Chapter 78: Succession (1237-1240)
Emperor Toste noted in his personal diary that he had a haircut especially for his recent wedding with Genghis Khan Temujin’s daughter Khorijin, the new Tengri-following Empress of Russia. The wedding reception featured three Emperors. Temujin attended while on his way to a tour of Mongol Anatolia, while Basileus Alexandros was also invited as Toste’s honoured guest. Naturally, great care was taken to keep the Byzantine and Mongol Emperors well separated. [Image from Leonardo Phoenix 1.0, text prompt only]
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Raiding in the Middle East: 1237-40
Under Toste IV, the Rurikid realm had become heavily dependent on constant raiding by its standing army to grow the treasury, due to the high cost of its maintenance and the poorer tax receipts under a rather mediocre emperor – despite the assistance he received from Steward Barid, the ‘Golden Hand of Holmgarðr’.
In late 1237, the raiders were distributed across Palestine and middle and lower Egypt. As was a virulent smallpox epidemic which they had to contend with, keeping them to smaller contingents. At that time, many epidemics were raging through the know world and would continue to over the coming years.
[Image Leonardo Phoenix 1.0]
A number of smaller skirmishes and battles were fought over this period, with only one ending in a defeat: an ‘accidental’ encounter between 3,700 Russians on the way to Syria for another task and an Abazid Emirate army of 4,200 passing through Acre. A prompt organised withdrawal ensured only 173 Russian troops were lost and their main task (more detail below) could continue, which would temporarily divert some of the Imperial Guard armies in the north from raiding until the end of 1239.
Other than that encounter, the rest of the engagements were small and routine. In these years, the raiding spread over into southern Arabia. Overall casualties had been a lower rate than many previous period compared to the number of holdings sacked and gold looted.
The 3rd Byzantine Civil War: 1237-38
Basileus Alexandros’ cruel and tyrannical rule once again stirred his vassals into revolt in November 1237. Though now a forced Germanic convert, the Warrior Queen Eustathia ‘One-Hand’ of Sicily once again rebelled, this time as its leader after refusing to have one of her vassals transferred. And once more, Alexandros was heavily outnumbered.
This time Toste offered to join the war straight away and mustered over 60,000 vassal levies to join the conflict. But messages between the ‘brother Emperors’ crossed in transit, meaning Toste still ended up having to accept a call to arms.
The Loyalists were quickly behind in the warscore
[-12% by 3 December], due to some quick losses and the Rebels controlling all their holdings. The Malian vassal levy of around 2,700 men was called up on 31 December and began a long trek to assist in Byzantine Tunisia. By mid-March 1238 the Loyalists had one a couple of battles but had fallen well behind on balance, partly through lost holdings but mainly due to the rebels controlling all of theirs
[-16.66% and rising out of -29%].
The first Russian troops had arrived in Dorostotum in February then Rama in April, followed by a levy army under Folki attacking a sizeable Sicilian force in Singidounon on 16 April. The Battle of Smederevo was a tough fight but won a month later.
However, the war’s balance had reached a low ebb after another holding loss by the Loyalists
[-42%] by 26 April. A skirmish victory by the Russians against a small Moesian force at Pleven in Nikopolis on 20 May did nothing to arrest this trend though another Byzantine field victory at Podromos did.
By that time, the main initial Russian sieges were in position along the Danube. Over in Italy, a large Russian army was in Ankon; but it too would soon be diverted by another irritation.
On 19 July, the first holding in rebel Rama fell to Russian besiegers and this brought the balance of the war closer to par
[-12%]. The momentum was now turning against the rebellion.
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The 7th Crusade for Italy
The irritation in Italy was another futile Catholic Crusade launch by the current Pope, Hadrianus III, on 3 January 1238. The only forces able to respond were the various militant orders, who still held out in strongholds from France to Italy.
By mid-February four of those orders had concentrated in southern Italy under the leadership of the Teutonic Order and were marching on Rome. The army already mobilised to fight the Byzantine rebels in Italy would now be diverted to deal with these upstarts. An isolated Templar army of 2,100 marching from around Bordeaux would simply be ignored.
Bo’s army of around 13,300 men headed across from Ankon to confront the Crusaders in Orvieto in mid-May. On the way they ran into and destroyed an Epirote rebel regiment of 700 men at Perugia in Spoleto. By 7 June that battle was over and on the 16th Bo struck the Crusaders, who were ably led by some of the Crusader’s leading lights.
The well-armed Crusader army was badly outnumbered and were duly defeated in a three-week battle that dealt the Crusade a terminal blow, with Bo chasing the shattered enemy south to Rome.
However, no more fighting would be needed. The one battle was enough for the Pope to see his folly. Toste, not wishing to drag out the war while already handing another plus a heavy raiding commitment, offered Hadrianus a white peace, which was accepted readily. Another pathetic display by the Papacy. And earning a cool new nickname for the young Fylkir.
The 3rd Byzantine Civil War: 1238-39
The end of short-lived 7th Italian Crusade released Bo’s levy army to resume the Byzantine Rebels. By 31 August the Russians were in Neapolis, Queen Eustathia’s capital. They engaged and destroyed a rebel detachment of around 1,000 men there by 12 September for minimal loss. As they began their siege, Eustathia, commanding her main army of 13,700, was in the process of crossing the Adriatic back to Dyrrachion.
Over in North Africa, the Malian levy army was attacked by a slightly smaller Rebel force in Snassen as they marched east towards Tunis. Despite slightly outnumbering their opponents (2,700 to 2,500), the Russian levies were soundly beaten (losing over 1,000 men to the enemy’s 700). The survivors routed eastwards.
Some small Guard armies had been detached from raiding in Palestine Egypt and had invaded Rebel-held Syria, besieging Tripoli in April, Ba’albeck in May and then Tortosa in October 1238. The small campaign had proceeded without incident until that time, when a vicious combination of poor terrain and overlapping epidemics made even the small armies operating in Tripoli and Ba’albeck unsupportable. By mid-October, the main castle in Ba’albeck had fallen, but none in Tripoli
[warscore even at 0%]. They tried to hold out until the next month so as not to lose their current siege progress and in the hope the conditions would improve.
At the same time, a major confrontation was brewing along the south bank of the Danube. On 21 October, a large Rebel army under Mayor Anatolios had advanced in between the two wings of the Russian besiegers into Naissos and now marched east to attack the levy army encamped in Nikopolis. Prince Bersi responded by breaking his siege in Dorostotum and was due to arrive a week before the enemy in Nikopolis.
Unlike on some previous occasions, the enemy did not stop. Instead, on 28 October they called in another 800 reinforcements who should arrive in Nikopolis eight days after the main rebel body. The stage was set for the largest battle of the war to that point.
By the time the Rebels attacked at Oescus on 9 November, Eustathia herself had taken command. She was opposed by three of Russia’s most accomplished generals, led by Sigtrygg and Prince Bersi. The Russians had the numbers and the most favourable terrain: and the result was a bloodbath for the rebels, who lost well over half their army for only a light toll among the Russian levies.
This one battle was the most significant event of the war so far, swinging it heavily in favour of the Loyalists.
Disease was also playing a role in the civil war, with camp fever, smallpox and slow fever raging in one or more theatres. This forced the withdrawal of the Russians from Tripoli and Ba’albeck in November when the attrition became too much to sustain.
Conditions were so bad in Syria that the Guard army retreating to Russian Al Mafraq had to keep marching south to escape the combination of desert and disease, even on friendly territory.
Back on the Danube, 2,800 Rebel stragglers were unfortunate enough to end their rout from Nikopolis in Rascia in early January 1239, where a Russian army was conducting siege work. Their numbers were halved again before the survivors could escape.
Despite these setbacks, Eustathia was not done yet. After winning a major victory against a Loyalist army in Crimea, the Rebel leader now commanded an army of around 12,000 and in April 1239 sought to attack Sigtrygg’s isolated army of about 7,300 in Dorostotum, where he had returned to complete its occupation after the Battle of Oescus. As Eustathia had to make a river crossing, Sigtrygg was able to escape to friendly Karvuna on the Black Sea coast.
The Queen would continue to retake the holdings of Dorostotum one by one in the coming weeks. But to the west, four Russian armies were taking down the Rebel strongholds of the Danube
[+34% warscore].
Alexandros’ cruelty resulted in his own brother dying in his dungeons in May 1239. This ended the formal alliance between Russia and Byzantium which had been based on a marriage between young Prince Anastasios and Toste’s sister Halla, who now returned to court in Nygarðr. Despite this breakdown, the two continued to fight side by side against the latest rebellion.
After retaking Dorostotum, by September 1239 the Rebels had drawn in reinforcements and marched west to challenge the Russian sieges. The two sides met in Naissos at the Battle of Koprijan on 27 September – however, Russian reinforcements (Sigtrygg’s army, which had moved over and been sitting in reserve in Vidin) arrived two days before the Rebels attacked.
This gave the edge in numbers to Sigtrygg and another even larger victory was won for the Loyalist cause by the end of October. The Rebel war effort was now failing and it was only a short time before negotiations began to end the rising.
A Rebel surrender was concluded on 30 November 1239, ending this latest war against Alexandros’ tyrannical rule. Three major battles, a number of smaller skirmishes and multiple sieges (mainly along the Danube, but also in Tunisia, Neapolis and Syria) had once again seen Russia carry a large part of the effort, though the Byzantines had also been quite active and reasonably effective this time around.
The levies were soon headed back to friendly territory to disband, while the armies in Syria returned to raiding duties in Palestine and northern Arabia.
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Home Affairs: 1237-40
The usual series of minor peasant rebellions broke out during this period. An earlier rebellion in Chortitza (southern Russia) was put down in October 1237, another in Northumbria (April-August 1239) and in Tarragona (June-September 1239): all put down by local vassal forces and the leaders hung.
The only serious revolt happened in the capital itself in April 1239, where over 10,000 angry peasants required the call-out of the surrounding Imperial Demesne levies (reduced due to Toste’s low administrative skills) aided by the nearby large Könugarðr vassal levy.
It took until August for the Russian army to concentrate and then chase down the rebel scum to where they had fled in Torzhok. There, they were cornered and defeated at Scheremenski by King Dag of Könugarðr on 8 September. Their leader was given a particularly grisly send off on the orders of the offended Emperor.
Otherwise, there had been celebrations back in late 1237 with the first Blot of Toste’s full reign. The bonuses it would bestow came in handy in this time of war.
And by June 1238, with the Crusade still in progress, all factionalism within Russia at the imperial level had disappeared. It would remain low throughout the period, even after the Crusade ended. On the religious front, just the one county – Asyut in Egypt in November 1238 – would convert to Germanicism in these years.
One of the most important court appointments – that of Court Physician – saw turnover with another renowned doctor replacing Emund, who had reassuringly lived to an old age and died of natural causes in November 1239. It was hoped Godi Helgi (who required a sign-on bonus to leave his post in Kildare) would not be needed much and if so, would prove just as effective as his predecessor.
As the year 1240 began, the
de jure reach of the Russian Empire was extended further as Volga Bulgaria came under its long-term political sway after a hundred years of being governed from Nygarðr.
With the recovery of the treasury due to continued raiding and more austere recruiting policies, by late May 1240 it was deemed appropriate for the new round of buildings to be begun – all military in nature, at the cost of around 1,100 gold crowns.
With renewed ‘loyalty payments’ to the susceptible members and a longer reign, Toste could command a narrow working majority (with his casting vote) on the Imperial Council.
A new peasant revolt broke out in Corsica on 1 December 1240: it remained to be seen if the King of Aquitaine would be able to get enough troops to this remote location without Imperial assistance.
The economy had been well controlled by Steward Barid in these years. This was due, as mentioned above, by sustained raiding in the Middle east (which was never completely halted, even during the Civil War and brief Crusade) plus a reduction of reinforcement rates for the Imperial Retinue in February 1238, when losses from principally attrition (siege and disease related) and skirmishes saw the monthly deficit rise again.
At the start of 1241, the treasury had almost been rebuilt after the large building spree in May 1240.
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Vassal and Foreign Affairs: 1237-40
The vassal overreach was reduced back to one (18/17) in August 1237 with the transfer of a recently acquired Chief vassal back to then King Bertil of Könugarðr. Further reduction was either not possible or would mean the loss of the powerful Jomsviking Warchief to one of the vassal kings.
Old King Bertil of Skotland died of severe stress in September 1237, succeeded by his son Åke, with whom no non-aggression pact could be formed for now. A few months later, Temujin declared a Mongol conquest against the Pala Empire for the county of Kanj Rustaq. It seemed a lot of trouble to go to for just a single county.
In Palestine, the Merchant Republic of Ferrara added Darum to the Empire by conquest in February 1239. In time, it was hoped the two areas of Russian occupation in the region could be linked by land.
King Örvar of Wallachia died rather prematurely later that month, with the crown of this active marcher kingdom falling to his son Valdemar II.
By February 1239, the Mongols' aggression had finally led to three defensive pacts forming against them: a Christian one (edit: though only the Byzantine Revolt was a member), plus an Eastern pact with three members and a Muslim one with ten. It seemed likely this might constrain further Mongol expansion in the near future.
In the time after Princess Halla’s return from Byzantium (mentioned above), many offers for her hand in marriage by the vassal kings of Russia were received and rejected. She was being saved for grander things, though during this time (for reasons unrecorded in history) a fierce rivalry had grown between her and her Imperial brother.
Another of the ‘old school’ of vassal kings died in October of that year, with Ingemar II succeeding to the Bohemian crown after the death of his father Bagge III ‘the Evil’.
Then on 9 November word came that Basileus Alexandros’ wife had died of ‘poor health’. This was the opportunity Toste and his advisors had been waiting for. The troublesome half-sister Halla was soon proposed and accepted by the Byzantine Emperor as his new match.
This re-established the non-aggression pact but the formal resumption of the ‘Alliance of Brothers’ between the two powers would have to wait. In any case. by now Alexandros was a firm supporter of his Fylkir.
Momentous news came from the east early the following year with the death of the Great Khan Temujin. He was succeeded
[as in OTL] by his son Ögedei. This brought an end to the non-aggression pact between the two expansionist realms and some arrogant words from the new Mongol Khagan, followed by him joining the anti-Russian pact soon afterwards.
Unfortunately for the Mongols, Ögedei had previously been captured in battle by the Pala Empire. This brought about a quick and humiliating treaty ending the Mongols’ attempted conquest of Kanj Rustaq.
The leadership of the Jomsvikings passed out of Rurikid family hands in October 1240 when Prince Birger lost his life to cancer and was replaced by Valdemar af Munsö, who remained a direct vassal of his Fylkir.
Personal Matters: 1237-40
The main personal achievement during this time for Toste was the first reward for the constant raiding done in his name: he became the latest Rurikid Fylkir to be proclaimed a Viking Raider – a particularly useful opinion boost to offset some of his vassals’ political concerns.
“Toste IV – Viking Warrior”, a later portrait, no doubt romanticised, of the simple, frail yet somehow still successful Rurikid scion. [Leonardo Kino XL - Portrait Cinematic format]
Starting in May 1238, Toste took steps to improve his chances of siring an heir. First, he took one of his prisoners the reputed 26-year-old genius Hindu Vijayavati Barkulid, as his second concubine. Then good news came with his first concubine Þyra confirming her pregnancy in March 1239. And to improve Vijayavati’s rather negative opinion, Toste granted her a gift of gold at the same time. While also recruiting a third concubine, the ‘quick’ Tuuli Rova, as his third concubine.
Empress Khorijin (Temujin was still alive at this point) fell ill to a dangerous bout of food poisoning
[-3 health] in September 1239, whose effects were largely offset by the Court Physician’s successful treatment
[+2 health]. It was hoped she would survive this nasty illness.
Þyra would give birth to a healthy and otherwise unexceptional boy on 6 October 1239: Toste now had an heir of his own who when old enough would be schooled in the demands of duty.
Just a few weeks later Empress Khorijin, still suffering from the effects of food poisoning at that time, nonetheless announced she too was pregnant. Alvör was born in May of the following year but perhaps as a result of her mother’s earlier illness was sickly at birth.
The new physician’s ministrations only did moderate good and Alvör’s health would remain a concern in the coming months. In better news, Tuuli Rova also became pregnant in August 1240.
At the start of 1241, the Brother Emperors remained on very good terms. Alexandros was however losing a war for Mesembria against the new King of Wallachia. Toste (under Council advice) was loathe to intervene: after all, it was a way to increase the reach of the Russian Empire without any direct conflict between the two.
So stood the world on 1 January 1241. The Mongols had – for now at least – withdrawn into their shell. And Russia’s recently slowed expansion meant Toste’s perceived threat level had steadily reduced in recent years.
