From Bohemia's Woods and Fields: An AAR

Introduction

On Myself and My Arrival in Bohemia

The great city of Magdeburg had always been my home. A score of years is only a fraction of an entire lifetime, but a large enough fraction to develop strong ties with the city. But I was not meant to be in Magdeburg, really. On the river Moldau--sorry, Vltava, that was the German in me speaking again--sits a small village, so unimportant that even I forget the name.

There my family held estates for nearly three centuries. But some events had forced them out of the country twenty-five years ago. But there were still some in the country who remembered my parents--rich merchants among them. They bought me a decent house in Praha in late 1418. King Vaclav--nice fellow, if a bit weak as a king--took me into his confidence. As a man who knew the world well, I kept him out of trouble in the sphere of diplomacy, but he was hardly much of an administrator.

Likely that is why we--by that I mean all of his old advisors--ran into so much trouble when he died in August of 1419.

On the Death of King Vaclav IV

Some in my closest group of confidants would have you believe I am completely pragmatic and self-centered. They would also be the more astute of the group. Vladislav, a well-to-do Moravian merchant, seems to be able to penetrate the soul. He observes from afar and looks within you.

But I digress. The death of the King was a great shock to us. Worse, a sizable group in Bohemia, the Taborites--a radical group of Hussites--would not accept his heir, Emperor Zigmund, under any circumstances. The reason why goes back to 1415.

In that year, Jan Hus, founder of the Hussite movement, was summoned to the Council of Constance to answer for his heresy. Zigmund promised safe passage, but Hus was taken and burned at the stake. Many Hussites felt Zigmund was responsible.

Of course, under a more capable ruler, likely things would have settled down a bit. But Vaclav was not very good at the job. The Hussite movement had grown so large by then that it had split in three: the Utraquists, most moderate; the Calixtines, less moderate but still sane; and the horribly radical Taborites, who on the very day of Vaclav's death were likely meeting to figure out how to keep Zigmund out of the country.

Most of the government was pro-royalist. We could likely convince the moderates to accept Zigmund, but the Taborites would never let him in. We had to act fast. Vladislav and I--oh, I seem to have forgotten to tell you my name, haven't I? I am Ludwig... ah, what does it matter, you have never heard of me. Back to the story, sorry about that.

Now, as I was saying, we decided to expel the Taborites, but I should point out that this would not help us with our attempts to convince the moderates. However, they were not completely scared off. For example, Jan Ziska, a very good military commander, was persuaded to remain.

The Taborites' meeting place was constantly watched. Any meetings there was carefully noted. Many rebellions were ended in their opening stages this way. Bohemia continued much as it always did. But good things cannot last. Only evil things, and it turns out the Taborites became just that. But, I seem to have run out of time. When are you open again? How is Thursday, then? Good, I'll see you then. God be with you.

On the Taborite Rebellions and other matters

Ah, welcome back. I have some wine, if you wish some. Burgundy, 1420. Same year the Duke of Gloucester married the Countess of Hainaut, one of the nobles of Burgundy. That didn't turn out too well, as you likely know. But back to our story.

We go to the same year. Zygmund ruled from Pest, so Bohemia was allowed freedom from complete domination by Hungary. But we became practical vassals. I became the practical ruler of the country during that time. Zygmund was happy with my service to old Vaclav, and my work to get him in power. Bohemia became a good place to live. Everyone was peaceful, who tried to be so. But there is always dissention.

We suspected the Taborites, of course. One night, a very large number of them--not all Bohemian--met near what they called Mount Tabor. That, by the way, is the reason they are called Taborites, not the other way around. They started a revolt in Praha, but the moderate Utraquists and Calixtines sided with the good Catholics in sending them out before the military was needed. I praised this highly. The moderates were given the same protections as Catholics. Zigmund made no attempt to stop this when he heard of it. Many attempts at revolts were made in several places across Bohemia. None of them ever succeeded.

We were not the only ones dealing with rebellions. England had to deal with the old Lollard heresy--from which Jan Hus had gotten his ideas--and Bosnia put down a heresy in their country. Things were peaceful around our country (except for the damned Taborites), but not so in Western Europe. Domhnall of Ireland, almost as soon as he rose to power, insulted the Scots. He was attacked by not only Scotland, but France as well. The "Auld Alliance" was not only against the English anymore.

In May of 1421, I was summoned to Hungary. King Zygmund had decided to give me the title of Baron. I was quite thrilled. He made official my control of Bohemia for the time being.

In July, some oddball brought a Venetian ship design to me. He gave it for free, so I accepted it anyway. I figured we could figure out how to use it on the Vltava or something.

There isn't much to say until 15 July 1422. Ay, I am sure that is still a day of mourning in the northern provinces. That is the day a horrible plague broke out there. Thousands upon thousands died. It was the usual--boils, pustules, black spots, sneezing, &c. Fortunately, it was limited. If that had spread through the country, Bohemia could have been crippled beyond repair.

More news came from the west: James Stewart, King of Scotland, agreed to a plan that would make Scotland a practical vassal of France. The English who held him at the time were not amused, but made no attempt to stop it.

In Burgundy, the marriage between Gloucester and the Countess of Hainaut backfired. The two began a rebellion in Hainaut, only stopped by the force of Burgundian arms. They needed to learn a thing or two about stopping rebellions from us.

In 1424, the Scottish King was released from prison. Many of the Highland clans (including James' own Stewarts), being as much robbers as barons, were making a mess of Scotland. James, with the full support of the French king, took revenge on the nobility. The aristocracy in Scotland was broken.

On 12 October of that year, while stopping one of the sporadic Taborite revolts, Jan Ziska was killed. His body was carried back to Praha, and buried with the greatest honours. The day was one of mourning throughout Bohemia. May he requisiat in pacem. Let us take a drink of my Burgundy in his memory.

Boredom reigned again in Bohemia once again more than I or Zigmund. That is, until 1432. But more on that later. I am sure we can meet again--tomorrow, perhaps? Good, I shall see you then. God be with you.

On the Moravian Revolt

A rather nice area, Moravia is. Still rather mountainous, like the rest of Bohemia. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

The place serves as the border between Bohemia and Hungary. It did not take as much notice of our administration as the other areas did. The nobles often went contrary to our wishes.

On 16 March, I was planning a system of fortifications in Sudeten when a runner came in, stating that there was a plot by a group of Moravian nobles and other dignitaries--including my friend Vladislav--to depose our regime and have Sigmund take direct control over Bohemia. Of course, this could not be allowed to happen. I ordered them exiled. Immediately, I chose to take a more independent stance. While Sigmund was legally still King of Bohemia, he had no real power in the country.

Our interests almost immediately brought us into a good friendship with the Habsburg Archduke, Albrecht V. Our country nearly fell into civil war. It was merely my skills that kept it together. Eventually, the crisis ended. But we were forever sundered from Hungary.

Yet another period of stability ensued. Nothing happened, until 10 December 1437. For on that date, with the death of Emperor Sigmund, we gained a new king.

Albrecht Habsburg, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Archduke of Austria, and Emperor of Germany.

On the Reigns of Albrecht and Vladislav Pohrobek

Those who live in times of great upheaval and instability wish for less interesting times. Those who live when nothing happens wish for something to break the boredom. Thus it is with Bohemia. We can never find a happy medium. Either there is a long period of peace or one of war.

The reigns of the two Habsburgs in Bohemia, Albrecht and Vladislav, show both extremes. For two years, under the rule of Albrecht, nothing notable happened. Not as much can be said for that of Vladislav.

One thing I forgot to mention about Zigmund is that he was also the ruler of Brandenburg. That area, however, was conquered by the Livonian Brotherhood of the Sword, a crusading order on the Baltic coast. Of course, the people of Brandenburg were none too happy with that. They revolted, under the leadership of Friedrich I. While Albrecht ruled, we ignored the area, despite the fact that it could be conceivably claimed. But his death, and the ascent of Vladislav, saw a change in policy. Almost immediately, on 23 April 1440, I sent a letter to Friedrich’s son (also named Friedrich), stating that Vladislav was ruler of Brandenburg. They, predictably, said no.

Wrong answer.

At least for Brandenburg.

We had no problems with it. There was very little resistance, and the major cities of Brandenburg and Berlin were surrounded immediately. Interestingly, we came across many who wore the insignia of the Brotherhood, but they neither helped nor interfered. It took less than a year for all resistance to dissolve. 15 February 1441 was the first day to see Vladislav as ruler of Austria, Bohemia, Hungary, and Brandenburg.

Not everyone was too happy with this outcome. The Duke of Saxony, a rather odd fellow named Friedrich II, took offense. He was an excellent duke. Except when it came to war.

Of course, some of it likely was the fact that we had the threat of Austria’s arms behind us. But the enemy was horrible when it came to tactics, or intelligence. A short list (in order of idiocy):

Jena: Saxon forces accidentally leave a hole in their line. Bohemian victory.
Zwickau: We sit around. Saxons send small force at us. It gets slaughtered. They do it again. Same result. Repeat. Repeat. Rise to get bloodstains out of clothing.
Wittenberg: Saxons run away. Straight into the Labe River. Most drown.
Dresden: They set fire—to their own stockade. We win again.

Needless to say, the Saxons were quite happy when we let them off with a stern warning.

We were left alone after that. Once again, nothing much happened. On 19 September 1443, a group of nobles tried to get some money from the king through some harebrained scheme. They were never heard from again.

Ah, I seemed to have made a mistake. I had my Vladislavs mixed up. Turns out the Vladislav in Hungary was the King of Poland. It wasn’t until a couple of months ago—11 November 1444—that our current king became that of Hungary. And that is my story. I am glad it has gotten out before I die. I’m not quite feeling myself…

Ludwig died one and a half months later, on 16 February 1445, the cause unknown. He was aged 57.

I've put some screenshots up.

http://pages.sprint.ca/maccabeus/bohemia.html

Here follows the story of Jiriz Podebrad, recorded October 1457

Ah, you are the person whom old Ludwig spoke to. I hope you did not listen too well to that absent-minded fool.

No, I have nothing against him personally—not too much, at any rate. I do hold much against King Vladislav. Him, and his Habsburg brethren, have brought far too much pain to this country. Thus, what I hold against him was bringing us closer to the Habsburgs. Allow me to continue where he left off. January of 1445, was it not?

Fortunately, he left the country surprisingly well-off. The administration of the country fell to me. No doubt, he has told you of the many periods of boredom in Bohemia. For two years, we had another. Then, my fellow nobles struck.

They marched to Praha, demanding a restoration of their earlier rights. They had lost these during the Moravian Revolt. No doubt many in the crowd were relatives of those involved.

Within two days all in the group swung from a gallows.

Many likely question such an action. But the kingdom must be centralized. Just because the king rules from afar does not mean the nobles can have licenses they would not have when there is a king in Praha, like before the death of Vaclav.

The Hungarians—a traitorous lot at best—had begun to drift more towards Poland than to the Austro-Bohemian union. By 1448 it was obvious they were following every whim of Kazmirez of Poland, returning to a pre-Vladislav state.

But the work of those traitors had no effect in our country. The nobles were still restless—with good reason—but everything was still in order. “Let them hate, so long as they fear” has always been all but my motto.

The plague has always been a fear in Bohemia, ever since the Erz plague of 1422. Some old saying goes that “evil does not strike the same place twice.” The saying is wrong. 1454 proved that. For the plague came again.

Ludwig likely glossed over 1422. But he did not realize the importance—the sheer horror—of a plague. Piles of bodies in the streets. Blackened, partially from burning, partially from the disease itself. The very air is foul. One push, and everything falls down. Whole towns become deserted.

Fortunately, such horror is quick to pass.

But some horror remains, and such was the horror unfolding in Wallachia. I am sure you have heard of Vlad III Dracula, the king there. Ah, he is called by his own people Tepes, or the Impaler. With good reason. He takes his enemies and impales them on long wooden stakes. When the blood drips, he collects it in a cup and dips his bread in it. This is true cruelty. We can only be glad he takes no interest in the area outside his country. Only heathen Turks are on those stakes right now.

That is my tale for now. I thank you for taking the time.

On 24 November Jiriz was elected King of Bohemia upon the death of Vladislav Habsburg.

Originally posted by Sytass
Nice update. Can we expect you going against Hungary/Poland soon?

Click to expand...

If I suddenly get a huge army, yes. Otherwise, I'm not that suicidal.

In fact, I think--don't quote me on this--but I think Poland annexes Hungary at some point in the near future. Ouch. I'm thinking about scripting an event where Hungary revolts or something just to get rid of that giant.

I'm afraid I might have to put up a pre-emptive strike against the Poles soon. Kazmirez IV is an evil man! He must be stopped before he invades Prussia again! All the resources and land there have nothing to do with it! I have evidence that he is developing pikes of mass destruction (PMD's)!

Though I think the Grand Alliance® of Bohemia, Austria, Wurtemburg, Baden, Milan, and soon Pommerania will be enough (and if I bring in Pommerania, I may have no choice but to fight )

But that is only if I, say, grab Wurzburg. Nice, juicy target. Say, didn't they spit on Bohemia's land yesterday?

Ah, but all of this is not to be. See next installment for details.

Due to the lack of suitable individuals to interview, I will continue the story in the third person

On Jiriz Podebrad the Heretic King

The situation in Bohemia as regards religion was a quite singular one. Catholic and Hussite worked side by side, often not noticing each other's presence. But this situation could not last. It had not worked in other times and places--13th century France, 14th century England, or the constant Bogumil problems in Bosnia.

So it happened in February of 1458--soon after Jiriz's election--that the work of four decades went to naught. It began with an odd fellow--one Vaclav Podebrad, a distant relative of Jiriz--who attempted to stop a Hussite priest from setting up a church in Wittenburg, south of Berlin. Despite the fact that this was strictly against Bohemia's laws, which allowed religious freedom for all those who accepted the divinity of Jesus, the man continued doing so. His obscurtanistic movement spread. The situation came to a head. Jiriz would have to choose. Either go with his family, or join with the Hussites who had him elected.

Jiriz chose not to stop the movement. In essence, he was supressing the Hussites.

From a diplomatic standpoint, this was the right move. He could not afford to give the neighbouring countires a context to invade, not at that time. But from an internal standpoint, he had just alienated a large part of the population. The Bohemian Civil War--and odd affair unlike anything seen in Europe before or since--had begun.

The first fighting broke out in Wittenburg, starting point of the Obscurtan movement. A Hussite, disgruntled with Vaclav, attempted to kill him while he was going to church. The assassination attempt failed, the Hussite was caught, and all the Hussites in that area were given a pretext to revolt.

Next, in Berlin, a singular thing happened. A full half of the city--men, women, and children, all Hussite--formed an army in the city's square and some surrounding streets. The other half, the Catholics, fought against them. The battle raged back and forth, but the Hussites held their ground. Most Catholics fled, some surrendered, and the city came under the control of the Hussites. However, they tried to gain some of the nearby countryside. Berlin fell again to the Catholics, and the revolt ended.

The fighting spread to Bohemia. In cities across the country--even in Praha--Catholic fought Hussite in a bloody conflict. Eventually, some of the more moderate Hussites began to side with Catholics. Finally, the fighting died down, and peace was restored to Bohemia.

[OOC: Long one today.

A good theme for Bohemia at war can be found here--scroll down to Bizet, then "L'Arlesienne: Prelude" (midi version, for slow connections) or "Overture" (same piece, but better quality, much longer to load up on slow connections)]

On the Carpathian War

Jiriz needed to direct the great energy of his people outward. There was one obvious choice: Hungary, which had so many times insulted the Bohemians.

However, this was a dangerous move. War with Hungary meant war with Poland, Lithuania, and the Teutonic Knights as well. Jiriz did have Austria on his side, and that was nothing to laugh at. Plus, much of the Hungary-Poland-Lithuanian alliance’s forces were busy in the north, fighting the duchies of Pommerania and Prussia.

The war officially started 3 May 1458. Jiriz was quick to move his forces to the northern marches of Hungary. Then, he sent some gifts—not very extravagant, even—to Poland and Lithuania. They accepted them and signed a peace treaty with Bohemia, leaving Hungary to its fate. Of course, the Teutonic Order refused to sign—they had their own reason to hate Bohemia: the conquest of Brandenburg.

Jiriz, of course, let them do as they wished. Thanks to the efforts of the people of Brandenburg [OOC: Lots of revolts], the Order failed to make any headway.

Meanwhile, the Hungarians were being trounced.

In the Carpathian Mountains, the first of the two great battles of the war were fought. Jiriz arranged his army carefully. The Hungarians had a good defensive position. Then he spotted a nearby hill the Hungarians had neglected. First cavalry, then his arbalesters—sometimes considered among the best in Europe—took a position there. They rained many arrows on the surprised Hungarians, who had not been able to see them due to the hill.

Jiriz then sent infantry along the other flank. He also had troops in front. Faced with envelopment, the Hungarians retreated without killing a single Bohemian.

The Carpathians fell quickly to the Bohemian forces, who had been fortified by judicious hiring of mercenaries. This was expensive, but tipped the scales in Bohemia’s favour. Austrian forces poured onto the plains. Many of Hungary’s eastern cities fell.

Near Pest, on 8 April 1460, the second of the great battles was fought. Between the two armies stood a lake. Normally, this would have made Hungary’s job easier, but the Bohemians used it to their advantage instead. They could send all their troops on the flanks and completely envelop Matyas’ forces.

Jiriz first sent his cavalry in to keep Matyas busy. On the other side of the lake, his infantry suddenly hit Matyas in the rear. Only one group of archers escaped, but they were soon caught and cut down.

It was a slaughter. The Bohemians killed Hungarians with no mercy. Those who surrendered were spared, but their hands were cut off to prevent them from taking up weapons again. Many still died from the bleeding that followed. Matyas himself was captured, and even had his right hand severed (not intentionally, however). He was spared, but only because of the money he could bring.

Hungary accepted the Bohemian peace terms six days later.

The terms were as follows:

• The entire region of the Carpathian Mountains was to be given to Bohemia, in essence placing a strip of Bohemian land between Hungary and Poland.
• Austria was to receive reparations of 20,000 Venetian ducats*
• Matyas was to be returned to Hungary in exchange for 5000 ducats in ransom.
• The Teutonic Order was to relinquish all claim to Brandenburg, now and forever, and to accept any King of Bohemia as ruler of Brandenburg, in perpetuity.

As the last term shows, Jiriz was quite careful with wording. He didn’t want the Teutons to come to a later king, saying that the treaty only applied to Jiriz.

Of course, the nobles in Bohemia saw this as a perfect time. They approached Jiriz with a petition to recover rights lost in the Moravian revolt. Jiriz, faced with an unstable country in the aftermath of war, agreed.

Poland, surprisingly, bore very little ill will to Bohemia. They gladly accepted renewed relations with Bohemia.

Another affect of Bohemia’s gains in the war was that they now bordered the countries of Moldavia and Wallachia, requiring much more diplomacy. Fortunately, Jiriz was a good diplomat. Peace came once again.

From the writings of Jiriz Podebrad—17 June 1460

Many say that my actions at Pest were those of a man in league with the Devil. Let them say as they wish. “Let them hate, so long as they fear” has been all but my motto since I came to power in this country.

The rules of warfare. Bah! Made by those who would lose if they hadn’t existed! The French follow the rules. They have lost many times to the English in their recently-ended war. Upon the fields of Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt the French nobility, following the rules, have been decimated by English archers who held nothing back. Thus, England now has permanent lands in France, free from fealty to the French king. And the Duke of Burgundy bends his knee to King Henry.

To fight by the rules is to be defeated. To fight by the rules is the highest sign of cowardice.

There are some who realize how the world truly works. For example, the young Florentine named Niccolo Machiavelli, whom the Medici family sent to learn the basics of politics in a different environment, has learned quite well. I now let him make a few decisions. It works out very well. Perhaps, one day, he would make a good minister.

Some of the younger soldiers say that they volunteered to die for their country. That is not the object of war. The object is to make the enemy die for his country. If war is the solution they have chosen, I say give more of it to them than they can handle.

Let them hate, so long as they fear.
________________
*Vladislav Pohrobek made Venetian ducats the measurement of all foreign transactions involving Bohemia 23 June 1445.

POSTSCRIPT: Hungary failed to pay the reparations. Austria and Bohemia siezed some minor border forts in return and began controlling a small area around them. Hungary has done nothing to stop this.

[OOC: If you notice some influences in the second-to-last paragraph, those were intentional

Now that I have divided Poland and Hungary physically, I need to do so politically. I think I should raise relations with Poland as high as I can, then attack Hungary after the truce is up.

Pros: It gets the job done, and nets me a new ally.
Cons: Chance of failure, which would also cause many more problems. Messy and bulky.

Any other ideas?]

New screenshot up here.

Jiriz is currently involved with careful negotiations with Poland.

I'm trying to play as much like a 15th century government as I can. Underhanded dealings are the order of the day. Intrigue and a rather unsavoury king seem to come to the forefront. I never go to war without good reason. Whether I made that good reason up is a different point.