Chapter 2: The Great Aquitanian Revolt (884-893)
Duke Gartzia II "the Bent" (850- )
Duke of Vasconia (r.884- )
The death of Duke Antso III did not come as a shock to anybody within the Duchy of Vasconia. He had lived a long and arduous life, and his attempts at controlling the realms South of the Pyrenees had taken a toll on his body, and that's without mentioning his bout of Consumption that very nearly took his life 2 years prior to his death. Knowing the risk of death on his last campaign, the duke had written a will in case of an inopportune death, a will which clearly reflected the influences life under the Frankish Yoke had brought about. The custom of partitioning a realm among the children of a monarch upon death had previously been foreign to the Basque people, but by 884 AD this custom had become the standard for the nobility of Vasconia. Thus, the lands of Vasconia were divided in two, with the oldest son (Gartzia II) inheriting the city of Bordeaux and the coastal lands in the West, while the youngest son (Antso III) would rule the mountainous lands along the Pyrenees from his seat in Armagnac.
While the Frankish custom of partition was a great way to ensure all heirs of a monarch were happy and got a piece of their father's pie, it often brought about much discord as factions often formed among dynasties even before the death of the ruler, with each faction choosing their predilect heir to support upon succession. Many times these factions became bloody, leading to blindings and even kin-slaying. Even if these factions avoided a descent into violence during the life of the ruler, upon his death, brothers would fight among themselves trying to claim supremacy over his kin, and attempting to bring their father's former realm into the hands of a single man. To say it was messy would be an understatement, as it could easily topple even the mightiest of empires, i.e. Charlemagne and his Frankish Empire.
Fortunately for the Basque people, the brothers Gartzia II and Antso III were raised in court together at Bordeaux, leading them to form a close-friendship that would even extend into their successors, guaranteeing that the two halves of Duke Antso II's domain would remain at peace with each other, and even encouraging cooperation between their rulers. Thus Vasconia stood strong despite its internal divisions.
The lands of Vasconia were ones of great diversity as Basque and Occitan peoples lived alongside a myriad of Frankish nobles, roving Norsemen, Breton fishermen, and Andalusian traders. To this mix, an influx of Slavic peoples would arrive just a year upon Duke Gartzia II's ascent to the throne, as a band of several hundred
Saqaliba escaped the lands of Al-Andalus seeking to release themselves from slavery.
Archbishop Ramiro, highest among the clergymen of Vasconia urged the Duke to reject these escapees, for they were likely Mohammedans and their foreign tongues and ways could easily destabilize the realm. Duke Gartzia did not want to ignore the concerns of the Church, especially as he sought to earn their favor this early into his rule, as Church support could make-or-break a ruler, but upon hearing of the Slavs' ability to wage war he decided to welcome them in, looking to bolster the ranks of his armies.
Duke Gartzia had a tight-bond with his brother the Duke Antso of Armagnac, and in order to strengthen these bonds they both sought to foment a close relationship among their heirs by having them constantly travel to each others' courts so they could share experiences and grow together as family. Unfortunately in one of these courtly visits to Armagnac tragedy would strike, as in 885 AD the oldest of Duke Gartzia's two daughters would sneak off away from court to play with her older cousin Antso, and die by drowning in a nearby stream, leaving Eliza as the Duke's sole heir.
This event would begin a series of unfortunate events that would continue to plague the Duke throughout his life, as he would continue to outlive numerous members of his family. The death of Urraka would send the Duke and his wife, Infanta (Princess) Ximena into a deep state of depression, but their marriage would grow closer as their previously political marriage became a loving one by bonding through their mutual pain.
A rift between the two branches of the family could have easily formed as one could justifiably blame Duke Antso III and his son Antso for the death of Urraka, as the former failed to have his courtiers supervise her properly, while the latter influenced her to sneak away and led her to the place of her death, but instead the tears of the boy as he related to his uncle how Urraka's death occurred softened the impact of his words. His sincere apology forced the Duke to forgive his young nephew and brother, thus continuing the close relationship between their respective realms.
Looking to clear his mind off the death of his daughter, Duke Gartzia looked toward his sole sister Aines, who greatly resembled his diseased daughter and had recently turned of age, arranging a marriage between her and the King of West Francia. His father had sought to liberate the Basque people from the Franks but as per the recent partition, the King of West Francia no longer reigned in Vasconia, instead it was his brother and rival, the King of Aquitaine. This marriage thus served a twofold purpose: It forged an alliance with King Louis II "the Stammerer" that ensured his brother Carloman could not easily push his weight around in Vasconia, while it also sent Aines away from Bordeaux, far from the eyes of the grieving Duke Gartzia.
With his daughter still fresh in his mind, the Duke sought a more spiritual solution to his grief as he decided to embark in a journey to Jerusalem along with his wife Ximena. The couple and his retinue would spend the better part of the following year on this trek, reveling in the sights of the holiest of cities of Christendom. The pilgrimage did not fully solve his problems of the mind, but it did strengthen his ties to the Church back home, which joyfully welcomed the Duke upon his return to Vasconia. Archbishop Ramiro and his clerics were enthused by the idea of such a holy ruler reigning over the land, and also by the fattening of their pockets as the Duke's absence in court left Ramiro and his goons to rule in his stead.
The holy men of Vasconia were not the only ones overjoyed by the return of Duke Gartzia, as his brother-in-law in Paris sought his assistance in fighting an enormous Viking army in the lands of Flanders. The Duke had hoped this alliance would be a mere bluff he could use to apply pressure on his liege lord King Carloman, and not one in which he was required to help defend the Franks in the North. He was displeased by the request, sending only a small token force under to assist in the battlefield, claiming troubles at home which prevented him from going himself with the full might of Vasconia.
In a way, his claim of trouble at home did hold some truth, as the Southern nobility of Aquitaine began planning a rebellion against King Carloman, seeking to expel the Franks from their realms for good. The two men leading this coalition were Duke Gartzia II of Vasconia and Duke Bernat II of Barcelona and Languedoc. Alongside them was the Duke of Armagnac Antso III, the loyal brother of Duke Gartzia. The treacherous Duke Bertrand of Toulouse had originally agreed to join the Southern coalition, which would have left the King powerless with only his personal demesne and a few inconsequential vassals, but after some bribery he decided to betray the independence faction, an offense which Duke Bernat II and his successors would avenge in the years following the independence war, leading to the downfall of the Toulousian dynasty.
The combined rebel armies swiftly made way toward Toulouse, forcing the men of Duke Bertrand to take flight as they refused to defend their city against such overwhelming odds. Duke Bertrand shortly followed behind them, leaving the forces of Duke Bernat of Barceloa to sack the city, much to the dismay of Duke Gartzia who had hoped to gain the favor of the locals to further bolster their numbers. With the city in flames, no such favor was gained, but condemnation. Soon word of these events spread to Vasconia as the people of Toulouse fled toward it seeking refuge. The locals were riled up by the refugees' tales and they rose up in arms agains Duke Gartzia demanding he stopped ravaging the lands of Duke Bertrand.
Appalled by the news of this revolt while he himself fought a rebellion, the Duke sought the assistance of his wife Infanta Ximena who was left to rule Bordeaux in his absence. Ximena called Archbishop Ramiro to court, where she proposed the organizing of a great number of feasts throughout the dioceses of Vasconia to celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter (22 of February), where the father of the Church of Rome had once sat. These feasts would be announced alongside a lien on taxes for the following year encouraging most of the rebels to return home and prepare to attend the feasts. Such endeavors would cost the crown greatly, but Infanta Ximena was determined to keep the Duke's Peace, allowing him to freely continue his campaign in Aquitaine. This would continue all throughout Duke Gartzia's reign, as his focus on martial matters would leave Ximena to wield an amount of power rarely seen held by a woman of the era, becoming instrumental in his reign's success.
It had been over 5 years since Jarl Olafr had first landed in the shores of Flanders, determined to conquer the Duchy and settle it with his Viking warriors. He had ben ferocious in his attempt, leaving much of Northern France in ashes as his roving band of warriors defeated army after army the Franks threw their way. Despite their might, King Louis II of West Francia somehow kept raising armies no matter how many times his men were defeated. Despite their victories however, the men of Olafr had become disheartened, as their numbers had been gravely affected by five years of non-stop warfare with the Franks, and they soon began to desert, looking toward Denmark where most would join King Sigurdr "Snake-in-the-Eye," a son of the legendary raider Ragnarr. Eventually the Jarl would be caught prisoner while raiding for basic supplies, putting an end to his failed conquest.
Victorious, King Louis II "the Stammerer" now laid eyes to the South of his realm. His brother Carloman's rule over Aquitaine was tenuous, especially as the Southern nobles had launched a great revolt. If there was a perfect time to attempt a seizure of his throne it would be now, but his Kingdom too was greatly weakened after half a decade of trouble with the Northmen. If he was to seize Aquitaine in the future, there would first have to be an Aquitaine to seize, and thus he marched South with what remained of his army to assist his brother Carloman against the Basque and Catalan rebels. Damned be his alliance to the Vascon Duke, blood (and his ambitions on the throne) came first.
The King of West Francia had arrived far too late however, and by the time his forces sought to relieve his brother, much of his realm was now under rebel control. Aquitaine was in flames. Had his warriors joined the fray just a month earlier, they could have relieved the siege of Berry and saved King Carloman from capture, but alas, the Franks had arrived far too late. Berry was sacked and the King was forced to capitulate to the rebel alliance.
The Kingdom of Lotharingia had recently perished under the pressure of Norse raiders as well as multiple attempted conquests by East Francia, eventually forcing its King to renounce the crown and flee the continent, seeking refuge in the court of Wessex, leaving its vassals de facto independent. The Kingdom of Aquitaine very nearly suffered the same fate, and although many of its vassals would be freed from its yoke, King Louis II' intervention and assistance allowed King Carloman to retain a semblance of order, allowing the kingdom to survive through its crisis, although not unscathed.
The newly independent Duchy of Vasconia and the realms of Western Europe.
The peoples of Vasconia had not known freedom from the Frankish Yoke since the times of the Merovingian Franks, who asserted their power shortly after the fall of Rome, but at last Duke Gartzia II had secured their independence, albeit at the cost of much Basque and Occitan blood. Still, the road ahead was arduous as the Franks remained an existential threat. If King Carloman was allowed to recoup his losses, or if King Louis managed to seize his throne, then suddenly the Franks could once more impose themselves over Vasconia. It was a bittersweet victory, but a victory nonetheless.
There was no time to celebrate their success however, nor to mourn the deceased, as King Louis' victory over Jarl Olafr had greatly boosted the numbers of men under the Danish King Sigurdr, who embarked on a series of raids all across Vasconia, sailing through the Garonne River nearly unopposed. Vasconia was an insular realm by nature of its mountainous and forested terrain, and had mostly relied on overland Andalusian traders who frequently crossed the Pyrenees to sell their goods. While maritime trade had increased greatly in the past few decades, bringing prosperity to Bordeaux via Viking trade, it had exposed its riches to the outside, inspiring the Danes to visit the land, not to bask in the great sights, but on the great loot that could be seized.
The Siege and Sack of Bordeaux
Normally such a force could be met in the field of battle where Duke Gartzia could have certainly defeated the Northmen, the forces of Vasconia laid depleted however, and the Duke was forced to engage in guerrilla warfare, hoping to dissuade the Danes from continuing their campaign in Vasconia. His efforts were uneffectual however, being defeated at every turn as his demoralized and weathered army failed to respond in kind. As an insular realm, Vasconia had no fleet to speak of, and thus the Danes were free to sail up and down the Garonne with no opposition. The walls of Bordeaux failed to hold the Viking onslaught and it was soon put to the torch, as were the cities of Albret, Marsan, Agen, Bayonne, Armagnac, and Toulouse.
Eventually the Danes left, leaving behind misery on their wake. The crown had exhausted its coffers satiating the peasantry's taste for feasts during the great revolt, the plundering of the Northmen too had greatly affected most church properties and monasteries, as had the most important cities of the Duchy, including its capital of Bordeaux. Many children had been orphaned by the war, and even more by the Danish raids. Entire areas of Vasconia and Armagnac laid wasted, devoid of people as entire villages were seized to be sold in the slave markets of Dublin. It would take nearly a decade before Vasconia recovered from the onslaught, as an entire generation was left with the trauma of the Pirate King Sigurdr and his Vikings.
You may or may not have noticed I changed the Dynasty's coat of arms as well as the Duchy's. The new sigil is that of the Vascon Star and the Crescent, which represent the two oldest Vascon symbols that have been preserved to the present. It even used to be present in the original coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarra, before it evolved into its current iteration that Paradox players are most familiar with. So yeah, if you're wondering why I changed it and why it looks like that, it's just for flavor
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