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Lord High Stewards Marshal Plan
Merchants: Merchants are to retain their current Positions
Loans:None
Inflation:The Steward takes steps to counter inflation (OOC Note:Reduce Inflation if Possible)
Spending of money on structures and ships: better infastructure in Lubeck (OOC Note: build a workshop in Lübeck
Spending on troops:Maintain current troops
Countries to be embargoed: Maintain Current Embargoes and Embargo Brunswick
Countries to add to league:Cologne
((For your information: Seeing as we have new minister plans and a decision on Cologne-Aachen, I will start modding a few events for the next chapter tonight and be working on it over the weekend.))
Hans had been up for the last 2 nights, thinking. He was awake solely thanks to willpower, and distracting himself with his thoughts. He had some problems with decisions relating to his ministers. He already knew who the new Chancellor would be. Although Gabriel von Baumeister was already a diplomat, the state had not heard from him in months, so it was widely assumed he had simply died, or dropped off the map. Torsten von Warendorf, the father of the Duke, was the other choice. An experienced diplomat, he was the next best choice, if not THE best. He already had a Lord High Steward in his father-in-law, Johann Bärnstein. The other positions he had no idea. He was hoping for applications, but had so far received none. He was stressed, to put it mildly. He knew he would have to sleep eventually, but so far he had managed to put it off. He eventually gave in, and slumped over his desk, out like a candle in the wind. ((OOC: Looking for applicants for ministers))
(( I thank @jacobweller that he decided to write this IC with me, although we live in totaly different time zones. I don't know which time it is in WA in the moment but it must be late ))
Charles took the time he stayed in Lüneburg to meet with Hans Jäger, the High Chancellor. Just, one of his guards, followed him.
When Charles walked over the Old Marketplace in Lüneburg the different smells and taste flashed him. For a short moment he thought he was back in Lübeck.
The soldier knocked at the door of the house where the Chancellor had his Office. A guard without any coat-of-arms on his doublet Charles identified him as a mercenary.
“Good day,
I’m Charles Frederick Dorsey and i want to meet your master, the High Chancellor Hans Jäger. Please where can i find him?” Charles waited for a answer of the guard.
“Chancellor Jäger is in his office. He said I am not to let anyone in without notifying him. Hold on… who did you say you were?”
“Charles Frederick Dorsey, Merchant for the duke.” Charles was a little bit disturbed that this mercenary hadn’t listened to him
The mercenary knocked on the door; “Hans, there is a merchant to see you.” The door opened almost immediately, and Hans Jäger stepped out. “Ah, Charles, do come in.”
Charles stepped in and stood in the middle of the office. Maps of Europe, documents laid on a large wooden desk at the back of the room. “I thank you that you decided to meet with me. I wanted to talk with you about some… matters.”
“Relating to what, my friend? Also, I apologise for my guard, he is a grunt, no thought required for his job.” Hans sat down, “Please, sit down. Would you like a drink? Whiskey, scotch?”
“No thanks, i’m no friend of alcohol, a water would be enough for me. So… i heard rumors that you will be our first Prime Minister, and i just want to inform you that you can always count on me.”
“Indeed I will be, apparently. Here, a glass of water. Boiled also, just to purify it. You can never be too sure. Now, what would you like to discuss?”
“I hope i’m not too rude, but i hope you reconsider me for an vacant Ministery position. If you would become the new Prime Minister…” Charles knew how that looked, but he was sure that a powerful position, with him in charge wouldn’t be the worst thing: “And thanks for the water, never drank water with such an quality.”
“It is no problem. You can never be too sure with the water. And which position is it that you wish for me to reconsider?” Hans filled a small glass with whiskey, and took a sip.
“I’m sorry, reconsider wasn’t the right word… i mean… when you become Prime Minister, and when you have to fill Minister posts… maybe you could remember me…” Charles was nervous. How would the man, who was teached by Charles grandfather Heinrich Harnischer in the Art of diplomacy, react?
Hans could sense the poor man was nervous. “It is fine, Charles. There is no need to be nervous. Which position do you wish me to consider you for?”
Charles was for a short moment surprised that the Chancellor and maybe future Prime Minister felt his nervousness. Then he reminded himself that the Chancellor was still a diplomat, and as such he had to see such things: “I… i think i wouldn’t be the best for the position as a chancellor, as i’m neither educated in such things nor a diplomat. But in my childhood, and still in Cologne i’m training with a sword and i realy early read books about the greatest Generals: Alexander the Great, Caesar, Charles the Great. I know their… their tactics and,” Charles stopped. He was waiting for the reply of the Chancellor.
“So you wish to be considered for the Chief of Forces? A bit of a career change for an English merchant with diplomatic backgrounds. I knew your grandfather, he was my mentor in my early training. A brilliant man in his field. I will keep your application in mind. Thank you.”
“I’m sure if my grandfather would live, he would be proud of you, his former student, who now is more famous than him. And please be aware that i’m… I were the son of a english noble, who reigned over a duchy in Wales. The most rebellious part of Europe.” Charles smiled. This comment reminded himself to the day were he travelled with his father throughout their lands and were attacked by peasants…
“I am sorry, I was not aware. Now, are you sure you do not want a whiskey? I have plenty.” Hans gestured to the bottles on the shelf behind him.
Charles thought for a small while. The Chancellor seemed to be a kind person. A small glass wouldn’t kill him… “You’re asking so kind, i have to accept your offer” He lost almost all of his nervousness.
Hans poured another glass, and handed it to Charles. “I propose a toast. To you, and your grandfather!” Hans held his glass up.
“ And to you, my Chancellor!” Charles followed the example of Hans and held his glass up.
“To a long and happy life for the two of us!” Hans downed the glass quickly, and placed it on the desk.
“To a long and happy life!” Charles, once more, followed the example of Hans.
Dear Prime Minister,
I have consulted in private with both our former Stathalter and our dearly departed Commander of the Forces, both of which reckoned I had a place in the command of the Luneburg-Lubeck armed forces. I humbly submit my application to, if not Commander of the Forces itself, at least a posting in the high admiralty. I somewhat doubt our current High Admiral's abilities given his advanced age in this era of great turmoil and you would find me a more than capable commander of our nation's most esteemed navy.
I thank you for taking the time to consider my application.
Friedrich von Haffelstadt
((edit: I've just noticed it still say's Lubeck is a republic in the provinces section underneath the character roster in the main post ))
((Just some info on the update progress: Gameplay is done. Update ends in 1472. Will fine-tune the text and screenshots later today or tomorrow. So update should be out tomorrow ))
Only scant hours after the ceremony has ended, the guests of various status and wealth arrive at an ageing manor house near Lauenburg. It had once been a manorial residence to one of the Askanier’s lesser vassals known as the Daldorffs, but had since the Lübeckan take over slowly fallen to ruin as the family fell to ruination and debt, having long since been abandoned, only to be reclaimed by the Raasch’ in recent weeks. It was a far cry from the remains of the castle at Ratzeburg that now served as the formal residence of the Count, but it was far more ‘homey’ and suitably close to the place of investiture to make for a suitable dining location.
Upon arrival, the Count is quickly whisked away by his mother to some bedchamber to be clothed in garments more suitable a nobleman, as the Herald’s announce the arrival of each and every guest to the dining chamber.
The chamber itself has been organized into four tables, with one ‘the High Table’ standing on a small podium overlooking the other three. On the high table only the Count, his family and the Duke and his entourage were allowed, but the visitors were free to pick and choose their seats on the other three tables as they wished and mingle about.
The chamber is comfortably furnished now, with quiet musing wafting from the alcoves where hired musicians are playing calming, yet merry tunes and the smells of fresh baked bread, ham and other delicacies wafting in from the kitchen.
Franz von Raasch, Graf von Lauenburg arrives to the chamber and is escorted to the High Table with his mother, and gives a grateful smile to those already seated there.
Johann Bärnstein arrives with a retinue of personal guards trailing behind and of course his family he promptly greets the Count and his mother-regent.
Franz and Anne-Marie gracefully accept Johann’s greetings, and with a clap of their hands cause for food and drink to be ferried to the tables. In addition to beer, freshly baked bread, there’s ham, lamb, fish and other foods available on all the tables for the guests to eat, with the High Table holding in it the choice cuts for the pleasure of the higher ranking visitors.
“I want to congratulate the young count on his investiture and I bring him a gift from one of my many journeys through the Orient.”Johann then made a hand gesture and two guards brought in a large chest.Johann made another hand gesture and the chest was opened by one of his guards in it was a piece of cloth interlaced with intricate floral patterns.”I got this cloth from an Arab merchant in Constantinople two years ago he called it Batik it apparently comes from the farthest end of the muslim world from a place called Java.”(Johann spends 2 Ep on the exotic cloth.)
“This is a most valued gift.” Franz says, awestruck whilst running his hands along the soft fabric. He’d never quite seen or felt anything like it, and even without his mother telling him, knew this was going to be extremely valuable,”I thank you Herr Johann, if you or your kin ever need anything, do not be afraid to contact me. Please… take your seat at the high table so the procession may proceed!”
Johann sat at the high table satisfied that his exotic gift had impressed the young count and would benefit Johann’s political power.
Hans waited for the ladies, and other men of higher rank than him sit first, as was expected. He found himself a place on the second table, next to some other noblemen and their wives. Hans was waiting for the new Count to come back to his table, so he could approach him with his gifts, a fine bottle of whiskey, to be opened on his 18th birthday, and a set of spices Hans had bought in Arabia during his travels. Finally, Franz-Friedrich was seated, and free for the moment. Hans got out of his chair, and walked over to the High Table.
“Count von Raasch, a pleasure to meet you. I am Hans Jäger, the Chancellor of Lübeck. I have come to congratulate you on your position, and to give you some gifts to commemorate the occasion.”
Franz smiles at the notion of the gift, but looks to his mother whom is seated next to him hesitantly. She gives an imperceptible nod, causing Franz to gratefully accept the bottle with both hands,”Thank you Herr Jäger. My father spoke of you often and I trust we can work together with the same familial and duty bound bonds that make our Duchy so great.”
The speech is clearly well-rehearsed, as is to be expected of a child of only 8 years whom is expected to host a ‘state event’, but behind the words is the clear enthusiasm and gratitude of a child whom has lost his father only weeks ago and needs some nurturing.
“I hope we can work together also. Your father was a brilliant man, and he would be very proud of your achievement today.” Hans took a bow, and addressed them both, “My Count, My Lady, good day.” He got up, turned around, and walked back to his chair. ((Hans spend 0.5 EP on Whiskey, and 1 EP on the spices))
“Herr Jäger.” Anne-Marie notes as the man begins to leave,”As a member of his Grace’s government you would be more than welcome to take a seat at this table, should you prefer.”
Not only would it allow Hans to get the choice cuts, but an opportunity to interact with the Duke, Count and see what hashing out would no doubt happen between the Countess-Regent and the Duke in the coming hours.
“Thank you, your Grace, I would be honoured.” Hans took a place at the High Table, a place of great honour, and power, in Hans’ eyes.
Chewing on a slight piece of ham and cheese, Anne-Marie looks to Duke Heinrich, wondering if this was the right time to broach the subject of parliament. Deciding that she might as well, she smiles,”Your Grace… I’ve been wondering if you’d given any thought to my request in our earlier communication. The bit about myself representing my son at Parliament?”
“I have indeed” said Heinrich. “I believe you should prove yourself first as a capable regent of the County of Lauenburg before taking on more responsibilities. Should I make your son prime minister at this early age, he would still be the prime minister once he comes of age. The prime minister’s office must be filled by someone who has experience and a superb understanding of administration. Franz can and will be considered for a high office in the future.” He provided Anne-Marie with his reasoning for not making Franz prime minister for the time being. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?”
Anne-Marie was somewhat surprised by the offer of making Franz Prime Minister, now or later. Not only would that make him… the second most powerful man in the realm, the second most politically powerful man, Franz was only 8 and it remained unclear if the monastically educated youth would become a warrior, scholar or politician. Still… it was a grand offer, though somewhat out of Anne-Marie’s purview.
“I am grateful as ever for your consideration your Grace, but I believe it best nominate a member of Herr Torsten’s former government for now. What the Duchy now needs above all is stability, and an 8 year old as Prime Minister… even if under Regency might bode ill for the affairs of state.”
“Exactly. This is why I decline to make your son and thereby you prime minister now. Anne-Marie, as you know, you could only serve as prime minister if I were to appoint him, seeing as you are Franz’s regent. However, your son might not be qualified once he comes of age to become prime minister and so the risk is too big. I will keep him in consideration though for an office in the far future. I am glad though that you understand though that he is simply too young at present.”
Taking a sip of the wine, a floral one from Hesse, Anne-Marie continues, looking to Johann and Hans to include them in the conversation,”I was more referring to the tradition wherein women were not allowed to address the Stadrat. Whilst as the lesser sex I can fully understand the reason, I believe given the… nature of our monarchy, this rule should be altered somewhat so that a female Regent can address the assembly on behalf of his Minor. What do you think?”
Heinrich was irritated by Anne-Marie’s question. “I will leave such a decision to our next prime minister. I should find a suitable one during the next weeks and months.”
Anne-Marie senses the Duke’s irritation and finds it quite peculiar, given that laws of the land were his to command and alter at will, but decides if he man wishes to foist more of his power away, he was quite welcome to. The remaining banquet is quite dignified and politics are kept out of it.
The Duke and his wife were enjoying the banquet. They ate and drank plenty and were surrounded by good company. Late in the evening, the two returned to the mansion in which they stayed for the trip. The following morning, they prepared for the journey back to Lüneburg. A lot was on Heinrich’s mind - the war with Castile, the vacant prime minister position and of course the stability of his duchy.
Duke Heinrich I had consulted with his advisors on the call to arms and it turned out that he had a different opinion on the matter than his chancellor whom he overruled in the end and the call to arms was accepted. Lüneburg promised support especially through its powerful navy. The duke did not intend to deploy the army in the Low Countries right away because the troops were caught off-guard and needed some months to prepare. On 18 August 1468, Lüneburg officially entered the war. Admiral Otto von der Weser was in charge of the navy after the passing of Heinrich von Raasch. Friedrich von Hafenstadt was on board the merchant fleet, captaining the Eisenwasser in the waters between the Baltic and the North Sea.
The admiral left the port of Lübeck a few days after Lüneburg entered the war and headed for the coast of Holland. His mission was to blockade the ports of Antwerpen and Amsterdam.
On advice of Lord Chancellor Jäger, the Duke approved a diplomatic mission to improve relations with the prince-electors of Brandenburg and Saxony. Jäger also proposed to form an alliance with Brandenburg in the near future. Gabriel von Baumeister was sent by the lord chancellor to Berlin to negotiate an alliance. Only time could tell if he would succeed.
In late September, von der Weser began with his blockade of the Castilian ports in the Low Countries. He had support from the English Roval Navy. The fleet which Hafenstadt captained was not intended for blockades and instead kept patrolling the area between Bremervörde and the Baltic.
The Duke was briefed on matters of trade in the Rhineland by the ducal merchant Charles Dorsey who reported that Cologne was in decline. A growing number of merchants had moved from the prince-bishopric to Aachen. Dorsey saw this an opportunity to invite Cologne to the small Hanseatic Trade League and suggested the plan to Lord High Steward Johann Bärnstein. Bärnstein approved the plan and signed the necessary documents to make Cologne a member-state of the League. Cologne promised to join once the duchy returned to peace.
After Heinrich returned from the inauguration ceremony of the new count of Lauenburg to the capital, he appointed Lord Chancellor Jäger as the duchy's very first prime minister. Shortly after, the duke informed the prime minister that he was to to lead the Lüneburger army himself. After all, he was a skilled knight who had been trained in the art of war from an early age. Heinrich I left the administrative duties of the realm in the hands of his new prime minister until he would return.
The armed forces of Lüneburg prepared to participate more actively in the war against Castile in their camp in Lauenburg. The county of Lauenburg was the least developed one in the duchy but its central position between Lübeck and Lüneburg made it strategically valuable.
Duke Heinrich and the various captains of the regiments discussed battle plans in their camp. They were debating whether it was better to lay siege on Luxembourg or to support the English attack on Amsterdam. In the end, they came to the conclusion that besieging Luxembourg could surprise the Castilian forces. The captains prepared the regiments and once ready left Lauenburg with enough provisions in late November. The journey was about one month and they arrived on December 29. After a camp was built the siege commenced. Trebuchets were firing against the heavy fortifications of the well-guarded city.
Meanwhile in Lüneburg, the Prime Minister opened a debate on the quartering of troops. It was not expected to end anytime soon but seeing as the country was at the war, the topic seemed quite convincing.
A shift of power occurred in the Italian Peninsula in January 1469 with the peace between Aquileia and the Papal State. The Pope lost the war badly and had to cede Avignon to Provence and Romagna to Ferrara. No longer was the Papal State a strong force in Italy.
Another peace surprised Lüneburg and England: Granada accepted a peace with their enemy Castile in which the status quo was maintained. The Granadan army had occupied Toledo, the capital of Castile, and so Duke Heinrich I was at loss at understanding the reasoning behind that decision. The Duke heard of these news while besieging Luxembourg as it spread fairly quickly through Europe.
The Prime Minister received word that Magdeburg had announced Lüneburg as its new rival. With the chancellor position vacant, it was more difficult to maintain positive diplomatic ties. Magdeburg was not a threat by any means.
Meanwhile in Lüneburg, the Prime Minister opened a debate on the quartering of troops. It was not expected to end anytime soon but seeing as the country was at the war, the topic seemed quite convincing.
More positive news arrived a few days later when Gabriel von Baumeister retuned to Lüneburg. He brought with him a treaty of alliance with the prince-electorate of Brandenburg! Hopefully, this alliance would deter Lüneburg's enemies from declaring war on it anytime soon.
Heinrich I was far away from Lüneburg when the Bremer Trade League was born. This was a most troubling event and the High Steward had to react to it in an appropriate way and sanctioned the funding of a secret spy network in Bremen. This new trade league had to be defeated before it could grow powerful - it was simply too close to Lüneburg and could potentially rival it. Bremen had turned from a close ally to a fierce competitor in less than a year. The duchy would need a lot of gold to fight Bremen and so it was no surprise that the High Steward also funded new workshops in Lübeck. The city relied too much on the production of salted fish and Bärnstein intended to change that with the construction of additional workshops.
The first country to join the Bremer Trade League was Magdeburg. This was hardly a surprise but emphasised the fact that Lüneburg would have to act fast to prevent Bremen from becoming too strong. In fact, in March 1469, Mainz joined the Bremer Trade League, too, and became its first member based in the rich and prosperous Rhineland.
The Duke had been besieging Luxembourg for about three months when a messenger reached the camp: A Castilian army of about eight to ten thousand men had made it from Iberia to the British Isles. Somehow the their fleet had managed to sneak by the English Royal Navy. The entire army of England was besieging Amsterdam and Arthur York had left no men behind in Britain. Heinrich was shocked by the foolishness of his ally. How could he leave his homeland defenceless and how could a navy as strong as the English Navy let the Castilian landing party reach Britain?
Lüneburg underwent a series of technological improvements throughout the year 1469 which affected mostly the military. The armed forces profited from the innovations the most.
The Duke's siege engineers breached the walls of Luxembourg in April 1469 and were hopeful that the garrison would surrender soon. Food and water shortages troubled the enclosed city population. Hopefully, this breach would drain their morale further.
With Bremen ceasing to be a free imperial city, Ludwig II offered this honour to Friesland. Bremen did not care much about that because their trade league grew stronger and stronger with Württemberg and Danzig joining it in the spring of 1469. The Bremer trade league had become larger than the one of Lüneburg in just a few months. This was scary and impressive at the same time.
Pomerania wanted to test the strength and will of the new trade league and declared war on Danzig, shortly after it had joined the league. Would Bremen and the other members defend Danzig or would the league fail by betraying Danzig?
None declined the call to arms and all members pledged to help Danzig in this war. Now the question was whether they would succeed or not. Seeing as Oldenburg and Magdeburg joined the attacking forces of Pomerania in this war, the odds did not favor the Bremer Trade League. Prime Minister Jäger refused to give either side military access through the duchy. Otherwise, the two parties might clash inside Lüneburg and that was something that had to be avoided.
Heinrich heard about this outbreak of hostilities during his stay at the camp near Luxembourg. He was quite confident that the Bremer League would fail to protect Danzig. The league's members were scattered all over Western Europe and the armies of the each of the members were not strong enough to take on Pomerania.
Meanwhile the siege of Luxembourg ended after approximately 200 days in mid July 1469. With Luxembourg occupied, the Duke gave the orders to march back to Lüneburg. His army had done enough to support the English for now and Admiral von der Weser still maintained a blockade in the waters of Amsterdam. A month later, Heinrich I was back in the capital. The prime minister had done a superb job during his absence and Heinrich was very happy with him and his work.
Admiral von der Weser was attacked by the Castilian fleet but thankfully the English Royal Navy arrived just in time. Together, they defeated the Castilians. The lost ships were commissioned by the Duke himself from the shipbuilders guild Lübeck and Stade. The majority of the Castilian navy was sunk but also von der Weser lost more than half of his ships. Hopefully, House York would remember the great deeds of Lüneburg in this war.
Many towns in the Castilian Low Countries were already under English occupation but Arthur I made it clear that he was not going to make peace anytime soon. He wanted to completely humiliate Castile and severely weaken its position.
Heinrich I agreed to a royal marriage between his sister Anna von Warendorf and Anton von Hohenzollern, the nephew of Prince-Elector Friedrich II. Friedrich II had no living children and his heir was his brother Achilles whose firstborn son was Anton. It seemed to be a good match in the eyes of Heinrich. A blood-tie with such an important dynasty would surely help to keep relations between Brandenburg and Lüneburg positive.
Danzig had fallen to Pomeranian occupation in December 1469. The Bremer Trade League had failed to protect them.
Rumors of a peace treaty between the Kalmer Union and its enemy Novgorod spread in March 1470. Apparently the Danes annexed six of Novgordian provinces. This was troubling Heinrich because the Kalmer Union was right at the doorsteps of Lüneburg and a major threat to its existence.
Arthur York seemed to not care at all that the Castilian landing party had occupied some land in Britain and was besieging London. The English army stayed in the Low Countries and watched Britain being turned to ashes. At that time, Arthur York was leading the siege of one of the provinces in the Low Countries. A more sane ruler would have returned with their army to Britain to annihilate the Castilian army.
The capital of the duchy grew considerably in 1470 with more people settling down. More people meant more taxes. Lüneburg was not a large city like Lübeck but now that it was the seat of a strong duchy, its importance increased and so the population boom was only natural.
Meanwhile the Teuton village had finally been given a proper name: Sankt Georgen. It was very fitting to name the village after a saint, seeing as many of its inhabitants were former citizens of the Teutonic Order.
Reports reached Lüneburg of a battle between Pomerania and the Bremer Trade League which took place in Bremen. The Pomeranian army completely crushed the army of the trade league. It was only a matter of months until Bremen would capitulate and agree to cede Danzig to them.
Despite all these efforts, Heinrich had not been able to completely root out corruption. This was a serious problem for the economy of the duchy.
Bavaria was the target of a massive coalition war led by the Free Imperial City of Ulm. House Wittelsbacher was backed up though by its allies Poland, Würzburg, Württemberg and Urbino. Emperor Ludwig II was also part of the coalition that fought against Bavaria so this war would be fairly huge. The amount of iron requested by all the lords of Europe was still at an all-time high.
The construction of the Gothic-style church in Sankt Georgen went very well. The architects reported that it was completed by about one third. There was still a lot of work left but the construction site looked very promising. Duchess Irmingard visited the construction site in February 1471. She was a very devout person and impressed by the church's progress. Its foundation was more of the size of that of a cathedral though.
Admiral von der Weser had been sent with the main fleet to the coast of Vizcaya. The coastal towns in the Castilian Low Countries had been occupied completely by England.
Lüneburg's spy network in Bremen succeeded in forging claims on the province. However, the duke did not intend to declare war on them for the time being, seeing as the English conflict with Castile was still on-going. Another spy network was founded in Hanover, capital of the Duchy of Brunswick, the archrival of Lüneburg. With the recruitment of additional spies to infiltrate Brunswick, Heinrich wanted to prepare for possible hostilities with them. The Welfs of Brunswick still held a claim on Lüneburg which in his eyes was most illegitimate.
King Arthur I was by far the most incapable military leader in the known world. He took no measurements to defeat the Castilian landing party in Britain. Without any opposition, the Castilian army won the siege of London and occupied the English capital. Arthur's navy was superior, his army was superior; yet he did nothing to prevent Castile from burning down English villages and raping English women.
Prime Minister Jäger convinced the representative of Lübeck in the Parliament to support the Quartering of Troops. His arguments were most convincing to Lübeck in these times of war. With Lübeck now supporting Jäger's proposition, the quartering of troops was passed successfully, much to the delight of the duke.
The merchant fleet with its flag ship Eisenwasser was still patrolling the waters between Stade and Lübeck. They spotted no Castilian ships on the horizon and kept the Lüneburger merchants safe. The war was most odd because Englishmen had occupied Toledo while Castile held London. Hopefully, this war would end soon. King Arthur informed his ally in war Heinrich I that he had sent a diplomatic delegation already to discuss peace with King Bertrán I. The length of these negotiations was up in the air though.
The Ulmer-Bavarian Punitive War ended with a stunning victory of Ulm. House Wittelsbach was forced to release Salzburg as a sovereign state again. Even though Heinrich had not participated in that war he learned a lot from it: The princes o the Holy Roman Empire did not approve of much conquest inside the empire.
The negotiations were completed fairly quickly and so on 24 October 1471, the war between England and Castile finally came to an end. King Bertrán I realized he could not triumph in this war, despite having occupied London. This peace cost him dearly because Arthur York demanded the annexation of Vlaanderen and Vizcaya. Moreover, he forced Castile to release Burgundy under a noble from House Foix. Burgundy was only a shadow of former glory though, ruling only over Luxembourg and Limburg. The Castilian treasury was also plundered and some of the gold went into the pockets of Lüneburg. King Arthur was most grateful for the Lüneburger supporting his war and promised to return the favor. Admiral von der Weser headed with the fleet from Vizcaya to Lübeck.
The following month, Cologne entered the Lüneburger Trade League as they had promised to do. Hopefully, Charles Dorsey was right and Cologne would become an important center of trade again.
With the duchy back at peace, Heinrich I was advised on the situation in each of the four provinces of his realm. Lübeck was the most prosperous of the four and the economic center not only of the duchy but also of the Baltic. The people Stade had finally gotten accustomed to being a part of Lüneburg instead of the former Prince-Bishopric of Verden. The province was in a fine condition and the only North Sea port of the duchy. The capital province of Lüneburg had less inhabitants compared to Stade and Lübeck but its salt mines were crucial for the economy. The County of Lauenburg was the least developed province of the duchy but it was still important because it laid between Lüneburg and Lübeck.
Europe had returned to peace mostly. There were not many big on-going wars at the moment. The last decades were violent and brutal but the peace was fragile and it was only a question of time until a large war would break out again.
King Louis de Valois of France's government announced that Navarra was now part of his realm. He had offered Duchess Blanca II de Trastámara to protect her from England, Aragon and Castile if she would become his vassal. The duchess accepted the tempting offer. Protection from outside aggressors was so valuable in a century which saw Europe change so much with new dynasties rising to power.
One of the few remaining wars in Europe was the Pomeranian conquest of Danzig against the Bremer Trade League. After Pomeranian troops occupied Bremen, the trade league was disbanded in January 1472 because Oldenburg annexed the province of Bremen. Pomerania proved that the former Bremer Trade League was weak. Heinrich I wasn't sure if he should be happy about the Bremer League being gone or worried by Oldenburg having seized this important North Sea trade hub.
The peace in Europe lasted only some months though before a major power went back to war. In February 1472, Aragon decided it was time to finish the Reconquista and declared war on Granada who called its allies Tunis and the Ottoman Empire to war. Aragon had not only the support of its junior partners Naples and Byzantium but also the support of Austria.
Heinrich I wasn't happy at all with the Oldenburger presence in Bremen and sent them an official insult letter as a first response. He also consulted with the rulers of Hamburg and England who promised their support in a potential military conflict with them and Pomerania. The ties with England were further strengthened through a Royal Marriage between House von Warendorf and House York: Heinrich's brother Peter was married to Arthur's niece Mary.
After some months at land, Admiral Otto von der Weser decided to captain on board of the Lüneburger merchant fleet, seeing as the duchy was at peace.
In the spring of 1472, Lord High Steward Johann Bärnstein took unpopular but necessary measures to reduce inflation. These came at a great cost but turned out to be successful. Bärnstein was working hard to make the economy more profitable again, seeing as it was still operating at a small monthly loss.
Friedrich II von Hohenzollern, one of the seven prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire, assured to vote for Heinrich I von Warendorf as the next emperor. This came at a surprise to Heinrich who had no plan to become emperor but that changed immediately once he was told of Friedrich's intention. Could a von Warendorf become emperor? It seems unlikely but one had to dream big in order to achieve something big. The clergy with its cardinal in Stade was unhappy with Heinrich's new ambitions and did not approve of his plan. It seemed they feared that von Warendorf could become too powerful.
Salzburg, which had been liberated by the Ulmer coalition, requested to become a formal member of the Lüneburger Trade League. Their application was reviewed and approved, seeing as Salzburg was a major producer of salt and salt was crucial to the economy of the duchy.
Heinrich also approved a new strategy which improved the diplomatic corps and strengthened the merchants. Both were important pillars for the success of Lüneburg.
The Ottoman Empire focused all its military power on Aragon and her allies starting in June 1472 when they made peace with a neighbouring horde who ceded no less than six provinces to them.
Pomerania's conquest of Danzig ended with full annexation. Lüneburg's neighbors became stronger and stronger. A worrying development.
The corruption in Lüneburg was still not completely eradicated. A man approached an advisor of the duke informing him that Cardinal Maximilian Strohmann who resided in Hamburg could be bribed. With enough coin, Strohmann could be motivated to move his cardinal seat from Hamburg to Lüneburg. This would without a a doubt upset Hamburg though and also be contradicting to Heinrich's policy of rooting out corruption and therefore the offer was declined.
A severe famine broke out in Ireland in September 1472. Desmond was struck by it particularly hard and the local lords had to import grain from Europe in order to fight the food shortages but in mainland Europe grain was scarce, too, and so the price for the commodity increased with a higher demand.
((The update is by far the longest when it comes to screenshots and quite a few things happened during those 4 years. Thanks to our participation in the English-Castilian War, England is now willing to support our own wars of aggression because we have accumulated enough favors.
The Prime Minister (@jacobweller)) is more than welcome to host a parliament session between this and the next chapter. Should he intend to do so please let me know for my planing.
@Shebedaone please make a new High Steward plan before next update. I'll give you a deadline by when I need it in a few days, once I know if we'll have a parliament debate, etc.
Open Positons:
Chancellor
Marshal
2x Merchant
1x General))
10th of July, 1471
Friedrich looked out over the deck, seeing a brief glimpse of the Danish port towns on the isle of Sjaelland. The miserable danes were very smug with their control over the sound and their ability to tax it. Eisenwasser had risen far in recent years. The official Admiral of the realm, Otto van der Weser had been allocated the much more prestigious military navy, currently engaged in blockading some insignificant minors or something in the low countries as part of this great 'English-Spanish war'. Friedrich however was given captain of the flagship Eisenwasser which, while he technically was equal to his fellow captains, was a much grander barque and thus placed him in de facto leadership of the merchant navy.
"Captain sir, message from the Lisa von Wismar. Captain Schmitt gives mention of a fleet of galleys to the west, no more than two or three. They seem to be beelining towards us."
"Hmm, very well sailor. Tell him to aim and load his cannons, and tell me if they show any hostility"
20 minutes later
"Captain sir! The Lisa von Wismar is being approached at spee-"
An enormous explosioin rocked the entire navy as an unnoticed small cog, full of gunpowder, rammed into a silk shipment in the convoy towards the rear. Then much smaller explosions as the Lisa von Vismar unloaded into the galleys approaching.
"Fireships!" Friedrich gasped "They must be trying to-"
He couldn't finish his words as another cog smashed its way into the rear of the Eisenwasser.
"They've infiltrated the convoy! Must be when we docked at Copenhagen! Sergeant! Inspect the damage!"
"Aye Aye captain."
He worried about whether their ships would survive, and if this is what Alexander had told him of three year's ago.
((CABINET MEMBERS SO FAR:
Lord Chancellor: Torsten von Warendorf
Lord High Steward: Johann Bärnstein
Lord Marshall: Charles Frederick Dorsey
First Lord of the Admiralty (Advisor to the CoF for naval matters): Friedrich von Hafflestadt
Is that all positions full?))
Johann stepped out of the carriage and walked into the bustling Jewish Quarter of Lunerburg keeping his face under the hood he entered the Synagogue."Shalom Rabbi Holländer how are you today ?".Rabbi Holländer replied in turn and Johann walked to his seat and waited for the sermon to begin ."Today as you all know is Hanukkah you all know the story i presume but today i will tell you a different story the story of Maryam a moor or muslim woman from Andalusia she was born in Granada and traveled to Sevilla for work there she worked at an orphanage run by the local convent.While this job was her main source of income it was not enough for her other needs namely food and water she began finding work one day she saw a woman who was cleaning her own households clothes and asked if she could help the woman the woman who was touched by Maryam's kindness gave her a job.But the job only barely nourished Maryam's income and she looked for more one day asking a nun if there were any people looking for a maid she was told of Rahel the wife of a local Rabbi who was looking for a maid. Maryam went to Rahel and began to work for her caring for Rahel's children and washing Rahel's clothes soon they became close friends.One day Maryam went on her usual route to Rahel's house and saw that a large crowd had gathered outside Rahel's house Maryam scared for her friend took the backdoor there Rahel and her children were huddled in the kitchen the rabbi tried to confront the crowd but they killed him Rahel entrusted her baby daughter to Maryam but for Rahel and her family they were unfortunately killed by the mob.The little baby was too much for Maryam she did not have the funds to raise her so she gave her to the Orphanage.Maryam would see Rahel grow up to be a fine young jewish woman now you must be wondering why i told you this story well the reason is tat we jews must stick together and persevere we wait for the Messiah but we are still the chosen people and we must be the better men while the christians bully and despis us we can be better we will care for them as a mother cares for her child.We are not the oppressors we are te saviours we are the people of the messiah even Jesus was a jew.Johann inspired by the Rabbi's speech he invested more money into his synagogue.(Johann invests 8 Ep into his Synagouge)
Lauenburg, 1472.
It was a cool spring day in Lauenburg, and the snows were slowly melting into small puddles even as the twelve year old Count von Lauenburg felt his spirit freeze.
“Rostock? Mother, why do we speak of Mecklenburg in this manner?” He questioned.
Anne-Marie’s gaze was iron when it came to the boy. The years since Heinrich’s death it had become her responsibility to oversee both her sons’ education and well-being; with said duties often going hand in hand. Heinrich the Younger had silently agreed to his faith and had been put under the wing of Bishop Johannes of Ratzeburg, but Franz had less desire to succumb to whatever role had been set for him.
Strangely despite his elevated status, Franz continued the almost Spartan monastic lifestyle in his own way, keeping his hair shorn short and committing to prayers three times each day. In many ways it only went to prove that the years spent with Grandmaster Rudolf had affected the boys’ spirit in ways that could not be conceived nor comprehended. Whatever else he might be, he was growing up to be a spiritual man, and that simply would not do.
“You heard me right. I’ve enrolled you into the University of Rostock to study the Humanist arts as well as some basics on law. It should go a long way towards correcting some of the flaws we have in our administration.”
“But I don’t wanna.” Franz practically stomped his foot,”I want to stay here. If you need me to learn just send me to the ducal court.”
Anne-Marie had seriously considered that proposition as well, but had decided against it. Heinrich von Warendorf was many things, but ‘master of laws and economy’ was most certainly not one of them. Lauenburg was still poor and it needed a real master of economy to improve her condition, not just someone playing at the role.
The fact that it would put leagues between Franz and that damned ruined cloister in Stade was a bonus as well. If even half the humanist ideas and traditions of the university were to rub off on Franz he’d be a much easier man to deal with in the years to come.
“Franz, you must do this… for the good of the Realm.” Anne-Marie did her best to speak out in a soothing voice.
“No.” Franz now really did stomp his foot,”I am Graf von Lauenburg and I am not going anywhere.”
“Except to bed without dinner.” Anne-Marie stated flatly, placing her hands on her hips,”Go to your room.”
“I am…”
“GO TO YOUR ROOM!”
Surprised and more than a little intimidated, Franz beat to a hasty retreat, only too late realizing he’d lost the argument and was going to be heading for Mecklenburg soon enough….
Johann Bärnstein walked into the Parliament followed by his personal bodyguard Amin. A servant announced his entrance when he entered the parliament, “The Esteemed Lord High Steward Johann Bärnstein has arrived.” Johann sat a prominent location to accentuate his position as a leading Minister. Amin gave an imposing look on those who stared too long at the Lord Steward and many did not dare anger the dark skinned african.
Friedrich von Haffelstadt did not think of himself as a particularly nervous man, though entering this expansive hall with some of the most powerful people of the country did make his heart beat a little faster than usual. A servant with a long sheet of parchment announced his entrance.
“Representing the Lord Admiral Otto van der Weser in his absence, Handelsmarine Chief of Staff, Friedrich von Haffelstadt!” A dozen cursory glances and a few greetings from some of his more familiar comrades spread amongst the hall, though most continued their chatter.
Torsten von Warendorf came over from Lübeck to attend the Parliament debate to which Prime Minister Hans Jäger had invited him. “Good afternoon, gentlemen”, he said before taking a seat in one of the rows towards the middle of the plenum.
Charles was breathless. Four days ago a letter arrived from a secretary of the former Chancellor, now Prime Minister Hans Jäger. He told him to come as quickly as he could to Lüneburg, to the Parliament. When he entered the building, just one seat was free: next to Friedrich von Haffelstädt. “Gentlemen, i must apologize for my late arriving, the way from Cologne is long. But i’m happy to take a seat in your middle!” With these words he sat down and coughed silent.
“It is no matter my good friend.” Friedrich replied. “After a long travel along unfamiliar roads to enter a room with so many unfamiliar faces, it is good to see you again!”
Hans was seated at the front of the parliament, an impressive building built a long time before the coup in Lüneburg. It was his job to open parliament, and instate his cabinet. He stood up, and the ambient din quietened down.
“Gentlemen. Welcome to the new parliament. I am Prime Minister Jäger. First order of business, I believe I must announce my cabinet. I believe you all are familiar with Herr Bärnstein, the Lord Marshall. The next position is that of the Lord Chancellor, who is to be Torsten von Warendorf. The Chief of Forces is to be filled by Charles Frederick Dorsey, whose aid in naval matters is Freidrich von Haffelstadt. This is my cabinet.”
Friedrich was slightly shocked, though very pleased. Representing the naval force to the Chief of Forces was usually a position reserved for the Lord Admiral, though it wasn’t unheard of to have someone else fill the role. He chuckled as this usually meant the doddery old man is about to be relieved of duty in a month or two. He was going to be very angry indeed. Friedrich couldn’t wait to see his face when he found out.
Torsten had never talked with Hans Jäger about this appointment and was extremely shocked that the prime minister did not have the courtesy to discuss such an important matter first. “Prime Minister Jäger, I am most surprised that you want me to serve as Lord Chancellor. Confronting me with this proposal here at the parliament is quite surprising. Why have you not talked with me about this appointment beforehand? I would like to know from the other newly appointed ministers if they were contacted by our Prime Minister beforehand or if you are as surprised as I am by your respective appointments.”
Johann was surprised the Prime Minister could be so brash as to appoint Cabinet members without first telling or informing them of their position, he could tell it from the expressions on some of his fellow ‘cabinet members’ faces. Johann sat still observing the other ministers various reactions.
“I wish to make it clear to Herr von Warendorf and the rest of the audience that I had no prior influence in making this decision, I am as oblivious as the rest of you. I do not wish to impose my will on the good Lord Admiral in his absence”, said Haffelstadt.
Charles swallowed up when he saw the in naval matters experienced von Haffelstädt, he thought the good Prime Minister would make Haffelstädt the Commander of Forces. It seemed his face showed his surprise, the man right next to him chuckled.
“I thank the good Prime Minister, our esteemed Hans Jäger, that he considered me to be the right person for the position of the Commander of Forces. I hope I can fulfill his perceptions. I also hope i can work together with Herr von Haffelstädt close. To the question of our esteemed new Chancellor Torsten von Warendorf: I weren’t informed, but when the letter arrived at our Kontor in Cologne i already thought it could be connected with appointment of the Ministers!”
“I concur with Herr Dorsey, I was also not informed of such an appointment beforehand” Friedrich said.
“So I am not the only one who had not been informed. Lord Prime Minister, I must ask why Herr neither von Haffelstadt, nor Sir Dorsey nor I were priorly informed about your plans? Is this the right approach to manage a cabinet? I am not so sure.” Torsten was upset and considered declining the appointment. “This also brings me to Mr. Haffelstädt. Last I knew, Admiral Otto von der Weser had been providing naval advice to the military. So let me ask you this question, Honourable Prime Minister: Did you fire Admiral Otto von der Weser – the hero who led our navy to victory against the Castilians?”
“Unfortunately it was an inevitable event to happen. He is becoming old, and he may make a wrong decision, which could cause the loss of our fleet. He will be duly compensated for his contributions to our nation. As for the notification, I must apologise, as I have been extremely busy. I had written the letters, and handed them to my guard to mail them, but he obviously did not do so. Those responsible have been replaced.” Hans knew he had given the letters to be posted. But the question on the firing of Admiral von Weser had been a conundrum. How old is too old? Hans did not know. He hoped he had cleared the matters up for his minister's. “Now, is there anything else I can clear up?”
“I see - if 43 is too old to serve as admiral then I am too old, too to serve as minister and so I must decline to work in a cabinet under you. What happened to the Hans Jäger who once served as a competent chancellor during my term as statthalter? I don't recognize him anymore. Has the power blinded you?” Torsten paused and organized his thoughts. After a moment he continued. “I take my leave - my work at the family kontor in Lübeck keeps me more than busy anyways .” Torsten was offended by the prime minister’s remarks on von der Weser’s age which were only the tip of the iceberg.
“My apologies, Herr von Warendorf, I am sorry to have offended you. I respect your decision, and if you want to reconsider, we are able to work things out. On this rather unpleasing note, I officially pronounce this session of Parliament open. Are there any proposals for this session to be discussed?”, said the Prime Minister and opened the debate.
((The Debate has been opened, with a bit of chaos. The position of Chancellor is now open again.))
Johann stood up and moved to a central position followed by his menacing guard and began to speak “Ministers and Lords of Parliament we left the of republican tradition of our forefathers because it was an illogical and troublesome tradition. Likewise there are other laws and traditions that need to be rescinded because of this laws certain families hold monopolies in certain trades. One law that should be rescinded is the Expulsion of Muslims Act of 1456. It was an act proposed by a lunatic who tried to massacre the jewish quarter ! Not to mention that Silk and other exotic trade goods are mainly found in muslim lands and would increase the wealth of our merchants.
Hans was feeling guilty, about his rude dismissal of Otto van der Weser, and how he had pushed Torsten to turn down the offer of Chancellor. He knew he was in the wrong, after all, Hans himself was 42, and the Lord High Steward, his father-in-law, was over 50. It was too late to take it back, but he could try to fix his errors.
Otto,
Although we have not spoken before, i must offer you my sincerest apologies on your dismissal. It was incredibly rude of me. Although this will not fix it, I have an alternative to propose. I propose that you become an advisor of the Duke, on military matters. Friedrich will replace you as the Lord of the Admiralty.
Once again, I am sorry to have dismissed you.
Prime Minister Jäger
((requesting RNG roll on Otto's response))
Torsten,
I am sorry to have insulted you like so. I had forgotten that age makes one wiser, and how benevolent you have been to me over the years. Although I cannot rectify this mistake, I will attempt to go forwards to bridge the gap I have made between us. I would like to meet you for a drink some time soon, you may decide the date that suits you. Enjoy your time helping your family. Family is the greatest thing God ever gave humanity, and we should cherish it so. Your son, the Duke, I see much of him in you. You should be very proud of him, and what you have done for the nation.
Forever Yours,
Hans
))
