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Clash of Empires: The Age of Renaissance

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Eine Kleine Deutschland
Chapter I: The Story So Far
1399-1522

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At the end of the 14th century, the Margraviate of Brandenburg was a small state, under the corrupt dominion of the Luxembourg dynasty through Jobst of Moravia. Its eastern territories, the Neumark, were neglected, and the power of the local nobility was steadily increasing at the expense of central authority. However, with imperial favor shifting from the House of Luxembourg, the Habsburg Albrecht IV was elected Holy Roman Emperor. At Jobst's death in 1408 the rule of Brandenburg fell out of the Luxembourgs' hands, as Albrecht IV secured it for Albrecht Christian of Hohenzollern (Stats: ADM 7 MIL 8 DIP 8, Reign: 1408-1415) in return for Christian's support of the Habsburgs.

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Brandenburg in 1408.​
Upon Albrecht Christian's ascension, the territories of Niederlausitz and Oberlausitz defected from Bohemia, which made Brandenburg a major German state and provided the base resources needed for expansion. Albrecht Christian proved to be a brilliant leader for Brandenburg's resurgence, and led its rise to dominance in the Empire. Knowing the difficulties of expansion in the east, Christian instead looked to the western Empire, away from the grasp of the Bohemians and Poles. The tangled alliances of the west required an ally with ambitions; for Christian, it was Johan III, Duke of Holland. With the help of Johan, Christian conquered territories from the Lower Saxon states of Brunswick, Cleves, Münster, and Cologne. He did not ignore Brandenburg's internal stability as Jobst did, and established a National Bank to be headed by Immanuel Bischofberger (Six star Master of the Mint), which helped to centralize the government under the Margrave.

Christian's reign was short lived, however, and when he died in 1415, Brandenburg was left in a civil war with various pretenders vying for the throne, and an ineffective regency council that ruled for four years. With Habsburg aid, Johann Georg (Stats: ADM 4 MIL 7 DIP 4, Reign: 1419-1437) ascended to the throne in 1419 - though not as capable a ruler as Christian, he was a talented military commander. Under Johann Georg, Brandenburg saw a great territorial expansion; in a disregard for imperial institutions, Georg continued the aggressive policies of Albrecht Christian. By 1430, Johann Georg had conquered nearly all of northern Germany, with the full support of the Habsburgs.

However, such an expansion would not be maintained, for other powers were plotting against the Hohenzollerns and the Habsburgs. A coalition formally consisting of the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdoms of Castille and Denmark (later including Algiers, Tunisia, Tripoli, Morocco, Burgundy, Wurzburg, The Palatinate, Mainz, Trier, Sweden, Lithuania and Muscovy) declared war on the Germanic Union (of Holland, Brandenburg and Austria) in 1431, while the Habsburg armies of Ernst II were invading the territories of the new Holy Roman Emperor, Ruprecht I of Bohemia. The war became known to Germans as the Große Verrat - the Great Betrayal - due to the Milanese betrayal of Austria, how the war defined European relations and power structures for centuries, and the strong revanchist sentiments in Austria and Brandenburg following the war.

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While initially an army led by Duke Floris VI of Holland managed to stave off combined Castilian and Danish forces in Mecklenburg, - and even began to siege Lubeck - they were soon overwhelmed by superior numbers. In a matter of months Johann Georg's entire army was annihilated and the forces of the Große Verrat marched freely through Brandenburg. With no aid from the north, the Habsburgs began to crumble as well. Unlike Ernst, however, Johann Georg was unable to hold his country together and slowly lost his sanity as he watched it fall into ruin. His last act before his death would be to sign the humiliating treaty that ceded all of Brandenburg's coastline to Castille and Denmark. He died on May 6, 1437, one year after the war had ended. Though his successor, Friedrich I (Stats: ADM 6 MIL 3 DIP 3, Reign: May 6, 1437 - October 1, 1437), was not incompetent, his reign would last less than five months.

Friedrich attempted to raise an army to quell the rebellions that had swept Brandenburg, but the hopeless disorganization of the state precluded it. It was in vain, for Berlin fell soon after his ascension, and Friedrich was deposed on the 6th of October, 1437. Brandenburg collapsed along with his deposition, and a now independent Hannover sapped what little strength the state had left. In this time of great peril for the country, there could not have been a worse replacement for Friedrich than Siegmund II (Stats: ADM 3 MIL 3 DIP 3, Reign: 1437-1459).

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Before and after image of the Große Verrat and subsequent collapse of Brandenburg. Also note the Austrian territorial loss.
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It seemed that only by the grace of God would Siegmund not foresee the decline of Brandenburg into utter obscurity. However, though wildly incompetent, Siegmund actually led Brandenburg back to power through careful diplomacy and measured wars of expansion. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, Siegmund negotiated an alliance with France, while maintaining the Germanic Union despite the adversity it had faced.

By 1451 Siegmund had managed in successive wars with Pommerania, Hesse, The Palatinate, Trier and Wurzburg to reconnect and expand the dominion of Brandenburg, albeit granting much autonomous power to those conquered. This resurgence, along with Siegmund's led Berlin to become a major center of trade for Germany, surpassing even Castilian Lubeck. Siegmund's greatest legacy, though, would be the First Partition of Poland.

The war started with a declaration of war on Meissen in January, 1452; to the surprise and chagrin of Siegmund, King Jan I Albert of Poland honored a guarantee of independence he had placed upon Meissen. While Habsburg armies led by Ferdinand II dealt with Meissen's ally, Bavaria, Siegmund moved his forces from the west to the Neumark, to prepare for an invasion of Poland. By the time Siegmund had mustered his forces, Ferdinand had already moved into Poland and was engaged in a battle; his army arrived in time to see Ferdinand victorious and the Polish tarmy destroyed. With little resistance, Siegmund set his army to siege northern Poland while Ferdinand struck at Krakow. Polish resistance quickly crumbled, and in a year Albert was forced to surrender.

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The occupation of Poland, July 1454.

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Brandenburg after the Partition.
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While the Poles had hoped to stop the rise of Brandenburg, they had only helped to fuel its expansion. After the First Partition, Poland was crushed and had lost half its territory; the way lay open for Siegmund to extend his grip over Germany and Central Europe. However, Siegmund knew that the territories he had conquered were held only with a tentative grasp, and the Poles would be particularly harder to integrate into Brandenburg than the Germans of his previous conquests. As it was, Siegmund had already passed his prime, and wisely decided that the Polish war would be his last. When he died in 1459, though, a new and ambitious ruler came to the throne: Siegmund III (Stats: ADM 5 MIL 3 DIP 8, Reign: 1459-1483).

Only months into his reign, Siegmund orchestrated a war against Silesia, Cleves and Mainz, who swiftly fell to Siegmund. With the resources of Silesia at hand, he decided to strike at the Teutonic Order, who in Siegmund's eyes were a failed state and a remnant of a past era. Siegmund was no fool, and knew that while the land held by the Teutonic Order was economically worthless, it was also an opportunity for him to claim a new title: the King of Prussia. His dream would wait, for Lithuania annexed the remnants of the Teutonic Order in Ostpreussen, effectively preventing Siegmund's claim. Thus, with a strong Lithuania in the east, Siegmund looked to Germany. Thinking he had an easy war at hand, he declared war on Trier in 1461, underestimating the power of the new Holy Roman Emperor: Johan IV of Holland. Johan sought to defend the institutions of the Empire against further encroachment by Siegmund, even at the expense of the Germanic Union; the Emperor chose to defend Trier in the War of the Rhineland. This conflict would last until 1465, and took place almost exclusively in the Rhineland - however, though fought in a limited range, it was a bloody war that devastated the region. Both Siegmund's and Johan's countries were exhausted by the war, which ended in a white peace.

As long as the Holy Roman Emperor remained Dutch, Siegmund realized that he could not continue his wars of agression in Germany, and chose Poland as his next target. In the Second Partition of Poland (1471), the much weakened Poles were easily defeated, and Siegmund siezed the territory of Congress Poland. By this time, the Emperorship had passed to Thuringia, and insignificant threat to Siegmund in comparison to Holland. With this window of opportunity, he saw the chance to subdue one of the few powerful states left in the Empire: the Duchy of Bavaria. When Siegmund declared war on Bavaria in 1474, the aid of the Habsburgs was invaluable, for the Bavarian forces could not handle the attack on all sides. Bavaria would soon be annexed, along with their ally, Meissen.

In his usual manner, Siegmund again saw that territory in the east was ripe for conquest. Through his alliance with the Habsburgs, Siegmund became involved in a war with Bohemia and Poland in 1477, where he was able to conquer the rest of Silesia from Bohemia. It seemed that Siegmund would encounter no resistance from any of those he attacked - that is, until his strategy, a swinging pendulum, would suddenly require him to be in both the east and the west.

Through his alliances with Austria and France, in 1481 Siegmund was brought into wars with Lithuania, Burgundy and Holland. Fortunately, with the help of his allies, Siegmund was able to concentrate his foces and win the wars:


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Troop movements in the west.

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Overview of the fronts at the end of the war, 1483. Brandenburg received all of the territory it had occupied.
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Unfortunately for Siegmund, death finally caught up to him days after the treaty was signed with Lithuania to acquire Ostpreussen. His successor, Joachim I Hector (Stats: ADM 4 MIL 5 DIP 6, Reign: 1483-1495), was entirely unambitious and cared more for being a patron of the arts than a true ruler. While he helped to restore the state's prestige, the only meaningful occurences during his reign were the annexation of Baden and a brief spell of excommunication.

Johann Cicero I (Stats: ADM 3 MIL 4 DIP 3, Reign: 1495-1516, HRE) was no better. Known mostly for presiding over the beginnings of the Reformation in Germany as a moderate Catholic, he also became the first Hohenzollern Holy Roman Emperor. By now the Empire had become almost meaningless, but it was a symbolic and prestigious title. By his death, the Reformation was spreading like wildfire through Germany, leaving his successor, Christian Wilhelm (Stats: ADM 3 MIL 4 DIP 6, Reign: 1516-1519, HRE), with a country in deep turmoil. Known as the Mad Emperor, his reign of three years was known for his insanity and decaying mental health, perhaps most signified by his only notable action, which was to disband Brandenburg's entire, fifty galley navy.

Leaving no heirs at his death, the throne passed to Christian Wilhelm's brother, Johann Cicero II (Stats: ADM 7 MIL 5 DIP 3, Reign: 1519-????, HRE). Unlike his father, he was a man with ambitions, one who understand the winds of change that were sweeping over Europe - he had little sympathy for Catholicism, and was exposed to the Reformation at a young age. Immediately after his coronation, Johann Cicero denounced Catholicism and established a state Lutheran Church in Brandenburg; the ramifications remain to be seen.

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Well, that's that. What follows is an overview of events and a few maps:

Overview of Important Events in the History of Germany
Ascension and Reign of Albrecht Christian (1408-1415)
Große Verrat (1431-1436)
Deposition of Friedrich I (October 1, 1437)
First Partition of Poland (1454)
War of the Rhineland (1461-1465)
Beginning of the Reformation (1507)
Establishment of the Lutheran Church (1519)


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Religions of Europe, 1522.

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Brandenburg, 1522.
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OE Part V

Due to the session being extremely short please excuse beforehand for the short length of this AAR.

They have met as usual in the great hall beneath Jerusalem. Let over from the times of the crusades by the knights it served a great location for this kind of meeting: secret and discrete. Room lighted only by few torches was submerged in the dimness and all eight men attending wore cloaks with hoods.

Not that Asim did not know who they were or at least some of them. One, trying to hide his identity particularly well was representative of Timurid Empire. Other was definitely an ambassador of the Malmeuks. Few were definitely European envoys to the Empire. The picture was completed by various representatives of the tribal nations of Persia and Arabia.

Asim was the representative of royal house of Najid. Well not any more. After the failed assassination of the Turkish royal family he was the only surviving member of royal house of Najid. Bastard Turkish prince killed the rest of his family and now only he was left to revenge the family and bring the loathed Ottoman Empire down.

That upstart of a Turkish Emperor ruined not only Najid but many other nations, as the meeting took place, country was in a huge state of instability. Ottoman Emperor in his stupidity decided to emulate the European nations in the way he ruled his nations causing revolts and unrest all over the country.

Country was so weak that the emperor was giving land away to anyone who would ask for it unable to defend. Already Muscat was given away to Japan. Parts of India to Portugal and Jerusalem itself wqas under question of being ceeded to Austria. It was time to strike and it was Asim’s job to make sure that these gentlemen do not chicken out.
 
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The Scottish Annals
1522-1535

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King George's movement to Protestantism was a trying time for the British Kingdom. With constant religious and nationalist revolts, it is any wonder how George was able to accomplish anything. However, with help from the Dutch and some mild assistance from the Danes, George was able to successfully convert Ireland.

While the British Kingdom dealt with ruins, the European Continent was undergoing great turmoil of it's own. 1525 saw the French conversion to Protestantism, though reportedly many leaders, including George I--founder of the first Protestant Nation, believed this to be a horrible decision. France laid in civil disorder for years and now with the shift to Protestantism, further turmoil was almost insured for the once great Empire. In the following year, Civil War broke out with the majority of the nation backing Charles IX. To make matters even worse, the French Emperor refused to give up Italian lands seized many years before. An agreement would not be made and in 1528, Emperor Charles found himself at war with Emperor Alfonso XIII of Spain, King Alfons VI of Portugal, and Prince Serverino Casanova. The war would not last long, however, as France found themselves out manned and, with the internal problems previously mentioned, France agreed to cede the lands in question, including the trade port of Liguria.

In the mist of War, King George the first, with the help of the Dutch, found himself elected the throne of the Holy Roman Empire. Although his reign would be short lived as the Prussian Empire took hold, it marked an important time in the British Kingdom--Great Britain, which was once viewed as a troubled nation, now had achieved some respect in the European world.

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Sadly, only a year after King George was elected to the Empire, he fell ill. Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, claimed the throne, starting the new line of Kings known as The House of Darnley. Henry IX believed that his blood flowed with the strength of kings of old and not of that of the incompetent members of the Stuart family. In order to save face, he seperated himself from the Stuart Line by proclaiming himself Lord Henry IX, King of Great Britain, heir to James II's throne---liberator of London.

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in 1530, Henry IX continued the Kingdom's colonization efforts and sent settlers to the East Coast of North America. Massachusetts was the first successful North American colony, encouraging Henry to send more settlers to other areas in the North Eastern coast of the Americas founding the colonies of Plymouth and Narraganset in 1534.

Henry IX was no fool. He witnessed as many nations expansion to the Far East and knew that in order to achieve success as a King, he would need to enter the trade in India. In 1533, Henry reached an agreement with the King of Portugal to release Orissa as a Vassal in exchange for 400 ducats. The following year, Orissa was seized by British troops and was subsequently annexed. With news of this capture, Henry founded the East India Trade Company.

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