History of the Holy Francian Empire

[Nikolai]

Short history of The Holy Francian Empire 1120-1210

The Empire in 1210

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The date was December 24th, 1120 AD. The person in center – Emperor Henri I. No longer merely king of France. Now, he was an Emperor. The Capet dynasty had come far. When his forefather king Philippe I of France inherited a shaky kingdom in 1060, the chance of the dynasty losing power was real. Philippe persevered, though, married Maria “the Dane”, who would end up as queen of Danelaw, the rightful queen of what was once England after her father Harald Hardrada.

Her son was Emperor Henri I himself. After three weak kings, one Russian and two Croats, he claimed his birthright and united France and Danelaw in 1119. The year after, the Pope crowned him the rightful Emperor of the Holy Franconian Empire – to the weakening Holy Roman Emperor’s disdain. Not to speak of the Eastern Roman Emperor.

Henri I enlarged the Empire south, into Muslim held Iberia. His grandson Henri II enlarged it even more, fighting both in Iberia and against the HRE. Henri II also placed his daughter Julienne on the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Which brings us to the grandson of Henri II, Emperor Guiges I. His father never lived to inherit. He conquered Ireland. And Denmark. Crowned, as of 1210, two of his three sons as kings in their own right. Under him, of course. He is old, but not spent.

Fiftyeight years of age, his descendants are of questionable desposition, His son and heir is somewhat slow. But has a promising son. His only other surviving son, the king of Andalucia, is a power to be reckoned with, as is his eldest. But his middle son is spindly and club footed. His newborn is promising. But far behind in the succession.

However, the future proves to be, the Empire is sound at the moment. Guiges I is old, but not dead. His income is good. His military potent. His vassals, as of now, in line. The future is not necessarily bad.

Europe is secure for Christ. Catholicism is strong in western and central Europe. Taking hold in the Levant. Orthodoxy has secured eastern Europe, and is, by the might of the Eastern Roman Empire, taking hold yet again in Africa.

The Muslims reign supreme in most of Africa and in the eastern Middle East, however. The mighty Persian Empire is, as of now, strong and united. Any new crusades in the area will meet potent opposition. And in the Far East, a new threat is rising. The Mongols ride.

 

[Nikolai]

Guiges I after 1210 to his death 1223


The reign of Guiges I the last thirteen years of his life was filled with two things: War, and sorrow. Ever seeking ways to enlarge his realm, he warred both in Italy and Iberia. In Italy, Piemonte was attacked already in 1210 for the rich provinces along the coast. They stood, of course, no chance.

In Iberia the ambition was even bigger. A claimant to the Castilian throne approached Guiges I, offering his submission as vassal if the Emperor would support his claim for the kingdom. Guiges I was only too willing, and soon another kingdom on the Iberian peninsula was absorbed into the growing Empire of the West.

All was not smooth sailing, even for a powerful monarch like Guiges I, though. The crusade for Syria, in which he himself led the army, was a disaster from the get-go. The Muslim forces was well coordinated. The Christian forces less so. With the Christian forces spreading out, the Muslim main force dealt Guiges’ army a decisive blow, killing the better part of the army in one, decisive battle. The crusade fell apart shortly after.

With the Imperial forces shattered, Guiges I returned to Francia and was soon met with a demand for a lowering of the crown authority from his vassals. He had to accept it, as there was no way he would be able to win the resulting civil war had he refused.

Then, in 1220, another disaster struck. His son and heir was brutally murdered while touring the realm, leaving Guiges’ grandson Aymar the heir apparent. Aymar was a known drunkard, and with him a long line of drunkard Emperors would gain power in the Holy Francian Empire.

Guiges had little choice in the matter than to hope for the best, though. The same year his son was murdered, he ordered the construction of a grand cathedral in Paris in memory of his lost son. The cathedral, which would be finished July 24th, 1223, would get the name Notre-Dame. Merely months later, on October 9th, 1223, the Emperor would die of old age, having gone to bed for the night, never to wake up again. Emperor Aymar I ascended the throne the same day, aged 20.

 

[Nikolai]

Aymar I (1223-1256)

The reign of Aymar I was to a large degree about Iberia. Already weeks after his ascension to the throne, he declared war on the kingdom of Galicia for their last remaining county, thus removing the kingdom from the map. Not long after the victory, which was of course easy enough, he targeted the kingdom of Navarra, the mightiest country in Iberia beside the Holy Francian Empire, for the duchy of Toledo. It was, despite the relative might of Navarra, a one-way affair.

Then gold struck, as a claimant to the Leonese throne appeared in Aymar’s court, asking for help to gain his throne, while promising his fealty in the case of victory. Aymar was all too eager to comply, and soon Leon was a part of the HFE.

Then it was back to Navarra, where the throne itself was in play. Another claimant, this time for the Navarran throne, visited the Francian court. War it was, Navarra fell, and was now the kingdom of Badajoz, effectively halved in size. But there was another claimant, so as soon as the truce was over, there was war again. Aymar now had the entirety of Iberia in his possession.

In the mean time in the Far East, a schismatic version of true Christianity in the eyes of the Catholics, Nestorianism, has come on the rise. The savage Mongols had united much of the East under their banner by conquest, and the Khan of Khans had adopted this version of Christianity for himself and his realm.

The bliss for the Nestorians would not last though, for as Aymar was warring in Africa to secure the African coast for his realm – with success one might add – the Mongols splintered. Nestorianism spread far, but not close to the whole of the realm, which still held much Muslim, Tengri and other faithful. Mongolia itself was quite secure for Nestorianism though.

By this time, Aymar I was ailing. He did manage to squeeze in a crusade in the end though, a crusade for Syria that while successful was not won with the HFE on top, so Aymar I did not get his pick on the throne. Not that it mattered much in the end though, as the new crusader kingdom of Syria splintered before a year had gone.
And so, on August 24th, Aymar I died, aged 53. His premature death was due to excessive eating and drinking, a vice that led to his body giving up the ghost all too early. He accomplished much, and his successor had much to live up to. Which he in many ways did, by looking east to the rival Holy Empire there, among other things. The new Emperor Aymar II had his vices though, as already at an age of 25 he was keep for his daily alcohol…

 

[Nikolai]

Aymar II “the Scholar” (1256-1312)


Aymar II was known as a just man. A man of honor. Of principle. It was then the greatest tragedy that to hold power when he assumed the throne, he was forced half to insanity by executing prisoners to keep his scheming vassals in line.

Not too long after his rise to power, the mightiest nobles tried to plot to remove him from the throne. No one thought he had it in him, but Aymar II surprised them all – and probably himself.

He survived, though. And soon he was on campaign, waging war against Norway for the duchy of Jylland in Denmark. The Norwegians fought bravely, but ultimately in vain. The Holy Francian Empire was just too strong.

One of Aymar’s most important decisions as Emperor was the institution of primogeniture as law of the land. No longer would the royal domain be split between sons, but the eldest would inherit all. To come there, however, the major vassals would have to agree to terms. And all did, except the king of Danelaw.

Danelaw was a headache for all Francian Emperors, a place of constant struggle, scheming, internal war and opposition to the reigning monarch. If Aymar II was to get his wish, the king needed to be taken care of.

And again, we see Aymar II acting against his nature. He ordered the assassination of his disloyal vassal. It was discovered withing weeks though, as the chosen assassin headed to a local tavern and got drunk, spilling the beans to anyone who listened. So much for secrecy. But the king of Danelaw got so scared that he the next day sent people to the Imperial Court agreeing to the proposition of primogeniture. And so, the law was instituted.

Then, on January 10th, 1272 AD a momentous event happened. Having long ago secured Iberia for the Holy Francian Empire, it was now made official: Emperor Aymar II of the Holy Francian Empire was now also Emperor of Hispania – a dual Emperor! The festivities were talked about all over Europe. His Holiness the Pope personally crowned the dual Emperor. The mass in Notre Dame in Paris was presided over by the same man. The feasts flowed with wine, lavish food and the best music one could imagine.

After this, peace was reiging for several years. But all good things, even peace, has to go at some point, and in 1277 the wars restarted. First was the Grand Empire of Figuigid, who lost the duchy of Tahert. Then the Grand Emirate of Tamimid lost the duchy of Kairouan. Both were quick victories.

As was the third war, on the small kingdom of Sicily. Its king captured in battle, this war was also quickly resolved, and a claimant placed on the throne. One can only imagine what could have been in another timeline, if the once promising Hautevilles had been successful.

Then, in 1283 a new age started, one of art and discovery. Science flourished, arts did too. Much resources was given from the Emperor to glorify the Holy Francian Empire. A new university, one of the first in Europe, was built in 1286, several years later, in 1309, another war built in Oxford. Then two years later, a university in Madrid. The renaissance’s beginnings can, one might argue, trace its roots back to 1283.

But that did not mean war was out of the horizon. Wales was conquered in these years too. And enmity with the Holy Roman Empire grew. In 1301 it finally resulted in war between the two Empires. The war would rage for three years before ending in complete victory for Aymar II.

During this war tragedy struck the Imperial family, as Aymar II’s heir Aymar was murdered by unknown assailants. He was a promising man, and what might have been we will never know. What we do know is we got Aimery III, a failed drunkard. His father was also a drunkard, of course, but he somehow managed better than his son would. He did die in what can only be called a drunken stupor, though.

He would give his son a big responsibility in inheritance when he finally died on January 24th, 1312 aged 80, as he had shortly before begun another war with the Holy Roman Empire. Ending that war would be on Aimery III’s shoulders, and aged 58 and constantly in his cups, he had little time to place his mark on the country.

 

[Nikolai]

Aimery III (1312-1321)


Emperor Aimery III’s reign was short and pretty uneventful. He inherited a war with the Holy Roman Empire from his father, a war he finished to victory within a year after his ascension.

Five years later, he returned to the HRE to claim more land, and also this war was short and pretty uneventful. The Holy Roman Empire at this point was weak and the only thing hindering a total takeover by the Holy Francian Empire was Catholic laws on rightful lands.

Then, on June 2nd, 1321 – nine years after he took the throne, Aimery III took his usual flask of wine into his study. The day after, he was found dead there, flask in hand. Modern historians suspect his liver might be to blame, life long alcoholic as he was. He was 64 years old.

His son Gargamel I, aged 51 inherited the throne. Also an alcoholic, he too would have a less than grand or long rule.

 

[Nikolai]

Gargamel I (1321-1335)


Gargamel I was a cruel man, but his legacy would be mainly one war and a lot of conquests of women. He ruled for less than fourteen years, and the first nine was spent seducing women from all over the Empire, both vassals, wives of vassals, relatives and more obscure women. His appetite for fleshly matters were immense.

However, all while he was conquering womankind, Gargamel I planned the further downfall of the Holy Roman Empire. His realm priest was tasked to gain claims on Holy Roman lands, leaving the Emperor in another woman’s embrace.

In 1330, war finally came. The war was short and uneventful. Only two battles were had, the Emperor of the HRE occupied with rebellions and, according to the propaganda, hiding in fear for Gargamel I’s armies. Many sieges later, the Holy Roman Emperor gave in.

This victory would prove to be the last victory of Gargamel I. On January 26th, 1335 he drank so much – again – that he had to be carried into bed. There, he laid the next morning – dead. The Emperor had seemingly drunk himself to death, like his father before him.

He was succeeded by his son Gargamel II, aged 28. His reign would be of an entirely different stature.

 

[Nikolai]

Gargamel II “the Scholar” (1335-1379)

The reign of Emperor Gargamel II “the Scholar” would be long and fruitful. Not far into his new role, he declared war on Scotland, claiming the entire kingdom for a vassal. The Scots fought well, but ultimately, they lost. The Empire by this point was just too powerful to resist for long.

The title “the Scholar” was apt for the Emperor. Gargamel II founded no less than three new universities in his lifetime. The first two, the university of Cambridge and the university of Coimbra, was founded shortly after the end of the Scottish war.

And with Scotland under the Holy Francian Empire’s care, another Empire title was added to Gargamel II’s list of titles. On April 13th, 1344 the Pope crowned him Emperor of Britannia in London, kickstarting a celebration that would last a week and be the talk of legends for decades to come in Britannia. It also showed the Emperor to be a glutton, if not a drunkard like his father and grandfather.

The same year, another Empire was taken down as Gargamel II declared war on the Byzantine Empire for his de jure lands in Sicily. Byzantium, who owned several rich counties in the kingdom, sent their entire army led by their Basileus, which was promptly beaten and the Basileus captured and presented before Gargamel II. Peace was soon reached.

A byproduct of the war was a halt in wars in Europe, as the cost of claiming so much land was a lot of prestige, so much that the Emperor actually for a while was considered a disgrace in European courts of chewing up so much, so quickly.

He did not stop warring though, instead focusing on spreading the Christian civilization to Africa and her pagan and Muslim chiefdoms. This had the end result of Emperor Gargamel II on December 31st, 1362 to be proclaimed Emperor of Maghreb by the Pope in Rome. Much food was consumed, much festivities had, the stuff of legends. Again. Truly was the Emperor envied.

With his new found prestige, the Emperor then turned his eyes back towards the arch enemy of the Holy Francian Empire; the Holy Roman Empire. In 1365 another war broke out between the two, and while the war would last for almost three years, Gargamel II again turned out on top.

Celebrating his victory, he ordered the founding of the university of Salamanca, which to this day bears his insignia as part of its heraldry.

The next couple of years was spent warring against Lombardy and later chiefdoms in Africa that was de jure Francian, before another major war with the Byzantines started. A vassal of Gargamel II was of Greek descent and had claims on much of central Byzantium, including the City of Men’s Desire – Constantinople – and much of Western Anatolia and Greece. The war went very well, but ended in a while peace, as the vassal died in battle and Gargamel II no longer had a valid casus belli.

Not one to sulk, however, the Emperor turned his eyes again to the Holy Roman Empire, claiming much land there for another vassal. The war was finished within short time.

His last war would never see fruition in his time, as he committed the resources of the Holy Francian Empire to another crusade in the Middle East. He would die of a heart attack, probably helped along by his increasing obesity, soon after though, on June 2nd, 1379. His son Gargamel III, aged 52 succeeded him on the throne.

 

[Nikolai]

Gargamel III “the Scholar” (1379-1404)

Gargamel III’s reign started with a crusade. Leading it himself, the Emperor fought and fought well. The crusade went very well, and victory was within reach. Then, out of nowhere came a huge army of Muslim faithful. This massive army beat the crusaders, sending them fleeing towards the coast. They chased them and beat the crusaders again. And again. Soon, the crusade was lost.

Back in Europe, the Emperor looked towards the Holy Roman Empire again, itching for another fight. And one he would win this time. The Holy Roman Empire at this time was a shadow of its former self, and soon the war was won.

To celebrate this, the first Frankian university in Africa was founded by Gargamel III in Fes, called the University of al-Qarawiyyin. It would prove to meld the European thoughts with Arabian, Berber and Greek and would be world renown within not too long.

Then, Gargamel III was told by his advisors a technicality in the peace treaty with the Holy Roman Empire meant that the treaty’s terms on a truce was null and void. Soon, his armies were ravaging the German held lands. Peace was reached within months, as the Emperor of the HRE was captured in battle.

Following this, the Emperor turned his gaze – for a moment – to the kingdom of Sardinia and the duchy of Augsburg, claiming land from them, before he fought his third and last war with the Holy Roman Empire.

The HRE’s Emperor had died, and in his place a sickly child had been placed on the throne. Emperor Andreas was captured in his capital by Frankish forces and forced to surrender more land. No one knew it at the time, but Emperor Andreas would be the last independent Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. This sickly child would live through not only Gargamel III’s son’s reign, but some time into his successor’s reign too.

And so, on August 6th, 1404 the old Emperor died peacefully in his sleep, old and tired. He was 77 years old at the time. His son Gargamel IV ascended the throne, aged 56.

 

[Nikolai]

Gargamel IV (1404-1417)

The relatively short reign of Emperor Gargamel IV was dominated by religious warfare. He started his reign declaring war on the kingdom of Norway, which had for the longest time been ruled by – of all things for such a cold country – Adamists, ditching clothes for what a modern viewer would call “a free spirit”.

This heresy was intolerable for Gargamel IV, who demanded the duchy of Vikin for Christ – and himself. This was quickly decided in Frankian favor, as the Norwegian king in all his naked splendor was captured and brought before the Emperor.

As soon as the truce was up, the Emperor returned, now claiming the interior of Norway, leaving it a coastal country more than ever before. This war too was quickly settled.

Then, Gargamel IV set his eyes southerward, waging war on both the duchy of Pisa and the Holy Roman Empire. As these wars raged, the Pope proclaimed a crusade for the kingdom of Mesopotamia. Emperor Gargamel IV pledged his support and as soon as the wars in Europe was won, he sent his entire might towards the Middle East.

However, there he met an enormous Muslim force, and close to Basra his armies were slaughtered. After several lost battles, 2/3rds of the Holy Frankian Empire’s finest laid dead in the desert sands. The crusade was quickly called off and the Emperor returned, humbled.

Determined that this loss should not taint his legacy, he declared a holy war for the entire kingdom of Norway a year later, sending his armies northward again.

He would, however, die before his armies took the first castle. It would be up to his son to end the war in favor of Christ’s faithful. On November 30th, 1417 Emperor Gargamel IV left the Earth, aged 69. His son Emperor Arnoul I was 41 years old at the time of his ascension. His exploits would be many but would also probably make his father turn in his grave, had he known.

 

[Nikolai]

Arnoul I “the Scholar” (1417-1448)

The first two years of Emperor Arnoul’s reign was spent warring in Norway. The Norwegian king had no chance of victory and in 1419 he finally admitted defeat. Norway was now proper Catholic again and under Holy Frankian authority.

Soon, Pisa and Bohemia was both invaded, further adding to Arnoul’s Empire. The fight for Bohemian lands were won with a huge battle in the north of the country, and their king admitted defeat shortly after.

Then came renewed war with the Holy Roman Empire, which again was won handily. Upon finishing the war, Emperor Arnoul founded the university of Padua, before sending his armies towards Tuscany to claim their lands.

When that war was won, he ordered the founding of the university of Siena, and then he went to war with the duchy of Augsburg and the kingdom of Croatia, demanding both to submit as vassals. Neither lasted long, and soon their lands were added to that of the Empire.

Still in the area, the duchy of Ravenna was targeted by Arnoul, and before long they too were vassalized. Upon the conclusion of the war, he then ordered the university of Bologna founded.

Now on a roll, Emperor Arnoul I then went to war against several countries, demanding their forced vassalization to the Empire. In short succession Spoleto, Venice, the kingdom of Sardinia and Ancona and Orvieto were vassalized.

With this, another Empire title was added to the realm. The Empire of Italy was now part of the many crowns of Emperor Arnoul I. But this time, the Pope was not invited. Emperor Arnoul himself placed the crown on his own head.

Why this was so, would be revealed soon. The Emperor decreed that all of Italy was his by right, including the lands of the Papacy and Rome itself. Stunned, Europe watched as Arnoul waged a double war, both on the Holy Roman Empire, which ended soon when the Holy Roman Emperor Andreas was captured in battle again. But also, on the Papacy, which was swept away in mere weeks by the Empire’s mighty armies.

The Pope promptly excommunicated the Emperor, of course. But Arnoul didn’t care. He proclaimed he knew he was in the right and denounced the Pope as a weak and evil man.

He knew, after all, what Europe did not know. That the Pope was an unbeliever, an agnostic at best, an atheist at worst, playing theater for all Europe to see. He used this knowledge to blackmail the Pope, who soon rescinded his excommunication, proclaiming from his new home in the Crimea that the Emperor was, after all, a man of God and welcomed him back into the Catholic fold.

The last act of Emperor Arnoul I was renewed war on the Holy Roman Empire, which now consisted of only modern-day Austria and little more. Emperor Andreas, the poor creature, was captured in battle again and forced to relinquish even more lands to the Holy Frankian Empire.

But all men die, and Emperor Arnoul I also had to meet his maker. Seventy-one years of age, having ruled for 30 years, he died in his sleep on February 14th, 1448. His son Gargamel V, aged 44 at the time, ascended the throne.

 

[Nikolai]

Gargamel V (1448-1474)

The last of the Emperors of the Holy Frankian Empire before the Age of Exploration started a new age dawned, was Emperor Gargamel V. His reign would see an immense enlargement of the Empire, all the way into the far North and even Russia.

He started his reign as so many Frankian Emperors before him with a war on the Holy Roman Empire. This would prove to be the second to last war ever waged between the two. He won handily.

After his victory, he proclaimed himself rightful king of Bavaria. Which coincidentally also was all that was left of the Holy Roman Empire. To everyone’s surprise and many people’s disgust, he didn’t adhere to the truce he got with the Holy Roman Emperor Andreas and declared a new war on the remains of the Empire mere months after the previous war was over.

This war would make Emperor Andreas a wandering homeless man, for the rest of his life seeking shelter in the few courts that would dare host him. A sad end to the once mighty Emperor of a reduced, yet still large Empire.

But while the Holy Roman Empire was gone, it was not gone for long. Mere days after Andreas’ deposition, Emperor Gargamel V proclaimed himself rightful Holy Roman Emperor in addition to all the other Empire titles he held. Rome was not yet dead. He even held Rome itself, he reminded people.

The next few years, the Emperor spent waging war in Africa, while his vassal the king of Maghreb went north and claimed the Swedish throne. Much of Sweden was ruled by the kingdom of Bjarmaland, however, and Gargamel V declared war on that kingdom to claim his vassal’s birthright. The king of Bjarmaland was soon captured and removed from his Swedish lands.

Then Gargamel V declared himself Emperor again. On August 5th, 1462 he crowned himself Emperor of Scandinavia and laid claim to the entirety of the Northern Wastes.

Not long after he claimed all of the kingdom of Bohemia in war for a vassal, before doing the same for another vassal with the kingdom of Poland. His Empire was growing, fast. Not content yet, he warred against Novgorod for the Baltic Sea coast, then he sent his armies towards Hungary for additional claims for a duchy there.

Then, on September 9th, 1467 he crowned himself again, this time as Emperor of the Southern Baltic Empire. But he didn’t rest. He went to war against Bjarmaland for even more lands de jure belonging to him now that he was Emperor of Scandinavia and the Southern Baltic Empire, and soon he did the same for lands belonging to Novgorod.

His last war would be for his claim for the region ruled by Bacs close to Hungary. After that, he celebrated his many victories with drinks, wine, beer, and more wine. His heart couldn’t hold it, and on September 15th, 1474 Emperor Gargamel V’s life ended in a drunken stupor. He was the last Emperor before his son and heir Emperor Arnoul II, at the time aged 42, would lead the way into the Age of Exploration and the discovery of America.

But that is another story.