christian kingdoms and conquest

[Wise Strategist]

Did christian kingdoms really not try to conquer each without title claims?

 

[TheIronTalon]

I would like to say that in reality there was a pretty high chance of that. I am sure most monarchs believed they had rights to near enough every Kingdom in their vicinity due to some prehistoric claim from a family member that was around a hundred years ago. Having said that, they also had to remember that the Pope was breathing down their backs. Upsetting him could reward you with a death sentence and so acted as a measure of restraint to most monarchs.

I would expect the more ambitious Kings throughout history believed they had some legal claim on neighbouring Kingdoms. People in power do get delusions of grandeur if history is anything to go by. I don't have any refer to go by though, so can't give you any examples.

 

[Velger]

They declared war on eachother but oft not for the practical sense of conquest as one might think of it in modern times. The largest and most famous wars (ie the wars of conquest) were more often a matter of titular claim (albeit sometimes more far removed than the game simulates). It was a matter of status quo; governing as much land as you could reasonably govern within the given system and systems of communication. If you tried to grab too much, you were just as likely to end up with nothing. Large 'realms' like the HRE were some of the first to decay in the face of nationalism and regional interests.