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Chapter V - War is a Many-Splendoured Thing


Previously, we learnt about the first twelve years of the personal rule of Philippe III, Duke of Burgundy, and how he was elected somewhat unexpectedly to become Holy Roman Emperor after the failure of the Habsburg line. His French cousins had been defeated at Maine, he now had two daughters, Margaret and Marie, and all was quiet in the Empire for now.


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The first of many gifted artists, scholars and advisers to gain patronage during Burgundy's cultural renaissance.

The previous Christmas (AD 1429), Jean, Bishop of Utrecht, had come to the Duke, asking that the fiercely independent burghers of Friesland be brought under Burgundian control. The city of Groningen had long prided itself above Utrecht, Arnhem or Amsterdam, and it was the Bishop's opinion that God had brought Philippe to the point where the Fryslanders would obey his rule.

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Philippe spent the following year recovering after the peace agreement at Maine and in the early spring of 1431, he declared his desire for Burgund-Dutch hegemony. The neighbouring powers Brunswick, Oldenburg and Hesse joined Friesland in the brief war with Burgundy, but by the next spring, all four powers had either conceded defeat or agreed a mutual cessation of hostilities. The lands of Friesland would now pay homage to Burgundy and a portion of Groningen's not inconsiderable revenues now flowed into Philippe's coffers in Dijon.

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Almost immediately after the subjugation of Friesland, a group of nobles who were not happy to see the thinly concealed hand of the Church directing Burgundian policy suggested to the Duke that the Archbishop of Trier be next to pay homage to Philippe. After all, if the Church meddled in Burgundian politics, so should Burgundy meddle in Church politics.

Philippe, on the other hand, had other matters to attend to, namely concluding peace agreements with the other parties in the Battle of Friesland and dealing with reports that townsfolk living nearby the Abbey of St. Benignus in Dijon had been cured by the power of St. Agnes of Arles, despite the city of Arles being located in Provence, rather than Burgundy. It kept the people happy though and that was what mattered in a time of war.

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That summer, a young but talented theologian came to the attention of Abbot Hugo de Saint-Benigne and soon Brother Thomas à Kempis entered Philippe's service with all manner of theories on modern religious practice, one of which was later passed into law as the 1432 Advancement of Religion Act, which ensured that the holy majesty of God's word, enshrined in each copy of the Bible, would not be contaminated or corrupted by granting mere commoners access to its inspired texts.

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Barely a week later, news came that Felipe, King of Castille-Leon and Aragon, had declared the Kingdom of Iberia. After the death of his father Enrique III in 1417, King Felipe had completed his father's work, finally annexing the remaining provinces of Portugal in February 1431, and had now just decreed the unification of the five kingdoms of Iberia under one throne and one name. King Felipe had two sons, Alfonso and Fernando, and a formal betrothal was arranged between Fernando and his elder daughter Margaret (named in honour of his grandmother).

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Brittany renews its long-standing alliance with Burgundy against the mutual Anglo-French threat.

Just after Christmas 1433, young Philippe de Bourgogne came of age and was presented to the Yule Court as Philippe III, Count of Charolais and heir-apparent to the Duchy of Burgundy. Celebrations were held throughout Dijon to commemorate this momentous occasion, made all the happier by occurring during the Festival of Christ.

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In the new year, Philippe made clear to his lords that he had no interest in overtly meddling in Church politics and indicated his desire to complete the unification of the Duchies of Burgundy and Lorraine and thus absolutely ensure his sole right to the ancient Carolingian country of Lotharingia.

Unfortunately, whilst he was formalising the roles of the various noble families and their responsibility within Greater Burgundy, in preparation for a successful integration of the Lorrainian lands and titles, a group of disgruntled Flemish merchants in the city of Ghent rose up in armed protest against the reforms. Due to a quick response from forces loyal to Duchess Jacqueline in the nearby province of Zeeland, the 7,000 Flemish mercenaries were defeated and the merchants either hanged or forced to pay crippling damages to the Crown.

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Just four weeks later, a further blow struck deep at the heart of the House of Valois-Burgundy. Like his great-uncle before him, Philippe III, Count of Charolais, died of a strange fever, despite the best efforts of the Burgundian physicians to halt his swift decline. A national day of mourning was declared and Philippe was later to write, "April is the cruellest month. Its weather is fickle, the people expect great things for the milder times ahead and yet God has cursed my family most severely and most often at this time. All malice and evil can be attributed to this most meretricious of months, as no doubt the Great Serpent planned his most devious and successful of deceptions at this time."

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Anton Leijonhufvud, the new Archduke of Austria, was a Dutch cousin of the extensive Habsburg dynasty and a mere boy of six to boot, so various allied lords and relatives had been called to serve as his regents. One of them, Franz Stefan, Landgrave of Sundgau (born François Stéphane de Bourgogne, bastard child of Philippe II), arranged for the Austrian lords to offer a military alliance to his nephew, which was readily accepted.

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Shortly thereafter, Philippe was called to defend the island of Gotland against the armies of Frederick of Burgundy, King of Denmark and Norway and successor to the late King, Christian Gryf. The war had been going for four years already, but Danish naval superiority had been taking its toll with the Imperial defenders and the Emperor's help was requested. Once again, as elected King of the Germans, Philippe felt compelled to do his Imperial duty and take up arms against his relatives in defence of the Empire.

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After the birth of his third daughter, Agnes, and the death of his only son, he and Jacqueline were blessed with another son in the new year of 1436 and they agreed immediately to name their child Philippe in memory of the baby's late brother.

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That March, it became clear that the long-term emphasis on military prowess had inspired many young wealthy young men to sign up as junior officers, all the better during a climate of protracted military activity, and one of the great philosophical minds in Flanders took up service in Philippe's court, eager to serve in the cultural heart of Europe.

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By summoer of that year, after several telling land battles, notably at Flensburg, Slesvig, Utrecht and Breda, Frederick Bourgogne ceded his claim on Gotland and returned the city and environs of Hamburg to the Empire, winning Philippe much acclaim for this victory.

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Three months later, whilst Charles VII of France was on campaign in Aquitaine against England and the Western Isles, Philippe declared war on his cousin once more, this time to reclaim the Duchy of Savoy from French control.

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ArmsofBurgundy1430.png


Philippe the Good
Anno Domini 1436

III Duke of Burgundy, II Duke of Brabant & Lothier, II Duke of Limburg
V Count Palatine of Burgundy, V Count of Artois, III Count of Flanders
II Count of Charolais, I Count of Hainaut
Jure uxoris: I Count of Holland and Zeeland
Jure bellum: I Duke of Luxembourg
Jure suffragium: Philip I, Holy Roman Emperor​
 
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A very good point to finish the update on, that is quite a coalition aligned against you! Philippe is certainly enjoying a good reign with the addition of Friesland and considerable success in his role as Emperor, such a pity his son passed away however. Hopefully this coming war with France will not prove too tough, I see they are currently at war with Iberia, which should make things easier for you, especially if the bulk of their forces are in the south.

I have to ask about this nation called 'Gaelic Highlands' I've noticed in a few screenshots, I assume it is added by the D&T mod, is it situated in highland Scotland? Or somewhere in Ireland? I'm quite intrigued.
 
An excellent update as always! :)
 
Thank you Ashantai. :)

Morningsider, as Samuel Goldwyn said, start with a earthquake and work up to a climax! The Gaelic Highlands is a releasable Gaelic minor in the Highlands and Western Isles (I believe). It was England who forced Scotland to release them this time, I think.

Anyway, there's a new update in the works, so if anyone wants to stop me double-posting, I'd appreciate it! :D
 
Chapter VI - A Time for Independence?


Last time, we dealt with the everyday certainties of life - war, death and taxes. A year has passed as we take up the story once more.


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The Duchy of Burgundy in 1438

Burgundy's technological achievements continue to impress, with developments in modern legal practice and the construction of the first Renaissance courthouse in October 1438.

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After Hamburg had rejected Danish rule, Their perilous situation in the northern Empire precipitated their request seek to the Emperor's formal protection, which was duly granted and led to an exchange of advisers, diplomats and courtiers between the German city and the Burgundian state.

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In March, Philippe heard of a young engineer in the province of Valenciennes who agreed to mastermind a series of local fortifications for the Duke, in lieu of coming to court. The Duke would continue to subsidise the man's career for a good many years to come.

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The Holy Roman Reclamation of Nice ended with Charles VI formally agreeing that neither Burgundy nor northern Provence were any part of modern France and by his returning the independence of Bar and Savoy within the Empire. Unfortunately, France was still at war with the opportunistic King of Iberia, but at least Francophone relations had returned to an uneasy peace. René and Antoine Arbelot, the two brothers who had devised and implemented the key strategies of the conflict, were knighted personally by Philippe and were awarded several fine houses and accompanying land in the border provinces of Picardie and Cambray, the better to coordinate fresh insights into any further wars with France.

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Flushed with success, Philippe attended the Diet at München that April and the Electors agreed to form the Reichsregiment, a unified legislative body with the aim of far less complexity and improved administrative capacity. Philippe sealed the decree, investing the new body with full Imperial power in his absence, and returned home to Dijon.

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In August, General Robert de Chastellux, another veteran of Burgundy's many military campaigns, died in his sleep at his manor near Calais. His two greatest protégés, René and Antoine Arbelot, each gave a moving eulogy at his funeral it the Eglise Notre Dame in Calais.

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That October, the war between an opportunistic Iberia and an exhausted France limped to an end. The Duchies of Normandy and Berry were released from the Royal demesne and it is generally recognised that it was here that the health of Charles VII, a mere 35 years old, began to steeply decline. Philippe quarrelled furiously with King Felipe over this matter, who finally settled the argument by cancelling Iberia's alliance with Burgundy.

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In March 1439, the preparation for Lorraine's incorporation into Burgundy was complete and the two duchies were at last united. Now no one could be rightly claim the Kingdom of Lotharingia save Philippe alone. However, the new Pope, Paulus III, had other ideas and in an effort to distract the warring lords in Europe from beating each other senseless, he called for the recapture of Jerusalem and the recreation of the Kingdom of Outremer.

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In February 1440, Edward IV of England finally seized the last of the Stuart lands and forced James II off his throne. All Scotland lay in English hands now, except for the Western Isles, ruled by Cathal Duff, Lord of the Isles, albeit as an English vassal.

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Another of the many arrivals at Philippe's court. With so much talent available, the Duke could afford to be choosy!

By June 1441, the Duchy of Milan had fallen into the hands of the Genoese League and the Imperial Reichsregiment called for its return. Lord-Captain Philippe de Marle, a viscount from Franche-Comte, led an expeditionary force to the gates of Genoa and the merchant-princes were forced to capitulate a mere eight months later. Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the previous Duke, had fallen in the fighting with his family, so Rodolfo Senni, an elderly relative, was invited to take up the title instead.

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Contemporary documents are not clear as to why Philippe flew into a mad rage with a mixed group of Breton and Iberian diplomats at court one fine day in March 1442. Some suggest that it was a slighting comment about Jacqueline's ill health and others report that one of the diplomats asked whether the Duke would also name a future heir Philippe if his six-year-old son died, but the palace was emptied of all foreigners immediately and remained closed for three full days, with the Duke refusing to grant any audiences during that time.

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For four years, Karl VIII Leijonhufvud of Sweden had fought the Danish in an attempt to seize the province of Skåne and throughout 1442, Burgundy fought with Sweden, once again meeting the Danish in battle on the fields of Flensburg and Slesvig. Eventually, Sweden prevailed, taking large amounts of land on the mainland and forcing Denmark to grant the Count of Holstein his independence.

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In April 1443, the Doge of Venice finally settled an old score with his rivals in Genoa and conquered the city for his own. As Emperor, Philippe now found himself fighting for the very city his troops had been beseiging not two years before! A scant five months later, the Venetians surrendered Genoa and lost their other Italian territories to Milan and Aquileia.

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Some years before, Charles, Duke of Normandy, had gone on crusade against the Ottomans, but was captured and killed on campaign. Quite how an Ottoman fleet of any size avoided European notice and landed in Caux was anyone's business, but nonetheless, in January 1444, the duchy fell to the infidels. Philippe was not having this at all and sent Sir René Arbelot and a host of men (which included reinforcements sent by the 15-year-old Archduke of Austria) to retake the duchy for Christendom.

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The rewards of the superb strategic and logistical reforms implemented by Sir Antoine Arbelot, Knight-Captain of Burgundy

In October, Dmitriy VI Jagiellon ascended the throne of Muscowy and declared the Kingdom of Russia. This was a momentous occasion, certainly, if somewhat overshadowed by his grandson declaring himself to be the first Tsar of all the Russias some fifty years later.

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By Christmas of that year, the key Norman castles at Caen and Rouen had fallen and the Ottomans were powerless to prevent Philippe installing Duke Charles's brother as Jean II of Normandy in the following February, albeit as a vassal of Burgundy.

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ArmsofBurgundy1430.png


Philippe the Good
Anno Domini 1445

III Duke of Burgundy, II Duke of Brabant & Lothier, II Duke of Limburg
V Count Palatine of Burgundy, V Count of Artois, III Count of Flanders
II Count of Charolais, I Count of Hainaut
Jure uxoris: I Count of Holland and Zeeland
Jure bellum: I Duke of Luxembourg, I Duke of Lorraine
Jure suffragium: Philipp I, Holy Roman Emperor​
 
Doing quite well! Your map looks quite clean, with lovely borders... except for Ottoman Normandy, a situation you rectified quickly enough.

Sorry to hear that Jacqueline is in ill health... but the newer Philippe has two strong parents to guide him and will hopefully do well with the kingdom he inherits! Hopefully he loses the Imperial throne too, eh?

Your enthusiasm for HRE reforms puzzles me. That may come back to bite you when you finally manage to ditch the HRE crown and form Lotharingia. You don't want Austria / Bohemia becoming too powerful.

A broken France is good... leaves you with a path for expansion into non Imperial territory. I say help Castille clean up the last of the so called "main" de Valois line.
 
I can assure you that lots of things come back to bite me in the arse quite regularly! :) That said, I've long assumed that passing Imperial reforms is one of those things that a strong Emperor does. Philippe could have been less enthusiastic, certainly, but you live and learn, as they say.

Omen, I'm glad that I serve as such excellent advertising for Death & Taxes. I hope you enjoy the AAR!
 
Oooh, a formed Russia. Is that as strong in D&T?
 
I couldn't say, as I've only played the Russians once for the achievement in 5.0! It should be "easier" though, if the Russians have the "claim_on_russia" routine like Italy, Germany and Lotharingia do (gain a set number of provinces, not necessarily specific ones).
 
Another update filled with good progress. Philippe continues to excell as Emperor. I did find it amusing that Normandy had fallen to the Ottomans, good that this has now been righted!
 
Great update! You're doing well as Emperor, that's for sure!
 
I seem to have carelessly let a whole week slip by without posting the next chapter of Philippe's story. I will endeavour to do so this week instead!
 
Please do! :)
 
Screenshots for the next forty years have been sliced and sorted and now all that remains is the write-up for the next five (yes, five) updates, which will start coming out soon. :)

In the meantime, let me distract you with this:

Bonus-Comet.jpg
 
Comets! Noooo!

I love the new additions in D&T to it.
 
The extra options added to this most infamous of events are brilliant! Looking forward to the proposed updates, good to know they'll begin coming thick and fast once again.
 
"I was about to flippin' westernize" is great, that was actually the thing that mainly piqued my interest for the D&T mod! :D
 
Very entertaining read, looking forward to more! I was a bit surprised not to read about your big wars vs. France in detail, but realized it's kind of nice to be spared some of the more slogging war bits. Iberia seems pretty scary, it's looking like you might have to "save" your Valois cousins from them. I also kind of like you being a strong emperor, maybe you could mod the Lotharingia decision(s) to allow you to give the title to yourself as emperor? You'd hardly be the first emperor to change things to his advantage, and from an RP perspective I can see the members wanting their powerful patron to be as prestigious as all the kings trying to gobble them up. It might already be too late for that, I dunno. Anyway, keep it up. :)
 
Thank you, Bballman. I always appreciate a first-time reader! I do like your idea, but given that the entire AAR is about forming Lotharingia, I didn't want to make it any easier or harder than it is now. ;)

The next issue should be up within 24 hours or so.