Introduction: A Coming of Age
The Chronicles of Conradin and the Resurgence of the House of Hohenstaufen
‘’Much has changed since my grandfather’s time. Northern Italy flouts imperial rule. An Englishman names himself emperor. The Hohenstaufen standard has been cast down by usurpers in both Sicily and Jerusalem. I mean to rectify this situation.
The Angevin dog has turned on its master, and Charles of Sicily now fights the very Pope who gave him his kingdom. This opportunity cannot be ignored. To Sicily!’’
- Thus spoke Konrad IV, Duke of Swabia, rightful king of Sicily and Jerusalem, heir of Barbarossa and Stupor Mundi, at the gathering to celebrate his coming of age in early 1268.
‘’Much has changed since my grandfather’s time. Northern Italy flouts imperial rule. An Englishman names himself emperor. The Hohenstaufen standard has been cast down by usurpers in both Sicily and Jerusalem. I mean to rectify this situation.
The Angevin dog has turned on its master, and Charles of Sicily now fights the very Pope who gave him his kingdom. This opportunity cannot be ignored. To Sicily!’’
- Thus spoke Konrad IV, Duke of Swabia, rightful king of Sicily and Jerusalem, heir of Barbarossa and Stupor Mundi, at the gathering to celebrate his coming of age in early 1268.
The other two Konrads, his half-brother Konrad the Bastard and his cousin Corrado of Antioch, quickly shouted affirmations.
Both had been deep in their cups in celebration of their own recent advancements- Konrad the Bastard had been betrothed to Swabia’s neighbour, Countess Anna Hupoldinger of Bern, Zurichgau, and Schwyz, whilst Corrado had wed Adelheid von Hohenzollern, only living child and heir of Duke Friedrich III of Nordgau.
The Spanish infantes, Fadrique and Enrique d’Ivrea, also bellowed their support. They were a malcontented pair, both had been expelled from Castile after a rebellion against their brother Alfonso but had found their way to Swabia by different paths.
Fadrique had served under Konrad’s uncle Manfred of Sicily, but survived his defeat at the hands of Charles of Anjou and fled. Enrique had bounced around France, England and North Africa before joining the Angevin expedition. Finding himself ill-rewarded by Charles, he had defected to Konrad with news of the hostilities opened between Charles and the Pope.[1]
Konrad’s uncle and guardian Ludwig II von Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria and the Rhine, was less enthusiastic. He had signalled a desire to speak privately with his nephew and been ushered out of the festive environment of the hall.
***
- Ludwig II, Duke of Bavaria and of the Rhine
Ludwig’s tone may have been patronising but Konrad chose to ignore it. His uncle’s support would be a boon to the enterprise.
‘’Thank you, uncle.’’
‘’You know Italy has proven somewhat disagreeable to your dynasty. Friedrich Barbarossa spent half his reign in interminable campaigns against the Italian cities, and Heinrich VI died there of sudden illness.’’
‘’I know my own family’s history, uncle. I also know that my grandfather Friedrich II, the Wonder of the World, was always a Sicilian at heart, so clearly not all Hohenstaufen suffer ill-fate in Italy.’’
Ludwig could have pointed at that Friedrich spent his entire life grappling with the Papacy and was expelled from the Catholic church with startling regularity, but his nephew was set on the campaign, so Ludwig moved on to a more practical question.
‘’Do you have the men?’’
‘’My diplomats have been busy.’’
‘’Names, nephew.’’ Ludwig was a curt man, with little time for coyness.
- Konrad's betrothed, Princess Erzsebet of Hungary
‘’I am to wed Arpad Erzsebet, whose father Istvan is the heir of Bela IV of Hungary; my aunt Blanceflor to Duke Napoleone della Torre of Milan. Both will provide support. Additionally, alliances have been made with Duke Albrecht Wettin of Thuringia, who was already wed to my aunt Margaret, and his father Duke Heinrich III of Meissen; and with my stepfather Count Meinhard of Innsbruck and Landeck (who was made Duke of Tyrol by the time of the picture below).
- Konrad's main allies within the Holy Roman Empire. His external allies include Duke Napoleone of Milan and King Bela IV of Hungary
Additionally, Corrado has wed the daughter of Duke Friedrich III of Nordgau, as you know; and my cousins Beatrice and Filippa are to wed Othon d’Ivrea, heir to the Duchy of Franche-Comte, and Erich Askanian, brother to the Duke of Brandenburg. None of these matches are of sufficient prestige to form the basis of an alliance.
Finally, my aunt Costanza and cousin Maria have wed the infantes Fadrique and Enrique, in a probably forlorn attempt to keep them loyal.’’
‘’A respectable coalition, there may be hope.’’
‘’With your support, uncle, the hope would be greater.’’
There was a twinkle in Ludwig’s eye, then, and scarcely concealed smirk. ‘’And what would be in it for me, nephew?’’
Konrad smirked back. ‘’Is the honour of a royal nephew insufficient?’’
Ludwig just raised an eyebrow, and Konrad sighed.
‘’Fine. The Englishman will not live forever and I concede that the lords seem unlikely to support me in any elections in the near future. Your assistance here would earn my unqualified support for yourself and whoever you choose to back at the next imperial election.’’
‘’More fine words, nephew, that are of little immediate value.’’
Konrad hesitated, before speaking next. I suppose I must play my trump card.
‘’Very well. When I discussed the recent marriages organised for my kin you may have noticed the absence of my aunt Margaretha. You may marry her, if you wish. She has proven herself a capable administrator during my long minority, and should some ill befall me in the coming campaign she would inherit Swabia.’’
- The wedding of Konrad's aunt Margaretha to his uncle Ludwig II of Bavaria
‘’That would be acceptable.’’
[1]I sort of just pillaged these guys bios from wiki, it could be inaccurate- Frederick (Fadrique) and Henry (Enrique). They were cousins to Conradin as great-grandsons of Frederick Barbarossa.
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