Medieval Europe: Knights, Kings, and Brutal Survival — Fexingo History

Epizode

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  The Knight's Silent War: Armor as Prison 05.10.2026 9min

  We often imagine medieval knights as invincible warriors clad in shining steel, but the reality of survival in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries was far more complex. This episode explores the hidden dangers that lay beyond the battlefield, focusing on the bureaucratic and social traps that ensnared even the most noble families. We examine the life of Jean Le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, whose career illustrates how chivalric reputation could become a financial death sentence. Through the lens of his experiences, we uncover the role of the gabelle salt tax and the billon coinage crisis in undermining knightly finances. Lucas traces how these economic pressures forced knights into precarious debt, while Luna helps us understand the human cost of maintaining an image of wealth that no longer existed. Together, they explore how the very codes of honor that defined medieval society contributed to its slow unraveling. #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #MedievalKnights #Chivalry #Gabelle #Billon #PipeRolls #GeoffroiDeCharny #FeudalEconomy #MedievalHistory #14thCentury #15thCentury #FrenchNobility #MilitaryHistory #HistoricalFinance #SocialHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Last Stand: Death at Agincourt 04.10.2026 9min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as an invincible warrior, but the reality of 1415 was far more complex and tragic. In this episode, we examine the Battle of Agincourt through the eyes of those who survived it, focusing on the chaos that unfolded when the heavy armor became a liability rather than protection. We discuss the specific roles of commanders like Charles d'Albret and the Duke of Alencon, whose decisions led to disastrous bottlenecks in the narrow battlefield. We also explore how chroniclers like Jean De Wavrin and Enguerrand De Monstrelet recorded the horror of the slaughter, including the controversial orders given by Henry V regarding the killing of prisoners. This isn't just about archers; it is about the collapse of chivalric ideals under the pressure of mud, panic, and numerical disadvantage. By looking at the Pipe Rolls and the financial aftermath, we see how the battle reshaped not just the map of Europe, but the very definition of nobility and survival in the Hundred Years War. #Agincourt #HundredYearsWar #MedievalHistory #HenryV #CharlesdAlbret #DukeOfAlencon #JeanDeWavrin #EnguerrandDeMonstrelet #Chivalry #KnightArmor #BattlefieldTactics #MedievalFrance #EnglishArchers #PipeRolls #MilitaryHistory #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #15thCentury Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 03.10.2026 11min

  In Episode 250, we peel back the gleaming surface of medieval chivalry to reveal the brutal arithmetic of survival. While previous episodes explored logistics, siegecraft, and the hidden costs of armor, this conversation focuses on the psychological and physical reality of the battlefield’s most elite warriors. We examine the specific mechanics of how a knight’s reputation was built not just on victory, but on the terrifying prospect of capture and ransom. The episode details the life of Sir John Hawkwood, a condottiero who navigated the precarious balance between mercenary work and noble status, and explores the legal frameworks like the Statute of Labourers that tried to freeze social mobility in the wake of the Black Death. We also look at the tragic figure of Jean de Vienne, whose naval strategies against the English were hampered by internal political fractures in France. Through the lens of these individuals, we uncover how the code of chivalry often clashed with the economic necessities of war, creating a world where honor was a currency as volatile as silver. #MedievalHistory #Knights #Chivalry #BlackDeath #JohnHawkwood #JeanDeVienne #StatuteOfLabourers #Mercenaries #Condottieri #Feudalism #Ransom #Battlefield #Armor #France #England #14thCentury #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Black Death and the End of Feudal Chains 02.10.2026 10min

  In Episode 249, we step away from the battlefield to confront the true force that dismantled medieval Europe: the Bubonic Plague. While earlier episodes explored the mechanics of chivalry, armor, and siegecraft, this conversation examines how the pandemic of 1347–1351 shattered the demographic balance that sustained the feudal order. We trace the arrival of the disease through Sicilian trade routes and its rapid spread across Marseille, Paris, and London. Lucas details the catastrophic mortality rates that killed up to half the population in certain regions, creating a labor shortage so severe it empowered surviving peasants to demand wages rather than serfdom. Luna probes the social reactions, from the Flagellants’ self-flagellation rituals to the brutal repression of the Peasants’ Revolt in England and the Jacquerie in France. Together, they explore how the sheer scale of death forced kings and lords to rewrite the rules of survival, ultimately accelerating the decline of serfdom and laying the groundwork for the early modern economy. #BubonicPlague #BlackDeath #1348Pandemic #FeudalismEnds #PeasantRevolt #Jacquerie #EnglishRevolt1381 #WalterOfCobham #StatuteOfLabourers #MarseilleOutbreak #SicilyTradeRoutes #Flagellants #MedievalDemographics #LaborShortage #SerfdomDecline #JohnOfValois #RichardIIEngland #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights and the Hidden Cost of Chivalry 01.10.2026 14min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a paragon of virtue, but the reality was far more transactional. In this episode, we explore the hidden economic machinery behind chivalric identity. We look at how knights like Jean Le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, managed their finances through complex debt traps and royal taxes like the gabelle. We discuss the role of the Pipe Rolls in tracking these debts and how the billon coinage facilitated daily survival for the warrior class. This is not just about bravery; it is about bankruptcy, inheritance laws, and the brutal arithmetic of maintaining a noble status in fourteenth-century France. #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #MedievalEconomics #ChivalryCosts #PipeRolls #GabelleTax #BillonCoinage #GeoffroiDeCharny #MedievalDebt #FrenchKnights #14thCenturyHistory #NobleFinance #FeudalSystem #WarfareLogistics #HistoricalResearch #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #Europe Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Hidden Debt Trap 30.09.2026 9min

  We often imagine medieval knights as wealthy warriors, but for many, the life of chivalry was a financial trap. In this episode, we explore the hidden economics behind the armor and the horse. We look at how men like Jean Le Maingre and Geoffroi de Charny navigated a world where honor came with a steep price tag. You will learn about the gabelle tax, the billon coinage used to pay ransoms, and how pipe rolls reveal the true cost of maintaining a noble status. We also examine the billet system and how knights funded their campaigns when royal support fell short. This is not just a story about swords, but about ledgers, loans, and the brutal reality of survival in a cash-poor economy. #MedievalEconomics #KnightlyDebt #GeoffroiDeCharny #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #GabelleTax #BillonCoinage #PipeRolls #ChivalricCode #MedievalFinance #FeudalSystem #RansomCulture #ArmorCosts #HorseMaintenance #14thCenturyEurope #15thCenturyEurope #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Last Stand: Death at Agincourt 29.09.2026 5min

  On October 25, 1413, the air above Agincourt was thick with mud and blood. We explore how Henry V’s victory wasn't just about longbows, but about a catastrophic collapse of French chivalric discipline. Lucas and Luna examine the specific decisions by Charles d'Albret and the Duke of Alençon that turned a tactical advantage into a massacre. You will hear about the compression of the battlefield, the failure of the rear ranks to advance, and the grim reality of the final moments for knights who found themselves trapped in their own armor. This episode moves beyond the legend of the English yeoman to look at the fatal structural flaws in the French command structure and the psychological shock that broke an entire generation of nobility. #Agincourt #HenryV #CharlesdAlbret #DukeOfAlencon #FrenchNobility #EnglishLongbow #MedievalWarfare #BattlefieldTactics #Chivalry #15thCentury #HundredYearsWar #JeanDeWavrin #EnguerrandDeMonstrelet #CulturalHistory #MilitaryHistory #Knights #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights and the Hidden Cost of Chivalry 28.09.2026 6min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a paragon of virtue, but the reality was far more transactional. In this episode, we explore how the code of chivalry was less about moral purity and more about economic survival for the nobility. We look at the financial ruin that followed even successful campaigns, focusing on the gabelle tax in France and the billon coinage that inflated costs for soldiers. Lucas and Luna discuss how knights like Jean Le Maingre and Geoffroi de Charny navigated a system where honor came with a heavy price tag, leading many to engage in predatory lending and mercenary work just to keep their estates solvent. #MedievalHistory #Knights #Chivalry #GeoffroiDeCharny #JeanLeMaingre #Gabelle #Billon #Boucicaut #PipeRolls #MedievalEconomics #Nobility #Feudalism #Taxation #Coinage #France #England #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 27.09.2026 7min

  We often imagine medieval knights as gleaming heroes, but the reality of combat was far more claustrophobic and dangerous. In this episode, we explore the hidden perils of plate armor, focusing on the work of Giovanni da Imola and Johannes Schilling. We examine how the heavy Milanese armory pieces, like the Kunstglocke bell helm, turned warriors into prisoners of their own protection. Lucas and Luna discuss the deadly physics of arrowslits, the terrifying sound of the Hundertjahriger Krieg, and how these innovations in warfare created a silent war within the battlefield. This deep dive reveals the brutal survival tactics required when your gear becomes a cage. #MedievalHistory #KnightsOfEurope #GiovanniDaImola #JohannesSchilling #MilaneseArmory #Kunstglocke #HundertjahrigerKrieg #PlateArmor #Arrowslits #WarfareHistory #ChivalryMyths #BlackDeath #14thCentury #15thCentury #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #EuropeanHistory #MedievalLife Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 26.09.2026 7min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as an invincible warrior, but the reality of wearing plate armor was far more complex and physically demanding than popular culture suggests. In this episode, we explore the hidden physical toll that full harnesses took on men like Jean Le Fèvre and Guillaume de Lalaing, who had to endure extreme heat, limited visibility, and suffocating weight during campaigns. We examine how the evolution of Milanese armories created suits so effective they eventually became literal prisons, trapping their wearers in moments of crisis. Through the writings of Giovanni da Imola and the technical insights of Johannes Schilling, we uncover how knights managed basic needs like eating, drinking, and even relieving themselves while encased in steel. This conversation peels back the shine of chivalry to reveal the brutal, sweaty, and vulnerable human beings beneath the metal, offering a fresh perspective on medieval survival tactics that goes beyond battlefield heroics. #MedievalHistory #PlateArmor #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #MilaneseArmory #Chivalry #KnightsOfEurope #GiovanniDaImola #JohannesSchilling #HundertjahrigerKrieg #MedievalWarfare #HistoricalResearch #FexingoHistory #ArmorCraft #KnightLife #MedievalDailyGrind #HistoryPodcast #HumanCost Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Medieval Knight's Hidden Debt Trap 25.09.2026 7min

  We often imagine medieval knights as wealthy warriors, but their survival hinged on a precarious financial system that few discuss. This episode explores the 'billon' coins used for daily wages and the crushing 'gabelle' taxes that forced even nobles into debt. We examine how Jean Le Maingre and Geoffroi de Charny navigated these economic pressures, using letters of marque and strategic marriages to keep their estates solvent. The conversation also looks at the Pipe Rolls, which reveal the true cost of maintaining a household and an armorial wardrobe without going bankrupt. By focusing on the merchant class and the papal bankers who funded these campaigns, we see how chivalry was often just a carefully managed business venture. You will learn about the specific mechanisms of credit in fourteenth-century France and England, and how a single failed raid could erase generations of wealth. #MedievalEconomics #BillonCoins #GabelleTax #JeanLeMaingre #GeoffroiDeCharny #PipeRolls #FourteenthCentury #ChivalryCost #MedievalDebt #NobleBankruptcy #HistoricalFinance #FeudalSystem #MedievalHistory #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #KnightLife #MedievalWarfare #EuropeHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 24.09.2026 9min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a symbol of chivalric glory, but by the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, heavy plate armor had become a logistical nightmare. This episode explores how the evolution of full plate harnesses transformed mobility into a struggle, turning warriors into vulnerable targets of heat, exhaustion, and mechanical failure. We examine the lives of Jean Le Fèvre and Guillaume de Lalaing, whose diaries and chronicles reveal the brutal reality of donning fifty pounds of steel in summer campaigns. Through the lens of the maison dieu — those charitable institutions that helped knights mount their horses and manage their gear — we uncover the hidden infrastructure required to keep these armored men alive. From the suffocating heat inside the cuirassier’s helm to the sheer physical toll of daily combat drills, this story strips away the romance of the battlefield to reveal the sweat, strain, and silent suffering behind every joust and charge. #MedievalArmor #PlateArmor #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #Chivalry #MaisonDieu #Cuirassier #ChapeauDeFer #MedievalWarfare #KnightlyLife #15thCentury #Burgundy #Feudalism #MilitaryHistory #ArmorSmiths #HorseTransport #CombatExhaustion #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Siegecraft: The Trebuchet's Deadly Physics 23.09.2026 7min

  We explore the brutal engineering behind medieval siege warfare, focusing on the counterweight trebuchet that reshaped castle defenses in the thirteenth century. Lucas and Luna dissect how this machine replaced torsion-based catapults to hurl massive stones with terrifying consistency. We look at the specific contributions of engineer John de Le Riva and the defensive innovations like herringbone masonry designed to withstand such bombardment. From the mechanics of the sling release to the psychological terror it induced inside besieged walls, we uncover the silent war between attacker and defender. This episode moves beyond the romance of chivalry to examine the cold, hard physics of survival, diet, and destruction during sieges like those at Berwick upon Tweed and Stirling Castle. You will learn why armor became a prison and how logistics determined victory long before swords were drawn. #Trebechet #SiegeWarfare #MedievalEngineering #JohnDeLeRiva #HerringboneMasonry #StirlingCastle #BerwickUponTweed #Counterweight #MedievalHistory #Castles #MilitaryTech #EdwardI #RobertDeLuke #Chivalry #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalEurope #Warfare Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 22.09.2026 5min

  We often romanticize the medieval knight as a paragon of virtue, but behind the polished armor lay a system built on crushing debt and legal exploitation. This episode examines the economic reality of chivalry through the life of Geoffroi de Charny, author of the influential 'Book of Chivalry,' and the broader financial mechanisms that kept the warrior class afloat despite constant warfare. We explore how the gabelle salt tax in France and the billon coinage crisis forced nobles into cycles of borrowing and forfeiture. By looking at the Pipe Rolls and the memoirs of Jean Le Maingre, we see how knights like Boucicaut navigated a world where honor was expensive and bankruptcy was just a bad harvest away. This is not a story of glorious battles, but of ledgers, loans, and the quiet desperation of maintaining status in a changing economy. #GeoffroiDeCharny #BookOfChivalry #MedievalEconomics #GabelleSaltTax #BillonCoinage #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #FeudalDebt #MedievalKnights #ChivalricCode #France14thCentury #PipeRolls #NoblePoverty #HistoricalFinance #MedievalHistory #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 21.09.2026 9min

  We often imagine knights as paragons of honor, but the reality was a crushing economic machine. In this episode, we explore how the chivalric code was less about morality and more about maintaining a status that cost more than most lords could afford. We look at Geoffroi de Charny, author of the 'Book of Chivalry', who wrote his manual while dying from plague wounds, urging other nobles to seek glory even if it meant bankruptcy. We examine the financial mechanisms like the gabelle salt tax and billon coinage that funded these wars, and how Jean Le Maingre, known as Boucicaut, navigated the treacherous waters of mercenary contracts and feudal loyalty. This is the story of how medieval society burned through its wealth to preserve an ideal that was rapidly becoming obsolete. #GeoffroiDeCharny #JeanLeMaingre #Boucicaut #MedievalKnights #Chivalry #HundredYearsWar #FeudalEconomy #Gabelle #Billon #MedievalHistory #EuropeanHistory #MilitaryHistory #14thCentury #15thCentury #Nobility #Warfare #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights: The Hidden Cost of Chivalry 20.09.2026 12min

  We often imagine medieval knights as noble warriors in shining armor, but the reality of their daily lives was far more complex and often grim. In this episode, we explore the economic and social pressures that shaped knighthood beyond the battlefield. We look at how knights like Sir Geoffroi de Charny navigated a world where honor was constantly weighed against debt, ransom, and survival. From the rigorous training of young squires to the brutal economics of prisoner ransoms during the Hundred Years' War, we uncover the gritty underbelly of chivalric culture. Lucas and Luna discuss the financial ruin that could strike even the most celebrated heroes, the role of women in managing estates while husbands were away or captive, and the legal frameworks that attempted to regulate violence among the elite. This is not just a story of swords and shields, but of ledgers, loans, and the human cost of maintaining a status that demanded both bravery and wealth. Join us as we peel back the layers of myth to reveal the vulnerable, indebted, and very real men behind the armor. #Knighthood #MedievalHistory #Chivalry #HundredYearsWar #GeoffroiDeCharny #RansomEconomics #FeudalSystem #MedievalArmor #SquireTraining #PrisonerExchange #EuropeanMedieval #WarfareHistory #SocialHistory #Nobility #MedievalLife #BattleOfPoitiers #CaptivityCosts #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight's Silent War: How Armor Became a Prison 19.09.2026 9min

  We often imagine medieval knights as agile warriors in gleaming plate, but the reality was far heavier and more complex. In this episode, we explore the physiological and tactical constraints of full harness armor during the late Middle Ages. Lucas and Luna discuss how the weight distribution of Milanese plate armor actually improved mobility compared to earlier mail, yet created new vulnerabilities in close quarters. We examine the role of the valet de chambre, the specialized servants who maintained this expensive equipment, and the tragic cases where knights were trapped by their own gear during battles like Agincourt. This story moves beyond the battlefield to look at the daily grind of maintenance, the economics of armories, and the human cost of technological evolution in warfare. #MedievalArmor #MilanesePlate #Agincourt #KnightlyLife #WarfareHistory #JeanLeFevre #GuillaumeDeLalaing #ChivalricCode #BlackDeathAftermath #HundredYearsWar #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #MedievalStudies #MilitaryTech #PlateMail #ValetDeChambre #CastleLife #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight Who Starved: Medieval Survival Tactics 18.09.2026 6min

  We look at the logistical nightmare of medieval warfare, focusing on Thomas Erpingham and Henry IV's campaign. We explore how pipe rolls reveal the true cost of a chevauchée, contrasting the romantic image of chivalry with the grim reality of rationing, supply lines, and the strategic burning of villages to deny resources to enemies. This episode examines the administrative backbone that allowed knights to fight, using primary sources like those recorded by Jean Froissart to understand the daily grind of survival. #ThomasErpingham #HenryIV #Chevauchee #PipeRolls #JeanFroissart #MedievalWarfare #SupplyLines #Logistics #Chivalry #England #France #15thCentury #MilitaryHistory #Feudalism #Rationing #BurningVillages #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  The Knight Who Starved: Medieval Survival Tactics 17.09.2026 6min

  We often imagine medieval knights as invincible warriors in shining armor, but their reality was a constant battle against hunger, disease, and logistical failure. In this episode, we explore the hidden mechanics of survival on campaign, focusing on the brutal winter of 1385 when Henry IV’s forces faced not just the Scots, but starvation itself. We look at the life of Sir Thomas Erpingham, who managed supply lines with military precision, and the grim diet of hardtack, salted pork, and weak ale that sustained them. We also examine the controversial decision to burn villages for resources, a tactic that broke chivalric codes but ensured survival. Through the eyes of chroniclers like Jean Froissart and administrative records from the Pipe Rolls, we see how logistics, not swords, decided many conflicts. Join us as we uncover the unglamorous truth behind the romanticized image of knighthood. #MedievalHistory #KnightsOfEngland #HenryIVOfEngland #ThomasErpingham #LogisticsInWar #MedievalDiet #Hardtack #SaltedPork #Chevauchee #ScottishBorders #1385Campaign #PipeRolls #JeanFroissart #MedievalSupplyLines #ChivalryCode #Ravaging #CastleSiege #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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  Medieval Knights and the Art of Feigned Flight 16.09.2026 11min

  We often picture medieval knights as rigid, honorable warriors charging headlong into battle, but this episode reveals a more complex reality: the strategic use of feigned retreats. We explore how commanders like Genghis Khan’s generals and European nobles employed deception to break enemy lines, turning what looked like cowardice into a lethal tactical trap. Through the lens of battles at Płowce and Yassa, we examine the psychological warfare that defined medieval combat. You will learn about the boyars who panicked, the disciplined formations that held firm, and the cultural clash between rigid chivalric codes and flexible battlefield tactics. This is not just about swords and armor; it is about the mind games played in the dust and chaos of war. Discover how a simple turn of the horse could save an army or doom one, and why historians have long underestimated the sophistication of medieval military strategy. #MedievalWarfare #FeignedRetreat #Knights #MilitaryStrategy #Płowce #Yassa #GenghisKhan #Boyars #Chivalry #Deception #BattlefieldTactics #MedievalHistory #HorseArchers #HeavyCavalry #PsychologicalWarfare #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast #WarHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo