Medieval Europe's Forgotten Christian Genocide

Kings and Generals animated documentary series on the medieval history and history of the crusades continues with a video on the Albigensian Crusades. What happens when a crusade for faith becomes a war for conquest? In this video, we explore the brutal Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) — one of the darkest and least-known chapters in medieval Europe. Launched by Pope Innocent III to eradicate the Cathar “heresy” in southern France, it spiraled into decades of massacres, sieges, and political betrayal. From the massacre at Béziers and the fall of Carcassonne, to Simon de Montfort’s ruthless campaigns at Minerve, Lavaur, and Toulouse, this crusade turned neighbor against neighbor and reshaped the map of France. Witness the tragic fate of the Cathars at Montségur, where the last believers were burned alive, and the rise of the Inquisition that followed. Combining faith, fanaticism, and ambition, the Albigensian Crusade reveals how religion was weaponized to forge empire. Join us as we uncover the forgotten holy war that consumed Languedoc — a conflict that began in the name of God and ended in fire and ash.