In episode 46 we explore the story of how the Umayyads of Córdoba pulled the strings of Iberia during the reigns of Abd al-Rahman III and al-Hakam II, including how that hegemony worked in practice and its limitations. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/newhistoryspain PayPal: https://paypal.me/lahistoriaespana Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jUvtdRKxUC Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/newhistoryspain.com Or Twitter/X: https://x.com/newhistoryspain YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537 Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook 00:30 The Political Landscape of Mid-Tenth Century Iberia 02:23 The Umayyads as Kingmakers: Sancho the Fat and Ordoño IV 10:07 The Legacy of Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba 12:06 Al-Hakam II, the Cultured Caliph 15:42 The Fatimid-Umayyad War for the Maghreb 20:55 The Return of the Vikings 23:34 The Battle of Gormaz of 975 26:59 The Verdict: The Forgotten Vassalage of the Christians to the Umayyads 28:09 Outro
45. Rebel, Ruler, Legend: Fernán González, Count of Castile
28/03/2026 | 21 mins.
In episode 45, I explain the founding myths of Castile and whether Count Fernán González was truly the one who liberated Castile from the Kingdom of León. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/newhistoryspain PayPal: https://paypal.me/lahistoriaespana Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jUvtdRKxUC Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/newhistoryspain.com Or Twitter/X: https://x.com/newhistoryspain YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537 Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook 00:18 The Foundational Myths of Castile 07:45 The Reunification of Castile under Fernán González 12:08 Fernán González at the Head of Álava and Castile 16:47 Did Fernán González Make Castile Independent from León? 20:06 The Verdict: Fernán González in Popular Memory Today 20:48 Outro
44. The Catalan Counties, 910–950
14/03/2026 | 24 mins.
The political history of the Catalan counties in the first half of the 10th century is little known, but I explain it in episode 44, covering topics such as the relations between the counts and the kings of West Francia or the war between the House of Cerdanya and the House of Barcelona for the counties of Urgell and Besalú, which culminated in the tragic death of the firstborn son of Count Sunyer of Barcelona. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/newhistoryspain PayPal: https://paypal.me/lahistoriaespana Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jUvtdRKxUC Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/newhistoryspain.com Or Twitter/X: https://x.com/newhistoryspain YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537 Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook 00:29 How the Catalan Counties Gradually Fell Out of Frankish Hands 04:36 The County of Empúries in the First Half of the 10th Century 10:53 Sunyer I, Count of Barcelona, Girona, and Osona 14:14 The Pyrenean Counties after the Death of Wifred the Hairy 17:42 The Battle of Baltarga: The Struggle for the County of Urgell 22:10 The Verdict: The Difficulty of Writing Comital History 23:30 Outro
43. Ramiro II of León and the Battle of Simancas–Alhándega
28/02/2026 | 33 mins.
The Battle of Simancas–Alhándega was a turning point in medieval Iberia. Episode 43 explores how it unfolded and its consequences for al-Andalus and the Kingdom of León, while also examining King Ramiro II's reign and the end of internal revolts after Zaragoza's submission. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/newhistoryspain PayPal: https://paypal.me/lahistoriaespana Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jUvtdRKxUC Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/newhistoryspain.com Or Twitter/X: https://x.com/newhistoryspain YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537 Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook 00:30 King Ramiro II of León and His Time 06:05 The Osma Campaign of 934: The Submission of Pamplona? 10:42 The Submission of Zaragoza in 937: An Umayyad Victory? 16:51 The Battle of Simancas–Alhándega, the Caliph's Most Resounding Defeat 23:42 The Consequences of the Battle of Simancas–Alhándega 31:48 The Verdict: The Ideas of Political Legitimacy of the Umayyads of Córdoba 33:01 Outro
42. The Making of the Caliphate of Córdoba
24/01/2026 | 29 mins.
In episode 42 we see the political history of the Iberian Peninsula in the 920s with the struggles between Christians and Muslims in the north, the end of the fitna of the Emirate and the proclamation of the Caliphate of Córdoba, and the Andalusi advances in the proxy war of the Maghreb between Umayyads and Fatimids. SUPPORT NEW HISTORY OF SPAIN: Patreon: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/newhistoryspain PayPal: https://paypal.me/lahistoriaespana Bitcoin donation: bc1q64qs58s5c5kp5amhw5hn7vp9fvtekeq96sf4au Ethereum donation: 0xE3C423625953eCDAA8e57D34f5Ce027dd1902374 Join the DISCORD: https://discord.gg/jUvtdRKxUC Follow the show for updates on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/newhistoryspain.com Or Twitter/X: https://x.com/newhistoryspain YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@newhistoryspain Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-history-of-spain/id1749528700 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7hstfgSYFfFPXhjps08IYi Spotify (video version): https://open.spotify.com/show/2OFZ00DSgMAEle9vngg537 Spanish show 'La Historia de España-Memorias Hispánicas': https://www.youtube.com/@lahistoriaespana TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Hook 00:25 The Partition of the Banu Qasi Domains 06:24 Power Struggles in León, 924–932 10:00 The Legacy of Sancho I of Pamplona 12:46 The End of the Hafsunid Rebellion 16:01 Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba Proclaims Himself Caliph 21:33 The End of the Fitna: The Submission of Mérida, Badajoz, and Toledo 24:49 The Battle for the Maghreb: The Andalusi Conquest of Ceuta and Melilla 27:45 The Verdict: What Truly Concerned the Umayyads? 28:48 Outro
In New History of Spain, you will learn about Spanish history in chronological order, covering every era from Prehistory to the present day. This includes the Visigothic Kingdom, al-Andalus, the medieval Christian kingdoms, the Spanish Empire, the Spanish Civil War, or Franco's dictatorship. Every two weeks, I delve into Spain's political history, enriched with diverse historical perspectives, to bring you a vivid and comprehensive understanding.
Learn history critically with the latest research, free from antiscientific and nationalist biases. Prepare to be surprised and challenged as we go beyond dates, kings, and battles to truly understand the forces that shaped Spain's history.
Support the show on Patreon or Apple Podcasts for exclusive benefits: https://patreon.com/newhistoryspain
Subscribe to the YouTube channel for more episodes on Spanish history: https://youtube.com/@newhistoryspain
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