Imperial Elections. [Ladislav von Wittelsbach-Luxemburg]

[unmerged(945)]

Johann von Hohenzollern looked coldly at De Maillac and then asked him a question. A very simple question.

"Oh yes, the abdication Herr De Maillac. How long before the Kings unfortunate demise was this document signed exactly?"

 

[Petrarca]

Ladislav had kept quiet recently, preferring that all attention surround de Maillac and the news he had to relay. His only breach of this policy was a welcome to Herzog Levi and a polite response to Erzbischof Cullen.

"It is a pleasure to finally make the acquaintance of one of our cherished Bavarian kinsmen. We are sorrowful to hear that your plans for matrimony did not bear fruit. We stand in a similar situation- our own engagement remains precisely that, forestalled by a number of reasons."

He made an aside to the Rhinelander: "Widespread, but uncoordinated, Your Illustriousness. Though I cannot presume to know the Duke's actions," he said with a resigned smile.

***​

After de Maillac spoke, Ladislav felt satisfied. To him, Zupthen was a declaration of intent to invade Burgundy. He preferred to gain sanction in the Reichstag, though so far little had come of it.

Realizing that others, particularly Cullen, might not know of what he had done, he spoke simply: "Herr Erzbischof, fellow princes, we did not, as noted by Herr de Maillac, sign the Proclamation of Zupthen. Indeed we have received the bitter chastisement of the Pommeranians for failing to do so. Our decision was because it seemed to us that Zupthen was only the formula for further war and chaos in the western parts of the Empire, pitting Imperial princes against Burgundian factions and taking sides in a vicious civil war. Zupthen calls for war, unrestrained by any other consideration, until its demands are met. This is unacceptable."

"Despite the miserable failures of our Rhenish cousin to govern, we looked to the Empire. Our delegates in Nuremberg came before the Reichstag to gain imperial sanction for a course of action that would not be naked force but instead recognition and a restoration of law and order to Burgundy. In this we have had the support of the delegates from Brandenburg and Munich. Our delegates actually raised the same question as Duke Johann does now to the legitimacy of the abdication. Furthermore, our policy has aided us in discussion with the Burgundians on their reconciliation with Imperial politics and the Martial Bulle."

"Herr de Maillac in fact appeared before the Diet and summarized the laws of Lotharingia there as well. Given what he makes known to us, the only legitimate course is for the Burgundian lords to select their next sovereign. To break the illegal tenure of the pretender Philipp, who is the son of a Jewish tradesman in the valued words of Queen Anna, force must be contemplated. Once the country is rid of that regicidal menace and peace is restored, and only then, we may support Maria in their elections."

 

[Petrarca]

Residual Imperialism
Frankfurt​

Christine, Casmir and other Pommeranian Griffons departed from Stettin a day after Ladislav of Bohemia proclaimed his candidature to become the Emperor. Such news hit Stettin like one of most furious Baltic storms leaving no other option than to travel to Frankfurt immediately.

The night before the Gryphons departed from Stettin was a hectic one. The night of discussions and preparations. That night Christine dictated her son a letter, which was sent to Frankfurt immediately.

Onto Onto Ladislav, Lord of the Kingdom of Bohemia, King of Hungary, etc.,

Your Majesty,

To our greatest sadness we have not received any correspondence from Your Majesty, neither to our first letter nor to the second, this indeed is most puzzling. Rest assured, however, that there won’t fourth letter signed by us.

Despite Your Majesty’s apparent willingness to help our daughter and the rightful queen of Lotharingia, Marie II, we fail to see any support given to her and we fail to see Marie’s claim supported by Your Majesty’s own signature on the proclamation of Zupthen.

Lastly, without receiving a single word, we learn that Your Majesty decided to run for the Imperial purple. Most commendable indeed and we are all assured of Your Majesty’s qualifications for holding the Imperial mantle. However, this came to us a great surprise for we knew that Your Majesty never possessed the ambition to become the Emperor, now we wonder what made Your Majesty to change this position quite drastically.

All these matters make us wonder if Ladisalv of Bohemia and Hungary is indeed our kinsman, friend and ally or perhaps he just plays with House of Gryphon for long years now.

We hope that the content of this missive is explicit enough in order to completely comprehend it.

With regards.

Casmir of the Greif, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommerania, Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Grubenhagen and Wolfenbüttel, Duke of Poznan, Margrave of Danzig, Prince-Protector of Sweden, Overlord of Ingermanland, Kexholm, Memel and Gotland, Master of the Imperial Hunt.​

The fourth letter in recent weeks from Pommerania was received with shock by the Bohemian party in Frankfurt. To them it seemed another warning shot from the north. Wenzel von Dohna and Dietrich von Ehrlichman took it as saber-rattling reinforced by the army of ten thousand being assembled by Pommern. Count Sebrle immediately fled to Praha, his intentions murky. Mouths became dry and men sober as they contemplated the past precedent, the military realities, and the stakes at risk at Frankfurt. Pommern had shown little restraint from war, and its bellicosity had even been directed at Bohemia in the past. Casimir, an unknown compared to his father, came across as far less compromising. An outside observer might have commented dryly on the boldness of youth, but to the cautious Bohemians audacity by Pommern only meant ill. Fearful courtiers read hidden ultimatums and covert demands into the missive. The game played with men's lives would determine whether the next Emperor would be Ladislav, as his subjects fervently desired, or whether the Bohemian King would back down and accept some compromise that meant defeat to an angered opposition that held all the cards. Defeat in turn meant northern supremacy, according to the courtiers who terrified themselves with the concept that they invented. Lords and officers echoed forth to each other on the hegemony that would result with Burgundy under a child and Bohemia cowed by Stettin. Ladislav had ignored the request to support Duke Johann, they said, and now Pommern was to revenge themselves upon their King by whatever means. Panic paralyzed the day-to-day function of the royal entourage.

Ladislav himself did not know what to think. He clearly held some responsibility for pushing Duke Johann closer to Pommern, but did they not endorse him from the beginning and did he not place Ladislav in a compromising position, asking him to either praise Johann and undermine his own candidacy or condemn Johann and alienate the north? He saw the only option as changing the tone of discourse. "We will have none of their threats, either," he commented to von Ehrlichman.

Unto His Majesty Casimir, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommerania &tc.,

Videtis quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo et non ex fide tantum.

Similiter autem et Raab meretrix nonne ex operibus iustificata est suscipiens nuntios et alia via eiciens*

We have in past week taken those verses to heart, for while we have professed little, we have done much. We do support Maria as the next sovereign of Lotharingia, but cannot in good faith acclaim Your Majesty's proclamation. To do so would indicate an intent to violate the laws of Burgundy and thus the Empire. Your Majesty's father scolded us often with the phrase 'the forms must be obeyed,' and in this and all things we intend to do as such.

Before all princes of the Empire, we have sought to win sanction for Maria's cause in the Reichstag. This is what we see as the proper course, and with the consent of the other princes, including Your Majesty, we will obtain the legitimacy to dethrone the wretched Philipp and have Maria elected as Queen and Duchess of Lotharingia. We are raising an army which we intend to send across the Rhine in support of our quest to restore law on Maria's behalf.

As for the Imperial Elections, we invite Your Majesty to speak further with us in Frankfurt, either privately or with the Duke of Brandenburg. In the past, other parties from our closest kin to the Pontiff have convinced us to withhold our candidacy, promising felicitous government from other men. The rule of other men friendly to our house has proven a failure, and our cousin is dead and the Empire in chaos as a result. For this reason we could not contemplate any longer standing apart from the government of the Empire. We harbor no personal pretensions in this, only a desire to restore the Empire to its past glory. What glory hound would compare himself to a harlot? It is duty, not ambition.

We have no desire to forsake the friendship of old comrades,

Ladislav

*Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers and sending them out another way?

 

[Mettermrck]

​

Augustin looked around with a decisive intake of breath and stepped forward. "Time presses, Meine Herren, and I believe my time to vote arrives, if only to spur resolution at this gathering. Listening to those present, and hearing their views on what I consider to be the relevant issues facing this Empire, I have come to this choice between König Ladislav, and Herzog Johann. Both aspire to this grave mantle and neither is found truly wanting after having listened to them."

He turned to give each man a brief flickering glance before look back at the others. "You have heard it said that Ladislav is the epitome of the Wittelsbach reach over affairs German. Yet Seine Heiligkeit is Wittelsbach and I find him to be a true servant of the Kirche. Herzog Johann has been mentioned as more of an unknown by comparison. I feel that those with less exposure to the heights of imperial power can sometimes change it for the better. So neither man is impugned by my choice."

"For the Reich, however, I support someone of stature, independent-minded towards Lotharingia, open to questions of reform, and capable of a respectful relationship with Seine Heiligkeit. In this case, a Wittelsbach is not a hindrance, rather a virtue. As such, I hereby cast my vote for Seine Majestät, Ladislav, König von Bohaim."

He turned and bowed respectfully to the König and once more backed away.

 

[Longinus]

Christine, Casmir and other Pommeranian Griffons arrived in Frankfurt few days after Ladislav of Bohemia proclaimed his candidature to become the Emperor. Such news hit Stettin like one of most furious Baltic storms leaving no other option than to travel to Frankfurt immediately.

The fact that Casmir got a cold during the journey suited Christine quite well, she had her excuse to speak for her son. Together with Boguslav and Barnim, they spent long hours in discussing the course they should take in Frankfurt, fortunately enough Casmir was finally grasping the things, which were happening around him, he didn’t seem too much happy though.

They arrived at night. The faithful servants prepared everything for them beforehand, especially the reports from the Electors chamber.

Alas, it was too late to inquire the candidates about anything in particular, to ask for their plans and agendas, to present the viewpoints of House of Gryphon, it’s reservations and worries. There was no real need for that, not that it mattered anymore.

 

[Bagricula]

Georgio Trieste tucked away the letter bearing the no seal, but an unmistakable scrawl, as he entered the electoral chamber once again. He rose to address the Archbishop of Mainz, saying:

"My fellow prince-electors, Providence has granted us bountiful riches of character and virtue to choose in this election, for certainly, both of the remaining candidates are men of high regard in the Empire, and strong convictions. Only a man, who has cultivated internal moral strength may in his dealings with others show the balance of firm leadership and gracious deference that brings virtue to the entire state. Such a man upholds the Church and defends the traditions and organs of the Empire from the degeneracy of apathy or malice.

I cannot say that either of these candidates is lacking in this area; however, one candidate has risen above his distinguished rival in eminence and reputation. I speak naturally of the man who governs with a wise hand one of the best run yet most diverse states in Christendom. I speak of the man who has restored his state to the accolades it held once only fifty years ago, and then augmented it beyond such accolades.

Your Illustriousness, please record my vote for Ladislavus Rex."

 

[Elias Tarfarius]

Duke Levi could not help but laugh at Herr De Maillac, first in his understanding of Bavarian politics and secondly on his question about the Waddenlanden.

While I am well pleased that you know the bloodlines of our haus, sir, you show your ignorance of Bavaria's government. The Duchess-Regent has put power into an assembly on which only three Dukes sit, including Duke Ulrich represented by his mother. I alone had no power to oppose this proclaimation then the man in the moon! All I can say is that I did not support it nor did I sign it.

As to these islands, I have no idea of what their import was or is. It is of no consequence to the mission to Ireland, as I told you before, Herr De Maillac. We shall have to discuss this more at a later time.

*turns to the King of Bohemia* Your Majesty *whispers* or should I your Imperial Majesty, I was wondering if we perhaps could speak alone on a matter or two. There are many things that must be done after the election, many things. I would be ever so grateful to be able to aid whoever wore the crown of Karl der Grosse. My candidacy was the silly dream of a strange many, my Kanzler, Muller. I'm sure your Majesty has seen him about.

 

[Petrarca]

“Your Illustriousness,” Ladislav said, bowing his head as the Erzbischof Cullen withdrew. He made a point to speak with both him and Cardinal di Trieste at some point later.

“Cousin, perhaps you should leave this dispute with the good Herr de Maillac for another time. It appears by most accounts a grave misunderstanding. No Bavarian soldiers will violate the territory of Lotharingia uninvited; we are sure that the Duchess would do no such thing,” Ladislav responded to Duke Levi. Having no desire for an argument to erupt even before the Electors had finished, the situation had to be handled carefully. “We all know the importance of maintaining the independence of the princes, as well as the consequences of invading another imperial realm.” The message was clear—it must all be a misunderstanding, for neither Ladislav nor Ulrich had any knowledge of such plans, and if there were, then Ladislav’s reaction would be predictable, particularly given his position in favor of Burgundian independence.

Bidding good day to the remaining princes and de Maillac, Ladislav departed to speak in private with Duke Ulrich. “A bit too hasty, no?” he said with a tolerant smile in response to the Duke’s address. “Let us talk, then. There is always a need for good men, but please do not apologize for your candidacy. We must rise to the occasion, no? Come, let us dine and speak further. And I am saddened to hear that your proposals to the daughter of the Duke of Gelre were unsuccessful. Most unfortunate.”

***​

A note was sent privately to the Duke of Pommern and his household, inviting them to sup with the King of Bohemia while they were in Frankfurt. The stewards were told to accept them at any hour, regardless of what other guests were present.

 

[Elias Tarfarius]

I would be most delighted to dine with your Majesty. As for the fair lady of Gelre... I suppose it could not be helped. She was only recently widowed, about a year or so ago I think. Her husband, the late Duke of Ragusa, was done away with in a most cruel fashion during a palace coup. Fortunately she was rescued by knights of her own country, by the name of Barel I was told, who had been returning from a tourney in Moldavia. What fortune that was, no? Perhaps Lady Anna will come to me in time, or perhaps another is due to me. Who can say?

There the two parted ways for the time but met again at the apartments of the King of Bohemia for dinner. Though not many were about yet, the herald at the door told the Duke that many more guest of import were on their way. So Levi took advantage of the time he had with Ladislav while they ate a first course of the evenings offerings together.

Your Majesty, I am most thankful that I was invited here this evening for such a goodly feast as this. Still, there are certain thing that must be discussed, as I mentioned earlier... well, two things in particular. Both depend on you becoming of Emperor soon, but in my mind, there is no doubt of that being so. Firstly, there is the state of Bavaria as a principality of the Empire. In the last 40 years, it has grown in size and become the center of commerce, education, and culture in the south, second only to Prague. *smiles* Yet, in the nature of Imperial politics, this has, for some reason, counted for little. The tiny state of Bremen holds more sway in the Reich that its largest duchy; a thing bordering on the absurd, if I may say so. Thus, the Duke of Bavaria needs something to raise the standing of his realm from that of a southern, divide backwater to the mighty land it truly is. Now, I am not asking that the Herzog von Ober-Bayern-Munchen be made an elector; that would be far too much and would look bad to those who fear the power of the Haus Wittelsbach. I do think that his position would benefit from a new title. There are no Grand Dukes in the Empire, but the position could well be made. Also, he hold the title of Imperial Emissary Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary given by the Emperor Joachim to my brother years ago. Could that office be put to use in any way now, your Majesty?

Levi held off his second request, not wanting to over burden the King with his questions.

 

[Mettermrck]

​

Augustin was dismayed at the disappointed air of the Pommeranian envoy. He raised an eyebrow and turned to the man. "It is unfortunate, of course, that you were not in time to arrive before I had voted, yet it diminishes in no way the value of your opinions. The Election alone does not determine the value of the views of the Reicshlanden. Indeed, it would be remiss of us if we did not hear them. So, please, continue..." He beckoned with his hand for the man to speak.

As he did so, he took a couple steps back, until he stood even with Erzbischof Trieste. "Eure Eminenz. Perhaps after the Pommeranian has spoken, we can adjourn to that intended luncheon? I would be most interested hearing your views on the role of the Kirche in the Reich in coming years. Perhaps Herr Erzbischof von Mainz could accompany us?"

 

[Petrarca]

Cardinal von Ehrlichman, set adrift in amidst the Kurfursten after Ladislav's arrival, was out of place. He had intended to depart Frankfurt as quickly as possible, but instead this matter of finding the mysterious von Gorz had preoccuppied him. That had failed, and with so little time left he would stay anyway.

Tired as only an old, weary man could be, he sought to latch on to some more vital conversants. He saw di Trieste speaking with Cullen, and made his way to be nearer to his fellow princes of the Church.

 

[Longinus]

The Griffons​

Frankfurt, afternoon




It was a typical dull afternoon in the Election chamber, the atmosphere was becoming a little bit more live as the delegates and Princes from all over the Empire were gathering and the talks about yesterday’s events followed.

Elections were on the lips of everybody, the events of yesterday afternoon were clear to even the biggest ignorants. Church and Cosa Wittelsbachia as the Italians named Haus von Wittelsbach, held the Imperial nobility in a firm grip, unprecedented before. The talks about it pushed away everything, even the renowned and popular theme of “Who will get into Burgundian brothel first.” However, there was also something else.

The second event eagerly commented by even the least meaningful noble, which incidentally happened yesterday late evening, was the arrival of the Pommeranian Gryphons. The first born son, of the late Emperor Joachim, Casmir von der Greif was to make his first public appearance before the Princes of Reich. Impressive retinue arrived in Frankfurt together with him, his mother Christine and his two uncles, Duke Boguslav and Duke Barnim. The ancient and noble House of Gryphon became a major factor in the Imperial politicks and dominated northern Germany since three decades now. ”Nothing about us, without us.” was the credo of Joachim the Strong, as Pommeranian called their greatest ruler since the dawn of ducal coronet in Stettin. Even though his death brought much disarray to Pommerania, the members of the House did retain the pride and self-confidence which Joachim enrooted in them (many people claimed that this was, in fact, his biggest achievement). Once a House divided within itself, simple border princes with Slavic blood that discriminated them in the eyes of many true-born Germans, now united and strong as ever.

*****​

Casmir was sick. He was sick in the real meaning of this word since he had a horrible cold, he was sick because with each passing day, week and month in the Empire he was becoming more and more aware of the machinations of and politicks of both lay and ecclesiastical Imperial Princes. It truly sickened him. He actually welcomed his cold with open arms since he was well aware his mother will once again decide to speak for him, it suited him quite well. However, even if sick, Casmir was no fool. Regardless, whether he liked or not being the King and the Duke, he was becoming more and more entangled in this sick world surrounding him.

He treated it as a game of chess, the sport he adored more than hunting (if only his father would now!) and analyzed the recent moves accordingly. First of all the young archbishop of Cologne, followed shortly after by his counterpart Gorgio “Rome Puppet” of Triest nailed the victory of Ladsialv von Wittelsbach of Bohemia and Hungary yesterday. The supremacy of the House of Wittelsbach was now absolute and nobody dared to question it, four electoral seats were occupied either by Wittelsbachs or directly influenced by them. Koloner prince only followed the Rome and Rome was another Wittelsbach as well. The glorious era of independence of the Emperor from the Pope was about to end. Started with the puppet electorate of Trier, through the continuous appointment of Wittelsbachers to the seat in Mainz, to direct meddling in the affairs of the lay Imperial Princes. Now Emperor and Pope were paired, some said “cooperation”, others “enslavement”. Roma dictum est

Casmir understood his uncle Barnim (with whom he surprisingly found many common topics to Christine and Boguslav’s displeasure) and Martin Lüger, his personal confessor, much better now. His understanding of the teachings of John Wycliffe and Jan Hus exceeded the brief flirt he had with them in Lisbona. Even Casmir’s knowledge about the Albigensians, Bogomils, Beghards and Beguines, Henricians, Joachimites, Manichees, Paulicians, Petrobrusians, Waldenses and many other smaller sects acquired more depth. The world surrounding him was corrupted and he was one of the major cogwheels in this.

Such thoughts accompanied Casmir as he was approaching the Chamber of the Electors in Frankfurt.

*****​

The door opened before the Griffons and the announcer said loudly.

His Royal Majesty Casmir VI von der Greif, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommern and Fürst of the House of the Greif, Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Grubenhagen and Wolfenbüttel, Duke of Poznan, Margrave of Danzig, Prince-Protector of Sweden, Overlord of Ingermanland, Kexholm, Memel and Gotland, Master of the Imperial Hunt and Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.

Her Highness Christine von Wittelsbach-Greif, Dowager Queen of Sweden and Duchesse of Pommern, etc.

Boguslaw IX of the Greif, Duke of Stargard and Stolp, etc.

Barnim VIII of the Greif, Duke of Rügen, etc.

In entered The Greifs.

Casmir sneezed loudly. This focused the attention of the nobles more than the voice of the announcer.

He was sick.

 

[Mettermrck]

​

He was eyeing von Erlichmann curiously as he edged closer to he and Trieste, wondering what he had on his mind, or if he simply wished to listen. Augustin smiled and nodded automatically before turning to see if the Erzbischof von Trier would.

The doors opened at that moment and there was a general sense of bustle and anticipation in the hall, as if whoever was entering was of significance and deserved their attention. Augustin had never seen any of the Greifs previously, yet he could tell exactly who they were at first glance - the young scholarly Casimir, who seemed a bit sickly, and the grand lady, imperious in demeanor and sharp in the eyes - Christine von Wittelsbach.

Deciding that prudence was a virtue in this instance, he glided forward and approached the entourage. He bowed to Casimir first, as Duke, and then to the Dowager Christine, his eyes occasionally straying to Casimir, wondering how sick the young man really was. "Eure Herzog, Eure Majestät. I am humbled to meet your persons at last. I am Augustin Cullen, Erzbischof von Köln and your honored servant." Not quite thinking of what else to say, he held his bow for a moment before looking at the rest of the group. Did they feel as disappointed as their envoy, that they were belated in their arrival, or was their something else on their agenda?

 

[Petrarca]

The arrival of the Greif Dukes, as well as the inimitable Christine, halted Ladislav's plans for the evening. Announcing his intent to greet the Greifs to Duke Levi, he turned towards where the new guests to Frankfurt's hospitality had just entered. After the litany of titles was announced, and ignored, Ladislav watched as Casimir entered. A sneeze would not deter him, just as an ominous missive would not frighten him.

"Your Graces," Ladislav said, imitating Erzbischof Cullen in bowing to the Dukes, and then to the Dowager and Casimir himself, "Your Majesties." He would not be cast in the role of an enemy or an obsequious puppet by those who stood before him. "We pray that Your Majesties have had a pleasant journey here to the Rhineland. We trust that you have received the invitation communicated by our courtiers? We would cherish the opportunity to speak further with our northern family, particularly to allay the concerns that some men," he said, handing them a copy of the mysterious letter advocating Graf von Gorz, "hold of us."

 

[Bagricula]

Georgio, completely astonished by the arrival of these men and women of importance, hesitated a few moments before following the crowd and bowing before the Grief Duke and the Wittelsbach Dowager, "Your Grace, My Lady, a pleasure. You are lucky to have missed the dull part of this somber affair."

Georgio screwed up his eyes from his bow trying to remember who these chilling lords were. The woman shared many characteristics with the other Wittelsbachs he had met in his life and her son showed some of his father and his mother in his face, but seemed far too dark to be a German or Slav. Yet, despite his dark tone, he seemed pale and a little sickly. Ah, the old Imperial family. Their hard-set expressions made sense now, as did their imperious aura. It would take years possibly for this residual majesty to fade away, and in some it never would.

"I am honored to meet the fruit of the union of the two greatest Houses of the Empire and the matron who bore and nurtured such an auspicious son. May your days be visited by the same glories as your father, Casmir...eh..mmm" Although, Georgio knew intellectually that his rank as an electoral was higher than a mere duke, he had never been a proud man and was easily impressed by the entourages's imperious presence.

 

[unmerged(945)]

Johann watched as the King of Bohemia and the two archbishops descended on the Duke of Pommerania and his mother like vultures. Was this a diplomatic version of a military encirclement perhaps? To Johann it looked like his nephew was more ready for bed than the electoral chamber, pale as he looked. Still he had come, by his own will or his mothers; Johann sincerely hoped the former was the case.

Remembering his previous thoughts of diplomacy vs military, Johann too approached, but not too closely. The last thing they needed now was yet another bombarding them with requests and questions. Instead Johann captured their gaze for a moment and nodded to them in acknowledgement. From his position he could come to the aid of his allies if nescessary, or whisk them away to the safety of his electoral suite. He would off course greet them later once the press of 'vultures' had passed, and most certainly discuss some matters with them as well.

As he stood there and reflected on it, he was quite interested to note how much diplomacy sometimes resembled war.

 

[unmerged(8054)]

The elections had been dominated by wars!
Emissaries from Lotharingia, plagued by a civil war, and Portugal, desperately fighting for her survival against the islamic hordes, had presented their cases, and the Imperial candidates had been forced to consider these cases even before they had won the purple.

In the end, it was to archbishoprial votes who won the day. The Wittelsbachs of the Church had placed their votes on their cousin from Bohemia, and that proved to be determining.

When next the Diet assembled in Frankfurt, their new Emperor would be

Ladislav von Wittelsbach-Luxemburg, King of Bohemia and Hungary​