March Through Time - AARs

[Traveler]

March Through Time ​

AARs ​

Current Game Map for 1419:

CK conversion to EUII map: 1419

Players and their Title ​

• King of Men - King of Norway 1066- was King of Denmark
• Lurken - King of Castile 1066-
• Sterkarm - King of Poland 1066-
• Traveler - King of Italy 1066- was Duke of Apulia
• Prime - King of Brandenburg 1066- was Duke of Flanders
• Blackeye- Emperor of Byzantium 1110- was King of Croatia
• Dominus- King of England 1128- was Duke of Brandenburg
• Ear - King of Hungary 1211-

Past Players and their realms: ​

• cheech - King of France 1197-1375
• Aladar - King of Jerusalem 1197-1267
• Duuk- Duke of Bavaria 1128-1214
• Jarkko- King of England 1066-1083
• WorkGroup - King of England 1120-1144
• Kle - Duke of Novgorod 1066-1137
• Capitan- King of Hungary 1083-1144
• Lotus Lo - King of Jerusalem 1120-1160

Please Do Not Post​

This thread is meant for AAR's.
All questions or off topic discussions please go to the development thread here


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[Sterkarm]

The Reign of Boleslaw Piast from 1067-1083-From Sea to Shining Sea

Thousands of men marched out from the many lands under Boleslaw's control. Off they marched beyond the Wisla River, for God and glory. At the head of each and every one of these hosts was Boleslaw Piast, whose skill in battle was unmatched by any man in Europe save William the Bastard.

The first such war of conquest began in early 1069, for the king had grown bored of sitting around in his castle. He had been given a son, Kazimierz, and another son was on the way, one who would eventually be named Abelard, a Norman who took after his mother, Cundo of Eu.

As Boleslaw armies gathered in Kujawy, he organized a plan of war. The Prussians were very unorganized and would most likely be crushed quickly, but he would have to keep as many of his men alive as possible in order to extend his crusade further... beyond Marienburg, into the Pagan east.

Nearly 3,500 men strong, Boleslaw's army set out across the River Vistula, rather blind as to the strength of the Prussian force. Quickly Boleslaw dispatched of the defensive force in Chelminskie. It was a long siege during which Abelard was born in Krakow and numerous children born to Boleslaw's brother, Wladyslaw in Mazovia. Yet eventually the fortress fell and Boleslaw faced the full force of the Prussian army. Still, it was a force only 2,000 men strong to his nearly 3,000 man army. As the Prussians marched into Chelminskie, Boleslaw's knights ambushed them in the swamps. Near complete defeat met the Prussians that day, but the skill of their leader ensured that some of the army survived to defend Marienburg. It would not last long.

Boleslaw marched into Marienburg and quickly took the small fort. His funds draining, Boleslaw called up reserves from his vassals' lands in Wielkopolska. With the renewed force, he marched on Sambia, then Memel. Polotsk was to join him in the crusade on the tribe of Lithuanians in Aukshayts. Polotsk's troops failed to carry the day, but Boleslaw crushed the pagans and took Aukshayts. So was the first crusade of Boleslaw ended, with Poland suffering from massive debt at the cost of spreading Catholicism throughout the Baltic.

Yet no sooner was it over than a papal iniative began to crusade to Jerusalem. After recovering for a few months, Boleslaw led an army to Venice, to sail off to the Holy City. Unfortunately, the Castillan King, Sancho Jimenez, arrived before Boleslaw, grabbing the glory. Foolishly the Fatimid empire sat back and let the now-independent Sheikdom of Jerusalem be gobbled up. After leading his army to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre, Boleslaw refused to leave empty-handed and marched his troops north to Safed. Suddenly he was called away, and after many months, the Archbishop of Krakow took Safed. When he refused to give it to its rightful owner, the King of Poland, Boleslaw had no choice but to attack. The armies of Poland were mobilized and county after county fell to the mighty Royal Polish forces. Not a single army withstood it. All of Krakow was annexed to the Kingdom of Poland directly.

During all this, Wladyslaw Herman Piast had led a holy war against the Chiefdom of Yatvyiags. This war was not so swift. After many bloody clashes, the Yatvyiagan army escaped to Plock and nearly took the city. However, a miracle came from Wielkopolska in the form of a 2,500 man army. It failed to win the battle, but the Yatvyiagans were weakened enough that Wladyslaw Herman defeated them utterly in battle a month later. So the Kingdom of Poland was whole once more.

Unfortunately, it did not last long. Boleslaw marched east once more against the Duchy of Kiev, who refused to give up its PAGAN vassal, Podlasie, to the County of Czersk. Therefore, Boleslaw taught them a lesson in warfare. Thousands of Kievans were slaughtered, until at last Galich and Kiev were wrested from their grip.

All the while, the Duchy of Novgorod refused Poland's offers of vassalization, even though Polish forces could have crushed their enemies. The idiotic child-duke ran his nation into the ground as vassals rebelled left and right.

Such is the history of Poland in the years 1067-1083. So it was written, and so it was, no matter how the enemies of the Polish race may distort it.

 

[Swuul]

In 1066, after the battle of Hasting, William lay wounded. It would take three years before he would take rulership in his own hands (OOC: Because of idiocy I missed the start by an exact one hour...). But when William finally did take control, things were organised fast.

A legislation system were set-up all around the Kings lands, and money were sent to dukes so that they too would build Courts of Justice. The idea of built roads also took igntion after Williams personal pressure.

Ireland, the land of thousand kings, were in its perpetual civil-war. In Ulster local counts clashed, and a word was sent to William to intervene. William took rapidly control of two duchies in Ireland, and William made it clear he will go for a United Kingdom of Englad and Ireland.

Through people in Williams court relations were improved in several parts of Europe, for example southern Scandinavia and Iberia. Williams third son, duke of Ulster, were married to a fair lady from the Castillian ruling family. The sister of count of Bornholm were named a duchess in England, which immediatly resulted in increased interest and friendliness in the court of Bornholm.

The vassals of William were very happy with their King, and no problems what so ever arised on either side. The future did look good.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Duchy of Apulia​

1066 - 1083 ​

This is the tale of a humble Duchy with grand ambitions. Robert de Hauteville, the Duke of Apulia, wanted to fulfill a dream. The Western Empire of Rome had crumbled long ago but he felt a strong conviction to re-establish part of it. Mainly the Italian Prefecture which included the Diocese of Africa, Rome and Italy. Mind you this would be no simple undertaking, especially considering what the Duke had to work with.

Not a Solid Start :

Robert had two sons and two daughters, with his wife Sigelgaita. One of his sons, was born from an unfortunate circumstance. Robert had become infatuated with a chamber maid who after giving birth to a boy was never heard of again. Robert loved his older son but knew he could never play an important part of his court due to the stigma of his birth.

Roberts successor was therefor his second son Roger. Roger was an honest child but lacked the strength of his older brother. Knowing this, the Duke began to think of having another son. Robert would devote his attention to this new heir and ensure he would be the type of ruler to follow his dream. As much as Robert tried, his wife just couldn’t bear him a child. One gloomy night, while trying passionately to persuade Sigelgaita to return to bed, a truly unfortunate accident happened. According to Robert’s tearful explanation to the court scribe, Sigelgaita swooning with passion slipped hit her head, then flipped over the balcony and fell to her death. Sadly the members of his court did not believe Robert’s sorrowful tale and was quickly labeled a “Kin Slayer”.

The Duke vacationed in Epieros with his childhood friend Leon Chonites the Count. Robert wanted to recover from the loss of his dearly departed and contemplate the scandal in his court. While there, he met a siren that captivated his attention. Count Leon saw how infatuated Robert was with his courtesan, Euphrosyne and offered her in marriage. Robert was delighted with his new bride and regained his vigor.

No Honey Moon :

Roberts honeymoon was cut short by his brother’s son the Count of Benevento. It seems the scandal was causing quite a problem at home, more so than he imagined. Roberts absence only made matters worse as his nephew had raised an army and was marching on his court in Lecce. Robert arrived home just in time to raise an army to crush the usurper. Unfortunately his commander apparently misunderstood his orders to take Benevento. Due to the inaction of his commander Roberts nephew managed to maintain his title as the count.

Matters only grew worse as Robert’s lack of control over his own family seemed to be getting worse. Feeling a need to demonstrate his power he turned to his strongest asset and lead an army into Trapani to crush the heathens there. Trapani would be the start of his crusade to rid Sicily of the foul Muslims that occupied it. The Duke triumphed and added the moderately wealthy county of Trapani to his holdings with very little losses.

The Duchy in a Newborns Hands :

Alas a truly unfortunate accident occurred while celebrating his recent victory. After a drunken display of debauchery the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the days of Rome, Robert fell seriously ill from alcohol poisoning. At the relatively young age of fifty-six Robert de Hauteville, Duke of Apulia, died. Most thought Robert’s second son Roger would succeed him, but Roger’s son Humbert qualified as the next ruler according to the law of Salic Consanguinity. Humbert unfortunately was only one year old. It was now up to Roger to pass on the dreams of the late duke, in the hopes that the young Humbert would follow them.

stay tuned to see how this simple Duchy of Apulia strives to achieve a truly daunting goal.

 

[Lurken]

1066-1083

The kingdom of Castille has relativly prospered. Battles won, land won. Battle lost, land lost.

Under the rule of the King Sancho Jiminez Castille went from on of four christian kingdom of Iberia to the only christian kingdom. In the beginning of his rule he set forth building the land and reap what he sowed. It did not take long before the King of Navarra asked for an alliance, Sancho accepted wisely.

But all was not well, there had been raids from the Sheikdom of Molina into the land of Castille,. Sancho warned once. Never twice. So war fell upon Molina and its ally. They both fell before the Castillian armies.

Meantime Sancho was desperate for a son of his own. His wife was not the most fertile, sadly enough. And when she gave birth it was daughters, not sons. Sancho was troubled now. "I must have a son!", he declered. But he was joyed when his wife was once more pregnent. But it was not entirely with joy, he feared it would be another daughter. And so it happened, despaired he sought comfort among other women, unbeknown to others. But it was not needed, his beloved wife gave birth to a son. Sancho was overjoyed. But his earlier encounters with other women resulted in a boy, rumored to be a bastard of Sancho. Sancho denied it, still he raised the boy as a son of his own.

The pope declered a Crusade for the liberation of Jerusalem. Sancho, knowing that with the turmoil in the lands of Fatamids the city was now a part of an independed sheikdom, not for long. Sancho grabbed the moment and declered war on the sheikdom. He set sail forth to the Holy land, and other leaders soon followed, in the hope that the Castillian would bleed for them and weaken the Fatamids. They were wrong. Sancho, in his heart was a pragmatic man, not willing to do more then needed. So, he landed and snuck his army through the land of muslim headed towards Jerusalem, in a brief battle outside the gates of Jerusalem, and the following siege. Jerusalem was liberated. Soncho became a famous man, recieved much prestige from others. But left his coffers drained, and in much debt.

His brother, King of Leon, was not the wisest king around. He declered war on many muslims powers, brave yes, sadly foolhearthy aswell. His realm crumpeled under the wieght of arabs. Sancho wept and cursed, wept for the loss of his brothers land and cursed himself for the lack of gold to raise an army. When he finnaly raised enough, it was too late to save the Kingdom of Leon. Sancho was furious. I will liberate those lands and give back my brother his own land! And so it was, battles was fought, mostly won aswell and the land liberated.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Duchy of Apulia​

1083 - 1094 ​

Robert de Huateville had died and his grandson Humbert had risen to rule in his stead. The only good thing about Humbert’s age was he could not comprehend the troubles his people would endure.

Fall From Grace :

According to the law of Salic Consanguinity, all titles go to the strongest child or if dead his oldest brother and so on. If no child survives then the strongest grandchild. Then what of Roger, he was Roberts oldest son and held two count titles. Sadly, a truly unfortunate event happened. Roger knowing his limits with regard to his military prowess was practicing his archery skill on the grounds of one of his manors. Once loosed, an errant missel sailed over it’s intended target and went into a nearby garden. Said arrow struck a visiting Bishop, in his posterior, who was performing a benediction at a ceremony for a small congregation.

Although the strike was not fatal, the Bishop was extremely distressed by Roger’s reaction. Apparently once Roger learned of the incident he roared with delight, exclaiming “who can say my aim is bad, when my arrow finds it’s mark so eloquently”. Unfortunately the Bishop did not see the humor and entreated the church to admonish the count. The Bishop was of high standing and Roger’s standing with the church was quite low. Roger was excommunicated without delay. It was about this time that Roger’s father died. With Roger’s current lack of standing, he could not receive the blessing of the church. Roger’s son therefor was ordained as the Duke of Apulia in his stead.

An Ill Advised Crusade :

Humbert was only 5 years old and far too young to make decisions, therefor many fell to his courtiers. A new alliance was created with the King of Castille and new projects were started in Lecce to increase the prosperity of the land. All seemed to be going well, until the Pope called for a second crusade to free Alexandria from the muslims. Christian rulers from all over, heeded the Pontiff’s call to arms and endeavored to free Alexandria. The King of Castille was the first to succeed but needed help fighting back the hordes of muslims that fought to regain the city.

Serlo de Hauteville a first cousin and Marshal to Humbert, felt the King of Castille should be supported. The courtiers agreed and the call to arms went out. Unfortunately the forces that were raised could not withstand the constant attacks lead by al-Mustansir of Cairo, King of the Fatmids. Serlo lead the battered remnants of the crusaders back to Apulia where they sought refuge. Alas the evil minions of al-Mustansir followed and began raping and pillaging across the lands. There was little Serlo could do. A truly unfortunate event occurred. The Sheikdom of Palermo invaded the Duchy, withering the already beleaguered defenders.

Fall From Sovereignty :

Cries went out to Christian rulers to aid the Duchy in this most desperate hour. Relief finally came but cost the Duchy it’s sovereignty. The choice was simple, declare fealty to the King of Castille or face utter annihilation at the hands of the heathens invading the lands. The Duchy had lost Bari, Consenza and Lecce, soon there would be nothing left. On August 10th in the year of our lord 1090 Humbert de Hauteville the Duke of Apulia became a vassal to the King of Castille.

The Kings forces quickly crushed the muslim invaders and took all of Sicily granting it’s titles to the Duke. Summarily al-Mustansir asked for peace, which Serlo reluctantly agreed to. The Duchy was saved, Sicily was freed from muslim rule, but unfortunately many of Apulia’s lands were now under muslim occupation.

can Apulia recover, will Castille prove to be a kind and benevolent ruler, stay tuned to find out


...

 

[Sterkarm]

1083-1094 Poznan to Damascus
Deus Vult-God Wills It

In 1083, Poland stretched from Danzig to Memel on the Baltic Coast. But alas, the pagans still roamed freely even south of the Dvina River. Boleslaw, partly out of bloodlust and partly out of zeal, gathered his armies once more. War was brought to Poland once more. Polish armies marched into the county of Kurs with no trouble and slaughtered the Curonian force. However, as the Lettigallians marched across the Dvina, they encountered the small Polish force under the count of Chelminskie in Zemigallia. Brashly, Boleslaw marched straight toward Zemigallia to reinforce them, having capturing Kurs. After a long battle lasting nearly a month, the Poles were forced to retreat, outnumbered and demoralized. Even Boleslaw's superior commandship could not save the day and rally the troops. Yet after resting and reuniting in Memel, the two armies marched north together, defeating the pagans in a long battle. Bolko, Boleslaw's marshal, established himself as a true warrior at the battle, breaking through the pagan "line" and cutting down the "king" from his horse. At this, the army surrendered and the war ended rather abruptly.

To the Coast Once More!

A very, very brief period of rest followed the war, in which Boleslaw's armies replenished only slightly. For the Pommeranians were restless, having been left alone in the Piast conquest of the Baltic pagans. Encouraged by the momentary success of the Lettigallians, the Pommeranians attacked the Count of Lubusz, storming his territory. Only through an amazing forced march was the siege averted the first time. Yet as Boleslaw besieged Slupsk, the pagans slipped behind and conquered Lubusz. Quickly, Wszebor Wlostowic, Duke of Silesia, raised an army to take it back. The Duke triumphantly marched into the city, having massacred the pagan army, and the champion of Lubusz was granted the city for his personal demesne. Even as Boleslaw marched across the hills of Pommerania, the Swedish King was plotting to take his Baltic territories. War broke out shortly after Lubusz was retaken. A quick peace was ensured when Boleslaw led an army to take Gotland, sparking a feud with Norway.

A Challenge to Boleslaw's Power

Finding that he had too much land directly under his control, Boleslaw granted his first-born son, Kazimierz, a duchy of his own, in the north, Samogitia. At this, Wladyslaw Herman, grew upset and attempted to force his brother to change the inheritance laws to put him next in line. He proposed that the king be ELECTED! Needless to say, Boleslaw reacted quickly and brutally to this proposal, even physically attacking his own brother over such an insult.

The Oddysey from Krakow to Jerusalem

Yet the brothers put aside their differences when a second crusade was called... to Alexandria. Waiting to get involved, as money had to be saved for the venture, the time to act came as the Duke of Apulia pleaded for aid. Therefore, far more than half of all Poland was mobilized, coming to about 20,000 men. All marched to Venice in a massive column, arriving to find the city occupied by the Muslim King of Zirid. Promptly declaring war, they recaptured the city and sailed south--to Apulia. After a debacle with the Duke, Boleslaw sailed out of Italy to the Holy Land, determined to aid his vassal, Kazimierz Wlostowic, Count of Safed and heir to the Duke of Silesia. The historic landing at Acre would be forever remembered. Storming ashore to reinforce his vassal's struggling army, Boleslaw was cut off from his retinue of knights, facing nearly 50 muslim warriors with only his marshal, Bolko, and his son, Kazimierz Piast, at his side. Into the mass of Muslim cavalry they charged, slaughtering them utterly. However, Bolko, having fallen from his horse, was badly injured. Pierced with arrows in many places, he was forced to the back of the line, where he attempted to recover quickly from his wounds. Yet he would recover from the wound only years later, in 1093, after his pilgrimage to Jerusalem had been completed.

Having liberated much of the Holy Land, from Damascus to the Sinai, Boleslaw was growing weary of war. He had fought in so many battles, his emotional scars began to show as well. He had begun the crusade past the age of 50, and as he ended it, he was now 54. The time had come for his battles to end. He made peace with all the heathens and began his journey back to the fields of Krakow, leaving his son, Karol, rumoured to be a bastard, to rule over much of the Holy Land.

However, God did not will that Boleslaw's fighting days would end. In Hungary, a mass-revolt forced the King to aid Salamon Arpad in his quest to retain the Hungarian throne. Though he could not aid in fighting everyone, Boleslaw did what he could to suppress the revolts. He simply was too tired after so many years, and, in late 1093, pulled out of Hungary, that he might celebrate Christmas in Krakow, his home and the city he loved, with his family. One of the few monarchs to marry only once, Boleslaw longed to spend more time with his family. It is true that he had some affairs, but he was not a man of self-control. Still, he loved his wife and family, and he now settles down to a life of peace and rest. Thus the reign of Boleslaw draws to a close as Kazimierz jockeys to keep his position as heir apparent to the thrones of Poland, Jerusalem, and Lithuania (which he plans to establish himself). A new era shall soon begin in Poland's history.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Duchy of Apulia​

1094 - 1110 ​

With most of the Duchy of Apulia under Muslim control, the young Humbert had to grow up in the county of Trapani on the island of Sicily. Here he would be schooled and hopefully one day retake what was lost.

Coming of Age :

In November of 1094 Humbert had his sixteenth birthday and was granted full control of the military. This was significant as the true power of any ruler of this time lay in the men in arms who would follow him. Before he could rush off to war to gain glory and prestige he first had to ensure an heir. The Great King of Norway offered one of his enchanting daughters as a bride. Humbert chose the Midas Touched Ingjerd (Ingy), a brown haired beauty from the north. The two were wed in a simple ceremony in Trapani near the sea.

No Time for Whoopy :

Humbert and Ingy were preparing for some time to get to know each other and work toward an heir when news came that the Sheik occupying Lecce declared independence from the King of the Fatmids. The Fatmids did not press their claim on Lecce. This was a Truly Fortunate event and an opportunity that could not be wasted.

Humbert quickly gathered his forces from Trapani that numbered close to two thousand and sailed from Siracusa for Lecce. Once they landed in Lecce the Sheik met them at the shore. The battle turned in Humbert’s favor as the Sheik’s army numbered barely six hundred. Humbert’s first battle was a decisive victory and the capitol of his homeland, his birthplace, was retaken.

The court was moved to Lecce and the Duke’s manor was refurbished. While resettling in Lecce the Sheik’s of Consenza and Bari became independent as well. Humbert could not believe his luck. Destiny seemed to want him to rise to power. The army of Lecce was very small so the army of Saracusa would be used to augment the Dukes army. First Bari fell after defeating a four hundred man army of Muslims. Then Consenza was taken again the Sheik there could barely raise a force strong enough to prevent the inevitable. A truly fortunate event happened while fighting in Consenza. During the short battle both Serlo the faithful Marshal leading the Saracusa forces as well as the Duke himself, earned martial skills for bravery while fighting.

An Heir is Born :

During this time of fighting Humbert had little opportunity to pleasure his wife. This was undoubtedly unfortunate for his wife but quite dangerous for Humbert, for without an heir his families right to rule in Apulia would end. Therefor Humbert set about ensuring his legacy. A year after the fighting ended Ingy was pregnant. Nine months later Ingy had their first child and much to Humbert’s joy it was a boy. They named their child Geoffroy after a renowned great uncle of Humbert’s.

While doting over his newborn, a strange request came from the court of Poland. It seems the King of Poland had a wretch of a wife that he sorely wished to be rid of. Apparently the King was willing to pay a substantial sum for our assistance. It wasn’t like the Hauteville family wasn’t familiar with such things after all, so it seemed like an easy way to get needed funds.

An assassin was sent out and found their mark sipping tea next to a fountain in the county of Kujawy Poland. The lady was not guarded well so her death came quickly. Then a truly unfortunate thing happened. All was going well until the gardener came from the nearby manor and discovered the assassin with his hands incriminatingly wrapped around the queens neck. The assassin turned to silence the gardener, who was running to the queens aid, when the dead queen fell forward knocking the assassin off balance. The assassin fell into the rushing gardener who was brandishing a pair of lawn scissors. The assassin fell mortally wounded impaled by the scissors through the heart. Confident in their abilities, the assassin hadn’t taken steps that, if caught, would not incriminate the Duchy of Apulia. But alas, the assassin had instructions from Mathilde the courts Spy Master and the name of Hauteville was once again vilified.

The War of Promises :

While slowly rebuilding in Lecce, a war broke out in the north. Sweden declared war on Norway, which wasn’t that important except for the fact that Poland was allied with Sweden. The nations of Europe waited with baited breath to see what Poland would do. Much to no-one’s shock but to every-one’s dismay Poland joined the war against Norway. This was truly outrageous, Poland was entirely to powerful to continue unchecked as it greedily sucked up land and power. The King of Castille and Hungary along with the Duchies of Apulia and Pereyaslavl promissed Norway would not stand alone and attacked Poland.

Humbert sailed to Venezia to end the Polish occupation there, while the King of Castille attacked Polish holding in the holy land. Hungary and Pereyaslavl attacked Polands southern counties. Unfortunately the King of Norway was too weak to fight Poland and Sweden and when Poland prudently offered peace to them Norway accepted. The cause of going to war was now lost. Soon Polish armies were fighting their new attackers, and winning. Hungary sued for peace next, leaving only Castille, Apulia and Pereyaslavl in the fight. Pereyaslavl was fairing the worst as it’s armies had been destroyed and Poland was occupying one county after another with no signs of stopping in sight.

Although Poland made attempts to attack South, his armies were surrounded and crushed by the combined might of Castille and Apulia. No leader saw any point in continuing this ruinous conflict. Peace terms were negotiated and the war came to an end. The Duke was hopeful he could gain Venezia in the conflict but to no avail. All we gained was a tremendous debt of over one thousand in gold.


The Cost of Glory :

With such a burden Humbert sought ways of reducing this debt. He was forced to take a risk and attack the Count of Salerno in the hopes of gaining redemption from acquiring it’s wealthy lands. The Duke ensured his King would not be overly bothered by such a move against another vassal. The King stated he did not like his vassals fighting but would not interfere.

Humbert lead his forces from Lecce along with his marshal’s from Trapani, the total force numbered over three thousand. The count met the Duke with two thousand defenders and a great battle ensued. Once again the Duke’s Marshal, Serlo, proved himself and gained martial skill for his bravery. The addition of Salerno to his holdings dramatically increased his monthly income.

While moving his capitol from Lecce to Salerno the King of Castille requested Humbert’s aid with fighting Muslims in Iberia. Humbert agreed and was sent a handsome sum of money to help pay for the transport of his armies to Iberia. While loading his forces into boats off the coast of Lecce, truly troubling news came. The Kingdom of Beni Helal started to fortify it’s holding in Tunisia. For some time Humbert had sought to gain the lands in Tunisia for their great wealth. With the King of Beni Helal fortifing it only meant such a dream would be truly daunting. Humbert made a fateful decision to strike now while his chances for success were greater. Humbert did not make this decision lightly as he first sought to ensure his King was safe. Infact Humbert’s inteligence indicated the King of Castille had things entirely under control and was making quick work of the heathens in Iberia.

Humbert’s forces, numbering over three thousand, landed in Tunis. A pitched battle with four thousand of Beni Helal’s forces was fought near a small town on the coast of Tunis that Humbert eventually lost. Humbert lead two hundred survivors of the battle from Tunis to Mahdia and hid from Beni Helal’s forces until relief could come from Trapani. When the forces from Trapani landed in Tunis Humbert lead his small force from Mahdia to join up with them. This time Beni Helal succumbed to the superior forces of Apulia, which numbered over six thousand strong and were driven out of Tunis. Humbert marched his victorious troops onto Kairwan taking that land as well without much difficulty. After those devastating losses the King of Beni Helal sued for peace offering money in exchange for their lives. Humbert accepted happy with the acquisition of the very wealthy Tunis.

Apulia has regained power and prestige, Humbert has been a fine ruler, the King of Castille has been a magnanimous leader. Will Apulia continue to excel, can Castille maintain it’s benevolent rule stay tuned to find out


...

 

[Lurken]

1083 -1110

Many things happened under those years. A king died, and a new king arose. Battles fought, battles won, battles lost. Land claimed, land lost. Sorrows and despair, joy and hope.

The years of 1083 - 1093 has become lost to the fire that burnt down the royal archive 1094. And only remains as ellusive shadows, etheral and hard to grip. What is know about those years was that the King of Castille offered the Duke of Apulia shelter under the wings Castille from the heathens. The Duke, wisely accepted. The King set forth to give the whole of Sicily to the Duke, as compensation.

About the years of 1094 to 1110 more is know. Those years was marked by scandal and great PR.

One of the scandals was that an alleged courtier of Castille sent out an assassin the kill the heir of the Holy Roman Empire, one Leopold Piast, to make things worse he was also a grandchild to Boleslaw Piast, King of Poland and Jerusalem. Many, wrongly, blamed the King of Castille who had not one part of the scheem. However recent studies show that the King of Castille might have been the one who sent the assassin.

In the year of 1103, when the debt has been repaid and the coffers was filled again. War was once more declered on the Arabs of Iberia. The war itself was a success. The former lands of Navarra and Aragon was reclaimed. It is said the cause of the war was not geopolitik or power, but religion. It seemed that christians in the former lands of Aragon were being converted to islam.

Not only did Alfonso Jiminez, the King of Castille expand his realm in Iberia, he also expanded in southern Italy. He was informed that he could soon declare himself as the king of Naples. Alas he couldn't or wanted to wage war against the independent counts in the area. So he offered them protection and vassalship. Enough accepted, one of them was the Count of Salerno.
So...Alfonso arranged a crowning a ordered a crown, worthy a king. And he was crowned to the King of Naples.

But it was not all well. The Duke of Apulia was disgruntled with the truth that Alfonso Jiminez was the King of Naples and himself. The Duke of Apulia sought to gain control over the rich province of Salerno, owned by another vassal of Alfonso. The king adopted a "please don't, but I don' care"-policy regarding intra-vassal war.

One of the greastest successes Alfonso made was the successfully lobby a sainthood for his father Sancho, liberator of Jerusalem and Alexandria.
Sancho was declared a saint for the christian under heathen rule on June 6 1103.
Another family related event was the birth of his first son. Alfonso was joyed, however it came to light that his son was utterly inept with the sword, however good with wits. Later in his education it showed what a genuis his son was with stewardship (OOC: 14 in stewardship). Alfonso married his son Salvador with a greek woman, a daughter of a duke. She was equally good as Salvador.

Now we are entering one the more saddening episods of Castillian history. The war against Poland. Alfonso seeing that Poland, mighty as it was. Could turn into a juggernaut. So he declared war upon them with many more realms by his side when Poland assisted Sweden against Norway.

He disembarked on the holy land to reclaim Jerusalem from a duchy loyal to Boleslaw Piast. He succeded with taking Jerusalem, but didn't hold against the might of Polands forces in the holy land. So he fled to Alexandria to rebuild his army there. Not long did it take before Poland attempted to sieze Alexandria. There was a mighty battle, with the Castillian outnumbered two to one. But the Castillian army somehow managed to win and utterly destroy the invading army. But that was mearly a battle, the war was lost. A peace was negotiated with Alfonso as the speaker for the realms that rose against Boleslaws Poland.

Jose Santiago, PhD in Early Mideival Castillian History.

 

[unmerged(41579)]

The Kingdom of Hungary - a tale of the Arpads

1066-1110

During the early years after the norman invasion of England the Arpads of Hungary consolidated their power in eastern europe, growing to be one of the mayor contestants for power in the region. Conquesting the lands of pagan tribes around the black sea saw the hungarian economy stabilising and prospering. Due to the Kings greed a civil war started in the late 1090´s and the Kingdom was split between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Duchy of Slovakia, ruled by Géza Arpad. In 1098 the king of Hungary died heirless and the duke of Slovakia inherted the lands of the king and Hungary could once again be a united empire. During these years Hungary managed to claim Galich from Poland.

1110-1120

When King Géza Arpad died in 1110 his son the hunchback Kálmán Arpad assumed his place. Not all of the vassals were content with this change and count Lázár Pallfy of Sopron declared independence. This rebellion was soon squashed and the head of count Pallfy could be seen outside his castle as a warning.
Kálmán Arpad, a far more ambitious ruler than his predecessors sent 100 gold as a gift to his neighbour Slavich Trpimirovic, the king of Croatia as a token of friendship. In the light of events to come it was a kiss of death.
Between 1112 and 1118 two wars were fought against the Byzantine empire. The first one a disaster as their ally Croatia was occupied with internal affairs and come not come to the aid of the hungarian king. Belgrade was ceded to the Byzantian king and Kálmán had give up his claims as the prince of Serbia. Shame was upon the hungarian crown.
A few years later the king declared war against Byzans again and with Croatias help the campaign was success. Croatia did not have the same luck though and all of croatia was vassalised. Hungary came out of the war with two new counties along the coast of the black sea (Galaz and Constantia).
After 1118 Hungary was close to be dragged into a war with Poland but due to Polands withdrawal from the lands of the duke of Pronsk King Kálmán ruled Poland guiltfree.
In 1119 the duke of Pronsk called upon the aid of Hungary against the tribe of Cuman and the king answered the call of his close friend in Pronsk.
1120 saw the rapid victories of polish, hungarian and pronskian armies against the Cumans.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Duchy of Apulia​

1110 - 1120 ​

All that had been lost was retaken. The Duke had two strong sons and his power was growing daily. The King of Castille let it be known that if the Duke could protect themselves the crown of Naples’s would be forth coming.

The Third Crusade :

With the promise from the King of Castille still ringing in his ear Humbert set about gathering craftsmen from across his lands. He would build the strength of his lands by erecting castles to project his power across his counties. During this great project the Pope called for the Third Crusade, to free Cordoba from the heathens infesting Iberia.

The King of Castille was quick to raise enormous armies to crush the Muslim scum that defiled the lands of Iberia. Many great leaders sought glory and riches on the crusade but the prize ultimately went to Castille. The King not only rescued Cordoba but also pushed the cursed Muslims back to the edges of Iberia.

The Family Name :

Humbert’s first born came of age and a marriage was arranged with the Duke of Flanders. With much celebration Geoffray de Hauteville was married to Muriella de Flandre. A most graceful girl that brightened the court of Apulia. As a wedding gift Geofrray was granted the title, Count of Saracusa.

A year later Humbert’s second born was wed to a courtier from his court. Aubrey was then given the title Count of Apulia for him to prove his worth. With two sons wed and now vassals in his Duchy, Humbert’s lineage was guaranteed.

Poland Breaks The Peace :

Pronsk a small Russian Duchy had been slowly increasing it’s power in the frozen north eastern reaches. Apparently this drew the attention of Poland. While Pronsk was waging war upon the strongest power in their region, Poland saw an opportunity to strike. This was not missed by the other leaders in Europe. Poland was attacking another Christian leader who was already engaged with a formidable enemy. This wretched act could not go unchecked. Without delay cries went out calling all good natured, God fearing leaders to stand against this barbarous act. The King of Castille, and Hungary along with the Dukes or Flanders and Apulia stood ready to intercede on the behalf of Pronsk.

Poland was advised to cease it’s despicable aggressions against the righteous Duke of Pronsk or face war. Poland agreed to ask for peace when given a deadline, but incredulously stole three provinces from one of Pronks’s vassals whose forces were away fighting the Cuman. This was so outrageous that it only solidified the loathing most of Europe now felt toward Poland. Without delay the allied host declared war on Poland and began to march. Poland recognizing they had truly underestimated the resolve of Pronsk’s friends, scrambled to avert utter destruction. With lightning speed Pronsk’s lands were restored to them and Poland pleaded for peace, claiming the debacle was a terrible misunderstanding. Pronsk had their lands back and Poland was no longer a threat to them. A war had been fought and land liberated without a single drop of blood shed. Peace was granted and all was well once again.

A New King :

Soon after the hostilities were ended Humbert continued to strengthen his position in southern Italy. The King of Castille recognized their loyal vassals diligent efforts and summoned him to court. The King proclaimed that in the summer of 1120 he would crown the Duke, the King of Naples. Humbert humbly thanked the King, almost dumbfounded with the news.

On the first day of May, in the year of our Lord 1120 in the county of Salerno, The King of Castille, Alfonso Jimenez crowned Humbert de Hauteville King of Naples. With much jubilance the people of southern Italy rejoiced. In attendance were royalty from across Europe, most notably were the Kings of Byzantium, England and Hungary as well as the Duke of Flanders. Unfortunately the King of Norway and the Duke of Pronsk could not attend due to ongoing conflicts in their respective lands, but sent envoys with gifts and salutations.


It’s almost unbelievable to comprehend. With all of our land lost, to regain those lands and attain the crown of Naples is truly amazing. Our journey does not end here, I wonder what challenges lie ahead?


...

 

[Lurken]

1110 - 1120

It was under these years that Castille truly established themselves as the dominant power of Iberia. This period was marked by the growth of the russian princedom Pronsk, that later turned out to be the basis to Kingdom of Rus. But also the coupled wars between Pronsk, Cuman and Poland.

Meanwhile the Castillian king Alfonso Jiminez recieved bearer of news about that certain powers in Europe was troubled and nervous about the rise in might and power. More after the third Crusade against Cordoba, where Castille marked the decline of the Muslim powers in Iberia. Though the duke of Flandern aspired to seek glory in Iberia, with him the King of France. Who had earlier taken provinces from Iberian muslims, infringing on the Castillian dominance of Ibiera. Time would show the King of France that Iberia rightfully was only to be governed under iberians, not french. Which was further marked when Alfonso let himself be crowned to the King of Narvarra. Boosting his already large ego. For now he bore three kingtitle, those of Castille, Naples and Narvarra.

To calm the nervous leaders of Europe, Alfonso promised the Humbert de Hauteville, duke of Apulia, the crown of Naples if the duke could transform his lands into a bulkwark against the heathens. Humbert set out to do that, and he did it, much to the bitter joy of Alfonso. Who wanted nothing more then to keep the crown of Naples himself, and never give it away.

What did happend might have been a blessing for Humbert de Hauteville. Alfonso Jiminez died April 28 1119, and in stepped his firstborn son, Salvador Jiminez, a genious when it came to economy, organisation, and cunning in the art of intrigue. But the tale about Alfonso Jiminez, liberator of Cordoba is not yet at the end. The pope found that, like his father Sancho, have done many great things for the church and lived a pious life, therefore canonizing him. Bringing great honor in his death.
Regarding his heir, some said, totally inept to use a sword, other then in ceromonial uses. Salvodor informed Humbert de Hauteville that the crown of Naples would be given to him the following summer of 1120.

There has been some debate about the reasons behind Salvador decision to crown the Duke of Apulia to King of Naples. Some say that it was manangment reasons, with the need to consolidate the new Iberian conquest coupled with the promise of his father and the unrest among the rulers of Europe. But there could have been other reasons aswell. Some perheps only know to himself.

But Salvador, before the crowning of Humbert de Hauteville, proclaimed that he would rightfully take up the crown of the brother of his grandfather, the crown of Leon. Soon after the crown of Naples was given away.
With the creation of an independent Kingdom in southern Italy, which at the creation swore to always support Castille and was answered with "Our swords shall always be drawn with your swords."

Jose Santiago, PhD in Early Mideival Castillian History.

 

[unmerged(41579)]

The kingdom of Hungary 1120-1128

War continued all through 1121 versus the Cuman tribe. Good news reached Hungary from their ally the duke of Pronsk of his coronation as the king of Rus. In 1122 the Hungarians managed to make peace with all the pagan tribes except one. In order to celebrate this grand victory against the pagans the hungarian king and the king of Rus formalised their alliance. In a sign of good faith the russian king conquered the tribe of Bulgar and peace reigned.

In 1122 and 1123 the Hungarian people aided the polish armies marching to Georgia with supplies and food. Unfortunatly this brave effort did not pay off and Poland had to withdraw again and sign a ill-seeked peace.

In 1124 viscious rumours of assassinations reached the hungarian court. Someone had killed the heir of the english king and the rumour had it that he was hungarian. Later several attempts were made against king Arpad but he valiantly survived the attacks.
King Arpads vassals however listened to the rumours and discontent was widespread. The large coffer of the king Arpad managed to quell the dissent.

Between 1125-1128 war was again fought with the pagans and despite this the polish king challenged the hungarians by seizing land that was rightfully hungarian.
The kings of Rus and Hungary were in the year of 1128 seriously considering the removal of the Piasts from power in Krakow.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Kingdom of Naples​

1120 - 1128 ​

Humbert had now seen the Duchy of Apulia through to a pivotal point in it's destiny. Now, Humbert was the King of Naples. Our fealty still belonged to Castille and all our efforts would be with the consensus of the Great King.

The Bond of War :

Thanks to the great counsel of the King of Castille our work to fortify our lands also allowed us to field larger armies. With these armies we had an ability to project our power. Humbert had to be careful though as other nations do not take kindly to leaders who abuse their power.

The chance to test our metal came when Byzantium called for help to quell multiple rebellions raging across their land. Castille and Naples would send troops to help. The Naples force led by Humbert himself, performed magnificently. The Prince of Dyrrachion was subdued and once Byzantium was able to send their own forces, Castille and Naples left. Byzantium was able to put down the rebellion and our two peoples became closer.

Insulting Behavior :

Humbert started a week long celebration to honor those brave knights who fought in Byzantium. All manner of games, festivities and revelry were held all across the land of Naples. The people were jubilant and the nobles were pleased with Humbert’s leadership.

But, not all were happy with the success of Humbert. For the Count of Napoli apparently jealous of Humberts deeds and weary of his growing popularity in Southern Italy, brooded over what to do. While returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, Humbert’s oldest son Geoffroy stopped in Napoli to rest. It so happened that the Count of Napoli came upon Geoffroy’s caravan. The Count recognized Naples’ standard and cursed it as he passed.

Geoffroy’s spirited wife heard the curse and politely asked the Count to refrain from disrespecting visitors. The Count stopped and lambasted the lady with such vulgarity that even those who rode with him were mortified. Geoffroy was not present at the time and was incensed when he heard of the Count's outrageous behavior.

Geoffroy beseeched the King to allow him to defend his wife’s honor and teach the Count a measure of humility. Humbert was more than willing to oblige and sent word to the King of Castille concerning his wish to bring the Count of Napoli to justice. The King of Castille gave his blessing and Geoffroy and Humbert lead an army into Napoli.

Apparently the Count’s behavior did not set well with the people of Napoli either, for when they learned of the Count’s insults and the approaching army they took matters into their own hands. The nobles in Napoli seized the Count and impaled him on their standard. The Count’s lifeless body was then placed on the road before the castle. On the Highest rampart of the Castle they flew the standard of Naples. The gesture was well received by Geoffroy and Humbert, who had mercy on the nobles of Napoli allowing them to maintain their holdings. Napoli was now part of Naples, another great achievement for Humbert had been realized.

The Forth Crusade :

The Pope troubled by the presence of Muslims in Valencia called for a Crusade to rid the land of their foul stench and bring the gospel to its backward people. In the tradition of their fore fathers, Castille led the charge to arms and quickly crushed the heathens occupying Valencia.

Many Muslim leaders became irritated with the constant attacks by Christian leaders on their fellow brethren and began to harass Christian held counties in North Africa. Zirid raiding parties began to cross into Tunis and attack newly erected churches there. This could not be tolerated. The arabs in Tunis had recently converted to Catholicism and would not be left open to attack. Humbert once again took up the sword and sailed to Tunis. The garrison of Tunis was mobilized to stop the incursions.

Zirid accepted the challenge and sent their best warriors into Tunis. The Tunisian garrison wavered but the timely arrival of Humbert saved them. Zirid was thrown back and pursued into Bizert. Thousands of Zirid’s warriors fell as Humbert’s offensive surged forward. While fighting in Mahdia Humbert’s brilliant marshal Henrey Boromeo fell severely wounded. This was a truly unfortunate event and troubled Humbert deeply.

The war with Zirid continues as the fourth crusade comes to an end with Castille fulfilling the Pope’s call. Can Humbert finish this holy war against Zirid without his capable marshal. Check in next week to see how Naples fairs in the years to come.


...

 

[Lurken]

Slightly off: My latest post is incorrect. Alfonso was the king althrough that session.

1120-1128

During these years Castille went from a possible powerhouse in Europe to the powerhouse, a benovelent powerhouse alhtough.
Within the lands of Alfonso Jiminez there was a great effort in building and infrastructure. Many roads were laid and many buildings was raised.

Alfonso looked upon the lands the Arabs in Iberia with eager to claim them. If he only could take the lands of Emirate of Valencia, he could proclaim himself as King of Aragon. As usual, the King was hesitant to do that.
The war turned out to be a debacle, it looked easy but the war was mismananged. The forces of Valencia succeded in taking some lands from the duchy of Zaragosa.
But the outcome was clear. Valencia was beaten down, as King Alfonso himself was leading to and from the siege of Valencia (to and from because there were still roving bands of arabs.) The pope declered the fourth Crusade, against Valencia. Alfonso was overcomed with joy.
In his eagerness to take Valencia he became reckless and was hit by a stray arrow, wounding him severly. But he still led the siege to a victory.

But this war left the coffers, once again drained. Alfonso could not do much, but rest and hope that he would be freed from his wound. As it turned out, an unlikely event for those days happened, his wound healed.

Meantime, the loyal Kingdom of Naples, was under harrasment from the Zirids and fought back with war. The King of Naples, Humbert de Hauteville, sought help from the "Great King" which followed his own words "Our swords shall always be drawn with your swords." That war set of a cascade of wars between the Kingdoms of Castille and Naples on one side and muslim powers on the other side. The Al-Murabitids sought war against Castille though not much happened. It was rumoured that even Alfonso Jiminez was scared by the armies of Al-Murabitids. But likely it was a combination of large hostile armies and empty coffers that disuaded him from waging war in Africa.

They were not the only muslim power to try and take down Castille a notch or two. The shiekdom of Faro tried and failed. Likewise the Emirate of Granada, who survived most likely to the huge amount of money the Emir offered for peace.

After the wars was to an end, Alfonso JIminez realized that, not only he could take the crown of Aragon, but also the crown of Portugal. After saving money to spend on an trule extravagant crowningceremony. He could wore the five crowns of Iberia, if he wished. It was cumbersome so he declered when the last of the Arabs is cast out in the sea, he would declare himself as "King of Iberia". Time would tell what happened and I will tell in the next installment of my work.

Jose Santiago, PhD in Early Mideival Castillian History.

 

[Lotus Lo]

1120-1128

First on order was to bring in the rebellious Duke of Ascalon. Armies were raised and war was declared. The armies of God soon sacked Negev, the capital of the rebel Zayed Najjar. His lands were brought under the Kingdom of Heaven. His title went to a loyal courtier, well, was loyal. Not one year after, the new Duke declared its independence, so the Armies of God again marched off to war again to bring back the Duchy. Again they were successful.

The Armies of God continued the campaign, marching against the infidels of the Sinai. Most of these lands were recovered. The campaign was cut short when running into a brilliant general.

This was all followed by a period of peace to replenish the soldiers. Churches and Monasteries where built in order to spread the Christian faith.

 

[Traveler]

Italy​

The Kingdom of Naples​

1128 - 1137 ​

Humbert was at war with Zirid, where his marshal was severely wounded. Many more years of fighting lay ahead.

Changing Times :

With Henry Borromeo, Naples brilliant marshal, severely wounded Humbert had to fight the Zirid alone. The fighting raged for another two years before Zirid was subdued. Humbert fought valiantly and lead Naples to many victories. All of Tunis was now under the reign of Humbert and the wealth from these lands helped pay for the debt incurred from the conflict.

All was not well though. With the realm of Naples larger, it created certain problems not experienced before. The distant counties became harder to control and manage. Soon crime became rampant and the people in these far off counties began to grow discontent. One of Humbert’s counts left him seeking vassalage with the King of Castille. Indeed it was becoming quite a strugle to maintain the realm as Tunis and Trapani broke out in open rebellion.

The Duke of Apulia :

Humbert was growing old and understood he must pick from his three sons who would be the heir to his throne. After much deliberation he chose Aubrey, his second born to take his place. Aubrey was given the title Duke of Apulia setting a president that the rightful heir to the throne of Naples would always come from the Duchy of Apulia.

A truly unfortunate event happened soon after this fateful decision. Humbert was severely wounded while fighting an invasion force from the Sheik of the Murabitids in Reggio. The Murabitids were soundly defeated but Humbert never recovered from the wounds he suffered at the hands of the heathens. The whole Kingdom prayed for the recovery of their beloved King, to no avail.

On the tenth day of July in the year of our Lord 1133, Humbert de Hauteville died. Two weeks of mourning were observed. Many Kings came to pay homage to this respected ruler. Soon after the mourning ended, in a solemn ceremony, Aubrey de Hauteville, the Duke of Apulia, was officially crowned the King of Naples.

A New Beginning :

Aubrey set about meeting with representatives from many of the lands his father had worked with before. Most important of these was the King of Castille, for which Aubrey, like his father, pledged an unflinching fealty to the Kingdom. During this period of establishing bonds with many great leaders, Aubrey was able to merry his eldest daughter to the King of Hungary.

Aubrey’s efforts were fruitful as many of his fathers former allies gave him their word to support the Kingdom. These bonds couldn’t have come at a more fortunate time as Byzantium was suddenly attacked by Germany. It was well known that several of Germanies Dukes were growing tired of the Emperor’s oppression and longed to be free.

Bavaria and Brandenburg saw the war against Byzantium as an opportunity to fight for freedom. Aubrey wanted the Dukes to free their people as well, but most importantly felt obligated to help Byzantium who were now beset by German armies.

Aubrey Victorious in Battle :

Aubrey and his marshal Godfrey Najjar new the best way to help their allies would be to draw Germany into Italy. Aubrey struck out to take Lands near the Po River which would force Germany to respond as they couldn’t lose such valuable lands. Lucca fell first after heavy fighting there. Soon Ferrara fell then Bologna, as Aubrey marched victoriously against all that Germany could muster against him.

With victory after victory many of Germanies Dukes who fought against Aubrey sought peace, offering thousands in gold, not wanting to suffer as the Duke of Toscana was. These war indemnities proved invaluable to supporting the effort against Germany. Firenze and Modena would fall before Aubrey would fight armies from Germany instead of the Dukes and Counts as had been before.

On June 10 1136, Aubrey faced Werner the King of Germany and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on the field of battle in Firenze. The chance encounter with the enemy King filled Aubrey with rapturous joy. Aubrey took the high ground with seven thousand men as Werner arrayed his forces before them which numbered over six thousand. Aubrey had the numerical advantage at first but a nearby German army came from Romagna to reinforce Werner’s number to over eight thousand. Although Werner now had greater numbers his force was comprised of twelve different regiments, where Aubrey’s army only had two.

Werner’s army soon splintered as his control over the many leaders were strained under the united assault from Naples. Aubrey was victorious and Naples had accomplished their goal. Germany was hopelessly bogged down in Northern Italy where Naples was now dominant. This took a lot of pressure off her allies allowing them to do what they needed to hopefully end the war.

The War Dragged On :

Sadly not all went according to plan, as Bavaria once winning their lands, soon sued for peace and was granted their freedom. Aubrey was pleased with the news but it was bitter sweet as their departure only meant Germany could concentrate on the other combatants. Soon Brandenburg would also leave the fight as they were swallowed by Poland.

Poland exploited the German rear and stole several provinces from their undefended counties before demanding peace. Again the news of these events were very bitter to hear as yet another ally was out of the fight. Castille had a brilliant plan to bring Germany to the peace table. By taking the Emperor’s demesne provinces they would be forced to capitulate. Again with most of Germanies armies tied up in Italy, Castille’s army could march almost unopposed.

Will the King of Castille force Germany to surrender? Can Aubrey keep the German King busy in Italy? Will Byzantium survive long enough to feel relief from the German threat? Read the next exciting AAR about Naples to find out.


...

 

[Lurken]

1120 - 1137

Those years where both uneventful and eventful at the same time.

A new King rose, after the death of the "Great King" Alfonso Jiminez, it was Alfonsos grandchild Bermudo Jiminez, due to the tragic death of Alfonsos eldest son and Bermudos father.

Meanwhile in Iberia one of Alfonsos goals were completed, the expultion of the Arabs from power. This was followed by the symbolic coronation of Bermudo to the King of Iberia. It was intended as a uniting crown, instead of the five crowns of Iberia.

In the support of Naples, Castille found it self drawn into a war against the powers of North Africa, espicially the Kingdom of Al-Murabitids. The King went for a limited expedition, with the goals to conquer the lands closest to Iberia, to create a kind of buffer against the Arabs.

On the diplomatic side there were some successes as bringing the former french vassal, the Duchy of Mallorca, inunder the vassalage of Castille. Granting the Jiminez family one more stepping stone towards a Iberia solely ruled by Iberians.

Much to Bermudos frustration, Naples once more drew Castille into a war they didn't want, against a realm they didn't want to fight. But as they were honourbound, they had no option but to support Naples. Bermudo sought to land limited forces in the lands of HRE and slowly picking of vassals to the Holy Roman Emperor and forcing the to make peace. But the Emperor didn't want peace, even if Bermudo offered a "Status Que". So he went out to besiege the personal lands of the Emperor and force them to make peace.

Jose Santiago, PhD in Early Mideival Castillian History.

 

[Lotus Lo]

place holder for the lazy

 

[Duuk]

Rudger was a young man. Not even a young man, little more than a boy. But he was a boy who knew his place.

He was Rudger von Nordheim, Arch Duke of Bavaria (his title having been "elevated" by his Chancellor following the defeat of the German King for better prestige).

He was 9 years old and had inherited a Duchy only recently at peace. The death of his father had been quite a shock for young Rudger. It left the Duchy in turmoil, as the Duke had been talking for over a year about skipping Rudger and making his younger son heir. Sadly, the Duke died before enacting the change, and Rudger became Duke.

Following the advice of the Steward, Rudger dispersed most of the money his father had saved building improvements all around the Duchy. This draining of the treasury seemed like a wonderful idea at the time and allowed Bavaria to build schools and other improvements that delighted the young man.

Following this buildup, the Spy Master brought news to Rudger's attention: The Duke of Steirmark, neighbor to the Arch-Duchy of Bavaria, was becoming more and more disenchanted with the rule of the German King. Could we have them as a vassal? asked the young Duke. Sadly no, the Spy Master advised, though we all know you to be greater than a mere Duke, the other rulers in the area would never accept a Duke bowing to you. At the Spy Masters suggestion, papers were forged showing that, centuries ago, Rudger's ancestors had ruled Steirmark. It was a poor job of forgery and no one would ever allow him to rule Steirmark... unless he took it by force, and then people wouldn't object too loudly.

You see, my Young Duke, when Steirmark declares war on Germany, we will offer our assistance and put the revolt down... we will simply neglect to leave when we are done. This sounded like an excellent idea, and the youthful Arch-Duke agreed to it at once.

Passing through the halls of the castle though, the young Arch-Duke began to hear disturbing rumours. The Arch Duke was getting a small reputation from his actions that bespoke him being a warmonger. His desires, it was said, ranged to the top of the Empire.

More disturbing still was a rumour that the Steward (see below) had embezzeled nearly 500 gold from the treasury! The Young Archduke was powerless to do much about it, but was chilled how little control he had over his own court.

The Archduke, now fully aware of how he had been manipulated, considered his next actions carefully. Praying for guidance, the Archduke asked the local Bishop what he could do to put down the rumours of his warmongering desires. At the suggestion of the Diocese Bishop, the Bishoprics of Salzburg and Cheb were invested and the Archduke became known as an amazingly pious man. So much so that when the next Pope was named, Rudger was in Rome at the special request of the Cardinals. While he did not become a "Special Advisor" to this Pope, there was little doubt in any of the nobles present that Rudger was destined to be looked upon kindly by the Papacy.

Following a blatant act of stupidity on the part of the Steward, Rudger decided that it was a fine time to become a man. He stripped the steward of his title and elevated a new steward. This event was later seen as the time when the young Archduke, though still considered underage, would fully become the Archduke in fact and not merely in name.

Luckily for the Archduke, the King of Jerusalem, the Archduke's cousin by marriage, took the plight of his stepmother's homeland seriously and sent a small gift to repay some of the damage to the Bavarian treasury. It was noted, of course, that the King of Jerusalem's stepmother was now married to ... ex-Steward von Wangen following the death of the King of Jerusalem's father.

Now that the Archduke was feeling very confident, a thought occurred to him. Germany was at war with Poland, Naples, Denmark, the Kingdom of Flanders (styling himself "King of North Africa" though he controlled little of Africa) and even the Kingdom of Castille.

The Archduke did what any young man would do: He declared war on the Duchy of Steirmark. Barely mobilizing two of his own regiments and 2 of his vassals, the Archduke commanded his legions off to war. Steirmark was quickly dispatched, making the Archduke also count of Steirmark. This situation lasted only days before the Chancellor sent a missive to the heads of state in Germany noting that, since the Duchy of Steirmark had been vacated by the pretenders to the rightful lands of the Duchy of Bavaria, henceforth Rudger would be known as "His Grace the Archduke of Bavaria and Steirmark". Spreading enough gold around got the message across, and prestige was gained in the eyes of the nobles.

That left only one minor problem: The Archduchy was still at war with Germany. Mobilizing his regiments, the Archduke sent his forces to invade the German possessions in Bohemia only to be overtaken by the forces of Castille. Knowing the a german Archduke would never be able to lead a siege where the King of Castille y Leon y Aragon y every other Iberian land was present, the Archduke used his subtle skills and noticed that the siege of the county of Brabant was led by a lowly court functionary. Quickly a request was sent to the count of Julich (who was, by title, a vassal of the Archduke of Bavaria). The Count saw the good in the idea and sent his regiment across the border. The Castillian functionary was completely flustered by the arrival of the Count and allowed the Bavarian noble to lead the assault on the county.

With the collapse of resistance in Brabant, Werner King of Germany again was forced to acknowledge that the Archduke of Bavaria had out-guiled him again. The Archduke of Bavaria was again at peace.

Rumours began to fly in the Bavarian court, however. It seems that the Polish King had a pagan Chancellor! Agast at the thought, the Pope had excommunicated the Polish King! The vassals of the King of Poland were becoming unhappy and the Duchy of Mazovia had even revolted!

A quiet note arrived from the Polish King begging for intercession. Knowing the standing that the Archduke (a mere boy at 13!) had with the Pope, the King needed help and was quick to remind the young Archduke of the role played by Poland in the first war against Germany.

Sadly however, the Archduke had no such control over the Pope. It was said that the Count of Vermanadois stood in higher staid with this Pope. Tragically, word soon reached the Bavarian court that the Count of Vermanadois had fallen from the highest tower in his castle. How his head came to be severed so cleanly and why he bound himself hand and foot before throwing himself from the tower remains quite the mystery. There was also the question, of course, as to why the guards that night had never been seen in the castle before or since, and also why they spoke Polish. Some questions, however, were best not answered.

With the Count of Vermanadois no longer a factor, the youthful Archduke was soon seen as the mouthpiece of the Pope. After some minor intercession, the Pope acknowledged he may have been too hasty in excommunicating the Polish King. The blame was placed on an overzealous local chaplain who was quietly transferred to Rome, and the King was again allowed to take communion and receive the blessings of God.

So it stands that the His Grace the Archduke of Bavaria and Steirmark, Advisor to His Holiness the Pope, has taken his small Duchy to world fame. All while still an underage ruler.