To War with the Kaiser in the Name of Free France
Peace
After the peace was signed with Galicia back in 1229, Normans did not go to war for almost 3 years. Reason for it was simple- there was no-one left to go to war with. Every ruler nearby was either at 10-year peace with the Normans or conquered by the Normans. With the exception of Byzantines, who were a bit splintered, but against whom Normans lacked proper Casus Bellis.
As for the rest of the world, things happened. Most important was the demise of King Eudes and rise of his son, King Arnaud I. It had happened a few years ago already, but now, Arnaud did something unexpected- he broke free of the Emperor’s rule and declared himself independent. King Eudes and Kaiser Leopold had agreed to vassalization because of the Norman threat (and rightfully so- if they hadn’t joined forces, Normans would control much more Ibera and had landed in France). Young King Arnaud didn’t seem to care about that though- he wanted to be a King of his own, not first amongst the vassals of Kaiser Leopold. Oh, and Leopold was aged 72, still healthy and still kicking. The war between Arnaud and Leopold also meant that anything west of the French border, including all the holdings in Iberia, were not part of the Holy Roman Empire anymore, making the Europe less covered with gray tones.
The King and the Kaiser
Also, Caliph Söbuk of the Shia Caliphate died in May 1231. He reached the age of 65, he lived through violent civil war and 2 wars with Mongols. He did his best, but he could not stop the decline of the Shia Caliphate. His successor was his son Mehmed, aged 2. Traditionally, several rulers in the Caliphate rose against their new master and Caliphate was soon engulfed in series of small civil wars. One of them, Bey Tein of Nishapur, right next to Mongol borders, soon found out that it was not such a good idea as he thought: soon, Mongols came knocking on his door.
The new Caliph and his revolting lands. Notice Nishaphur near the border of the Il-Khanate- mongols are coming.
Finally, in 1231 King Asclettin II of Jerusalem finished his conquest of Sinai. It was special because Sinai was the last Muslim stronghold in Mediterranean area. A threat to Europe was eliminated and most of the Muslim lands were now safely under de Hauteville rule.
To the French Rescue!
Free France was the the thing Normans wholeheartedly endorsed. After all, free France means that Holy Roman Empire, nemesis of Normans, would be cut down half the size and the future wars with Kaisers would be easier. Plus, the expansion into French lands can begin. But the war was not favoring the French this time- Kaiser’s troops were all over the French lands, Paris was taken, Iberian lands were swarmed by the Germans.
So, in January 1232, Turquetil declared war on Kaiser Leopold, demanding the Duchy of Modena. But it was not a simple war of conquest this time...
It started as a simple conquest though. Modena, a 2-province Duchy, totally surrounded by Norman lands, was swarmed by small armies of nearby vassals while Norman main army gathered in Sicily. Soon, both provinces were sieged by 5000 soldiers. Of his personal levies, Turquetil gathered 34 000 soldiers, 20 000 of them were shipped to Italy. Rest- well, Kaiser brought in the Pope and rest of the soldiers swarmed the Papal holdings in Trapani, making the Pope first conquest of this war.
Nearby Norman vassals swarming the Duchy
Turquetil also raised soldiers of Tlemcen and Algiers, gathered them, joined them with rest of his personal levies and an army of 18 000 soldiers was ready. They sailed to Iberia, where 8000 Germans had been sighted- sieging Salamanca, a French province.
Meanwhile in Italy, Modena fell to assaults. The local vassals had prepared it, and Turquetil and his soldiers marched in and took the province. Parma was still holding.
Adventures in Iberia
In July 1232, Normans reached Salamanca. 8000 Germans had run back to Zamora, and to Normans shock, there was more then 8000. Total army of 25 000 Germans was marching to Salamanca, with task to kill these Norman upstarts and scatter their army.
Turquetil hired mercenaries when he heard of it, a total 15 000 of them, plus 200 ships to carry them. Luckily, he had more then 3000 gold in reserve. But of course, the mercenaries were too far to reach the Normans on time, so the battle did not go too well. Normans were defeated, but they inflicted quite a number of casualties on Germans as well.
Normans swarmed by Germans in Salamanca
Normans retreated back to Evora, with 7000 troops from nearby vassals of Seville and Tangiers and Fez waiting to reinforce them. Germans had split their army into two, one of 14 000 soldiers stayed in Salamanca, while another, with 7000 soldiers, marched back to Zamora.
Reinforced Norman army marched to Salamanca again, with mercenary army in their tail. The Second Battle of Salamanca, fought in October 1232, was much more successful. Enemy fled towards Placencia, with Normans hot in their tails, while mercenary army was approaching Salamanca. In November, Normans took out the remnants of the enemy army in Placencia, and mercenaries reached Zamora, where they defeated the enemy, took the castle held by Germans and followed the retreating enemy towards Leon. In the end of December, enemy was annihilated and Leon was taken from Holy Roman Emperor. Iberia was free of Germans.
Germans swarmed by Normans in Salamanca
Situation in Italy
Kaiser Leopold had asked the help of Poland against the Normans, and Polish main army of 15 000 soldiers war marching to Italy. When the Polish reached Treviso in September 1232, the Norman main army surprised them, sailing to the province and cutting them off. Polish had no other choice but to fight and were defeated in a battle outside Oderzo. Remnants fled to Verona, with Normans hot in their tails.
Polish defeated by Normans in Italy
They were defeated in October, and Norman main army marched on to clear Italy from rest of Polish troops who had arrived by boats. 2 small armies, both near 3000 soldiers, were busily marching over the Italy. Siege of Parma was still ongoing.
Homecoming
It had been nearly 200 years ago when de Hauteville brothers had left their home in Normandy behind and went to search fame and fortune in a wide world. There had been some contacts over the centuries, but not much. There was not much in common anymore with de Hautevilles and other Normans who stayed in Normandy or sailed to England.
Now, in March 1233, de Hautevilles were back. The forces engaged in Iberia had hit the boats and sailed across the Bay of Biscay to the English channel. Local Normans almost had a heart attack when the sea was filled with hundreds of ships and when soldiers started pouring aground. To their relief, they weren’t the enemy, they were the long-lost cousins. Though Sicilian Norman language had evolved further, taking loan words from Arabic, Italian and Greek, they could still understand each other and there was much celebrating and drinking of the fine cider. de Hautevilles had returned, if only for a brief moment. And they had returned en masse- when Hauteville brothers had left Normandy, they had a band of merry men about 200 of size. Now, they arrived with nearly 30 000 soldiers.
We're coming home!
After saying hello, Normans marched on. One army to Paris, another to Amiens, where Germans troops had been spotted. By April 1233, the Paris and surrounding lands were temporarily under Norman command and both armies marched to border of the Holy Roman Empire and France, to keep guard and keep the Germans away from France.
Same time in Italy- Parma had fallen and the Duchy of Modena was now in Norman hands. Turquetil and his main army was busy fighting small armies that had crossed the border, but nothing serious. Biggest battle was when Turquetil caught 10 000 Germans in Nice in October 1233 and defeated them.
In September 1233, Normans found out that large German army of 15 000 soldiers was gathering in Verdun. Both armies crossed the border to Holy Roman Empire and attacked them. This was the first time in Norman history when the fight had been taken across the Alps and into Germany. Germans were defeated and marched to Reims, with Normans on their tail. Next was Sens- Germans and French were fighting in that province, and in January, Norman troops descended upon Germans. They defeated the Germans... but meanwhile, in 3rd January 1234, King Arnaud had signed white peace with the Germans, giving up his independence.
Norman troops marching to the Germany for the first time- and the result of them marching
Normans marched back to Normandy and to their ships. The war was over, and they had failed to achieve their goal. Or rather, French were unable to keep up . Despite the fact that they were given Normans who were willing to fight by their side, they did not manage to keep their independence. Oh well, at least the Normans got they Duchy of Modena, further extending their holdings in Italy.
At least Italy looks more and more green and less gray