechi sent a note to his father asking him to move closer to Fuwa, so that they could better communicate with the front line.  Ohoama headed out, but left Princess Uno in Kuwana, which was well situated between Fuwa and Suzuka, and was likely far enough from the front lines to ensure that it wouldn't be disrupted by skirmishes at the passes.  As Ohoama then traveled through Wohari, the governor, Chihisakobe no Muraji no Sabichi, also joined him with a force of 20,000 men.  Ohoama had them divided up and set them on roads to various places as needed. Ohoama finally reached Nogami, just on the eastern edge of modern Sekigahara.  This is near where Tokugawa Ieyasu would eventually make his first camp as well, at his fateful battle here just under a thousand years later.  At Nogami, Ohoama would set up his headquarters, Nogami no Miya, or the Nogami Palace.  Meanwhile, Prince Takechi would handle the troops in the main part of the area near the pass, known as Wazami.  As Ohoama reached Nogami, Takechi came to conference with him.  He noted that there had already been an altercation—they had taken prisoners, who claimed that they were actually headed east to raise troops for Ohoama, but given that they didn't know who they were AND that Iwasuki had fled back towards Ohotsu-kyo suggested that this was not exactly the case. Following that incident, and a fair amount of speechifying, Ohoama eventually placed Prince Takechi formally in charge of the army, presenting him the gift of a saddle-horse.  Takechi went back to his camp at Wazami.  That night, a severe thunderstorm broke out.  Ohoama prayed that if the kami favored his case, they would make the storm abate, and immediately the thunder and lightning stopped. The next day, on the 28th, Ohoama traveled over to Wazami to review the troops and check on the military arrangements, before returning back to Nogami.  He likewise went out the following day, issuing commands through Prince Takechi, and then returned again to Nogami. At this point, soldiers were likely on their way from the Eastern provinces and elsewhere.  On the one hand, they wanted to wait and make sure that they had all the troops they needed.  But on the other hand, they didn't want to wait too long.  The Afumi court was likewise building up its forces, and the longer they waited, the greater the chance that they could dig in and entrench themselves.  Something would have to happen, soon. But that something will have to wait for the next episode.    Before we finish, though, I do want to come back to something:  the title “Tenno”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”.  Up to this point, evidence suggests that the term used for the sovereign of Yamato was not “Tennou” as we know it today, but instead was the term “Oho-kimi”.  “Oho-kimi”, or basically the “Big Kimi”—something like the primary lord—was the one lord of lords of Yamato.  But that was probably something based on local concepts of governance.  With the introduction of new ideas of governance, many based on the Han and Tang dynasty models, we see a shift in the terminology. There are poems that come from the era of Naka no Oe—Tenji Tennou—that use terms like “Huang” (皇) and “Di” (帝)—“Kou” and “Tei” in Japanese.  These are imperial terms from the continent.  At some point, however, we see that they use “Tian” (天) and “Huang” (皇).  “Tianhuang” becomes “Tennou” (天皇) when read in Japanese, and it critically utilizes the character “Tian” for Heaven.  Interestingly, this does not appear to be a term that was ever commonly used for rulers in the area of modern China.  I seem to recall that it was used here and there, but not with any frequency.  There is some thought that it may have been pulled from a term for the north star, or pole star, which sometimes used the term, I suspect referring to that star as the Heavenly Ruler—the star that the heavens themselves were focused on. For a variety of reasons, we see a particular emphasis on Heaven, and on Amaterasu, in the decades following 672, and it is thought that this is all connected.  And so it is generally from some time here, in the late 7th century, that we can probably start to refer to the sovereigns as “Tennou”. Although, it is unclear to me if the authors of the Nihon Shoki pronounced it like this or not, later glosses given for the characters in Japanese is “Sumera no Mikoto”, the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading.  The problem is that the Nihon Shoki projects this term back to the very beginning of the narrative, with “Jimmu Tennou” being the first.  However, we have some evidence that the earlier term was, as as I said before, “Ohokimi”.  For many years, there was an idea that the term “Sumera no Mikoto” first appeared in the era of Toyomike Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, probably because that is when Buddhism and continental studies really seem to kick off.  However, there really is no evidence of its use then, and it seems that more scholars today place its use in the late 7th or early 8th century. So there is the possibility that this title was first used by Ohoama, as some claim, when he declared that the “Sumera no Mikoto” or “Tennou” was heading to the Eastern countries.  Of course, that could also just be dramatic license by the Chroniclers, who were less concerned with what, exactly, he said and more concerned with the meaning of it all.  We've also known them to swap out older terms for those in use in the 8th century, updating the narrative. Regardless, I think that about this time we can start to refer to the sovereigns of Yamato—and eventually Japan, or Nihon, another somewhat controversial term—as “Tennou”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”, from about this period.  I'll probably still use the term “sovereign” in general, and I'll try to avoid the term “imperial” for anything prior to the 19th century, when it became a standard English translation.  After all, Empires were the rage—Chinese, Ottoman, British, Austrian, French, Spanish, you name it.  Everyone had an empire, and so Japan, following that model, must also have been an “empire”.  Even today, it is officially the “Imperial Household” and that is the official translation. However, I want to be cautious about using that translation too early, however.  The institution of “Tennou”, while modeled on the Tang dynasty, took on its own character.  As such, I think that it is best to avoid the term for now, because it really was its own thing, and I don't want to conflate too many foreign concepts of “emperor” with the idea of the Japanese ruler. As for the term “Sumera no Mikoto”—it does not appear to me that the etymology of this term is clearly known.  One explanation is that “Sumera” is related to the word “Suberu”, to rule.  “Sumera” is also defined as meaning something precious, though I'm not sure if that meaning existed before its use to refer to the sovereign.  “Mikoto” is simply an honorific referring to the sovereign, meaning “royal” or “imperial”.  I suspect that the term “Tennou” came over first, and later it became glossed as “Sumera no Mikoto”, which may have been an earlier term, but we don't have any clear evidence.  Variations do appear in the Man'yoshu, the collection of ancient poems, so the concept was clearly around by the 8th century. Anyway, I think that's enough.  We'll probably talk about it more when we get to the rise of the worship of Amaterasu.  Until then, let's continue with our series on the Jinshin War. Next episode we will kick off with some of the actual fighting and campaigns in Afumi, Iga, and in Yamato.  Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze the Crusades through civilizational patterns, exploring the clash between ascending Western Europe and declining Islamic civilization during medieval power transitions. --

Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipDonate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim Sultan Abdul Hamid II is a man vilified by some, lionized by others, yet rarely understood on his own terms. To his critics, he was the Red Sultan, a reactionary despot who clung to power as his empire unraveled. But to his defenders, he was the last bulwark against European imperialism, a caliph who dared to say no when so many bowed their heads.But who was Abdul Hamid II? To help us unpack this complex figure, I'm joined by Dr. Yakoob Ahmed, a historian of the late Ottoman period whose work has brought fresh insight into the ideologies, pressures, and personalities that shaped the final century of the Caliphate.You can find Dr Yakoob Ahmed here: Substack: https://yakoob.substack.comBecome a member here:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipOr give your one-off donation here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donateListen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762Purchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merchFind us on:X: https://x.com/thinking_muslimLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-thinking-muslim/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.com/@thinkingmuslimpodcastFind Muhammad Jalal here:X: https://twitter.com/jalalaynInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comWebsite Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.comDisclaimer:The views expressed in this video are those of the individual speaker(s) and do not represent the views of the host, producers, platform, or any affiliated organisation. This content is provided for lawful, informational, and analytical purposes only, and should not be taken as professional advice. Viewer discretion is advised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Weekend Samplers: Part 3.A Trip to Walter & Vera's Lake house.Based on posts by lckscknfck7, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Ken and I tightened the moorings on the boat and decided the worst of the weather was over. We headed to the marina to find out the weather forecast, and it looked like it was going to rain the rest of the night, and into the morning. No campfire tonight.We grabbed a few six-packs and decided to check out the campground lodge. Ken's tow straps came in handy as we ended up helping the park staff clear the essential roads, on our way to the lodge. Twenty minutes of tugging and dodging felled trees later, we pulled up to the unusually crowded lodge. On an average weekend, you'd have trouble believing the lodge was open, but on this early night, even with the few campers that showed up yesterday, there were at least three families, a half dozen couples, and a church youth group.Heavy wind and rain didn't make camping in tents very fun, so most of the campers decided to head to the lodge to get out of the weather, enjoy some popcorn, and maybe catch a free movie. Herbie the Love Bug was playing on this particular evening.Mixed in the crowd, sitting in the back, were the older couple we met at the floating dock. The woman caught my eye, and apparently, I caught hers as she sprang up to greet me."I thought we might see you here!" she said happily. Her breath carried the smell of gin, which was almost expected, but her perfume smelled like something Angie wore whenever she wanted to get fucked. "I'm Vera," she held out her hand; "and this is my husband, Walter."I shook her hand and introduced Ken and myself. She bluntly asked if we were gay. After a little laughter, we explained that our "significant" others were taking a nap back in the camper. She asked if we were married, to which Ken reluctantly replied; "Just me.""Well, just because you're married doesn't mean you can't have any fun, right?" Walter asked."Oh, I still have fun. Sometimes more than I deserve. " Ken added.This last comment caused Vera to raise an eyebrow. She looked at me, then looked me over."How about you? Do you still have fun?" she asked. She had a disarming, flirtatious way of talking and moving. He body language was very provocative.“Yes we do.” I added. “There are some worn out women who would agree, if they weren't napping, just now.”Walter didn't appear to mind, or pay any attention to us. He was too busy looking at the female half of a young couple sitting across from us. The girl's bikini top was wet and probably cold by the look of her erect nipples."Yeah, I think I still have plenty of fun." I smiled and looked at Walter, trying to draw Vera's attention to his gaze."Plenty to go around?" Vera pursued. She moved closer to me and rubbed her cleavage onto my upper arm. She gently rested her hand on my ass, and pulled my hand onto hers. I instinctively gave her cheek a squeeze and was surprised at the firmness."Do you work out?" I asked."Once a day. Sometimes twice if I have a little extra energy" she smiled. She stepped away and gave a little turn like a runway model at the end of the runway. "What do you think?" she asked."I think whatever you're doing is working very well for you. Your husband must be very happy." I added."Walter?" she balked. "He's happy, alright, as long as I keep letting him jerk off to the likes of little miss nipples over there."I wasn't sure if I was playing into her hands or she was playing into mine, but I think we were thinking along the same lines. I looked her over and noticed she had done a very good job of maintaining a dark tan without letting her skin turn to leather. Her body was as firm and tight as a Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleader, but her face gave her age away, especially when she smiled, which unfortunately, was quite often."How old do you think I am?" she asked."I don't know, and it wouldn't be polite for me to guess." I said, trying to avoid a conflict."You're polite enough to grab my ass in front of my husband, so you can be polite enough to guess," she said without smiling.She had sharp wits and a very assertive nature."I don't know. Forty-five?” I asked.  “Fifty?""Ha!" she laughed. "I turn fifty-five this weekend. Not bad, for a Swedish gal, huh?""No,” I answered. "Not bad at all. Well, happy birthday!" She walked back to her husband to pull him into the conversation.It wasn't until she turned her back to me that I realized what great shape she was really in. From the back, she could have been one of Angie's friends from college. Her blond-white hair aside, the rest of her looked like she could be in her mid-twenties. She wore a linen shirt tied around the waist, khaki Capri pants, and very sexy sandals. Her calves bulged as she stepped away. Her feet were perfectly maintained, and she might have had work done to remove spider veins from her ankles and calves because they also looked picture-perfect.Her legs were toned like a gymnast, and her stomach was as flat as Angie's. Her breasts looked bigger than a C cup, but not quite as full as Sarah's. She turned back toward Ken and me, and we watched as her breasts bounced freely under her shirt. If they were fake, she really got her money's worth. Her arms were toned, and her wrists were covered in jewelry. She was probably quite rich, obviously pampered, unfortunately high-maintenance, but also extremely hot."I have a proposition for you," she whispered in my ear."We have a cabin not far from here. One of several properties Walter bought after he retired. It's nice, but it's too big for the two of us, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzi...""What about our significant others?" I interrupted."Silly, they're invited, too," she hushed. "It would be a lot nicer than spending the rest of the weekend cooped up in a camper, don't you think? Not much privacy, is there?"I explained that “Angie and I were originally sleeping in a tent, but the wind blew most of our gear away, and the camper became a nice alternative. The thought of sleeping on a real bed sounds good, though.”I talked to Ken about it briefly, and he gave the typical "Have to clear it with Sarah" answer."I tell you what," Vera continued. "You can ride with me back to your campground to get your girlfriends, or wives, or whatever. Ken can ride with Walter to clean the place up a bit."Ken looked a little disappointed, but she assured him we wouldn't be far behind. We finished our popcorn and headed outside into a light rain shower."Damn this rain," Vera said under her breath. She didn't seem to be afraid of the water, though. She got into her huge luxury Suburban and as she leaned over to unlock the passenger door, I could see that her shirt was soaked and her nipples were practically poking through. She caught me staring and smiled. Then I noticed she has power locks on her door panel. She just wanted me to admire the pendulous sway of her tanned braless tits.Ken and Walter turned right down the road from the lodge as we turned left. She turned down a trail I hadn't seen before, and parked the vehicle, in the solitude of that deserted, drizzly path."What's going on?" I asked."You like my tits?" she asked, as she turned to face me and started to unbutton her shirt. I felt my cock stiffen and she seemed to take notice. "I'll take that as a yes.""What are you doing, Vera?" I asked, knowing the answer."Let me tell you a little secret," she whispered as she slid off her shirt. "I watched your girlfriend perform oral sex on you this morning.""What are you talking about?" I asked."Well, I should say that I watched Walter, watching your girlfriend perform oral sex on you this morning. You know, on the floating dock." Vera unzipped her pants and flipped off her sandals. "He killed the motor and pulled out his cock as soon as she took off her bikini top. He didn't start stroking, though, until her head started bobbing up and down on your beautiful cock.""You saw all that?" I asked surprised."Oh yes!" She started pulling off her pants, and I helped her out of them. No underwear? No tan lines, either. There she sat, facing me in the driver's seat, as naked as the day she was born, but with a very blessed post-pubescent shapeliness; bedazzled with bling and a fantastic tan.As she seductively caressed her nipples, she continued;  "I grabbed another set of binoculars and watched for myself. It was a very, umm; motivating sight. What really got me going, though, was when you came in her mouth, and then she moved onto your friend."She was now pulling my clothes off. Her body was in better shape than most women half her age. My cock sprang out and hit her in the chin as she pulled my pants down. She reached for my cock with a jewelry-covered hand and began stroking it gently. She leaned over to kiss the head and then rub it along her cheeks. She continued to stroke me as she looked up."Weren't you jealous?" she asked in between kisses and licks on my shaft."No. It wasn't like that. We were all just friends goofing around and;" I stopped as she gently swallowed my cock. In one motion, my entire length was down her throat. She paused for a moment to let her stong tongue massage my hard shaft, and then slowly pulled her head back as if coming up for air."Just friends?" she asked, and then engulfed my cock again. This time, not quite all the way down her throat, but now she was actually sucking me off. She paused again."Well, things got a little out of control." I managed to say."You mean like this?" she said, just before twisting her head on my shaft each time she went down on me. She worked a hand around the base of my cock and twisted in the opposite direction, and then reached down with her other hand and began fingering her cunt. Seconds later she reached up to my mouth with those wet fingers, and asked me if I liked the way her fingers tasted. I licked her fingers, telling her she tasted nice, and she sucked harder. I told her that her cunt must taste even better.She slid her ass off the front bench seat and guided my shoulders down to the warm spot where her ass had been. I hooked an arm under her waist and pulled her cunt to my mouth, bringing her on top of me in a "69" position.Her cunt really did taste good. I'm not sure how some women manage that, but I found myself not wanting to take my mouth off of her. She sucked me to a full blasting orgasm, and; as expected; swallowed eagerly. She knelt up and on my face, grinding her cunt into my nose and mouth. A few minutes later she leaned against her driver's door and guided  me back up to a sitting position. She slumped down with her back and shoulders against the door, and spread her legs for me."You like it?" she asked shyly.For a 55 year-old cunt, it was not what I expected. The labia weren't stretched out at all, and her cunt hair was white and sorta long, but soft and straight. She kept it shaved on the sides (or maybe Walter had that honor), making it look like a Mohawk. I followed her cunt to her thighs, legs, calves, and pretty feet. She wore an ankle bracelet on one ankle. I moved on top of her and easily slid my cock into her."I'll take that as a yes,” she whispered and kissed me all over my face.I was worried that I might not be measuring up to her expectations, but I soon felt her cunt tighten around me. Her rhythm was a lot slower than Angie's or Sarah's, and I wasn't sure if I was doing anything for her. She was doing plenty for me, though; as her cunt continued to relax then tighten around my shaft with each thrust. Figuring there was no way I was going to get her pregnant, I quickened my pace and thrust harder and faster. She moaned and then clawed at my back as she felt me cum inside her. Her cunt tightened one more time and then something that felt like warm water gushed from her cunt."Oh shit," she cried. I thought she must have pissed on me. "That was just what I needed!" I looked down and what looked like watered-down jizz was all over my stomach."I'm a squirter," she smiled. Pulling a big beach towel from under my end of the bench seat. She gently wiped me dry; almost reverently fondling my semi-flaccid phallus. Then she wiped her crotch area."Sorry." She slid behind the wheel and started up the Suburban. "I guess we'd better go get your significant others, huh?" she smiled.I gave her directions to the parking area near the camper. She said she was very familiar with our particular campsite, so I relaxed. Vera was a site, as she drove the Suburban through the wooded campground; naked. I think I was hypnotized by her pendulous mammaries, because the next thing I noticed was her shutting the vehicle off. I scurried to redress."I don't know why you're bothering. They're probably going down on each other in there, anyway." Vera said. "We're just going to startle them, but maybe they'll let us join in." She smiled at me."Alright, Vera. For the emotional vulnerabilities of my teen girlfriend, you're going to have to put on your clothes, soaked or not." I informed her.She stepped out of the Suburban and began walking to the camper completely naked. It was probably an hour before sunset, but I could see her clearly. The contrast of her dark tan and Swedish white-blond hair was almost eerie.“Please, Vera.” I softly asked. “Help my woman get adjusted to this. Ken and Sarah have already shocked her sensibilities too much for one day.”The rain was barely a drizzle, and she got about halfway to the camper before she turned around."Oh, alright. There's nobody else out here, you know," she argued. I nodded and admired her tits as they swayed and bounced with each step as she walked back to the Suburban to get her clothes.She tied the bottom of her shirt around her waist, showing off an unusually well-toned six-pack. She could barely pull her pants up without falling over, and she decided to leave her expensive sandals in the vehicle. Her feet were old, but not unattractive. They weren't nearly as pretty as Sarah's, but almost as nice as Angie's.I decided to lead the way. Hoping to catch Angie and Sarah in a muff-diving session, I opened the door to the camper as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Angie was still asleep on the bunk bed, and Sarah was back in the bedroom, naked and lying on her stomach with one hand between her legs."She hasn't been getting enough, huh?" Vera whispered. Her whisper startled Angie, who almost bumped her head as she sat up. Her bathrobe had come undone, and her tits were in plain view."Umm, Walter is going to like you, sweetheart." Vera said with a grin.Angie covered herself up. "Who is this?" she looked at me sternly."This is Vera, a friend we just met at the lodge. Her husband is Walter. They were on the boat that came by the floating dock this morning." I answered."Oh" Angie answered in a dream-like state. "Well, what's she doing here; and where's Ken?""Ken's on his way to her place with Walter. They were going to stop and get some food and drinks. We're going to go to their cabin until the weather gets better. Sound Okay to you?" I asked."Sounds good to me. The electricity went out again, right after you guys snuck out of here. I could use some air conditioning." Sarah joined in, putting the bathrobe back on and tying the terry cloth belt around her waist."Well, then. It's settled. Walter and I love to entertain guests, and you are such attractive couples." Vera added.I wasn't sure how long she would keep putting on the charade, but I was sure the girls knew Vera was a dirty ol' woman, rich or not.I went over everyone's names again, and Sarah and Angie started getting their clothes together. Most of our clothes were scattered around the campsite, so I picked up the cleanest clothes and put them in the Suburban, then put the rest of the muddy clothes in a garbage bag and threw them in the car. Angie put on a thin T-shirt and a bikini bottom while Sarah put on a bikini top and some denim cut-offs.We tried to clean up the campground as best we could, but knew we wouldn't be able to pick up everything before the next wave of rain.Angie couldn't help but notice Vera's tits as she walked around the campsite. "Are they real?" Angie asked Vera."Well, what do you think? Feel them." Vera said proudly, and untied her shirt.Sarah looked at Angie fondling Vera's tits, and walked over to feel them, too. Sarah caressed them from the bottom to the top, and then pinched one of Vera's nipples."Sarah, you are a naughty one, aren't you?" Vera said as she gently moved Sarah's hand away.

 Weekend Samplers: Part 3.A Trip to Walter & Vera's Lake house.Based on posts by lckscknfck7, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Ken and I tightened the moorings on the boat and decided the worst of the weather was over. We headed to the marina to find out the weather forecast, and it looked like it was going to rain the rest of the night, and into the morning. No campfire tonight.We grabbed a few six-packs and decided to check out the campground lodge. Ken's tow straps came in handy as we ended up helping the park staff clear the essential roads, on our way to the lodge. Twenty minutes of tugging and dodging felled trees later, we pulled up to the unusually crowded lodge. On an average weekend, you'd have trouble believing the lodge was open, but on this early night, even with the few campers that showed up yesterday, there were at least three families, a half dozen couples, and a church youth group.Heavy wind and rain didn't make camping in tents very fun, so most of the campers decided to head to the lodge to get out of the weather, enjoy some popcorn, and maybe catch a free movie. Herbie the Love Bug was playing on this particular evening.Mixed in the crowd, sitting in the back, were the older couple we met at the floating dock. The woman caught my eye, and apparently, I caught hers as she sprang up to greet me."I thought we might see you here!" she said happily. Her breath carried the smell of gin, which was almost expected, but her perfume smelled like something Angie wore whenever she wanted to get fucked. "I'm Vera," she held out her hand; "and this is my husband, Walter."I shook her hand and introduced Ken and myself. She bluntly asked if we were gay. After a little laughter, we explained that our "significant" others were taking a nap back in the camper. She asked if we were married, to which Ken reluctantly replied; "Just me.""Well, just because you're married doesn't mean you can't have any fun, right?" Walter asked."Oh, I still have fun. Sometimes more than I deserve. " Ken added.This last comment caused Vera to raise an eyebrow. She looked at me, then looked me over."How about you? Do you still have fun?" she asked. She had a disarming, flirtatious way of talking and moving. He body language was very provocative.“Yes we do.” I added. “There are some worn out women who would agree, if they weren't napping, just now.”Walter didn't appear to mind, or pay any attention to us. He was too busy looking at the female half of a young couple sitting across from us. The girl's bikini top was wet and probably cold by the look of her erect nipples."Yeah, I think I still have plenty of fun." I smiled and looked at Walter, trying to draw Vera's attention to his gaze."Plenty to go around?" Vera pursued. She moved closer to me and rubbed her cleavage onto my upper arm. She gently rested her hand on my ass, and pulled my hand onto hers. I instinctively gave her cheek a squeeze and was surprised at the firmness."Do you work out?" I asked."Once a day. Sometimes twice if I have a little extra energy" she smiled. She stepped away and gave a little turn like a runway model at the end of the runway. "What do you think?" she asked."I think whatever you're doing is working very well for you. Your husband must be very happy." I added."Walter?" she balked. "He's happy, alright, as long as I keep letting him jerk off to the likes of little miss nipples over there."I wasn't sure if I was playing into her hands or she was playing into mine, but I think we were thinking along the same lines. I looked her over and noticed she had done a very good job of maintaining a dark tan without letting her skin turn to leather. Her body was as firm and tight as a Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleader, but her face gave her age away, especially when she smiled, which unfortunately, was quite often."How old do you think I am?" she asked."I don't know, and it wouldn't be polite for me to guess." I said, trying to avoid a conflict."You're polite enough to grab my ass in front of my husband, so you can be polite enough to guess," she said without smiling.She had sharp wits and a very assertive nature."I don't know. Forty-five?” I asked.  “Fifty?""Ha!" she laughed. "I turn fifty-five this weekend. Not bad, for a Swedish gal, huh?""No,” I answered. "Not bad at all. Well, happy birthday!" She walked back to her husband to pull him into the conversation.It wasn't until she turned her back to me that I realized what great shape she was really in. From the back, she could have been one of Angie's friends from college. Her blond-white hair aside, the rest of her looked like she could be in her mid-twenties. She wore a linen shirt tied around the waist, khaki Capri pants, and very sexy sandals. Her calves bulged as she stepped away. Her feet were perfectly maintained, and she might have had work done to remove spider veins from her ankles and calves because they also looked picture-perfect.Her legs were toned like a gymnast, and her stomach was as flat as Angie's. Her breasts looked bigger than a C cup, but not quite as full as Sarah's. She turned back toward Ken and me, and we watched as her breasts bounced freely under her shirt. If they were fake, she really got her money's worth. Her arms were toned, and her wrists were covered in jewelry. She was probably quite rich, obviously pampered, unfortunately high-maintenance, but also extremely hot."I have a proposition for you," she whispered in my ear."We have a cabin not far from here. One of several properties Walter bought after he retired. It's nice, but it's too big for the two of us, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzi...""What about our significant others?" I interrupted."Silly, they're invited, too," she hushed. "It would be a lot nicer than spending the rest of the weekend cooped up in a camper, don't you think? Not much privacy, is there?"I explained that “Angie and I were originally sleeping in a tent, but the wind blew most of our gear away, and the camper became a nice alternative. The thought of sleeping on a real bed sounds good, though.”I talked to Ken about it briefly, and he gave the typical "Have to clear it with Sarah" answer."I tell you what," Vera continued. "You can ride with me back to your campground to get your girlfriends, or wives, or whatever. Ken can ride with Walter to clean the place up a bit."Ken looked a little disappointed, but she assured him we wouldn't be far behind. We finished our popcorn and headed outside into a light rain shower."Damn this rain," Vera said under her breath. She didn't seem to be afraid of the water, though. She got into her huge luxury Suburban and as she leaned over to unlock the passenger door, I could see that her shirt was soaked and her nipples were practically poking through. She caught me staring and smiled. Then I noticed she has power locks on her door panel. She just wanted me to admire the pendulous sway of her tanned braless tits.Ken and Walter turned right down the road from the lodge as we turned left. She turned down a trail I hadn't seen before, and parked the vehicle, in the solitude of that deserted, drizzly path."What's going on?" I asked."You like my tits?" she asked, as she turned to face me and started to unbutton her shirt. I felt my cock stiffen and she seemed to take notice. "I'll take that as a yes.""What are you doing, Vera?" I asked, knowing the answer."Let me tell you a little secret," she whispered as she slid off her shirt. "I watched your girlfriend perform oral sex on you this morning.""What are you talking about?" I asked."Well, I should say that I watched Walter, watching your girlfriend perform oral sex on you this morning. You know, on the floating dock." Vera unzipped her pants and flipped off her sandals. "He killed the motor and pulled out his cock as soon as she took off her bikini top. He didn't start stroking, though, until her head started bobbing up and down on your beautiful cock.""You saw all that?" I asked surprised."Oh yes!" She started pulling off her pants, and I helped her out of them. No underwear? No tan lines, either. There she sat, facing me in the driver's seat, as naked as the day she was born, but with a very blessed post-pubescent shapeliness; bedazzled with bling and a fantastic tan.As she seductively caressed her nipples, she continued;  "I grabbed another set of binoculars and watched for myself. It was a very, umm; motivating sight. What really got me going, though, was when you came in her mouth, and then she moved onto your friend."She was now pulling my clothes off. Her body was in better shape than most women half her age. My cock sprang out and hit her in the chin as she pulled my pants down. She reached for my cock with a jewelry-covered hand and began stroking it gently. She leaned over to kiss the head and then rub it along her cheeks. She continued to stroke me as she looked up."Weren't you jealous?" she asked in between kisses and licks on my shaft."No. It wasn't like that. We were all just friends goofing around and;" I stopped as she gently swallowed my cock. In one motion, my entire length was down her throat. She paused for a moment to let her stong tongue massage my hard shaft, and then slowly pulled her head back as if coming up for air."Just friends?" she asked, and then engulfed my cock again. This time, not quite all the way down her throat, but now she was actually sucking me off. She paused again."Well, things got a little out of control." I managed to say."You mean like this?" she said, just before twisting her head on my shaft each time she went down on me. She worked a hand around the base of my cock and twisted in the opposite direction, and then reached down with her other hand and began fingering her cunt. Seconds later she reached up to my mouth with those wet fingers, and asked me if I liked the way her fingers tasted. I licked her fingers, telling her she tasted nice, and she sucked harder. I told her that her cunt must taste even better.She slid her ass off the front bench seat and guided my shoulders down to the warm spot where her ass had been. I hooked an arm under her waist and pulled her cunt to my mouth, bringing her on top of me in a "69" position.Her cunt really did taste good. I'm not sure how some women manage that, but I found myself not wanting to take my mouth off of her. She sucked me to a full blasting orgasm, and; as expected; swallowed eagerly. She knelt up and on my face, grinding her cunt into my nose and mouth. A few minutes later she leaned against her driver's door and guided  me back up to a sitting position. She slumped down with her back and shoulders against the door, and spread her legs for me."You like it?" she asked shyly.For a 55 year-old cunt, it was not what I expected. The labia weren't stretched out at all, and her cunt hair was white and sorta long, but soft and straight. She kept it shaved on the sides (or maybe Walter had that honor), making it look like a Mohawk. I followed her cunt to her thighs, legs, calves, and pretty feet. She wore an ankle bracelet on one ankle. I moved on top of her and easily slid my cock into her."I'll take that as a yes,” she whispered and kissed me all over my face.I was worried that I might not be measuring up to her expectations, but I soon felt her cunt tighten around me. Her rhythm was a lot slower than Angie's or Sarah's, and I wasn't sure if I was doing anything for her. She was doing plenty for me, though; as her cunt continued to relax then tighten around my shaft with each thrust. Figuring there was no way I was going to get her pregnant, I quickened my pace and thrust harder and faster. She moaned and then clawed at my back as she felt me cum inside her. Her cunt tightened one more time and then something that felt like warm water gushed from her cunt."Oh shit," she cried. I thought she must have pissed on me. "That was just what I needed!" I looked down and what looked like watered-down jizz was all over my stomach."I'm a squirter," she smiled. Pulling a big beach towel from under my end of the bench seat. She gently wiped me dry; almost reverently fondling my semi-flaccid phallus. Then she wiped her crotch area."Sorry." She slid behind the wheel and started up the Suburban. "I guess we'd better go get your significant others, huh?" she smiled.I gave her directions to the parking area near the camper. She said she was very familiar with our particular campsite, so I relaxed. Vera was a site, as she drove the Suburban through the wooded campground; naked. I think I was hypnotized by her pendulous mammaries, because the next thing I noticed was her shutting the vehicle off. I scurried to redress."I don't know why you're bothering. They're probably going down on each other in there, anyway." Vera said. "We're just going to startle them, but maybe they'll let us join in." She smiled at me."Alright, Vera. For the emotional vulnerabilities of my teen girlfriend, you're going to have to put on your clothes, soaked or not." I informed her.She stepped out of the Suburban and began walking to the camper completely naked. It was probably an hour before sunset, but I could see her clearly. The contrast of her dark tan and Swedish white-blond hair was almost eerie.“Please, Vera.” I softly asked. “Help my woman get adjusted to this. Ken and Sarah have already shocked her sensibilities too much for one day.”The rain was barely a drizzle, and she got about halfway to the camper before she turned around."Oh, alright. There's nobody else out here, you know," she argued. I nodded and admired her tits as they swayed and bounced with each step as she walked back to the Suburban to get her clothes.She tied the bottom of her shirt around her waist, showing off an unusually well-toned six-pack. She could barely pull her pants up without falling over, and she decided to leave her expensive sandals in the vehicle. Her feet were old, but not unattractive. They weren't nearly as pretty as Sarah's, but almost as nice as Angie's.I decided to lead the way. Hoping to catch Angie and Sarah in a muff-diving session, I opened the door to the camper as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, Angie was still asleep on the bunk bed, and Sarah was back in the bedroom, naked and lying on her stomach with one hand between her legs."She hasn't been getting enough, huh?" Vera whispered. Her whisper startled Angie, who almost bumped her head as she sat up. Her bathrobe had come undone, and her tits were in plain view."Umm, Walter is going to like you, sweetheart." Vera said with a grin.Angie covered herself up. "Who is this?" she looked at me sternly."This is Vera, a friend we just met at the lodge. Her husband is Walter. They were on the boat that came by the floating dock this morning." I answered."Oh" Angie answered in a dream-like state. "Well, what's she doing here; and where's Ken?""Ken's on his way to her place with Walter. They were going to stop and get some food and drinks. We're going to go to their cabin until the weather gets better. Sound Okay to you?" I asked."Sounds good to me. The electricity went out again, right after you guys snuck out of here. I could use some air conditioning." Sarah joined in, putting the bathrobe back on and tying the terry cloth belt around her waist."Well, then. It's settled. Walter and I love to entertain guests, and you are such attractive couples." Vera added.I wasn't sure how long she would keep putting on the charade, but I was sure the girls knew Vera was a dirty ol' woman, rich or not.I went over everyone's names again, and Sarah and Angie started getting their clothes together. Most of our clothes were scattered around the campsite, so I picked up the cleanest clothes and put them in the Suburban, then put the rest of the muddy clothes in a garbage bag and threw them in the car. Angie put on a thin T-shirt and a bikini bottom while Sarah put on a bikini top and some denim cut-offs.We tried to clean up the campground as best we could, but knew we wouldn't be able to pick up everything before the next wave of rain.Angie couldn't help but notice Vera's tits as she walked around the campsite. "Are they real?" Angie asked Vera."Well, what do you think? Feel them." Vera said proudly, and untied her shirt.Sarah looked at Angie fondling Vera's tits, and walked over to feel them, too. Sarah caressed them from the bottom to the top, and then pinched one of Vera's nipples."Sarah, you are a naughty one, aren't you?" Vera said as she gently moved Sarah's hand away.

If you have any questions or comments, send Pastor John a text.Pastor John Bornschein and Dr. Steve Ford discuss the Kingdom of Iron and the Kingdom of Iron and Clay from Daniel 2:37-43.Support the showProduced by Calvary Fellowship Fountain Valley church. Learn more at www.CalvaryFountain.com

The Muslims of Bosnia in southeast Europe treasure a centuries-long tradition of writing about the journey to Mecca. These treatises and travelogues help us trace the changing ways in which the hajj was experienced and described by these European Muslims who lived under the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, then socialist Yugoslavia, before the independence of Bosnia-Herzegovina in the early 1990s. To explore these different meanings of the hajj for the Bosnian Muslims—or Bosniaks—this episode looks at the fascinating texts they wrote in Arabic and Ottoman Turkish as well as the Bosnian language. We'll follow not only the impact of changing political conditions, but also the way new forms of transport and changing literary fashions reshaped the experience and interpretation of a pilgrimage which both was and wasn't the same over the centuries.  Nile Green talks to Dženita Karić, author of Bosnian Hajj Literature: Multiple Paths to the Holy (Edinburgh University Press, 2022).

The history of Tanzimat in the Ottoman Empire has largely been narrated as a unique period of equality, reform, and progress, often framing it as the backdrop to modern Turkey. Inspired by Walter Benjamin's exhortation to study the oppressed to understand the rule and the ruler, Talin Suciyan reexamines this era from the perspective of the Armenians. In exploring the temporal and territorial differences between the Ottoman capital and the provinces, Suciyan brings the unheard voices of Armenians into the present. Drawing upon the rich archival materials in both the Archives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ottoman Archives, Suciyan uses these to show the integral role Armenians played in all aspects of Ottoman life and argues that accounts of their lives are vital to accurate representation of the Tanzimat era. In shedding much needed light on the lives of those who were vulnerable, disadvantaged, and otherwise oppressed, Suciyan takes a significant step toward a more inclusive Ottoman history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The history of Tanzimat in the Ottoman Empire has largely been narrated as a unique period of equality, reform, and progress, often framing it as the backdrop to modern Turkey. Inspired by Walter Benjamin's exhortation to study the oppressed to understand the rule and the ruler, Talin Suciyan reexamines this era from the perspective of the Armenians. In exploring the temporal and territorial differences between the Ottoman capital and the provinces, Suciyan brings the unheard voices of Armenians into the present. Drawing upon the rich archival materials in both the Archives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ottoman Archives, Suciyan uses these to show the integral role Armenians played in all aspects of Ottoman life and argues that accounts of their lives are vital to accurate representation of the Tanzimat era. In shedding much needed light on the lives of those who were vulnerable, disadvantaged, and otherwise oppressed, Suciyan takes a significant step toward a more inclusive Ottoman history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The history of Tanzimat in the Ottoman Empire has largely been narrated as a unique period of equality, reform, and progress, often framing it as the backdrop to modern Turkey. Inspired by Walter Benjamin's exhortation to study the oppressed to understand the rule and the ruler, Talin Suciyan reexamines this era from the perspective of the Armenians. In exploring the temporal and territorial differences between the Ottoman capital and the provinces, Suciyan brings the unheard voices of Armenians into the present. Drawing upon the rich archival materials in both the Archives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Ottoman Archives, Suciyan uses these to show the integral role Armenians played in all aspects of Ottoman life and argues that accounts of their lives are vital to accurate representation of the Tanzimat era. In shedding much needed light on the lives of those who were vulnerable, disadvantaged, and otherwise oppressed, Suciyan takes a significant step toward a more inclusive Ottoman history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

In this sweeping episode, Ghost breaks down why geography is destiny, and how the old Silk Road trade routes are being revived to reshape global power. He explores Kazakhstan's sudden importance as Russia, China, and Iran link up railways and pipelines in a new Eurasian triangle that cuts out Western influence. From Chinese investment treaties and Saudi port expansions to Russia's quiet nuclear deals across Africa and Central Asia, Ghost unpacks how the multipolar world is materializing beneath the headlines. He dives into the Astana Process, the shadowy Astana city itselfJor, and the strategic chessboard of Central Asia that echoes ancient Mongol invasions and Ottoman history. You'll also hear why pipeline routes matter more than media narratives, how rare earth minerals in the Congo fuel everything from iPhones to missiles, and why seemingly disconnected conflicts in Ukraine, Armenia, and the DRC are all part of the same supply chain struggle. Complete with maps, historical context, and a big dose of skepticism about legacy media, this is a masterclass in understanding the economic and geographic forces behind today's headlines.

Last time we spoke about Operation Chahar. In July 1937, the tensions between Japan and China erupted into a full-scale conflict, ignited by the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Following a series of aggressive Japanese military maneuvers, Chiang Kai-shek, then enjoying a brief respite at Kuling, learned of the escalating clashes and prepared for battle. Confident that China was primed for resistance, he rallied his nation, demanding that Japan accept responsibility and respect China's sovereignty. The Japanese launched their offensive, rapidly capturing key positions in Northern China. Notably, fierce battle ensued in Jinghai, where Chinese soldiers, led by Brigade Commander Li Zhiyuan, valiantly defended against overwhelming forces using guerrilla tactics and direct assaults. Their spirit was symbolized by a courageous “death squad” that charged the enemy, inflicting serious casualties despite facing dire odds. As weeks passed, the conflict intensified with brutal assaults on Nankou. Chinese defenses, though valiant, were ultimately overwhelmed, leading to heavy casualties on both sides. Despite losing Nankou, the indomitable Chinese spirit inspired continued resistance against the Japanese invaders, foreshadowing a long, brutal war that would reshape East Asia.   #156 The Battle of Shanghai Part 1: The Beginning of the Battle of Shanghai Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On August 9, a bullet riddled sedan screeched to an abrupt halt at the entrance to the Hongqiao airport along Monument Road. The gruesome scene on the dashboard revealed that one of the victims had died in the car. He had been dragged out and subjected to brutal slashing, kicking, and beating until his body was a mangled mess. Half of his face was missing, and his stomach had been cut open, exposing the sickly pallor of his intestines, faintly glimmering in the night. The other man had managed to escape the vehicle but only got a few paces away before he was gunned down. A short distance away lay a third body, dressed in a Chinese uniform. Investigators swiftly identified the badly mangled body as belonging to 27-year-old Sub-Lieutenant Oyama Isao, while the other deceased Japanese man was his driver, First Class Seaman Saito Yozo. The identity of the Chinese victim remained a mystery. At first glance, the scene appeared to be the aftermath of a straightforward shootout. However, numerous questions lingered: What were the Japanese doing at a military airfield miles from their barracks? Who had fired the first shot, and what had prompted that decision? The Chinese investigators and their Japanese counterparts were at odds over the answers to these questions. As they walked the crime scene, searching for evidence, loud arguments erupted repeatedly. By the time the sun began to rise, they concluded their investigation without reaching any consensus on what had transpired. They climbed into their cars and made their way back to the city. The investigators were acutely aware of the repercussions if they failed to handle their delicate task with the necessary finesse. Despite their hopes for peace, it was evident that Shanghai was a city bracing for war. As they drove through the dimly lit suburbs on their way from Hongqiao back to their downtown offices, their headlights illuminated whitewashed trees, interspersed with sandbag defenses and the silhouettes of solitary Chinese sentries. Officially, these sentries were part of the Peace Preservation Corps,  a paramilitary unit that, due to an international agreement reached a few years earlier, was the only Chinese force allowed to remain in the Shanghai area. In the hours that followed, both sides presented their versions of the incident. According to the Chinese account, the Japanese vehicle attempted to force its way through the airport gate. When members of the Peace Preservation Corps stationed at the entrance signaled for Saito, the driver, to stop, he abruptly turned the car around. Sub-Lieutenant Oyama then fired at the Chinese guards with an automatic pistol. Only then did the Chinese return fire, killing Oyama in a hail of bullets. Saito managed to jump out before he, too, was gunned down. The commander of the Chinese guards told a Western reporter that this wasn't the first time someone Japanese had attempted to enter the airport. Such incidents had occurred repeatedly in the past two months, leading them to believe that the Japanese were “obviously undertaking espionage.” The Japanese account, predictably, placed the blame for the entire incident squarely on China. It asserted that Oyama had been driving along a road bordering the airfield with no intention of entering. Suddenly, the vehicle was stopped and surrounded by Peace Preservation Corps troops, who opened fire with rifles and machine guns without warning. Oyama had no opportunity to return fire. The Japanese statement argued that the two men had every right to use the road, which was part of the International Settlement, and labeled the incident a clear violation of the 1932 peace agreement. “We demand that the Chinese bear responsibility for this illegal act,”. Regardless of either side, it seemed likely to everyone in the region, war would soon engulf Shanghai.  Meanwhile, as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident escalated into a full blown in the far north, General Zhang Fakui was attending a routine training mission at Mount Lu in southeastern Jiangxi. A short and small man, not considered too handsome either, Zhang had earned his place in China's leadership through physical courage, once taking a stand on a bridge and single handedly facing down an enemy army. He was 41 years old in 1937, having spent half his life fighting Warlords, Communists and sometimes even Nationalists. In the recent years he had tossed his lot in with a rebel campaign against Chiang Kai-Shek, who surprisingly went on the forgive him and placed him in charge of anti communist operations in the area due south of Shanghai. However now the enemy seemed to have changed.  As the war spread to Beijing, on July 16th, Zhang was sent to Chiang Kai-Shek's summer residence at Mount Lu alongside 150 members of China's political and military elites. They were all there to brainstorm how to fight the Japanese. Years prior the Generalissimo had made it doctrine to appease the Japanese but now he made grandiose statements such as “this time we must fight to the end”. Afterwards Chiang dealt missions to all his commanders and Zhang Fakui was told to prepare for operations in the Shanghai area.  It had been apparent for weeks that both China and Japan were preparing for war in central China. The Japanese had been diverting naval troops from the north to strengthen their forces in Shanghai, and by early August, they had assembled over 8,000 troops. A few days later, approximately thirty-two naval vessels arrived. On July 31, Chiang declared that “all hope for peace has been lost.” Chiang had been reluctant to commit his best forces to defend northern China, an area he had never truly controlled. In contrast, Shanghai was central to his strategy for the war against Japan. Chiang decided to deploy his finest troops, the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were trained by generals under the guidance of the German advisor von Falkenhausen, who had high hopes for their performance against the Japanese. In doing so, Chiang aimed to demonstrate to both his own people and the wider world that the Chinese could and would resist the invader. Meanwhile, Chiang's spy chief, Dai Li, was busy gathering intelligence on Japanese intentions regarding Shanghai, a challenging task given his focus in recent years. Dai, one of the most sinister figures in modern Chinese history, had devoted far more energy and resources to suppressing the Communists than to countering the Japanese. As a result, by the critical summer of 1937, he had built only a sparse network of agents in “Little Tokyo,” the Hongkou area of Shanghai dominated by Japanese businesses. One agent was a pawnshop owner, while the rest were double agents employed as local staff within the Japanese security apparatus. Unfortunately, they could provide little more than snippets, rumors, and hearsay. While some of this information sounded alarmingly dire, there was almost no actionable intelligence. Chiang did not take the decision to open a new front in Shanghai lightly. Built on both banks of the Huangpu River, the city served as the junction between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the great Yangtze River, which wound thousands of kilometers inland to the west. Shanghai embodied everything that represented modern China, from its industry and labor relations to its connections with the outside world. While foreign diplomatic presence was concentrated in nearby Nanjing, the capital, it was in Shanghai that the foreign community gauged the country's mood. Foreigners in the city's two “concession” areas nthe French Concession and the British-affiliated International Settlement often dismissed towns beyond Shanghai as mere “outstations.” Chiang Kai-shek would throw 650,000 troops into the battle for the city and its environs as well as his modest air force of 200 aircraft. Chiang, whose forces were being advised by German officers led by General Alexander von Falkenhausen, was finally confident that his forces could take on the Japanese. A German officer told a British diplomat, “If the Chinese Army follows the advice of the German advisers, it is capable of driving the Japanese over the Great Wall.”   While Chiang was groping in the dark, deprived of the eyes and ears of an efficient intelligence service, he did have at his disposal an army that was better prepared for battle than it had been in 1932. Stung by the experience of previous conflicts with the Japanese, Chiang had initiated a modernization program aimed at equipping the armed forces not only to suppress Communist rebels but also to confront a modern fighting force equipped with tanks, artillery, and aircraft. He had made progress, but it was insufficient. Serious weaknesses persisted, and now there was no time for any remedial action. While China appeared to be a formidable power in sheer numbers, the figures were misleading. On the eve of war, the Chinese military was comprised of a total of 176 divisions, which were theoretically organized into two brigades of two regiments each. However, only about 20 divisions maintained full peacetime strength of 10,000 soldiers and officers; the rest typically held around 5,000 men. Moreover, Chiang controlled only 31 divisions personally, and he could not count on the loyalty of the others. To successfully resist Japan, Chiang would need to rely not only on his military command skills but also on his ability to forge fragile coalitions among Warlord generals with strong local loyalties. Equipment posed another significant challenge. The modernization drive was not set to complete until late 1938, and the impact of this delay was evident. In every category of weaponry, from rifles to field artillery, the Chinese were outmatched by their Japanese adversaries, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Domestically manufactured artillery pieces had shorter ranges, and substandard steel-making technology caused gun barrels to overheat, increasing the risk of explosions. Some arms even dated back to imperial times. A large proportion of the Chinese infantry had received no proper training in basic tactics, let alone in coordinated operations involving armor and artillery. The chief of the German advisory corps was General Alexander von Falkenhausen, a figure hard to rival in terms of qualifications for the role. Although the 58-year-old's narrow shoulders, curved back, and bald, vulture-like head gave him an unmilitary, almost avian appearance, his exterior belied a tough character. In 1918, he had earned his nation's highest military honor, the Pour le Mérite, while assisting Germany's Ottoman allies against the British in Palestine. Few, if any, German officers knew Asia as well as he did. His experience in the region dated back to the turn of the century. As a young lieutenant in the Third East Asian Infantry Regiment, he participated in the international coalition of colonial powers that quelled the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. A decade later, he traveled through Korea, Manchuria, and northern China with his wife, keenly observing and learning as a curious tourist. From 1912 to 1914, he served as the German Kaiser's military attaché in Tokyo. He was poised to put his extensive knowledge to good use in the months ahead. Chiang believed that Shanghai should be the location of the first battle. This decision was heavily influenced by Falkenhausen and was strategically sound. Chiang Kai-shek could not hope to win a war against Japan unless he could unify the nation behind him, particularly the many fractious warlords who had battled his forces repeatedly over the past decade. Everyone understood that the territory Japan was demanding in the far north did not need to be held for any genuine military necessity; it was land that could be negotiated. The warlords occupying that territory were unpredictable and all too willing to engage in bargaining. In contrast, China's economic heartland held different significance. By choosing to fight for the center of the country and deploying his strongest military units, Chiang Kai-shek signaled to both China's warlords and potential foreign allies that he had a vested interest in the outcome.  There were also several operational reasons for preferring a conflict in the Yangtze River basin over a campaign in northern China. The rivers, lakes, and rice paddies of the Yangtze delta were much better suited for defensive warfare against Japan's mechanized forces than the flat plains of North China. By forcing the Japanese to commit troops to central China, the Nationalists bought themselves the time needed to rally and reinforce their faltering defenses in the north. By initiating hostilities in the Shanghai area, Japan would be forced to divert its attention from the northern front, thereby stalling a potential Japanese advance toward the crucial city of Wuhan. It would also help safeguard potential supply routes from the Soviet Union, the most likely source of material assistance due to Moscow's own animosity toward Japan. It was a clever plan, and surprisingly, the Japanese did not anticipate it. Intelligence officers in Tokyo were convinced that Chiang would send his troops northward instead. Again in late July, Chiang convened his commanders, and here he gave Zhang Fukai more detailed instructions for his operation. Fukai was placed in charge of the right wing of the army which was currently preparing for action in the metropolitan area. Fukai would oversee the forces east of the Huangpu River in the area known as Pudong. Pudong was full of warehouses, factories and rice fields, quite precarious to fight in. Meanwhile General Zhang Zhizhong, a quiet and sickly looking man who had previously led the Central Military Academy was to command the left wing of the Huangpu. All of the officers agreed the plan to force the battle to the Shanghai area was logical as the northern region near Beijing was far too open, giving the advantage to tank warfare, which they could not hope to contest Japan upon. The Shanghai area, full of rivers, creaks and urban environments favored them much more. Zhang Zhizhong seemed an ideal pick to lead troops in downtown Shanghai where most of the fighting would take place. His position of commandant of the military academy allowed him to establish connections with junior officers earmarked for rapid promotion. This meant that he personally knew the generals of both the 87th and 88th Divisions, which were to form the core of Zhang Zhizhong's newly established 9th Army Group and become his primary assets in the early phases of the Shanghai campaign. Moreover, Zhang Zhizhong had the right aggressive instincts. He believed that China's confrontation with Japan had evolved through three stages: in the first stage, the Japanese invaded the northeast in 1931, and China remained passive; in the second stage, during the first battle of Shanghai in 1932, Japan struck, but China fought back. Zhang argued that this would be the third stage, where Japan was preparing to attack, but China would strike first.   It seems that Zhang Zhizhong did not expect to survive this final showdown with his Japanese adversary. He took the fight very personally, even ordering his daughter to interrupt her education in England and return home to serve her country in the war. However, he was not the strong commander he appeared to be, as he was seriously ill. Although he never disclosed the true extent of his condition, it seemed he was on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown after years in high-stress positions. In fact, he had recently taken a leave of absence from his role at the military academy in the spring of 1937. When the war broke out, he was at a hospital in the northern port city of Qingdao, preparing to go abroad for convalescence. He canceled those plans to contribute to the struggle against Japan. When his daughter returned from England and saw him on the eve of battle, she was alarmed by how emaciated he had become. From the outset, doubts about his physical fitness to command loomed large. At 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 10, a group of officers emerged from the Japanese Consulate along the banks of the Huangpu River. This team was a hastily assembled Sino-Japanese joint investigation unit tasked with quickly resolving the shooting incident at the Hongqiao Aerodrome of the previous night. They understood the urgency of reaching an agreement swiftly to prevent any escalation. As they drove to the airport, they passed armed guards of the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps stationed behind sandbag barricades that had been erected only hours earlier. Upon arriving at Hongqiao, the officers walked up and down the scene of the incident under the scorching sun, attempting to piece together a shared understanding of what had transpired. However, this proved to be nearly impossible, as the evidence failed to align into a coherent account acceptable to both parties. The Japanese were unconvinced that any shootout had occurred at all. Oyama, the officer who had been in the car, had left his pistol at the marine headquarters in Hongkou and had been unarmed the night before. They insisted that whoever shot and killed the man in the Chinese uniform could not have been him. By 6:00 pm the investigators returned to the city. Foreign correspondents, eager for information, knew exactly whom to approach. The newly appointed Shanghai Mayor, Yu Hongjun, with a quick wit and proficiency in English, Yu represented the city's cosmopolitan image. However, that evening, he had little to offer the reporters, except for a plea directed at both the Japanese and Chinese factions “Both sides should maintain a calm demeanor to prevent the situation from escalating.” Mayor Yu however was, in fact, at the center of a complex act of deception that nearly succeeded. Nearly eight decades later, Zhang Fakui attributed the incident to members of the 88th Division, led by General Sun Yuanliang. “A small group of Sun Yuanliang's men disguised themselves as members of the Peace Preservation Corps,” Zhang Fakui recounted years later in his old age. “On August 9, 1937, they encountered two Japanese servicemen on the road near the Hongqiao military aerodrome and accused them of forcing their way into the area. A clash ensued, resulting in the deaths of the Japanese soldiers.” This created a delicate dilemma for their superiors. The two dead Japanese soldiers were difficult to explain away. Mayor Yu, likely informed of the predicament by military officials, conferred with Tong Yuanliang, chief of staff of the Songhu Garrison Command, a unit established after the fighting in 1932. Together, they devised a quick and cynical plan to portray the situation as one of self-defense by the Chinese guards. Under their orders, soldiers marched a Chinese death row inmate to the airport gate, dressed him in a paramilitary guard's uniform, and executed him. While this desperate ruse might have worked initially, it quickly unraveled due to the discrepancies raised by the condition of the Chinese body. The Japanese did not believe the story, and the entire plan began to fall apart. Any remaining mutual trust swiftly evaporated. Instead of preventing a confrontation, the cover-up was accelerating the slide into war.  Late on August 10, Mayor Yu sent a secret cable to Nanjing, warning that the Japanese had ominously declared they would not allow the two deaths at the airport to go unpunished. The following day, the Japanese Consul General Okamoto Suemasa paid a visit to the mayor, demanding the complete withdrawal of the Peace Preservation Corps from the Shanghai area and the dismantling of all fortifications established by the corps. For the Chinese, acquiescing to these demands was nearly impossible. From their perspective, it appeared that the Japanese aimed to leave Shanghai defenseless while simultaneously bolstering their own military presence in the city. Twenty vessels, including cruisers and destroyers, sailed up the Huangpu River and docked at wharves near "Little Tokyo." Japanese marines in olive-green uniforms marched ashore down the gangplanks, while women from the local Japanese community, dressed in kimonos, greeted the troops with delighted smiles and bows to the flags of the Rising Sun that proudly adorned the sterns of the battleships. In fact, Japan had planned to deploy additional troops to Shanghai even before the shooting at Hongqiao Aerodrome. This decision was deemed necessary to reinforce the small contingent of 2,500 marines permanently stationed in the city. More troops were required to assist in protecting Japanese nationals who were being hastily evacuated from the larger cities along the Yangtze River. These actions were primarily defensive maneuvers, as the Japanese military seemed hesitant to open a second front in Shanghai, for the same reasons that the Chinese preferred an extension of hostilities to that area. Diverting Japanese troops from the strategically critical north and the Soviet threat across China's border would weaken their position, especially given that urban warfare would diminish the advantages of their technological superiority in tanks and aircraft. While officers in the Japanese Navy believed it was becoming increasingly difficult to prevent the war from spreading to Shanghai, they were willing to give diplomacy one last chance. Conversely, the Japanese Army was eager to wage war in northern China but displayed little inclination to engage in hostilities in Shanghai. Should the situation worsen, the Army preferred to withdraw all Japanese nationals from the city. Ultimately, when it agreed to formulate plans for dispatching an expeditionary force to Shanghai, it did so reluctantly, primarily to avoid accusations of neglecting its responsibilities. Amongst many commanders longing for a swift confrontation with Japan was Zhang Zhizhong. By the end of July, he was growing increasingly impatient, waiting with his troops in the Suzhou area west of Shanghai and questioning whether a unique opportunity was being squandered. On July 30, he sent a telegram to Nanjing requesting permission to strike first. He argued that if Japan were allowed to launch an attack on Shanghai, he would waste valuable time moving his troops from their position more than 50 miles away. Nanjing responded with a promise that his wishes would be fulfilled but urged him to exercise patience: “We should indeed seize the initiative over the enemy, but we must wait until the right opportunity arises. Await further orders.” That opportunity arose on August 11, with the Japanese display of force on the Huangpu River and their public demand for the withdrawal of China's paramilitary police. Japan had sufficiently revealed itself as the aggressor in the eyes of both domestic and international audiences, making it safe for China to take action. At 9:00 p.m. that evening, Zhang Zhizhong received orders from Nanjing to move his troops toward Shanghai. He acted with remarkable speed, capitalizing on the extensive transportation network in the region. The soldiers of the 87th Division quickly boarded 300 trucks that had been prepared in advance. Meanwhile, civilian passengers on trains were unceremoniously ordered off to make room for the 88th Division, which boarded the carriages heading for Shanghai. In total, over 20,000 motivated and well-equipped troops were on their way to battle.  On August 12, representatives from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, and China gathered for a joint conference in Shanghai to discuss ceasefire terms. Japan demanded the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Shanghai, while the Chinese representative, Yu Hung-chun, dismissed the Japanese demand, stating that the terms of the ceasefire had already been violated by Japan. The major powers were keen to avoid a repeat of the January 28 Incident, which had significantly disrupted foreign economic activities in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens fervently welcomed the presence of Chinese troops in the city. In Nanjing, Chinese and Japanese representatives convened for the last time in a final effort to negotiate. The Japanese insisted that all Peace Preservation Corps and regular troops be withdrawn from the vicinity of Shanghai. The Chinese, however, deemed the demand for a unilateral withdrawal unacceptable, given that the two nations were already engaged in conflict in North China. Ultimately, Mayor Yu made it clear that the most the Chinese government would concede was that Chinese troops would not fire unless fired upon. Conversely, Japan placed all responsibility on China, citing the deployment of Chinese troops around Shanghai as the cause of the escalating tensions. Negotiations proved impossible, leaving no alternative but for the war to spread into Central China. On that same morning of Thursday, August 12, residents near Shanghai's North Train Station, also known as Zhabei Station, just a few blocks from "Little Tokyo," awoke to an unusual sight: thousands of soldiers dressed in the khaki uniforms of the Chinese Nationalists, wearing German-style helmets and carrying stick grenades slung across their chests. “Where do you come from?” the Shanghai citizens asked. “How did you get here so fast?” Zhang Zhizhong issued detailed orders to each unit under his command, instructing the 88th Division specifically to travel by train and deploy in a line from the town of Zhenru to Dachang village, both located a few miles west of Shanghai. Only later was the division supposed to advance toward a position stretching from the Zhabei district to the town of Jiangwan, placing it closer to the city boundaries. Zhang Zhizhong was the embodiment of belligerence, but he faced even more aggressive officers among his ranks. On the morning of August 12, he was approached by Liu Jingchi, the chief of operations at the Songhu Garrison Command. Liu argued that the battle of 1932 had gone poorly for the Chinese because they had hesitated and failed to strike first. This time, he insisted, should be different, and Zhang should order an all-out assault on the Japanese positions that very evening. Zhang countered that he had clear and unmistakable orders from Chiang Kai-shek to let the Japanese fire first, emphasizing the importance of maintaining China's image on the world stage. “That's easy,” Liu retorted. “Once all the units are deployed and ready to attack, we can just change some people into mufti and send them in to fire a few shots. We attack, and simultaneously, we report that the enemy's offensive has begun.” Zhang Zhizhong did not like this idea. “We can't go behind our leader's back like that,” he replied. Zhang Zhizhong's position was far from enviable. Forced to rein in eager and capable officers, he found himself acting against his own personal desires. Ultimately, he decided to seek the freedom to act as he saw fit. In a secret cable to Nanjing, he requested permission to launch an all-out attack on the Japanese positions in Shanghai the following day, Friday, August 13. He argued that this was a unique opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created by the movement of troops; any further delay would only lead to stagnation. He proposed a coordinated assault that would also involve the Chinese Air Force. However, the reply from Chiang Kai-shek was brief and unwavering: “Await further orders.” Even as Chiang's troops poured into Shanghai, Chinese and Japanese officials continued their discussions. Ostensibly, this was in hopes of reaching a last-minute solution, but in reality, it was a performance. Both sides wanted to claim the moral high ground in a battle that now seemed inevitable. They understood that whoever openly declared an end to negotiations would automatically be perceived as the aggressor. During talks at the Shanghai Municipal Council, Japanese Consul General Okamoto argued that if China truly wanted peace, it would have withdrawn its troops to a position that would prevent clashes. Mayor Yu responded by highlighting the increasing presence of Japanese forces in the city. “Under such circumstances, China must adopt such measures as necessary for self-defense,” he stated. Late on August 13, 1937, Chiang Kai-shek instructed his forces to defend Shanghai, commanding them to "divert the enemy at sea, secure the coast, and resist landings."  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In July 1937, tensions between Japan and China escalated into war following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Confident in his country's resolve, Chiang Kai-shek rallied the Chinese against Japanese aggression. On August 9, a deadly confrontation at Hongqiao Airport resulted in the deaths of Japanese soldiers, igniting further hostilities. As both sides blamed each other, the atmosphere became tense. Ultimately, negotiations failed, and the stage was set for a brutal conflict in Shanghai, marking the beginning of a long and devastating war.

Did betrayal doom Constantinople in 1453, or was its fall an inevitable clash of empires? In this insightful episode of the Jeremy Ryan Slate Show, we take a deep dive into one of history's most pivotal moments—the fall of Constantinople. Was it Ottoman military might, or did secret deals, economic collapse, and betrayal play a bigger role? This critical examination unpacks hidden agendas, uncovering the conspiracies and greed that may have sealed the city's fate.Join me, Jeremy Ryan Slate—CEO of Command Your Brand—as we explore the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the crumbling Byzantine defenses, and the whispers of sabotage that still fuel debates among historians. From the unlocked Kirkaporta gate to Orban's massive cannons, this must-watch episode delivers a unique perspective on how trust and unity—or their absence—can shape the destiny of nations.What lessons can we draw from Constantinople's fall for our own times? With global trade wars and shifting alliances, the parallels to today are striking. Don't miss this engaging discussion that connects history to the present. Join the conversation in the comments, hit like, and subscribe for more deep dives into history, power, and the forces that shape our world.Follow me on X @JeremyRyanSlate, and let's keep the discussion going. Together, we can learn from the past to navigate the future. Thanks for watching, and see you in the next episode of the Jeremy Ryan Slate Show!#culturalexchange #mehmedtheconqueror #documentary #historydocumentary #istanbul#truthuncovered #constantinexi #mehmedtheconqueror #infamousbetrayals #ancientbetrayals___________________________________________________________________________⇩ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ⇩THE WELLNESS COMPANY: Health without the propaganda, emergency medical kits before you need it. Get 15% off now by using our link: https://twc.health/jrsCOMMAND YOUR BRAND: Legacy Media is dying, we fight for the free speech of our clients by placing them on top-rated podcasts as guests. We also have the go-to podcast production team. We are your premier podcast agency. Book a call with our team https://www.commandyourbrand.com/book-a-call MY PILLOW: By FAR one of my favorite products I own for the best night's sleep in the world, unless my four year old jumps on my, the My Pillow. Get up to 66% off select products, including the My Pillow Classic or the new My Pillow 2.0, go to https://www.mypillow.com/cyol or use PROMO CODE: CYOL________________________________________________________________⇩ GET MY BEST SELLING BOOK ⇩Unremarkable to Extraordinary: Ignite Your Passion to Go From Passive Observer to Creator of Your Own Lifehttps://getextraordinarybook.com/________________________________________________________________DOWNLOAD AUDIO PODCAST & GIVE A 5 STAR RATING!:APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-create-your-own-life-show/id1059619918SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/5UFFtmJqBUJHTU6iFch3QU(also available Google Podcasts & wherever else podcasts are streamed_________________________________________________________________⇩ SOCIAL MEDIA ⇩➤ X: https://twitter.com/jeremyryanslate➤ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/jeremyryanslate➤ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jeremyryanslate_________________________________________________________________➤ CONTACT: JEREMY@COMMANDYOURBRAND.COM

“Iraq, but Funny” is enjoying its World Premiere at Lookingglass Theatre and plays through July 20th. It's the story of 5 generations for Assyrian mother/daughter relations from the Ottoman empire to modern day USA but a story reclaimed by the women of their day, yet it's told to us by a British guy (called The […]

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    6/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1916 https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    1/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1873 VULURE BISON https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    2/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1871  https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    3/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1868 HUNTING SPANIELS https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    4/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1848 HUNTING THE FLIGHTLESS DODO TO EXTINCTION https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    5/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1909 DARWIN'S STUDY https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    8/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1906 https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

POTUS ENDING OF GREENING MARKET, BEGINNING OF ADAPTATING MARKET:    7/8: Nature and Human History: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History Hardcover  by  Peter Frankopan  (Author) 1935 SYDNEY https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Transformed-Untold-History/dp/0525659161/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformedwill radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

In this deeply moving episode, midwife and mother Ria shares her journey through motherhood with her daughter Olive, who has a rare genetic condition. Ria's story is one of resilience, advocacy and the profound love that comes with parenting a child with additional needs. If you’re preparing your nursery or planning for a new arrival, here’s a little heads-up you won’t want to miss. iL Tutto’s End of Financial Year Sale starts Monday 17th June and runs through to 11:59pm on 1st July – and it’s their biggest one yet. You’ll find up to 50% off their most-loved pieces – like the Felix Glider & Ottoman, the Como Cot Set, and the beautiful Lulu Vanilla Bouclé Chair. There’s also 30% off the Leo Electric Recliner and Glider, 20% off the sleek Maya Chair from their new Trend Collection, plus savings on Grow Kindly natural fibre sleepwear, Boba Baby Carriers, and Snuggle Me Organic Feeding Pillows. And just for Australian Birth Stories listeners, you’ll get an extra 5% off everything – even sale items – with the code ABS5 at checkout. Shop the sale from June 17th at iltutto.com.au and don’t forget to use code ABS5 at checkout.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giovanni Mariti (1736–1806) was an Italian traveler best known for his detailed accounts of the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Cyprus, during the 18th century. Born in Florence, Mariti served as an official in the service of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and his travels provided him with firsthand insights into the social, political, and economic life of the regions he visited. He stayed in Cyprus for seven years and served as an official in the Tuscan consulate in Larnaca. His most notable work, Travels in the Island of Cyprus, written in the late 18th century, is a rich source of information on the customs, governance, and history of Cyprus under Ottoman rule -- particularly in the earliest excavations on the island. In this excerpt, we hear from Mariti as he discusses some interesting finds in and around Larnaca. This excerpt is a perfect springboard into my next month's guest, Luca Bombardieri (Director of the Erimi Archaeological Project) as we discuss early archaeology in his latest publication, "From Exploration to Exploitation: Giovanni Mariti, Domenico Sestini, Antonio Mondaini and the Early History of Cypriot Archaeology." 

In episode 492 Professor A. Tunç Şen joins the podcast to discuss his book, Forgotten Experts: Astrologers, Science, and Authority in the Ottoman Empire, 1450-1600, which is on astrologers working in the Ottoman court in the 15th and 16th centuries. The conversation offers a detailed picture of the lives and social dynamics of astrologers who operated at the highest levels of power in the Ottoman court. A significant focus is the establishment of a formal unit for court astrologers, or munajjim, within the Ottoman bureaucracy, which paralleled other expert fields like physicians and architects. This unit, which could consist of one to six astrologers, was created in the 15th century and remarkably lasted until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. The episode delves into the various duties performed by these court astrologers. A primary function was the practice of electional astrology, where they would determine auspicious moments for a wide range of state affairs, including military campaigns, the founding of mosques, and wedding ceremonies. The astrologers would also issue an annual almanac, interpret the birth charts of rulers, answer horary astrology questions, and sometimes give medical advice. The conversation also explores the personalities and internal dynamics within the court. Much attention is given to Sultan Bayezid II, a ruler with a deep personal interest in the astral sciences who was instrumental in the institutionalization of the court astrologers. The story of the astrologer Riyazi is also highlighted—a highly skilled but frustrated practitioner who was never appointed chief astrologer and expressed his professional frustrations in poetry. This illustrates the debates, disagreements, and competition for authority that existed among the astrologers themselves, as well as other practitioners of esoteric or occult sciences. The discussion challenges the narrative that astrology was in a state of decline after an earlier "golden age," demonstrating that it remained a vibrant and impactful field. Tunç's book was just released on May 20, and you can order it on Amazon or other online retailers now: Forgotten Experts: Astrologers, Science, and Authority in the Ottoman Empire, 1450–1600 This episode is available in both audio and video versions below. Watch the Video Version of This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvZiDOnFIf0 - Listen to the Audio Version of This Episode Listen to the audio version of this episode or download it as an MP3:

Izmir, Turkey, stands as a gateway to both ancient history and modern energy, particularly known for its substantial contribution to Turkey's wind power, accounting for about 32% of it. As we explore this coastal city, we delve into its rich past, which includes influences from Greek, Roman, and Ottoman civilizations. The bustling streets of downtown Izmir offer a sensory immersion with local vendors, delicious street food, and a lively atmosphere that quickly captivates visitors. We also take a closer look at nearby Ephesus, home to remarkable ancient ruins like the well-preserved amphitheater and the iconic Library of Celsus, which echo the grandeur of its historical significance. For those seeking a slower pace, the charming cobblestone streets of Cesme and the nearby island of Chios provide idyllic day trip options, making Izmir a multifaceted destination for every traveler.

Welcome back to Road to Hajj—a short, practical overview of the Hajj journey. This series isn't about deep fiqh or academic detail. It's about following the footsteps of the Hujjaj and reflecting on the wisdom behind each ritual.Today is the 12th of Dhul Hijjah, and we're continuing our reflections on the Jamarāt—the symbolic stoning of Shayṭān.Picking the PebblesLet's start with a practical question: Where do you get the pebbles?They can come from anywhere. Many Hujjaj pick them from Muzdalifah simply because it's convenient—there are plenty of pebbles there. Today, many Hajj packages even provide pre-packed bags of stones.But what size should the pebbles be?Should they be large enough to ‘hit Shayṭān hard'? No.The Prophet ﷺ taught us to choose pebbles the size of a chickpea—not too big, not too small. He warned against ghuluw, extremism in religion.“Nations before you were destroyed because of extremism.”(Sunan an-Nasā'ī)This small choice—of picking a modest-sized pebble—teaches us something profound:Islam is the middle path.Avoiding ExtremesWe don't go to extremes in rituals, nor do we abandon them completely.There are traditions that are hyper-ritualistic—rules upon rules on how to wash, eat, pray. And there are others that are hyper-spiritual—saying rituals don't matter, only love does.But Islam?Islam values both.We pray—but not in a way that hardens the heart.We fast—but it's meant to soften us, make us more generous.We do rituals—but they should lead to character.This balance is seen in the Prophet's ﷺ response during Hajj.When companions told him they had done certain rites out of order, he said:“No harm. Just complete what's left.”No stress. No harshness. Just sincerity.The Pebble as a MirrorThe pebble isn't just a stone—it's a mirror.What kind of Muslim are you becoming through these rituals?Do your prayers make you more patient?Does fasting make you more empathetic?Does Qur'an soften your heart or just sharpen your tongue?The Prophet ﷺ once said:“A Muslim sleeps with a full stomach while his neighbour goes hungry? He is not truly a believer.”That's the balance we need—rituals with meaning, not just mechanical motions.Unfortunately, today we often see the opposite.People who pray, fast, and go to ‘Umrah regularly—but have no hesitation to slander, to accuse, or to divide the community over minor ritual details.Even during Ramadan and Eid, we argue about moonsighting, declaring others deviant.We forget: The hands in prayer matter less than the state of the heart.The Prophet's ExampleWhen companions went to Sayyidah ‘Ā'ishah (رضي الله عنها) asking about the Prophet's worship, they were amazed. Some said, “We must go even further.” One said, “I'll pray all night.” Another said, “I'll fast every day.” Another said, “I'll never marry.”When the Prophet ﷺ heard this, he was displeased. He said:“I am the most God-conscious of you. Yet I pray, and I sleep. I fast, and I break my fast. I marry. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.”The lesson?Balance.Closing ReflectionsEven our scholars during the Ottoman era noted:The early generations weren't obsessed with ritual details like the exact level of water for wudu'. They were more concerned about purifying the heart—removing envy, arrogance, love of the world.So what does the chickpea-sized pebble teach us?Don't go to extremes.Don't neglect the heart.Let the ritual transform you.May Allah guide us to the middle path.May He purify our hearts as we perform these beautiful rituals.And may this Hajj make us better people—not just better worshippers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bequranic.substack.com/subscribe

With the Ottoman civil war raging Manuel II Palaiologos tries to improve the Roman position and ensure his sons succeed him.Period: 1402-30 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Middle East Historian Louis Fishman reshapes our understanding of the birth of Zionism in its Ottoman context.

In this episode of 90 Plus Extra Time, we head to Kadıköy — the beating heart of Istanbul's Asian side — to explore the rich, rebellious, and passionate legacy of Fenerbahçe SK.From secret matches under Ottoman rule to continental showdowns in Europe, Fenerbahçe's history is a rollercoaster of glory, heartbreak, and defiance. We break down their 28 (or 19?) league titles, unforgettable nights against Chelsea and Galatasaray, the wild energy of Şükrü Saracoğlu, and the voice of the ultras: Genç Fenerbahçeliler.This is the full story of a club that doesn't just play football — it lives it.(8:39) - Fenerbahçe

China is planning a new version of its Made In China 2025 industrial strategy. Just as America is punching holes in its own science funding budget, we'll be reporting from the output gap. Meanwhile, the new US ambassador to Ankara has declared that he's against carving up Syria in a modern Sykes-Picot, the treaty that drew up the Middle East modern borders. Is this an important anti-colonial action or just a license for Erdogan to gobble up his own Ottoman empire?Finally, Harvard continues to come under shelling by the US government. Not content with disbarring international students, Trump said on Monday that he is considering taking $3 billion of previously awarded grant money and giving it to trade schools. Is this a case of frightening them to with an inch of their lives or is Trump genuinely guillotining the credentialed aristocracy that runs the United States? To hear the full episode (and the whole back catalogue of our special paywalled premium episodes of Multipolarity) go to Patreon: https://patreon.com/multipolarity

Heroes and HostagesFour rabbis are captured by 10th-century pirates, Germany's foremost Jewish leader is held for ransom, and thousands of East European Jews languish in Ottoman slave markets—how did Jewish communities respond?

Bộ Ngoại giao Ấn Độ khiến Tổng thống Donald Trump “bẽ mặt” khi tuyên bố không có chuyện Mỹ "làm trung gian" cho "lệnh ngừng bắn hoàn toàn và ngay lập tức" giữa New Delhi và Islamabad, nhấn mạnh thỏa thuận này đã "đạt được trên cơ sở song phương".

In the late sixteenth century, a German Lutheran scholar named Martin Crusius compiled an exceptionally rich record of Greek life under Ottoman rule. Although he never left his home in the university town of Tübingen, Crusius spent decades annotating books and manuscripts, corresponding with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and interviewing Greek Orthodox alms-seekers. Ultimately, he gathered his research into a seminal work called the Turcograecia, which served for centuries as Europe's foremost source on Ottoman Greece. Yet as Richard Calis reveals, Crusius's massive—and largely untapped—archive has much more to tell us about how early modern Europeans negotiated cultural and religious difference. In particular, Crusius's work illuminates Western European views of the religious “other” within Christianity: the Greek Orthodox Christians living under Ottoman rule, a group both familiar and foreign. Many Western Europeans, including Crusius, developed narratives of Greek cultural and religious decline under Ottoman rule. Crusius's records, however, reveal in exceptional detail how such stories developed. His interactions with his Greek Orthodox visitors, and with a vast network of correspondents, show that Greeks' own narratives of hardship entwined in complex ways with Western Europeans' orientalist views of the Ottoman world. They also reflect the religious tensions that undergirded these exchanges, fueled by Crusius's fervent desire to spread Lutheran belief across Ottoman Greece and the wider world. A lively intellectual history drawn from a forgotten archive, The Discovery of Ottoman Greece (Harvard UP, 2025) is also a perceptive character study, in which Crusius takes his place in the history of ethnography, Lutheran reform, and European philhellenism. Richard Calis is an Assistant Professor in Cultural History at Utrecht University, who specializes in the history of science and intellectual history Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late sixteenth century, a German Lutheran scholar named Martin Crusius compiled an exceptionally rich record of Greek life under Ottoman rule. Although he never left his home in the university town of Tübingen, Crusius spent decades annotating books and manuscripts, corresponding with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and interviewing Greek Orthodox alms-seekers. Ultimately, he gathered his research into a seminal work called the Turcograecia, which served for centuries as Europe's foremost source on Ottoman Greece. Yet as Richard Calis reveals, Crusius's massive—and largely untapped—archive has much more to tell us about how early modern Europeans negotiated cultural and religious difference. In particular, Crusius's work illuminates Western European views of the religious “other” within Christianity: the Greek Orthodox Christians living under Ottoman rule, a group both familiar and foreign. Many Western Europeans, including Crusius, developed narratives of Greek cultural and religious decline under Ottoman rule. Crusius's records, however, reveal in exceptional detail how such stories developed. His interactions with his Greek Orthodox visitors, and with a vast network of correspondents, show that Greeks' own narratives of hardship entwined in complex ways with Western Europeans' orientalist views of the Ottoman world. They also reflect the religious tensions that undergirded these exchanges, fueled by Crusius's fervent desire to spread Lutheran belief across Ottoman Greece and the wider world. A lively intellectual history drawn from a forgotten archive, The Discovery of Ottoman Greece (Harvard UP, 2025) is also a perceptive character study, in which Crusius takes his place in the history of ethnography, Lutheran reform, and European philhellenism. Richard Calis is an Assistant Professor in Cultural History at Utrecht University, who specializes in the history of science and intellectual history Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the late sixteenth century, a German Lutheran scholar named Martin Crusius compiled an exceptionally rich record of Greek life under Ottoman rule. Although he never left his home in the university town of Tübingen, Crusius spent decades annotating books and manuscripts, corresponding with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and interviewing Greek Orthodox alms-seekers. Ultimately, he gathered his research into a seminal work called the Turcograecia, which served for centuries as Europe's foremost source on Ottoman Greece. Yet as Richard Calis reveals, Crusius's massive—and largely untapped—archive has much more to tell us about how early modern Europeans negotiated cultural and religious difference. In particular, Crusius's work illuminates Western European views of the religious “other” within Christianity: the Greek Orthodox Christians living under Ottoman rule, a group both familiar and foreign. Many Western Europeans, including Crusius, developed narratives of Greek cultural and religious decline under Ottoman rule. Crusius's records, however, reveal in exceptional detail how such stories developed. His interactions with his Greek Orthodox visitors, and with a vast network of correspondents, show that Greeks' own narratives of hardship entwined in complex ways with Western Europeans' orientalist views of the Ottoman world. They also reflect the religious tensions that undergirded these exchanges, fueled by Crusius's fervent desire to spread Lutheran belief across Ottoman Greece and the wider world. A lively intellectual history drawn from a forgotten archive, The Discovery of Ottoman Greece (Harvard UP, 2025) is also a perceptive character study, in which Crusius takes his place in the history of ethnography, Lutheran reform, and European philhellenism. Richard Calis is an Assistant Professor in Cultural History at Utrecht University, who specializes in the history of science and intellectual history Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

In the late sixteenth century, a German Lutheran scholar named Martin Crusius compiled an exceptionally rich record of Greek life under Ottoman rule. Although he never left his home in the university town of Tübingen, Crusius spent decades annotating books and manuscripts, corresponding with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and interviewing Greek Orthodox alms-seekers. Ultimately, he gathered his research into a seminal work called the Turcograecia, which served for centuries as Europe's foremost source on Ottoman Greece. Yet as Richard Calis reveals, Crusius's massive—and largely untapped—archive has much more to tell us about how early modern Europeans negotiated cultural and religious difference. In particular, Crusius's work illuminates Western European views of the religious “other” within Christianity: the Greek Orthodox Christians living under Ottoman rule, a group both familiar and foreign. Many Western Europeans, including Crusius, developed narratives of Greek cultural and religious decline under Ottoman rule. Crusius's records, however, reveal in exceptional detail how such stories developed. His interactions with his Greek Orthodox visitors, and with a vast network of correspondents, show that Greeks' own narratives of hardship entwined in complex ways with Western Europeans' orientalist views of the Ottoman world. They also reflect the religious tensions that undergirded these exchanges, fueled by Crusius's fervent desire to spread Lutheran belief across Ottoman Greece and the wider world. A lively intellectual history drawn from a forgotten archive, The Discovery of Ottoman Greece (Harvard UP, 2025) is also a perceptive character study, in which Crusius takes his place in the history of ethnography, Lutheran reform, and European philhellenism. Richard Calis is an Assistant Professor in Cultural History at Utrecht University, who specializes in the history of science and intellectual history Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Richard Calis on “The Discovery of Ottoman Greece: Knowledge, Encounter, and Belief in the Mediterranean World of Martin Crusius” (Harvard University Press). Support Turkey Book Talk on Patreon or Substack. Supporters get a 35% discount on all Turkey/Ottoman History books published by IB Tauris/Bloomsbury, transcripts of every interview, and links to articles related to each episode.

In the summer of 1683, Vienna was under siege. A vast Ottoman army surrounded the city, poised to breach the walls and clear the way for Ottoman expansion into Central Europe. Inside the city, famine and fear took hold. But as the city teetered on the brink of collapse, a thunderous cavalry charge broke the Ottoman lines and shattered the siege.To tell us all about this mighty clash, we're joined by Martyn Rady, Professor Emeritus of Central European History at University College London and author of 'The Middle Kingdoms: A New History of Central Europe'. He explains why this event marked a turning point in European history.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

We follow the last century of narrative from an Ottoman point of view.Period: 1280-1371 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of our series, the ancient walls of Constantinople crumble—and with them, the last heartbeat of the Roman Empire. Sultan Mehmet II launches his all-or-nothing assault: cannon fire splits the dawn, smoke cloaks the ramparts, and waves of Ottoman soldiers pour through the shattered defenses. Amid the chaos, Emperor Constantine XI refuses to flee. Across Europe, the fall sends shockwaves—stirring panic, calls for crusade, and a growing awareness that the Eastern Roman Empire, after more than a thousand years, had finally drawn its last breath. The epic conclusion to our three-part series on the greatest siege in history. ⁠Help support the show on Patreon!⁠ ⁠Sources and Attributions on our website. ‘Heroic Opportunities' audiofile has been purchased under the Online License from SoundCritters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us on the Professor Liberty Podcast as we delve into the chilling history of Vlad the Impaler, the man behind the Dracula legend. Unravel the complex narrative of Vlad III, the ruler of Wallachia, whose brutal methods and defiance against the mighty Ottoman Empire positioned him as a controversial yet pivotal figure in Europe during the 15th century. Was Vlad III a cruel monster or a divine weapon used to thwart the Ottoman horde?  

In the summer of 1565, the might of the Ottoman empire faced off against a few hundred Knights Hospitaller and their allies on the island of Malta. The outcome might have seemed inevitable but the events of the subsequent siege were far from predictable, as the defenders waged a desperate battle for their home and their lives. Speaking to Rob Attar, Professor Marcus Bull chronicles the events of a dramatic clash with far-reaching consequences. (Ad) Marcus Bull is the author of The Great Siege of Malta (Penguin Books, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-great-siege-of-malta%2Fmarcus-bull%2F9780241523650. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry VIII lorded it over England. Francis I dominated France. Charles V was the main man in central Europe. Yet arguably none was as powerful as Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent – a true heavyweight of the 16th century. Speaking to Spencer Mizen, author Christopher de Bellaigue discusses a man who had designs on becoming 'world emperor', only to be hamstrung by bloody infighting among his own family. (Ad) Christopher de Bellaigue is the author of The Golden Throne: The Curse of a King (Bodley Head, 2025). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Throne-Curse-King/dp/1847927424/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The MidEast & Beyond, Amir Tsarfati and Pastor Barry Stagner expose the spiritual and political battles playing out across the globe—and how they all point to Bible prophecy being fulfilled in real time.From Netanyahu's bold visit to Hungary and the unraveling of the ICC's legitimacy to Trump's unexpected nuclear offer to Iran and Erdogan's ambitions in Syria, this episode uncovers what's happening behind the headlines.Key topics they discuss:Why Hungary is crippling the ICC and EU over IsraelTrump's hardline Iran deal and credible military threatTurkey's Ottoman agenda and control over SyriaGaza: Hostage strategy and the final phase of warProphetic insight on the delusion sweeping the WestWhy tariffs are more than economic—they're strategic warfareJupiter's solar flare and Revelation 16 implicationsSharia law, digital warfare, and the road to the AntichristConnect with us on social:Telegram: @beholdisraelchannelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amir.tsarfati/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beholdisrael/X: https://x.com/beholdisraelYouTube: https://youtube.com/@beholdisrael