Raimundus I
”The Crusader”
March 28th 1468 – December 12th 1478
Rhodes, August 1470
Vivanius de Wignacourt was pacing impatiently outside the Council chamber with his helmet under the arm, tapping his marshals baton. The palace in Rhodes city was a bleak and desolte place. No luxury, no style. And Raimindus I hadn't exactly improved things, since he came to power two years ago. He was a pious fool. And easily swayed by stronger wills. What had he accomplished? Nothing! He had payed off the Fuggers last month with Johannes and Johannes Baptistas blood money. That was all.
And now the council had been deep in discussion for days. He did not dare to think about what they were talking. No doubt the ”Crusading Leaguers” were pushing for another war with some weak neighbor. And Raimundus and his supporters wanting to do nothing. What would come out of this?
The door opened, and he was asked to step inside. A dozen serious faces turned towards him. The air was stiffling, smelling old wine and sweat. Raimundus I, a portly man in his late 50ies, was nervoulsy wiping his forehead. ”Marshal. We have orders for you. You are to take the army to Oran, and from there your are to march into Algiers". He spoke in french, his own and Vivanius native language.
Vivanius flinched. Algiers? Castille was waging great war on Algiers. So this was it. The Crusade. But ”march into”?
”There you are to, ahem ...” Raiumndus hesitated, and glanced at Brother Alfons Carrara, one of the leading ”crusaders”. Carrara stared hard at Raimundus, without moving a muscle. This seemd to give him some confidence back. ”You are to help our Castillian friends in what ever way you can, short of open warfare. If, and only if, you can besiege or assault one of the Infidels cities without any risk for the saftey of your forces are you going to do so”. His vocie trailed of.
Vivanius didn't believe what he had just heard. Was this the great Crusade of Raimundus? They were sending him off to war with his hands tied! They envied his glory! This surely was a way to get rid off him! He didn't answer.
Carrara rose, angrily. ”Do you understand, Marshal. Take our troops to Algiers and win whater glory and riches for our cause that you can! This is your orders. They give you the right to declare war in Raimundus name, should you so see fit. Now go!”.
Vivanius stared at the order as if Carrara was holding a viper in his hand, in a sealed envelope. You have given me rope enough to hang myself, he tought, and took the envelope. How am I going to get of this one alive?
Rhodes, June 1472
The streets were lined with cheering people. The whole town was there, clad in their best clother. The bells were ringing and the guns saluting.
Vivanius de Wignacourt marched first in the victory parade, with a black beret in a plucky angle on his head, and a great sword on his shoulder. Behind him came his captains, and the standarbearers: the white cross on red of the Knights, the black-and-white stripes of the Black Band, and the red charging bull on white – his own device. Behind followed two hundred Infidels and the spoils of war, and then the swaggering Black Band in all their glory.
Vivanius couldn't believed that he hade made it. He'd always known he was a great soldier, now he knew that Fortune smiled on him.
He had spent a wasted year in A-Djazir and Tlemcen, watching the Castillian army figthing the Infidels. He had been careful not to do anything at all, sending reports to the Council exaggerating strenght of the Tunisians.
Then the Infidels of Oran rose in rebellion, scattering the weak Portuguese garrisons. The rebells – howling Dervisches all of them – lay siege to the town of Oran, the last garrison. Knowing the great friendship between the Knights and the Portuguese, he decided to crush the rebellion. What could be more simple? He marched on Oran, eager for glory and plunder.
September 4th 1471 he found the rebells lined up in battle order outside Beni Saf. They outnumbered the Black Band three-to-one. Nowdays, when he explained the defeat, he had been outnumbered ten to one. If his foolish – but brave, bless his soul – squire hadn't sacrificed himself, he would have fallen there, to be buried in a sand dune and forgotten.
He didn't report it to the Council. This was what they had wanted all along, the vipers! He could now be accused of having overstept his bounds. He more or less took all present Knights hostage, preventing them from reporting the disaster.
In december he made his second try, after filling the ranks with Castillian deserters and Portugues refugees. The Black Band and the Dervisches met at Sid, 29th december. He lost again! His rumor for invincibility was gone too!
While he tried to get his forces ready for a third attempt – he must win this time, the Council was informed – Oran fell. The rebells went straigth for his army. He was conviced that this was the end. A greasy and wily Castillian general, Fadrique Pimentel saved him. The Castillians had won their war, and on his away home Pimentel and his 2000 strong Tercio arrived at Vivanius camp in Tlemcen. Three days before the Infidel army!
Together they crushed the rebells at the battle of Tlemcen 13th March 1472. The rebell army was destroyd, the booty – including most of the gold and furniture from the palaces of Oran – fell into his and Pimentels hands. He was so shaken by it all that he had stayed in Tlemcen, letting Pimetel retake Oran for the Portuguese.
And today his defeats were forgotten! Raimundus was happy, the Council was happy, the Portuguese and Castillians were happy, his troop were happy. He was a hero again! And the Knights could celebrate their first victory over the Infidels for centuries. The fools! The battle of Tlemcen meant nothing! The Turks could still destroy the Knights if they wanted to. As he marched into the court of the palace to be praised and celebrated by Raimundus and his court, he made a note to remember to move some of his booty to Venice and safety.
Raimundus isn't the best of Grand Masters ...
... but now I'm no longer in dept.
Marshal Vivanius saves his career ...
Exctract from ”The Empires Last Glory – A History of the Byzantine successor states” by Woodrow Bleeker
In october 1471 the old knighly families of the former Duchy of Athens struck their blow against their Greek opressors from Morea. No longer would the bow to king Fransesco IV and his orthodox church! The latin knighthood, scions of the crusaders of yore, rose up in rebellion and threw of the yoke. The fat and lazy Greek garrisions could not withstand their valor, city after city was freed, and the Catholic faith reinstated. Crowning their leader, Nero III, as King of Athens, the Latin knights invaded the corrupt kingdom of Morea the summer of 1473 and conquered them. Now the true Christian faith was practiced over all of Greece.
But the nefarious Knights of St John became nervous about this new power. The peaceful but weak willed Grand Master Raimundus I, mostly known for his ridiculus Tunisian crusade, was talked into declaring war on the kingdom of Athens, instead of allying to fight the common enemy, the Turks.
Marshal Vivanius de Wignacourt and his notorious “Black Band” was despatched to destroy brave Athens. Before setting sail, Vivanius bragged that a fifth king would now have to grovell before him. The Marshal laid seige to Athens, but the fear of Neros army drove him to invade Pelopenessos. The King and the Marshal fought an inconclusive battle at Navplion. The King returned to Athens to bring more troops to the field, but the craven Knights had no stomach for a war against an enemy that could fight back. After a year of warfare, the Knights and Athens made peace. The Marshal is said to have threatened to kill Raimundus I for loosing the oppurtunity to add a fifth king to his collection.
Upheavals in Greece ...
Vivanius wins a battle without the help of Castillians ...
... but must march home without much glory.
