What if 40,000 passionate believers could change history but lacked the one thing that actually mattered? In this episode, Michael Stevens reveals how Peter the Hermit's charismatic preaching sparked the People's Crusade, gathering an army larger than most medieval cities, only to lead them into one of history's most devastating massacres. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • How Peter the Hermit recruited 40,000 followers in just months with zero military experience • Why the People's Crusade turned into a killing spree across the Rhineland, murdering thousands of Jews • The tactical disaster at Civetot that wiped out 25,000 crusaders in a single battle 👤 Perfect for: history lovers who want to understand how good intentions can create absolute catastrophes and why passion without planning leads to disaster. 📍 Chapters: [00:00] Michael Stevens opens with Peter's impossible recruitment numbers [01:45] The preacher who convinced peasants they could conquer Jerusalem [04:20] March 1096: when religious fervor became ethnic cleansing [07:15] Constantinople's emperor watches 40,000 untrained crusaders arrive [09:30] Civetot massacre: how Turkish forces destroyed the People's Crusade [11:45] Why Peter survived when 25,000 of his followers didn't 🔔 Never miss an episode: Follow When Rome Burns on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and turn on notifications. New episodes drop daily, your next favorite historical disaster is one tap away. 🔍 Topics: First Crusade, Peter the Hermit, People's Crusade, medieval history, Civetot massacre

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---------- Keywords: hitler, american revolution, operation citadel, world war 2

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