Podcasts about vistula river

"I come from Mykolaiv, Ukraine. In 2015, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolded and Crimea was annexed, I made the decision to immigrate to Poland, eventually settling in Krakow. One of my earliest experiences in my new home took place during a solitary walk along the Vistula River. "The night was serene, yet my mind was occupied with questions: Where am I? What am I doing here? Why is this happening to me? As I stood under the Kotlarski bridge, the quietude was occasionally interrupted by the sounds of passing cars, intensifying my feelings of anxiety and displacement. "Then, a tram passed overhead, its rumble echoing through the night. In that moment, amidst the overwhelming noise, I found solace. I realized that despite the uncertainty surrounding me, the most important person in my life was beside me, offering comfort and support. "In the months that followed, I learned that the Polish word "most" translates to "bridge." This symbolizes the connection between my past in Ukraine and my present in Poland as well as the profound connection I share with my loved one. "This recording is a story of resilience, adaptation and ultimately, finding a sense of belonging in a new place." Recorded by Andrii Shamanov. Part of the Migration Sounds project, the world's first collection of the sounds of human migration.  For more information and to explore the project, see https://www.citiesandmemory.com/migration IMAGE: *fiedler*, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

2/21/24 - Saint Hyacinth, also known as Saint Hyacinth of Poland, was a Dominican friar who was known for his piety and dedication to spreading the Gospel. He is said to have performed numerous miracles throughout his life, including healing the sick and converting unbelievers. One of the most famous miracles associated with Saint Hyacinth is the legend of the "Miraculous Catch of Fish." According to the story, Saint Hyacinth was preaching to a group of people near the Vistula River when he asked them to bring him food. When they were unable to provide him with anything to eat, Saint Hyacinth prayed to Our Lady for help. Miraculously, a huge shoal of fish suddenly appeared in the river, allowing the people to catch more than enough food to feed themselves and Saint Hyacinth. Our Lady, also known as the Virgin Mary, is a central figure in the Catholic faith and is revered by Catholics as the Mother of Jesus. She is believed to have interceded in countless miracles throughout history, offering her protection and guidance to those in need. Join us as we explore the powerful stories of faith, miracles, and divine intervention surrounding Saint Hyacinth and Our Lady.

On August 1, 1944, the Polish Home Army, a non-Communist underground resistance movement, initiated the Warsaw uprising to liberate the city from the German occupation and reclaim Polish independence. The impetus for the military action was the ongoing retreat of the German forces from Poland, followed by the appearance of the Soviet Red Army along the east bank of the Vistula River. By October 2, 1944, the Germans had suppressed the uprising, deporting civilians to concentration and forced-labor camps and reducing Warsaw to ruins. It is a terrible tale but one that must be told. BE SMART and get Rocket Money Click the Hyper link or go to rocketmoney.com/hoe Coffee Collab With The Lore Lodge COFFEE Travel to Italy With Me here Bonus episodes as well as ad-free episodes on Patreon. Find us on Instagram. Join us on Discord. Submit your relatives on our website Join the Book Club on http://chirpbooks.com/history Podcast Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Us! Babcia and YiaYia! We are here to give you every hot tip, great travel hack, hidden gem, and experience based itinerary you are looking for. We've traveled all over Europe and we want to share our experience and expertise with you! Thanks for joining us today! As always, we hope that our travel nonsense translates into your travel success! For more on our picks and pans for Krakow or any of our other show notes, click here! In this episode, we can answer: What makes European travel successful? How do I plan a Trip to Krakow? Where should I stay in Krakow? How do I choose the best things to do in Krakow? What's so great about Krakow? What are the off the beaten path sites in Krakow? Now follow us on ALL the social media! Facebook   @babciaandyiayia Twitter   @babciaandyiayia Instagram   @babciaandyiayia TikTok   @babciaandyiayia  (We LOVE your questions too!) Pinterest Have ideas or questions about what you'd like us to cover? Please e-mail us your questions or ideas at babciaandyiayia@gmail.com Visit our blog and website by clicking here! We were last in Europe in the Summer of 2023! Top of the Krakow list is the beautiful Wawel Castle, the heartbreaking experience at Auschwitz and the story of Oskar Schindler and his factory. But there is more to this town than just the worthwhile big hitters. Here are five experiences we recommend to anyone who wants to take on Krakow. Admit it, it's the perfect food. Two bites of dough wrapped tastiness is about as good as it gets. Well, maybe being able to make them and eat them is as good as it gets! Check out the cooking classes offered by Delicious Poland as well as walking tours that let you get used to the local menu. We know, we know, but we didn't make a mistake! While the famous Mona Lisa holds court in the Louvre, her cousin, Lady with Ermine, has just recently been reinstalled to her place of honor in the Czartoryski Museum in the heart of the city. Noooo... not a pub crawl! We bet that you've already seen all of those little eco golf carts all over the center of Krakow. They are the perfect set of wheels to explore all of those amazing churches dotting the old town and beyond. Don't get us wrong, there are plenty in walking distance from the main square and you'll get to see everything from priceless altar pieces to the altar dedicated to St. Hyacinth, the patron saint of the pierogi! However, those eco carts can get you to some of the further flung churches like Corpus Christi and give you a little bonus look at the Kazimierz District! Each and every one has a different look and a different feel. Each has a little bit of a different story and plenty of historical references including side chapels with amazing art and architecture and religious references including the hometown hero saints like Pope John Paul II and Maximillian Kolbe. Summer is the perfect season to enjoy the European football season (even if you aren't a die hard fan in real life). In all reality, the game isn't the point. The experience of being in a pub or cafe as the game is on with people cheering for a team is the true fun of it all. So, book a table, figure out which side everyone is rooting for and blindly follow as best you can. Trust us! You'll have a ball! The Vistula River winds its way through Krakow connecting the Old Town and Kazimierz areas with the Podgorze district. The Father Bernatek Bridge was built in 2010 and is a lovely place to cross. This footbridge is dotted with acrobatic sculptures that seem to balance on the high wires above. Rent some bikes and enjoy the crossing as the sculptures dance above you. 5 Things to experience in Europe's best kept secretCook up perfection in a pierogi class.Take in the glory of Leonardo DaVinci.Partake in a Church Crawl.Watch the game!Walk the bridge.

This week we will kick off with the string of cities along the Baltic Coast from Lübeck up to Königsberg (modern day Kaliningrad). Who founded them and why? And why so many?Who were the people who came to live there, how did they organise themselves and most importantly, what did they produce and what did they trade? We will dwell on the most splendid of those, Gdansk or Danzig in German, the one city in the Baltic that could give Lübeck a run for its money, a place that developed as six separate cities and only became one entity in the late 15th century. And as we talk about Gdansk, we will also talk about the Vistula River, Europe's nineth longest that connected Gdansk not just to many of Poland's great cities, but also to the agricultural wealth of the Prussia of the Teutonic Knights, to the Ukraine and to ancient Lithuania. And all that foodstuff is put on ships and goes to the growing cities of Flanders, the Rhineland, England, Northern France and even Spain. For the first time since the fall of the Roman empire do we hear about large scale grain shipments that sustain urban centres, urban centres that couldn't otherwise exist.But grain is not the only thing that the Hansa become famous for. The other is Germany's most popular drink and best-known export, beer. The economics there are even more fascinating, since people did not only drink vast quantities of beer in the Middle Ages, they also cared a lot about where it came from, and Einbecker was Europe's favourite beer. And if you have been hoping to finally hear about the Hanseatic Kontor in Bergen, well let's see how far we get…..The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comFacebook: @HOTGPod Twitter: @germanshistoryInstagram: history_of_the_germansReddit: u/historyofthegermansPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HistoryofthegermansFor this episode I relied heavily on:Philippe Dollinger: Die HanseDie Hanse, Lebenswirklichkeit und Mythos, htsg. von Jürgen Bracker, Volker Henn und Rainer PostelRolf Hammel-Kieslow: Die HanseEric Christiansen: The Nordic Crusades

This week we will kick off with the string of cities along the Baltic Coast from Lübeck up to Königsberg (modern day Kaliningrad). Who founded them and why? And why so many? Who were the people who came to live there, how did they organise themselves and most importantly, what did they produce and what did they trade? We will dwell on the most splendid of those, Gdansk or Danzig in German, the one city in the Baltic that could give Lübeck a run for its money, a place that developed as six separate cities and only became one entity in the late 15th century. And as we talk about Gdansk, we will also talk about the Vistula River, Europe's nineth longest that connected Gdansk not just to many of Poland's great cities, but also to the agricultural wealth of the Prussia of the Teutonic Knights, to the Ukraine and to ancient Lithuania. And all that foodstuff is put on ships and goes to the growing cities of Flanders, the Rhineland, England, Northern France and even Spain. For the first time since the fall of the Roman empire do we hear about large scale grain shipments that sustain urban centres, urban centres that couldn't otherwise exist.But grain is not the only thing that the Hansa become famous for. The other is Germany's most popular drink and best-known export, beer. The economics there are even more fascinating, since people did not only drink vast quantities of beer in the Middle Ages, they also cared a lot about where it came from, and Einbecker was Europe's favourite beer. The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comFacebook: @HOTGPod Twitter: @germanshistoryInstagram: history_of_the_germansReddit: u/historyofthegermansPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HistoryofthegermansFor this episode I again reliedheavily on:Philippe Dollinger: Die Hanse –definitely my go-to-book for this seasonDie Hanse, Lebenswirklichkeit und Mythos, herausgegeben von Jürgen Bracker,Volker Henn and Rainer PostelRolf Hammel-Kieslow: Die Hanse

January 6th 1999 A pusher tug boat called The Elk was traveling along the Vistula River in Poland, when it came to a sudden halt just a few short feet from it's mooring.  The propeller had gotten stuck and so the captain and crew went to pull out what they assumed would be tree branches or River weeds. When the opened the hatch to access the propeller they were met with a sickening smell, it wasn't tree branches, and it wasn't river vegetation, it was a large pale piece of human skin.  Using brand new DNA technology Polish authorities would learn that the skin belonged to 23 year old college student Katarzyna Zowada, but what they didn't know was that her story would go on to be one of the most sensational and prolonged investigations in Polish history. In the United States Katarczyna's story is know as "the Polish skin case" but in Poland it is simply called “Skora” which means… leather. This case is graphic, so proceed with caution.  https://awnaves.medium.com/the-long-road-to-justice-for-katarzyna-zowada-fe28a00d463 https://krakow.naszemiasto.pl/sprawa-skory-ojciec-oskarzonego-jestem-przekonany-ze-syn/ar/c1-8617701 https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114883,22509867,sprawa-kusnierza-robert-j-w-jednoosobowej-celi-czy-ktos.html     Validate Us: WWBD Merch Shop Buy us a cup of validation WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 1 WWBD Official Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Shadows of Christmas (WWBD Christmas Album) Sponsors Shore Soaps Try Audible Plus Give the Gift of Audible! Kindle Unlimited Membership Amazon Prime Free Trial Join the Conversation       

*This episode may be disturbing for some listeners. Discretion is advised*In November 1998, 23 year old University student Katarzyna Zowada disappears without a trace from Krakow, Poland.  A couple of months later, a tugboat on the Vistula River makes an unexpected stop when something gets stuck inside the propeller.What they pull out of the propeller was so gruesome, it rocked the country to its core and would take Police on a hunt that spanned over 2 decades....SOURCES: https://dorzeczy.pl/kraj/113472/sledczy-chca-utajnienia-procesu-ws-zabojstwa-studentki-katarzyny-z.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Katarzyna_Zowada https://talkmurder.com/katarzyna-zowada/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGVJsTJyMQA https://vocal.media/criminal/the-human-skin-suit-of-katarzyna-zowada https://mysteriesrunsolved.com/2020/07/katarzyna-zowada-murder.html Support the showThanks for listening! Follow us on Instagram or find us on Facebook.

Two Days in Toruń Poland On episode 81, we recap our two days in Toruń Poland. We're about in the middle of our multi-part series taking you to multiple cities in Poland.  We spent 23 days traveling through western Poland and can't wait to share our adventures with our listeners. Toruń is a magnificent historical medieval town established by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. It sits on the banks of the Vistula River in north-central Poland and is a UNESCO world heritage site.  It is one of the oldest cities in Poland - first settled in the 8th century and later expanded by the Teutonic Knights in 1233. What to see in Toruń On this episode, we'll take you through eight things to see and do while spending at least two days in Toruń Poland.  Here's a list of stops we discuss during our time in this Polish city: Private Walking Tour - We chose "Walking Tour of the medieval Toruń". There are several options available spanning 2 to 6 hours.  Walking tours are a great way to get familiar with a new location.  Explore the Old Town - The Old Town sector offers so much history.  There's a vast original architectural collection of churches, museums, shops, and restaurants. Living Museum of Gingerbread - This museum is the #1 place to visit in Toruń according to TripAdvisor. Located in the middle of the city center, this interactive experience takes place in a Medieval Bakery under the watchful eyes of a Gingerbread Master.  House of Nicolas Copernicus Museum - The city has a museum devoted to the astronomer located in the Gothic tenement house that was the birthplace of Copernicus. Stepping inside is another way to get immersed in the medieval architecture of the former burgher residences. Nicolas lived in this home for the first seven years of his life. Krzywa Wieża (Crooked Tower) - Legend here says that crookedness was punishment for sinful Teutonic Knights.  When you visit the tower, you're supposed to stand with your entire backside from head to heels touching the wall and stretching out your arms. If you can keep standing in this position without wobbling, then this is a sign you have a clear conscience. Monuments and Statues - We saw so many monuments in Toruń - monuments of people, of legends and of animals. Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist and John the Baptist - This Gothic-style cathedral hails from the early 13th century.  Medieval Defensive City Walls Panorama - Walk across the river to see a spectacular panoramic view of the old town.  There's an observation deck that is a great place for photos.  The view itself is considered one of the wonders of Poland. Where to stay in Toruń We stayed at Hotel Filmar during our visit to Toruń.  We did need a taxi to get here from the train station, but that only came up to about $4 US.  The location was very walkable to the main/medieval city   Is Toruń worth visiting? Absolutely. It offers a wealth of original medieval buildings, wonderful churches, and great places for food and drink.  Don't leave without trying some of Toruń's famous gingerbread.     More things to do in Toruń Like on most trips, we ran out of time for sightseeing while in Toruń. If we had more time, here are more things we suggest in this town.  Teutonic Castle Ruins:  We would recommend making more time to visit the Teutonic Castle ruins.  The original castle was built in a horseshoe-shaped plan surrounded by a curtain wall and moats.  Today the castle survives as a ruin. Planetarium: Toruń is home to both a planetarium and also an astronomical observatory that has the largest radio telescope in Central Europe.     Plan your trip to Poland DK Eyewitness Poland - This is the book we referenced to help craft our three-week Poland itinerary.   More Travel Resources from The Places Where We Go The Places Where We Go Travel Resources TRAVEL BOOKS: And while planning your travels, you can find links to a number of books to get you in the travel mindset on our Amazon Store Page - check out the section: Books That Inspire Travel  GEAR: We also invite you to visit our Amazon Storefront for more travel resources that we recommend - all of which, we personally use in our travels. GET YOUR TRAVEL GEAR HERE! - The Places Where We Go Amazon Storefront Thanks for your support!   Inspiring Your Future Travels We hope this episode inspires you to consider a visit to Poland.   Which activities will you plan on your trip?   Drop us a line if you have an adventure in this Polish city.   Follow Us - The Places Where We Go Podcast: The Places Where We Go Podcast is released every other week in your favorite podcast app along as well as on our website at www.theplaceswherewego.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaceswherewego Twitter: https://twitter.com/theplaceswhere1 Email: Write to us at comments@theplaceswherewego.com Buy Us A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/tpwwg We'll see you at the places where we go. Julie & Art   AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE: One small way you can support The Places Where We Go, is through our affiliate links. A simple click on these links helps us bring additional videos to you. It's kind of like tipping, but costs you nothing! 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Kings and Generals: Mongol Empire Podcast Episode 64: Golden Horde #4, Tele-Buqa and the Third Mongol Invasion of Poland       Our previous episode saw a watershed moment in the normally stale politics of the Golden Horde: in the aftermath of the second Mongol invasion of Hungary, the reigning Khan, Töde-Möngke, was deposed by his nephew, Tele-Buqa. Accusing his uncle of insanity, Tele-Buqa and a group of allies now ruled in a four-way alliance, dividing the Golden Horde between them. Over the next four years, all sorts of hell broke loose, as Tele-Buqa ordered a number of new military ventures, all of which ended in failures. An increasingly desperate Tele-Buqa brought the princes Nogai and Toqta into a whirlpool, which would spell disaster for Tele-Buqa, and open warfare as the Golden Horde approached its first civil war. I'm your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.        Tele-Buqa was a great-grandson of Batu Khan, a son of Tartu, the older brother of Khans Möngke-Temür and Töde-Möngke. As is standard for the Jochid Khans, we know almost nothing about his life before he took the throne of the Golden Horde in 1287, just over 80 years after Chinggis Khan first declared the Mongol Empire. A great-great-great-grandson of Chinggis, Tele-Buqa shared little in common with his illustrious ancestor, though certainly sought to emulate him through military ventures. Tele-Buqa first appears leading the army into Hungary in 1285, as covered in our last episode. You'll sometimes see in the literature and Wikipedia that Tele-Buqa and Nogai both took part in the 1259 attack on Poland. We covered this campaign in our first episode on the Golden Horde, where it was commanded by Burundai Noyan. The placement of Nogai and Tele-Buqa in the 1259 attack first appears in the fifteenth century chronicle of Jan Długosz, which almost certainly conflated it with the attack Tele-Buqa did lead on Poland in 1287. No other contemporary source supports it, and given that Tele-Buqa was born in the sixth generation of Chinggisids, he was at best a young boy when the 1259 attack occurred. Though children can be known for their lack of mercy, it's rather doubtful even the most ruthless of toddlers would be given an army.        When Tele-Buqa took the throne in 1287, he was probably in his late twenties or early thirties. As we discussed in our last episode, Töde-Möngke Khan entered in a religious or mental torpor by the mid-1280s, and the Golden Horde was governed by a widow of Möngke-Temür Khan, Jijek-Khatun. While Nogai is popularly said to have deposed Töde-Möngke and sat Tele-Buqa onto the throne, our series researcher, Jack Wilson, has demonstrated in his own studies how this is not the portrayal in the surviving primary sources. Rather, it seems Tele-Buqa eyed the throne himself, and the ensuing attack on Hungary in 1285, led by Tele-Buqa, was an effort to garner the status and resources to succeed his uncle Töde-Möngke. As we detailed in the last episode, this campaign resulted in the loss of much of his army while crossing the Carpathian mountains.        Tele-Buqa was furious over his defeat, particularly as Nogai's forces had escaped comparatively whole with considerable loot. Requiring a new plan, Tele-Buqa conspired with his brother, Könchak, and two sons of Möngke-Temür, Alghui and To'rilcha. As the Mamluk chronicles recorded Töde-Möngke exiling a number of these sons during the succession to Möngke-Temür, we might suspect they had nursed their vengeance throughout Töde-Möngke's reign. Together, they forced Töde-Möngke to abdicate early in 1287. The justification they told the Mamluks was that Töde-Möngke willingly stepped down to live as a religious hermit; the justification within the Golden Horde seems to have been that Töde-Möngke was insane and unfit to rule. This was what Rashīd al-Dīn learned in the Ilkhanate, and when Ötemish Hajji was collecting folktales from former Horde lands in the sixteenth century, stories of an insane Töde-Möngke had grown in popularity and particularly vulgar ones were supposedly favourites around the campfire.       The four-way princely junta  that Tele-Buqa ruled through is not well understood, beyond the fact that it was some sort of division of power between them, with Tele-Buqa the first-amongst-equals rather than overlord. Rashīd al-Dīn simply remarks that they ruled jointly. The Rus' chronicles typically mention Alghui alongside Tele-Buqa, indicating that he may have been Tele-Buqa's #2. As Alghui was the oldest of Möngke-Temür Khan's sons, it was unsurprising that Alghui was likewise predominant. Their division of power is also supported archeaologically. In the Mongol Empire, coinage generally bore the khan's name and the tamgha, a sort of individual stamp or crest. In the Golden Horde, Möngke-Temür had been the first to mint coins not in the name of the Great Khan, but in his own name. Likewise, Töde-Möngke followed him in this pattern, and so did Tele-Buqa. Except under Tele-Buqa, it was not just his name on coins. As coins usually bore the city and date of minting, the following pattern emerges. Tele-Buqa's name is on coins minted in Crimea, but in Sarai, Ukek and Khwarezm—the central and eastern parts of the Golden Horde— coins bearing the tamgha of the deceased Möngke-Temür predominant. These, in the opinion of scholars like Roman Reva, indicate coins minted by  Möngke-Temür's son, Alghui and To'rilcha. A different tamgha in the northern part of the khanate, the important centre of Bulghar on the Volga likely belonged to Tele-Buqa's brother, Könchak.        Interestingly, at the same time, there is evidence that Nogai, from his base on the lower Danube at Saqchi, modern Isaccea in Romania, began minting coinage as well. It seems on a whole, Tele-Buqa oversaw a decentralization of the Horde, something understandable given the size of the khanate, Tele-Buq's own inexperience, and the perceived right of all of the sons of Möngke-Temür to rule.  The Mamluk chronicles indicate that most of Möngke-Temür's sons joined the princes too, though Tele-Buqa, Könchak, Alghui and To'rilcha remained the dominant. Had this union lasted longer, we might be able to discuss how such a princely division worked; were these all new administrative wings, with all the leaders considered khans equal in status, in a sort of Mongolian version of the Roman tetrarchy? Certainly foriegn authors understood Tele-Buqa as the senior, but our lack of internal Golden Horde documents means we can't, at the current time, understand precisely how this worked in practice.       With the administration supposedly settled, Tele-Buqa could devote himself to other pursuits; namely, war. Tele-Buqa had a major problem facing him. By usurping the throne, his legitimacy was questionable, particularly without much of a military reputation to justify himself. Additionally, both the textual and climatic proxy data indicates the Golden Horde saw a decrease in precipitation after 1280. What this meant in the steppe, was an associated decrease in pasture, in the form of both aridisation and less bountiful pastures. And a consequence of this, was famine among the herds of the Horde. Starving, sick and dying animals, meant less supplies for the nomadic element of the khanate, the valuable Turkic and Mongolian troops who made up the Horde's military.  For the usurper Tele-Buqa, already know for a catastrophic defeat in Hungary, to now be in the midst of an ever worsening climate, it could have appeared rather dangerously like Heaven was expressing its displeasure.  Therefore, Tele-Buqa thought he might remedy the solution, and shore up his legitimacy, with military victories.       The first target was Poland.  In 1241 and in 1259, the Polish duchies had been horrifically ravaged by the Mongol armies. Tele-Buqa undoubtedly expected the same result.  Jan Długosz directly connects the attack as a reaction to famine within the Golden Horde, supporting the earlier thesis. The new Khan, soon after the coup, summoned Nogai and his forces, as well as a body of Rus' troops, and possibly Lithuanians as well, and in December 1287, his armies entered Poland in two main bodies; one under himself and Prince Alghui, and the other under Nogai. The Galician-Volhynian Chronicle informs us that discord still existed between Nogai and Tele-Buqa, and it seems they refused to interact in person. It was, in the words of that same chronicle, a great host, though no specific numbers are given. After taking the time to array his troops in a field and perform an inspection, the campaign was underway. Largely Tele-Buqa bypassed fortifications, ravaging suburbs and outlying communities. He had not come for conquest, but to loot, to return with wagons of slaves and goods in order to demonstrate how Heaven had granted him victory, and therefore smiled upon his place as khan. His efforts to cross deeper into Poland were stymied by initial difficulty finding ice thick enough to bear his army over the Vistula River. Next, a large body of the Rus' troops withdrew, on account of the mortal illness one of the lead Rus' princes suffered from. Pressing on without them, Tele-Buqa's army encircled and assaulted the city of Sandomierz. In the two previous Mongol invasions, the city had fallen to them in quick order. But this time, resistance was stiff, and finally Tele-Buqa lifted the siege when it was clear it would not be overrun except with great struggle.       He gave his troops leave to ravage a broad strip of Poland for 10 days while he decided his next maneuver. As December 1287 gave way to January 1288, Tele-Buqa settled on Kraków, and the city he marched. Near Torzk he halted, for there he learned that Nogai had been lain siege to  Kraków since Christmas. His frustration had not subsided with Nogai, and having felt denied his great victories throughout the campaign, Tele-Buqa Khan abandoned the effort altogether; the imperial equivalent of taking the ball home with you at recess, once you stopped having fun. He'd be damned if he, the Khan of the Golden Horde, would assist Nogai in a siege. Thus in early January 1288 did Tele-Buqa leave Poland, ravaging all the territory he could as he went; including Galicia, his own subjects. And Nogai too was soon forced to withdraw, unable to break the defences of Kraków. For their valiant defence, the Polish Duke Leszek the Black granted the krakowianin [people of Kraków] generous tax exemptions.        The immediate consequence of the 1287 attack on Poland was in furthering the divide between Tele-Buqa and Nogai. There was no outright defeat, and no great numbers had been lost as had been in the withdrawal from Hungary. Certainly, the Mongols left with a good deal of loot and slaves, given the amount of time they spent ravaging the countryside. But both Nogai and Tele-Buqa blamed the other for the rather inconclusive outcome. There had been attempts to take cities, and these were repulsed, and Nogai knew that Tele-Buqa had actively chosen to not assist in the siege of Kraków. Tele-Buqa's military dreams were not dashed, though; he simply found another target. In May 1288, only a few months after the return from Poland, Tele-Buqa ordered an attack on the Ilkhanate, under the command of Tamma-Toqta. The Il-Khan, Arghun, rapidly turned back and repelled the Jochid troops, as well as their followup assault that October. And in spring 1290, when Tamma-Toqta once again led Jochid troops into the Ilkhanate, they were again met with defeat. The Ilkhanid forces killed a great many, and captured numerous Jochid princes in the army. It was a humiliating defeat.       From 1285 through to 1290, Tele-Buqa had led or ordered a number of military ventures. Most of them ended in outright, or even catastrophic, failure. Only in Poland could the result be, somewhat charitably, described as inconclusive. If we imagine Tele-Buqa had undertaken these campaigns in order to shore up his position— a usurpation in the midst of drought and famine— then these efforts had instead looked like Heaven offered no support for Tele-Buqa's rule; for if it did, surely it would have signaled this through some sort of victory? Alas for Tele-Buqa Khan, this was not the case.       His legitimacy shaky, his right to rule questioned, rumours may have come to Tele-Buqa of doubt in his leadership, that Heaven was displeased at him and now the princes and noyad whispered of how ill-fit he was. He had usurped the throne from a man seen as incompetent; what would stop someone else from doing the same to him? At this point, Tele-Buqa may have decided to strike first at his perceived rivals. This manifested in two main figures; one was Nogai, who Tele-Buqa had already blamed for military defeats. The powerful prince on the Danube  seemed a great potential threat. And the other was Toqta; a son of Möngke-Temür Khan, Toqta is described in all sorts of manly virtues, a real figure to rally anti-Tele-Buqa support around. More significantly, there is no evidence for Toqta taking part in the princely-power sharing arrangement Tele-Buqa had organized with Möngke-Temür's other sons. Or perhaps he had been, and an ever-more paranoid Tele-Buqa threw him out on some perceived slight, and then decided he should have killed him. Regardless of the process, Toqta felt that Tele-Buqa was threatening his life, and fled to the most powerful person he could: Nogai. Tele-Buqa had inadvertently made the alliance that would cost him his life.       Fleeing to Nogai's ordu,  according to Rashīd al-Dīn, Toqta gave this message to the elder prince: “My cousins are trying to kill me, and thou art the aqa. I will take refuge with thee so that thou mayst preserve me and prevent the hand of their oppression from reaching me. As long as I live I shall be commanded by my aqa and shall not contravene thy will.” While scholarship usually presents Nogai as the khanmaker deposing the Jochid rulers at will and the man actually running the state, our series researcher has argued against this. If Nogai was the less dominant man, then this offer from Toqta must have been an enticing promise; to have the ruler of the Golden Horde essentially be your man, especially when the current one was making threatening moves? It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Nogai quickly came up with a stratagem to bring down Tele-Buqa and get Toqta to the throne.       Nogai was the aqa of the Jochids; that is, the senior member of the lineage. As aqa, he held great influence, and was expected to be consulted on prominent matters, delivering his experience and wisdom to those younger generations who simply didn't know any better. “Kids these days!” we might imagine the one-eyed Nogai mumbling after a frustrating council session with Tele-Buqa. His consultation is recorded when Töde-Möngke released the captive son of Khubilai Khaan, for instance. In fact, most of his influence within the Golden Horde is certainly attributable to this status. And it was this status that Nogai would employ for his plan.       Two slightly different versions of what he did exist, recorded separately by Rashīd al-Dīn in the Ilkhanate and Baybars al-Mansūrī in the Mamluk Sultanate. It's possible both accounts are correct, and this is how it may have looked. In the Mamluk account, Nogai received summons from Tele-Buqa, that the khan demanded his presence, on the pretext of needing his advice, though in truth planned to kill him. Nogai gathered his allies, and with foreknowledge accepted Tele-Buqa's summons, and advanced to meet him. Both the Mamluks and Rashīd recorded that before the meeting though, Nogai contacted Tele-Buqa's mother, who was not involved in the plot. He convinced her that he had only peaceful intentions; he was the aqa, and only wanted to advise Tele-Buqa, and therefore the lady should convince her son to come, unarmed, with a small party to meet Nogai. Rashīd's account differs slightly, in that at the same time Nogai feigned that he was deathly ill; he needed the Khan and his allies to come and make final amends before he passed on.  He sold the show further by swallowing blood clots, which he would then dramatically cough up. The weakening Nogai assuaged the fears of all others who came across him, telling them “Old age has set in, and I have abandoned conflict, fighting, and disputes. I have neither intention of contending with anyone nor thought of doing battle. However, we have been commanded by [Chinggis] Khan that if anyone in his ulus or urugh goes astray and upsets the ulus, we must investigate and make them content to agree.”       Tele-Buqa's mother was utterly convinced, and sent word to her sons, “Go as fast as possible and meet that weak old man who is about to depart this life for the hereafter. If you do not, your mother's milk will be forbidden to you.” Tele-Buqa and his allies arrived as Nogai had desired, unarmed without any army. Perhaps they had indeed fallen for Nogai's trick, or perhaps Tele-Buqa wanted a final chance to gloat over the old-man.        As Tele-Buqa and the princes arrived in the camp, and were beguiled by Nogai's smooth talk and pained coughs, a messenger was sent to Toqta, bringing him and his men out of hiding. In quick order, Tele-Buqa and the sons of Möngke-Temür were surrounded. Their eyes must have darted back and forth in confusion and terror, from the armed horsemen under Toqta, to the suddenly perfectly fine Nogai rising from his bed, who promptly gave the order for Tele-Buqa and the princes to be tied up. Nogai turned to Toqta, and pointed to Tele-Buqa, almost dismissively saying, “This one took over the kingdom of your father, but these sons of your father agreed with him to seize and kill you.  I give them into your hands;  kill them as you wish.”       Out of respect to their imperial status, the bound princes had their heads covered, and backs broken. So ended the four year reign of Tele-Buqa Khan. It was not just Tele-Buqa and his closest allies killed; all of the sons of Möngke-Temür Khan, Toqta's brothers, were likewise executed Swiftly, Toqta was confirmed as khan of the Golden Horde; Nogai stayed close to confirm it, and Toqta's few surviving brothers swore their loyalty to him. Upon the completion of the ceremonies, Nogai swiftly returned to the lower Danube. For Nogai's khanmaker reputation, this was the first, and last, overthrow of the ruling khan that he took part in, according to the primary sources. Even Marco Polo, passing through Anatolia only a few years later, recorded a muddled version of events, making Töde-Möngke and Nogai work together to overthrow Tele-Buqa. Tele-Buqa's brief reign would largely be forgotten in succeeding generations, but it had ushered in a process of decentralization that would require some time to be corrected. Toqta would begin the process; but not before things came to a head with Nogai. Both men had made promises of assistance, and both were about to find that the other was not as keen to keep their end of the bargain. To see how their conflict develops, be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals Podcast. If you'd like to help us continue bringing you great khan-tent, please consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kings and generals, or sharing this with your friends. This episode was researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I'm your host David, and we'll catch you on the next one. 

In this episode… Tara uncovers a chilling, not yet resolved murder in Krakow, Poland. Oddly enough, despite the gruesome details of the crime, this story never made it to the American newspapers even though the FBI was called upon to assist in the investigation and details of the “skin suit” that was found was eerily reminiscent of Silence of the Lambs. This week we discuss the heart-breaking case of Katarzyna Zowada, a 23-year old college student who was tortured and skinned like an animal and then dumped in the Vistula River. This poor, sweet, troubled girl met her horrifying end during the winter of 1999. We're going to discuss what happened between the discovery of her remains and the trial that has yet to take place for her murder, though the main suspect has been in prison for nearly 5 years.

Evidence photos @ https://talkmurder.com/katarzyna-zowadaKatarzyna Zowada was a Polish student at Jagiellonian University who went missing in November 1998. Her skin was found months later when it became stuck in the propeller of a tugboat on the Vistula River. Detectives determined that Zowada was beaten, tortured, and then skinned alive.

During the summer of 1980, at the request of Cardinal Wyszynski, Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko celebrated Mass for the striking workers in the Gdansk Shipyard, and his destiny was set in motion. It was that same day that Lech Walesa and other workers founded Solidarity, the first non-Communist controlled trade union in a Warsaw Pact country. For the next four years, Fr. Jerzy would serve as the chaplain of the Solidarity movement, a group of 10 million Polish Catholic workers who resisted the Communists and helped lead to the breakup of the Iron Curtain. As their chaplain, Fr. Jerzy spoke boldly and openly through fiery sermons in which he criticized the Communist government and exhorted the people to follow God and to use non-violent means to resist oppression. On October 19, 1984, after celebrating Mass at the Polish Saints Martyred Brothers Church, Fr. Jerzy’s car was stopped by three members of the Polish secret police. His driver was beaten badly but escaped. Fr. Jerzy was not so lucky. Brutalized until he was unconscious, he was tied up and thrown into the trunk of a car. Taken to the Vistula River, a boulder was tied to his legs and still alive, he was thrown into the river. His body was found eleven days later. Outrage over his death was intense. Estimates say that 400,000 people attended his funeral, and for the first and perhaps only time in a Communist country, a trial was held in which the three secret police officers and their superior were all found guilty and sentenced to prison. “An idea which needs rifles to survive dies of its own accord. An idea capable of life wins without effort and is then followed by millions of people,” he said.  

“I, Khan, the emissary of the heavenly king, to whom he gave power over the earth to lift up those who subject themselves to me and lay low those who resist, am amazed at you, king of Hungary – that when I will have sent you envoys thirty times, you do not send any of them back to me, and send me neither your messengers nor letters. I know that you are a wealthy and powerful king, that you have many soldiers under you, and alone you rule a great kingdom. And, therefore, it is difficult for you to submit yourself to me voluntarily. However, it would be better and more beneficial if you were to voluntarily submit to me! I have understood, in addition, that you are keeping the Cumans, my slaves, under your protection, for which reason I command you not to keep them with you any longer, and do not have me as your enemy because of them! It is easier for them to escape than you because they, lacking houses and migrating about with tents, might perhaps get away. But you, living in houses, having castles and cities – how will you escape my hands?”   So reads the famous ultimatum sent by Batu, grandson of Chinggis Khan, to Bela IV, King of Hungary. Our previous two episodes have covered the rapid Mongol campaign across the western steppe from 1236-1240, conquering the Volga Bulghars, the Alans, the Cuman-Qipchaqs and the Rus’ principalities. Having just taken Kiev in December 1240, Batu and mighty Subutai cast their eyes to Eastern Europe: Poland, the Hungarian Kingdom and beyond. I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquests.   The man standing between Europe and the Mongols was Bela IV, King of Hungary, a great power of Europe. The Magyars, as the Hungarians call themselves, came to Europe as nomadic horse archers like the Mongols, conquering the Pannonian Basin -Hungary- in the 8th century and raiding western Europe. At Lechfeld in 955 they were defeated by the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and some fifty odd years later these pagans officially adopted Christianity with the baptism of Stephen I, first King of Hungary, on Christmas Day 1,000. In the following centuries they abandoned the old ways, but with a still formidable military the Hungarian Kingdom emerged as the lead power between the Holy Roman Empire in Germany and the Rus’ principalities to the east. Controlling not just modern Hungary but large swathes of Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia, the Hungarian monarch controlled a diverse realm, the crossroads between Catholic and Orthodox Christendom.   Bela IV made few friends after his coronation in 1235. Born in 1206, the same year Chinggis Khan declared his Empire in distant Mongolia, Bela had a rocky relationship with his father King Andrew, whose decentralization of the kingdom through rich land rewards to the nobility frustrated Bela. Their tension progressed, Bela essentially making himself an autonomous monarch in Hungary’s Croatian territory. With Bela’s marriage to a Byzantine princess, Andrew urged the Pope to annul the union and forced Bela from the Kingdom. Ultimately he let his son return, making him ruler of Transylvania in the 1220s, where Bela came into regular contact with the Cumans. Cuman presence increased with the eastern upheavals from Mongol expansion, Cuman Khans fleeing to Hungary for asylum and baptism. Bela was drawn to the Cumans as a pillar of support against his father, while also boosting his reputation as a good Christian ruler by encouraging missionary work among them, styling himself King of the Cumans. Bela’s first years as King after 1235 saw the reclamation of crown lands and reduction in privileges of the nobility while expanding the Kingdom. Border territories were taken from Bulgaria and in 1238 Bela’s brother Coloman extended their rule in Bosnia by force. Bela’s efforts made him unpopular among the aristocracy of the kingdom, who felt their rights trampled upon.When a large body of Cumans under Khan Kotjen sought refuge in Hungary in 1239, Bela was only too happy to welcome them. 40,000 skilled mounted archers loyal directly to Bela provided him a massive bodyguard against a possible uprising from the barons of the kingdom, and Bela heaped rewards and rights to them.   Bela was not unaware of the Mongols’ western expansion. One contemporary author, Thomas of Spalato, records that the Hungarians had heard so many rumours of impending Mongol invasions that when news came of their arrival in the 1240s, it was treated as a joke. Bela certainly had up to date information from refugees like Kotjen Khan and Mikhail Vsevolodovich (Vsye-vo-lod-o-vich), Prince of Chernigov, and the Domincian Friar Julian returned with letters from Batu demanding Bela’s submission, preceding a number of Mongol envoys.  Contrary to popular depictions and contemporary accusations, Bela was not a monarch sitting idly on his hands; he had foreknowledge and some measures were enacted. Passes through the Carpathian mountains, the shield dividing the Hungarian plain from the Eurasian steppe, were blocked with wooden barriers and fallen trees, and some fortresses in Transylvania were refortified. The crux of his defense relied on the Cumans; their horse archery and experience in steppe tactics were a mighty aid to the already formidable Hungarian army. Bela was the only monarch in Europe preparing for their arrival. Of course, nothing went to plan. Tensions flared between the Cumans and the kingdom’s sedentary population. The sources speak of anger at Cumans herds allowed to roam through peasants’ fields, distrust at the close proximity of pagans, all encouraged by Hungarian lords eager to undermine Bela’s powerbase, to dire consequence.   On the fall of Kiev on the 6th of December, 1241, Batu and Subutai moved their army west and broke off into columns. The total force for the invasion of Europe is difficult to gauge, estimates of around 50-60,000 troops being common. Intelligence was carefully collected, strengths assessed. Batu was fearful of being outflanked by the enemy, and it was deemed necessary to send a portion of the army into Poland, at that time divided into five duchies- Bela IV’s sister was married to a lead Polish Duke. Despite some modern comments, the whole campaign was no mere raid. Structurally it differed little from the previous years of campaigning and the Mongol belief in world hegemony was well established. At the borders of Hungary and Poland at the start of 1241, Batu anticipated a conquest of both, and likely expected to push into Germany as well.   The army split into two main theaters. One group under Orda and Baidar was to strike Poland, preventing the Polish duchies from aiding the Hungarians. The main army was to conquer Hungary, certainly intending to use its grassland as a forward base for further operations. Batu and Subutai lead the main army, sending three smaller detachments to penetrate various passes along Hungary’s Carparthian frontier, allowing them to surround the enemy.  We’ll deal first with the Polish invasion.    In January 1241 the first Mongol scouts entered Polish territory, followed by Orda’s main force in February, generally estimated around 10-20,000 men. Orda, Batu’s older brother, moved quickly in two main divisions under himself and Chagatai’s son Baidar. The attack on Poland was swift and ferocious: by the 13th of February, Sandomierz, capital of a Polish duchy, was taken. An engagement at Tursko saw the Polish knights get the better in the initial clash, only to be destroyed when the Mongols regrouped and surprised them. From Sandomierz they followed the Vistula River, sending contingents north to harass, pillage and burn, causing confusion as to their movements and hampering the already slow Polish response. On the 18th of March, the army of Boleslaw V, ‘the Chaste,’ Duke of Sandomierz, was destroyed at Chmielnik (Hhe-myel-nik); shortly afterwards, the Mongols sacked the Polish capital, Krakow. Boleslaw V fled to the kingdom of his brother-in-law, Bela IV.   The Polish High Duke at that time was not in Krakow, but in his home duchy of Silesia. Henry II the Pious was the lead member of the fragmented Piast dynasty, duke of Silesia and High Duke of Poland since 1238. His preparations were slow and by the time he readied his army, the Mongols were in Silesia, western Poland.  Henry was supposed to wait for aid from his brother-in-law, King Vaclav I of Bohemia, but found the Mongols approaching too quickly, following the Oder River to the Silesian capital of Wroclaw [Breslau]. On the 9th of April, 1241, Henry’s army met the Mongols under Orda and Baidar at Legnica, better known as Liegnitz or Wahlstatt [German, ‘vahlstaht’], west of Wroclaw.    The Liegnitz battle is not recorded as well as Mohi, and a considerable amount of details were added by later authors. Illustrative of this is the notion that a contingent of Teutonic Knights under their Grand Master Poppo von Osterna were present, and that Qadan or Qaidu led Mongol contingents there. In reality, Poppo von Osterna was not Hochmeister until 1253 and the Teutonic Order provided no troops for the battle- though the Templars provided 500 peasants from their landed estates. Qadan, a son of Ogedai, was not present, as he led an army into Transylvania, and Qaidu, the grandson of Ogedai famed for his conflict with Kublai Khan, was certainly absent, as he was only about 10 years old!   Liegnitz is often presented as the Mongols easily overwhelming the Polish and German forces of Henry II, but the medieval chronicles demonstrate that the Europeans made a good show of themselves. A Polish Fransciscan reported that another Polish friar, Benedict, was told by the Mongols that they were on the point of retreat when Polish resistance collapsed. The 15th century Polish writer Jan Dlugosz describes the Poles holding their own against the Mongols in the first half of the battle. But the Mongols had a trick: a standard bearer waved his banner violently and sent forth a smokescreen, so foul the Poles lost order. Stephen Haw postulates that this poisonous smoke was gunpowder, or perhaps firelances. For the Poles who had never encountered such devices, it was overwhelming. Polish order collapsed and they were overrun. Nine sacks of ears were said to have been filled, and Duke Henry was decapitated, his severed head paraded on a lance before neighbouring cities. The suburbs of his capital at Wroclaw were destroyed, though the citadel held out.   Mongol losses may have been high, as they were unwilling to meet King Vaclav of Bohemia’s army. Small parties were briefly sent into eastern Germany where the town of Meissen, just west of Dresden, suffered an attack, but Orda and Baidar moved south to link up with Batu, cutting through the Bohemian Kingdom, modern Czechia. Stiff local resistance in Bohemia proper convinced Orda to pass through Bohemian controlled Moravia. Fortified points were bypassed for speed, but villages in the countryside suffered. Through the Vlara Pass they entered the Hungarian Kingdom on its northwestern border in May 1241. As that takes us to Hungary, let skip back a few weeks.    After the deparuture of Orda and Baidar in February 1241, Batu and Subutai took the rest of the army to Hungary, dividing their forces to overwhelm their foe at multiple points. On March 12th, Batu and Subutai crossed through the Verecke Pass, the northeastern route the Magyars themselves first took to enter Hungary. Ogedai’s son Qadan took his contingent through the Bargo Pass into northern Transylvania. One of Tolui’s sons, Bojek, took his force through the Oituz pass into central Transylvania, and the noyan Burundai diverted far south, coming up through the Tornu Rosu Pass into southern Transylvania, linking up with Bojek at Alba Iulia.    At the beginning of March King Bela IV began gathering his forces at Pest, one half of the city which forms modern Budapest. His requests to foreign rulers for aid were largely ignored. Bela had in mind an orderly countermarch against the Mongol army. But things quickly slipped from his hands. Some of the nobles held their forces back, refusing to come in the first place. The Mongols broke through the Carpathians quicker than anticipated and news came in of nobles going ahead to face them without support. Denis, the Kingdom’s Palatine, fled to Pest, having failed to repel the Mongols on their exit from the Verecke. Bishop Ugrin of Kalocas (Kalots-ash) defied Bela’s order and likewise marched ahead to engage the Mongols, and only barely escaped with his life. The Duke of Austria, the quarrelsome Frederick II, came to Bela’s call for aid, defeated a small Mongol party in a skirmish near Pest and withdrew. The Bishop of Varad fought the Mongols near Eger, where he was defeated and Eger destroyed. Reports kept coming to Bela of his forces allowing themselves to be destroyed piecemeal by the Mongols, while yet more Mongol forces kept showing up from new directions and rumours swirled of destruction in Poland.    On top of that the tensions between Cumans and Hungarians had not abated. News of Cumans among the Mongol forces led to cries that Bela’s Cuman allies were spies for Batu. Bela placed the Cuman Khan Kotjen and his family under guard in Buda, but in an assault led almost certainly by Hungarian and German nobles, Kotjen and his retinue were killed. In turn, this prompted a pogrom from Hungarians in the area against the Cumans. The remaining Cumans refused to risk their lives for ‘allies’ who treated them such, and abandoned the Hungarians, leaving a trail of destruction as they flew en masse to Bulgaria, some making their way to the Latin Empire of Constantinople. This was just a goddamn mess for Bela, but he was forced to action. At the start of April a Mongol army approached Pest and Bela marched out. The Mongols fled and for a week Bela pursued them, reaching the village of Mohi on the Sajo (shah-yo) River, finding a larger Mongol army arranged on the opposite bank, a single bridge across the only passage. It was the 10th of April, only one day after the Mongol victory at Liegnitz.   Bela had just followed Shiban, Batu’s younger brother, into ground of Batu’s choosing. Batu and Subutai commanded a force estimated around 20-30,000 men, the rest of the army still ravaging Poland and Transylvania. The village of Mohi, where the Hungarians made camp, sat near the Sajo River in the northern edge of the great Hungarian plain, flat rolling grassland ideal for cavalry, while the thick trees along the river kept much of the Mongol army hidden. When Shiban’s messengers ran ahead with news of the size of the Hungarian army, Batu was unnerved, climbing a mountain to convey with Eternal Blue Heaven for a day and night to pray for victory, urging the Muslims in his army to likewise pray.  As the Hungarian army settled into their camp at Mohi, Batu viewed them from a nearby burial mound. Seeing how the Hungarians had packed themselves tightly within a laagar, a wagon fort, Batu was not impressed, likening them to sheep trapping themselves within a pen.    Batu had hoped King Bela would try to cross the bridge, but by digging in at Mohi, Bela was forcing Batu to act. Thomas of Spalato wrote that a Rus’ prisoner escaped the Mongols and warned the Hungarians, and Bela stationed a guard at the bridge. Frustrated, Batu had to force a crossing- neutralizing his army’s mobility and playing to strengths of the Hungarian’s heavier armour. But Subutai came up with a plan. While Batu took his men over the bridge, under the cover of night Subutai would take a force downstream and build a pontoon bridge to cross and outflank the Hungarians.    It didn’t go well. The waters downstream were deep and in the darkness, progress on the pontoon bridge was slow. Too slow for Batu, who in his impatience or belief Subutai was on schedule, ordered an assault, sent a close comrade in a heavily armoured elite unit to push the Hungarians off the bridge. The Hungarians held firm, crossbowmen proving deadly. Bela’s brother Coloman, the Bishop Ugrin and the Master of the Knights Templar in Hungary led the counterattack and repulsed the Mongols. Coloman was said to have personally thrown the Mongol commander off the bridge. The Mongols were forced back, and the Hungarians returned to their camp jubilant. Both European and Chinese sources written from Mongol documents indicate Mongol losses were heavy- as an aside, Mohi is the first battle on European soil described in any detail in a Chinese source. This source, the Yuan Shih, indicates the princes among Batu’s forces were greatly perturbed by the losses, and desired to withdraw and replan. The Polish friar C. de Bridia wrote that the Mongol vanguard actually broke on the bridge and fled. Batu was furious at Subutai’s failure to cross the river, though Subutai was not to be swayed. In response to voices urging retreat, Subutai told them “If my lord wishes to retreat, then retreat by yourself. Until I reach the Magyar city on the Danube River, I will never return!”   The Hungarians left a light guard on the bridge while the distant Hungarian camp slept soundly. Only a few hours after the initial clash, early on April 11th before dawn, the Hungarian bridge guard was rocked by the sudden crashing of stones descending on them from the darkness. The Mongols had set up their Chinese catapults and were ‘shelling’ the enemy position. Demoralized with losses mounting, when the Mongols charged they broke through the defenders. Survivors ran back to the camp, shouting alarm, but the Hungarians were slow to rise, not having anticipated an attack so soon. Subutai’s forces crossed his pontoon bridge, and by 6 A.M. the Hungarian camp was surrounded.   Though Bela’s decision to circle the camp with a wall of wagons offered some protection, the space was too small for the large army. Panic set in as thousands of men woke to cries of anguish and Mongol arrows raining among them, while the Mongols tried to set the wagons on fire. In the densely packed camp men tripped over tents and tent ropes, crushing each other in the fray. Confusion now reigned, and Bela’s fortifications trapped his men. Prince Coloman, the Bishop Ugrin and the Templars rode out to force back the Mongols but were unable to rally more men to join them. Coloman and Ugrin were seriously wounded while the Templars, despite brave efforts, were killed to a man.    A cry ran out. An opening! The Mongols had left a gap, and many ran to take it. This was a trap. Men surrounded with no escape will fight to the death; but provide an avenue for survival, and they’ll take it. In the disorganized rout no formation or protection was to be had. As if herding their sheep, the Mongols followed along both sides of the Hungarians, ensuring none veered off trail. Once the prey was exhausted, the Mongols fell upon them. Survivors were led directly into a marsh where many drowned, encumbered in their armour, weak from injuries and exhaustion. The Bishop Ugrin met his end in these waters, one among many of the nobles, bishops and archbishops of the kingdom who fell. Bela and his brother Coloman barely escaped, with Coloman seriously injured. So ended the battle of Mohi, the back of organized  Hungarian resistance broken.      Hungary, and the rest of Europe, now seemed open to the Mongols, but just under a year after the victory at Mohi, Mongol armies departed from Europe. Why was this? What did they do in that year in between? Since most popular accounts cut from the Mohi victory straight to the Mongol withdrawal, we will give you, our dear listeners, more detail on the what the Mongol presence in Europe actually looked like beyond these battles, and the consequences for Hungary. If it wasn’t Ogedai Khaan’s death in December 1241 which caused the Mongol withdrawal, then what was it?  Theories have abounded from a lack of pasture, poor weather, to a gradual conquest having been the intention. While we will return to Hungary’s fate and later interactions with the Mongols in future episodes, we will also be interviewing Dr. Stephen Pow in a forthcoming episode to discuss the theories, and his own thesis, around the Mongol withdrawal in more detail, so be sure to subscribe to the Kings and Generals podcast and to continue helping us bring you more outstanding content, please visit our patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. Thank you for listening, I am your host David and we will catch you on the next one!  

This history of the Vistula River is not something which is set in stone. Quite the opposite, especially with the sounds which are found at the nexus of humanity and the natural world.This episode (produced in both Polish and English) is a (very) short story about the greatest shortcut taken in the Vistula's history.Produced by Bartosz Panek. English translation and voiceover by John Beauchamp.This production has been entered into the 60 Secondes Radio 2020 competition, held in partnership with the Candian Commission for UNESCO.

On a grey winter’s morning, the captain of a tugboat made a gory discovery in the Vistula River in the centre of Krakow. Stuck in the propeller of his boat, was the skin of missing student, Katarzyna Zowada. There was no body, it was just the skin, sliced off with surgical precision. This case became one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in Poland’s criminal history. Until October 2017, when a local man was arrested. Special thanks: MZ For pictures and more information, join us on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/evidencelockerpodcast/) Want to become a Patron of the podcast? Visit our page at [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/evidencelocker) For a full list of resources and credits visit [Evidence Locker Website](http://evidencelockerpodcast.com/2019/02/25/37-poland-the-skin-suit-case-of-krakow) **This True Crime Podcast was researched using open source or archive materials.**

While not Poland's capital city nor its largest, this magnificent metropolis on the Vistula River is its most historic and most beautiful.

In Prussia and Poland Germany is again on the attack first at the Vistula River, where poison gas makes its first appearance of the war and then in Prussia at the Second Battle of the Masuria Lakes. As winter turns into spring the Russians make one more attempt to break through the Carpathian mountain passes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode jumps all around the world as we check back in with the Eastern Front as the German and Russian armies meet at the Battle of the Vistula River. We then begin our world wide tour with a look at how the colonies of Britain, France, and Germany were taking part in the war. We end this week by finding out how exactly a division of British troops from the Royal Navy ended up alongside the Belgians in Antwerp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices