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Arts & Culture

OTTOMANS VERSUS CHRISTIANS: The Battle For Europe

Host Julian Davison looks at the rise of the Russian navy by visiting the historic naval fortresses of Kronstad, in the Gulf of Finland, just outside St. Petersburg, Russia.
Courtesy of American Public Television
Host Julian Davison looks at the rise of the Russian navy by visiting the historic naval fortresses of Kronstad, in the Gulf of Finland, just outside St. Petersburg, Russia.

Airs Monday - Wednesday, April 10-12, 2017 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV

Presented by Julian Davison, OTTOMANS VERSUS CHRISTIANS “The Battle For Europe” travels to the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where the power struggle between Christian Europe and the Muslim Ottoman Empire lasted for centuries.

Featuring interviews with top historians, live reenactments of pivotal events, and visits to historical sites, this three-part series explores a legendary clash of civilizations and its continuing repercussions in the modern world.

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EPISODE GUIDE:

Episode 1: "Dream of Empire” airs Monday, April 10 at 11 p.m. - This episode traces the history of Ottoman influence in the Balkans over four centuries.

Julian’s journey begins in Bursa, the Ottomans’ first capitol city and one of Turkey’s historical gems, where he explores the wealth of early Ottoman architecture and examines the legends, cultural traditions and unique circumstances that helped give birth to an empire.
Courtesy of American Public Television
Julian’s journey begins in Bursa, the Ottomans’ first capitol city and one of Turkey’s historical gems, where he explores the wealth of early Ottoman architecture and examines the legends, cultural traditions and unique circumstances that helped give birth to an empire.

Episode 2: “Vienna – The Golden Apple” airs Tuesday, April 11 at 11 p.m. - This episode focuses on Ottoman advances into Europe in the 15th-17th centuries, climaxing in the second siege of Vienna in 1683.

A display of Ottoman weaponry, Museum of Military History, Vienna.
Courtesy of American Public Television
A display of Ottoman weaponry, Museum of Military History, Vienna.

Episode 3: “The Sick Man of Europe” airs Wednesday, April 12 at 11 p.m. - This final episode explores the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and Tsarist Russia, which resulted in the Crimean War in 1853, dragging in troops from France and England.

Interior photo of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia. The episode opens in St. Petersburg where presenter Julian Davison examines the rise of Russian power under the rule of Peter the Great.
Courtesy of American Public Television
Interior photo of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg, Russia. The episode opens in St. Petersburg where presenter Julian Davison examines the rise of Russian power under the rule of Peter the Great.

Produced by Pilot Film & TV Productions. Distributed by American Public Television.