The House of Habsburg once ruled Spain, Benelux, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, most of Italy, at times Portugal and all of Latin America, the Philippines and of course, the Holy Roman Empire. Most histories of the Habsburgs start out with Maximilian I, his marriage alliances that brought together this empire. But he was not the first Habsburg emperor, and by no means the first Habsburg ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Their history goes back to the 13th century when they almost established their dynasty on the throne, had it not been for John Parricida murdering his uncle. In this show we follow the dramatic events that saw this dynasty rising and then falling hard, its struggles to recover, the feats and forgeries, the victories and terrible defeats that shaped this family and its lore. We take the story from Rudolf of Habsburgs’ ascent to the throne in 1273 to the election of Charles V in 1519. This podcast is part of the broader History of the Germans podcast that aims to track the history of the German people from the Early Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. If you enjoy this show, check out any of the other seasons or follow the main show. So far I have the following seasons: The Ottonians (919 AD-1024 AD) Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy (1024 AD-1125 AD) Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen (1125-1190) Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1190-1268) Saxony and Eastward Expansion The Hanseatic League The Teutonic Knights The Holy Roman Empire (1250 AD -1356 AD) The Reformation before the Reformation (1356AD -1439 AD) The Empire in the 15th Century The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs (1439AD -1519 AD)
The Early Habsburgs
Claim This Podcastby History of the Germans
Podcast Overview
The House of Habsburg once ruled Spain, Benelux, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, most of Italy, at times Portugal and all of Latin America, the Philippines and of course, the Holy Roman Empire. Most histories of the Habsburgs start out with Maximilian I, his marriage alliances that brought together this empire. But he was not the first Habsburg emperor, and by no means the first Habsburg ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. Their history goes back to the 13th century when they almost established their dynasty on the throne, had it not been for John Parricida murdering his uncle. In this show we follow the dramatic events that saw this dynasty rising and then falling hard, its struggles to recover, the feats and forgeries, the victories and terrible defeats that shaped this family and its lore. We take the story from Rudolf of Habsburgs’ ascent to the throne in 1273 to the election of Charles V in 1519. This podcast is part of the broader History of the Germans podcast that aims to track the history of the German people from the Early Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. If you enjoy this show, check out any of the other seasons or follow the main show. So far I have the following seasons: The Ottonians (919 AD-1024 AD) Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy (1024 AD-1125 AD) Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen (1125-1190) Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1190-1268) Saxony and Eastward Expansion The Hanseatic League The Teutonic Knights The Holy Roman Empire (1250 AD -1356 AD) The Reformation before the Reformation (1356AD -1439 AD) The Empire in the 15th Century The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs (1439AD -1519 AD)
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
8/21/2025
Reach the team behind The Early Habsburgs
Verified contact details for this show aren't on file yet — sign up to get notified when they land.
Recent Episodes
May 21, 2026
Ep. 238: The Habsburg Empire at its Zenith - Ferdinand I and the Siege of Vienna - History of the Germans
<p>Today we celebrate the topping out of the Habsburg empire. By the middle of the 16th century it reached its furthest extent as a political entity ruled by one man. Over the last 42 episodes we have seen this family of minor counts playing their game of snakes and ladders until they had amassed lordships over Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and large parts of Italy. Today we look at how they finally got hold of the last bits, Bohemia and Hungary.</p><p>The story features a dutiful younger brother, the most cruel execution I have ever heard of, a foolish duke and an even more foolish king, the collapse of a kingdom, a love story and the reason for the incessant Habsburg inbreeding. I hope that will be enough to fill the last episode of this season.</p><p>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 <a href="https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michel Rondeau</a> under <a href="https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Common Creative Licence 3.0</a>.</p><p>As always:</p><p>Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyofthegermans.com</a></p><p>If you wish to support the show go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Support • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>For do it yourself merchandise go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/merchandise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HOTGPod </a></p><p>Threads: <a href="https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@history_of_the_germans_podcast</a></p><p>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hotgpod.bsky.social</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history_of_the_germans</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@germanshistory</a></p><p>To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.</p><p>So far I have:</p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/ottonians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ottonians</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frederick II Stupor Mundi</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saxony and Eastward Expansion</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hanseatic League</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teutonic Knights</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/1803590966" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reformation before the Reformation</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/15thcentury/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Empire in the 15th century</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/habsburg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs</a></p>
May 14, 2026
Ep. 237: How Italy Fell to the Habsburgs - From the Peace of Madrid to the Sack of Rome 1527. - History of the Germans
<p>We are coming closer to the end of our series on the Fall and Rise of the House of Habsburg. We have seen the reconsolidation of Austria, the acquisition of Burgundy, the inheritance of Spain and today, we will look at the last stages of the Italian wars. This conflict, kicked off by king Charles VIII in 1494 had given “rise to changes of dominions, subversion of kingdoms, desolation of countries, destruction of cities and the cruellest massacres, but also new fashions, new customs, new and bloody ways of waging warfare, and diseases which had been unknown to that time”. Many players of this game had exited stage left and it was now just France and the Habsburgs in various alliances with the remaining Italian powers, who fought for control. The War of the League of Cognac, 1526 to 1530 was when brutality reached its zenith with the Sacco di Roma, the Sack of Rome that brought back the specter of the Vandals.</p><p>A lot of drama to get through.</p><p>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 <a href="https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michel Rondeau</a> under <a href="https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Common Creative Licence 3.0</a>.</p><p>As always:</p><p>Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyofthegermans.com</a></p><p>If you wish to support the show go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Support • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>For do it yourself merchandise go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/merchandise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HOTGPod </a></p><p>Threads: <a href="https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@history_of_the_germans_podcast</a></p><p>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hotgpod.bsky.social</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history_of_the_germans</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@germanshistory</a></p><p>To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.</p><p>So far I have:</p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/ottonians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ottonians</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frederick II Stupor Mundi</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saxony and Eastward Expansion</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hanseatic League</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teutonic Knights</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/1803590966" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reformation before the Reformation</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/15thcentury/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Empire in the 15th century</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/habsburg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs</a></p>
May 7, 2026
Ep. 236: Charles V (1520-1555) - The Battle of Pavia - History of the Germans
<p>In 1521 four men dominated Europe. They were all in their twenties: King Henry VIII of England, born 1491, King Francois I of France, born 1494, Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan, born that same year, 1494 and the youngest of them, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Sicily, Naples and Sardinia, lord of the Netherlands, duke of Austria and Count of Tyrol.</p><p>How the world had changed. In the days of Charles’ predecessor, the emperor Maximilian, European politics was a impenetrable maze of alliances and enmities involving roughly a dozen mid-sized powers trying to get a leg up on each other.</p><p>Now we are down to four guys, dancing a political Ceilidh, all elegantly dressed, swiftly moving and swapping partners at every turn.</p><p>In this episode we are going to look at the first rounds of Gay Gordons and Dashing White Sergeants up to the point where Charles V gets a lock on Francois I at the Battle of Pavia in 1525</p><p>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 <a href="https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michel Rondeau</a> under <a href="https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Common Creative Licence 3.0</a>.</p><p>As always:</p><p>Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.historyofthegermans.com</a></p><p>If you wish to support the show go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Support • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>For do it yourself merchandise go to: <a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/merchandise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@HOTGPod </a></p><p>Threads: <a href="https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@history_of_the_germans_podcast</a></p><p>Bluesky: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@hotgpod.bsky.social</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history_of_the_germans</a></p><p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@germanshistory</a></p><p>To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.</p><p>So far I have:</p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/ottonians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ottonians</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Frederick II Stupor Mundi</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saxony and Eastward Expansion</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hanseatic League</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Teutonic Knights</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356</a></p><p><a href="https://podfollow.com/1803590966" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reformation before the Reformation</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/15thcentury/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Empire in the 15th century</a></p><p><a href="https://historyofthegermans.com/habsburg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs</a></p>
38 total episodes available
Deep-dive analytics for The Early Habsburgs
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is The Early Habsburgs?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.