Chapter 5: Back from the Brink
Unknown reader of this secret journal, be aware that your narrator has changed again and the date is now 7 January 1516. My name is Dietrich Ziegler and I am Second Personal Secretary to Saxony’s present King and Emperor-Elect, Maximilian I. Although I am but a young man, I am told that I have an impressive grasp of both history and the current political situation within the HRE. Thus, I modestly confess to having the ear of the Emperor in many important things. But you may wonder what happened to Magnus Hamann, who had taken up the task of continuing this journal many years ago. To be blunt, he died. On 2 August 1499 to be precise. I know what you must be thinking. No, he was not assassinated by Ottoman agents. The fact is that Saxony’s valued naval advisor was nearly blind in one eye. And so, he failed to spot the horse-drawn carriage, which was turning into the street just as Magnus was about to cross. A dreadful accident which robbed Saxony of its last capable advisor at that time.
This enchiphered journal was found in Hamann’s private papers. He had given the key to decoding it to a close personal friend, Ludwig Ziegler, another royal confidant, who also happened to be my father. The journal passed to me on my father’s recent death. I now fulfill an oath to him by faithfully recording this account of Saxony’s recent history. Beyond this, I will endeavour to act as ‘historical observer’ for as long as I draw breath.
By 1499, Saxony was on the verge of social chaos. The campaigns against the Ottomans under Moritz had drained the country of ducats and mutterings were heard within the HRE. Constant subversion by enemy agents persisted in wreaking havoc at all levels of Saxon government and commerce. Two senior advisors had been brutally assassinated. Revolts, even in homeland provinces, were increasingly common. Saxon prestige abroad had declined and the Empeor-Elect’s reputation was ‘rather bad’.
Moritz was stunned at the domestic reverberations of his military adventuring. To his credit, he turned to others for advice. The King instigated a review of all foreign and domestic policy. Discreetly supported by influential nobles from neighbouring states who relied on Saxon stability for their own security, the review committee made a number of far-reaching proposals:
An end to military adventures and annexation of other states until Saxony’s domestic harmony, reputation and economic fortunes could be restored;
A bribery campaign to repair tense relations with Munster, which persisted in sending spies against us;
A policy of maximum religious tolerance towards Orthodox Christianity in the Balkans to alleviate the risk of revolts there and increased tolerance of the Muslim faith in provinces bordering the Ottoman Empire;
Saxony’s standing army of 30,000 men would be maintained on lesser pay to save ducats and we would work assiduously to improve relations with other HRE states (particularly, the Electors) and with the Pope in Rome.
And finally, a renewed emphasis on developing trade as Saxony’s best source of future prosperity, as advocated by the great Luca Pitti in 1453.
These were the policies that were to guide Saxony over the next decade and beyond. Slowly, they nursed the country back from the brink.
One of the first things that Moritz did was to renew support for the flagging Hanseatic League. This had a beneficial effect on our relations within the HRE although local dissent ensued which took some time to appease. By 1501, our reputation had improved although foreign nobles still described it as ‘tarnished.’
Enemy spy activity diminshed gradually. Munster was appeased by our gifts and no longer sent spies against us. But the Ottomans persisted, albeit much less often. In any case, they had other things on their minds. They were under almost constant attack by up to three European coalitions comprising such states as Hungary, Austria, Bohemia, the Knights, Venezia and several others. We looked on enviously but did not take part.
During this turbulent period, conflicts also erupted frequently in other parts of Europe. France, for example, was locked in a bitter conflict with Castille, as was Portugal, assisted by her ally England. The French preoccupation with Hispania would have other longer-term implications, giving Burgundy free rein to consider its own territorial ambitions. Disturbingly, these lay much closer to Saxony’s borders. More on this later.
To our east, a confederation of states, led by Poland, sought to eviscerate Muscowy, which was forced in 1501 to cede three provinces, while renouncing claims on a fourth. There would also be considerable strife between other nearby HRE states which would force Saxony, as Emperor-Elect, to make some difficult choices.
The outbreak of the Peasants War in March of 1501 greatly complicated the task of domestic reform. Riots over food, over working conditions, over religion and over an influx of immigrants from our newly acquired Balkan provinces were a regular occurrence. The country’s stability was again under threat.
In May 1503, King Moritz succumbed to a chest infection and died. He had reigned, not always wisely but with undeniable military success, for 24 years. His successor, who was crowned Severinus I, was second cousin to the late king. He was immediately given the additonal title of Emperor-Elect, as Saxony had managed to repair its relations with key electors by this time.
Severinus had no discernable talent at anything. He cared little about efficient administration, was barely civil to foreign diplomats and knew nothing about soldiering. He was crass, ignorant and a notorious rake, caring more for pleasures of the flesh than Saxony’s welfare. The country more or less ran itself under his ‘leadership’ as there were no court advisors to guide him.
Fortunately, the heads of several government departments formed an unofficial committee, which essentially administered Saxony during the reign of Severinus.
By early 1504, Saxony started to receive better tidings. Boundary disputes in several Balkan provinces such as Serbia gave us claims on them, which were gleefully pressed. This would help allay public opposition in the event of future military steps against the Ottomans.
In April, the end of the Peasants War also helped restore comparative calm to the country. During this period also, Carmelite monks were welcomed in both Leipzig and Friesland. Meanwhile, Saxony had endorsed a new policy of National Trade, designed to complement its Shrewd Commerce practices.
By 1507, the Renaissance was spreading throughout Saxony, bringing with it increased research and trade. It also brought with it a tradition of secular humanism, which greatly disturbed the Church in Rome. In an effort to win favour with the Papal States, Saxony spurned the doctrine of secular humanism in favour of rigid theological doctrine. This resulted in a huge improvement in our relations with the Papal States.
The significance of this was immediately demonstrated. A courier from Rome arrived with a sealed letter from the Pope. Severinus I, Emperor-Elect, was invited to prostrate himself before the Pontiff and be declared True Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire! This had been the dream of Friedrich August and of Moritz I. It was an invitation now sent to an undeserving fool.
Ironically, the Emperor-Elect was forced to refuse this vast honour as the offer carried with it a sting in the tail. Saxony would have to hand over a huge number of ducats as a precursor to Severinus being named King of the Romans. Doing so would almost certainly result in a series of inevitable loans, which in time would bankrupt Saxony’s struggling treasury. Severinus, livid with frustration, was forced to declare to the Pope that ‘he would not kneel.’
By 1509, conflicts within the HRE had greatly intensified. A number of wars had erupted, with states such as The Palatinate, Baden and Hesse attacking Nuremburg and Mainz. Austria and Wurttemburg were also intermittently at war with Mainz, Frankfurt and Nuremburg. These were just two examples. There were many others. Severinus, as Emperor-Elect, was asked to intercede on several occasions. In most cases, however, the required actions would have cost Saxony far too many ducats so Severinus had no choice but to do nothing. It was something that sat well with his personality anyway.
In 1510, a trade specialist named Karl Kranke arrived at court and offered his services to the Emperor-Elect. As trade was to be the central plank of our country’s long-term strategy, he was granted a senior Cabinet post immediately.
In September of the following year, the King of Saxony and Emperor-Elect, Severinus I, collapsed while at dinner and was dead within minutes. Doctors indicated that he had choked on a haunch of venison. There was naturally a public show of grief but in reality, there was collective relief. He had been the poorest of rulers. His successor, Maximilian I, was hardly brilliant but he did have some talent for diplomacy. And after the reign of Severinus, that was good enough for most. The HRE electors wasted little time in announcing the new Emperor-Elect to the world.
One of Maximilian’s first actions was to reject repeated - and absurd - offers of alliance from faraway Novgorod. He also redoubled Saxony’s efforts to place merchants at key Centres of Trade. By 1515, our country would have 5 merchants entrenched in each of four key COT’s: Vlaanderen, Lubeck, Venezia and Andalusia.
Saxony’s poor reputation abroad was still threadbare, but had improved since the days of Moritz and was now only viewed as ‘tarnished’ (
Bboy of 4.44/22 by 1515).
Maximilian looked abroad and across the Balkans, saw Ottoman power greatly checked. He had no immediate worries on that front, although the Turks now appeared to be expanding to the east.
But much, much closer to home, Burgundy was on the move. Its navy was known to be huge.
In 1513, Burgundy had tested the mettle of the new King by sending Saxony a diplomatic insult. Maximilian had taken advice and shot back a message that the insult would not be forgotten. Then, in 1514, Burgundy invaded Utrecht and vasselised it. It followed up with an attack on Trier and was ceded the province. This was too much for the King and Emperor-Elect. To safeguard against further Burgundian expansion to the east, he issued an edict guaranteeing the integrity of The Palatinate and Hesse, the next provinces facing a likely threat. He also despatched a formal warning to Burgundy, making it clear that any further aggression would not be tolerated.
As 1515 drew to a close, astute observers sensed the rumbles of new conflicts approaching, complicated perhaps by growing religious ferment……….
