The Crusades

8 cards. Each one is a 40-second story with a five-minute read behind it.

1. The cartoonist who became the internet's most-trolled targetBen Garrison's shift from a traditional graphic artist to a viral political cartoonist sparked a unique digital phenomenon. His work became a playground for internet trolls, leadi…
2. Why inheritance in the Kingdom of Jerusalem was far from stableIn the Crusader states, the typical European pattern of father-to-son succession rarely held. Constant warfare and high mortality rates among male lords meant that lordships frequ…
3. The infamous 'Kill them all' order may be a historical mythIn 1209, the city of Béziers was subjected to a massacre so brutal it became a symbol of religious fanaticism. While legends claim a papal legate ordered the slaughter of everyone…
4. The speech that traded spiritual salvation for a century of warfareIn November 1095, Pope Urban II delivered a sermon in Clermont that would reshape the map of the world. By weaving together religious fervor and the martial ambitions of the nobil…
5. How a debt-ridden king dismantled a powerful religious order with orchestrated arrestsIn 1307, King Philip IV of France launched a coordinated strike against the Knights Templar. Facing massive debts and a powerful rival, he used accusations of heresy and blasphemy…
6. The journalist who was shot in the foot while reportingReporting on civil unrest often requires physical risk. Robert Evans didn't just observe the 2020 George Floyd protests from a distance; he became a plaintiff in a class-action la…
7. The Propaganda Pipeline: How a meme becomes a mainstream news cycleMike Cernovich mastered a specific formula for modern influence: treat conflict as attention and attention as influence. By weaponizing the architecture of our media ecosystem, he…
8. The French noble house that traded crusades for kingdomsFrom a small castle in western France, the House of Lusignan rose to rule across continents. They became the monarchs of Jerusalem and Cyprus, navigating complex web of marriages,…

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