- ARCHIVE - Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire

[unmerged(8054)]

Frantz Dyck rises and speaks to the Diet.

"Noble gentlemen.

Bremen followed the Imperial call for arms without execting a reward, and thus we are not disappointed that we receive none.
We did not fight for rewards, we did not fight for land, we did not fight for gold.
We fought for Imperial unity.

Since both Bohemia and Hungary have received their fair punishment for their treason, Bremen hereby withdraws from all wars.
Our enemies are dead, we return to peace.

However, I would be lying if I said that I was satisfied.
Luxembourg sent her soldiers to die on the Imperial command, and she has received not a single word of gratitude.
Cologne sent her soldiers and her money, and she too is forgotten.
If there is any justice, then both the duchess of Luxembourg and the archbishop of Cologne should be made knights of the order of Charlamagne.
I know that both I and duke Johann II will always see these fine persons as of knightly virtue, even if they are not knighted by the Emperor."

 

[unmerged(6501)]

The Steward stands, anger and weariness alternating on his face.

"To the man from Pommern I have little to say. You call me a land-grabber, yet I grabbed nothing. I did not petition the Emperor for any lands. I have served this Empire for long and I would dare any to challenge my honor or the truth of my words. I have yet to give my word and break it. I have been a most faithful son of the Church and have heeded her call, even now when it has cost me so much.

"Your lord, however, has no honor. I supported him, willing to risk my life and to drag the Empire into war against Livonia in support of him. And I am repaid with the fall of Berlin. Your lord is not to be trusted.

"At the very least, I am a man of constancy and true to honor and my oath."

Turning to the Duchess of Luxembourg.

"Your grace, as I have said, I have never sought recompense for my long and faithful service to this Empire. One thing only have I ever sought, and that has been the strength and unity of this realm. I have paid with lives of my entire army and my home. If I am called to do so by my lord, I shall yield up all that I have, even to all of my lands, my title, my very life."

Facing the entire Diet again.

"As many of you know, Berlin has fallen to the Livonians and their allies. My armies have been destroyed entirely, not one man remains. My wife and my children shelter with my daughter, the Duchess of Bavaria in Munchen. I have done what I have believed to be right and honorable. Pommern and Livonia call me a land-grabber and war-monger, though I have only heeded the will of the Holy Father. I have struggled to this Empire strong. In my youth I was a great warrior - I say this with no undue pride. I fought beside Sigismund of Luxembourg and defended my honor and his, and the honor of the Empire and the Holy Church. We are beset upon all sides with enemies, and yea, even within.

"I pray you, noble lords of the Holy Roman Empire, stand fast and together. In the north, faith in the Holy Church gives way to support for heretics and regicides. In the west, France and England hold themselves at peace by a hairbreadth. For me, I will not yield. I have given my oath, and I shall fight for the Holy Church and for the Holy Empire."

Turning to the guards.

"The delegate from Livonia is granted safe-passage to the bounds of his lands. He has warred against the Empire who has fought at the will of the Holy Father. Escort him securely, but he is not to be harmed.

"I will not, on my sole authority, expel the legate from Pommern. For though Pommern has act treacherously toward me, he has not made war himself. I call upon the other Electors present - Saxony, Cologne, Mainz - to judge the matter."

 

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Alois von Bern speaks:

"I apologize to the steward and the diet for my words and actions, for when i see a member betray the empire I become as angry as i can. Bavaria thanks the emperor for his kind grant of Erz and Sudenten to be added to the Duchy of Bavaria. To the Duchess of Luxembourg i say this. Bavaria did not go to war within Hungary in expectation of lands, we did it to help you good friend. If the emperor chooses to do what he wishes with Bavaria he will indeed remember Luxemourg in the future. All were saddend to see what happend on the plains of Moravia and it will forever be a day of rememberance in Bavaria. My Duke wishes to extend the Order of Witteslbach to you dear Duchess to be given at the time when you come to Munchen. He also wishes to ask you to be the Godmother of his daughter Lady Gretchen Dagmar von Wittelsbach, do you accept?"

 

[Gabriel Anthony]

,

Persson speaks, probably for the final time before he is escorted out of the diet

" More and more , the Good people of Germania are flocking to the cause of righteousness and truth.

Saxony has now entered the Northern Alliance, the corrupt regime of the Austrian menace will not stand for long."

 

[Longinus]

Josef is sad but he will speak in fron of the Diet one more time.

"I have never met such insolence, stubbornnes and stiupidity in all my life. My country has been called a traitor becouse we reaminded neurtal to the last moment.

We are still not a member of The Liga nor the Northern Alliance.

You wanted to spill our blood for a man who killed a blessed maiden of France, for a man who disgraced himself and in the end for a man who appeared to be Archduke of Austria not Holy Emperor since he annexed KINGDOM of BOHEMIA and partitioned it between his lapdogs.

This is a sad moment indeed.

I would like to bow before noble Steward once again for he is trurly a man of honor and grace. When I spoke abut "lapdogs" I didn't meant him of course."

Josef bows before noble Steward.

"I assure you that my master is a man of honor. Even if you do not wish to accept his hand he gives it to you. Duchy of Pommerania gives his full support for Duchy of Branderburg. We offer shelter for refugees and our protection. We will not allow Branderburg to be harmed in any case. I assure you noble Steward that even if you do not want Pommern help we are willing to help.

Josef smiles weakly and bows before the Steward once again.

 

[Darth Tracid]

The duchess stands again.
"To the noble delegates of Brandenburg and Bavaria. Do not understand me wrong, I do not want lands in bohemia, I do not even insist on receiving any kind of monetary compensation if it is not available.
But let me say this:
My men deserve to be mentioned by the emperor!
I feel that the soldiers of Luxembourg have the right to be at least mentioned by the emperor´s words, for this will be enough for them to have their losses justified.
I want just to preserve the honour of my men, and honourable men they are all. Those who now lie on the fields of Moravia as well as those few who will now arrive back at Luxembourg again.
I can tell you this, my friends. I will give everything for the empire. Luxembourg will give everything for the empire. But only so long as our honour is kept up. For if we loose our honour, we loose our strengh. And to loose our strengh in these troubled times is the same as loosing our god-given right to rule over our lands."

 

[BusterBunny]

The Burgundian representative speaks up:

"The fate of Bohemia is unnaceptable. We wouldn't allow that for countries outside of the Empire! Why would we do it for one of our own?

As opposed as I am to some of Livonia's decision in the past, I am forced to admit they were true in their warnings, and now we see, only too late, that we should have listened to them.

Maybe it is not too late for Burgundy to listen to them now."

 

[LUDWIG]

Lord Georg rises to his feet, his face crimson with shame.

"My Lords I have been most foolish. In my haste to recite the treaty I recieved I failed to show proper respect to those who faught in the war. For this I apologise whole heartedly and will read for this gathering a letter I recieved from Rome.

Lord Georg I have heard that many of the Lords of the Empire feel slighted they were not mentioned and rewarded for their efforts. Every man who fought in the name of the Empire will be given a medal of honour, every nobleman who lead troops is to be given membership of the Knightly Order of the Eagle, Every monarch who did his duty by putting troops in the field is to be given equal membership of the ORder of Charlemagne.
I would also like it known that every nation who served the Empire in its hour of need has the full gratitude of its Emperor.
Every man who fell in battle defending the Empire will be given a peoper burial and their families provided for by the Imperial coffers.


Therefore I apologise to the brave Lords of the Empire for my foolish actions. I have brought undue shame upon Austria by failing to show the proper respect to the Noble Lords of the Empire. "

 

[LUDWIG]

Lord Georg oncemore rises to his feet.

"My Lords I have no desire to see the EMpire reduced to a slaughterhouse therefore may I make a proposal.

The Emperor resigns his office in return for being able to name his successor. The contingent being this choice is not an Austrian.

The Emperor resists this offer but I make it to spare a complate massacre on both sides.
Austria will continue to serve the Empire regardless of the decision and will not disappoint her allies if war comes.
"

 

[unmerged(6719)]

Alois von Bern enters the Chamber of the Diet and bows before the throne of the emperor, yet something is wrong he stands and clutches his head and falls on top of the nearest desk. A doctor is called but it is too late. Alois von Bern is dead. The recent actions of him in the diet that were so unlike his charachter are explained when blood comming from his ears is discovered. It seems as if something effected his head causing him to die.

 

[Longinus]

Josef anwsers.

"Lord Georg,

Maybe it was not YOUR desire to see the Empire reduced to a slaughterhouse but this happend especially in the Kingdom of Bohemia whom Austria unlawfully annexed."

 

[unmerged(6719)]

A note is found in the hand writting of Alois von Bern and an assistant reads it out loud.


"Do the Northern Alliance and her friends know what they are doing. They did not ally with the heretic hussites, yet with the King, who these Hussites killed. Bohemia has been given 3 chances to change and finally she broke the third chance. Does anyone in this assembly remember that the Swiss were taken over after one mistake. Surley if they do not understand this they are out for themselves and are just using this as a way to get what they want."

 

[BusterBunny]

The Burgundian speaks up:

"Clearly you could have left the country of Bohemia intact, and have the decency to name a new ruler. Now, the Bohemians are just splitted apart by hungry neighbors. This is completely ridiculous. A new Bohemian ruler should have been appointed."

 

[unmerged(1057)]

Hugo von Manteuffel, one of Paul von Russdorf´s clerks is entering the diet with a letter from Kristiern Wasa

Your Grace´s,

I kindly ask for permission to speak..or rather read out loud this letter from my Head of State, the Honorable Grand Duke Kristiern Wasa

 

[unmerged(6719)]

The Interm Bavairan Ambassador Heinrich von Krigbaum speaks:


"I see no problem with you reading a letter perhaps we could get a peace from it."

 

[Karamazov]

von Spangler rises:

We agree and support the Austrian proposal. New, effective leadership is needed in this time of civil war before more unnecessary German blood the Empire's lands.

 

[unmerged(1057)]

To the members of the Imperial diet

Noble Gentle Men,

The war between the Northern Alliance and the Liga of Nurnberg was inevitable.
Bavaria together with Austria and perhaps Luxemburg, have wrongfully and cowardly tried to make use of the Hussite uprising in Bohemia.
The result is already known.

Livonia have many times before tried to warn the memberstates that this was going to happen, but unfortunately, no one listened.

This is unfortunate for the empire, but most of all for the suffering people of Bohemia. Bohemia was made a playground for the imperialistic and criminal forces of the beforementioned Liga members.

What do the Northern Alliance want?

We want, among other things..

To restore the Kingdom of Bohemia, let the people elect a King, without interference from any member of this diet.
Austria have to cede Ostmarch as reparations..Bavaria have to give 1.000 Golden Thalers as reparations

The immediate abdication of Albert von Habsburg from the Imperial throne

The immediate election of a new emperor, not from the houses of Wittelsbach or Habsburg

Livonia will be new elector

The League of Nuremberg will be dismembered.

Steiermark and Ansbach will be hold as security for one year. If Bavaria or/and Austria brakes any of the clauses, the provinces will be lost forever.

Livonia will be recognized by all as a full memberstate of the empire.

Livonia is not interested in new territories within the empire, we would however, like to be secure from attack upon us and our alliance brothers.

This is Livonia´s demands, I would like to point out that our brothers in Denmark, Sweden, Saxony, Pommerania, Lithuania and Oldenburg hasn´t given their demands, any prolongment of this war is futile for the Nürnberg Liga, we will not lay down our sword until it is brought to a glorious end.




von Manteuffel looks around..some faces seem longer than before..some not..

 

[unmerged(6719)]

Bavaria spits upon this treaty and says she will fight until the last Bavarian is dead. You'll have to annex us first because we will not lay down when we were doing the work of the Lord.

 

[unmerged(1057)]

von Manteuffel says: I am only the messenger boy..err..perhaps it would be better to meet my master..at the gates of Munich?

 

[unmerged(6719)]

Tell your master we will be at the gates and if he comes and it is so we will die defending her.