News update 24 July 2014

This is our new blog update of 24 July 2014. Our latest issue, Medieval Warfare IV-4, has been sent to the printers in the previous week. We expect it to arrive at our distribution center around 1-4 August. Make sure to pre-order your copy now to get a 20 % discount. After a short and well-deserved holiday, we are back to proceed with Medieval Warfare IV.5 (Richard the Lionheart’s conquests in the Mediterranean), and to start our preparations for 2015. Very soon, you’ll be able to vote on most of the themes for Volume V, so keep an eye out for our more news and updates. 

First of all, to properly introduce the theme of MW IV-4, which focuses on the Burgundian Wars, we came across this picture of the Burgundian Company of St. George, sending its greetings across the Rhine. While MW IV-4 focuses mostly on tactics, battles fought and units used in battle, it does contain quite some information on the famous Burgundian artillery (more info may follow when we do publish that first theme on gunpowder weapons). 

Also of interest in the coming week:

- On 25 July 1261, the city of Constantinople was recaptured by the Nicaean forces of Alexios Strategopoulos. With this move came an end to the exile of the Byzantine empire, which was in effect since the city was conquered by crusaders participating in the Fourth Crusade. The recapture happened more by accident than by design, even though Michael was preparing to once more take on the city. As part of his preparations, Strategopoulos was sent to the village of Selymbria, where he learned that the Constantinople garrison was out of the city conducting a raid. Making use of a secret passageway, Strategopolous’ forces entered the city, overwhelmed the remaining forces, and claimed the city, and Emperor Michael VIII could once more be crowned within the Hagia Sophia. The reinstated Byzantine rule would not last long. During the 14th and 15th centuries, they would slowly loose ground against the rising power of the Ottoman Turks, finally ending with the fall of the city at the hands of Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453. For more information, read our MW 2014 special.

- Sunday 27 July marks the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Bouvines. The battle pitted French forces under King Philip II Augustus against an imperial army of Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV. Otto had allied himself with King John I of England (as well the Flemish), and they planned to attack the French from two sides. However, Philip managed to defeat John’s force before turning back to face the imperial army, which was decisively defeated at Bouvines. The conflict effectively marked the end of Angevin rule in France (though the English crown would later reclaim several territories). John soon had to face the noble uprising of the First Barons’ War, while Otto was later deposed as Emperor by Frederick II. Philip’s son, the future Louis VIII would soon get involved in English politics, leading to the French invasion of England in 1216. For more information, read our very first issue, Medieval Warfare I-1, the theme of which focuses on the War of Bouvines. Episodes of the First Barons War are mentioned in several non-theme articles, including that on Sean McGlynn’s search for the true ‘Robin Hood’ (William of Kensham) in Medieval Warfare III-6.