Spain's Two Greatest Battles: Alarcos and Las Navas de Tolosa

As the 12th century gave way to the 13th, two key battles took place in medieval Spain - the Battle of Alarcos in 1195, and the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. The Almohads of North Africa controlled Al-Andalus, and were committed to the total defeat of the Kingdom of León-Castile. In 1195, King Alfonso VIII led his forces against the Almohad Caliph al-Mansur at Alarcos. Again, the Almohads would face Alfonso VIII in 1212 at Las Navas de Tolosa, but this time the Castilians were joined by the forces of Navarre and Aragon. These two battles would shape the future of the whole Iberian Peninsula.
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Written and narrated by:
J Stephen Roberts
Animated and edited by:
OtherRealm Productions ( / @otherrealmproductions )
Sources for this video:
-Barton, Simon - The Aristocracy in Twelfth-century León and Castile, (Cambridge, 1997)
-Bennison, Amira K. - The Almoravid and Almohad Empires, (Edinburgh University, 2016)
-Bianchini, Janna - The Queen’s Hand, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012)
-Bisson, T.N. - The Medieval Crown of Aragon, (Oxford, 1991)
-Latin Chronicle of the Kings of Castile, trans. Joseph O’Callaghan, (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 2002)
-Lomax, Derek W. - The Reconquest of Spain, (Longman Group, 1978)
-Melville, Charles; Ubaydli, Ahmad - Christians and Moors in Spain: Vol. 3 (Arabic Sources), (Liverpool University, 1992)
-O’Callaghan, Joseph - A History of Medieval Spain, (Cornell, 1975)
-O’Callaghan, Joseph - Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain, (Pennsylvania, 2004)
-Smith, Colin - Christians and Moors in Spain: Vol. 2 (AD 1195-1614), (Liverpool University, 1989)
#MedievalSpain #Castile #Almohads

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Get my book about the Crusades: www.amazon.com/Why-Does-Heathen-Rage-Crusades/dp/152395762X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461105827&sr=8-1&keywords=why+does+the+heathen+rage

[@Alfred_Leonhart]

What mod are you using for Medieval 2?

[@remymelvin6492]

pro trick : watch series at flixzone. Been using it for watching a lot of movies recently.

[@leonidasflynn7116]

@Remy Melvin yup, been watching on flixzone for months myself =)

[@briaralaric3487]

@Remy Melvin Definitely, have been watching on flixzone for years myself :D

[@saguntum-iberian-greekkons7014]

Im happy to see a good narrative on the Spaniards, other videos who seems neutral are still visibly biased and shows the Spanish as monsters or oppressors. You show me you are not like the main anglo-saxon media narrative, thank you so much

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@andre_santos2181]

-Por Gustavo Corção O que era a Espanha em 1931? Um país maior do que a França, mas um país meio esquecido dos outros e quem sabe? de si mesmo, um pouco posto à margem, quase decapitado da orgulhosa Europa. Mas nas suas entranhas, nas profundezas de sua alma trabalhava a nostalgia das grandezas perdidas, a lembrança do século de ouro e conquistas que em 1931 parecem sonhos de exaltação que não se enxertavam bem na substância de uma República que mais parecia um enorme aparelho eletrodoméstico comprado no estrangeiro. E a Espanha espanhola que pela voz de Dom Miguel Unamuno desdenhava os progressos técnicos: "ellos que inventem, ellos que inventem. . .", onde estará concentrado o seu sangue? Quem foi, se não a Espanha, que deu ao mundo outro mundo, um Novo Mundo neste mesmo mundo, glória terrestre por antecipação das glórias do céu? Quem duplicou o espaço geográfico da civilização? o solo da cristandade? E quem mais do que Espanha teve filhos valorosos e filhas ardentes, santos e santas mais incondicionalmente santos e santas? E de onde saíram as duas gloriosas ordens religiosas, uma para cristianizar a Idade Média no princípio de sua decadência, e outra para os tempos modernos desde o início de sua soberba? De Espanha saiu Domingos de Guzmán, o grande asceta que às noites, pelos pecadores impenitentes se flagelava e rugia de dor e de amor; e na Ordem dos Pregadores nasceu o maior "doutor do supremo saber diurno e comunicável", Tomás de Aquino, italiano, espanhol e francês, glória da latinidade, luzeiro da Igreja. Da mesma Espanha saiu para o largo mundo novo e antigo Inácio de Loyola, soldado de Cristo mobilizado para enfrentar os contestatários que se enfeitavam com os ouropéis da Renascença, mas se sustentavam com o leite da Idade Média. E de onde saiu aquele outro "meio frade" na contabilidade espiritual e reformista de Santa Teresa d'Ávila, que também encheria a Igreja com "o supremo saber noturno e incomunicável" das ascensões místicas? San Juan de la Cruz. E de onde veio a força propulsora que atirou por cima dos mares domesticados e por cima da cordilheira dos Andes uma semente dominicana que germinou, cresceu e nos deu uma rosa, Rosa de Lima, odorífera padroeira de nossa pobre América Latina? E quem, como Espanha, resistiu sete séculos às pressões do Islã, defendendo palmo a palmo o solo da cristandade, e nessa mesma guerra nos legou a flor pacífica do mais gracioso amálgama de culturas, quem como Espanha?

[@jeremiahsmith9109]

The Spanish were monsters

[@g.sergiusfidenas6650]

King Pedro seen here would later die fighting against other crusaders led by Simon de Monfort in the Albigensian Crusade, his son would later be the conqueror of Majorca, James the Conqueror of Aragon.

[@231de300]

A todos mis antepasados que murieron por España pensando en que los recordarían por el paso de los siglos , ahí va! Mi Recuerdo y Respeto a ellos

[@jphalsberghe1]

y ahora, a sus descendientes de prepararse a defender Espana

[@ChicagoDB]

Thanks for the video...my ancestor was the Shepard...he was afterwards called "Cabeza de Vaca"...800 years seems not so long ago.

[@SOIV1000]

Great video! Amazingly good! Regards from a History teacher 👩🏻‍🏫

[@houssameddine6885]

Great video , greetings from morocco 🇲🇦

[@ruthc8407]

The Christian shepherd told Alphonso the secret pass through the mountains to Las Navas de Tolosa was marked by the skull of a cow fastened to a tree. After the battle, the shepherd was knighted as Sir Cabasa de Baca (Sir head of the cow). Today, all Cabasa de Baca's and Baca's are descended from this one knight, formerly a shepherd.

[@brucebanner5247]

beautiful history. blessed

[@angelcamachodelsolar]

@@brucebanner5247 It is actually written Cabeza de Vaca.

[@characatogamer7859]

Cabeza de Vaca, write well.

[@justincastillo9345]

¡Santiago y cierra España!

[@christianboulay4722]

Exceptional. Thank you for yet another, magnificent video.

[@sebastiangheorghedan4586]

Could you please do a video about the Bosnian Crusade from 1235-1241? I know it isnt the most interesting topic but I think learning about lesser known events is also good.

[@sebastiangheorghedan4586]

@AK M I`m not very well informed, but from my understanding it was something like this: The Bosnian Church did not obey the Catholic Church and was considered heretic by both orthodox and catholics, so bassically they were in schism. The pope warned them about their rebellious nature, but they did not listen. Then the pope called for a crusade against them and Hungary participated. And I think Hungary left the crusade soon after because they were attacked by the Mongols and had to respond. I think this topic is worth mentioning because it`s one of the main reasons the Bosnians were so easilly converted to Islam during the Ottoman occupation.

[@Elsupermayan8870]

@@sebastiangheorghedan4586 Thanks for that info. I now looked up history of the bosnian crusade here on KZbin, lots of good videos to watch.

[@magatism]

Aragonese, the best investment if there was one.

[@TheSrSunday]

The current coat of arms of Navarre has its origins in this battle. The Navarrese broke the chains that surrounded the Caliph's tent, so not long after the coat of arms was changed to depict those chains. So it is kind of amusing seen the Navarrese in Las Navas using the future coat of arms, :)

[@CharleyBrown69]

Great video my man! Really really good.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thanks!

[@hailchristandmary]

Thank you for your positive narration

[@aitorhernandez7806]

Viva Castilla! Madre de Heroes!

[@doloresozaezvidal8801]

Jaén, no se llamaba así sino Yayyan, la palabra Jaén deriva del latín, su antiguo nombre en latín y se impuso a partir del S.XV: Oringis, Xauen...

[@ChrisChubb4MN]

Hey there star player, the body of Christ is the eucharist, so you might have meant to say, the blood of Christ and the eucharist? I applaud your discipline as you keep grinding out all this content. You're visuals are getting more and more interesting all the time, so thank you for investing the extra effort into video editing.

[@tessartero5758]

King Alfonso VIII of Castile was the husband of Leonor Plantagenet, sister of Ricardo Plantagenet.

[@vernonmwallace7200]

Awesome stuff

[@rodrigogoncalves6165]

I would like to see videos, at least mentioning the participation of the portuguese kings on the Reconquista

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

I've done many on Portugal, especially Afonso I the Conqueror.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2jEnY2waMZof5I

[@rodrigogoncalves6165]

@@RealCrusadesHistory The battle of Salado is extremely interesting because it's one of the few if not the only one where all the christian kings of Iberia participate, and all send armies. Unfortunately the portuguese king participation on that battle is always underated by historians, including today's ones

[@fernandonavas1255]

Very good !!!

[@michelmorio8026]

Will you do videos about the spanish „El Cid“ series that is airing on PrimeTV in December?

[@andrewbatist6355]

i wonder about the estimate number of crossbows and great helms used in this big battles of the iberian peninsula. in the 13th century

[@MundusMeus974]

Nice vid, but I noticed in the dramatisations using Medieval 2, what were the videos being used?

[@alaminero2]

buen video, saludos desde españa

[@TirabintaToktik-hz1lx]

Viva España, Viva Reconquista, VIVA CRISTO REY.

[@TV-fo4fu]

Viva islam

[@nachodiaz2221]

VIVA LA HISPANIDAD!!

[@simba8001]

Great video! Is the animation of the battles made with a game?

[@sapereaude5121]

Medieval 2 Total War

[@andrewbatist6355]

what would be the estimate number of crossbows in this battles ?

[@OGRamrod]

I demand to know what Medieval II mod this is because it looks lit.

[@michaellepp5445]

My God, How many people were named Alfonso ? Seems like everyone. !!

[@percyprickwillow9754]

¡¡¡Santiago y cierra España!!!

[@Zakariya3603]

You guys failed to conquer Algiers with 50,000 men when they had only 6,000 to defend it.

[@percyprickwillow9754]

@@Zakariya3603 Cada uno en su casa y Dios en la de todos. Un saludo.

[@DrMrMonkey]

Is that Mount and Blade?

[@OtherRealmProductions]

Medieval 2 Total War mod Bellum Crucis.

[@DrMrMonkey]

@@OtherRealmProductions Thank you very much, my friend!

[@1986tessie]

Nothing like telling a story with total war medevil 2.

[@starkiler13]

Medievil xd

[@blindenergy6694]

Medieval 2 total war is the game used here for the clips. I have over 2,500 hours on that game lmao

[@fidelgonzalez8145]

And nobody can blame you, it is just an awesome game for history lovers, even when it is a bit too much of a pro English game, but still awesome and fun as hell.

[@abdessalamkifane]

Hello can i know music in this video ? thanks and good work dear

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Which part?

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

And thanks!

[@abdessalamkifane]

@@RealCrusadesHistory All the parts if you can

[@aB-of1nz]

Why do u call aragonese to all forces under king of Crown of Aagon excluding Catalans?

[@adamnesico]

Because the kingdom was called Aragon. You nazionalist ego cant stand to not be mentioned?

[@TheSrSunday]

Wut?

[@moniem52]

Because Cataluña was part of Aragon , Cataluña is just a region . Barcelona was just a county ,

[@inigolopez9806]

España salvó a Europa.

[@supernivemdealbabor]

00:16:05

[@andyreginald6272]

👌

[@patriciajrs46]

How did you find all of this history and all of these names?

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Books!

[@patriciajrs46]

@@RealCrusadesHistory Cool! Very good answer. Reading is great.

[@YasserJabrani]

Almohades🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦

[@ChannelDash24]

Almohads Empire 🇲🇦💪🏻

[@TV-fo4fu]

Not north africa he is Morocco 🇲🇦

[@manuelsanchezdeinigo3959]

Que Viva El Reino de Pamplona y Navarre Que Viva Casa de Jimenez y los Reys de Pamplona Navarre soy Sanchez de Iñigo Banu Sancho!

[@TirabintaToktik-hz1lx]

Christian Crusaders Glory against Pagans and Heathens.