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Why do people fight? Throughout history, armies have waged war for a wide variety of reasons: the need for security, the hunger for territory, the drive of ideology and the dream of glory. Sometimes, though, it’s all about the money. In this month’s cover feature, popular historian Dan Jones revisits the era of the crusades to consider whether the medieval holy warriors were motivated more by God or gold. You’ll find his article on page 20.
The power of money is something we also need to factor in when considering the rise of the Nazis in 1930s Germany. Despite their ruthlessness, Hitler’s National Socialists did not seize control unaided, and owed much of their success to allies among the country’s wealthy conservative elite. To explore this story, I interviewed Dr Stephan Malinowski, contributor to a major new BBC Two documentary series about how some of Germany’s most influential figures unwittingly assisted the rise of the Third Reich. Turn to page 26 for that.
One of this autumn’s major historical TV dramas will be shining the spotlight on Russian empress Catherine the Great. Helen Mirren is due to play the lead in the Sky series, and it will be interesting to see how far the script follows the negative rumours that surround the 18th-century ruler. Catherine is frequently viewed as a sex-crazed tyrant, but is this a fair reflection of her reign and achievements? On page 54, Professor Janet Hartley re-examines some of the most grievous charges against the empress. I hope you enjoy the issue.
Rob Attar Editor
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS
Dan Jones My new book, Crusaders, explores how wealth, faith, piety and greed swirled together in the clashes between Christian and Muslim rulers during the Middle Ages. It’s my pleasure to give readers a taste of it here. Dan evaluates the lucrative business of war in the Holy Land on page 20
Estelle Paranque It was during my PhD that I became fascinated by the unexpected alliance between Elizabeth I and Henri III of France. I had to dig deeper, and finally discovered how complex and compelling their diplomatic relations were. Estelle relates the tale of an unlikely royal friendship on page 40
Tom Holland Jan Žižka – the one-eyed inventor of the tank – and his army of Taborites have always seemed to me the most fascinating of medieval heretics. They foreshadow so much: from the Reformation to the French Revolution. Tom tells the story of medieval Europe’s proto-communist utopia on page 46
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