Only three years. Three years to what? Until you take Holstein. This was mean. No, only the truth.
And so another 900 men from Celle were on their way to Holstein.
In January Luitgard gave birth to a stillborn child.
On the 8th of March Holstein was taken.
On the 18th of August Slesvig was liberated. Magnus had not to fight for it and in Brandenburg also nothing happened until then. Magnus rushed up the stairs of the taken castle to the Duke of Slesvig, who was kept by some Saxon guards. Magnus forced him to sign a peace. Magnus would own Holstein and get some gold for his soldiers. The Duke of Slesvig would keep his other titles, for now. Magnus granted Holstein the same day to the Bishop of Bremen. Also this day he told the whole world he was now Duke of Holstein and they should consider him as that.
In December Johann started his education in the army of Brandenburg.
1076: Udo told the world.
“From now on to the end of time Gnieznienskie shall be a part of Brandenburg. Everyone who claims to own it will have to give it up or will be forced to. The former owner will be forced to give it up or die.”
Ludwig started his education at the court and Konstanze got energetic and trusting.
In March Udo called for the Dukes of Saxony, Bohemia, Franken and Bavaria, who were the most important Dukes in his opinion, and the Pope.
“My friends, the high appreciated mighty Dukes of Germany and the Pope, I called you to… Where is the Pope anyway?”
“His health is not good enough to walk the long way over the Alps to your lands. He sent me to speak to you.”
“Good. I called you to tell you that from now on no one may call me Duke. From now on I will be called the King of Pommerania. And of course I will give the Pope 250 gold as sign for my good will. The Kingdom of Pommerania shall have all my lands and also lands in Poland and the Baltic coast. Those will be mine and the first step is that I will take Poznanskie. Tell the Poles I will own it and I will be the King of Poland! Tell Wielkopolska we have war!”
In April the Pope called for a crusade to Antiocheia. A city taken by the Emir of Jerusalem. Both, Udo and Magnus, let it be to go there. What would Germans do in a land that was called Holy? The only land Holy to Udo, except the Papal State, was his own and a war in Jerusalem was not very good to make this bigger.
In May the Archbishop of Wielkopolska attacked with 1000 men 200 Pommeranians, who laid siege on Gnieznienskie. In a glorious battle the 200 brave soldiers of Pommerania defeated the 1000 Poles and killed the Archbishop of Wielkopolska, who led his men. The Pommeranians lost only 10 men in that battle.