- ARCHIVE - Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen nods to lord Georg

"Thank you for your advise, my lord. All hostile things needed to be said have been brought forth now, and I have very little further to add on this matter. As for the Denmark/Pommeria relation, we concider it dead and gone. We will not hear the Pommerians speeches anymore, we will no longer take their advise for good, and their time of influence in Sweden is over. Prior acts of the Pommerians have taught us how to handle them. The best thing is simply to ignore them, and so we will do.
Regarding your proposal for a settlement after the rebellion, then yes, the loyal nobles will be heard like you said. But I fear that it will only be a small group of them, that will remain, and maybe not enough to influence the future of Sweden. It is in the end only up to king Christoffer, since it is his crown. And since he is in prison right now, I cannot speak on his behalf.
But I guess it will take a year or two to clean up in Sweden and Finland, and in that time I could imagine strict martial law be put on the lands. Soon, our forces will take Stockholm, the stronghold of the rebellion, and thus crushing it already! We suspect this entire thing will be over before next winter."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen receives a letter from a courier dressed in Danish uniform. He reads the letter several times, and begins to smile.

“Ahhh, excellent. Thank God!”

He walks to the middle to speak again.

“Lords of the Diet, I have splendid news from Scandinavia. It seems my king and rikskansler Brahe were able to escape, thanks to Gods divine will. My king is now in charge of the royal Danish army, camped in Lund. He has also declared official war against Sparre and the rebels, and is ready to storm Stockholm even now. I suspect my king is very impatient to crushing the rebellion, enough to attack in the winter. That was all…”

 

[Longinus]

Zakrzycki bows gently before Cardinal Moscicki.

"Your Eminence,

Your words are as always wise and moderate in all aspects. You are balanced man who seek peace and understanding, too bad not all people want to acknowledge that. I do hope however that reason will again prevail on primitive and barbaric instincts of Kronborg dwellers."

Then he turns to Lord Georg.

"Your Lordship,

You say that Sparre rebelled against the king and you wonder why as they "repeatedly elected Christoffer as their king, and have signed treaties agreeing to it" Has Your Lordship bothered to follow Scandinavian affairs? Has Your Lordship read humiliating Kronborg accord?

The truth is that everything was imposed on Swedish realm, supported with cold steel and fire. No place for Christian offerings, only blunt actions of greed and petty ambition."

Zakrzycki shook his head.

"Your Lordship,

Joachim already sent a number of letters and used all possible influance in Sweden to free his cousin and rikskanzler Brache. Rumors said that they have been freed.

Now I expect that Danes will stop their dreams of conquering Sweden and return to tables to review Kronborg accord."

Zakrzycki put both his hands together as to a prayer.

"I pray for the swift and peaceful resolution of this conflict.

House of the Greif didn't respond to Danish provocations. However, should Danes decide to harm Swedish people above punishing rebels, it is highly possible that Joachim of the Greif will defend Sweden as their Prince-Protector."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen replies to Zakrzycki.

"I will make it short and say it again, herr Zakrzycki:
Interfer in the crowns affairs, and we will take appropriate counter-meassures."

 

[cccino]

"At this stage the case of the matter is pretty clear cut. Denmark is only undertaking to subdue the rebels. No-one else need be involved in this. It would be wise, Herr Zakrzycki, to refrain from making talk likely to lead to war until such time as you have a legitimate reason to do so."

 

[cccino]

The Stadtholder then turns to Hendrik van Egmondt.

"You too, sir. Why do you stir up trouble? You claim Denmark is using a mere rebellion to justify an attempt to annex Sweden. There has never been any indication of that. If they talk aggressively, well, surely you can understand the Danish court's attitude to having their vassals rebel in the most heinous of ways and in capturing their rightful King?

"I would be very wary, my dear representative of Gelder, of choosing sides in a conflict where your involvement is not warranted."

 

[Longinus]

Zakrzycki yawns.

"Very well, we will wait and see what is going in Sweden as rebels should be disciplined.

ohhhh I swear I going to starve soon... time for a dinner, excuse me gentlemen."

 

[Innocent]

Cardinal Moscicki sits and listens to the various people concerning the matters over Sweden, especially the Danish representatives, before he rises again to express his thoughts.

"Bendtsen, your Majesty has not misplaced his trust. I do not speak nor act out of some set of anti-Danish thoughts, each situation requires its own analysis, and its own decisions. My advice, is that of a man of God who stands in a position to offer my thoughts to the Empire. If your Majesty wishes to take this as form of mistrust, than such is right, but my trust does not mean that I will refuse to speak my mind."

"But more importantly, why have I said what I have.? What I have said is not a threat, I am a man of God, I do not traffc in threats. I personally command no more than a thousand soldiers, no more than a militia of the untrained city-folk of Cologne. I do not believe that I even have the capability of offering a serious threat to the King of Denmark. What I have said is what I believe to be the case, that Joachim of Greif cannot stand and watch Sweden's rights be crushed by Denmark. No matter how the Danish King justifies his actions, the Prince-Protector of Sweden is oath bound and honor bound to act in the defense of that realm."

"I can guarantee nothing, but if the King of Denmark does decide to crush Sweden's honor and rights, then does it not seem likely that the Prince-Protector of Sweden will involve himself in defending it? And if he does intercede, then what are the odds that the Empire shall remain out of the conflict? These are the concerns I have raised, if you wish to take them as threats, then that is your decision, but they are not offered as such."

 

[unmerged(8054)]

Ullrich Dyck, having remained silent in the long discussions, now rises to speak.
As usual, he awaits recognision from the Holy Roman Emperor before starting, and bows to the Imperial Throne before he says anything:

"Let me start by answering accusations against Germans put forth by herr Bendtsen. Allthough the Danish ambassador is to skilled a diplomat to have named Bremen directly, the growing problems between Denmark and the Hansa, for which Bremen has always stood, is wellknown to all.
Bremen has not supported Swedish rebellion, but neiother will we speak against it. The Danish king has, in the Kronborg agrement which he forced Swedish nobles to sign with his sword to their throat, humiliated and degraded the Swedish people, and thus paved the way for this rebellion.
Allthough we disagree with the methods used by the Swedish rebels, we do understand their motives for acting.

Furthermore, Bremen has recently issued a guarentee of sovereignty to the nation of Sweden, and I have recently been informed that Duke Johann III of Bremen and Prussia intends to keep his word. Should Denmark threathen to annex Sweden, or even bring as much as a single acre of land under the direct control of the Danish king, Bremen is forced to intervene. Not to gain any gains herself, but to defend Sweden.
It is the hope of Duke Johann that the recently freed king will swear y his honour that this will not be neccessary.
The Hanseatic Union is bound to support its members in war, and Stockholm, Viborg and Helsingfors are all members of the Hansa. Should Danish forces negligt to keep that in mind, Bremen will fullfill the promise given to these cities. That these cities must be brought under Danish control is understandable, but should they be sacked in the process, Bremen will see it as an unnecessary act of agression, beyond what was called for.
I do hope for a swift end to this unfortunate affair, but Bremen is quite prepared to do her best to prolong it, should Denmark follow the example of certain allies and attempt to use this as an exuse to enlarge the territory under her control."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen shook his head.

"The problem is, that my king does not reckognize this title, "Prince-Protector" of Sweden. It is rediculous, and a result of Joachim the Greif's more than close ties with rebels during the last rebellion. I will only state the facts here: Denmark does as it pleases with Sweden. Within the last few years, it has rebelled not once, but TWICE! The time for the gentle glove is over, now the iron gauntlet must speak. And if somebody mistakes their roles in this, and aids the rebels, we will declare war on them. That is not a threat or anything, merely fact! So I suggest to you, Cardinal, if you really wish for peace, that you convince your friends not to interfere in this matter. Or else you will have your feared war.
Many of the lords of the Empire have said they will have nothing to do with this, but apparantly Joachim the Greif "cares for his subjects". Sparre actually wanted Joachim the Greif to help him, as stated by the traitor shortly after the coup, and now I can see that the thought of doing so is not alien to the Pommerian Duke. Well, if he will aid the Swedish rebels, he will have to kill several thousand Danish soldiers first, and also some ten thousand allies. If he stays put, we will have no quarrel with him."

 

[Innocent]

Cardinal Moscicki, in a very rare event, wished only to make a very short statement:

"If anyone does aid the rebels, it is understood that Denmark would be obliged to respond with force on said nation. I do not believe that anyone in this Diet supports the rebels, at least none have stated such. The concern is the fate of legitimate Sweden, not that of the rebel scum."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen answers

"My king does not have the luxury to seperate the two things at the moment. When one of you lords have a constantly rebelling vassal like Sweden under you, we can discuss what will be appropriate."

Bendtsen then turns to Dyck

"And the same as any Imperial land goes for Bremen. If you interfere in any way in this matter, Denmark will declare war. What the future of the three Hansa cities will be is up to the king, and noone else. Try to meddle in this and you will be in an even worse pile of trouble than you already are, Bremen'er. Your Dukes letter of sovereignty to the Swedes constitutes a horrible breach in the conduct of lords, and my king is extremely disappointed with Johann of Bremen. But for now, his focus is on Sweden. You tell your lord, he better stay out of this. Just for the record, I have here a copy of the illegal support from duke Johann:

Bremer guarentee of Swedish sovereignty

I, the duke of Bremen and Prussia, hereby announces for all the world to hear, that should the free and sovereign nation of Sweden ever become threathened by foreign powers, I will use all powers at my disposal to repel the aggressors and protect the people and land of Sweden.
The Swedish people have before suffered from wrongdoings by invading armies, and I hereby swear by God that Bremen will struggle to prevent that from ever happening again.

Signed
[x]Johann III, duke of Bremen and Prussia.

Gentlemen, this constitutes a valid casus belli, and if Bremen does not watch itself, my king will have no problem using it."

 

[HJ Tulp]

Hendrik van Egmondt rises to speak.
"I didn't say that Danemark is going to annex Sweden, I only asked what the Empire would do if that would happen. Furthermore, isn't Friesland intervening in Scandinavia?"

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen to can Egmondt:

"Yes, but we invited them and they fight under the Danish Supreme Command, meaning the king. If you are willing to intervene like the noble Frisians have done, you are most welcome."

 

[unmerged(9600)]

Lord Georg rises.

"In regards to what Herr Zakrzycki has said, perhaps someone could furnish us with some idea of why the Kronborg agreement is so unacceptable? Considering that it was within the power of the Danes to simply impose their will on Sweden, and take it all under their personal rule, I am surprised that a treaty would be that leniant."

Turning to Bendtsen, Georg continues. "If Denmark did not grant to Joachim of the Grief the title of Prince-Protector, then where did it come from? Surely he would not have accepted it from the rebels?"

Then Georg appeals to Ullrich Dyck. "Herr Dyck, how can one guarantee the sovereignty of a nation that has been made a vassal of another? Is it's sovereignty not already compromised? I understand and agree with your desire not to see the Swedish Hansa cities be unneccesarily sacked, but should they resist the royal army, they must certainly be taken by force. I hope that Bremen can reconcile this to a peaceful stance. Certainly the last thing that the Empire needs right now is the Hansa attempting to drag us into another war that is scarcely our concern."

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen smiles to lord Georg

"You ask me where the title Prince-Protector came from? My friend, even in these bloody times, the Pommerians are always good for laugh or two. The answer is simple:
Joachim the Greif invented it himself, and thereafter passed it to himself.
Nobody gave it to him, but he felt he needed another title to his impressive collection. That is what kind of a man Joachim the Greif is."

The Danish count is having a hard time not laughing, but regains his calm attitude.

"Ahhh... hehe... no, the title is invalid, it has no legal grounds, and such a thing can only be given by permission of the king of Sweden, being king Christoffer. This matter about the title is a perfect picture on the involvement of the Pommerians in Sweden. We do not need fortune hunters to solve our problems. Especially not Joachim the Greif or his friends in Bremen.
The only valid agreement in this matter is the Kronborg Agreement. All other documents, like the rediculous Nurnberg Accord, is not worth the paper it is written on."

 

[cccino]

Arnolf der Leeuwarden responds to Hendrik van Egmondt:

"My Danish friends mislead you. Our two nations are militarily allied, hence our intervention.

"And I am sure it is not necessary to point out that implying that Denmark will annex Sweden is just as meddlesome as saying it outright.

"Let me give you my personal advice, again. Do not interfere in areas that are none of your business. I would hate to see my good friends and neighbours under suspicion of supporting these rebels or of, say, untoward and illegal activities against Denmark..."

The Frisian is now addressing the hall.

"Lord Georg seems to be the only one here with any sense. To emphasise his first point: the Pommeranian surely does not expect rebels, who have been defeated, to be rewarded for their treason?? I challenge any who think they have a right to intervene on the side of the rebellion to speak up, and prove my support of Denmark to be unrighteous."

 

[HJ Tulp]

Hendrik van Egmondt rises to speak.
"Does Gelre support the Swedish rebels? Let me see, have we send money to the Swedish Rebels? No. Have we send troops to aid ther Rebels? No. Have we send supplies to the Swedish Rebels? Hmmm, tricky question, we did trade we the LOYAL Swedes in the Hansa cities, so maybe a bit. The Diet may discuss what she wants Heer der Leeuwarden. Or at least until the Emperor orders us not to.

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Bendtsen once again speaks

"The truly disturbing thing about the rebellion, is that the three Hansa cities of Sweden has provided supplies to the rebels. You may hide behind your claim of "free trade" and "privileges" and God knows what else. The crown of Denmark does not care about your excuses. Supplying a rebel is supplying a rebel. No matter how you twist and turn it.
One thing I can promise you all. When king Christoffer has beaten the rebels, he will CLOSELY observe the three Hansa cities and decide on a later point, if it is in the best interest of Sweden to remain in the trade union. Never again will a trade organization as the Hansa aid rebels against the crown.
And yes, discuss this all you want to, play the political game as you do best. It will have no effect on the outcome of the conflict. The words of of the Diet will not have weight in Scandinavia... never again!"

 

[unmerged(9313)]

A couple of days later. Bendsten once more stepped forward and spoke:

"Gentlemen, Denmark has another issue we were curious about, regarding your view on it. It seems Bremen will not call back their illegal support for the rebels, and my king is most furious about this, as you can all understand. As I have said earlier, this constitutes casus belli, which you all know. You cannot guarantee the independence of somebody elses vassal, as Lord Georg has stated. That is illegal and is Bremen's meddling in the crowns affairs.
So I suggest that the Holy Roman Empire makes Bremen come to its senses, before the Danish king has to take matters in his own hand. Wars have been fought for less than the crime Bremen has committed. And if the view of Bremen on Swedens independence also reflects the views of the Hansa, then I fear we are nearing another trade conflict.
My king gives the Holy Roman Empire three months (ooc: till Monday) to make Bremen retract its letter of independence guarantee. If not, Denmark will be forced to act. I would like to see which Imperial lord is foolish enough to call the Bremen act for just and right, but I can imagine two countries that will support Bremen. Should Bremen chose to hide behind its alliances, then the king is ready to meet them head on to.
My words may seem hard and hostile, and they are! We have tried to communicate with the Bremens, but they replied, that if we wanted to have the Bremen support the Swedish rebels removed, we should be ready to act on it. And we will follow Bremens advise, and do excactly so."