Baldwin IV ascended the throne of Jerusalem in 1174 AD, inheriting a vulnerable Crusader kingdom with limited military resources and deep political divisions. His challenges were about to grow even greater. Saladin was consolidating Muslim territories under his authority, building a formidable power base in Egypt and Syria and preparing to challenge the Crusader states.

Despite the odds stacked against him and a progressively debilitating illness, Baldwin managed to resist Saladin's expansion for much of his reign. Through military leadership, strategic defensive campaigns and political manoeuvring, he repeatedly prevented Saladin from turning his growing strength into the immediate conquest of Jerusalem.

Baldwin's leprosy gradually undermined his physical abilities, yet he continued to exercise royal authority and participate in the kingdom's defence. His victory at the Battle of Montgisard in 1177 AD became one of the most remarkable Crusader successes against Saladin, demonstrating how timing and battlefield decisions could overcome a numerical disadvantage.

But Baldwin's reign was not a story of uninterrupted victories. He also suffered setbacks, including the defeat at Marj Ayyun and the loss of the fortress at Jacob's Ford. His greatest achievement may have been less about winning individual battles and more about keeping a vulnerable kingdom alive against a powerful and determined opponent.

What made Baldwin IV such an effective ruler and military leader? How did he manage to resist Saladin for so long, and why did Jerusalem eventually fall to Saladin after Baldwin's death?

I've explored his illness, military strategy, major campaigns and political challenges in the full article. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Baldwin's leadership and his place in the history of the Crusades.

1. Pillars of the earth 1135-1154
   
2. Ivanhoe 1997 version - 1194
   
3. Robin hood- Ridley Scott 1200
   
4. Pilgrimage 1209
   
5. Ironclad-1215
   
6. YT- King john: walking through the history behind englands most controversial monarch. 1204-1216
   
7. Braveheart 1280-1314
   
8. Outlaw king 1304-1307
   
9. Name of the rose -1327
   
10. World without end 1327-1361
    
11. Black Death 1348
    
12. YT- 1360–1415: How the Tyrannical Reign of Richard II Plunged England into Chaos
    
13. YT- Richard II: englands most king Doc 1377-1399
    Instead of Hollow Crown since it was difficult to get into. This ends with Henry IV becoming king and Richard II being killed by Henry
    
14. The king 1403-1415
    15a. Joan the Maid -Battles 1424-1429
    15b. Joan the Maid - 1430-1431
    
15. YT- Joan of Arc: Gods Warrior. Helen Castor
    
16. Podcast: BBC Forum- Joan of Arc: Making of a Martyr
    
17. YT- Kings and Generals - Wars of Roses
    
18. YT- War of the roses : Yorks vs Lancasters by History mapped out Stop at 1464
    
19. White Queen -1464-1485
    
20. YT-Dan Jones- Brittains Bloody Crown
    
21. BBC documentary Henry VII: Winter King-1500

Let me know if I missed any!

This is in regards to early music notation referred to as "neumes", "chant notation", or "square notation".
 
I've been watching some videos from the *Gregorian Chant Academy, but the videos are extremely dry and disconnected from the music. The gentleman seems very knowledgeable, but he describes what types of things the notation indicates which, along with the barrage of Latin terminology he rushes through, makes for a difficult watch. He tells instead of showing. It's the sort of video that would be more digestible if you were already familiar with medieval notation and simply needed a refresher as opposed to an introductory crash course. It would be helpful to hear examples either sung by the person to show the effect each marking is widely understood to indicate, or reference portions of historically accurate recordings (to the best of our knowledge) to showcase how the music may be interpreted. This would help crystalize the concepts into something more tangible as well as make for an easier watch.
 
Ultimately I plan on doing more "score study" following manuscripts while listening to recordings from performers who strive for historical accuracy, but am hoping to find a video that can act as a sort of introductory primer first. Worst case scenario, I'll just continue on and try to brute force it, but wanted to know if there's a more pleasant way in. Does anyone have a good resource that acts as a solid primer to neumes (ideally with actual musical examples)?
 
*the Gregorian Chant Academy is a channel on youtube, but I apparently can't post the link without triggering the auto-mod.

Als eher leichte Strafform im Mittelalter gilt ja die Verurteilung zum Stock - also diesem Pranger für die Füße. Auf Veranstaltungen wie Mittelaltermärkten etc. wird das hin und wieder als eher „lustige“ Bestrafung präsentiert. Das schlimmste, was einem passieren könnte, wäre wohl das Kitzeln der wehrlosen Fußsohlen (was ich mir über längere Zeit aber definitiv schon hart vorstelle). War das im Mittelalter aber tatsächlich eine eher leichte Form der Bestrafung oder gibt es hier Aspekte, die man schnell vergisst?

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_(Fessel))