Lords of the Danemark
Chapter III: Christian II
Part 1: Settling In (1394-1399)
Teuton War, Part Two
After Christian I's death, the various commanders sieging towns and castles across Livonia held position while awaiting news from Copenhagen. There Christian II was coronated in a simple ceremony. Unlike his father, the
Rigsraadet did not force him to sign a
handfaesting or coronation charter. In general they concluded Christian's temper was too mild for him to cause much trouble, while being raised by the Church would ensure he was sympathetic to their wishes. Other than general assurances to protect clerical and noble rights, and a reminder that Denmark remained an elective, not strictly hereditary monarchy, they let him rule with a free hand.
Though Christian made some token efforts to end the war, Hochmeister von Aderkas of the Teutonic Order would have none of it. He still believed French intervention was only weeks away and would topple the Danes entirely. Further, the Pomerania and Brandenburger armies were in the field, albeit penned in by naval blockade.
Karl von Aderkas said:
Since you are of a different temper than your father, however, I am prepared to be lenient. We will allow your armies to return unmolested in exchange for an indemnity for the damage they caused.
Christian ignored the counteroffer, and in truth he didn't try very hard to end the fighting. The
Rigsraadet firmly believed in the war now and expected
something for their efforts. Some believed in Osel, where the defenders at Arensburg stubbornly held out, seeing it as a potential naval base to protect Ingria as well as further expansion in the Baltic. Burghers instead suggested Riga as a way to break the 'Eastern' Hanse League.
(I want that mission to stop firing, so I'm going after Osel.)
There were no further peace offers through 1394. The war, and indeed Danish politics in general, entered a quiet phase which gave Christian plenty of time to practice his statecraft.
(No events, no nothing.)
The only battle occurred on the South Baltic Sea. Rather than opt for a frontal assault designed to break the naval blockade, von Aderkas tried to sneak transports full of men and supplies along the coast towards Livonia. A successful landing of 8,000 or so Teutons could change the war entirely.
As it happened, Ebbesen's scouts noticed the transports when they sailed into the open sea to avoid rocks and reefs closer to shore. He sent eleven galleys in pursuit while leaving the rest on blockade duty. A contrary wind hampered the cogs' escape and the galleys caught them on August 14.
The two fleets fought a series of ship-to-ship melees. The Teutons had the numerical advantage due to the troops they were transporting, but their knights and soldiers weren't used to fighting on a heaving deck while the Danes were. They overwhelmed two cogs by boarding on both sides before the Teuton commander fled with the rest of his squadron for the safety of port. They released surviving soldiers several km north of Konigsberg to begin the long walk home.
(The AI sent 8 cogs against my blockade. If they sent their entire fleet it would have been a much more even battle. They would have probably lost anyway, but at least it wouldn't have been so decisive...and they may have been lucky.)
For two years almost nothing happened in Danish politics. Fortresses slowly fell one by one. The
Rigsraadet continued to periodically debate and learned to trust Christian more. Good harvests ensured peasants could pay their taxes. Traders did business, though Baltic trade continued to suffer. If not for the noticeable lack of male nobles and freemen, it would be easy to forget there was a war going on, or even a world beyond Danish shores.
(No events or actions in 1395 either. I should have had a snack and let the game run.)
Complacency has its own problems however. Rather than being thankful to God, some turned to their growing wealth and possessions for comfort. Others found solace in other sins, noticeably lust and sloth. Apparently it was possible to have too much of a good thing and the Dominicans were willing to do something about it.
With Christian's and the privy council's blessing, bands of Dominicans traveled through Denmark preaching against sin, corruption, and relying too much on 'this life' rather than the hereafter.
In April 1396 Arensburg became the last fortress to fall, and Christian resumed negotiations. He first asked for an independent (and Danish friendly) Estland (Estonia), but this was only a negotiation ploy and soon discussions began in earnest. Ultimately von Aderkas apologized for sending spies into Scania, surrendered Osel, and paid an indemnity for Danish costs in the four year campaign.
Diplomats then went to Paris where they offered a token concession
(Concede Defeat) for peace.
Less than a month later, the Teutonic Order annexed Pomerania.
Diplomatic Overtures
News of the annexation convinced Christian that the Teutonic Order would be Denmark's great secular rival for the rest of his reign.
Christian II said:
I cannot reconcile their actions with their role as defender of the faith. The rumors are true: Bereft of schismatics or pagans to fight, they truly have lost their calling and are in serious danger of becoming a rogue state.
The key, he believed, was Norway and Sweden. If the Scandinavian countries maintained relations then they should be able to counteract any Teuton aggression. While nobles maintained relations with the Imperial states, Christian asked for and received a dispensation revoking his vow of celibacy, then married Dorothea, daughter of Gustav I Adolf of Sweden.
(New Mission: Relations with Oldenburg, solved with a RM. RM Sweden. New mission: Vassalize Luneburg. Probably not)
Dorothea was a quiet young woman who wanted nothing to do with politics or anything but 'womanly' activities in her solar. She wouldn't get her wish. In August 1396, Svitrigalia of Lithuania, tiring of his bid for a crown through the pope's good graces, tried a more direct method: He claimed Sweden's throne!
Lithuania's claim was flimsy and relied heavily on the concept of 'might makes right.' In 1220 the Swedes attacked Estonia in reaction to Danish and Teuton advances against the Baltic pagans. They were soundly defeated at the Battle of Lihua. King Johan allegedly accompanied the expedition, but rather than routing towards Danish held Talinnin he wound up in Lithuanian territory. There Johan offered fealty (to pagans mind you) and received safe passage to Teuton lands.
It didn't hurt that his cousin was married to Sofia Eriksdotter, daughter of one of the leading Swedish nobles.
In Copenhagen, this alarmed Christian who didn't want a very strong Lithuania on his border. One month later, before the assembled
Rigsraadet, he responded with his own claim.
Birger of Sweden (r 1290-1318) spent virtually his entire reign at war with his brothers who hoped to create their own kingdoms. In 1306 they captured him and held him prisoner until 1308, when Erik VI of Denmark forced his release. In 1317 he turned the tables and captured and killed his brothers. Their followers ousted Birger, who died in exile under Danish protection. Allegedly Birger promised his crown to the Danes.
Again it didn't hurt to be married to a Swedish noblewoman as well as the king's daughter.
(Looks like I'm going to fight my first succession war!)
The Swedish
Rigsraadet stood behind Gustav I Adolf who condemned both claims. The council noted that Sweden's crown, like the rest of Scandinavia, could only be awarded by election and not by heredity or 'false stories.' Urbanus V added that the Swedish crown was sacrosanct and both sides needed much more proof before he could support a contender.
Relations with Denmark's other royal partners (Oldenburg and Norway) chilled noticeably, while Gustav I Adolf ordered all Danes out of Stockholm. The Swedish/Scanian border garrisons, long seen as a comfortable and somewhat boring post, received substantial reinforcements. Christian spent the next several years repairing relations while preparing for a possible showdown against Lithuania.
Across Europe nations rose and fell with alarming regularity. One potentially important example came in July 1396. Petru III of Moldavia died, and the Austrian nobility took this opportunity to reassert their sovereignty. Archduke Ferdinand de Borgona-Espana asserted his claim to the Imperial throne to the electors' indifference.
(If the election happened at that point, it would have been Milan-5, Bohemia-1, Saxony-1. Bohemia has been really bad about their imperial duties.)
Another example happened in December when Castile annexed Burgundy.
This is going to mess France up.
Domestic Bliss
In December Hans, Christian I and Saule's only son and the king's half brother, died at age ten in a hunting accident. Some suspected foul play, as Dorothea was pregnant with Christian II's first child, but couldn't reconcile it with the king's mild demeanor.
(Heir dies - In the arms of the lady I find solace: Instant heir.) Frederik was born soon thereafter.
Through 1397 the Dominicans continued to work their way through Denmark rooting out 'complacency.'
(Bonfire of the Vanities: Choice and results as above) Under mounting pressure from clerical authorities, Christian II sanctioned a band of missionaries (and mercenaries) to travel to Ingria and bring the local schismatics into 'the light of God'.
(This is the first time I looked and had a positive chance of converting them. The non-accepted culture penalty is massive.)
In the spring of 1398 Marti Amic, Bishop of Roskilde, retired. In speaking with Christian he told the king, now aged 24, that he was 'wise enough to rule without my counsel.' He surrendered his title and became abbot of a Franciscan monastery near Nyborg Castle.
(Franciscan Monastery in Fyn: Local RR -1, Stab Cost -2, Missionaries +.01, Growth +1%, Gvt Tech +.5, Missionaries -1, Prestige-1). He died in 1402 of natural causes at age 64. Christian summarized his accomplishments:
Christian II said:
A great man. He served as Denmark's conscience in a time we were in need of one. I will sorely miss his counsel, and (Denmark) is a little less today than it was yesterday.
In his place, the aging Markus Granntinger suggested Magnus Daa of Lubeck
(Master of Mint 4). Daa immediately suggested a series of economic reforms including gradually purifying the precious metals in Danish coins so as to raise their value. He backed down in the face of stern resistance within the
Rigsraadet from nobles and fellow merchants who didn't want to see their wealth (and coins on hand) reduced in value by comparison.
The clerics, now under inquisitor Torbald Gersdorff, stayed quiet during these years. They finally had a king friendly to their interests and saw no reason to rock the boat.
(Dead Hand of the Church - 'Let them keep it' (-50d, +1 missionary, PAP-+25d, +20 relations)
Christian II had little interest in the army. He succeeded his father during a war and did what was necessary to win, but he didn't enjoy it. Politics forced him to get involved however, for only God knew when Gustav I Adolf would die triggering a succession war with Lithuania, or the Teutons would demand vengeance. Once he stepped in however, Christian proved to have a natural knack for logistics and strategy. As his confidence grew he began a radical reform.
Danish tactics, which primarily relied on shock and piercing the enemy's line, now included ranged bombardment before the final melee.
(Land-10. New unit: Longbowmen) The aging but unlucky Gunnar Reventlow was reinforced by two new commanders who believed as their king did, Hans Rosenkrantz
(F1 S1 M2) and Adolf Brahe
(F2 M2). The navy received some attention as well with Holgar Ebbesen setting minimum standards for his officers.
(Hardy Seamen: +2 naval tradition) Defenses suffered, but Christian reasoned if enemies made it to the Danish archipelago he'd already lost.
(Fortification issues in Oerne: -5% defense)
Elsewhere, the Ottoman Turks, with their allies Hedjaz. Aydin and Sulduz, provoked a war with Hungary. Christians hoping to push the Turk out of Europe entirely joined the melee until their enemies included Saxony, Hungary, Aragon, Bulgaria, Opole, Brunswick, Gottingen, Mecklenburg and the Horsehead Nebula once again. In late May 1398, Urbanus V endorsed this newest 'crusade' then slowly declined and slipped into the darkness.
After a brief conclave the Curia endorsed Cardinal Rodrigo de Cordoba of Castile as the 202nd Pope. He took the name of Urbanus VI and would be the last one of the fourteenth century.