The Wars of Pandolfo
Now the most respected and powerful monarch of Christendom, Pandolfo set about expanding Italy's influence in Europe. The many wars of Pandolfo became a subject of much study for historians, and here we recount the most important of them.
The First Balkan War (1186-1188)
Pandolfo's first campaign was directed against the count of Pavia, who had treacherously renounced his vassalage to the archbishop of Milano and swore fealty to the king of Croatia instead. Pandolfo's declaration of war saw the many powers of Europe join one side or the other, and soon Croatia became a battleground of competing nations. Italian historians have thus recorded the Balkan War, as it became known:
June 12, 1186 : We are now at war with Pierre Count of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon us!
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of England declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon us!
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon us!
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of England declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Kingdom of England.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of France declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Kingdom of France.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon Kingdom of France.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of England declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon Kingdom of France.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon Kingdom of France.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon Kingdom of France.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of England declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Hungary declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Kingdom of Hungary.
June 12, 1186 : Empire of Rhomaion declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Kingdom of Hungary.
June 12, 1186 : Empire of Rhomaion declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon Empire of Rhomaion.
June 12, 1186 : Principality of Polotsk declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Principality of Polotsk.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Principality of Polotsk.
June 12, 1186 : Principality of Azov declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Swabia declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon Principality of Azov.
June 12, 1186 : Principality of Polotsk declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Vladimir declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon County of Vladimir.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon County of Vladimir.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon County of Vladimir.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Hungary declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon Empire of Rhomaion.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon Empire of Rhomaion.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon Empire of Rhomaion.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Hungary declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon Kingdom of Hungary.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Poland declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Kingdom of Poland.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Wielkopolska declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Brandenburg declared war upon Archbishopric of Krakow.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Poland declared war upon Duchy of Brandenburg.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon Duchy of Brandenburg.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Wielkopolska declared war upon Duchy of Brandenburg.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Östergötland declared war upon County of Gnieznienskie.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Wielkopolska declared war upon Duchy of Östergötland.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Poland declared war upon Duchy of Östergötland.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon Duchy of Östergötland.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Silesia declared war upon Duchy of Östergötland.
June 12, 1186 : County of Opole declared war upon Duchy of Östergötland.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Kingdom of Poland.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Wielkopolska declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon Duchy of Wielkopolska.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Poland declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Archbishopric of Krakow.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon Duchy of Wielkopolska.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon Duchy of Wielkopolska.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Poland declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon Kingdom of Poland.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Wielkopolska declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Gnieznienskie declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : Archbishopric of Krakow declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon County of Gnieznienskie.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Silesia declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon Duchy of Silesia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Kaliskie declared war upon Kingdom of Croatia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon Duchy of Silesia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Kaliskie declared war upon County of Pavia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Zachlumia declared war upon County of Kaliskie.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Silesia declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Cieszyn declared war upon County of Zachlumia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon County of Cieszyn.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon County of Cieszyn.
June 12, 1186 : County of Veglia declared war upon County of Kaliskie.
June 12, 1186 : County of Cieszyn declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon County of Kaliskie.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon County of Kaliskie.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Silesia declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : County of Cieszyn declared war upon Duchy of Slavonia.
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Silesia declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : County of Cieszyn declared war upon Bishopric of Varazdin.
June 12, 1186 : County of Opole declared war upon County of Veglia.
June 12, 1186 : Kingdom of Croatia declared war upon County of Opole.
June 12, 1186 : County of Pavia declared war upon County of Opole.
June 12, 1186 : Bishopric of Varazdin declared war upon us!
June 12, 1186 : Duchy of Slavonia declared war upon us!
The conquest of Pavia was quick and posed now problems, with the city surrendering in September. Pandolfo returned it to the archbishop, and marched east to force Croatia to give up its claims. He landed near Ragusa in December, and laid siege to the city, taking it by February. Then he advanced up the Dalmatian coast, taking Split in April and Zadar in August. In the meantime, the Roman Emperor had taken over Slavonia. With the fall of Slavonia and Dalmatia, Serapion of Croatia was forced to accept peace with Pandolfo, ceding the Dalmatian coast with its wealthy cities of Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar (or Ragusa, Spalato, and Zara, as they were called by the Italians).
While the Balkan War raged, Italy flourished. Windmills became common in the west, around Genoa and Savoie, and also in Venezia. Wise men studied the mysteries of astrology and astronomy. Dyes and glassware were produced in increased quantities around Italy and exported via foreign trade. In October 1188, Queen Eustachie gave birth to another son, who was named Alberto.
The Apulian War (1189-1190)
Soon after the birth of Alberto, Pandolfo marched south against the independent duke of Apulia. Much of southern Italy had been inherited by French vassals, but some cities were still ruled by the Hautevilles. Pandolfo first marched across Apulia, defeating the duke William's armies. Bari fell in April 1189 and Reggio was taken in June, with the remnants of Apulian forces surrendering shortly thereafter.
In April 1190, Pandolfo's eldest son Silvano embarked on a journey around Europe, desiring to see the world. Pandolfo, seeing that this would be good for the boy, gave him money and an escort and let him have his way. Everywhere he traveled, Silvano was regarded and praised as an energetic, clever young man, though he also possessed a vicious streak.
Also at this time, old marshal Manfred von Nordgau, now less able to lead Italian armies due to his age, was allowed to retire. His fourth son Lazzarino, who had taken with Italian culture, was appointed the new marshal of Italy, continuing the Nordgau family tradition.
In August 1190, in the aftermath of the Apulian War, Pandolfo was crowned by the Pope as King of Sicily, despite French protests. Already bitter rivals, the enmity between the Italians and the French only intensified.
The Alpine War (1190-1192)
Pandolfo's claims gave him rights to the Alpine passes and territories around them, and in late 1190 he finally decided to make good on them. His first conquest was the independent county of Innsbruck, which was taken by the end of December. Wintering in the city, Pandolfo continued his campaign in February 1991, now invading the lands of Tirol under the duchy of Bavaria. Tirol was occupied in March, but when Pandolfo descended from the mountains into Upper Bavaria, he lost the first battle to the ducal army there, despite his great personal courage.
Retreating back across the Alps, Pandolfo headed east to Istria, which was held by Bavaria at the time. He conquered the area in June and advanced through Styria and Austria, maneuvering to attack Bavaria from that direction. In September, his army reached Bavaria, and this time defeated duke Manfred's forces. Munchen and Kempten fell shortly thereafter, and in December the duke agreed to peace, giving up his title over the duchy of Österreich. Pandolfo's great-uncle Bruto was given the ducal title.
The Alpine War continued, however, as Pandolfo now attacked Swabian vassals in the western Alps. Duke Dietrich of Swabia, however, cravenly sued for peace in April 1192, as soon as his forces were defeated in battle for the first time, leaving his vassals to fend for themselves. Indeed, it did not take long for Pandolfo to conquer Chur, Schwyz, and St.Gallen. The disparate counties were organized into the duchy of Alemannia, which was given to Ernst von Nordgau, another son of Manfred. The independent county of Neuchatel, conquered in September 1192, was the last to fall in the Alpine War.
While the Alpine War was going on, in Italy new universities were opened in Pisa and Napoli. In 1192, Pandolfo's son Silvano finished his education with great success, becoming well-known for his imposing presence and skill with words.
The Burgundian War (1195-1196)
After three years of peace, Pandolfo decided to unite another crown of the Holy Roman Empire with his own. Thus began the Burgundian War. Two Italian armies advanced west, one into Provence and the other into Upper Burgundy. In quick maneuvering, Pandolfo conquered Aargau in January 1196, while marshal Lazzarino fought in Provence. At the same time, the French king Hamelin was seeking an opportunity to expand his own power into Provence, and so Lazzarino had to maneuver quickly and cunningly to avoid letting the French take any land for themselves.
Pandolfo moved south, taking the Burgundian capital Lyon in February. At the same time Lazzarino, having already taken Forcalquier, secured the major cities of Provence. After suffering some setbacks in Forez, Pandolfo and Lazzarino met in Dauphine-Viennois, conquering the area and moving north together. Viviers was taken in July, and finally the count of Forez surrendered in August. In September, Pandolfo dealt a final defeat to the Burgundian forces near Lyon. On September 25th, Pandolfo was recognized by the Pope as King of Burgundy.
Young Prince Silvano, now a man grown, found a wife for himself near the beginning of Burgundian War. This woman was Raymonde d'Anjou, from the ruling family of that duchy. She soon began giving him sons and daughters. If anything critical could be said of Silvano's behavior, it is that he loved good food and pleasures of the flesh, often indulging in parties and games with his friends. One such escapade resulted in the birth of a bastard son, Ciuccio, who nevertheless was given a place with Silvano at the court.
The Carinthian War (1197-1198)
In February 1197, Pope Adrian IV died. With Pandolfo's influence, the Cardinals elected his great-uncle, bishop Ruggiero of Parma, as the new Pope Alexander III. The Canossa family had now achieved pinnacle of greatness with one of its members becoming the Vicar of Christ. Naturally, the new Holy Father listened closely to everything Pandolfo had to say, and for his part the King maintained and supported clerical supremacy in Italy and everywhere else he could. Indeed, he often tried to suppress any criticism of religion or the Church, and financed the building of many new and bigger churches.
In December, Pandolfo laid claim to the lands of Kärnten, or Carinthia as they were known in Italy. Declaring war on duke Rüdger of Zähringen, the King sent marshal Lazzarino to occupy Carinthia, which was done by February. Lazzarino then marched across the Alps to Breisgau, where he decisively defeated the Zähringen forces. Rudger was forced to give up his ducal title and the lands of Carinthia, which were given to Theodor, eldest son of Manfred von Nordgau.
During the Carinthian War, Italian immigrants began moving eastwards to settle new lands. The city of Ragusa, held directly by the king, became completely Italian in character, pushing out old Slavic influences into the countryside. Also Italians sailed to the Holy Land, Egypt, and even Arabia, with those lands now safe for Christians. In August 1198, a chapterhouse of the Knights Templar was opened in Mecca - an event that would have been unthinkable a mere two decades before.
The Second Balkan War (1202-1203)
The year 1201 saw a quick war to take Besancon from the King of Denmark, who quickly gave up his rights to it and paid a large tribute, more than ten thousand florins, to appease Pandolfo. With that money, the King decided that a war against the Roman Emperor would be possible. With Papal blessing, Pandolfo laid claim to the county of Krain, long held by the Greeks, invading in spring 1202.
Fortunately, the Emperor at the time, Ioannes II Kabakes, was a complete incompetent. His treasury was empty and his armies on the verge of mutiny. Though he attempted to put up resistance, all was for naught. Marshal Lazzarino occupied Krain in May. Meanwhile, Pandolfo himself sailed from Venice to Greece. He landed near Thessalonica in September and quickly took the poorly fortified city. From there, he crossed the Aegean to Thrace, and spent the first half of 1203 conquering and sacking it, culminating in the second conquest of Constantinople by a Canossa army. Left with no choice, Ioannes had to give up Krain to Pandolfo.
The Second Crusade (1203-1208)
In summer 1203, the Pope urged Pandolfo to go on a new crusade to secure the Holy Land and make it entirely safe for pilgrims. And so, Pandolfo set out from Italy, arriving in Alexandria where a new harbor had just been built. The obvious first target was the Emirate of El Arish, which controlled most of the Sinai, dividing Pandolfo's territories in two, as well as Nubia. Pandolfo himself marched south along the Nile, while sending old Manfred von Nordgau to keep heathen armies bottled up in the Sinai.
Manfred scored some victories against the Arabs near Farama, but refrained from pushing the attack yet, content with guarding the passes into Egypt as his King had ordered, Meanwhile, Pandolfo conquered Sudan and Nubia by March 1204, finally marching to relieve Quena. From there, the King moved north, joining Manfred in the Sinai. For the rest of the year, Pandolfo fought Arab armies, taking El Arish and Eilat by year's end.
Next, Pandolfo set his sights on Aswan, held by an agent of the Abbadid dynasty. The Abbadids, formerly Emirs of Sevilla, had been exiled from Iberia by the Almoravids, and now resided along the Volga and in some Rus cities. Being so far away, naturally they could do little to oppose Pandolfo as he took Aswan in April, while his ally the King of Hungary marched to the steppes to fight the Abbadids there. But evil fortune struck in April 1205. Pandolfo's younger sons were accompanying him on the crusade, and his second, Corrado, was murdered by a fanatical assassin. It was then that Pandolfo learned of an evil cult of heathens who murdered for their religion, residing in the mountains of Syria. Convinced now more than ever that this heathen religion was a tool of the devil, Pandolfo marched north resolutely.
His next target was the Emirate of Damascus, the gateway to Syria. Although there were many battles, and at times the fate of the crusade was hanging by a thread, with the help of his local vassals in Palestine Pandolfo managed to defeat the Emir's armies and conquer all of Syria to the borders of the Turkish Sultanate after a year and a half of campaigning, in November 1206. As soon as the new year arrived, he marched into the mountains, rooting the assassins out from their stronghold and razing it to the ground. Finally, in summer Pandolfo arrived at the coast, where he took the wealthy city of Tripoli.
On January 13th, 1208, Pandolfo was crowned King of Jerusalem with Papal blessings. At the same time, he divided his lands. His youngest son Alberto was made King of Arabia, and Salvatore, the son of the slain Corrado, became King of Egypt. Pandolfo's eldest son Silvano would inherit the other titles and lands.
Upon arriving back home, joyous news greeted Pandolfo. His longtime ally, King Humphrey of England, had utterly defeated Hamelin of France and taken Paris. The crown of France now fell vacant as its former vassals squabble with each other...
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Canossa genealogy updated to end of the Second Crusade.
