Les morts EPIQUES de l'Histoire - Nota Bene #35

Summary

Dans cette vidéo, nous explorons les destins épiques de personnages historiques qui ont laissé une empreinte durable malgré des fins tragiques. De la sacrifice d'un empereur, à la bravoure d'un pirate et du courage d'un chevalier, nous revoyons leurs moments de gloire et les circonstances de leur mort. Nous découvrons également les conditions de l'époque qui ont forgé ces légendes, et comment leur héritage a été perçu par les générations suivantes.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Le script parle de moments cinématographiques où des personnages font un sacrifice noble, souvent accompagnés de musique épique.
• 👥 Aristide Aubert Du Petit-Thouars est présenté comme un exemple de personnage qui a vécu de manière audacieuse et est mort héroïquement.
• 🚢 Aristide a mené une vie pleine d'aventures, rejetant un poste dans l'infanterie pour poursuivre sa passion pour la mer et finalement devenant capitaine du navire Tonnant.
• 🔥 Le Tonnant a participé à la bataille d'Aboukir en 1798, où Aristide a été gravement blessé et a choisi de rester sur le navire en dépit de ses blessures.
• 🇫🇷 La bataille d'Aboukir a été un échec pour la flotte française, mais Aristide est resté dans l'histoire pour son courage et son refus de baisser le drapeau.
• 🏰 L'histoire de Jean de Bohême est racontée, un roi chevalier qui a combattu à cheval même en étant âgé et aveugle, ce qui a conduit à sa mort dans la bataille de Crécy.
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁸󠁿 Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard, est un pirate célèbre du XVIIIe siècle, connu pour sa longue barbe et sa réputation de tueur sans pitié.
• ☠️ Blackbeard a mené une vie de pirate, attaquant des navires et inspirant la peur, avant d'être finalement tué lors d'un combat avec des forces royales.
• 🌐 L'usage de VPN est expliqué, permettant d'encrypter ses données et de contourner la censure, avec NordVPN offrant une réduction spéciale pour les abonnés.
• 🔗 Le script contient un lien vers le site de NordVPN pour les abonnés potentiels qui souhaitent profiter de l'offre spéciale mentionnée dans le script.
• 📌 Le script est un mélange d'histoire et de légende, mettant en avant des personnages qui ont vécu de manière spectaculaire et ont laissé une empreinte dans l'histoire.

Q & A

Quel est le thème principal de cette vidéo ?

Le thème principal de cette vidéo est l'exploration de la mort héroïque et de la légende autour de trois personnages historiques : un empereur, un pirate et un chevalier.

Quel personnage est associé à la légende de la Blackbeard ?

Edward Thatch, également connu sous le nom de Blackbeard, est le personnage associé à la légende du pirate.

Comment la guerre de Succession d'Espagne a-t-elle influencé la situation des marins et des corsaires ?

La guerre de Succession d'Espagne a rendu les marins et les corsaires indispensables, améliorant leurs conditions de travail et de salaire. Cependant, la fin de la guerre avec les traités de Utrecht a provoqué une réduction drastique de leur nombre et une détérioration de leurs conditions.

Quels sont les éléments qui ont contribué à la carrière de pirate d'Aristide Aubert Du Petit-Thouars ?

La participation d'Aristide Aubert Du Petit-Thouars à la guerre d'indépendance américaine et sa promotion en tant que lieutenant et capitaine dans la marine française ont été des éléments clés de sa carrière de pirate.

Quelle est l'origine de la famille Du Petit-Thouars ?

La famille Du Petit-Thouars est originaire du département de l'Indre-et-Loire et a été noble en 1714. Elle est issue d'une lignée de militaires.

Comment la bataille de Crécy a-t-elle influencé la légende du roi Jean de Bohême ?

La bataille de Crécy a été le théâtre de la mort héroïque du roi Jean de Bohême, qui a combattu à cheval en étant aveugle et a péri dans la mêlée, ce qui a contribué à sa légende de chevalier héroïque.

Quel est l'effet de la censure sur les sites utiles au public dans les pays occidentaux ?

La censure sur les sites utiles au public dans les pays occidentaux peut limiter l'accès à l'information et restreindre la liberté d'expression, ce qui est perçu comme une violation des droits fondamentaux.

Comment un VPN peut-il aider les utilisateurs à contourner la censure ?

Un VPN permet aux utilisateurs de crypter leurs données et de masquer leur emplacement en ligne, ce qui leur offre la possibilité de contourner la censure et d'accéder à des sites bloqués par le gouvernement.

Quelle est l'offre spéciale pour les abonnés de cette vidéo sur NordVPN ?

Les abonnés peuvent bénéficier d'un tarif préférentiel de 75% de réduction sur une inscription de trois ans avec NordVPN, équivalent à 2,99 dollars par mois, ainsi qu'une garantie de remboursement de 30 jours.

Comment les marins et les corsaires ont-ils réagi à la fin des traités de Utrecht ?

La fin des traités de Utrecht a provoqué une réduction significative des effectifs de marins et de corsaires, ce qui a entraîné une augmentation du nombre de corsairs devenus pirates en raison de la réduction de leurs salaires et de la diminution de la valeur de leur aide militaire.

Quel est le lien entre la situation des marins après la guerre et la montée du piratage ?

La situation précaire des marins après la guerre, combinée à la réduction de leurs salaires et des conditions de vie, a poussé de nombreux d'entre eux à se tourner vers le piratage comme moyen de subsistance et de lutte contre l'injustice perçue.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Introduction et présentation de l'épisode

Dans cet épisode, l'auteur présente un sujet passionnant sur les personnages de cinéma qui sacrifient leur vie pour une cause noble. Il évoque des scènes lentes de films d'action et d'aventure, où les personnages regardent leurs amis pour la dernière fois, laissant une impression durable. L'épisode se concentre sur trois personnages historiques marquants : des empereurs, des pirates et des chevaliers de la Guerre de Cent Ans, dont les sacrifices héroïques sont presque émouvants. L'auteur mentionne également des personnes qui, malgré des pertes physiques importantes, ont continué à vivre avec courage, comme le Chevalier Noir de Monty Python et Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars, un militaire français.

05:02

🏛 Histoire d'Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars

Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars, né en 1760, appartient à une famille de militaires nobles depuis 1714. Il rêve de devenir marin et de voyager le monde, mais finit par intégrer l'infanterie. Aristide n'abandonne pas ses rêves et profite de l'opportunité de la Révolution américaine pour rejoindre la marine française. Il participe à de nombreuses batailles et développe ses compétences. Lors de la campagne d'Égypte menée par Bonaparte, Aristide, commandant le navire Tonnant, se retrouve dans une position historique. Malheureusement, lors d'un combat contre l'amiral anglais Horatio Nelson, il est gravement blessé et fait prisonnier. Aristide meurt héroïquement, refusant de baisser le drapeau de son navire et ordonne à ses hommes de ne jamais abandonner.

10:05

🛡️ La mort héroïque de John de Bohême

John de Bohême, roi de Luxembourg et comte de Bohême, est un chevalier exemplaire, connu pour sa bravoure et son expertise militaire. Malgré avoir perdu la vue lors d'une croisade en Lituanie, il continue de se battre avec courage. Lors de la bataille de Crécy en 1346, John, âgé de 50 ans, mène une attaque désordonnée contre les Anglais, enchaîné à deux autres chevaliers pour être guidé. Malgré sa situation désavantageuse, il combat avec héroïsme, tuant autant d'ennemis que d'alliés dans le chaos de la bataille. John meurt finalement, entouré de cadavres, dans une bataille qui aurait pu prendre une tournure différente si le roi Philippe avait mieux préparé sa stratégie.

15:07

🏴‍☠️ La légende de Blackbeard, le pirate

Edward Thatch, plus connu sous le nom de Blackbeard, est un pirate célèbre du XVIIIe siècle. Il commence sa carrière en tant que corsaire pendant la Guerre de Succession espagnole, mais devient pirate après la fin des hostilités. Il se rend à la Nouvelle-Provence, aux Bahamas, où il rencontre Benjamin Hornigold, un autre pirate. Ensemble, ils capturent de nombreux navires et Blackbeard prend le commandement du Queen Anne's Revenge, un des plus grands navires pirates de l'époque. Il développe une image menaçante, avec une barbe épaisse et des matches allumés dans son chapeau, ce qui lui vaut le surnom de Blackbeard. Malgré sa réputation, il traite ses prisonniers avec respect. Finalement, Blackbeard est tué lors d'une attaque surprise menée par l'amiral Maynard, après avoir été traqué et attaqué sur la plage d'Ocracoke. Il meurt en héroïque combattant, avec plusieurs balles et coupes sur son corps.

20:08

🌐 Conclusion et partenariat avec NordVPN

L'auteur conclut l'épisode en remerciant les spectateurs pour leur soutien et en mentionnant l'importance de la connaissance et de la liberté d'expression. Il rappelle également le partenariat avec NordVPN, un service VPN qui permet de crypter les données et de contourner la censure. Il offre un code de réduction spécial pour les abonnés, ainsi qu'un essai de 30 jours pour évaluer l'offre. L'auteur encourage les spectateurs à profiter de cette offre avant de dire au revoir et à promettre de revenir avec un nouvel épisode de Nota Bene.

Keywords

💡NordVPN

NordVPN est un service de VPN (Virtual Private Network) mentionné dans la vidéo comme partenaire. Un VPN permet aux utilisateurs de crypter leurs données et d'améliorer leur anonymat en ligne, ce qui est particulièrement utile pour contourner la censure ou protéger sa connexion Internet. Dans le script, il est mentionné comme outil permettant d'accéder à des sites censurés comme Wikipedia en Chine.

💡Cinéma

Le cinéma est un art et une forme d'expression qui sert de medium pour raconter des histoires à travers des images en mouvement et du son. Dans le script, le cinéma est évoqué comme un moyen d'émotion et de divertissement, en particulier les scènes lentes et les moments de sacrifice héroïque qui provoquent une réaction émotionnelle chez le spectateur.

💡Héroïsme

L'héroïsme est le qualité de quelqu'un qui est courageux, noble et prêt à faire des sacrifices pour un idéal, une cause ou pour aider les autres. Dans le script, l'héroïsme est un thème central, illustré par les histoires des personnages historiques et de fiction qui ont fait des sacrifices considérables.

💡Guerres

Les guerres sont des conflits armés entre groupes ou nations, souvent pour des raisons politiques, économiques ou territoriales. Dans le script, les guerres servent de contexte historique pour les actes héroïques et les sacrifices des personnages mentionnés.

💡Pirates

Les pirates sont des personnes qui se livrent à la piraterie, c'est-à-dire l'acte de voler ou de s'approprier illégalement des navires ou des biens en mer. Dans le script, les pirates sont présentés comme des personnages fascinants et méconnus, qui ont souvent été romantisés dans la culture populaire.

💡Noblesse

La noblesse est une classe sociale traditionnelle qui occupe une position privilégiée dans la société et qui est souvent liée à la naissance, la richesse et le pouvoir. Dans le script, la noblesse est mentionnée en relation avec les familles et les personnages historiques qui ont joué un rôle important dans les événements historiques.

💡Aventuriers

Les aventuriers sont des personnes qui cherchent l'excitation, l'冒险 et la découverte en se lançant dans des voyages ou des entreprises often difficiles et risquées. Dans le script, l'aventurier est un thème récurrent, incarné par les personnages qui ont mené des vies de découverte et de combat.

💡Circonstances de décès

Les circonstances de décès font référence aux événements et aux conditions qui entourent la mort d'une personne. Dans le script, les circonstances de décès sont utilisées pour illustrer la nature héroïque ou tragique des personnages.

💡Légendes

Les légendes sont des histoires racontées口头 qui ont souvent une base sur des événements ou des personnages réels, mais qui ont été exagérées ou embellies avec le temps. Dans le script, les légendes sont utilisées pour transmettre la mémoire des personnages et de leurs actes héroïques.

💡Censure

La censure est la pratique de restreindre ou d'interdire l'accès à certaines informations, idées ou expressions. Dans le script, la censure est abordée comme une barrière à l'accès à l'information qui peut être contournée en utilisant un VPN.

💡Triomphe

Le triomphe est l'acte de remporter un succès, souvent après surmonter des obstacles considérables. Dans le script, le triomphe est associé aux victoires des personnages sur les champs de bataille ou dans leur quête pour une cause.

Highlights

The video discusses the concept of memorable deaths in cinema and history, focusing on three notable figures.

The first figure is Aristide Aubert Du Petit-Thouars, a French military officer known for his bravery during the American Revolution and the French Revolution.

Aristide's family history and military background are detailed, including his family's noble status and his own experiences in military school and various battles.

The story of John of Bohemia, a king who fought valiantly despite being old and blind, is recounted as an example of an epic death.

The Hundred Years' War is mentioned as a time of great conflict and significant knightly deaths.

The video also explores the life of the infamous pirate Blackbeard, Edward Thatch, and his rise to notoriety in the 18th century.

Blackbeard's tactics of intimidation and his fearsome appearance are discussed, highlighting how he used these to his advantage in battle.

The historical context of the War of the Spanish Succession and its impact on sailors and corsairs is explained, leading to an increase in piracy.

The video describes the transformation of Edward Thatch from a corsair to a pirate, emphasizing his successful exploits and eventual acceptance of a royal pardon.

The attack on Charleston by Blackbeard and his crew is depicted, showcasing their cunning and ruthlessness.

Blackbeard's eventual downfall is detailed, including his fierce last stand and the injuries he sustained during the battle.

The video concludes with a reflection on the nature of epic deaths and the legacy left behind by these historical figures.

The transcript ends with a sponsorship message for NordVPN, emphasizing the importance of VPN services for accessing information and protecting privacy.

Aristide's refusal to surrender the French flag during the battle, even in the face of defeat, is highlighted as a symbol of his commitment and courage.

John of Bohemia's decision to fight on horseback despite his blindness is presented as an act of extraordinary bravery and adherence to chivalric codes.

Blackbeard's strategic use of his fearsome reputation to avoid battles is discussed, illustrating his cunning and the power of perception in warfare.

Transcripts

This episode is sponsored by NordVPN

More about it in the end of the video, in the description or on nordvpn.com/notabene

Enjoy the video

Hello everyone. Maybe like me, you are big fans of cinema

One of my favourite moments in some action or adventure movies is a slow-motion scene when a character sacrifices themselves for a noble cause, the whole thing being done to an epic music

Also, a character may look at their friends for the last time in such a way as if wanting to say something like 'Remember me',

'I love you mates' or 'We had a lot of fun'

So, today I am proposing to look at three guys who left with style

Emperors, pirates, knights of the Hundred Years' War,

in short, protagonists whose heroic deaths almost make you cry, almost...

We all had at least once hurt our toes against a tea table and then were embarrassed about feeling pain from such a trivial thing

Meanwhile, there are also people who, on the opposite, do not pay attention to losing an arm or even one, or two feet

Such people are not super numerous but I have heard of at least two,

the Black Knight from Monty Python and Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars

Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars

Department of Indre-et-Loire represents

The family Du Petit Thouars, bestowed with a status of nobles in 1714, is a family of military servicemen

That is why two of the sons of Gilles-Louis-Antoine, a regiment captain in Rouergue, go to study in a military college in Sarthe

The two are Louis-Marie, born in 1758, who will later become a famous botanist, and the brave Aristide, born in 1760

Both young boys are fascinated by the adventures of Robinson Crusoe

But of the two, Aristide is the most audacious and dreams to sail seas across the world

So much so that at nine years, together with his mate, Aristide tries to leave home and get recruited as a ship's boy in Nantes

The attempt fails though, and the kid is forced to go back to school

Nevertheless, a plan to join the Navy is already well established in the mind of young Aristide

In fact, as we will see, even a bit too much established

For the moment he studies at the military school in Paris

Then gets assigned to the infantry

The idea does not excite him but, since the government did not offer places in the Navy, the boy ends up un in the Poitou regiment

What a luck (said ironically)!

However, Aristide did not say his last word yet

In 1776 the famous explorer and navigator James Cook announces his third expedition

16-year old Aristide immediately volunteers for the journey but unfortunately for him does not get selected

Well, a couple of years later he could indeed take consolation from learning that in that journey Cook was beaten to death by a Hawaiian tribe

And yet, Aristide himself is still confined to the life on the mainland

But that being said, given the way he would actually die, it may have even be better for him to go with the Hawaiian scenario

His golden opportunity comes with the American revolution for independence

Initially this event opposed the American colons and the Brits

And in the matters of messing up with the Brits, nobody, I stress it, nobody is better than the French

So, in 1778 France, led by the young Louis XVI, joins the colons to fight against the British imperialism

Following this declaration of war, a 18-year old Aristide runs to Rochefort, a town with of the largest French arsenals

He sits the exams and can finally embark on a vessel Fendant in the role of apprentice officer

Onboard of this ship, the young, imprudent and impulsive native of Tours takes part in numerous battles in the Atlantics

Brittany, Senegal, the Antilles, he fights in many places until 1782 and never spares his forces

Afterwards, he passes through the Mediterranean, the English Channel and the sea of Marmara, between Balkans and Anatolia

Thanks to all this Aristide significantly improves his skills

Nobody really knows what he did in the beginning of the French revolution but

being a nobleman and an officer on the one hand, and a participant in the American revolution, on another, Aristide somehow manages to traverse this period unharmed

He even gets a promotion in 1792 and becomes lieutenant of a vessel

I will spare you the details of his tumultuous life and simply mention that the guy had some misunderstandings with the revolutionaries and

during the Reign of Terror decided to emigrate

In 1795 he comes back and, as for a former noblemen, is quite well received

He is designated captain of Tonnant, a ship of the line equipped with 80 canons

It is on its board that Aristide will enter into the History

In the early 1796 a young Corsican officer, the future Napoleon Bonaparte, becomes general-in-chief of the Army of the Interior (part of the French revolutionary army)

After that he receives the commandment of a small army, charged to open a diversion front against the Austrians in Italy

It is the start of the super famous Italian campaign in which Napoleon clearly exceeds his goals

Outnumbered by the Austrians, he manages to beat them five times in a row

Victorious, he returns to Paris in 1797

These events make Napoleon very popular, even too popular

Because of this, the Directory, a political body comprised of five directors, decides to push him away from the political scene and

accepts his project to go to Egypt to mess with the English

And it is here that we meet again our impetuous fan of sea and adventures, Aristide Aubert Du Petit-Thouars

Still onboard of the Tonnant, he takes part in an expedition that begins on 19 June 1798 in Toulon and involves 200 vessels and 35000 people

These movements of troops seriously worry the English who do not know yet the exact purpose of the Corsican general

Tormented by doubts, they give a small fleet to a brilliant and brave admiral Horatio Nelson

The bloke saw so much that he lost an eye...and also an arm

In short, he tries to follow Bonaparte and keeps moving to the East

Nelson concludes that the French expedition is heading to Egypt

Certain about being behind the French, he rushes to Alexandria, which, indeed, is the destination of Bonaparte

And on his way, without noticing it, the admiral takes over the Frenchman

Nelson arrives to Alexandria on June 28th and evidently does not find the French fleet there

Then, he sails away to the North in search of Napoleon

Two days later, on June 1st, Napoleon reaches Alexandria and takes control of the city the next day

What a misfortune

He sets the troops onshore and sends them into the famous expedition in Egypt,

whereas his fleet, too large for the Alexandria's port, sails to Abu Qir haven further to the West

When already in Greece, Nelson learns about the takeover of Alexandria, he feels very embarrassed

And not without reason

Thus, Nelson is going to put his rage to the service of the crown

Immediately he goes back to Alexandria and arrives on August 1st

13 ships of the French line, among which the Tonnant, are not there but Nelson does find them in Abu Qir

The French fleet commander Brueys clearly did not do a good work

His ships are badly armed and he did not set out scouts to protect the back side

Consequently, Nelson's arrival catches him off guard and the commander does not know how to go out of this trouble

The enraged Aristide advises to clash with Nelson in the open sea in order to have more mobility

Instead of this, Brueys opts for a united line of combat and thus

leaves several vulnerable places through which 13 Nelson's ships and four frigates will be able to pass

On top of everything, some of French captains did not follow Brueys' orders and further weakened the initial French strategy

And to all this one should add the absence of a third of Frenchmen, away on the ground looking for provisions

So, as you may guess, the start is not good

The battle begins at 6:20 PM

Two French vessels open fire at the time when all their captains are still onboard of the flagship Orient

The engagement quickly turns into a failure for the French fleet

Aristide and his crew fight as savages

They significantly damage the English ship HMS Majestic and

then force into capitulation another one, HMS Bellerophon

Upon the arrival of English support ships, our hero finds himself caught up between two fires

The fire of canons and grapeshot crush his foot and break his leg,

according to other sources, two legs and an arm

It is just a scratch for Aristide who, nevertheless, agrees to go to doctors and promises to be back quickly

Having undergone amputation(s), Aristide hears the explosion of Orient, the flagship

And our guy is not somebody who would hide when the defeat comes close

He does not even let the surgeon finish putting a proper bandage and with great efforts returns back to the ship's deck

Bleeding, Aristide climbs on a sack of cereals and decides to stand straight there

At the same time, without legs, how could he stand?

However, there is no real hope for the victory and their ship starts to sink

For Aristide the situation becomes an opportunity to leave with beauty

Together with his assistant, he decides to stay put in between the fires of the two English vessels, exactly on the axis allowing to protect other French ships

All Tonnant's masts are broken, only the flag mast, in a bad shape, stills stands

The English notice that the French defeat is close and

tell to Aristide that he fought more than enough

In response, the Frenchmen shows them the flag which he had fixed to the remains of the mast

Refusing to put down the flag, Aristide encourages the crew to never give up

Then he starts shouting with all forces, loses consciousness and dies

His last order - to throw his body into the sea so that the English could not take it

The fight is lost but Aristide enters into the History

In fact, almost

Because after him during Napoleon wars there were many others who showed courage before dying

As a result, people kind of forgot this bloke

But respect to you Aristide. We, we did not forget you

Some people tend to be very lucky in the matters of epics deaths

First, being a professional knight is already good

Second, living during the Hundred Years' war is even better because at the time, a lot of people were dropping dead

And third and the best, storming the enemy on a horse when you are old and blind!

Not bad, you agree?

This incredible story is about John of Bohemia and you will see, it is worth your attention

In the early 16th century France is a prosperous country

The most populated European state, it leads a very successful trade, has a huge territory and an unmatched power

French noblemen are the most terrifying fighters, brought up according to the code of honour and knighthood

Used to fight together, they attack their enemies one by one in a frontal opposition and

then, as a rule, take them prisoners to later exchange for ransoms

This style of life offered several advantages: first, the knights made a lot of money, second, they ran a lower risk of being killed

This way everybody was satisfied

But in military combats, personal exploits usually matter more than a collective strategy

Unfortunately, that prosperous period will not last

The climate cooling negatively impacts different plant cultures and

the population growth brings back a threat of famine, not seen since the 12th century

These factors, aggravated by the multitude of plant cultures, grown only to please the palate of the wealthy, leads to the shortages in food staples

Prices grow up, revenues of aristocrats plunge and taxes increase

And whatever is the historical epoch and time, tax increases could not be pleasant

Therefore, both the noblemen and the King would like to start a war

It would give ransoms to the former and suit them well because the money could cover the huge maintenance costs of knights

And the King likes the idea because in case of war he can introduce additional taxes

So, the idea starts to be seriously discussed

Our friends, the English, have a less populated and a less rich country

Military wise, they have progressively abandoned the classical too onerous feudal cavalry and

decided to modernise the army

They opted for a more defensive strategy and a conscription of people poorer than noblemen who

are less equipped but, as archers or crossbowmen, more efficient at long distances

Add to all this a politics of raids (chevauchée) allowing to quickly go and sack a territory of an enemy somewhere far away

And finally, a light cavalry, also not expensive but fast and effective

Some say they nicked these techniques from the Scots who successfully used them against the English during their Second Independence War

In addition, the English also suffer from the cooling climate and the growing population occupying increasingly more agricultural surfaces

For them it is even worse because they need more imports

Also, the English prefer wine to water because the former is safer to drink and

the decrease in temperature makes it impossible to produce wine in the South of Britain, as it was done before

That is why the English need to ship it from the only place they still have in France - the duchy of Guyenne

With regards to the territories, they also envy the French who had stripped them of their Angevin Empire

Normandy, Poitou, Limousin, Anjou, Aquitaine

They lost everything but this small duchy of Guyenne, located at the Atlantic coast

Even more, the French King retains power over the region because the King of England must report to him as a duke

Thus, in such context it is not hard at all to find a reason for conflict

And so it happens that at the time the French have some difficulties with succession

To put it shortly, Philip IV of France dies in 1314. But all is under control because he leaves three sons

His eldest, Louis X, ascends to the throne and marries in a second marriage Clementia of Hungary

As for his first wife, Margaret of Navarre, Louis divorced her because of her infidelity

But all of a sudden, Louis dies in 1316

But it is not a problem: Clementia is already pregnant and gives birth to the new king John I 'the Posthumous', 0:12:17.900,0:12:20.500 who in his turn also dies four days later

As a result, the throne is inherited by Joan of Navarre, first daughter of Louis and Margaret

But there is an issue: the aristocrats do not accept her

They fear that one day some foreign prince would pop up and by marrying Joan would become the King of France

Consequently, the noblemen declare Joan an unlawful queen and after that deport her

30 years later they would justify the decision by a law, described as very old, but which in fact was brand new - the Salic law

It stipulated that the crown can only go to males

As a consequence, the throne would be taken over by Philip V 'the Tall'

But then bang... in 1322 happens a déjà-vu whereby Philip dies and leaves no male children

So the crown goes to Charles IV 'the Handsome'

And he will also die without kids in 1328

One may even think that the guys had conspired to do this

So, the situation became complicated

The noblemen look together for a substitute and have two options:

Edward III, King of England, son of the daughter of Philip 'the Handsome', Isabella of France,

or another option - Philip of Valois, son of the brother of Philip 'the Handsome' - Charles of Valois

They end up choosing Philip who from now on becomes Philip VI

The reason - he had Capetian roots by male line while

in regard to Isabella of France there was a doubt as to whether she could pass on a crown which she herself could not bear

In actuality, the French by all means want to avoid giving crown to a foreign king

The same logic as with Joan of Navarre which we mentioned just now

So, Edward III is quite upset but, nevertheless, does not protest, even when he has to come pay tribute to Philip VI in relation to his duchy of Guyenne

The situation is bad for the self-esteem of Edward and Philip asks a lot from him, but ultimately the thing is just a short nasty moment to live through

But unfortunately, Philip goes too far and, to irritate his cousin (Edward),

he not only supports Edward's rivals - the Scottish noblemen but also

insists on the fact that in Guyenne his power remains supreme

Such statements always deeply upset the English

This is the tipping point

Edward is really a good guy but would not let others do to him whatever they want

He brings up his dynastic rights and the war breaks out on 7 October 1337

In essence, Edward starts it not even for the throne but simply to fix once and for all the nasty claims about Guyenne

During the first years the conflict would be limited to the border territories of the two kingdoms

Edward supports the confrontations with regards to the succession of Brittany while Philip assists the Scottish rebellions

But starting from on 1339 Edward launches super fast raids on the French soil, mainly in Normandy

With a limited but well trained army, he sacks and destroys towns and villages with an incredible speed

The French really struggle to stop him and find it even harder to prevent the English from ruining the country

In a dangerous raid of 1346 Edward approaches Paris planning to capture Calais or Boulogne

But Philip has a larger and better equipped army and succeeds to catch up with the enemy near Crecy on 26 August 1346

On the hill 15 to 20 thousand of Edward's men patiently wait

and on the low land Philip's 50 thousand are stuck together after a day-long march under the baking sun

Then suddenly begins a rainstorm

In the first French franks are Genoese crossbowmen who, unlike English archers, do not protect their bow cords from the rain

Behind them, a cavalry which strongly wants to put the enemy straight and, above all, to capture prisoners for ransoms

Further behind them is infantry, exhausted by the march

A battle that initially looked complicated for the English, reserves in fact some surprises for the French

Following the end of the rain, the archers try to shoot but their cords turn out too be to loose

The French arrows do not fly more than a couple of meters while the well protected English bows wreak havoc

Besides, Edwards uses several gun barrels, in other words, canons, brought along to intimidate the besieged towns

The devices do not cause much damage but spread panic thanks to the fire and bangs they produce

Because of them the Genoese start to retreat

As for the chivalry, it comes under the rain of arrows but cannot move because of the infantry that blocks the way

Finally, the King orders them to massacre the Genoese in order to make their way through the crowd

Meanwhile at the backside there is an old and blind horseman of 50 years of age

When others describe the scene to him, the guy replies: 'It does not start well'

This horseman is the famous John I, King of Bohemia and Count of Luxembourg

Born in 1296, he is descendent of Louis VI 'the Fat' and by extension, a distant cousin of the King of France

John is a perfect model of a king-knight

Actually, he is even more knight than king because

the administration of Bohemia is in fact done by her wife and

John himself comes there only to collect money to fund his new military expeditions

And he is really good at fighting

John is an accomplished horseman, distinguished warrior and great military mastermind

He fought in France, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, everywhere actually

From his early young years John travels Europe in search of battles looking to show his strength and courage

In the matters of chivalry France was a good place. So, John got a lot of experience

But in 1336 he goes for a crusade to Lithuania to convert the country to Christianity

There John catches an ophthalmia, gets a bad surgery and becomes blind,

One must say the blindness does not help the knight to fight

This however does stop John from doing it because later at the age of 50 he would turn up in Crécy, on horse and in armour

He is chained to two other horsemen, tasked to guide the blind John

John would explicitly order to be put in the first rank among his soldiers

So, the bloke begins a chaotic attack of the French cavalry willing to show to the infantry what it means to fight with honour and courage

Contrary to the English, the French need to advance with the sun beaming right in their eyes

Only John does not have such problems because he is already blind

I am trying to see a positive side of the situation

One ought to be able to get by with little

Thus, the finest French cavalry charges the enemy but fails to overturn the English archers who

from behind the barrier cover the French horses with a rain of arrows

While the French can't wait to take prisoners, the English do not give a donkey about it

Being far from their base, they would take a huge risk by breaking ranks and going to lift up a fallen horseman from the ground

As a result, the battle takes on a chaotic nature and lasts until the late night

Nobody notices where they shoot or strike which is particularly true for John who kills as many allies as enemies

Personally, I find it easy to picture how the two blokes leading his horse shout to John:

'To the right John. Damn, to another right...'

In short, it is here that, surrounded by corpses of enemies, John would pass away

Covered with injuries, he entered the long list of victims of this miserable day, which

would have ended differently if Philip had prepared a better strategy instead of running away like a coward

At least, the old John who was the same age as the King of France, did not run away

It was a true knight death

However, as you have probably understood, such death is definitely not incompatible with a stupid death

Black beard

One of the best ways to be remembered after your death is to have a terrifying legend about yourself

A legend that would pass from generation to generation

The issue here is that such legend could lead to a brutal end

But as they say: you don't get anything for nothing

This is exactly what happened with Edward Thatch or Teach

You did not hear of him?

It is not surprising since this was probably a borrowed name

However, he is much more known by a physical attribute which gave him his nickname

I personally can be proud to share this attribute with him

Looks like you, my viewers, have really perverted minds

I am now talking about Blackbeard. You surely know this guy, at least by name

But I am telling straight away, no need to compare him with Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Sails or even Assassin’s Creed

This story will be a tad less gruel, more venal but still as exciting as those three

We are in the beginning of the 18th century, the golden time of capitalism and triangular trade

Never before there was so much profit generated

Never before there existed such a high disparity between ordinary farmers or sailors and wealthy property owners or traders

Plenty of farmers get ruined and deprived of their lands by their creditors and lords

And confronted with an increasingly expensive and hard life, more and more farmers have no choice but to enter the royal navy where

they work in horrible conditions and earn peanuts

You take hopeless guys and turn them into even more hopeless

The outcome: you get super-hopeless guys who dream of a better world and a more human life

Some of them even whisper the words 'rebellion' and 'piracy' but few cross the line up until now

On another side, although not on their peak, the royal retaliations are already violent

Thus, many people in the royal British navy decide to settle for what they have

In addition, their situation would slightly improve

And still, one has to consider the extent of this improvement and what would it take for the sailors to get it

Because as you know well, winning in one place we loose in another one

In 1701 the War of the Spanish Succession breaks out

It opposes the majority of European monarchies, such as France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Great Britain and others

This war also takes place on the sea because at the time a lot of resources and wealth come from colonies and foreign trade

Consequently, sailors as a class become absolutely indispensible

The recruitment figures are high and the living conditions (salary and food) improve

In short, they are treated with care

Taking advantage of their position, many sailors see in this career an opportunity to become corsairs,

that is sailors who have a right to beat royal enemies in the name of the king

The powers that be vividly encourage such aspirations

Corsairs are for them a great cheap labour with whose help they can mess up with neighbours

However, all goods things finish one day

Thus, in 1713 two treaties of Utrecht put an end to this war

Many people, namely wealthy owners and traders, are happy about this while

sailors and corsairs are quite upset

The consequences for them are very dramatic

Their salary decrease, sometimes by a half, and the food portions are reduced as well

Since their help is now less valuable, the employers more often abuse them physically

The numbers of sailors also go down significantly

Imagine for a second that in 1712 the Royal navy had 49 860 sailors

And two years later in counted only 13 470, almost three times less

All this means that everybody was comfortable and happy to continue the war

Since in their lives most of them did nothing else but fight, many sailors decide to remain in the business

After all, as some said, that peace was not really valid because nobody asked the sailors' opinion

At first, there are crowds of corsairs forced into unemployment and who

keep assaulting their former enemies notwithstanding the peace agreement

At the same time, they never attack the country they served earlier

They call themselves corsairs, not pirates

The guys have principles after all

It is in this time that we first hear the name of Ed Thatch

Similar to many pirates, little is known of his life before his bandit exploits begin

Some say he was born in Bristol, others - in South Carolina

Or maybe even in Jamaica in about 1680

Able to read and write, he even probably came from a privileged family because

such skills were not frequent at the time

Having come to the Caribbean in the late 17th century, he becomes a corsair during the War of Spanish Succession

He performs very well in this conflict and

later, as many other sailors, refuses to work in the navy or the trade fleet for a ridiculous salary

Thus he becomes a pirate

In the early 17th there is no better place for a pirate than an island New Providence in the Bahamas

People said its capital, Nassau, had almost 800 bandits living in the city

So Thatch reaches the island a bit after 1713

In 1716 he meets an already established pirate Benjamin Hornigold

Hornigold takes Blackbeard on his ship and quickly gives him the role of assistant

Together they navigate the sea and Hornigold allocates him a separate sloop onboard of which Blackbeard quickly achieves remarkable results

Later in November 1716 the two capture Concord, a huge slave transporting vessel, whose commandment goes to Thatch

This huge vessel, the largest of all the pirates had, is renamed Queen Ann’s Revenge

To its native 20 canons, the guys add 20 others

It gives to the pirate ship an incredible fire power which the English can't counter

It is at the same period that Thatch leaves Hornigold whose

crew found that Blackbeard was not pirate enough because he refused to take on British ships full of goods on the account that he was himself British

What a newbie!

By the way, for the record, Hornigold himself would later accept a royal pardon and after that begin chasing pirates

A real traitor

As for Thatch, he would find another partner with whom he would capture approximately 18 ships - Stede Bonnet, known as 'the Gentleman Pirate'

Also, it is then that Blackbeard starts building up his appearance

According to available sources, the guy did not have violent attitudes

We know, for instance, that he did not abuse his prisoners

But this fact did not prevent Blackbeard from getting others believe the opposite and,

from convincing rivals to capitulate without a fight, which was the preferred scenario of most pirates

Tall and broad shouldered, the guy had a long and thick beard that covered the face up to the eyes

Sometimes, Blackbeard would wrap his beard in all sorts of rags which he would then light up

He would wear a big black hat and put burning matches beneath it,

he would also wear large boots reaching to the knees as well as a huge, often red, coat

So, people start calling him Blackbeard and

attribute to him atrocities he probably had never committed

And, as expected, many of his preys, capitulate without fighting

You see, the setting decides everything

Blackbeard would go on to travel the seas and build a strong fleet

With this fleet he would attack Charleston, then Charles Town, in May 1718

Based on the sources, the purpose of the attack was, among others, to get medicines for the treatment of his crew and other bandits

What a kind guy! Nothing else to say

Then at the peak of his fame, the bloke would sink Queen Ann’s Revenge on a sandy spot

He does it on purpose because for a guy willing to keep a low profile his vessel becomes too much of a trouble,

as do some members of his crew whom he also abandons on small islands

Because yes, there comes a moment when our pirate calms down and accepts a royal pardon

It is, of course, not good for his legend but

stay sure, this situation would not last long

Besides, the smaller is the crew, the larger are the parts it gets

You know, I told you at the beginning that this story is gonna be venal

So, Blackbeard returns to his activity but this time does it in a more or less legal status

At the time the region of North Carolina had a governor called Charles Eden

The region is less wealthy than the neighbouring South Carolina and Virginia and the governor Eden is less picky about origins of the traded goods

He does not hesitate to do business with pirates

So, Thatch keeps travelling and is based on Ocracoke Island

He even marries a 16-year old daughter of one planter, a girl 20 years younger than him

In such context we can difficultly imagine how the quietly living Blackbeard could find an epic death

Know then that his evil activities covered by the governor and the judge of North Carolina become seriously disturbing

Some colons would even directly complain to Virginia's governor Alexander Spotswood who decides

to put an end to such situation

The governor would seize an opportunity and use two passing-by frigates, Lyme and Pearl, with their best sailors and the commander, lieutenant Maynard onboard

Spotswood orders them to go to Ocracoke and capture Blackbeard or kill him

Since he does not govern that territory, the operation is clearly outside Spotswood's competence

But it is not a problem for him. The bloke just does not care

Meanwhile Blackbeard does not seem to worry about this threat

Together with his limited crew he keeps partying on Ocracoke's beach and

even does not think about running away

However on 21 November 1718 the men get surprised by two small approaching sloops

They open the fire on the ships

The strike is particularly deadly because Maynard apparently had lost in it 20 people (a third of his crew)

In spite of this, Thatch himself has only 20 men, 25 at most

Maynard reaches the pirate and the inevitable boarding of the ship is gonna be super bloody

Being on his vessel Adventure, Blackbeard prefers to advance and confront Maynard's sloop

He throws ahead some grenades and rushes into the battle together with his last supporters

But then other attackers pop up at the hold of the ship and encircle the pirates

Fallen in the trap and aware of the imminent end, all of them fight like lions, especially Thatch

Burning matches and cords light up Thatch's beard and hat allowing the guy to fire the numerous guns he used to carry in battles

Moreover, with his dagger Blackbeard cuts everything around him and even breaks Maynard's sabre

Hurt many times, the pirate nevertheless does not seem to lose his force

He swears like a devil until a sabre pierces his throat

He keeps fighting a bit afterwards but, attacked from all sides, finally falls down

Maynard decapitates him and hangs his head on the bowsprit

However, before throwing the body of the nasty pirate into the sea, Maynard counts the injuries

The terrifying Blackbeard received five bullets and 20 to 30 more or less serious cuts

Blackbeard was like Chuck Norris of his time

The only difference is that Chuck will never die

That is it my friends

This episode distanced itself from stupid deaths even if at times the line between the epic and the absurd was hard to see

In any case, I still have material for at least one video but

if you have something to suggest, write in comments and I'll see what can be done

This episode was co-written with Fréd from the channel Herodot'com

Feel free to check out his channel if you like pirates and crusades

I promise, you will find your happiness there

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