-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
It got attacked by a very determined Spain, while simultaneously attempting to fend off a surprisingly good Bosnia (AI). After watching early gains get taken away, he released a number of vassals, stealing a page from France's strategy guide for the game. Given the France is a CRT up on everyone, I expect Venice will shortly be trouncing anyone who doesn't like gondoliers roaming the Italian Peninsula.Adam Breit said:It got raped, but I have "nice" plans for it
ADAM: What is that map of England about? I can't figure it out to save my soul; "vassalized in 1560"??
DSYoungEsq said:It got attacked by a very determined Spain, while simultaneously attempting to fend off a surprisingly good Bosnia (AI). After watching early gains get taken away, he released a number of vassals, stealing a page from France's strategy guide for the game. Given the France is a CRT up on everyone, I expect Venice will shortly be trouncing anyone who doesn't like gondoliers roaming the Italian Peninsula.
ADAM: What is that map of England about? I can't figure it out to save my soul; "vassalized in 1560"??
5's are 4's
Vienna June, 1453:
The door opened with a creak. Inside, the heavy curtains upon the windows cut down the bright Austrian summer's day light, leaving the room a hazy, shadowed area with half-seen furniture, except for the candle-lit desk at the far end. As Minister Jüng approached the desk, his eyes made out the figure of a half-boy, half-man seated there. The boy-man nervously played with a quill pen, and pretended to look "regal," not quite failing or succeding in his effort. Minister Jüng was aware that another person was present; a man standing at one window, looking without interest past the curtains toward some unseen thing. This man had features which were mimiced in the face of the boy-man behind the desk. But while the boy-man was entitled to the crown which lay on the desk, the man at the window was entitled to the name "ruler." Minister Jüng knew the air of detached indifference was a sham; it was Ulrich Cillei to whom his report would be given, regardless of to whom it was addressed.
Minister Jüng reached the desk and bowed to the boy-man, clicking his heels. It was hard not to smile as he did this, but the intense look on the face of the adolescent in front of him prevented more than a slight upturn of his lips at the corners. At a nod from the Duke-King, the minister took a seat at the desk, setting his maps, papers and such down. Ladislaus, called Posthumus, King of Hungary, Duke of Austria, soon to be King of Bohemia, glanced nervously at the figure of his uncle by the window, and then said to his chief minister, "Well, Herr Jüng, what news and plans do you have for me?"
Jüng handed across to the young teen king/duke a paper wordlessly. The boy-man looked at it, pretending to study it carefully, but from his expression the minister gathered the impression the young monarch was more interested in the paper itself; re-introduced only a few generations earlier from the heathen Arabs, it was still a wonderous substance, and perfect for the type of report which the boy/man was now failing to comprehend. A cough from the window was followed by a deep voice suggesting, "Why don't you give us the highlights, Duglas?"
"Very well, Herr Cillei. The news I bring is not good. The Turks have finally taken Constantinople. The pretender Emperor, Constantine, was killed in the defense. The Turks now have nothing to stop them from taking most or all of the Balkans, and it will not be long before Hungary is feeling the pressure of their advance, I fear."
The boy-man-duke-king rose in anger. "This cannot be allowed! We must do something about it right away!"
"Sit down, Ladislaus," the man at the window said. "The Turks are hardly at our doorstep. Hunyadi will deal with it." He waved a hand dismissively.
Jüng pursed his lips. "While true, I would think we should give thought to that sector, perhaps by sending some ..."
The young king/duke, glancing at his guardian, interjected, "I forgot myself. No, we are agreed, my regent in Hungary, Hunyadi, will deal with the Turks." He sat back down with an air of confidence which did not fool the minister. Clearly, Cillei had the boy under his thumb and intended his rival, Hunyadi, to receive no help. Jüng knew this would only cause trouble later, but, in truth, there were plenty of other things to do.
"Still, your Highness, it is worrisome. German lands begin to be squeezed from both sides. Surely you understand the implications of the successes Charles of France is having against the English?" He paused expectantly and looked at the young lad, who shifted nervously and peered at the paper as if it would have not only facts, but logic for him to parrot.
The man at the window dropped his air of indifference. He strode across to the table, poked around among the items Jüng had deposited upon it, and plucked out a fine map, drawn on a largish sheet of the new paper, with colored borders and detailed labels. "The situation in the West is our main trouble, Ladislaus. If Charles "the Good" (here he snorted in contempt) falls to the French, then the Franks will have everything up to the Rhine in their possession. Italy cannot help but fall to them, and all these silly princes and dukes and counts that make up our "Empire" will not stand, either." The disdain in his voice was not concealed at all. "We must do something soon, or you will be reduced to ruling Czechs and Hungarians. The Holy Roman Empire must become a reality, not simply a name."
The minister deferentially addressed the older man. "Do you intend, then, to go through with plan we discussed earlier? Expansion to the north? Swallow the princelings and dukes and counts and electors and so forth? Crown Ladislaus King of Bohemia later this year?"
The boy stood at once. "I will say what we do; I am King and Duke here." It fooled no one. "We will go on as planned. The Turks can wait. Venice will help us," (here the older man nodded confidently, with a secret smile) "and we can't cross their stupid lagoon with an army anyway. We must take the north and make it ours."
The minister stood. "As you wish, Your Highness. It will be as you say." Irony did not quite drip out off his tongue. "Remember, we will not be able to annex the states to our north politically, not right away. The Doge and the Polish king have made clear that they will not tolerate such expansion at this time. They will have to be our 'vassals', instead. Bavaria first, as agreed." He bowed, and turned to go. The plan was a good one, and as for Cillei, he could always be "promoted." Governor of Hungary, perhaps, should Hunyadi fail. Maybe then he would comprehend the threat in the south.
The door opened with a creak. Inside, the heavy curtains upon the windows cut down the bright Austrian summer's day light, leaving the room a hazy, shadowed area with half-seen furniture, except for the candle-lit desk at the far end. As Minister Jüng approached the desk, his eyes made out the figure of a half-boy, half-man seated there. The boy-man nervously played with a quill pen, and pretended to look "regal," not quite failing or succeding in his effort. Minister Jüng was aware that another person was present; a man standing at one window, looking without interest past the curtains toward some unseen thing. This man had features which were mimiced in the face of the boy-man behind the desk. But while the boy-man was entitled to the crown which lay on the desk, the man at the window was entitled to the name "ruler." Minister Jüng knew the air of detached indifference was a sham; it was Ulrich Cillei to whom his report would be given, regardless of to whom it was addressed.
Minister Jüng reached the desk and bowed to the boy-man, clicking his heels. It was hard not to smile as he did this, but the intense look on the face of the adolescent in front of him prevented more than a slight upturn of his lips at the corners. At a nod from the Duke-King, the minister took a seat at the desk, setting his maps, papers and such down. Ladislaus, called Posthumus, King of Hungary, Duke of Austria, soon to be King of Bohemia, glanced nervously at the figure of his uncle by the window, and then said to his chief minister, "Well, Herr Jüng, what news and plans do you have for me?"
Jüng handed across to the young teen king/duke a paper wordlessly. The boy-man looked at it, pretending to study it carefully, but from his expression the minister gathered the impression the young monarch was more interested in the paper itself; re-introduced only a few generations earlier from the heathen Arabs, it was still a wonderous substance, and perfect for the type of report which the boy/man was now failing to comprehend. A cough from the window was followed by a deep voice suggesting, "Why don't you give us the highlights, Duglas?"
"Very well, Herr Cillei. The news I bring is not good. The Turks have finally taken Constantinople. The pretender Emperor, Constantine, was killed in the defense. The Turks now have nothing to stop them from taking most or all of the Balkans, and it will not be long before Hungary is feeling the pressure of their advance, I fear."
The boy-man-duke-king rose in anger. "This cannot be allowed! We must do something about it right away!"
"Sit down, Ladislaus," the man at the window said. "The Turks are hardly at our doorstep. Hunyadi will deal with it." He waved a hand dismissively.
Jüng pursed his lips. "While true, I would think we should give thought to that sector, perhaps by sending some ..."
The young king/duke, glancing at his guardian, interjected, "I forgot myself. No, we are agreed, my regent in Hungary, Hunyadi, will deal with the Turks." He sat back down with an air of confidence which did not fool the minister. Clearly, Cillei had the boy under his thumb and intended his rival, Hunyadi, to receive no help. Jüng knew this would only cause trouble later, but, in truth, there were plenty of other things to do.
"Still, your Highness, it is worrisome. German lands begin to be squeezed from both sides. Surely you understand the implications of the successes Charles of France is having against the English?" He paused expectantly and looked at the young lad, who shifted nervously and peered at the paper as if it would have not only facts, but logic for him to parrot.
The man at the window dropped his air of indifference. He strode across to the table, poked around among the items Jüng had deposited upon it, and plucked out a fine map, drawn on a largish sheet of the new paper, with colored borders and detailed labels. "The situation in the West is our main trouble, Ladislaus. If Charles "the Good" (here he snorted in contempt) falls to the French, then the Franks will have everything up to the Rhine in their possession. Italy cannot help but fall to them, and all these silly princes and dukes and counts that make up our "Empire" will not stand, either." The disdain in his voice was not concealed at all. "We must do something soon, or you will be reduced to ruling Czechs and Hungarians. The Holy Roman Empire must become a reality, not simply a name."
The minister deferentially addressed the older man. "Do you intend, then, to go through with plan we discussed earlier? Expansion to the north? Swallow the princelings and dukes and counts and electors and so forth? Crown Ladislaus King of Bohemia later this year?"
The boy stood at once. "I will say what we do; I am King and Duke here." It fooled no one. "We will go on as planned. The Turks can wait. Venice will help us," (here the older man nodded confidently, with a secret smile) "and we can't cross their stupid lagoon with an army anyway. We must take the north and make it ours."
The minister stood. "As you wish, Your Highness. It will be as you say." Irony did not quite drip out off his tongue. "Remember, we will not be able to annex the states to our north politically, not right away. The Doge and the Polish king have made clear that they will not tolerate such expansion at this time. They will have to be our 'vassals', instead. Bavaria first, as agreed." He bowed, and turned to go. The plan was a good one, and as for Cillei, he could always be "promoted." Governor of Hungary, perhaps, should Hunyadi fail. Maybe then he would comprehend the threat in the south.
Excerpts from Die Geschichte von Österreich by D. Stewart Young, 1572 ed.:
Beginning shortly after the Fall of Constantinople, the Austrian Dukes, or, as they styled themselves, Arch-Dukes (Erzherzöge, a title confirmed by the HRE in 1453 to Ladislaus Posthumus), increasingly sought to extend their influence and control over the principalities and electorates of central Germany. Starting with the declaration of war upon Bavaria in December of 1453, the central German states were slowly vassalized; Bavaria (1455), Wurtemburg (1456), Würzburg (1461), Anhalt (1476) and Helvetia (1479) all came under Austrian control. Saxony escaped this fate only because of bickering between Bohemia and Austria over who actually controlled the Saxon capitol.
This German-oriented expansion caused troubles for the Dukes at home. Ladislaus' uncle, Ulrich Cillei, effectively controlled the young Duke-King. Instead of working to unite Bohemia, Hungary and Austria, Cillei focused on re-forming the Germanic "Empire," a task which had confounded German "Emperors" since shortly after Charlemagne. Austria gave no help or heed to Hungarian efforts to slow Turkish expansion, and left the Bohemians to stew over their religious differences. Cillei became Governor of Hungary in 1456; he was slain shortly thereafter and the Austrians were chased out of Hungary. Ladislaus died shortly thereafter (23rd November, 1457), probably poisoned by Hussite agitators in Bohemia. The Hungarians chose Matthias Corvinus to rule; Bohemia accepted their Hussite regent as king. The Habsburg uncle of Ladislaus, Frederick V, Holy Roman Emperor, became the new "Arch-Duke" of Austria, cementing the Germanic influence and delaying for some time the consolidation of the lands the unfortunate boy-king had held.
However, at the time, this was not seen as a problem. Under Frederick, Austria prospered. A fine Acadamy of the Arts was opened in Vienna in the 1460's, which drew artists and musicians from around Europe. Under the able ministry of the Jüng family, Austria consolidated its revenue functions; this centralization of governmental functions allowed increased revenue to flow into Vienna. Slowly, an attempt was made to professionalize the infantry, though the mountainous nature of the Germanic lands militated against efforts to raise and train a solid core of cavalry. A strong friendship with Venice was established; Austria engaged Spanish troops briefly in 1480 in defence of the lost cause of Venice in Italy. And the surprising failure of Charles VII of France to consolidate his gains after the end of the war with the English prevented the establishment of a dominant Frankish power to the West.
During the 1480's, the gains of the earlier wars were consolidated. Through a funneling of bribes and gifts to client states, Wurtemburg and Würzburg were annexed to the Duchy diplomatically. War with Brandenburg to the north was averted when the Margrave withdrew his troops from Anhalt; his claims that the "war" was started by his vassal, Saxony, did not receive much approval from the crowned heads of Europe. Austria appeared ready to achieve control over the southern portion of the Holy Roman Empire peacefully.
However, at this point, Frederick began to adopt a more aggressive stance toward his client states. Bavaria, still unhappy that it had lost the province of Ansbach in 1455, refused all efforts at a diplomatic union with the Duchy. Austria declared war upon its vassal, subduing the Bavarians in 1486. This effort lead to a series of wars with various German states, which kept Austria involved in wars through 1490. Mainz was annexed in 1488; Baden vassalized in 1489. Austria then paused to take a breath. With the last years of his life, Duke Frederick attempted to consolidate his gains and build up the Austrian state; a refinery in Ostmarch finished in 1492 is an example of the type of good works accomplished in this period.
With his death in 1493, and the accession of Maximillian to the position of Arch-Duke, Austria's course changed.
Beginning shortly after the Fall of Constantinople, the Austrian Dukes, or, as they styled themselves, Arch-Dukes (Erzherzöge, a title confirmed by the HRE in 1453 to Ladislaus Posthumus), increasingly sought to extend their influence and control over the principalities and electorates of central Germany. Starting with the declaration of war upon Bavaria in December of 1453, the central German states were slowly vassalized; Bavaria (1455), Wurtemburg (1456), Würzburg (1461), Anhalt (1476) and Helvetia (1479) all came under Austrian control. Saxony escaped this fate only because of bickering between Bohemia and Austria over who actually controlled the Saxon capitol.
This German-oriented expansion caused troubles for the Dukes at home. Ladislaus' uncle, Ulrich Cillei, effectively controlled the young Duke-King. Instead of working to unite Bohemia, Hungary and Austria, Cillei focused on re-forming the Germanic "Empire," a task which had confounded German "Emperors" since shortly after Charlemagne. Austria gave no help or heed to Hungarian efforts to slow Turkish expansion, and left the Bohemians to stew over their religious differences. Cillei became Governor of Hungary in 1456; he was slain shortly thereafter and the Austrians were chased out of Hungary. Ladislaus died shortly thereafter (23rd November, 1457), probably poisoned by Hussite agitators in Bohemia. The Hungarians chose Matthias Corvinus to rule; Bohemia accepted their Hussite regent as king. The Habsburg uncle of Ladislaus, Frederick V, Holy Roman Emperor, became the new "Arch-Duke" of Austria, cementing the Germanic influence and delaying for some time the consolidation of the lands the unfortunate boy-king had held.
However, at the time, this was not seen as a problem. Under Frederick, Austria prospered. A fine Acadamy of the Arts was opened in Vienna in the 1460's, which drew artists and musicians from around Europe. Under the able ministry of the Jüng family, Austria consolidated its revenue functions; this centralization of governmental functions allowed increased revenue to flow into Vienna. Slowly, an attempt was made to professionalize the infantry, though the mountainous nature of the Germanic lands militated against efforts to raise and train a solid core of cavalry. A strong friendship with Venice was established; Austria engaged Spanish troops briefly in 1480 in defence of the lost cause of Venice in Italy. And the surprising failure of Charles VII of France to consolidate his gains after the end of the war with the English prevented the establishment of a dominant Frankish power to the West.
During the 1480's, the gains of the earlier wars were consolidated. Through a funneling of bribes and gifts to client states, Wurtemburg and Würzburg were annexed to the Duchy diplomatically. War with Brandenburg to the north was averted when the Margrave withdrew his troops from Anhalt; his claims that the "war" was started by his vassal, Saxony, did not receive much approval from the crowned heads of Europe. Austria appeared ready to achieve control over the southern portion of the Holy Roman Empire peacefully.
However, at this point, Frederick began to adopt a more aggressive stance toward his client states. Bavaria, still unhappy that it had lost the province of Ansbach in 1455, refused all efforts at a diplomatic union with the Duchy. Austria declared war upon its vassal, subduing the Bavarians in 1486. This effort lead to a series of wars with various German states, which kept Austria involved in wars through 1490. Mainz was annexed in 1488; Baden vassalized in 1489. Austria then paused to take a breath. With the last years of his life, Duke Frederick attempted to consolidate his gains and build up the Austrian state; a refinery in Ostmarch finished in 1492 is an example of the type of good works accomplished in this period.
With his death in 1493, and the accession of Maximillian to the position of Arch-Duke, Austria's course changed.
Arch-Duke's Bedroom, July, 1495
"I will NOT calm down, Herr Jüng!" Maximillian, Holy Roman Emperor, Arch-Duke of Austria, King of Germany, King of the Romans, Regent of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, Regent of the Tyrol and Outer Austria (he insisted upon use of the titles whenever possible), was looking anything but holy, kingly, or even ducal. In fairness, being interrupted in one's bedchambers during the course of "froliking" with one of the local ladies of the court is apt to make any man look less than anything but a man; in Maximillian's case, even less than that. The young lady who tried her best to be invisible was wife to one of the important members of the Austrian Estates; the presence of Minister Jüng in the bedchamber was, for her, an unfortunate situation indeed. For Maximillian, it was simply frustrating, and Maximillian was not a man to suffer frustration gladly.
Minister Jüng kept any hint of amusement from showing on his face. His Majesty did not tolerate amusement at his royal expense. Had the situation been different, he would have waited. But the situation was not different. Rebels were in arms in Wurtemburg, unhappy with the levies of soldiers required by Maximillian's personal plans for his "Empire." The situation needed to be handled, and handled right away.
The Emperor-ArchDuke strode across the floor to grab a robe; wrapped in its scarlet finery he felt more majesterial. "I will calm down, but I will not stop my anger. These rabble must be crushed, right away, Herr Jüng." Maximillian reached to decant some wine to soothe his nerves. He ignored the trollop in the corner of the bed; the wives of his nobles were all alike; whores at the core, good for a tumble and not much else. Her husband would be unhappy if he found out; Maximillian really didn't care too much.
The minister tried to remonstrate gently. "Your Majesty, it is true that the rebels must be dealt with. But you must see that they represent growing discontent with your military build-up. We have no enemies in sight; even the Margrave of Brandenburg has not troubled us, despite his grumblings about Anhalt and "injustice." The people see no reason to raise troops, even if your generals Kitzbühl and Boroevitch demand more and better. You must desist in this militaristic emphasis, or ..."
"Or USE it, right?" Maximillian looked like a hungry wolf satisfied at having found a meal at last. He strode to one wall, dominated by a tapestry showing a crude map of Central Europe. If the people want some reason for the military, we can afford them one." He mused to himself, though his decision had been made long ago.
Jüng tried one more time. "Your Highness, is that really wise? We are within a few years of attaining all we have desired in Germany. The Danish King acknowledges our right to everything up to the Hessen-Anhalt-Sachsen line. The Margrave isn't contesting our right to Anhalt; he won't even talk to us about taking Anhalt and Hessen in return for an agreement not to attempt any aggression south of those provinces. Burgundy is quiet now that the French have pried Brittany away from them and started to swallow it. And the Polish king is mollified now that we moved the armies back out of Moravia ..."
"Which we should NEVER have done. Herr Jüng, you try to emulate either the spider or the sleeping dog; I am not sure which it is. But I am neither, and Austria is neither. Let Louis of France pull strings and conduct extensive diplomacy; I intend to ACT. I will HAVE my empire, make no mistake about that!" With this declaration he turned to Jüng.
"Here are my orders. Put down that stupid rebellion and then send the army to make war on Hessen. They won't submit to my request that they become my vassal; we'll make it so they wish they had. Then we can annex Anhalt through diplomacy or the boot heel; they can choose. And perhaps with several thousand troops on his border, the Margrave will be better disposed to "talk" to us." He raised a finger at the attempt of the minister to speak. "Yes, I know what you would say; other states will intervene. Let them. Austria has enough and to spare to deal with the likes of Genoa or Savoy." He strode back to the map.
"That bitch of a wife may not have worked out; curse her father for not dying as he should have in that siege! At least she didn't last long, spreading her legs for anyone else, thanks to that horse "accident." I could have used her lands. But I'll not be denied my empire. They will long remember the Empire of Maximillian Habsburg..."
"I will NOT calm down, Herr Jüng!" Maximillian, Holy Roman Emperor, Arch-Duke of Austria, King of Germany, King of the Romans, Regent of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, Regent of the Tyrol and Outer Austria (he insisted upon use of the titles whenever possible), was looking anything but holy, kingly, or even ducal. In fairness, being interrupted in one's bedchambers during the course of "froliking" with one of the local ladies of the court is apt to make any man look less than anything but a man; in Maximillian's case, even less than that. The young lady who tried her best to be invisible was wife to one of the important members of the Austrian Estates; the presence of Minister Jüng in the bedchamber was, for her, an unfortunate situation indeed. For Maximillian, it was simply frustrating, and Maximillian was not a man to suffer frustration gladly.
Minister Jüng kept any hint of amusement from showing on his face. His Majesty did not tolerate amusement at his royal expense. Had the situation been different, he would have waited. But the situation was not different. Rebels were in arms in Wurtemburg, unhappy with the levies of soldiers required by Maximillian's personal plans for his "Empire." The situation needed to be handled, and handled right away.
The Emperor-ArchDuke strode across the floor to grab a robe; wrapped in its scarlet finery he felt more majesterial. "I will calm down, but I will not stop my anger. These rabble must be crushed, right away, Herr Jüng." Maximillian reached to decant some wine to soothe his nerves. He ignored the trollop in the corner of the bed; the wives of his nobles were all alike; whores at the core, good for a tumble and not much else. Her husband would be unhappy if he found out; Maximillian really didn't care too much.
The minister tried to remonstrate gently. "Your Majesty, it is true that the rebels must be dealt with. But you must see that they represent growing discontent with your military build-up. We have no enemies in sight; even the Margrave of Brandenburg has not troubled us, despite his grumblings about Anhalt and "injustice." The people see no reason to raise troops, even if your generals Kitzbühl and Boroevitch demand more and better. You must desist in this militaristic emphasis, or ..."
"Or USE it, right?" Maximillian looked like a hungry wolf satisfied at having found a meal at last. He strode to one wall, dominated by a tapestry showing a crude map of Central Europe. If the people want some reason for the military, we can afford them one." He mused to himself, though his decision had been made long ago.
Jüng tried one more time. "Your Highness, is that really wise? We are within a few years of attaining all we have desired in Germany. The Danish King acknowledges our right to everything up to the Hessen-Anhalt-Sachsen line. The Margrave isn't contesting our right to Anhalt; he won't even talk to us about taking Anhalt and Hessen in return for an agreement not to attempt any aggression south of those provinces. Burgundy is quiet now that the French have pried Brittany away from them and started to swallow it. And the Polish king is mollified now that we moved the armies back out of Moravia ..."
"Which we should NEVER have done. Herr Jüng, you try to emulate either the spider or the sleeping dog; I am not sure which it is. But I am neither, and Austria is neither. Let Louis of France pull strings and conduct extensive diplomacy; I intend to ACT. I will HAVE my empire, make no mistake about that!" With this declaration he turned to Jüng.
"Here are my orders. Put down that stupid rebellion and then send the army to make war on Hessen. They won't submit to my request that they become my vassal; we'll make it so they wish they had. Then we can annex Anhalt through diplomacy or the boot heel; they can choose. And perhaps with several thousand troops on his border, the Margrave will be better disposed to "talk" to us." He raised a finger at the attempt of the minister to speak. "Yes, I know what you would say; other states will intervene. Let them. Austria has enough and to spare to deal with the likes of Genoa or Savoy." He strode back to the map.
"That bitch of a wife may not have worked out; curse her father for not dying as he should have in that siege! At least she didn't last long, spreading her legs for anyone else, thanks to that horse "accident." I could have used her lands. But I'll not be denied my empire. They will long remember the Empire of Maximillian Habsburg..."
Further Excerpts from Die Geschichte von Österreich
Known as the "Wars of Consolidation", the efforts of Maximillian I to grow Austria were not pleasant or easy. With the declaration of war upon the County of Hessen in September of 1495, Austria suffered five long years of admittedly successful wars, which resulted in the vassalization of Hessen, and the annexation of Anhalt. However, there were setbacks, and the period is not remembered with fondness by Austrians.
The main difficulties came from the repeated declarations of war upon Austria everytime it completed one phase of its military efforts. The Helvetians were not the first, but perhaps the most successful, managing to drag into the conflict the French Alliance (Savoy, Provence, and Armagnac included). Faced with significant military activity in the south, General Kitzbühl was sent to Bern to reduce the Helvetians to obedience. Instead, he was killed in the battle of Bern 14 May, 1497. Eventually, the French were bought off with money and a promise not to re-vassalize the Helvetians; there is a rumor Maximillian swore never again to eat a Swiss cheese, claiming, "Honi soit la vache qui rit." (He never did quite grasp the nuance of the French language) With the Treaty of Paris of 1499, the southern military action ended.
Meanwhile, in the north, difficulties continued to crop up. The successful reduction of Hessen to a vassal status prompted both Anhalt and Baden to throw off their overlord and declare war upon Austria. Fortunately for Austria, the appearance of von Frundsberg to lead the armies in Baden lead to the relatively swift reduction of that state to vassalship again. Burgundy having warned Maximillian, he dared not take Pfalz as compensation. In Anhalt, Boroevitch arrived on the scene to take over the siege from the incompetent Brandenburg troops; who exactly had invited them to initiate actions against Anhalt remains in dispute. With the city reduced to rubble, the province was annexed; the Brandenburger troops went back to Sachsen without any loot and the hoots of Austrian infantry in their ears. Austria had reached her acme of the age.
Would that Maximillian had been satisfied.
Known as the "Wars of Consolidation", the efforts of Maximillian I to grow Austria were not pleasant or easy. With the declaration of war upon the County of Hessen in September of 1495, Austria suffered five long years of admittedly successful wars, which resulted in the vassalization of Hessen, and the annexation of Anhalt. However, there were setbacks, and the period is not remembered with fondness by Austrians.
The main difficulties came from the repeated declarations of war upon Austria everytime it completed one phase of its military efforts. The Helvetians were not the first, but perhaps the most successful, managing to drag into the conflict the French Alliance (Savoy, Provence, and Armagnac included). Faced with significant military activity in the south, General Kitzbühl was sent to Bern to reduce the Helvetians to obedience. Instead, he was killed in the battle of Bern 14 May, 1497. Eventually, the French were bought off with money and a promise not to re-vassalize the Helvetians; there is a rumor Maximillian swore never again to eat a Swiss cheese, claiming, "Honi soit la vache qui rit." (He never did quite grasp the nuance of the French language) With the Treaty of Paris of 1499, the southern military action ended.
Meanwhile, in the north, difficulties continued to crop up. The successful reduction of Hessen to a vassal status prompted both Anhalt and Baden to throw off their overlord and declare war upon Austria. Fortunately for Austria, the appearance of von Frundsberg to lead the armies in Baden lead to the relatively swift reduction of that state to vassalship again. Burgundy having warned Maximillian, he dared not take Pfalz as compensation. In Anhalt, Boroevitch arrived on the scene to take over the siege from the incompetent Brandenburg troops; who exactly had invited them to initiate actions against Anhalt remains in dispute. With the city reduced to rubble, the province was annexed; the Brandenburger troops went back to Sachsen without any loot and the hoots of Austrian infantry in their ears. Austria had reached her acme of the age.
Would that Maximillian had been satisfied.
Last edited:
Scenes from a bedroom, sans trollops
August, 1500:
"I want WAR on that insufferable Margrave! Do you hear me!? War!! How dare he intervene in Anhalt!? And after we graciously tried to GIVE him the damn province for nothing more than a promise! Did you read his last letter to me? 'I don't see any reason to talk to a warmonger who can't satisfy a woman and takes it out on his neighbors." How DARE he impugn my manhood!? I'll show that little bastard. His 15k of troops will never stand up to my generals and their battle-hardened armies! He'll wish he had taken Anhalt from me when I offered! And don't let Bohemia in on this war. I don't want their troops mucking up our sieges and claiming the glory, hear??
Two weeks later:
"What do you MEAN Poland and Hungary and Lithuania declared war upon us??"
"Well, Your Majesty, it seems they were allies of Brandenburg."
"Allies??? Since when?? I never heard of such nonsense!"
"Your Majesty, it seems they became allies in April of 1498. I am not certain how it is that we didn't hear of it..."
"INCOMPETENT FOOL! I'll have your head for this! No, wait! It won't matter. They can't possibly spare the troops from their Eastern and Southern frontiers, or the Muscovites and the Ottomans will attack. And we have two generals. We'll succede yet, and probably the Polish king won't be unhappy to conclude a peace without much work. Yes. This will work out fine..."
February, 1501:
"Hungarian troops in Ostmarch?? My, er, that is, my father's brewery destroyed?? Genoa declared war upon us?? Flanders JOINED them?? Raise an army!! I'll send my son himself to lead them!!"
June 15, 1501:
(Reading letter) "Father, I give you bad tidings, I fear. By now you know of our humiliation in Würzburg. Following the loss of the battle in Sachsen, and the death of von Frundsburg in Magdeburg, the news I bring will not be of much comfort. Our army retreated from Sachsen to Würzburg, and attempted to link up with General Boroevitch's troops. However, we hear that General Boroevitch may have lost his life in rearguard action in Anhalt; Anhalt is now besieged by troops from Brandenburg. And today, June 11, our army was annihilated by the Polish army. We were outnumbered at least 5 to 1. Our reinforcements never arrived. I, myself, was wounded in the battle; I cannot walk and the doctors fear I never will be able to ride ahorse again. The Poles are besieging the city. Hungarian troops are in Steiermark, I hear. I am returning to Wien as soon as I am able. Please do not be too mad; Austria will rise again, never fear. Your son, Ferdinand." Holy mother Mary, what do we do?
January, 1503:
"Herr Jüng, I have called you back as my nobles request. I still hold you responsible for these events which have plagued my Empire these last three years; your failure to properly prepare this state for war and your inexcusable intransigence in prosecution of proper negotiations to secure peace with Poland and Hungary is not forgotten. However, my estates feel you have some use left to us. Therefore, tell us what you have for a plan." The "Emperor"'s haughty disdain was but cover for his fear; Young Jüng noted that this meeting took place in chambers, not in open court for all to hear. Jüng had tried to restrain Maximillian; for his efforts he had been banished from the court and his name had been dragged through the muck of Wien's sewers. The fact that he could not excuse in himself the failure to learn of the Brandenburg alliance with Poland had kept him from being more assertive; he knew his father would have avoided the stupendous blunder which had plunged his country into a war it could not win at the whim of the ego of Maximillian. He remained kneeling before the Arch-Duke and in his most carefully obsequious voice offered what hope he had.
"Your Majesty, I hope to bring you good news. The Margrave appears to be willing to be reasonable. He is demanding Anhalt (which you were willing to give him anyway as you will remember), and wants Erz and Silesia from Bohemia, which, as you'll recall, he finally declared war on last year. The Polish king likely will settle for a cash indemnity; I fear he got wind of our treasury somehow. They will likely require that the Hungarians go home without forcing us to retake Steiermark or Ostmarch; I think the Poles are being pressed in the east by the war Hungary declared against the Russians. It is not a bad settlement, and perhaps it can be the beginning of something fruitful with the Polish king."
"And you think we should accept this "peace?" There were warning signs in the tone of the Arch-Duke.
"Your Majesty, I do. Let us keep the long-term picture in mind here. We were willing to give the Margrave Anhalt AND Hessen for nothing more than a promise to move no further south. Your marriage of your son to the Spanish Princess will soon bear fruit. We have hopes of marrying into both the Bohemian and Hungarian lines; which will secure our Eastern and Southern provinces. Venice can no longer shield us from the Turks; she is almost impotent; even the Bosnians take territory from her. If we don't accept peace, we face years of siege and counter-siege, and the people already are quite unhappy with the war effort; I fear that raising any more troops will result in open rebellion within our core provinces. If we show ourselves to be reasonable, put on a humble face, we will have time to prepare to face the Turks when they come, and your heirs will inherit something stable and secure." Jüng carefully did not point out that the whole mess was the result of Maximillian's passions overcoming good sense; Austria could ill afford several more years of war.
"My heir is not worthy of such an inheritance. He is lame, he is a philanderer, and his wife is mad. But my grandson, now; they have foretold great things about little Charles. You may be right." The older man mused behind his mask, calculating as his fear began to leave him. He decided.
"The terms are acceptable. They must include all parties; the Hungarians go home and the Poles take their Lithuanian lackeys with them, too. We promise not to engage in aggression against the Brandenburg Margrave for a period of twenty years; he is entitled to Anhalt and Sachsen without our interference. We will ignore his repeated disregard of our royal rights; we will publicly assume he did not know that he was obligated to declare war upon us when he challenged Anhalt. You will settle the details, Herr Jüng. Begone." Maximillian rose and turned to ring a bell; within the adjoining chamber the rustle of silks was audible. The minister rose and left.
August, 1500:
"I want WAR on that insufferable Margrave! Do you hear me!? War!! How dare he intervene in Anhalt!? And after we graciously tried to GIVE him the damn province for nothing more than a promise! Did you read his last letter to me? 'I don't see any reason to talk to a warmonger who can't satisfy a woman and takes it out on his neighbors." How DARE he impugn my manhood!? I'll show that little bastard. His 15k of troops will never stand up to my generals and their battle-hardened armies! He'll wish he had taken Anhalt from me when I offered! And don't let Bohemia in on this war. I don't want their troops mucking up our sieges and claiming the glory, hear??
Two weeks later:
"What do you MEAN Poland and Hungary and Lithuania declared war upon us??"
"Well, Your Majesty, it seems they were allies of Brandenburg."
"Allies??? Since when?? I never heard of such nonsense!"
"Your Majesty, it seems they became allies in April of 1498. I am not certain how it is that we didn't hear of it..."
"INCOMPETENT FOOL! I'll have your head for this! No, wait! It won't matter. They can't possibly spare the troops from their Eastern and Southern frontiers, or the Muscovites and the Ottomans will attack. And we have two generals. We'll succede yet, and probably the Polish king won't be unhappy to conclude a peace without much work. Yes. This will work out fine..."
February, 1501:
"Hungarian troops in Ostmarch?? My, er, that is, my father's brewery destroyed?? Genoa declared war upon us?? Flanders JOINED them?? Raise an army!! I'll send my son himself to lead them!!"
June 15, 1501:
(Reading letter) "Father, I give you bad tidings, I fear. By now you know of our humiliation in Würzburg. Following the loss of the battle in Sachsen, and the death of von Frundsburg in Magdeburg, the news I bring will not be of much comfort. Our army retreated from Sachsen to Würzburg, and attempted to link up with General Boroevitch's troops. However, we hear that General Boroevitch may have lost his life in rearguard action in Anhalt; Anhalt is now besieged by troops from Brandenburg. And today, June 11, our army was annihilated by the Polish army. We were outnumbered at least 5 to 1. Our reinforcements never arrived. I, myself, was wounded in the battle; I cannot walk and the doctors fear I never will be able to ride ahorse again. The Poles are besieging the city. Hungarian troops are in Steiermark, I hear. I am returning to Wien as soon as I am able. Please do not be too mad; Austria will rise again, never fear. Your son, Ferdinand." Holy mother Mary, what do we do?
January, 1503:
"Herr Jüng, I have called you back as my nobles request. I still hold you responsible for these events which have plagued my Empire these last three years; your failure to properly prepare this state for war and your inexcusable intransigence in prosecution of proper negotiations to secure peace with Poland and Hungary is not forgotten. However, my estates feel you have some use left to us. Therefore, tell us what you have for a plan." The "Emperor"'s haughty disdain was but cover for his fear; Young Jüng noted that this meeting took place in chambers, not in open court for all to hear. Jüng had tried to restrain Maximillian; for his efforts he had been banished from the court and his name had been dragged through the muck of Wien's sewers. The fact that he could not excuse in himself the failure to learn of the Brandenburg alliance with Poland had kept him from being more assertive; he knew his father would have avoided the stupendous blunder which had plunged his country into a war it could not win at the whim of the ego of Maximillian. He remained kneeling before the Arch-Duke and in his most carefully obsequious voice offered what hope he had.
"Your Majesty, I hope to bring you good news. The Margrave appears to be willing to be reasonable. He is demanding Anhalt (which you were willing to give him anyway as you will remember), and wants Erz and Silesia from Bohemia, which, as you'll recall, he finally declared war on last year. The Polish king likely will settle for a cash indemnity; I fear he got wind of our treasury somehow. They will likely require that the Hungarians go home without forcing us to retake Steiermark or Ostmarch; I think the Poles are being pressed in the east by the war Hungary declared against the Russians. It is not a bad settlement, and perhaps it can be the beginning of something fruitful with the Polish king."
"And you think we should accept this "peace?" There were warning signs in the tone of the Arch-Duke.
"Your Majesty, I do. Let us keep the long-term picture in mind here. We were willing to give the Margrave Anhalt AND Hessen for nothing more than a promise to move no further south. Your marriage of your son to the Spanish Princess will soon bear fruit. We have hopes of marrying into both the Bohemian and Hungarian lines; which will secure our Eastern and Southern provinces. Venice can no longer shield us from the Turks; she is almost impotent; even the Bosnians take territory from her. If we don't accept peace, we face years of siege and counter-siege, and the people already are quite unhappy with the war effort; I fear that raising any more troops will result in open rebellion within our core provinces. If we show ourselves to be reasonable, put on a humble face, we will have time to prepare to face the Turks when they come, and your heirs will inherit something stable and secure." Jüng carefully did not point out that the whole mess was the result of Maximillian's passions overcoming good sense; Austria could ill afford several more years of war.
"My heir is not worthy of such an inheritance. He is lame, he is a philanderer, and his wife is mad. But my grandson, now; they have foretold great things about little Charles. You may be right." The older man mused behind his mask, calculating as his fear began to leave him. He decided.
"The terms are acceptable. They must include all parties; the Hungarians go home and the Poles take their Lithuanian lackeys with them, too. We promise not to engage in aggression against the Brandenburg Margrave for a period of twenty years; he is entitled to Anhalt and Sachsen without our interference. We will ignore his repeated disregard of our royal rights; we will publicly assume he did not know that he was obligated to declare war upon us when he challenged Anhalt. You will settle the details, Herr Jüng. Begone." Maximillian rose and turned to ring a bell; within the adjoining chamber the rustle of silks was audible. The minister rose and left.