The Bulgar khanate’s position as a great regional power is challenged by both the Frankish and Roman empires, which leads to war on distant fronts. All the while, the khan must face an even more pervasive and resilient threat: the Christian faith spreading through his realm. The map below for the episode shows the Carpathian…

After nearly a decade of bloodshed, the Bulgars and Romans agree to a peace which leaves the khanate strengthened and expanded. The new Bulgar khan then initiates several ambitious building projects to secure his realm and, most importantly, to display his enhanced position with a completely refounded capital. The map for this episode shows the…

The khaganate is no more, having faltered in the face of external threats and fragmented along internal divisions. The Avars find themselves battered and scattered, under pressure from the Franks in the west and the Bulgars in the east, yet they nevertheless strive to forge a new homeland for themselves in the Carpathian Basin. The…

The Frankish king Charlemagne campaigns relentlessly to expand his realm, bringing him right to the border of the khaganate—with no sign of stopping. The khagan is thus confronted with the most powerful foe his people have ever faced, and must muster all the means at his disposal to maintain their independence. The map for this…

Avar society undergoes profound changes as its warriors are forced to abandon the pursuits of war and turn inwards to govern their own realm. Meanwhile, to their west, a usurper ascends the Frankish throne and makes a pact with the bishop of Rome, leading to the rise of a new regional power. Transcript Hello and…

Decades of collaboration between the Romans and Bulgars come under threat as frictions flare on the frontier, and instead of diffusing tensions, two ambitious leaders seek to secure their legacy. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 2, Episode 13: The collapse of concord Last time, we finally introduced the Romanians into…

After centuries of living outside of the empire and in isolation from other Romance peoples, the Romanics of the Balkans develop a language of their own and transform into a new people. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 2, Episode 12: Keystone Last time, we explored the khanate which the Bulgars…

The Bulgars fortify their new homeland, wary that the Romans may try to reclaim what they’ve lost. Yet the khan has a chance to reset relations with them when a noseless emperor comes calling for aid, and an ambitious caliph assembles all the might of the Muslim world to take Constantinople once and for all.…

Romanic and Slavic communities both north and south of the Danube continue to influence each other, as neighbours become bilingual and introduce subtle shifts in their respective languages. Meanwhile, as these two cultures mingle, a prominent Bulgar chieftain flees the Khazar threat with his followers, seeking a new homeland — which leads them right to…

A generation after the defeat at Constantinople, the Avars readjust their way of life, all while trying to keep their remaining subjects in line. Transcript Hello and welcome to A history of Romania. Season 2, Episode 9: Keeping it together Last time, we followed the rebellions that burst forth after the khagan’s defeat before the…