After the fall of Fort St. Elmo, the full weight of the Ottoman army turns on the twin peninsulas of Birgu and Senglea. Through months of relentless bombardment, underground mining, and massive infantry assaults, Grand Master La Valette and a dwindling garrison of Knights and Maltese civilians fight to hold walls that are crumbling around them, all while waiting for a relief force from Sicily that may never come.

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In the summer of 1565, the Ottoman Empire dispatched an armada of nearly 200 ships and 40,000 men to the Mediterranean island of Malta. Their target was the Knights Hospitaller, a Catholic military order operating as state-sponsored corsairs.

In Part 1 of our two-part series on the Great Siege of Malta, we explore the history between these two factions and how the capture of a single Ottoman galleon triggered a massive invasion. We cover the defensive preparations of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, the divided Ottoman high command upon their arrival, and the grueling, month-long battle for Fort St. Elmo that set the stage for the rest of the siege.

Contact: whatcamebeforepodcast@gmail.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@WhatCameBeforePodcast

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-came-before/id1839699689

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3eRPO23EzaKSZYL7rJ0XPt

Amazon Podcasts:

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7b3c1fc1-8bed-4d81-9989-5d49853557bd/what-came-before

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In the aftermath of Lord Asano’s forced seppuku and the total confiscation of the Akō domain, over 300 samurai are abruptly cast out as masterless rōnin. But behind their peaceful surrender to the Tokugawa shogunate, a dedicated core of retainers has secretly sworn a blood oath of vengeance.

In this episode, we follow former chief retainer Ōishi Yoshio as he orchestrates a brilliant campaign of psychological misdirection, ending with the the meticulously planned, two-hour siege of Kira’s heavily fortified Honjo estate.

Contact: whatcamebeforepodcast@gmail.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@WhatCameBeforePodcast

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-came-before/id1839699689

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3eRPO23EzaKSZYL7rJ0XPt

Amazon Podcasts:

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7b3c1fc1-8bed-4d81-9989-5d49853557bd/what-came-before

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