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Besieged Fortresses, Battles of Legend

4 episodes 96%4KCC

Four medieval strongholds become the stage for faith, strategy, and siege warfare.

Examine how crusading knights and Ottoman armies fought to control four of the medieval world’s greatest fortresses. Across prolonged sieges, shifting tactics, and rival commanders, the series reveals how walls, weapons, and belief shaped legendary battles. It is a rewarding watch for anyone drawn to military history at its most intense.

Episode guide

4 episodes
1
1Acre: Clash of the Titans
When Saladin invades Jerusalem, Philip Augustus and Richard the Lionheart put their rivalry aside to fight for Saint-John of Acre, a highly strategic port in the Holy land. At the head of 25,000 men, the former enemies take on the Sultan in the first battle of the Third Crusade.
50 min
2
2Rhodes: The Ultimate Battle
Despite an overwhelming force of 180,000 men, the Ottomans, led by Soliman are unable to shake the fortifications of Rhodes. They then organize a massive maritime blockade and an underground mining mission. Will it be enough to infiltrate the island and defeat the Knights Hospitaller?
50 min
3
3The Great Siege of Malta
Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, wants total control of the Mediterranean Sea. Only the island of Malta, home to the militant order of the Knights Hospitaller, stands in his way. In their fortress, 1700 Christian knights now face an armada of 300 galleys and 35,000 men.
50 min
4
4Constantinople: The Emperor’s Last Stand
Constantinople, the jewel of the Byzantine Empire, has stood for a thousand years. Now, Sultan Mehmed II leads an army, and a stunning new superweapon, against this last remnant of Christianity in the East. But Emperor Constantin XI knows his fortress and will fight to the death to keep it.
50 min
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