In 1426, the Teutonic Knights invaded northern Germany to free their kin from Danish domination.
XI. HUMBLING THE ENEMY
By October, the German city states that made up the bulk of the Empire could see the Teuton/Livonian/ Saxon alliance, with a nod to Brandenburg, Pommerania and their friends, were set to humble the Scandinavian
invaders. Mecklenburg was now in Saxon hands, and General von Darmstad marched on Hamburg with ten thousand men.
His next battle took place near the banks of the Elbe, when a small Danish cavalry force of 2,700 barred his path. Von Darmstad held a 2:1 cavalry advantage and easily repelled their efforts. Even a Danish relief force of 2,000 infantry wasn't enough to turn the tide and they retreated in disarray.
On January 13, 1427 Admiral Oberstein with his ten galleys met three Danish carracks and a transport while patrolling the German coast. He retreated to the shoals and reefs near Mecklenburg. When the heavier ships followed, they ran aground and he battered them from a quarter mile with small prow-mounted cannonades. He might have seized them outright, but four Danish carracks appeared and distracted Oberstein long enough for the crippled ships to escape.
Kalmar fell later that month, but Sweden refused peace. Left with being stuck in the war's backwater (and thus a permanent second to the younger and more dashing von Darmstad), General von Hagen ignored the Swedes and pushed into Danish Skane. Oberstein moved up with his fleet and seized the Sund, preventing reinforcement from Copenhagen...not that any was forthcoming.
April saw Stettin forced out of the war
(and independence,) compelled to swear fealty to the Hozenhollerns of Brandenburg. Saxons raided into Jutland and attacked Bremen through Oldenburg.
All was not ease however, for defenders repelled the Saxon advance at the Weser River, and Admiral Oberstein's perfect record yielded to ten Danish and Norwegian carracks who surprised him near Anholt Island. These were deeper waters and the Scandinavians held the weather gauge. After several hours Oberstein to retreated to Mecklenburg for refit and repair.
In May, however, Hamburg fell. Von Darmstad blitzed through Viborg and besieged Aalborg in Jutland. Denmark offered peace...
But Teuton Grandmaster Paul Bellizer von Russdorf did not think it sufficient. The war continued, and on September 5, 1427 Lund in Skane fell to General von Hagen. Now he merely awaited news of von Darmstad's victory to carry the fight to Copenhagen itself.
Von Russdorf had not been silent in his castle at Konigsberg. He recruited yet another army, exhausting Teuton manpower as this consisted mostly of the boys and retired fighters of the realm. As he explained in his journal:
If the Danes continue their obstinancy, then only a twin strike at their capital and Gotland may drive them from this war. Then we will be able to dictate any peace we desire.
Sweden ceded Gotland to the Teutons in 1388, letting their order rule it as a Swedish fief if they would oust some Mecklenburg pirates. They did so, but even before Tannenberg Danish and Swedish intrigue tricked them out of their reward. Von Russdorf made it clear to the world he would take it back if his enemies persisted.
For their part, Denmark contemplated relieving Aalborg with the last of their army. The problem was Admiral Oberstein, who once more with surprising obstinancy blocked the Sund. From October 1 through mid November his nine galleys fought running battles with no less than twelve carracks and thirteen transports. Worse, he had time to study the area and continually found ways to resupply off the hostile land. Teuton marines stormed and sacked Kalundborg and briefly held Odense before the canny Admiral would once more fade before the larger Danish fleet.
Erik VII, King of Denmark, received a final letter from the mainland on November 12:
The food is almost gone. The invaders burned our crops and restrained the peasants from planting more. Our water is similarly desperate, and yesterday three of my men refused a sorty to try and break past the siege. Today the bastards catapulted the body of my son over the wall: I can only guess he was captured attempting to bring supplies in from the coast. He was still alive when they fired. I could hear his scream as he broke on the walls of the citadel. The "Knights" promise to do that to every man, woman and child if we do not yield.
If your majesty is unable to relieve Aalborg soon, then I will surrender to save my people.
Teuton held Jutland, with Oberstein in control of the Sund, would leave Copenhagen open to a two-pronged attack. He could not take that chance, and after a series of exchanges with a Teuton diplomat based in the capital against this day, came to terms.
XII. AND THEN THERE WAS SILENCE
Celebrations and thanks givings lasted into early 1428. To no one's surprise, if their mild disappointment, von Russdorf had no intent of yielding Holstein. He believed controlling Denmark's southern border, and thus their access to the German states, was best for the time. He did promise Hamburg the same rights of all Teuton cities. Once this would have been generous, but after the burgher-led insurrections following Tannenberg the provincial Kommanders kept much stricter controls.
General von Darmstad became Kommander of Holstein, while von Hagen led Skane. For the next few years Grandmaster von Russdorf, increasingly popular at home, continued consolidating and strengthening his people. He paid off loans to Danzig merchants dating back to 1423, and appointed administrators
(tax collectors) for the new areas.
Paul von Russdorf believed the feudal system, with power centered on various nobles, could only weaken the Knights. The Teutons were always a military order, but now he enforced a strict chain of command that ensured all major decisions came from the senior officers at Konigsberg.
(Centralization +1) This did annoy his kommanders, especially in Skane, Holstein and Kustrin where access to the capital was infrequent at best. He combatted this by requesting of the senior officers that, should he die, they appoint von Darmstad as his successor.
(Heir to the Throne: +1 Stability) Technically this wasn't legal, but with von Russdorf's incredible popularity his opinions carried enormous weight.
XIII: BUT THE BAND PLAYED ON
Denmark may have come to terms with the Teutons, but they still warred with Brandenburg, Pommerania, and Bavaria. In January 1428 they besieged Pomerania with overwhelming force. They made two attempts to break the siege, but with only thousand man banners easily destroyed. Brandenburg might have had a chance, but Friedrich I claimed he was too busy securing Stettin.
In April von Russdorf and new Saxon leader Friedrich II sent Erik a terse letter: Stop, or we won't until Copenhagen is burnt to the ground. Denmark reluctantly agreed, and after coercing a pittance from the prostate city state sailed home. They were distracted anyway as Bremen merchants, encouraged by the recent Teuton/Saxon campaign, made a bid for independence. It failed, but Kommander von Darmstad expected rebellions to continue "like a festering wound until they learn to acknowledge German sovereignty."
Meanwhile, Emperor Sigismund of Hungry met with Vytautas of Lithuania and Jagiello of Poland in Lutsk to offer an independent crown to Vitautas. Jagiello at first agreed, but his own nobles rebelled at the idea and he quickly rescinded the idea. Later he actually tried to give the Polish crown to Lithuania, but Pope Martin V stepped in fearing a united kingdom under Lithuanian domination might go Orthodox.
Von Russdorf sent letters to Poland's nobility, reminding them of their king's Lithuanian heritage, and asking why Jagiello had been so eager to crush and finally annex
(Romanist) Bohemia. Enough agreed and threatened to revoke the Union giving him Poland's crown if Jagiello tried. Vytautas finally despaired of the political machinations and went into permanent retirement.
(various events)
1429 saw Denmark invoke the Sound Due, charging a hefty fee to merchant ships passing by Denmark into the Baltic Sea. This effectively ruined Mecklenburg's prosperity, which angered the Saxons. Von Russdorf protested, but ambassadors from various nations hinted his 'oppression' of the Danes was starting to tarnish their reputation and he backed down. With Germany secure and his attentions in that arena unwelcome for the moment, the Teuton Grandmaster began seeking another cause for his order.
Discussions with Moscow bore fruit the next Christmas
(Diplomatic Move: +1 Dip rating, +25 relations Muscowy, +1 Diplomat) when they suggested it wouldn't be taken overly amiss if the two knight orders wanted to weaken their Novgorod neighbors further. The senior officers agreed that while Moscow could not be trusted, the chance to further weaken the Orthodox cause could not be ignored. Grandmaster von Russdorf considered his options.