Great update jwolf!
"They attacked. They died." Seems the Scots didn't modify their tactic until Assaye.
"They attacked. They died." Seems the Scots didn't modify their tactic until Assaye.
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The English certainly overwhelmed their enemies there. So now the crown of Navarra has even more grievances against the French.
Things begin to look rather low for the French. But they have wind in them still. However, surely the Brotherhood are pleased by the recent meeting between Navarre and England. Very helpful.
Are you planning to edit the game in any way so you have a permanent CB on France?
The nasty thing is...
We all know the French will be back for another round or two.
We all know the French will be back for another round or two.
Nice to see Navarre being seduced away from the alliance with France. It sounds like Queen Jeanne would almost enjoy a bit of revenge herself given all the injustices she has suffered!
Outstanding. Very nice work, on the battlefield, the diplomatic field, and the story field.
'Tis a shame that we all know (or most of us at least) that the French will indeed come back for a few more rounds of these fist-o-cuffs before the game actually begins. But it shall prove to be interesting to read of these encounters and how the Templars exploit them for their benefit.
'Tis a shame that we all know (or most of us at least) that the French will indeed come back for a few more rounds of these fist-o-cuffs before the game actually begins. But it shall prove to be interesting to read of these encounters and how the Templars exploit them for their benefit.
Nice writing on the battle of Crecy. A great day for England and Edward III.
The story of King John of Bohemia's death never fails to amaze me, they found his body in full armour and a horse dead, but his horse was lashed together with the others. The Edward the Black Prince was appartently so moved by the sight he adopted his motto, Ich Dien and his badge as his own.
The story of King John of Bohemia's death never fails to amaze me, they found his body in full armour and a horse dead, but his horse was lashed together with the others. The Edward the Black Prince was appartently so moved by the sight he adopted his motto, Ich Dien and his badge as his own.
Oh yes, the Battle of Crecy and death of John of Luxemburg.
It's said that his final words were: "With God's help, Czech king will never retreat from the fight!"
("Toho bohdá nebude, aby český král z boje utíkal" - maybe someone can give you better translation.)
It's said that his final words were: "With God's help, Czech king will never retreat from the fight!"
("Toho bohdá nebude, aby český král z boje utíkal" - maybe someone can give you better translation.)
Avernite said:The nasty thing is...
We all know the French will be back for another round or two.
Regrettably, that is correct.
Let's put it this way: under Charles of Navarre in a few years, we'll begin the Two Hundred Years War. Unlike the other French minors (Auvergne, Bourbonnais, etc) Navarre's CB claims are only on her starting two provinces, Navarra and Bearn. I did not modify the game to change this, and obviously that made conquest of France or indeed any territory rather more difficult. I did declare war without CB once, but I was careful overall to avoid high BB, topping out at about 15 or 16.
As I have been reading up on the HYW I have been surprised at the sometimes very active role Navarre played. It gets very sticky under Charles during the 1350s. In the story I have tried to write in a transition from very friendly relations under Philip of Evreux, to icy neutrality under Jeanne, to ... well, you'll see, under their son Charles.
1346 was indeed an English year. Quite frankly I am surprised that Philip's government stood in Paris. He must have been holding power by a mere thread.
The account of King John of Bohemia is very romantic. I think that even during his time he was seen as a noble anachronism of earlier chivalry.
Many thanks for all your comments!
Chapter 33: The Black Death
January 1347
Avignon
"Your Holiness, King Philip VI of France has requested permission to tax the French Church."
Pope Clement VI, a former diplomat in the service of Philip, was well aware of the financial difficulties of his former sovereign.
"How much?"
"One tenth. A tithe, as it were, to the French Crown."
"Authorize it. Philip's need is both legitimate and acute."
Clement's personal secretary raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded in submission.
"There is one more matter, Your Holiness."
"Namely ...?"
"It is not France, nor even money, Your Holiness. It is plague. We have received persistent rumors of a devastating plague which is said to have struck China and India. Whole cities have been struck dead; entire provinces are said to be nearly depopulated."
"Terrible, I agree, but how does this news affect us?"
"With respect, Your Holiness, the plague is moving west. Persia is affected now, with hundreds dying every day."
"Then we are in the hands of God. It is the fourth horseman. Pray."
Pamplona
"Your Highness, we are honored by your visit. How may we serve you?"
"Master Claude, my mother the Queen speaks often of your men. I have longed to see your operations personally."
"It is only right, Your Highness. I would be delighted to show you everything we have here."
With that introduction, Prince Charles began his tour of the Templars' facilities near the Navarran capital. He nodded duly at the economic buildings, but what caught his attention was the armory and training ground.
"Your men are very diligent with the practice of the martial arts. Is that not unusual for a trading company?"
"Not at all, Your Highness. Wherever there is money, there are also men who will try to steal it. Whether on land or sea, against highwaymen or pirates, we depend on the force of arms for safe and prosperous travel."
"And all of your men are trained to fight?"
"Very nearly so. Some are older and long past their prime, as I am for example. Many of our women work on accounts but of course not as armed escorts. Of the rest, it is expected."
"How good are they?"
"Perhaps you would like to try personally, Your Highness?"
Charles caught the gleam in Claude's smile, but he had committed himself. So the Grandmaster led the Prince to the training ground and a fencing match against Bernhard. The Prince's escort watched with concern, but quickly noted the professionalism at display. They observed the match keenly. Bernhard tested the young prince, then quickly demolished and disarmed him.
"With respect, Your Highness, I believe that my teachers were better than yours."
Bernhard bowed deeply as he said that, but Charles clapped him on the back and ordered him to rise, no offense taken.
"Master Claude, this has been most enlightening. I am impressed."
Calais, July 1347
Edward's siege of this city, begun the previous summer, was difficult. Not until the spring could the noose around the city by water finally be completed. The last supplies safely delivered to the city were in April. Since then the French tried bravely to send replenishments by sea, but each time their ships were driven back, captured, or sunk.
Relieving the city by land proved equally difficult for Philip. The poor morale and prestige he suffered due to the disasters of the previous year made both taxation and recruitment inefficient where they could be performed at all. Finally, though, by late July Philip had raised an army which he marched to the intended relief of Calais.
On 27 July French scouts moved forward to reconnoiter the English positions. Their report was gloomy. The marshy terrain was a nightmare for cavalry. All approaches to the English lines were treacherous and heavily defended. No attack would be possible, they said, without a massacre even worse than Crecy.
That was enough for Philip. When the English refused his attempted negotiations, he withdrew. The citizens of Calais, on the verge of starvation, had watched their king advance and retreat without combat. Utterly forlorn and without hope, they surrendered to Edward. Calais was now an English city, and it remained so for some 250 years.
Messina, October 1347
Captain Benedetto was afraid. The former smuggler and spy had truly reformed many years before, when Marco gave him the ultimatum: shape up and ship out. He worked hard to build trust with his masters, and eventually he had succeeded. His faithful service had been rewarded with steady advancement in rank, finally up to captain of the trading ship Brother Marco. In September they had departed the Crimea, their departure rather more hasty than usual because of the terrible rumors they had picked up.
Tragically, their ship had picked up more than rumor; death itself had stowed its way aboard. One by one Benedetto's sailors died of a horrible malady none had ever seen before. Beset with heavy fever, frequently accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, the victims accumulated strange bruises on their bodies which were excruciatingly painful. Three days later they were dead.
By the time the lookout had spotted the harbor at Messina, half the men had died and the other half were dying. Summoning their last strength, the survivors barely reached the dock and staggered onto land in Sicily. Benedetto was the last of them to die.
The Sicilians at the dock didn't pay attention to the rats which scrambled to shore from the Brother Marco. All ships carried them; it was hardly newsworthy. If they had looked closely, though, they would have seen that these rats were sick -- indeed, they were dying.
Rats carry fleas, and sick rats carry more fleas. The Sicilians couldn't know this, but the fleas on the sick rats were dying, too. For the unseen agent of death worked its evil magic within the fleas' bodies as well. Forming a coating in the back of a flea's stomach, these deadly soldiers, if successful, blocked passage of nutrients to the flea's body. The desperate flea, starving and thirsty, would bite its chosen meal again and again, each time by reflux transmitting hundreds of these agents of death to the next victim, be it rat or man.
This disease quickly became known by several terrible names, notably the Black Death. It spread throughout Sicily and Italy within weeks, all the more so as the Brother Marco was far from the only infected ship.
September 1348
Paris
The Black Death moved steadily through Italy, Iberia, and France. In colder areas, winter stayed its progress for a season, but it broke out again in the spring. In warmer climates there was no respite from the Grim Reaper, who worked constantly throughout the year.
Paris was stricken by the plague late in the summer of 1348. This great city, one of the largest in Europe, suffered deaths by the tens of thousands. Even the royal palace was not safe, for among the dead was Queen Jeanne the Lame.
Edinburgh
By the fall the plague had crossed the channel and infected England. London was hit, and badly so, in November. A time like this is when one recognizes one's true friends -- but also one's true enemies. In Edinburgh, Scotland, in the tavern of Malcolm McIntyre, the news was marked by festive celebrations. Indeed, for many Scots this was the best news they had ever received from England. By Malcolm's order, drinks were on the house that night. There was music, dancing, and joyous revelry.
March 1349
Pamplona
"Your Majesty, the ambassador of King Philip of France."
Queen Jeanne nodded and the Frenchman was brought forth to meet her. Philip was making a critical proposal to Jeanne, and he had commissioned his smoothest diplomat to make the offer. Guy de Roche bowed elegantly and courteously, then began his flowery speech.
"Your Majesty, Great and Noble Queen, I bring you greetings from His Exalted Majesty, Philip VI of --"
"Oh, spare me your master's verbiage. What does he want?"
"Ah, yes, my Lady, then I will get right to the point. Philip desires consolation for the loss of his wife to the horrible plague last year."
Jeanne winced sadly; she knew well what it was like to lose one's love to pestilence.
"Then I say to you in all sincerity that I am sorrowful over Philip's loss. I know the love he felt for Queen Jeanne was long and deep."
"Your words are kind and will bring gladness to King Philip, I am sure. But, with respect, that is not exactly the sort of consolation he has in mind."
"Oh?"
"My master, King Philip of France, humbly requests the hand of your daughter Blanche in marriage."
Suddenly Jeanne became much less sympathetic. With icy fury she denied the request. Guy did his best to persuade her, but she was adamant in refusing.
"Then what answer, what hope, Gracious Lady, may I take to my King?"
"Tell him, Monsieur, that after he conquers the English he may conquer my daughter."
Guy bowed again and departed for Paris. After he left, Prince Charles asked his mother about the matter.
"Dear Mother, would it not be advantageous for our family to be so well connected to the King?"
"Son, your sister Blanche is one of the most beautiful women in France. Philip barely even waited for his late wife to be buried before seeking this consolation as he put it. Am I to give your sister to an old and weak man who has betrayed our family time and time again?"
"But Blanche could --"
"No. Over my dead body."
Edinburgh
The Scots' celebrations proved to be premature. As winter faded, the plague returned, spreading northward. Too late, the Scots learned that the Black Death shows no favorites, striking both rich and poor, young and old, even English or Scotch. Malcolm McIntyre was among the fatalities in Edinburgh.
Paris, January 1350
The Black Death struck viciously in Navarre. It reached right to the top level of society and claimed Queen Jeanne in October of 1349. As Charles became King of Navarre, though technically not yet in his majority, he sought to smooth relations with Paris. Charles was, after all, born under the fleur de lys on both sides of his family, as he eagerly pointed out to courtiers in Paris. It was only right that he play a major role in affairs of the Crown; perhaps, at a suitable time, even the major role.
Charles's first act was to agree to Philip's marriage alliance. The young beauty Blanche was wed to the fat, old King Philip. Philip lived only a few more months, just long enough to impregnate his young queen. As Philip's son Jean took the throne, Charles worked quickly toward his ambitions.
January 1347
Avignon
"Your Holiness, King Philip VI of France has requested permission to tax the French Church."
Pope Clement VI, a former diplomat in the service of Philip, was well aware of the financial difficulties of his former sovereign.
"How much?"
"One tenth. A tithe, as it were, to the French Crown."
"Authorize it. Philip's need is both legitimate and acute."
Clement's personal secretary raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded in submission.
"There is one more matter, Your Holiness."
"Namely ...?"
"It is not France, nor even money, Your Holiness. It is plague. We have received persistent rumors of a devastating plague which is said to have struck China and India. Whole cities have been struck dead; entire provinces are said to be nearly depopulated."
"Terrible, I agree, but how does this news affect us?"
"With respect, Your Holiness, the plague is moving west. Persia is affected now, with hundreds dying every day."
"Then we are in the hands of God. It is the fourth horseman. Pray."
Pamplona
"Your Highness, we are honored by your visit. How may we serve you?"
"Master Claude, my mother the Queen speaks often of your men. I have longed to see your operations personally."
"It is only right, Your Highness. I would be delighted to show you everything we have here."
With that introduction, Prince Charles began his tour of the Templars' facilities near the Navarran capital. He nodded duly at the economic buildings, but what caught his attention was the armory and training ground.
"Your men are very diligent with the practice of the martial arts. Is that not unusual for a trading company?"
"Not at all, Your Highness. Wherever there is money, there are also men who will try to steal it. Whether on land or sea, against highwaymen or pirates, we depend on the force of arms for safe and prosperous travel."
"And all of your men are trained to fight?"
"Very nearly so. Some are older and long past their prime, as I am for example. Many of our women work on accounts but of course not as armed escorts. Of the rest, it is expected."
"How good are they?"
"Perhaps you would like to try personally, Your Highness?"
Charles caught the gleam in Claude's smile, but he had committed himself. So the Grandmaster led the Prince to the training ground and a fencing match against Bernhard. The Prince's escort watched with concern, but quickly noted the professionalism at display. They observed the match keenly. Bernhard tested the young prince, then quickly demolished and disarmed him.
"With respect, Your Highness, I believe that my teachers were better than yours."
Bernhard bowed deeply as he said that, but Charles clapped him on the back and ordered him to rise, no offense taken.
"Master Claude, this has been most enlightening. I am impressed."
Calais, July 1347
Edward's siege of this city, begun the previous summer, was difficult. Not until the spring could the noose around the city by water finally be completed. The last supplies safely delivered to the city were in April. Since then the French tried bravely to send replenishments by sea, but each time their ships were driven back, captured, or sunk.
Relieving the city by land proved equally difficult for Philip. The poor morale and prestige he suffered due to the disasters of the previous year made both taxation and recruitment inefficient where they could be performed at all. Finally, though, by late July Philip had raised an army which he marched to the intended relief of Calais.
On 27 July French scouts moved forward to reconnoiter the English positions. Their report was gloomy. The marshy terrain was a nightmare for cavalry. All approaches to the English lines were treacherous and heavily defended. No attack would be possible, they said, without a massacre even worse than Crecy.
That was enough for Philip. When the English refused his attempted negotiations, he withdrew. The citizens of Calais, on the verge of starvation, had watched their king advance and retreat without combat. Utterly forlorn and without hope, they surrendered to Edward. Calais was now an English city, and it remained so for some 250 years.
Messina, October 1347
Captain Benedetto was afraid. The former smuggler and spy had truly reformed many years before, when Marco gave him the ultimatum: shape up and ship out. He worked hard to build trust with his masters, and eventually he had succeeded. His faithful service had been rewarded with steady advancement in rank, finally up to captain of the trading ship Brother Marco. In September they had departed the Crimea, their departure rather more hasty than usual because of the terrible rumors they had picked up.
Tragically, their ship had picked up more than rumor; death itself had stowed its way aboard. One by one Benedetto's sailors died of a horrible malady none had ever seen before. Beset with heavy fever, frequently accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, the victims accumulated strange bruises on their bodies which were excruciatingly painful. Three days later they were dead.
By the time the lookout had spotted the harbor at Messina, half the men had died and the other half were dying. Summoning their last strength, the survivors barely reached the dock and staggered onto land in Sicily. Benedetto was the last of them to die.
The Sicilians at the dock didn't pay attention to the rats which scrambled to shore from the Brother Marco. All ships carried them; it was hardly newsworthy. If they had looked closely, though, they would have seen that these rats were sick -- indeed, they were dying.
Rats carry fleas, and sick rats carry more fleas. The Sicilians couldn't know this, but the fleas on the sick rats were dying, too. For the unseen agent of death worked its evil magic within the fleas' bodies as well. Forming a coating in the back of a flea's stomach, these deadly soldiers, if successful, blocked passage of nutrients to the flea's body. The desperate flea, starving and thirsty, would bite its chosen meal again and again, each time by reflux transmitting hundreds of these agents of death to the next victim, be it rat or man.
This disease quickly became known by several terrible names, notably the Black Death. It spread throughout Sicily and Italy within weeks, all the more so as the Brother Marco was far from the only infected ship.
September 1348
Paris
The Black Death moved steadily through Italy, Iberia, and France. In colder areas, winter stayed its progress for a season, but it broke out again in the spring. In warmer climates there was no respite from the Grim Reaper, who worked constantly throughout the year.
Paris was stricken by the plague late in the summer of 1348. This great city, one of the largest in Europe, suffered deaths by the tens of thousands. Even the royal palace was not safe, for among the dead was Queen Jeanne the Lame.
Edinburgh
By the fall the plague had crossed the channel and infected England. London was hit, and badly so, in November. A time like this is when one recognizes one's true friends -- but also one's true enemies. In Edinburgh, Scotland, in the tavern of Malcolm McIntyre, the news was marked by festive celebrations. Indeed, for many Scots this was the best news they had ever received from England. By Malcolm's order, drinks were on the house that night. There was music, dancing, and joyous revelry.
March 1349
Pamplona
"Your Majesty, the ambassador of King Philip of France."
Queen Jeanne nodded and the Frenchman was brought forth to meet her. Philip was making a critical proposal to Jeanne, and he had commissioned his smoothest diplomat to make the offer. Guy de Roche bowed elegantly and courteously, then began his flowery speech.
"Your Majesty, Great and Noble Queen, I bring you greetings from His Exalted Majesty, Philip VI of --"
"Oh, spare me your master's verbiage. What does he want?"
"Ah, yes, my Lady, then I will get right to the point. Philip desires consolation for the loss of his wife to the horrible plague last year."
Jeanne winced sadly; she knew well what it was like to lose one's love to pestilence.
"Then I say to you in all sincerity that I am sorrowful over Philip's loss. I know the love he felt for Queen Jeanne was long and deep."
"Your words are kind and will bring gladness to King Philip, I am sure. But, with respect, that is not exactly the sort of consolation he has in mind."
"Oh?"
"My master, King Philip of France, humbly requests the hand of your daughter Blanche in marriage."
Suddenly Jeanne became much less sympathetic. With icy fury she denied the request. Guy did his best to persuade her, but she was adamant in refusing.
"Then what answer, what hope, Gracious Lady, may I take to my King?"
"Tell him, Monsieur, that after he conquers the English he may conquer my daughter."
Guy bowed again and departed for Paris. After he left, Prince Charles asked his mother about the matter.
"Dear Mother, would it not be advantageous for our family to be so well connected to the King?"
"Son, your sister Blanche is one of the most beautiful women in France. Philip barely even waited for his late wife to be buried before seeking this consolation as he put it. Am I to give your sister to an old and weak man who has betrayed our family time and time again?"
"But Blanche could --"
"No. Over my dead body."
Edinburgh
The Scots' celebrations proved to be premature. As winter faded, the plague returned, spreading northward. Too late, the Scots learned that the Black Death shows no favorites, striking both rich and poor, young and old, even English or Scotch. Malcolm McIntyre was among the fatalities in Edinburgh.
Paris, January 1350
The Black Death struck viciously in Navarre. It reached right to the top level of society and claimed Queen Jeanne in October of 1349. As Charles became King of Navarre, though technically not yet in his majority, he sought to smooth relations with Paris. Charles was, after all, born under the fleur de lys on both sides of his family, as he eagerly pointed out to courtiers in Paris. It was only right that he play a major role in affairs of the Crown; perhaps, at a suitable time, even the major role.
Charles's first act was to agree to Philip's marriage alliance. The young beauty Blanche was wed to the fat, old King Philip. Philip lived only a few more months, just long enough to impregnate his young queen. As Philip's son Jean took the throne, Charles worked quickly toward his ambitions.
Good account of the black death's arrival. Bad times for France with the double blow of the HYW and the disease. I'm glad Queen Jeanne denied King Philip.
ahh, the black death struck. Poor people.
Sadly, Philip didn't die. He certainly deserved it more than his wife, if only for his incompetence
Sadly, Philip didn't die. He certainly deserved it more than his wife, if only for his incompetence
I can see some subtle movements in the curtins behind the thrones... this is looking even more interesting, if that were at all possible!
Nice work, jwolf, very nice work!
Nice work, jwolf, very nice work!
Yes, you described the incremental destruction of the plague very well. And the line from Queen Jeanne, "Over my dead body." How profetic. An excellent entry. It seems the Black Death has stemmed the death of war for just a little while. That certainly won't last.
Phillip's young son Jean would not properly take the throne, nor would the new young Queen. Probably there would be a regency council, for many years until the boy's majority, yes? And the Queen probably won't have much to say about that either, nor about his education. Because of this I think Charles may have over-estimated his chances of having influence in the court of France. (Unless Navarre is seen as a minor player who can be an 'honest broker' among the other factions, which would require someone on-the-spot in Paris.)
So France and England are both ripped by plague but England is militarily ascendant, at least for now. The church tax will bring in a whopping bag of money, I think, so France will remain rich and powerful despite the loss of Calais. The biggest problem I see for France is not lack of money or manpower but the monarchy's fragile hold over the nobles and commons. A child king and a girl 'queen mother' won't improve this.
I love the level of detail and the explanations you are giving us; this is very well thought out, well-written and one of my favorite reads.
So France and England are both ripped by plague but England is militarily ascendant, at least for now. The church tax will bring in a whopping bag of money, I think, so France will remain rich and powerful despite the loss of Calais. The biggest problem I see for France is not lack of money or manpower but the monarchy's fragile hold over the nobles and commons. A child king and a girl 'queen mother' won't improve this.
I love the level of detail and the explanations you are giving us; this is very well thought out, well-written and one of my favorite reads.
It's hard to understand how, with all those great English victories, the English still managed to lose so completely in the end. Oh well, in this timeline I'm sure we'll see things turn out differently.
A THYW (Two Hundred Year War)?!? Starting around 1350? Goodness, that suggests almost continuous warfare from 1419 till 1550! I guess your Templar game started with a very big (and very long) bang!
A THYW (Two Hundred Year War)?!? Starting around 1350? Goodness, that suggests almost continuous warfare from 1419 till 1550! I guess your Templar game started with a very big (and very long) bang!
Charles seems to have started out with rather warmer feelings towards France than Queen Jeanne. I wonder what it will take to turn him against them? Something tells me his new-found friends the Templars are going to be working hard on him in the next few years.
Stuyvesant said:
It's sort of like the US involvement in Vietnam--the English won several victories in the field of battle, but they were never able to secure the hearts of the people they were trying to conquer, the French (in later years) began employing "scorched earth" policies and hit-and-run tactics, and the English populace began to tire of fighting a long, drawn-out war that never seemed to end or gained any real advantages for them.
However, as you said, I wonder if we'll see it go a little differently this time around.
A THYW (Two Hundred Year War)?!? Starting around 1350? Goodness, that suggests almost continuous warfare from 1419 till 1550! I guess your Templar game started with a very big (and very long) bang!
I somehow don't think the fighting was entirely continuous (in fact the RL HYW wasn't, either--there were several truces and periods of "peace"), but still, tacking on another 100 years to the conflict... I somehow think France is in a bit of trouble.