This update's pretty long, mostly to make up for yesterday's short one and because I wanted to get to Bavaria gaining its independence.
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Chapter Two: Free at Last!
The duchess of Toscanna, a fiercely anti-German woman, has declared herself independent from the Holy Roman Empire and now stands ready to fight for her independence. She calls loudly for her Italian brothers and sisters to throw off their chains and join her in her most glorious revolt. None of them answer her call. Instead, the oppressed Dutch in the north revolt against the Empire in the form of the Duchy of Lower Loraine. With them, they take the rich sea side cities and much of the Empire's trade.
As the world burns around him, Otto von Nordheim, duke of Bavaria watches and waits. Otto has made it know he has no love for the Empire and its current emperor, but he's not stupid enough to declare his independence, as Toscanna and Lower Loraine did, without the backing of several other duchies.
That same year, the Emperor proposes a personal alliance between Otto and himself. Otto, still on the fence about who will come out on top of the civil war, refuses to ally himself with one side. The Emperor makes threatening noises from his capitol in Franken, but ultimately realizes that anything more threatening than noises could prompt Bavaria to leave the Empire all together.
Otto turns his attention inward, focusing instead on the duchy's needs. First thing that needs solving is what to do about raising his youngest daughter Ida. Otto, true to his nature, sends her off to be raised by the local barons.
Next, news arrives that the forestry in Oberbayern has been finished. With the money the forestry is now generating, Otto is able to start construction on a court of justice in Kempten.
The Duke of Austria has recently been speaking favorably of the rebels, going so far as to say God is on their side. Hoping to gain some backing, he asks for an alliance with Bavaria. Still unsure of the winner, Otto politely refuses.
With or without Bavarian backing, the duke of Austria is intent on revolting, and a week later declares himself for the rebels and severs ties with the Empire.
The Duke of Swabia is next in line to ask for Bavarian backing. Otto refuses.
Swabia declares itself for the rebels a week later, following Austria's example.
Otto seizes the chance to make good the promise he made to Count Friedrich: he declares ware on Schwaben, fully intent on adding it to the duchy of Bavaria. The Duke of Swabia comes to his vassal's defense once again, by declaring war on Bavaria.
Troops are raised, and a grand offensive is put into action. The plan calls for the quick occupation of Schwaben to split Swabia in half, and to occupy the Duke's personal lands to stop aid from reaching Schwaben.
News reaches Otto that the Emperor has laid claims on Schwaben to spite Otto for not accepting his offer of an alliance. It's now a race to see who can bring Swabia to its knees faster.
Otto's off to a good start, as an army under him enters Ulm, Swabia's capitol, and does battle with the Duke of Swabia himself. Otto shows great courage and valor by charging a line of mounted spearmen and breaking them with nothing but the strength of his arm. This breakthrough allows Bavarian troops to storm through the Swabian line and rout the Swabian dogs.
The count of Schwaben is feeling the heat, as Schwaben is laid to siege, and is quick to offer peace. His offer is refused.
The Duchy of Provence joins the rebels, draining Imperial troops that could be spent putting down the Italian revolts, which have grown worse.
The Duke of Swabia offers peace, after being routed from Württenburg. His offer is refused. The war with Swabia will not come to an end until Schwaben is ours!
With Castle Schwaben nearly fallen, Count Friedrich attempts to repulse the Bavarian army, but is instead caught and forced to give up the title of Schwaben to Otto, as well as pay some hefty tribute.
Otto sends a peace deal to the Duke of Swabia, demanding a small tribute. The peace is seen as rather mild, and the duke is quick to accept, grateful to only have to fight one enemy, instead of two.
Otto turns his attention inward once again. He gives his son-in-law the title to Schwaben.
Otto has returned home just in time to see the court of justice he commissioned a year ago be finished. Using the tribute he received from the war with Swabia, he orders training-grounds be built.
Next he settles a dispute between the nobility and the clergy over hunting rights. News has reached him that the Pope is none too happy with his lack of donations to the Mother Church, so Otto sides with the clergy in an attempt to appease the Pontiff.
Startling news reaches Otto a week later. It seems that with it cut in two, Swabia stood no chance against the Holy Roman Empire, and fell to the Imperial armies. But what is shocking is the fact that the Emperor, instead of letting the Duke rejoin the Empire after doing penance and paying much tribute, had instead decided to keep the title of Duke of Swabia as well as add the old duke's land to his own! This does not bode well...
Otto is feeling backed into a corner and gladly accepts an alliance proposed by the King of Denmark between his kingdom and the duchy.
Otto continues to build bridges, marrying his son and heir Heinrich to the daughter of the king of England. Besides increasing relations between the Kingdom of England, any children Heinrich has with his new wife will be part of the line of succession for the kingdom of England, as well as for Bavaria.
Now that Heinrich has reached his majority and has a wife, Otto feels it's time he had some land of his own so that he can learn the basics of governing for when he takes the throne of Bavaria.
Though the Empire may be in flames, not all is bad, as Otto falls madly in love with his wife.
The training-grounds are finished at the beginning of 1071. Lacking anything new to build, Otto relaxes for a little while.
Well, not all that long. The ex-duke of Swabia flees to Otto's court and begs him to declare himself for the rebels. It seems that while Otto has been improving Bavaria, the Emperor has won several victories over the Italian and Dutch rebels and has been adding their lands to his all the while. Perhaps even more disturbing is that the Emperor has burned several prestigious nobles whom have suggested that the rebels may have a point. Going even farther, the Emperor has shut down the Reichstag, the body of nobles that elects the Emperor of all Romans, and has changed the laws so that his son will be the next emperor!
Otto realizes that Bavaria still doesn't have a chance against the full might of the Empire, but knows that if Bavaria stays with the Empire any longer, it runs a real chance of being absorbed by the Emperor. So, instead of declaring himself for the rebels or the Emperor, Otto declares Bavaria neutral in the conflict, allowing him to leave the Empire in peace, while still keeping him on speaking terms with the rebel dukes.
It is said that Emperor Heinrich flew into a rage when news reached him Bavaria had declared itself neutral, effectively leaving the Empire. Without Bavaria, the remaining routes into Italy had been halved, forcing reinforcements for the Imperial armies in the area to slow to a trickle. The Emperor's first reaction was to declare war on the rouge duchy, but his advisors were able to convince him the backlash alone would cause the Empire to collapse. For now all the Emperor could do was plot and scheme of ways to get Bavaria back into the Empire...
But Otto cared for none of this. As far as he cared, the Emperor and all his armies could be damned, because for the first time in a very long time, Bavaria was free. Free from annoying overlords. Free from paying taxes to a liege who cared nothing about it. Free to choose its own future.
