The Trial of Victor: A period of drastic decline in Victorian power, lasting from the death of Adolph I in 1506 to the beginning of
Victor II's rule in 1541.
The Name and its Significance
The phrase "Trial of Victor" was actually coined by Victor II during a speach at his coronation, refering to his great grandfather,
Victor I:
"Citizens of this land, we have survived the Trial of Victor, and have proven in His eyes that we are worthy of the greatness that was his rule. Through blow after crippling blow we have stood, refusing to surrender even when it would be the easiest course; we have been torn asunder and yet we have remained united; and we have fought against our brothers when they were wrong, and fought beside them when they were right. Citizens of Victoria, the hour of our greatness has returned!"
As a result of the use of "Victoria", the end of the Trial of Victor is also commonly marked as the birth of Victoria, but more importantly this glorification of Victor I, already held in high regard as representing the greatness of better times, along with the other acts of Victor II, helped in the creation of
Victorianism and
Vicarism, as well as the creation of a national Victorian identity.
The Trial Begins
After the death of
Victor I, his heir, Adolph I, appeared to be continuning the pattern of great leadership that had made Victoria dominate Western Europe in a few short decades, taking the majority of the English holdings in France when Brittany attacked the area around Paris in a bid to enter the
War of Burgundy, personally leading a few battles against Brittany for control over the area. He lived for only three years before dying a sudden death in 1506, leaving his six year old son, Konrad the Young, to rule with his mother,
Anne of Bavaria, as Regent. Although Anne was adapt at handling the internal affairs of Victoria, she was not a military leader and, although she would likely have been an able diplomat in other circumstances, she could not muster the skills that Victor or Adolph had used to hold back the many enemies that had gathered during their reigns.
French Reprisals
Although 1506 is the commonly accepted date for the beginning of the Trial, the actual struggles that would characterize the ordeal began when Savoy, searching for an edge in the War of Burgundy, invaded southern Victoria in 1509. Although many thought it was a foolhearty move because of the percieved strength of Victoria - indeed, the Duke of Savoy was placed under a regency only two years later for insanity - the invasion actually went amazingly well, ending in Franche-Comté (which, oddly enough, retained the name "Free County of Burgundy" despite Burgundy being practically disbanded) being given to Savoy. Although this defeat in itself was not an immense loss, it brought Victoria into the War of Burgundy as an area for participants to prove their strength, and it was not long until other French duchies began to raid into Victorian lands. By the time of Konrad the Young's death in 1515, the majority of Victor and Adolph's gains in France were lost.
German Opportunism
Although Germany was much more quiet during the early years of the Trial of Victor, there were opportunistic strikes by some of the enemies Victoria had accumulated, all supported in one way or another by the Hapsburg Emperors, who were still bitter about their defeat in Tyrol. Although most of these attempts didn't amount to much, there were losses along Victoria's German border.
A Second Regency
Although the territorial losses afterwards were less than the previous six years, the death of Konrad the Young at the age of fifteen, leaving his twelve year old brother as Duke, is commonly held as a major blow to Victoria. While Victoria's struggles up to this point were all against outside forces, the demoralization of another minor Duke inheriting were simply too much for some of Victoria's nobility to take. The internal struggles of the following years were what Victorians remembered with the most bitterness, but also with the most fondness, such as the
Battle of Flanders, where a Victorian and rebelling noble army declared a cease-fire to defeat an invading Breton army and, ultimately, negotiated their differences to prevent any further incursions on Victorian soil.
Of course outside forces were not slow to take advantage of this weakness. Although the pace would slow dramatically after Vincent I's majority, the remainder of Victor and Adolph's gains in France, Tyrol, additional areas along the German provinces, and a fairly large area of Victoria's Dutch possessions were all lost in the following decades. By 1538, three unconnected Dutch, German, and Burgundinian areas were all that remained of Victoria, and had Victor II not inherited in 1539 there is little doubt that this decline would have continued.
Post-Mortem
Victoria at Adolph I's death, the areas lost under Konrad I, and the areas lost under Vincent I
Although the struggle was a hard one and the losses great, the people of Victoria would afterwards view it as necessary. The Trial of Victoria marked the death of the notion of Burgundy, and the void left in its place allowed Victor II to form the nation that would become Victoria. Additionally it contributed greatly to the Victorians' hardworking attitude and their rational (if perhaps somewhat bitter and melancholy) outlook on life. Much like the Swiss were a people unified despite their prior nationality, so would Victoria become the same.
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