Punching Through with Prussia

[jscaco]

Chapter 1: Dreams of Destiny

November 1444


The elector of Brandenburg, Friedrich II von Hohenzollern, awoke in the middle of the night. He dreamt that the Holy Roman Empire had been fully united, with the capital in his own city of Berlin, in his own castle. But the man who sat on the throne was unfamiliar to him, and the guards had strange weapons and armor. He had fled, and soon found himself outside in a land that he did not know, caught in a thick battle where neither side seemed to notice him. A cavalry charge was heading towards him, and he leapt out of the way. Dust, noise, panic and blood assailed his senses, and when he could see clearly again, he saw a severed head on the ground. It resembled the young king of Poland, who Friedrich had met at the imperial court some months ago, petitioning for aid against a crusade against the Ottomans. The lips of the head moved as if to speak a warning, and at that point Friedrich had awoken.

Memories of the Imperial Court made him scowl at the thoughts of the von Hapsburgs recently taking control of the Empire and his opinion of the many flaws of their governance. It was tempered by the sight of his wife, Catherine, sleeping silently next to him. Sighing, the thoughts of the day ahead poured into his mind, and thoughts of the strange dream poured out. It would not do to linger on thoughts of the Hapsburgs while domestic concerns were more pressing, although his brother and heir Albrecht Achilles thought that the von Hohenzollerns should challenge the Austrians when the emperorship was next up for election.

His ancestors had been wastrels at best, but he had done what he could to reduce corruption and restore honor to his position. He had ruled his duchy for four years at this point and was not having an easy time of fulfilling his objectives. Restoring the province of Neumark was a top priority for him, but his feelers towards the Teutonic Order had been rebuffed. His neighbor in Bohemia coveted Brandenburg lands and the border uncomfortably close, and a recent insult from his mother-in-law caused relations to break down with her home country of Brunswick. As much as he hoped to live in peace with his neighbors, it was clear that bitter rivalries with all three were inevitable.

He had secured alliances with the princes Pomerania, Magdeburg, Bavaria and his wife’s home of Saxony. The old guard in his advisory council had been replaced by men he could trust, old schoolmates his own age. Joachim Siegmund, Siegmund von Quitzow and Georg Munchov were not the best men in for the job in Brandenburg, but they were affordable for the cash-starved electorate, and men of good character.

Von Quitzow had a plan that might work, if the Teutonic Order continued to be obstinate. Legal claims would be fabricated on Neumark, hopefully making the case that the territory was never pawned in the first place. Munchov would raise as many troops as the treasury could support, and Joachim Siegmund would work to improve internal stability so that when the time came to press the claim with force of arms there would be minimal dissention among the populace.

With that business taken care of, Friedrich prepared to meet with the representatives of the various estates. He had demands to make of them and favors to grant to sweeten the deal. Bracing himself for the politicking ahead, Friedrich II “the Iron” had steeled his nerve and his resolve, the disturbing dreams of the night before already forgotten.


June 1446


Friedrich started at disbelief at the two Imperial dispatches, dated less than two weeks apart. The newer was a proclamation that Ladislaus the Posthumus, the Hapsburgian puppet, was elected emperor. Friedrich’s brother Albrecht Achilles had been in Austria representing the Brandenburg electorate. Friedrich was concerned about Albrecht pushing too hard for his own candidacy; he knew it would be a long shot and did not think the move was worth rocking the boat, but Albrecht felt that he could make some headway with some of the other electors.

Which made the second message as concerning as it was distressing. Albrecht was dead, and details were sparse. Apparently, he had been slain in drunken brawl, but Friedrich did not believe it and suspected foul play. Not only was his dear brother dead, but the succession of the electorate itself was in doubt. He and Catherine had failed to produce any children, but not through lack of trying. He began to fear that the court rumors of infertility might be true.

As disastrous as that was, he needed to prepare for the right moment to retake Neumark. Poland had recently invaded the Teutonic Order, releasing Danzig as an independent state. Brandenburg had reached out to Danzig as a potential ally, but Poland had gotten there first and was in the process of talking the newly released state into being vassalized. Rumors from the east were that Constantinople had fallen, or was just about to. These were trying times; he allowed himself a few minutes to shed tears over his brother alone before fortifying himself to bring the news to the court.

January 1451


It seemed like the war was going to be easy at first, but Brandenburg was facing more resistance than expected. Pomerania was the only one of his allies that was willing to enter a war of aggression (despite their concerns over the Saxonization of the province of Uckermark), but Lubeck and the Livonian Order came to the Teutonic’s aide. Danzig and Poland were dealing significant damage to the Teutons, but after occupying Neumark, the offense had stalled. The Lubeckan fleet had taken control of the Baltic, trapping the Pomeranian navy in port. Most of Brandenburg’s troops were sieging Lubeck at this point, trying to force them to exit the war. Recent scout reports indicated that the Livonians managed to evade the Polish armies and had arrived in Pomerania and were moving to retake Neumark, potentially slaughtering the token force the Pomeranians had left there.

But for once, Friedrich’s thoughts were not with the war. A scream from the room down the hall pulled his attention from the map. His wife had been in labor for what seemed like days at this point, but Friedrich was out of sorts and had hardly been sleeping. Between the concern for his wife and the stagnant war, there was little that was not stressful.

Friedrich heard a second voice scream, and his spirits perked up. Secretly dreading that another stillbirth was in the works, he was pleased to hear the distressed infant catch its breath and let out a second wail. The soft patter of the servant’s feet was barely audible over the din, but Friedrich heard it in time to face the door before it opened.

“My prince,” beamed the servant, “you have a son.”

Friedrich stuggled to find the words “That...it...fantastic news...” he stammered as he got to his feet.

“Aye. The midwife says that he is one of the healthiest infants she ever saw.”

“And the Electress?”

“Healthy as well,” replied the servant as he followed Friedrich down the hall. A nod from a second servant at the door and they were admitted, and Friedrich laid his eyes upon his wife and his son, both as healthy as could be.

“What a blessing!” proclaimed the prince as he picked up the child.

“What shall we name him?” asked Catherine.

“Albrecht. Albrecht Christian, for God has answered our prayers.”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 2. A New Mark on a New Era


October 1454


“Three cheers for Brandenburg! Three cheers for victory! Three cheers for Friedrich!” Toasted the Prince of Bavaria. He had reason to celebrate, he had just scored a great victory over the fools in Bohemia, who two years earlier had invaded his lands. Brandenburg was among the several allies that Bohemia had brought to the fight, and Friedrich II’s army, performing excellently in both battle and seize, had played a big part. While he was glad that Bohemia had lost half their territory, Bavaria had taken all the provinces for themselves. At the very least, Bohemia owed Friedrich a great deal of favors.

He had had to call off his conflict with the Teutons early to join this war. The Livonians were breathing down his neck, so he settled with forcing the Teutons to break their alliance with Lubeck. The rest of Teutons outside of Neumark had been completely crushed by Danzig and Poland; what is worse is that now the remnants of the Teutons were now inside the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire and Austria wasted no time in acknowledging as order as a principality of the Empire.

At least Brandenburg was being respected as a military power. Getting to his feet, Friedrich patted the Bavarian monarch on the back and left the tent as if intending to relieve himself. He walked away from the raucous pavilion, then quickly strode through the camp to the supply wagons in the back. As instructed, he waited by a certain grain cart.

Soon, his contact arrived.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You have proven your prowess in matters of war, and in matters of honor; I believe you have the skills and abilities required of the position you seek. When the time comes, Mainz will support you.”

“That is most excellent to hear. May I ask...”

“No time for questions, I must return. You have my word that we will soon join in alliance, and I will support you, and your line.” Whispered the Elector of Mainz, as he turned and disappeared into the darkness without another word.

August 1460


Paul von Cube, the last of the Teutonic commanders, woke up on the battlefield. He was having difficulty moving his legs, and was in tremendous pain. Who knew this was how it was going to end? It was surely God’s punishment for the order drifting so far from its original mission.

He had been assured security by the Emperor Ladislaus after the Poles had overwhelmed them. He knew the Brandenburgians coveted Neumark, but was expecting their armies to be elsewhere in this war. The Teutons had sought out an alliance with Brunswick, and were only answering a call to arms, and were not expecting to run into the main Brandenburg army.

After an uncertain period of time, several shadows passed over him.

“There he is, sir. He’s still alive.” Said one shadow.

“Barely.” Replied another as it descended down to von Cube’s level. He was able to recognize it as the Brandenburg General Zitzwitz, who had seized down his small fortress and crushed his army.

“You fought bravely, Sir. I’m sorry it had to end this way.”

Paul von Cube struggled to speak. “Why did you come here? You should be in Brunswick...”

“I will rejoin the forces in Brunswick soon enough. My lord entrusted me to see to the reclamation of Neumark personally.”

Von Cube was shocked. “That would be an illegal move! The Emperor will demand that you release the land to our order!”

“My lord of Brandenburg has made his intentions clear;” explained Zitzwitz, “the Emperor can stomp his feat if he wants to. Besides, your order is no more.”

“That was the plan...all along...you attacked Brunswick just to draw us in to the conflict...so there would be an excuse...” stammered von Cube.

“Indeed. Again, I am sorry it had to end this way. You were a worthy opponent, and I will ease your suffering.”

Zitzwitz stood back up and nodded to the other shadow, who stepped forward with a pike in hand. Paul von Cube felt one more sharp jolt of pain in the middle of his chest, then felt nothing more as the Teutonic Order faded from history.

November 1460


Nine-year old Albrecht Christian von Hohenzollern looked up from the other boy that he was beating with a wooden sword at the sound. The church bells were ringing, so the army was returning as expected. He dropped the wooden sword and started running back across the garden. Even though his father and mother ordered his presence when the army returned and he wanted to disobey them on principle, he did not want to miss the return of the army for anything. He disliked most of his studies and was rude to his teachers, but he always was drawn to the glory of the military and the was excited that Brandenburg had won another victory.

Pushing a servant aside, he dashed upstairs and made his way to his room and for once had no complaints as he was dressed in the formal clothes selected for him. Just over a year ago the army had marched out. After hearing all the stories of glory and recovering rightful Brandenburgian lands, he had wanted to join them, but his father insisted that he stayed. He showed Albrecht where the troops were going and his cleaver plan. Albrecht did not pay much attention to the names of the many princes involved in this war, but he suddenly took an interest in maps and enjoyed coloring in the provinces, slowly filling them brown as the armies moved to control different places.

Berlin had been quiet while the army was away, and while he enjoyed the freedom he had with most of the adults preoccupied with the war, he was eager to see the army return in the glory they left in. He then joined his parents in their coach and soon they off towards the city walls.

“Your grandmother’s claim was sufficient to claim Brunswick itself.” said Friedrich II, largely ignoring his son, “What’s more, Cologne and Bremen smell blood in the water, and have occupied Brunswick’s remaining land, claiming it for themselves. They can no longer be considered rivals.”

“Splendid.” Replied Catherine. “And what of Magdeburg?

“Anhalt was given to them, as promised.”

“Not only have we restored Neumark to Brandenburg we have secured a very strategic fort in Brunswick.”

“And Saxony? The alliance did break with them over this.”

“It should not affect relations too much. Our diplomats report that they still maintain largely a positive regard for us.”

Friedrich looked towards his son, “Albrecht, you will inherit a stronger duchy than the one I did. Be sure to always defend it and ensure your own son will inherit a stronger one still.”

“I will, father.”

Eventually, the carriage reached the outskirts of Berlin and pulled up next to a platform. The advisors and other officials had already arrived. Albrecht Christian payed them no mind and quickly strode up the steps to look upon the army. There were fewer of them than had departed, and they were dirty and exhausted. None of them beamed like they did when they marched off, but all seemed glad to finally be home.

His father started congratulating the soldiers on their victory, mentioning the heroic feats that happened in some of the battles. With each cheer from the crowd of troops and civilians, Albrecht felt pride. He looked towards his parents, then the advisors, then over to General Zitzwitz. He noticed the general was not cheering as enthusiastically than the others, and looked as if his thoughts were elsewhere. When his father described how Neumark had been reclaimed from the evil Teutons, Zitzwitz slunk, and Albrecht wondered why he would find that glorious victory sad.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 3 – Spark of War

September 1468



Georg Munchov bowed before the casket of Friedrich II, leaning on his cane. An old injury from falling off his horse had flared up in recent years, but it would not stop him from paying respect to his late Prince, and his friend.

He moved to the back of the room and found his place next to Siegmund von Quitzow.

“There are only two of us left now,” he said.

“Yes,” replied von Quitzow, adjusting his expenisve Venetian spectacles he aquired just a few years ago. Neither of them were young anymore. “But we have prepared for this eventuality. Albretcht Christian will inherit our plans for Brandenburg as well the seat of power.”

Munchov started at the casket. “The soldiers do love him, and he is a natural general. A great fighter, and the people are in awe of him. But he is...” Munchov paused.

“...a buffoon, yes. Rude. Cruel. Tactless. Impulsive.” Finished von Quitzow. “I know your opinion of him, old friend. He does have some tactical genius though, you said it to me yourself. He takes little interest the finer details of administration, true, but he is easily led. If Ladislaus can dance for the Hapsbergs, surely Albrecht will dance for me. Remember, Ladislaus Posthumous himself must fill a casket too one day. The Electorate of Brandenburg must prevail, it’s bigger than any of our lives.”

“Which makes the succession most important.”

“If Saxony agrees to the marriage proposal, that will not be a problem. It may secure their vote as well. Mainz will still support us and Cologne might be amicable.”

“Still, the electorate is bigger than any one family even. There must be assurances...”

“I will draw the paperwork up and bury it in some other decree, Albrecht does not read the fine print.” He glanced briefly at the young, handsome prince paying his respects to his father.

“Be careful with him. We enjoyed this long peace because Friedrich heeded our advice. Albrecht is not as thoughtful. Should he become a problem...”

“Our prince is a glory-seeker, Georg. You know what hazards befall that type. We pray for his long life, but war is dangerous...”

February 1470



Johann Siegmund Zitzwitz sighed as he surveyed the battlefield. There were about equal casualties among the infantry between the two sides, but the Brandenburg cavalry had managed to deal significantly more damage than they received. The Nuremburgers were in full retreat, still a significant force, but the siege of Landshut had been lifted. When the Bavarian forces, still a few days behind, finally caught up they would see that once again they owed Brandenburg.

Brandenburg had come to the aid of Bavaria when the Palatinate attempted a land grab. The young prince Albrecht Christian I had talked openly about attacking this neighbor or the other, but no plans had really formed. But when the call-to-arms came, the prince wasted no time marshalling his forces to find the glory he sought.

Zitzwitz had seen many reactions from men at their first battles. Some would freeze up, others panic and fire their muskets wildly, others would maintain formation but be unable to shoot, others would discover an inner resiliency under fire and others would discover an inner cruelty. And others...

The prince galloped his horse in the direction of the fleeing troops, fired a pistol shoot that had no chance of hitting, and, laughing, spun about and ran his horse back through the corpses. Others sometimes lost their minds.

Eventually, Albrecht Christian I got bored and rode up the hill were Zitzwitz was surveying the scene.

“Why so glum, General?” asked the Prince, “Had to betray a respected foe again? Too much gore for your stomach? Not enough for me, I say!”

Resisting the urge to sigh, Zitzwitz regretted that he confided in the Prince his personal concerns years ago. Albrecht Christian I was not the sort of man to forget any one’s weakness, not the sort to pass on any opportunities to mock someone.

“This is only the beginning, my Prince.”

“I should hope so.”

“The Nuernbergers will retreat and regroup. As soon as the Bavarians arrive, we should take the fight to the Palatinate.”

Albrecht Christian rose an eyebrow. Zitzwitz would not dare to order his Prince around, but despite the bullying he knew his tactical insight was respected by the younger man.

“I’ll give you credit where it’s due, General. You were right, you were able to make an opening for my troops.”

“They’re all your troops, my Prince. I’m just glad you are quickly learning the arts of war. Not many princes take the field themselves, as most are better served at the capital, but you have potential.”

“Potential to even replace you?”

“I serve at your command.”

“But I cannot replace you. Even if you get sick after a battle.” The Prince laughed. “I know you. You didn’t think I’d be capable to lead that detachment.”

Zitzwitz finally allowed himself to sigh. “You did surprise me. If you weren’t my lord I would promote you. Distinction in battle should be rewarded.”

“You know what? I agree. Let’s promote someone else in my place.”

“What do you mean?”

“HANS! Yelled the Prince, ignoring his general.

“Yes, my Prince?” asked a tall, blond soldier from Albrecht’s retinue who was nursing a head wound.

“I saw how you fought on after your horse was killed from under you. It was an inspiring sight, would you agree, General?”

“Very inspiring” said Zitzwitz, who did not see it.

“In fact, the General agrees that you should be promoted to Lieutenant.”

Zitzwitz kept his face stoic. It was the Prince’s prerogative. “Congratulations, Lieutenant...Hans was it?”

February 1477

They had come, one after another, thinking to strike down Bavaria while she was wounded. First the Palatinate, with Nuremburg in tow. Then Bohemia dragged Luneburg and Memmingen into a futile effort retake some provinces. Finally, Salzburg decided to strike in the back while being supported by Austria.

Despite the drain on lives and treasure, Bavaria’s allies of Ravensburg, Mainz and Brandenburg held fast and each time beat the invaders back. The might of the Palatinate, Bohemia and Austria, were all held in check. The Empire was on notice; Brandenburg had arrived as a regional power, and Albrecht Christian I made sure everyone knew it.

The Bavarians were generous, despite the winter weather and the devastation that wrecked their lands after 8 years of war. They had to be, they owed Brandenburg big. They feasted the princes who had joined them in battle time and again. Careful of how much he drank, Albrecht slipped away from the celebration and went to wander the halls. As much as he loved the thrill of battle, he hadn’t been home in ages, and his children were growing without him.

An old man slowly arrived and was walking next to him before he knew it.

“I fine speech back there, Elector.”

Albrecht frowned. It was the Elector of Mainz. “What do you want, old man?”

“I just wish to congratulate your performance against Austria. I have read many reports on your exploits in the field, and you have outperformed your father.”

Albrecht did not trust him. “And?”

“Years ago, I swore to your father that I would support Brandenburg in the next Imperial election. I will be frank...you are not a likeable man.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“But your leadership and Brandenburg’s martial skill have proven their superiority. I will support you.”

“And who else? My father was embarrassed at the ‘46 election. I need more votes than two.”

“You might be surprised. A weakened Austria creates many opportunities. Farewell.” Said the Elector of Mainz as he slipped away.

“No more of this slinking around! That’s what got my uncle killed! Support me openly, if you dare!” Albrecht told the darkness. But the old man was gone.

 

[jscaco]

(Note on some of my screenshots – in some of the previous cases I cut-and-pasted relevant information from more than one screenshot into one for some of the images provided, particularly if the events are related. In all cases the relevant dates have been tacked on too. Now on with the narrative...)


Chapter 4 – Primus Inter Pares


July 1480


Albrecht Christian ran through the woods outside Berlin, managing to keep up with the men he was drilling. Old general Zitzwitz was bedridden, leaving Albrecht to drill the troops personally, a task that he had preferred.

Making the Brandenburg forces specialize in combat in forested regions had been his idea, as much of Northern Germany was. He always felt better in the army, and let his advisors manage the internal affairs of the kingdom. The last few years had been peaceful, with the city of Berlin growing. A new era of arts and science had begun, and while Albrecht did not understand it, he was glad that Brandenburg would be in good hands in the future.

He had missed most of his son’s childhood while on the Bavarian campaigns, but Johann Georg was now a young man of 13, and one to make his father proud. He had listened and observed the elderly advisors left over from Friedrich II’s rule, but also enjoyed hunting and inspecting the army and other manly pursuits. He was glad to see his son Johann Georg grow to be a lad capable of handling the challenges of both state and warcraft in this new age.

He leapt over a log, crouched behind a boulder, loaded a crossbow and fired at one of the dummies on the other side of the clearing. Hundreds more flew from nearby trees and other sources of cover as his men fired their bolts, most of them striking one of the dozen dummies lined up, and they started running towards the next set of targets.

Giving encouraging waves to the troops closest, he used the pause an excuse to catch his breath. Maybe he can’t keep up with the troops as easily anymore. He was only 29, but older people he knew kept dying. Zitzwitz himself probably won’t last the winter. It seemed the new recruits were getting younger every year, and his wife was pregnant with their next child. He was truly in the prime of his life.

He decided to wait for the last of the drilling troops to fire their crossbows and pass by. While more of the other nations in Europe were adopting firearms at a larger scale, they were too loud and accident-prone for the sort of forested stealth warfare he had in mind. The last person to approach him was not one of the fighting men, however, but a messenger. A messenger bearing a letter sealed with the spoked wheel of Mainz.

July 1482

This whole expedition was a waste of time and manpower. Brandenburg had performed admirably, in Albrecht Christian I’s opinion, but his allies were not as resolute. The Palatinate, aided by Ansbach and Nuremburg, had decided to take out the elector of Mainz in an attempt to take them out before the Emperor died and the next election came up. Zitzwitz did not survive long after the declaration of war, so Albrecht lead the army himself. He did well enough in the battles he participated in, and even took a short detour to help Bavaria repel an ambitious Augsburg backed by Austria. Augsburg agreed to a white peace and ended the conflict after only a brief occupation.

During this time, Mainz’s other ally, Wurttemberg, found itself consumed by the Palatinate and, while Brandenburg troops were rushing to the rescue and trying to expel the occupying forces, the Elector of Mainz had died and the new one was quick to surrender for war reparations. The cowardly lad probably thought that he was lucky to still have a province to his name and was thankful to Albrecht, but if he had held on a bit longer he would have been able to keep his money too.

While away on this extended campaign, he once again missed the birth of a child. He was wasting resources and manpower that could have been spent on an offensive move against Bohemia, or perhaps Pomerania to gain ocean access, or even Poland. The alliance network in the HRE was being shaken up, and somehow he felt that the Hapsburgs were aware of Brandenburg’s political moves and elector alliances. Mainz, Cologne and Saxony all were telling his diplomats that Brandenburg could rely upon their support, but he did not trust them.

Sighing, he resumed marching his army home...

June 1484



Of course the Palatinate weren’t the only ones who wanted to take Mainz down a peg. This time Nassau thought to make a play, backed by the elector Trier and free city of Frankfurt. Once again Brandenburg marched to defend an ally. The siege of Nassau was proceeding well, but not as fast as the countersiege in Mainz itself. Albrecht Christian I may have to abandon his efforts here at some point.

He missed his son, who was growing to be an excellent heir, and his young daughter, Magdalena, who had his eyes and inspired a softness that he did not know resided in his heart. It was tough running a kingdom and a war at the same time; he recently got a long-delayed message from the king of Poland, for example, threatening Brandenburg if they expanded in his vicinity, and word had reached him about new workshops being developed to increase domestic production.

Lifting his attention from the camp, he noticed a trail of dust approaching down the road. Only large enough for a single horse, and moving rapidly towards the camp. Most like a messenger, and he wondered what tidings this new messenger brought him. Was it too much to hope for Nassau to be offering peace already?

As the messenger neared, something seemed off. He dismounted his horse, then approached Albrecht to where he stood, surrounded by his officers.

“Are you Albrecht Christian I von Hohenzollern, the Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg?”

“I am.”

“It is my duty,” said the messenger, presenting a scroll as he decended to his knees, “to report the death of the EmperorLadislaus I, may God have mercy on his soul. And, to present the results of the wishes of the Electorate...”

The messengers’ throat seemed dry, and when Albrecht read the scroll he too found himself too struggling for words. It seemed Mainz and Cologne had remained loyal after all. Saxony would up going for the Austrian candidate, but it was close. He never thought that rival Bohemia would support him, nor that current war enemy Trier or former war enemy Palatinate would, but he was shocked that they did not support Austria and would up splitting the vote.

“...that Albrecht Christian I be Emperor-Elect of the Romans.”

For once, Albrecht felt as if he could rely upon his allies, and that all of his effort had paid off.

“You may rise,” he told the messenger

“All hail Emperor Albrecht Christian!” hollered Major Hans, and the rest of the officers repeated.

“I should point out, however, that you are not the Emperor in name until the Pope crowns you in Rome.”

Albrecht was incensed. “Rome? I’m in the middle of a war here, I can’t travel to Rome. And if I could, the breakaway Italians are too hostile to risk the journey.”

“His Holiness has planned for this, Emperor-Elect,” said the messenger, producing another message, this one with the papal seal. “You shall have all the rights, responsibilities, privileges and honor of the Emperor of the Romans, save the title. You shall be referred to formally as Emperor-Elect of the Romans, otherwise it will be exactly as if His Holiness crowned you himself.”

“That is the smartest idea His Holiness has ever had. Do give him the regards and thanks of the Emperor-Elect.”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 5 – Buried Steel


September 1487


Although he only heard about it from correspondence from his father and the other military officers in the field, Johann Georg followed the war closely. An attempt to lift the siege of Mainz in the summer of 1484 led to a horrible defeat as Brandenburg wound up fighting more reinforcements than anticipated, and Colonel Hans was killed.

Things were looking up in the spring of 1486 as the invading Trier troops were repelled at Brunswick. His father, the Holy Roman Emperor-(elect) Albrecht Christian I himself took the field personally and was right in the thick of the fighting and demonstrated his personal hardiness so much that people started calling him “the Steel”, echoing the nickname of his father before him, Friedrich II “the Iron.” After reading the reports of the battle, Johann noted that it seemed that success had as much to do with the location of the battle than anything else; Brunswick would be a fine location to entrap an enemy.

Johann Georg was always looking for lessons to be learned. His father was certainly instructive in military matters, even from a distance. But as far as the management of a government or diplomatic tact went, his father was a best example of what notto do.

In fact, Johann George was actually more or less running the domestic policy of Brandenburg while his father was away. He had listened to the advisors on the art of statecraft, and was able to pick up some the slack personally as tight budgets forced a reduction in advisory staff. And, while he did not share his father’s love of the military life, Johann had started inspecting the fresh troops and ensuring that they had the best drill instructors. He was not sure if he was the most qualified to be engaged with the military to that degree, but it seemed to make him popular with the soldiers and the civilian population alike and he had heard of no complaints from his father or any of the other generals.

The most recent report from the field was that the mutual war exhaustion induced Nassau to agree to a white peace with Brandenburg, although that meant abandoning Mainz to the mercy of their rivals. There is no doubt that peace would be celebrated throughout Brandenburg as their sons and fathers returned home, but this time they were returning with an Emperor.

The crown had arrived in Berlin, reluctantly but dutifully handed over by Austria at the Pope’s demand. Despite the Pope sending his blessings, he himself would not personally be able to crown him due to frictions between the Italian and German portions of the empire. But would the Electors keep the crown in Brandenburg if Mainz got eliminated?

Johann spun his wedding ring with the forefinger and thumb. Unfortunately, the Emperor Elect would not get to meet his daughter-in-law. Resulting from a long-ago marriage proposal, she had come to Berlin a few years ago once the two were of age. Unfortunately, she was not happy in the city, and soon grew ill. After a few months, she died and was quickly forgotten by most of the rest of Brandenburg as just another death during a time of war. Sometimes Johann thought he was the only one who cared she was gone. He did not know if he loved her, nor did he think he wanted to marry ever again.

Albrecht Christian “the Steel” would at least get to meet little Magdelena, now six years old. She was definitely the heart of the palace, bringing cheer to nobles and servants alike as she ran down the halls. Those who knew him say that she was very similar to their father in many respects. Johann was inspired by some of those similarities, but others he found concerning.

August 1488



Albrecht Christian I smiled pleasantly at the news from the courier. “Excellent. Now we just have to hope Bavaria keeps to their end of the bargain.” Mainz had been a liability and he did not miss it once it was overrun, but there were still some powers in the Holy Roman Empire that recognized the value of loyalty. Bavaria had accepted the electorate in Mianz’s place.

The electorate appeared secure, with Saxony, Trier, Cologne and now Bavaria making up a formidable voting bloc. Albrecht did not fool himself; he knew that his son was more beloved than he was, this feat was Johann Georg’s work as much as it was Albrecht’s in the battlefield. The new alliance with Denmark, for instance, was his idea.

“Now if only those short-sighted princes would stop invading each other and seizing territory unlawfully, only to scoff at me when I tell them to return it. I don’t have a lot of power as Emperor, but it seems I should get some respect from those pri...”

He noticed Madgelena listening from the doorway. “...er um.” He stuttered, cutting the profanity off.

“Why are you mad at the princes, father?” she asked.

Albrecht sat down, groaning from the wound that he took at the battle of Brunswick.

“Oh, they all just want each others’ land...of course, we want some of their land, too. But I wish they would at least pretend that they answer to me! It’s so frustrating dealing with them, and I don’t care who knows it!”

“Just smack them!”

“Ha ha ha! I smacked some of them around a bit, back in the day. It was grand campaigning, but only now do I realize how much I missed by being out in the field. Your brother grew up without me, I won’t make the same mistake with you.”

“Yes, father.”

June 1489



Magdelena tried to keep from crying too much during her brother Johann Georg’s coronation ceremony. Despite his promises to spend more time with her, he had gone out to visit the army camp and help the soldiers drill. She wasn’t too mad that he left because the army made him happy and running the country was hard, but she was mad at him for dying in the camp. They said it was dysentery.

And now Johann was Emperor. She was happy for him, but she was also jealous of all the attention he was getting. All the strange nobles who had come to Berlin to attend the ceremony fawned over him, but several of them were interested in Magdalena as well. She did not like their questions, prying about her age and her mother’s lineage and who she might fancy on marrying someday. They did not bother Johann with those questions.

Johann knelt before the bishop, who was holding the crown that Father never wore. Johann had told her that it was important for traditions to be upheld, even if the pope wasn’t going to leave Italy.

He also told her that she would be his heir for Brandenburg, but she could not be the heir for the Emperorship because she was a girl. Magdelena thought that was unfair.

“Long live Emperor Johann George I von Hohenzollern!” cheered the crowd, but Magdelena could not help but imagine them cheering for her someday.

 

[jscaco]

(There are actually very few screenshots for the early years of Johann Gerog I's reign, so we are going to move rapidly through those years)

Chapter 6 - Fractures

June 1497


Johann Georg I slowly dipped the quill into the ink as he stared at the document in front of him. To his left, representatives from the invading armies. The prince of Salzburg was giddy about the proposal but seemed impatient to return to field. The representative of the free city of Ulm had an overly proud air to him, almost as if he helped defeat the armies of the Emperor. The elector of Saxony, bound to Brandenburg through old family ties but recently was sometimes and ally and sometimes a foe, refused to meet his eye. But Johann knew that the fourth diplomat, a minor Hapsburg, from Austria was the one who had the most to gain from this document and was the real threat.

He looked to his right. It was hard to read the expression on General Arnswald’s face, as usual. The general was not one for flinching. During the long, five-year war that resulted when Poland tried to dislodge Brandenburg’s new Danish allies from the Baltic in the early 1490s, he gained renown when he lifted the siege of Berlin from the Lithuanian army. It would ultimately be a victory for the Danes and Brandenburg, but to Johann’s chagrin no land was part of the deal, and Poland was even closer to Brandenburg as they managed to cut off a slice of Pomerania in a different war they were engaged with on the side. Next to him, General Humpis was also avoiding the Emperor’s eye. He had recently lost the battle of Erz against the advancing enemy forces and had led them to back to Berlin with his broken army. He was suitably ashamed, but it was not his fault he was outnumbered.

The chair that would have been occupied by the Elector of Bavaria was empty. Johann had known it would have been tough to honor the alliance with Bavaria, because this time their enemies were too numerous. In the end, Bavaria was not able to muster enough allies to save them, and Johann had the well-being of his own people to think about now. It was understandable that the Bavarians were not interested in sticking around, but they should have been glad that Brandenburg was able to provide what help they could. If they knew the sacrifice Brandenburg was about to make, would they have been supportive? He doubted it.

In the next two chairs were seated two up-and-coming army officers who were attending this meeting in their capacity as the two generals’ aide-de-camps. Georg Wilhelm von Stille was watching the enemy delegation intently. But the other young officer, Johann Friedrich von Anhalt-Dessau, seemed more interested in the whispered conversation he was having with Princess Magdalena. Anhalt-Dessau was a promising soldier, but he had a bit of a reputation among the ladies of the court. Magdalena was of an age where she was aware of the attention men gave her and was starting to learn how to capitalize on that attention, but Johann worried she was still young enough to be charmed by charismatic rouge.

Magdalena eventually noticed that Johann was watching her, and she quickly brushed Anhalt-Dessau’s hand aside and indicated that they should direct their attention towards the signing ceremony. Johann briefly made a mental note to keep an eye on those two. It was past time he found a royal match for Magdalena, but he was hesitant to ship her off while she remained his legal heir.

He held the quill over the parchment. Enacting this law would roll-back protections that made construction and development cheaper across the empire and would the Emperor’s ability to recover Imperial territory. The fact that it would hurt everyone but hurt Brandenburg slightly more was likely the only reason the Hapsburgs were promoting this.

After a pause that was just long enough for some of the nobles standing in the back of the room to get uncomfortable, Johann Georg I swiftly signed his name to the document. With one flourish of a quill, he had reached peace, assured the safety of his people and integrity of the national infrastructure, and revoked the Reichsreform measures that Austria had so readily supported decades ago but now considered a liability now that they were not in charge. He wondered if the Holy Roman Empire would ever be strong again, or if it was fated to slowly break apart.

January 1512


General Johann Friedrich von Anhalt-Dessau surveyed the land around him from the top of the fortress in Kolberg. The land was covered in snow, but the Baltic sea was open and the ports were already starting to build the first vessels in the Brandenburg navy.

It had been a tempestuous fifteen years since he first got involved with the princess Magdalena. He had thought it would have been an interesting challenge to seduce her while the Emperor Johann Georg I was distracted by the shame of the Hapsburg’s demand. It was a thrilling affair, but they eventually were caught by a maid. To save face, a marriage was quickly arranged, and Anhalt-Dessau was given an appropriate noble title. When he had wondered if the title came with any lands, the Emperor just told him that he expected his general to help him win them.

However, Poland had been warning Brandenburg not to engage in any offensive wars of expansion, and Johann Georg I had been far too willing to come to the aid of allies in distress. Coming to the aid of Bavaria had not only led to the Reichsreform repeal in 1497, but Ansbach’s attempt to claim part of Bavaria in 1507 only led to the Emperor paying war reparations and finally ending the relationship with Bavaria for good. Now Bavaria was an angry elector down to one province, surrounded by hungry neighbors.

The Emperor was extremely knowledgeable on military training and strategy, it was true. However, his knowledge base was mainly theoretical and had little to do with realities in the field. The mixed military record during in reign so far was proof of that. Brandenburg was slow to adapt to the latest technologies that other powers in Europe were taking up, and each successive defeat drained the nation’s manpower and resources. A noble rebellion was put down, but victories were few, and budget cuts meant that troops could not be drilled in peacetime.

With the thrill of the affair gone, Anhalt-Dessau had drifted apart from his wife, much to the Emperor’s disappointment. He had been hoping for a nephew that would suffice as an heir as he himself refused to marry again. Marriages were arranged for some distant cousins and godchildren, but Johann Georg himself probably thought he was too important for the daughters of his allies within the HRE.

He tapped the damaged crenellations he was standing behind; this particular fortress had not been too difficult to capture. Anhalt-Dessau had spent the intervening years developing and practicing siege tactics, as well as learning how to be more discrete with his trysts with camp followers. He did not care what Magdalena got up to, but if she had been engaged in any affairs of her own she had learned to be discrete as well.

Finally, Poland tried again to take Goldingen again and Brandenburg answered the call, with Johann Georg’s rescuer complex once again causing him to summon the troops. Anhalt-Dessau spent much of the war on the front lines, trying to control west Poland and crushing the army lead personally by the Polish king Stainslaw II von Hapsburg at Neumark before moving into the Pomeranian territories that Poland had taken off them in 1493 while Brandenburg was tied down in one of the Bavarian defensive wars. This time, however, some deft diplomacy at the end of the war allowed Brandenburg to escape with a positive separate peace for a change, and Brandenburg finally attained sea access.

December 1515


Magdalena normally resisted when her brother tried to drag her into assisting with the government of the realm, but she had to admit that he knew how to throw a Christmas party. The annual celebration in Berlin had grown over the years to the point that very few imperial princes or foreign diplomats would miss it, and it was often the place where the last unofficial diplomatic business of the year would be wrapped up. Smiling politely, she took her husband’s hand and entered the ballroom, trying not to make eye contact with the doorman as he announced them. To the doorman’s credit, he remained professional as the couple walked pass. The young man sometimes suspected that her husband knew about their relationship, but Magdalena knew it was a marriage of convenience and that the general was as faithful as she was.

She nodded at a noblewoman from Pomerania as she walked by and received a polite if icy curtsy. They were a little testy after Brandenburg liberated the imperial territory that they had lost, and Johann Georg I had wisely determined that Brandenburg should hold onto the territory for now to ensure its security. Pomerania was not happy about this arrangement, but there was little they could do.

An even icier reception was given from the diplomat from the Palatinate, but the reason was understandable. After their success beating Brandenburg in recent years, the Palatinate had recruited their allies Salzburg (who had just finished off Bavaria), Ansbach and a resurrected Mainz for their attempt to conquer Trier. Brandenburg and Frankfurt had come to Trier’s aid and managed to successfully repel the attack. She approved that Johann Georg I employed some of the separate peace deals that he was starting to become known for. Mainz was the first to capitulate last year, and word had just returned from the Palatinate that they had accepted Brandenburg’s latest proposal; a province was given to Trier and Nassau was liberated. Trier themselves had yet to lay down their arms, but hopefully the Palatinate was put in check.

A conversation with the Elector of Trier and his wife was more congratulatory; although they wished they could have controlled the peace deal there wasn’t much to complain about in the result. The Elector of Friesland, who had been appointed to fill Bavaria’s place, was well in his cups and was extremely glad to talk to them, the rush of joining the inner circle not yet having worn off.

An hour later, Johann Georg I finally made an entrance. His meeting with the Silesian ambassador had gone late. Border friction was an ongoing issue and Silesia no doubt wanted to dispute the validity of the legal basis for some of the claims. However, Magdalena grew concerned when she noticed that the Silesian was not present.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 7 – Storm from the North


December 1520


General Anhalt-Dessau kept pace with the engineer, dodging around soldiers as they proceeded down the siege trench at the base of the fortress of Ratibor. The night crews mining towards the keep had come upon an obstruction and stalled, they were left exposed to musketfire at dawn. He gave his full attention to siege techniques and wanted to inspect the area personally.

It had been a busy five years since the Christmas party where the Silesian ambassador walked out. Silesia had thought of itself as a rival to Brandenburg, and once Johann Georg I demanded the province of Glogau war was inevitable. Anhalt-Dessau approved of the decision; if Brandenburg would be respected as the Imperial nation the princes must fear its wrath. Johann George was constantly improving diplomatic relations with as many of the princes as possible, but a handful would be at cross-purposes with Brandenburg’s need to control the land necessary to be strong enough to defend the Empire.

Friesland, eager to demonstrate their usefulness, and fickle Saxony would be Brandenburg’s partners for this operation. They were well-situated to take on Silesia’s allies, while Anhalt-Dessau lead the main force up Glogau and then on to the fortress.

However, back in Brandenburg the nobles were growing restless about how the recent Imperial ambitions of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Relations with those electors who were not openly hostile were great, but disunity continued to rein and Brandenburg’s enemies still thought to tear down the electors. Johann Georg I dreamed of being powerful enough to reinstate Reichsreform. In order to achieve this, he had decided to use what Imperial Authority he did have to ensure that the crown would be able legally to pass to Magdelena, and the decree of Pragmatic Succession was passed.

Anhalt-Dessau was smart enough to keep relations with his wife cordial if icy; being on extended military campaigns were good for that at least. Magdelena was still in her thirties; they could still at least have a child to cement their power. And if not, after Johann Georg was gone, he could get rid of her.

He approached where the crew was pinned down; Sileasian musketeer marksmen had positioned themselves and were taking shots at the men down below. He ordered some cannons to be brought forward, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy got their own cannons in position...

A blast, followed by a cloud of dirt and debits as a cannonball blasted the ground just short of the recently excavated trench. Men were yelling and scrambling over each other. He staggered to his feet just to see the corpse of the engineer he had been following before the dust cloud blew over him. Then he heard a second blast and saw no more...

May 1522


Johann Georg I and Magdalena sat and listened to General Georg Wilhelm von Stille describe the results of the Silesian invasion. The siege of the capital and the remainder of the provinces after the death of General Anhalt-Dessau proceeded to completion, though not as fast as if von Stille’s counterpart was still alive. Glogau was now part of Brandenburg, a decent treasure and tribute was demanded, and the threat of Silesia was reduced.

Johann Georg I was concerned about reports of heretical protestant and reformed preachers gaining popularity in Poland and Scandinavia. There were even reports of some of the soldiers in the most recent campaign starting to espouse some of these new heresies. von Stille did not believe it was a matter of importance. Either way, there was little he could do about it other than keep the Papacy informed and prosecute what cases there were that applied to the De Heretico Comburendo Act that his father had signed into law many decades ago.

After the general left, Magdalena turned towards her brother.

“That was well done. We should deal with Pomerania next.”

Johann, shuffling the papers around, raised a skeptical eyebrow. “So soon? General von Stille hasn’t even had a chance to take his boots off.”

“We have the manpower and the momentum. The Pomeranian separatists in the area we freed from Poland are getting feisty.”

“You mean Kolberg? Your own county seat? Your late husband’s seat, who you talked me into promoting?”

Magdalena scoffed. “You said he was one of your best men many times.”

“I did. His siege ability was second to none. But I thought you would be more fond of him.”

“Not everyone can mourn for thirty-five years.”

“You aren’t getting any younger either. You are still my heir, but who will follow you?”

“You let me worry about that” said Magdalena as she stood up and headed towards the door.

Johann frowned. “You are still assuming that you will follow me.”

“There’s no one else. We agreed when you passed Pragmatic Sanction that I would follow you. You told me all the reasons you could not marry any of the eligible noblewomen we knew.”

“That aside, we need to be careful about folding the Pomeranians into our realm. We need to accept them as full cultural partners. You just think of leadership as strong armies and fancy parties, but there are actual difficulties of administrating land to worry about, and you are as disinterested in those matters as father was.”

Magdalena stopped at the doorway. “He seemed to get results.” She said before leaving the room.

Johann wondered what he was going to do with her. He didn’t want to marry her to another one of her playthings, but at least she wasn’t flaunting her indiscretions anymore. Sighing to himself, he briefly considered the silver ring that he had worn for many years. It was time to address the next item on the day’s agenda, and it would be better for Magdalena to not be present. He rang a bell and when the page arrived, Johann Georg I instructed him to show the mysterious Danish courier in.

August 1525

Magdalena could not believe that her brother was getting married again, even though she had known this day was coming. Dorothea von Wittelsbach of Denmark was a bookish and industrious 23-year old who had made it out of Denmark just in time for an ugly succession war to break out between her brothers. Magdalena respected Dorothea’s intelligence and skill in maneuvering out of that situation and into the arms of the Emperor. And Magdalena recognized her for the threat she was.

Johann Georg deserved to have some happiness, she supposed, but he was uncharacteristically blind to growing discontent amongst the nobility. At least good news was coming in from Pomerania; the area was currently under occupation by the new general, Knoblesdorf. Although there were reports of Pomeranians on the verge of revolt within Brandenburg, the occupation was not a significant drain on the nation’s resources. Pomerania had advantage on the sea, though, but they could not entirely block her dear port of Kolberg.

The new theologian, she could not remember his name, was slowly reciting the familiar rites. The man had been in a fervor recently, the majority of the citizens in the new province of Glogau had come under the sway of the Reformed heresy.

“Speak now, or forever hold your peace...”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 8 - Subterfuge


June 1528

It had taken five years, but Pomerania was fully annexed, and with a relatively low loss of life. Although it was getting harder for him to stand for long periods of time, Johann Georg I was able to address the victorious army as he had witnessed his father do after every campaign. The soldiers would not remain long; they were going to head down to Glogau, where Silesian separatists were preparing to rally and if the army arrived in time they might catch them by surprise.

It was a rainy day, but Magdalena, Dorothea and all the rest of the court were willing to make the trip out to the camp. Brandenburg was now of a size comparable to Austria and Bohemia, the other major powers in the Holy Roman Empire. Aside from a tentacle of Bohemia which was uncomfortably close to Berlin itself, Johann Georg I was satisfied with Brandenburg growth within the Empire. Magdalena should be satisfied that, with the annexation of Pomerania, the other princes were on notice that despite his kind words and intention, Johann Georg was not afraid to take out any princes who stood in his way. He would prefer an empire that was peaceful internally and was working constantly to improve relations with the princes, but now Brandenburg was in a stronger position.

It was to the east that he looked now. If he could acquire a bit more of the Baltic coast, he was sure that he could set up Brandenburg for success for years to come. This was complicated by the fact that Dorothea’s brother, Peter I of Denmark, controlled those provinces. Peter I was not the brother Dorothea preferred to have won the Danish succession war; he had recently annexed Norway and was growing in power. Brandenburg was also still allied to Denmark as a check against the other power contesting for control of the region, Poland. Despite recent gains, Brandenburg was weaker than both powers and had no clear path to victory.

Johann Georg also sent agents to Hungary. Blocking a potential Austrio-Hungarian union was considered as a decent way to weaken Hapsburg power. Hungary had already started to fragment, and Johann Georg’s agents had identified Croatian separatists who would not need much additional funding while they waited to attempt their own independence operation. He was hoping that these clandestine tactics would lead to more success than straightforward warfare. Although the army may ultimately be needed to assist these rebel allies, indirect methods just might be the way forward.



June 1533

It seemed that all of Brandenburg was celebrating the birth of little Albrecht. Magdalena was not. She knew that she should be happy, that there would be security for her family holding the electorate of Brandenburg and the Imperial title.

Yet for decades she had been her brother’s heir. She sat at this right side, provided what advice and assistance was required. Johann Georg I had spent valuable political capital to ensure that the electors would support her to succeed him as the HRE’s first female emperor. Ironic, given that the HRE came about from the refusal of the Western empire to accept Irene as Emperor in Byzantium. That was centuries ago, these were more enlightened times.

Perhaps she may one day select young Albrecht to follow her once she was in charge. But long ago Magdalena had decided that nobody would stop her from succeeding her brother. Not the old men of the electorate who had to be cajoled into supporting Pragmatic Sanction. Not the young power player from Denmark who sought to replace her. Not her own brother, with his plans for Brandenburg after he was gone (what was that about a parliament to delegate legal drafting powers to several of the leading nobles? Preposterous!). And certainly not a new nephew.



June 1540

Dorothea was reexamining the latest intelligence reports in her husband’s office while he was meeting with the new quartermaster, Joachim Nestor Briesen, to discuss the most efficient way to get fresh troops to the front lines.

It was only just last year that four years of struggle in Poland had reached its end. Poland had made a play for Danzig, trying to wrest it from Danish control. She never thought that she would be working with her brother Peter I, again. It was a vicious conflict, with the Polish forces in particular suffering grave losses. However, Johann Georg eventually concluded that the conflict was no longer worth the cost and negotiated a separate peace. Poland was glad to accept Brandenburg only “giving up” it’s claims within Polish territory; however agents were already at work reestablishing them.

Another reason to exit the conflict was that Croatia was finally ready to break away from Hungary and had declared war; the Brandenburg army was quickly redeployed. The Hungarians proved to be far inferior opponents than the Polish, and quickly surrendered once the Ottomans jumped on them. Croatia was now independent and grateful, but with the Ottomans aggressively working their way through the small nations in their vicinity Dorothea had to wonder how long that would last.

Denmark had capitulated to Poland not long after Brandenburg left the war; Danzig was returned to Poland but nothing else. Both larger kingdoms held land that Johann Georg had determined was necessary for one of his plans, the formation of a kingdom either in or of Prussia. Dorothea did not care which preposition was ultimately used, but she was glad to do her part to contribute to an up-and-coming dynasty like the von Hohenzollerns; little Albrecht would have big shoes to fill but a strong duchy and empire to inherit. Albrecht was currently with his aunt in Kolberg inspecting the condition of her property there after being on the front lines. She was hesitant to let him go, but Johann Georg wanted her son to see all corners of Brandenburg as he grew up, and besides, hadn’t see said she needed a break repeatedly recently?

In truth, there was no denying the Holy Roman Emperor, especially when Magdalena had applied her influence, and there was little rest to be had in any case. Not long after the armies had arrived in Hungary did word reach Brandenburg that Sweden had started their own independence war. This time, powers from all across Europe were intervening on both sides, so there wasn’t as much urgency, but she was eager to see Peter I embarrassed, she did not want to see Denmark lose control of Sweden. Also, she hoped the war would bring Albrecht and Magdalena back to the capital, as Kolberg was too close to Denmark for comfort.

One of the palace secretaries appeared in the doorway, “My Empress, I hate to interrupt, but a courier just arrived. There is a priority message, for your eyes only.” He said as he handed over a sealed piece of paper.

Dorothea accepted the message, and once the secretary had left the room, read it and her world turned upside down.


Edit 5/24 - Several references to the upcoming Swedish Civil War were inaccurate and have been corrected

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 9 - Independence


August 1540

“It would appear to be at least two armies,” reported the recruiter Joachim Nestor Briesen, “A larger force of twenty thousand and a satellite force of six thousand, but it is sticking close to the main army.”

“The fortress at Brunswick has been great place to trap armies before. We’ll ride out as soon as the forces are assembled.” said Johann Georg I as he struggled to climb unto his horse. He was still physically active at 71, but he had his limits.

“Are you still planning on riding out yourself, Emperor?” asked the lord of Potsdam, von Gersdorf. The man was a useful political ally, one of the aristocrats that was most supportive of Johann Georg’s proposed parliament, but the man and his family were notoriously corrupt.

“There isn’t anyone else left.” Despite his reservations, Johann Georg I decided that the relationship with Denmark was still useful and Brandenburg came to aid in Swedish independence war. However, the Swedes had both Spain and France among the nations backing them, and the Spanish had been camped outside Brunswick for a while now.

“Brother, we know you are capable of forming battle plans where you do not need to be present. You are not Father, you don’t need to seek glory, especially at your age.” pleaded Magdalena. Her new lover, the younger prince of Luneburg, Berhhard von Welf, stood sheepishly to the side trying not to look at her or otherwise appear to betray anything. Johann Georg suspected she was involved with the dapper aristocrat to get back at him for marrying the younger Dorothea, but that was not all that he suspected about her.

“Worried about my health, are you?” Johann asked suspiciously. “It is not about glory, but duty.” He had not been able to prove that Magdalena had anything to do with little Albrecht drowning while swimming unsupervised under her care, but he had his suspicions. He knew her ambition and could not hide her dismay at the birth of Albrecht, not from him. He should have disinherited her and sent her to a nunnery years ago, but it was too late now. He would have to deal with her at some point after he returned, but he did not know how.

Enduring the pain from the motion of the horse, Johann Georg galloped out to lead the army, the officers and imperial hangers-on following behind. The Spanish forces awaited.



November 1540

Two days after he had called a diet to convince the nobility to raise the additional levies needed to reinforce the army after the loss at Brunswick, the old emperor Johan Georg I suffered a stroke while reorganizing the army in Stettin and was pronounced dead within hours. Joachim Nestor Briesen was scrambling to get the new troops assembled as fast as possible when the news hit.

The Spanish clearly had more advanced arms, were more numerous, and were more motivated to continue the fight then Brandenburg was, and now Brandenburg was without leadership. The new empress, Magdalena I was knowledgeable enough about the progress of the war and was an inspirational leader, but she had never had much of an interest in the hard details of governance and would not lead armies personally. Briesen knew that the national manpower shortage applied to officer corps as well and there was a dearth of decent generals. Compounding this was the conflicts between the Catholic majority and new Reformed recruits from the ex-Silesian eastern provinces. There were a few fistfights, but nothing more serious. The tension, though, was clear, and some of the soldiers bristled at fighting fellow Catholics from Spain and France on behalf of the Protestants in Scandinavia. There were no signs of discipline slacking, but the rapidly changing religious makeup of the nation needed to be addressed. The majority of citizens in Neumark were following the Reformed faith now, and the way things were going it was only going to spread more.

Joachim Nestor Briesen also knew that the national budget was on a string, and while Austria had recently sent a cash gift, probably because they wanted to see the Spanish hurt more than the Brandenburgers, it was not enough for the crown to hire additional advisors. Johann Gerog I was skilled enough to govern with many highly-paid offices unfilled, he was not sure that Magdalena was skilled enough to do so.

The first empress was crowned, and Briesen stood and applauded with the rest. To his left, von Welf gladly celebrated his mistress’s coronation, blissfully unaware that most people were aware of their affair. To his right, von Gersdorf was stoically celebrating, but his children were excited by the novelty. Johann Georg I had ruled for so long, there were few in the duchy remaining who were around before he came to power, and most of them were losing their memories. Magdalena was almost sixty herself, and the lack of an heir was obvious and unspoken. Like the issue of religion, though, the issue of succession would have to wait. There was, after all, still a war on.



March 1541

These last few months had been the best in her life, Magdalena I thought as the servants brushed her hair for the day. She had been chosen by the electors to continue the von Hohenzollern dynasty, which she had been waiting for most of her life. She had been the first woman to break through and claim the Emperor title, a dream of powerful woman throughout the western empire ever since Irene in Byzantium was rejected in favor of Charlemagne. She hoped he was rolling in his grave.

While she missed her brother, she did not miss being in his shadow and his critical eye. His memory was helpful for reminding people of her authority, but she had resented him for forcing her into an inconvenient marriage.

Now she was free to marry who she wanted, and she had wed Bernhard von Welf as soon as spring rolled around. She did not think she had been as strongly in love with anyone since she was much younger. He was patient, tolerant, deferential and handsome, and she was enjoying being able to express her love publicly for once.

Dorothea had been pushed away from court life, and the grief-stricken younger woman was likely to leave the country. She clearly sensed that Magdalena did not share Johann Georg I’s enthusiasm for helping Denmark suppress Sweden. Denmark still controlled Baltic Sea provinces that Brandenburg had claims on, and if Sweden was independent pressing those claims would ultimately be easier.

After capturing Brunswick, the Spanish had bypassed the rest of Brandenburg to help the French and Swedes attack the Danes on their home turf. Magdalena I was hoping to take advantage of this distraction to send what remained of the Brandenburg army to retake it, and with any luck she could find a way to exit the war from a position of strength. After the servants finished with her hair, she was prepared to step out and engage with the Imperial court, once again ready to enjoy a day where she was in charge.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 10 – House of Cards


January 1542

Siegmund von Derf was working on a draft of his next philosophical essay when he heard a light rap at the threshold to his study. A glance at the reflection in a nearby mirror revealed the visitor.

“What brings you down to my study in person, my Empress?”

“I seek your council,” replied Magdalena I, distressed.

The last year had certainly been trying. Brandenburg had suffered another military defeat, when the attempt to retake Brunswick ended in disaster. What remained of the army was cobbled together with some mercenaries and was in the process of resieging the area when the Spanish army was spotted on their return south. The smaller forces attempted to flee but were caught up. The entire Brandenburg force was either captured, killed or deserted in the chaos, and there had since been no organized fighting force to speak of. Spanish and French armies had free reign of Brandenburg and were getting closer to the gates of Berlin.

Joachim Nestor Briesen had been dismissed after that fiasco, and von Derf had maneuvered into place as the Empress’s primary advisor. He indicated that the Empress should proceed.

“I am starting to hear more whispers about Bernhard.”

Siegmund von Derf knew what she meant. The threats the protestant philosophies brought to the established order were clear. It was bad enough that the eastern part of Brandenburg was so close to the centers of the Reformed thought that the influence had been permitted to fester, but now many people were saying that the loss of the armies were the result of Brandenburg turning from the true faith to fight their fellow Catholics on the behalf of the Protestants in Scandinavia. Von Derf was not sure that they were wrong.

He knew Bernhard to be an honest fellow, and was not been pushing his Protestantism openly. He had not refuted it, though, and it was leading to disunity when the faith needed to stand together against heretics. He also knew that the stress the war was putting on the royal marriage, so what he was about to propose would not be dismissed as it had been in the past.

“Because of his heresy,” von Derf said carefully, “The people are concerned that he may use his influence over you to further turn our country from God. He may be more trouble than he is worth. If you were to allow me to write the pope...”

Magdalena started at him for a few moments, considering the impact of the proposal for a sanctioned divorce.

“Do it.”



June 1546

It was a sunny day as Magdalena I inspected the newly assembled army of ten thousand that she was able to scrape together outside Berlin in the old drilling grounds. The new general was one of the few officers to survive the Battle of Brunswick, Joachim von Hohenzollern.

“No relation,” he had assured her back when they first met. Magdalena had checked and made sure that was the case; the last thing she needed was a long-lost cousin to come out of nowhere and achieve popular military success. The longer her reign continued, the more enemies she had, and even there had been any actual relation to hang on they would have used him against her, even against his will.

First, the pope had refused to grant a divorce. Worse, Bernhard had intercepted some of the correspondence and hadn’t spoken to her in months. She had reached a peace deal with Sweden, agreeing to recognize their independence and to compensate them for taking up arms. Denmark was not happy, and the alliance was in rocky shape but still holding. In international affairs, the Ottomans were in the process of consuming the smaller nations that were left behind in the breakup of Hungary, and France was losing control over the northwestern quarter of their country.

It was a domestic issue that brought her out to see the army Joachim was putting together. They looked as fine as any other she had seen under her father or her brother’s reign, if only smaller and less experience. Their size would grow as soon as funds were made available, and as for the experience...that was why she was there.

She delivered a short motivational speech, as was traditional. She praised the Brandenburgian way, and the courage and professionalism of their soldiers. Then she told them what was needed to be done, that Silesian separatists looked like they were about to rise up in Glogau, right by some of the centers of the religious conflict that was spreading across Europe.

Afterwards, as the troops were packing and sorting their gear so they would be ready to march in the morning, she considered the battle that was coming ahead for her. The nobility was planning once again to push for reforms giving them parliamentary powers, and she was running out of arguments against it.



May 1548

With a bang of the gavel, von Gersdorf closed out the first season of the Brandenburgian Landtag, and it was a success. Although she hated to give up authority, Magdalena had been brought around to the concept once the nobility had assured her that she still retained veto power over legislation. She would never admit it, but von Gersdorf suspected that she had been brought around because the Landtag had reduced her workload. A small group of the nobles most familiar with governance and most impacted by the laws would draft and present decrees for her approval.

The first test of this concept came with a debt payment management scheme. He had been able to convince most of the seating members to back it, although some bribes were necessary. It would mean more money out of their pockets, but the nation’s finances would be somewhat controlled. More importantly, it was a demonstration of good faith now that they had convinced Magdalena I to hand over some power. While she was involved in the drafting of the plan, she did not seem to pay attention to many of the finer details and looked prepared to sign it without reading it thoroughly. He took advantage of that personality flaw and managed to slip a few tax loopholes and some extra clauses into the section regarding government operations under the new plan. He did not like undermining his sovereign, but desperate measures were needed to protect Brandenburg.

The Sileasian separatists were put down without too much trouble, but external powers were constantly changing and the threats to Brandenburg were real. Last year, Denmark finally capitulated to the Swedish nationalists, changing the balance of power in the Baltic. The tiny new nation of Croatia had turned the tables on their former masters in the remnants of Hungary and quickly conquered them, but were not still not much stronger than their own rebellious factions. With the Ottoman Empire continuing to expand he knew that soon it would be time to reconsider Brandenburg’s relationship with Croatia.

The largest concern, however, was, once again Poland, or as they were now calling themselves, the “Commonwealth”. This new superstate was big enough to challenge the HRE itself, and was disturbingly close to Brandenburg in particular. Not that there could be much help expected from the other members of the HRE. With no clear successor in Brandenburg, the electors were turning their support elsewhere. Even if there was an heir, they might not find any support after Brandenburg’s performance in recent wars.

After he saw the messenger away with the decrees intended for Magdalena’s attention, von Gersdorf congratulated his colleagues and started preparing for the evening. He was dining with his eldest son and his new fiancée; it was a good match, both politically and personally, and made him hopeful for the future.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 11 – The Darkest Hour


September 1548


Magdalena I quietly ate her breakfast as she considered the plans for the day. Fortunately, there was very little to deal with in terms of domestic matters. This “prime minister”, von Gersdorff, had been much more amenable lately. He had managed to get his package of laws passed and demonstrate that the Lantag could be a valid institution. There was nothing passed in the legislative season that she found particularly objectionable, and she retained the royal right to overrule them anyway if there was.

Also recently, his eldest son had recently married the daughter of another lawmaker, hinting at some of the backroom dealings that must have occurred. Rumors that the girl was already noticeably pregnant indicated another reason; Magdalena knew these things happened.

Whichever of these events was the cause, she did not care. As long as von Gersdorff and von Derf and the others continued to do their jobs and didn’t complain, it was fine by her. As she chewed on a piece of fruit, she noticed that she was starting to sweat. It was already September but still boiling hot. It seemed the summer would never end.

Tensions were still high with Denmark. Peter I was a reasonable monarch, but Magdalena was more concerned that her agents reported that Dorothea had never returned to Denmark. Despite the betrayals and heated words, they both reluctantly remained allied as this new Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a powerful neighbor with a hostile relationship to them both.

Speaking of hostile relations, fewer and fewer princes were spending time in the Imperial court. Austria in particular had been absent, but that was hardly surprising given the longstanding rivalry with Brandenburg. Of many of those members who did remain, she had allowed Bernhard to handle diplomatic relations with the protestants; it kept both of them busy.

She reached for a fork, but was struggled to be able to pick it up. She continued to sweat, and at this point noticed that it was getting harder to breathe. She tried to stand up, but only collapsed to the floor. Realizing that she had been poisoned, her last thought was trying to figure out which one of her many enemies was responsible.

May 1552


Siegmund von Derf quickly stuffed a bunch of papers into his case, making sure the servants packing up his clothes and personal items were not looking in his direction. Some of the documents were drafts of his own theories on the origins of Protestant discontent; some were notes from his personal investigation into the poisoning of Magdalena I.

A kitchen worker had been apprehended and was encouraged to confess. He claimed it was revenge for a brother who had been killed while suppressing rebels, but von Derf suspected that he had not acted alone.

Those who had the most to gain from Magdalena’s death were his new employers, the von Gersdorffs. Old man Gersdorff had managed to get Magdalena to sign off on the choice of holder of the position of Elector of Brandenburg to be chosen by the Landtag should the current elector die without naming an heir. What that precise event occurred, he had the political connections to get his family into place, and the political wisdom to not take the Duchy for himself but to give it to his eldest son.

Unlike the von Hohenzollerns, cursed with low infertility, the new duke Georg Albrecht I von Gersdorff and his wife Jelana had several brothers and sisters and just three years ago celebrated the birth of his daughter, Anna Maria. The young regal couple spent most of the last few years throwing parties, robbing the treasury, and arranging political marriages for the younger von Gersdorff siblings. Siegmund had easily adapted into the new role serving them, turning a blind eye to their padding of official accounts and government contracts going to businesses in which old man Gersdorff was highly invested.

The von Hapsburgs were another suspicious party, as they regained the Imperial crown and were involved in other incidents with the von Hohenzollerns in the past. However, with Protestant and Reformed heresies running rampant across the Empire, Siegmund was not sure that they were better off.

Another theory involved Dorothea of Denmark. Many suspected that Magdalena was responsible for killing her nephew and that Dorothea had been plotting revenge instead of returning to Denmark. Rumors of her being spotted in the streets of Berlin shortly before the poisoning could not be verified.

Tensions with Denmark, devolving for decades, were nearly at the breaking point. Peter I never got along with Johann Georg I, who wanted many of the same provinces, or Magdalena I, who he was ready of believe the worst of. One of Georg Albrecht I’s first mistakes was to ask his sister, after she married into the royal family, to see if she could arrange for Denmark so send some funds over to help balance the Brandenburgian budget (and maybe skim a bit of it) while more troops were raised to counter the Commonwealth. Peter I clearly did not like the von Gersdorffs any better than the von Hohenzollerns, and the mutual disdain between both countries increased.

The alliance held due to the threat of the Commonwealth, but when war came with the Commonwealth it would not be at a convenient moment. Denmark was distracted with internal insurrections, and the PLC jumped on Konigsburg, one of those troublesome provinces coveted by all three powers. Based on the size of the approaching armies, general von Hohenzollern successfully made his case that should Brandenburg face them in the field they would probably be annilated. Instead, he took the whole of the army across Ottoman territory and hassle the Commonwealth vassal of Moldavia and other soft targets along the southern border. Fortunately, Denmark’s other ally, Bremen, was able to seize down the PLC ally of Mecklenburg and they exited the war, surprisingly yielding the province of Rostock in Brandeburgian hands. Danish relief never came, and the Commonwealth forces closing in on the outskirts of Berlin’s. Siegmund had made arrangements to retreat to his summer home near the Saxony border. He was not the first nor would be the last prominent man to slip out of town before the sieging apparatus was fully deployed. If the worst case scenario occurred, he may need to even leave the country. Considering this, he checked once more that none of the servants were looking in his direction and quickly shuffled a few official documents and classified intelligence reports into the personal papers in his secure satchel. He did not make it this far without knowing to be prepared for different scenarios. The documents could serve as a bribe if he was caught, a resource if he needed money (Austria or Bohemia or somebody would surely be interested) or even blackmailing the von Gersdorffs if they managed to make it out of this.

April 1553



Georg Albrecht had never been more embarrassed than the moment he formally surrendered to the Commonwealth. It was more embarrassing when Father found out about his relationship with Jelana, resulting in a quick marriage and even quicker abandonment of Father’s attempts to get Magdalena I to marry into the von Gersdorffs. It was more embarrassing when he had first met Magdalena as a teenager and the old woman laughed at him in front of the whole court. And it was certainly more embarrassing than when Magdalena died and Father had him appointed Elector and Duke of Brandenburg, while he stood there in front of a parliament and everyone in the room, most acutely Gerog Albrecht, knew he wasn’t really qualified and would be a puppet.

Not that the first five years of “leading” Brandenburg weren’t bad; he was able to give Jelana every fine thing she desired, and they discovered the joys of being a father himself. Despite the departure of the Imperial court back to Vienna, Berlin was still a major city and the princes of the region visited regularly, so there were often balls and celebrations in town. Even the ongoing war did little to dampen the mood among the upper crust, at least until recently.

He had just heard that Siegmund von Derf had fled the country; the man would have been fired had Georg Albrecht gotten his hands on him, but due to the financial collapse and bankruptcy resulting from the Commonwealth occupation the accountants had already struck him from the payroll. Less than two weeks later, he capitulated to the pressure Brandenburg was under and surrendered unconditionally. At least the army in Moldavia was mostly intact, though they would find little support on the road home.

First, Rostock would be returned to Mecklenburg. Second, the Commonweath absorbed Kolberg, Neumark and Glogau. The conquests of the heroic Brandenburgian monarchs that came before were undone, and Commonwealth forces were now staring across the Odr river. Third, the financial noose was tightened even further as the Commonweath demanded their own share of the limited spoils. What little funds that Brandenburg would be able to raise in the coming years would flow east rather than flowing into Brandenburg public works projects. Or into Gerog Albrecht I’s pocket.

He felt a surge of energy as Jelana grabbed his hand, sensing his dismay. Feeling the warmth of her grip and the cold metal of her many rings, he was able to find the inner courage to look at the assembled nobility. Hate was in some eyes, relief in others. A precious few were as ashamed as he was. Father, as usual, was difficult to read. He had not heard any criticism from him, but he had not heard any praise either, and did not know if he was performing his role correctly. Looking at the Commonwealth ambassador right in the eye, he stamped the treaty. The challenges of the war were over. But based on the mood of the room, the challenges of the peace had only just begun.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 12 – Into the Fire


July 1559



“Gersdorff, you have some explaining to do!”

The elder von Gersdoff turned to watch Count Munchov approach him. It was not unexpected that he would run into him in this quiet hallway.

“This centralized legal plan of yours is a clear attack on my livestock interests!”

“It is my son’s centralized legal plan.”

“You wrote it.”

In truth, Georg Albrecht I himself had conceived of the plan. Slowly, he was starting to simplify and unify the tax code, eliminating many local exemptions while also increasing his personal financial interest. His father only actually edited the legislation, but it would be best if Munchov didn’t know that. He had a reputation to uphold.

This would, of course, make Brandenburg as a whole more efficient, but a small number of nobles were being impacted financially. This was far from Munchov’s only complaint with the new dynasty.

The alliance between Brandenburg and Denmark had finally dissolved three years ago. Although Gersdorff worried about his daughter who wed into their royal family, it was an alliance that was more of a hazard than protection. Denmark considered Brandenburg untrustworthy for backing out of two defensive wars, and Brandenburg resented being dragged into fights where they were the buffer zone between Denmark and their foe. In addition to losing some property in Neumark, Munchov was also involved in Baltic sea trade and freezing of relations affected him there as well.

The scars of the conflict still panged in Brandenburg. Berlin in particular was suffering as the sweating sickness had passed through the city a few years ago. The trying times turned more citizens against the church, and now a majority of the citizens of Berlin adhered to a Protestant faith. Some of these factions were even arming themselves and forming militias. With every decision made, Munchov had become the voice in the Landtag opposing the Gersdorffs.

“Count Munchov,” he replied, “it is important to centralize the legal code, it’s not personal. You know that. We need to work together to restore Brandenburg.”

Currently, the Ottomans were on the war path. They had conquered Croatia with minimal effort and Brandenburg wisely decided to dishonor their alliance, as they were in no shape to fight the Ottomans. The Turks were now in the process of waring with Austria. The Emperor Leopold IX was doing almost as poor a job managing the empire as when it was in Brandenburg hands. What little imperial authority that was left after Magdalena I was long gone, and the Palatinate was making a bid for the Imperial throne.

Friesland had been annexed by one or more of its neighbors at some point during the recent chaos, and the seventh elector seat had been vacant for years. The vote was split 3-3 before Austria named Munster to the position, breaking the tie. The position had been the one previously held by Mainz and Bavaria, so many were starting to wonder if it was cursed.

Inevitably, though, the Ottomans would turn their attention to the Commonwealth, and that would be the ideal time for reconquest. In the meantime, Brandenburg was in the progress of retaking Rostock off a weakened Mecklenburg (Lubek had reduced them to just the one province). The castle had already been taken, and Saxony had answered the call-to-arms and was preventing Mecklenburg’s allies from reaching them. It would only be a matter of time, and Brandenburg would be back on its feet.

“What is your obsession?” replied Munchov, “You can only reach so far. The invasion of Mecklenburg is pointless, destructive and expensive.”

“It will pay off in the long term.”

“Or it could bring us all to ruin. Be careful with your plans. The von Hohenzollerns overreached, and they are gone. And your son is not nearly as respected as they were.”

“You’d better be careful as well, Count Munchov,” Gersdorff said as he resumed walking towards his destination, barely acknowledging the feeble threat. “Very careful with your choice of words.”

February 1560



Considering the turmoil facing Brandenburg, the army camp in Rostock was probably the best place to be. The army was living off the land, helping themselves to food and loot, courtesy of Mecklenburg. General Joachim von Hohenzollern was enjoying the crisp winter morning air; he had not been this relaxed in months. Mecklenburg had surrendered last week so no one was trying to kill them, and the defeated populace was as deferential as any towards an occupying army.

He noticed one of his officers walking quickly towards him, a message in his hand.

“What is it, Captain?”

“General, we’re being ordered to Brunswick. It’s complicated, you should read this for yourself.”

Joachim scanned the document. The Captain was right, it was complicated. Apparently Count Munchov had risen up in rebellion and had taken control of the unoccupied fortifications at Brunswick. However, the peasants of Brunswick were also revolting independently and had the same idea, only they didn’t know that Munchov had gotten there first. His cavalry had cut down the peasants and forced them to disperse, but it was unlikely he had taken significant losses. The army was ordered to leave Rostock and take care of the traitor.

Joachim gulped. Munchov had approached him before, subtly asking about the origins of the Hohenzollern name. As near as he could tell, he had no relationship to the Hohenzollerns, but that did not stop people from thinking that he had some claim to Brandenburg, or could at least be convinced to pretend that he did. Joachim was not interested. War was safer than politics.

October 1562


“We found him in the east hallway,” said the court scientist, Jakob von Seel as he led the royal family across the palace. Servents and courtiers ducked out of the way, unwilling to meet Georg Albrecht’s eye. Some mumbled a few words of condolences, but he wasn’t focusing on their words or willing to believe what they had heard. As they approached the sitting room, a guard moved to open the door to admit the prince-elector and von Seel. The guard blocked the door before Electress Jelena and the teenaged Princess Anna Maria could enter, but Jelena ordered him aside, stating that she would see what had been done to her father-in-law.

Father looked surprisingly calm based on von Seels horrified description. Only his face was visible; the rest of him was covered with a blanket. Two of von Seel’s physicians and a priest, with bloodstained hands and bandages, stepped aside. One of them mumbled something about them doing all that they could.

Trying to keep the tears from his eyes and his stomach calm, he slowly peeled back the blanket. He heard Jelena gasp and Anna Maria shriek and her small feet run from the room. Ten or twenty stab wounds covered Father’s torso. It was shocking to see a man so powerful, struck down. He had always worked hard to get some recognition of approval from the legendary politician, but words of praise and love were rare from the elder Gersdorff.

“My prince, the lads caught two of the assassins,” General Joachim von Hohenzollern said. When did he enter the room? He had recently returned to Berlin after spending the last few years moving around the countryside putting down rebels. After Munchov had been hauled back to Berlin and executed, the General had dealt with some particularist rebels and some Pomeranian separatists and was in the capital just long enough to reinforce and resupply, Soon he would head north to deal with a pack of Reformed zealots, who had been murdering any Catholics and Protestants who crossed their path.

“What was that?” asked Georg Albrecht I.

“We caught two of them. They put up a fight and we were unable to take them alive, unfortunately. But they were identified as Stettin men. Also, I just heard from the captain of the guard that several men on horseback were spotted fleeing the city; they just ran through the city gates before anyone could stop them and split into two parties, one heading north and the other northeast.”

“Are they the Conspirators?”

“I can’t think of anyone else.” Not all of Munchov’s followers were at Brunswick, and they had been defying and sabotaging the Gersdorff regime since their leader was executed. The plan to reclaim the eastern provinces from the Commonwealth had to be postponed while Father dealt with all the rebels and traitors; a golden opportunity had to be passed on when the Ottomans and Muscovy attacked the Commonwealth in separate wars.

“General, forgot the religious zealots. Stamp out this insurrection once and for all.” Georg Albrecht I felt emotions surge through him, grief and rage and helplessness.; all the emotions that Father insisted he not display in public, but he didn’t care.

“Yes, my prince. We already have scouts in pursuit. With any luck, the ones who went north will run into the zealots, and the rest of the army will join the pursuit at dawn.” The general looked down at the corpse on the sofa on his way out the room. “He was a good man, my prince. He will be avenged.”

Georg Albrecht I and Jelena stared at the corpse for a bit longer, before dismissing von Seel and the others from the room so they could have a moment to grieve alone.

“What am I to do without him?” Georg Albrecht despaired.

“What we can do. What we must do,” said Jelena, glancing once more at the body, “What he would have done.”

Nodding and crying, he embraced his wife. “You’re right. There’s no changing anything, we have to press forward. I’m going to need your support more than ever.”

“Yes. But you’re not the only one who needs support right now. Come, let’s check on Anna.”

(Note – at the time I faced the Conspiracies event I, I was disappointed in the stats of the von Gersdorffs and somehow thought that if I defeated the noble rebels they would be overthrown (that is, by “opposing” the monarch, the rebels would be the royalists and after I crushed them I would have another new dynasty to work with. I know now that I should have taken the other option for Pretender rebels and let them enforce their demands if that was what I intended). Instead I crushed the rebels and kept the von Gersdorffs.)

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 13 – Charting a Course



December 1564



The ship had been delayed for a few weeks as the winter weather made north Atlantic travel difficult, but conditions had improved to the point where the captain felt comfortable making the trip. It was warmer than expected once out on the open sea, and Dorothea of Denmark watched the coast of Scotland slowly shrink in the distance. It had been a difficult few decades, but she had decided that a new start in the new world was what she needed, even though she was in her sixties.

After Magdalena came to power, Dorothea was clearly not welcome in the Holy Roman Empire, and Dorothea wanted to minimize the time around the woman who she was certain was responsible for Albrecht’s death. She did not want to return to Denmark, as her brother Peter I’s cruelty was well-known and her departure from Denmark all those decades ago was not under friendly term. There were little signs that Peter I was willing to reconcile; it would be better if he forgot that she existed. Even if she wanted to go back, there was little to Denmark anymore; not only had all the vassals broken away, but Hamburg and Cleaves were carving up Danish territory and the country probably wouldn’t last.

She spent most of the time in Sweden, where she had lain low with some friends while she processed her grief. When she traveled later, she created a new identity as the as the widow to a wealthy merchant. She was able to arrange for some funds to be sent to her and invested in a few industries in order to live on; it was not the same as life as the empress, but she was able to live comfortably and continue traveling around northern Europe. She had even returned to Brandenburg once, but watching the nation decline after the death of Johann George I was difficult. After her business was concluded, she never returned. Although she had grown to love the little duchy, it was tied to too many sad memories.

Her concentration on the receding landmass was interrupted by the sound of the first mate talking to a brightly-dressed man on the other side of the deck.

“Sir, all your personal effects are secure. I saw to it myself.”

“Thank you. Will the captain be joining me for dinner this evening?”

There was something familiar about the voice; Dorothea focused on the pair.

“The captain sends his regrets; some of the new crew members have apparently loaded some cargo into the wrong holds and he is sorting that out below decks. He is looking forward to diner and discussions, however, but he is a busy man and there will be plenty of time once we are out to sea.”

“I understand. There shouldn’t be anything else I need, thank you.”

Dorothea gasped once she realized that, despite the years that gone by, the man was clearly Siegmund von Derf of the imperial court. Her shock grew once she realized that he had seen her and signs of recognition crossed his face.

How did he find me?She thought. Does he know?

Her dread faded as Siegmund approached and seemed to have a friendly disposition.

“My lady, how surprising to run into you here.”

She doubted that Siegmund was surprised to run into her here; the man always knew more than he should.

“Siegmund?” she tried to find the words, “I thought there weren’t any other passengers. Why are you here?”

“The same reason as you, my lady. The captain is more than willing to take on unexpected passengers with more gold than patience.”

The Scots had founded a colony called Nov Scotia, but unlike the other countries engaged in colonial ventures, they did not have a large population surplus that they could readily export. They choose to supplement the colony by offering citizenship in the new colony to foreigners. They had more volunteers than they needed from the dregs of Europe, but those few individuals with money who were willing to make the trip were welcomed with open arms.

Though she was still wondered how much Siegmund knew about her activities, she opened up and before long the two were reminiscing about their shared history. They talked of Brandenburg, of old times in the court, and of Johann Georg, who was starting to by styled as . When Dorothea had first come to Berlin, leaving Denmark to avoid getting wrapped up in her brothers’ succession war, she met Siegmund, who was just an Imperial clerk with strong opinions regarding theology. He had arranged for her to secretly meet the Emperor to request asylum. She had never been attracted to older men before, but she was surprised by Johann Georg I’s charisma and interest in her plight. She would soon realize that he was attracted to her and impressed by her resourcefulness.

After the marriage, though, she gradually realized that Siegmund was Magdalena’s man and was cautions about trusting him. After she came to power, Siegmund had avoiding talking to Dorothea, but he did not try to undermine her either. Without revealing too much about her activities, she mentioned her ventures in Sweden acting as a merchant and later in England, gradually moving farther and farther from the Baltic area.

Siegmund filled in that he stayed on with the Brandenburg administration until the humiliation by the Commonwealth, and made a living as an information broker. Count Munchov was his first customer, and through him he met a spy from Cologne, and a network of contacts grew from there. Making his way west, he bought and sold secret information though the various alliance networks of Europe. He saw the influence of Protestants grow and more places grew unrecognizable as time passed. He was tired of the risk of discovery having to keep him always on the move.

“I suppose,” he whispered, “We both don’t want to be looking over our shoulders all the time anymore.”

Dorothea bit her lip and did not respond.

After a short pause, the conversation turned to Brandenburg, and how the duchy was faring under the Gersdorffs. While it no longer was the power that it had been under Johann Georg I, the period of bloody internal conflicts seemed to have passed.

“And not a month after the last of the rebellious factions was suppressed,” complained Siegmund, “Georg Albrecht caved to public pressure and became Protestant! They might not be killing each other anymore, but it will doom Brandenburg as easily as civil war.”

Dorothea rose an eyebrow. “Present company excluded?”

“You are Scandinavian. You are not of the Empire. Just as I don’t care that those who adhere to the Orthodox traditions do so in their own countries, I don’t care what is practiced in Scandinavia. The Holy Roman Empire, on the other hand, must remain Catholic in its faith; it is part of the very structure of the confederation.”

“I am more concerned with what the Gersdorffs are doing with the finances. Corruption has increased from the lowest officials accepting bribes all the way to large-scale legal schemes orchestrated by the Prince Georg Albrecht the Corrupt himself. I have heard that financial theft is so widespread that Brandenburg has been starting to resort to piracy.”

Siegmund chuckled. “I have heard those rumors as well. If I told you who is likely behind the piracy you wouldn’t believe me.”

Despite her curiosity, Dorothea did not inquire further. They stared off the bow of the ship towards the sunset, pondering the opportunities of a new life in the new world.

“If you don’t mind me asking, would you care to join me for dinner?”

October 1566



Anna Maria crept through the halls of the statehouse in Berlin. While she normally preferred to spend her time at the river docks or at the shipyards or building a model ship in her room, the current visitor to Brandenburg was too important to ignore. A guard at one point moved to stop her, but a commanding glare made him back down and pretend to ignore the sixteen-year old princess. He would, no doubt, later report to her father where she was, but she did not fear any discipline. She made her way to the upper gallery, unlocked a door with a copy of the key she had made years ago, and crouched low to avoid being seen by the anyone in the closed session as she snuck up to the edge of the railing and peered down.

The small group of legislators was listening attentively to the priestly envoy, who was pleading his case. He seemed to be requesting asylum, and after eavesdropping for a few minutes she realized that he was an exiled reformer from the theocracy of Cologne. He was praising Brandenburg’s commitment to Protestantism, and how pleased he was to find copies of his writings for sale here.

The printing presses of Berlin were now almost ubiquitous, and the new technology was proving to be very effective in spreading ideas, and more and more citizens were literate. The growth of the industry was remarkable, and Berlin was now one of the largest cities in the world. Protestant bibles and theological tracts were most common, but printed versions of classical literature and the works of more recent authors were growing in popularity. At the low end, crude satirical poetry was cropping up mocking powerful people and topics. A recent one featured the von Gersdorff family, describing in ludicrous verse how each member of the extended family was robbing the treasury and spending the money foolishly. Gerog Albrecht I ordered the offending printer fined and his press destroyed, but Anna thought they were hilarious. She found the author’s depiction of Anna Maria herself treating Brandenburg’s small fleet of trade ships as if they were expensive toys particularly amusing, but she had to admit that the depiction of her father as throwing the support of the state church behind whichever religious denomination bid the highest probably crossed the line.

If it was possible to choose a religion that way, Anna Maria had no doubt that her father would take it. She might even if take that option herself if presented with it. In truth, Georg Albrecht had converted to protestantism for a more basic motive than greed: cowardice. The popularity of Protestantism could not be ignored, and once it became the dominant faith within Brandenburg the von Gersdorffs and the rest of the nobility saw which way the wind was blowing and converted. A few years later, hardly anyone in Brandenburg would admit to being Catholic and 7 out of 10 residents would select the Protestant interpretation of Christianity over the Reformed type.

A brief sidebar conference between Georg Albrecht I and the current speaker of the Landtag, her uncle Christian von Gersdorff, resulted in nodded agreement and the issue being brought to the floor for a vote. Anna Maria was already sneaking out the back before more than a couple of yea votes were recorded; she always wanted to know which way the wind was blowing, at sea or in the Landtag, and the wind direction here could not be any stronger or certain in its direction. The vote would be unanimous.

January 1567



Brandenburg rang in the new year celebrating the completion of a great publics work project, a canal connecting the Oder and Spree rivers. Transport time and trade would surely increase over the course of the new year. The project had languished for a while after running out of funds, but Georg Albrecht I convinced the other nobles to contribute financially to finish the project. He had even donated some money himself, with the expectation of making back his investment several times over. There was, of course, grumbling and discontent, particularly in the regions of Pomerania that the canals bypassed, but the project got done.

The canals were so important to Georg Albrecht that he even was uncharacteristically spendthrift. His pleasure yacht was leading a caravan of barges and other river craft along the canal. He was flaunting his wealth and waving to the curious peasants who gathered along the edges to view the procession. He and Jelena relaxed on a couch, eating appetizers from trays brought over by servants while a four-piece orchestra played for the guests on the yacht.

Anna Maria was a blur of energy, running up and down the boat, climbing up the side, and waving to the crowd. The girl loved her ships, but sometimes Georg Albrecht I wished that she would behave more like a noblewoman. She preferred the company of sailors and maritime traders, and she had learned the crass language of those professions. Her aggressive attitude put off most noble suitors, but she was the heartthrob of the dockworkers and sea dogs of Brandenburg. Georg Albrecht I made a mental note to ask someone to keep an eye on her and monitor her drinking.

The old general Joachim von Hohenzollern stopped by briefly to wish his lord a happy new year, then apologized as he retreated below decks flighting seasickness. Count von Scholtheim of Brunswick also paid him a visit, but this time Georg Albrecht was thankful; he could not have completed this project without von Scholtheim stepping up to help. The young Count of Stralsund, Diederick von Kyau, was also in attendance. He also politely wished his liege lord a happy new year, and was conscientious enough to embrace the canal project once it was enacted despite his initial opposition to it.

Jelena poked his elbow after von Kyau left and Georg Albrecht looked in the direction she indicated; it was none other than the Swiss ambassador coming their way.

“Ambassador! Happy new year, I’m glad you decided to attend..”

“Happy new year, Prince-Elector. How have you been faring?”

“Good, good.” He indicated with his finger that the Ambassador should approach closer; he did so until they were close enough to barely hear each other over the music and crowds. “Ambassador, I have given your proposal some more thought. You can tell your prince that his proposal is an excellent idea, and that I may have some additional candidates in mind for him.”

“That is good to hear.”

“Arrange a meeting with the others, we will be there. Just remember, though, that if Brandenburg is going to be a part of this plan, we expect to be involved in the leadership.”

The last part was a sticking point, but the ambassador was glad enough to get a commitment for the project, the details would be hashed out at a later date. “That is not unreasonable, but I am not authorized to promise anything.”

“Of course, of course. Just let him know.”

“Thank you, Prince-Elector. May God bless you, and may God bless Brandenburg.”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 14 – Friends and Foes



September 1568



Jelena looked out over the elegant ballroom and the high-class crowd, pleased by the quality of the tapestries and decorations around the room but nervous of the cost of food. She was entertaining the Swiss delegation for the last few weeks while the long-negotiated alliance pact was signed. The band played a slow waltz as Jelena mingled through the crowd working her way towards the other side; by the time she got there the assembled nobles broke into applause as Prince Georg Albrecht I and Syndic Henri Honegger of Switzerland entered the room and spread out to shake hands with the assembled officials.

Last June, the prince of Hamburg entertained Gerog Albrecht I and the princes of Switzerland, Liege, Provence, Anhalt and Bohemia. As the Swiss ambassador had proposed last year, a league was formed between the Protestant members of the Empire to ensure their survival and perhaps eventually overthrow the Catholic influence. Bohemia was the largest member, but they were also the only member who was Reformed. As the other nations were relatively small, Brandenburg was selected to be the league leader should it ever be called to arms.

Austria wasted no time in arranging their own league, quickly securing the four electors who remained Catholic, several of the smaller Catholic powers, and a few allied outsiders, including the PLC. The Commonwealth also was using their sizeable influence to attempt to intimidate Brandenburg, warning them against any aggression.

By the end of the summer, Bremen and Lubeck had signed onto the Protestant League, and Muscovy, despite being Orthodox and outside the Empire, thought joining to support the faction would be a means to destabilizing Austria. By this point, the Catholic League also gained members, some from outside the Empire, including England. Alliances rearranged themselves within the Empire, as old allies found their goals at cross purposes, and old foes found common ground. Brandenburg’s old sometimes friend sometimes foe Saxony, for example, joined the other electors in turning away from Brandenburg after the league’s formation.

Watching her husband and the Syndic work their way around the perimeter of the room, Jelena noticed her daughter talking to some of the young men and women her age that traveled with the delegation. Anna Maria usually did not like attending these sorts of functions, but Jelena saw the day before that a handsome Swiss squire seemed to catch her eye.

Jelena felt sad as she watched Anna Maria awkwardly try to talk with the squire and be largely ignored. By the time she was her age, Jelena knew that she was going to spend the rest of her life with Georg Albrecht. Anna Maria’s social skills were not very strong however; she had accidently insulted most of the eligible bachelors of Brandenburg, and deliberately insulted the rest. They had considered arranging a marriage for her, but Georg Albrecht was loath to risk handing Brandenburg to a foreign dynasty. Jelena herself would prefer if Anna Maria would be able to choose someone that she loved, or at least choose a tolerable political match on her own accord.

Jelena watched as the squire politely dismissed Anna Maria, then took the arm of another young woman to dance. Dejected, Anna slouched against the wall and picked at the sides of her dress in frustration. Anna Maria was never going to be a skilled diplomat, and she demonstrated an almost blissful ignorance of subtext in conversations sometimes. Her talents lay in other areas; she had good attention to detail and understood the realm’s finances. Her pet scheme to increase revenue was paying dividends to her parents’ delight; Georg Albrecht was even dead set on her succeeding him over his own younger brother.

Jelena’s concentration was broken by a familiar voice.

“Electress, you’ve outdone yourself.” said Markus von Quitzow. The new general hardly seemed to fit into his dress uniform.

“General! I’m glad you could make it. Do send General von Hohenzollern my regards and wishes for a speedy recovery.”

“Thank you, I will.”

“And how are the new holy sacraments working out?”

“Electress, I would say that they are literally divine. They serve to remind the soldiers of that they are soldiers of God as well as for Brandenburg, and to assure them that even if they fall in battle their savior will welcome them. This League is very popular, filling the men with holy purpose, and the words of the reformers are read aloud in camp each day. They are eager to save the Empire from the grasp of a godless Pope and restore our true holy purpose.”

Markus was a true believer. A man like that had his uses, though may need to be kept from the city.

“And the Swiss soldiers? Do they get along with ours?”

“Very well. They share our sense of purpose. When the time comes, I have no doubt of their convictions and courage.”

“It will probably be years before that happens, but we must be ready. We are doing good work, General. The people know it.”

January 1570



In the slushy streets of Berlin, a man swiftly walked past some shops after hours. There were many establishments in town that operated printing presses nowadays, but very few would print what he needed. He knocked on an unmarked door, and after a short pause he was admitted.

The dim shop was cramped and disorganized with books and piles of paper stacked everywhere. The printer greeted the man with familiarity but did not use any names. Considering the printer’s specialty, this was wise. It was one of the few places one could find copies of the writings of Siegmund von Derf, who was now wildly considered a papist traitor. Likewise, many of the satirical tracts mocking the Gersdorff family continued to be produced in this very establishment. Many in Brandenburg had seemed to have given up on opposing the Gersdorffs and had even started to take a perverse national pride in their financial exploits, laughing as they stole from the people, cut necessary spending and unleased pirates upon the Baltic sea.

This man did not forget, and did not want anyone else in Brandenburg to either. He recognized that the Gersdorffs’ legitimacy was extremely tenuous. There were still many people in Brandenburg dissatisfied with the dynasty, and it was important to keep that fire stoked.

The printer handed him a box. “Here are the first five hundred copies, my Lord.”

The man examined one of the pamphlets, making sure it was free of error. “These are excellent. I want you to keep printing them, how many can you do?”

“I do have other clients, my Lord, but I can produce this many for you each week.”

“That should be sufficient. Can you have them delivered to Stralsund.”

“I can certainly arrange that, for a fee.”

They settled on a price, and the man left with the box under his arm.

April 1574



“That was a wonderful eulogy, General von Quitzow.”

The General turned, and was pleased to see an old friend. “Diedrick! It’s been so many years!”

Count Diedrick von Kyau embraced his friend. “Indeed it has. Too many. Congratulations on getting the promotion.”

The two noblemen had met when they both first joined the army as lieutenants, and the late general von Hohenzollern had been their mentor. Due to the long-standing warning from the Commonwealth on Brandenburg declaring offensive wars, they had little to fight after the years of internal conflict. All three men emerged from that conflict changed. von Hohenzollen had made it his goal to avoid fighting Brandenburg citizens again. von Quitzow had fully embraced the Protestant cause, and von Kyau had developed a strong feeling of patriotism and purpose.

Diedrick von Kyau took that attitude with him as he left regular military service to take up a seat in the Landtag. Markus von Quitzow had decided to make a career out his service and rose through the ranks. When the old general died, von Quitzow was the obvious choice to succeeded him as Brandenburg’s top military commander.

“I’ve heard that you haven’t been doing too bad for yourself, either.” replied the general.

“It is comfortable in the Landtag, I will admit to that.” said von Kyau, “However, you are the one risking your life, my friend, should these religious leagues come to blows. The more nations who sign on, the riskier it will be.” Both Catholic and Protestant powers were signing up from both inside and outside the Empire. With France and Venice joining the protestants, these leagues were becoming more about pro- or anti- Habsburg factions than religious.

“I do not fear dying for my faith.”

“Nor should you. It is the common people, however, who are my concern. I don’t want to watch them go through another foreign occupation.”

“Neither do I. But sometimes war cannot be avoided.”

“I do not disagree with you on that point,” conceded von Kyau. “One of General von Hohenzollern’s best qualities was that he knew when fighting was necessary and when it was not. I trust that you absorbed that wisdom from him well?”

“I did.”

“Then Brandenburg is in good hands, if you emulate his example. He could have been Elector, you know.”

“He wasn’t related to the other von Hohenzollerns, you know not to believe the rumors.”

“That wasn’t what I was referring to, old friend. I meant that he had the power to seize Brandenburg by force, but was righteous enough not to.”

“Ah, no disagreement there.”

Diedrick von Kyau leaned in close, “But as to his relation to the main von Hohenzollern line, I’ve been doing some research,” He whispered. “As the abbeys and monasteries were seized by the state, many of the old genealogical records were brought to the capital and printed copies were made and placed in the library. Curiosity got the better of me and I checked; you have to go back several hundred years but there is connection.”

Markus von Quitzow sniffed skeptically. “So are you saying that he was the true heir to Brandenburg all along?”

“Oh no, not that. Not at all.”

(Author’s note: The Sharing Faults event has to be my favorite event so far in the game, and it probably influenced how I wrote the characters of the Gersdorffs more than anything else. The conditions for it to fire are so specific and the results of it so irrelevant that I felt like a citizen of Brandenburg, fed up with the Gersdorffs for so long that I broke down and embraced the quirkiness.)

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 15 – The Pretender, the Pirate and the Prince-Consort



February 1584

An army consisting of men from all across Brandenburg had been gathering in Stralsund. As quickly as the news had spread, they had started gathering and more arrived each day. Diedrick von Kyau, satisfied by their numbers, stepped up onto a platform to address them.

“My friends, we are gathered to mourn for Brandenburg. Georg Albrecht is dead, yet the usurpers remain in power. In Berlin, his godless wife has proclaimed the bloodthirsty Anna Maria as Electress. Do they not remember the disaster that followed the last time we let a woman lead us?”

“No!” yelled the crowd.

“The Gersdorffs are illegitimate. They have proven this through their actions. Our nation rent in twain. Men of faith turned against each other. Bribery and underhand quid-pro-quos now standard operating procedure in the capital. Georg Albrecht the Corrupt will not trouble us any further, but Jelena the Greedy and Anna Maria the Pirate still plot to acquire your hard-earned wealth.

“They have stolen Brandenburg, as easily have they have stolen from your pocket. They came through power via legislation, not inheritance.” The men distributing fliers should have covered most of the crowd by now. Diedrick knew few of the men were literate, so he was sure to include a prominent illustration of a family tree.

“As you can see,” he pointed at a copy that he held in his other hand, “the von Hohenzollern line did not die out with Magdalena.” In truth, Diedrick was just one of dozens of individuals who had distant connections to the Hohenzollerns of old, he was hardly unique in that regard. A few selective edits to his genealogical research were all that were needed to remove any doubt from his narrative.

“My friends of Pomerania, we have risen up in favor of independence many times. Yet each time we were crushed. The truth is, Berlin is too strong to let us, and nor should they. Pomerania is an important part of Brandenburg, and the benefits of remaining are too numerous to mention. Yet Berlin has ignored many our needs.

“The solution is not rebellion, but restoration. Make Berlin work for you, not against you. Support me, and you will not be ignored any more. For we do not stand alone. Our esteemed elders, who remember our rightful dynasty. Those who have been persecuted for their faith. Those who lost out on a contract or deal because someone else purchased an official, and those who sat in jail because they would not pay a bribe. My friends, you have all suffered. Join me, and your needs will not be ignored anymore.”

“Long live Prince Diedrick!,” they chanted, “Long live Prince Diedrick!”

November 1584



A small river craft docked at a pier at an estate just outside of Berlin. Several figures stepped off to tie the boat down, and one held out a hand to one who was still seated. As they cautiously climbed off the boat, the second figure’s coat billowed in the wind revealing a heavily pregnant woman. As the group approached the manor, a sentry holding a lantern called out to them.

“Who goes there?”

“Your Princess-Elector, you blind landlubber!” replied the woman. In the flickering light of the lantern, the sentry could see that it was indeed Anna Maria.

“Forgive me, Princess,” the sentry replied suppliantly, “We were not expecting you. We will inform your mother right away.”

As the sentry returned to the house, the party continued on. Anna struggled a bit with some steps. The man next to her, her new husband Albrecht von Scholtheim, held out a hand to help, but she brushed it away.

She had been out at sea off and on for the last decade or so, enforcing Brandenburg’s commerce laws at it pertained to maritime shipping with hostile nations. When she was just a young girl, she had proposed issuing letters of Marque and Reprisal to her father as a way of both hassling the Commonwealth and raising revenue. Once she came of age, she would join the crews on occasion. Under the excuse of inspecting the privateers, she would scratch her itch to sail the seas at least once a year.

When news had reached her that her father had died and a pretender was challenging her rights, she had decided on caution. Brandenburg’s new ally of Hamburg was in the process of invading and occupying Denmark. The country was in chaos after the royal family fled to the island of Bornholm, so she was able to move through the war-torn region attracting little notice. After meeting briefly with the leadership of Hamburg to assure them that the line of succession was intact in Brandenburg, she made her way to the county of Brunswick.

She knew that she needed as much support as she could get, and by this point she had heard that the separatist faction in Brunswick was considering taking advantage of the Brandenburg fracturing again by rebelling. The separatists were not a very significant threat, but if she was going to rule Brandenburg she needed to show power at a local level.

The von Scholtheims were generous hosts and she quickly won over their loyalty. As news filtered in, she realized that this Diedrick von Kyau had amassed a significant force, and that Brandenburg’s army was shadowing them but not engaging. Concerned that she could not trust in the military commanders to be loyal, she considered her own strengths and weaknesses. Knowing that she needed assistance with both controlling the military and the diplomatic tact of court, she knew what was necessary to do to secure her power.

Count von Scholtheim’s mustache almost leapt off his face when she proposed that she marry his eldest son Albrecht. Many in Brandenburg had assumed that she would never marry and was just a spoiled wayward daughter, but she had long accepted that she would have to marry for politics at some point, and it would be on her terms. Her time with the privateer crews had taken the outsider among the nobility and taught her how to take what she wanted.

It helped that Albrect was a good match on paper. He had served with the army for a while, earning a Colonel’s rank and a reputation for being both a clever tactician and an advocate for the common soldier. Marrying him would also placate the Brunswick separatists and bring a powerful counterweight to von Kyau’s supporters.

He was also young enough not to have been directly offended by Anna Maria back when she was still foolishly trying to court her peers by following their rules, and clever enough to not make a fuss and see the advantages to the match. Once she was confident that she was with child, they slowly moved towards Berlin by circumventing the armies and sneaking through Saxony.

Once they reached the manor, they were seated and her mother, Jelena, was able to greet them. She embraced and congratulated Albrecht, then turned her attention to her daughter’s growing belly.

“It is so wonderful that you have been busy, Anna. We have been making preparations for your return. We have secured the services of a midwife, but I don’t want to wake her just yet, there is much to discuss. Your uncle is in Berlin keeping the Landtag in line, but most of the government officials and military leaders won’t obey my orders.”

Anna Maria I settled into a chair and considered the situation. “Uncle has several children of his own. Are you sure he will not be a problem?”

“Yes. Your father made sure that he understood and supported the succession plan. You know how much he looked up to him, we can trust him.”

“Good. And as for father...is it true it was poison?”

“It was not another assassination; no. Turns out it was some bad sauerkraut. I executed the chef anyway; he was guilty of at least negligence.”

“Good. I’m not taking any risks. I’m going to bring in my favorite galley cook. I’m going to use a food taster. And I’ll have a food taster for my food taster.”

“What about von Kyau?” interjected Albrecht, “Are you sure he didn’t kill your father?”

“No,” said Jelena

“We heard some whispers about that prick being involved as we crossed Saxony,” added Anna Maria I.

“He is not the only one who can run a propaganda operation,” replied Jelena. “I had to counter his lies somehow, though I wish I knew where he was getting his tracts printed. I have every printshop watched.”

Anna smiled slyly. “I can think of one printshop that you probably don’t know about. I’ll have some of my men pay them a visit.”

Jelena frowned, deciding she did not want to know where Anna Maria learned about such an establishment. “Any thoughts on reining in von Quitzow? He does not seem willing to engage the traitors on my orders. He writes that I am only the widow to an elector, and that he is not obligated to obey.”

“He is not joining them, either.” added Albrecht.

“The cowardly worm!” said Anna Maria I, “I’d have his head if I could get ahold of it.”

Albrecht sighed. “He is a patriotic Brandenburger, he just needs to be reminded who is rightfully in charge. He is also friend of von Kyau, no doubt he is conflicted. He may listen to me; if you want, I will write to him in your name.”

Anna Maria scowled, but considered the wisdom in letting her more tactful husband handle this. “Fine, fine. But if he doesn’t fight those rebels by the end of the year, you are going to raise more men an...aaaaahhh!!”

As she crunched up in pain, Albrecht leapt to his feet to help her, but Jelena held him back. The older woman showed him a wet spot on the floor, and hollered for the midwife.

December 1584



Dying men and horses cried in pain while the smoke cleared from the battlefield. This was more of a skirmish than a full-out battle, but that was only because Markus von Quitzow was holding his men back. Still, thousands lay dead and wounded, the rebel camp destroyed, and Diederick von Kyau was leading his forces in retreat.

He silently said a prayer, hoping that his friend would see reason and surrender. He knew that lies and propaganda would only carry the movement so far. The rebel support stalled as reports came in about the Pirate Princess arriving in Berlin, with a surprise husband and child in tow. Markus knew the new Prince-Consort; Albrecht von Scholtheim was a respected officer before he returned to Brunswick to help his father.

Brandenburg would indeed be in good hands with von Scholtheim tempering Anna Maria, but Markus still had his doubts when the message arrived from Albrecht ordering him in no uncertain terms to put an end to von Kyau’s rebellion. Albrecht had remined him that the von Gersdorff dynasty was still strong, and they remained the divinely appointed rulers of Brandenburg on Earth. After much prayer, von Quitzow remembered where his loyalty lay. He was now determined that von Kyau have every opportunity to see the light.

Messages were sent, promising that von Quitzow would argue for exile rather than execution as punishment if he surrendered, and that most of his men would be spared if they deserted now. Diedrick von Kyau had responded simply by telling him that it was too late to turn back, not to believe von Gersdorff propaganda, that Markus should continue to hold his troops back, but that any soldier who wished to join him be permitted.

Praying for his friend’s stubbornness, Markus watched flakes of snow and ash mingle in the air. As soon as his men were organized, they would resume hunting. The new Gersdorff babe was inspiring them to prove their loyalty. Unless von Kyau saw wisdom, von Quitzow would not be able to hold them back much longer.

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 16 – Fearless


December 1584


“Sir, we have the enemy pinned down, just on the other side of the river.” said the Colonel.

Markus von Quitzow nodded, he could see them through his spyglass. Diedrick von Kyau had continued to march across the country despite being chased by the main Brandenburg army, and was currently camped outside Potsdam, working on controlling the area.

They had rebuffed all peace offers. They had not stopped marching towards Berlin. Despite his prayers, General von Quitzow was faced with the one scenario he hoped to avoid but had known deep down was inevitable.

“Artillery is in position. We are ready to begin the attack at your command.” Continued the Colonel.

“Colonel, I am not feeling well.”

“Sir?”

“I am not up to leading the attack. I need to go lie down. Take command, Colonel, and begin the attack on your discretion.

“Yes, Sir. Get better.” The Colonel saluted as he walked away.

Though he stayed behind, Markus did not go lie down. He continued to watch the area where von Kyau’s forces were concentrated and forced himself to watch as the sound of cannons reverberated through the air and plumes of smoke filled the view of his spyglass.

March 1585



The Swedish ambassador bowed respectfully as he entered her office and had a seat in an opposite chair once Anna Maria offered it.

“Princess-Elector, let me congratulate you for assuming your seat with minimal fuss.”

“Thank you, Ambassador,” She responded, coldly. She was in the process of rearranging Brandenburg’s alliance network, and Sweden was not one of the countries being considered.

“It is my hope that our realms can work together for our mutual benefit and address the issues that affect us all.”

Here it comes. She thought.

“Once area that I believe we can work together is the issue of piracy in the Baltic. As you are no doubt aware, pirate attacks been steadily increasing for years.”

“How horrible!” she replied

“Indeed. Can I get a pledge from you to help stop these leaches?”

“I would love to help you, but I pirates are notoriously difficult to manage. They won’t heed any edicts denouncing them.”

“Of course not. Perhaps you could commit more ships to hunting them?” Anna Maria almost wished the ambassador would stop being coy and just straight up accuse her.

“I’m afraid not, Ambassador. We do not have many ships, and they are all busy.”

“Well then,” said the Ambassador, his face reddening. “Perhaps we could share our intelligence, and maybe identify some of the vessels responsible?”

“I don’t think we have much information on them, but you can talk to any of our port officials.”

“How kind of you. We would like to talk to them, because we do have some questions. I don’t mean to insult your vigilance, but we have over the years spotted several vessels that have been accused of piracy sheltered within Brandenburg ports.”

“Those are serious allegations,” she said, her rage barely registering in her speech.

“Indeed. And we do have proof.” He handed her a package of documents and continued talking as she flicked through them. “A pirate captain was recently captured, and he had a very interesting story to tell. He claimed to be a valid privateer, but that his letter of marque had been misplaced. What was really odd was that he claimed to be working with the approval of Brandenburg. Which is preposterous, as apparently Brandenburg has nothing to do with piracy.”

“We do not.”

“So you disavow this captain?”

“No. We issued him a legitimate letter of marque and reprisal.”

The ambassador was stunned. “Then you are involved in piracy?”

“No, you blockhead! We have legitimate merchants retaliating against foreign aggression! Just because you can’t tell the difference between them and pirates doesn’t mean you can throw unfounded accusations around!”

The ambassador was not used to being talked to this way, “F...f...f....foreign aggression?”

“Yes! In case you hadn’t noticed the Commonwealth has been dominating the area. We are trying to stop them. What are you doing? You say you have a pirate problem? Do a better job protecting your own coasts, don’t come here and insult the good merchants of Brandenburg. Go. Get out!” she yelled.

“King Karl VIII will hear about this!” snapped the ambassador as he left.

Anna Maria spent a few minutes calming down, wondering if she burned any bridges. The pirates had been a sticking point with Sweden for a while, but she didn’t think that they had anything concrete that they could pin on Brandenburg. She had already been considering moving the fleet to other waters to see if they were more profitable, but now she didn’t want to if it looked like she was reacting to Sweden.

There were other affairs of state to deal with, however. She sat down at her desk and prepared for her meeting with the diplomat from the Ottoman Sultan. Now there was a man who she could do business with.

October 1585



Trotting by on his horse, Albrecht von Schlotheim examined the army camped at Stettin. After the chaos of von Kyau’s rebellion died down, Albrecht thought it would be wise to keep the shaky general away from Berlin for the time being. While he was able to convince Anna Maria I that von Quitzow was ultimately loyal, he wasn’t sure that his mother-in-law was convinced. The army was still needed to restore order to the areas that had risen up in support of von Kyau, so Albrecht was able to keep them apart.

Growing up, the noble scions of his generation were largely in awe of the Pirate Princess. Their older brothers and cousins who were of age with Anna Maria and had met her were not impressed, but she was a legend among the younger boys. He still could not believe the changes in his life when she showed up in Brunswick with plans to secure her throne, and somehow he was part of it. He knew that he had a reputation for tactical planning and that his family brought considerable influence to the table, but he never imagined that would make an appealing match for the princess-elector.

Yet here he was. Marriage to her was like being married to the sea; sometimes calm, sometimes furious. There was a lot of Anna Maria that he was in awe of, and some parts of her that he was afraid of, but they shared a desire to rebuild Brandenburg and now they had the bond of parenthood, with a son almost one year old.

Pleased with the order in the camp, Albrecht stopped and dismounted outside General von Quitzow’s tent. The sentry saluted him as he entered, he was expected.

The General stood to great him. “My prince, I am glad that you were able to make it here safely. How was the journey?”

“Relaxing,” replied Albrecht, “and you can relax, too. The princess has decided to retain your services.”

“Really? Because after Potsdam, I thought...”

Albrecht interrupted him, “You thought of a brilliant maneuver. Your courage and a resourcefulness saved the day.”

Markus von Quitzow was skeptical. “My prince, that is not true, I...”

“Nonsense. You did your duty for Brandenburg. Your loyalty and courage are not in doubt, in fact you have been rewarded several medals and commendations to that effect.” Albrecht handed him a case containing the medals. Both men knew that von Quitzow did not earn them, but he deserved them, nonetheless.

“I am glad that I hold Brandenburg’s trust and am held high in esteem, but there are many who demonstrated courage and loyalty besides I.”

“Perhaps. But we need heroes.”

“I suppose you are right, my prince.”

“Good! Glad you agree,” Albrecht leaned in close to emphasize the double-edged sword of the honors, “However, part of being a hero is that your services are always needed. And we have a job for you...”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 17 – Recovery



May 1588


Markus von Quitzow had his doubts and concerns about inviting the unholy Muslims of the Ottoman Empire to assist, but they proved to be an ideal counter to the misguided Reformed heretics of the Commonwealth. While the adherents of the two false religions slaughtered each other, the Brandenburg army focused on retaking lost land and even expanding their borders further. The Ottomans were content to be given only a single province for their trouble, so at least their worrisome expansion was slowed for another cycle of truces.

The only major struggle was in taking these fortifications in Kolberg. A larger force of elite Austrians forced the siege to be abandoned several times, including one attempt that broke down into a devastating fighting retreat. In the end, the fort fell and a peace deal quickly reached before the Austrians could meet on the field again.

Brandenburg dignity had been restored, and the whole ducal family had come to tour the area. Markus von Quitzow had caught the occasional glimpse of them moving about the fortress from the room he was using as an office on the second floor. The elder duchess Jelena was still going strong at age 58, claiming first pick of the loot from the captured territories. Anna Maria I was showing 4-year-old Georg Wilhelm the view of the sea from the top of the Kolberg castle.

The castle used to be the home of Magdalena I, so Markus thought there was a malevolent spirt to the place. When the Gersdorff’s came to power, it was assigned to Anna Maria’s uncle Christian as his new seat. He had not had time to visit it before the Poles took it, but he was here now, overseeing the repair crews and letting his children, Christian Jr and Miriam, run around and explore their new home.

Markus felt the prince-consort Albrecht clasp his shoulder and congratulate him again on a successful campaign. This war was the perfect opportunity for Albrecht to demonstrate his grasp of strategy and military organization to both his subjects and the allies of the Protestant League.

“Well done, General. Brandenburg is now back on course.”

“If you say so, my Prince.”

“It is. Now that I have a chance to talk to you alone, did you find the library? Was it still intact, after all that conflict?”

“It was.”

“Excellent. And did you find Johann Georg I’s diary?”

“I did. Here,” Markus von Quitzow retrieved a leather-bound tome from the shelf and handed it to the prince-consort, “although I don’t know why it deserves all this secrecy.”

Albrecht started paging through the diary, “There is evidence that he was working on plans for a new form of government, a sort of militarized kingdom. The only evidence I have been able to find are occasional references in official records and statements from a few of the old timers who were around then. Magdelena I moved all of his personal documents here after he died. If he wrote down any thoughts on how such a government would come about, it would be in here.”

November 1591



Albrecht lay on the ground of his balcony, enjoying some sunlight before the brightness and heat became unbearable. He slowly got to his feet, glad that he was able to walk without vomiting for the first time in over a week. Once back inside, he collapsed into a chair, his head spinning but his condition much improved.

Two winters ago, the first reports of influenza cropped up in western Brandenburg, and before long alarming reports of the casualties started arriving. When presented with the option to quarantine the province, Anna Maria I had scoffed and said that the disease would likely pass in a few weeks and the deaths of relatively few were not worth the economic cost of a lockdown. Jelena concurred, boldly stating that the disruption of the income stream would cause more death than the disease.

However, the disease did not go away and instead exploded across Brandenburg. Under immense public pressure, Anna Maria had instituted a quarantine over most of the country. The economic damage was far greater than would have occurred had smaller measures been implemented earlier and more aggressively, though.

Jelena had retreated to her estate outside of the city. She continued to issue orders to her business managers, forcing them to keep workers on the front lines while she was able to isolate safely. Albrecht had lost a lot of respect for her, but still decided to send Georg Wilhelm and his cousins Christian Jr and Miriam to live with her as the deaths within Berlin increased. As much as it pained them to be separated from their son, Albrecht had managed to convince his wife of the necessity. This turned out to be a smart move, as eventually the influenza made its way through the palace.

The spymaster Jakob von Quernheim was among the first to succumb to the disease and perish. The Landtag was suspended when several members fell ill, Christian Gersdorff Sr among them. He managed to hold on for several days, but eventually Uncle Christian died as well. Anna Maria’s food taster was the next to go, and then the Elector and Electress themselves fell sick.

Albrecht remembered trying to read some more of Johann Georg I’s diary but would up reading the same page over and over trying to focus. He was struggling to keep his sinuses clear and food down. Eventually, irritation from the light and smoke form the candles made reading impossible and before long breathing became a chore. He had days of angry and feverish dreams, unsure of the passage of time. He remembered being fed concoctions to drink, being bled by leeches, being asked confusing questions. At some point, he remembered his wife being carried away...

After vomiting again, Albrecht curled up into a ball on the floor while the emotional reality of the last few weeks hit him, mingled with the lasting effects of the illness and incapacitated him for another half hour or so. Eventually he pulled himself back up and managed to eat a few more bites of food without feeling nauseous again and was able to fully consider his situation.

Jelena had the children, and he could thank God that they were healthy out in the countryside. Did she know yet? It was hard to tell how much time had passed. The advisors, the church officials and the Landtag would support him as regent; he was more popular than Jelena. He was credited with winning back territory from the Commonwealth that Jelena’s husband had lost. Georg Wilhelm I was now the hope of the nation, but he was only a boy of six. It was the father’s duty to prepare the way for the son.

He rang a bell to summon a nurse. It would probably be days before he would be able to leave his chambers, but it would be important for news of him being healthier to spread, and he needed to write some letters...

December 1595


Georg Wilhelm spent most of the rest of his childhood playing with his dear cousins and studying with Grandmother at her estate. He barely remembered his mother, but most people spoke fondly of her and everyone had a funny story. He was able to see is father at least once a year, but running the country kept him extremely busy. When they did meet, he often asked Georg Wilhelm about his studies and asked questions on how he would run Brandenburg once he turned 15. The meetings were brief, but Georg Wilhelm left them feeling appreciated and smart, at least until it was time for his father to leave. Grandmother said that he did not love him as much as she did, and often disapproved of the topics of conversation or the solutions they came up with.

However, his cousin Christian had snuck into Grandmother’s study one night and brought back a stack of letters that she had been withholding. They were full of questions on government and words of love and memories of his mother. He wondered why she was trying to keep them apart; Christian said that she changed after the influenza claimed her daughter and brother-in-law and was losing her mind. He often vowed to run away and take up the family seat in Kolberg once he came of age.

Grandmother was always excited to show him how finances worked, and showed him the ins and outs of taxation, trade, and the various businesses she had invested in. Georg Wilhelm started seeing her in a new light. He was happy to learn how they worked, but was starting to question some of her tactics, and why so much money was diverted to odd accounts.

When Markus von Quitzow, or the master of mind Ernst von Derfflinger, visited the estate they would bring news of the outside world, and Gerog Wilhelm started asking more questions about his father and grandmother. Markus simply told him that they had different opinions on how he was raised, and that he should obey his grandmother for now. Ernst explained to him how people who loved the same person could sometimes appear to hate each other, and that he should forgive his grandmother because she was not healthy. When Georg Wilhelm asked to be taken away and to visit his father, Ernst assured him he was safest with his grandmother right now. He did agree to deliver letters and go around Grandmother, and brought him news and books from the outside world.

Hamburg had called upon Brandenburg to return the favor and help them with an offensive war last year. Their objective was to claim the remainder of the Jutland peninsula, which was held by Cleaves, or more accurately heretical rebel militias. In the chaos, the nation of Friesland declared independence from Cleaves. Five months later, though, they abandoned independence and joined the Republic of the Netherlands, the newest power to emerge within the Holy Roman Empire.

The war was brief. Hamburg rushed into the rebel-held areas and took control of the peninsula while Brandenburg and the other allies sieged down the other holdings with minimal resistance, forcing Nassau to regain its independence. Grandmother was excited to hear that war reparations were also part of the deal in one of the few times she spoke highly of his father.

There was also concern with the Reformed provinces in the eastern portion of the country; while his father was sending missionaries to show them how the state church operated, there was concern that a disaster of religious turmoil could boil over. However, his father had enacted the Popery Act, offering a cash prize to anyone turning in priests who were not supporting the Protestant way of thinking. The missionaries found their work easier and disaster was averted as the citizens of those provinces came around.

Another item that Georg Wilhelm found particularly interesting was that the Pope had decreed that Canada was the sole domain of Scotland, and that it was a sin for any other Catholic power to settle there. He had enjoyed a good laugh at the silliness of the Catholics, but there was something on the map of the colony of Nova Scotia that caught his eye. There was a small settlement there called Albrecht, just like his father. He wondered why a Scottish colony would have a German name for a town.

The item that Georg Wilhelm treasured the most, however, was a book that Markus had given him. It was an old book, leather bound. Markus explained that his father wanted him to read it, and that it would be very important to understanding how to rule Brandenburg. It was a diary, that of the Prince Johann Georg I, who had come to power a century ago. It was a difficult read, full of words that he did not know, but he found it more fascinating than any of his lessons. Johann Georg I had started it when he was not much older than Georg Wilhelm, and he found that he could relate to the ancient prince, who also had a father who was absent most of the time, and the more he learned about him the more he liked.

(Author’s Note: This chapter was written in late June 2020, while the gameplay itself took place in mid-March 2020. If you are reading this in the far future, this was right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I confess my frustrations with the situation poured out onto the page. In my other games when faced with this event I always choose to quarantine, but based on the IRL debate at the time on how to respond to COVID I tried not closing down the province, and surprise surprise it quickly spread and within a few years Anna Maria mysteriously died. Now it really isn’t fair to compare an event chain in a game to real life, and every disease is different, but using world history as guide there are plenty of examples of what general tactics and mindsets will exasperate an epidemic. I am trying to be vague and apolitical, but some may not see it that way; if I violate any community standards regarding that sort of speech I will edit it but I have vulnerable loved ones so I have strong feelings about this. TY for understanding and stay healthy everyone.)

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 18 – New Men


November 1599


Georg Wilhelm I woke up on the morning of his fifteenth birthday. As the low winter sun beamed through his window, he wondered about his status. Would anyone in the household recognize him as the Prince-Elector? Would his grandmother acknowledge the day? Would he have to find his own way to Berlin? Would she let him? Would there be challengers to the title, as his mother and grandfather had faced?

He was surprised, when he walked down the stairs, to be greeted by several dozen people who burst into applause. Ernst von Derfflinger announced him and led the group in bowing before him respectfully. He then proclaimed his loyalty to Georg Wilhelm I, which was soon seconded by the general Markus von Quitzow and then by the other members of the court in turn.

Georg Wilhelm was pleased to see his cousin Christian was present; he had not seen him for a couple of years. He had married von Derfflinger’s daughter, and they already had twin boys. The cousins smiled brightly at each other while Christian echoed the vows of loyalty.

His other cousin, Miriam, sadly was not present. The sudden growth of Brandenburg had gotten the attention of Tsar Dmitriy VII; what was once a rump state on the fringes of the Holy Roman Empire was now respected as a regional power again. After dropping the useless ally of Norway, a new alliance was formed with Russia, and Miriam had married Dmitriy VII to seal the deal.

He glanced over at his grandmother, who was still seated. She was smiling and applauding with the rest, but Georg Wilhelm knew that she was sulking on the inside; she had gone on another unhinged rant about losing her babies the night before. Georg Wilhelm had fantasized about ordering her about or banishing her from his room once he became Elector, but now that he had he saw her for what she was: A self-centered old woman who would never change. And he loved her for who she was.

When he stepped out of the mansion, he saw a lone figure waiting outside. He removed his oversized hat, revealing the face of his father, Albrecht von Schlotheim. Albrecht echoed the words of fealty as his son slowly walked towards him. From about two feet apart the two men paused and looked at each other. The crowd from inside slowly fanned out. After a few seconds, Georg Wilhelm I stuck out his arm, and shook his father’s hand.

September 1600



His head pounding after a night of partying, Chrisitan von Gersdorff was eventually roused from his sleep when the knocking at his door became louder than the headache knocking on the inside of his skull. He gradually found his feet and was able to open it up, revealing his cousin Georg Wilhelm I and the general Markus von Quitzow.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking down, “was there a meeting today?”

“There is now,” said Georg as he walked in and helped himself to a seat, “Cousin, are you happy?”

Christian was confused, “What do you mean? Of course I am.”

“I am concerned. Ever since we moved to Berlin, you haven’t sent for your family, I still haven’t met the boys.”

“They are safer in Kolberg.” In truth, he was glad to be away from them. He wasn’t cut out to be a family man, and had only married the von Derfflinger girl under pressure from the two families once she got pregnant. He was not even certain that he was the father.

“That may be so. But you are out cavorting and carousing every night. While you have been mostly discrete, you have been with other women. I would hate for there to be a moral scandal.”

“How do you know about them?”

“You told me.”

Abashed, Christian did not know what to say. He was not used to his younger cousin challenging him.

“I have been talking with the general,” resumed Georg Wilhelm I, “And we think it would do you some good to take on some additional responsibilities. There is a war on, and we need to be prepared for the worst.”

Only a month after he had claimed leadership of Brandenburg, Hamburg had requested his help with the invasion of Cologne. The war was still in the early stages, but once again Brandenburg and Austria found themselves on opposite sides.

“I have decided to officially proclaim you as my heir apparent, just in case something happens.”

“Thank you, Georg. But you are not at risk.”

“Not necessarily true. We are not just going to set around in Berlin and manage the war from afar. We are going to lead armies like the Electors of old.”

Christian resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Georg Wilhelm I practically worshiped the old Hohenzollerns. But one word from his cousin cut through his hangover and got his attention. “What do you mean by ‘we’?”

March 1602



“Are you sure that he will listen to our proposal?” asked Gerog Beyse, the trader who had recently joined the court.

“Yes,” replied Ernst von Derfflinger as the two advisors waited in the hall, “Our young Elector is very open to new ideas and new ways of managing the government.” Georg Wilhelm I had just last month enacted several such ideas. He was back in Berlin after being out in the field for a while, the war against Cologne was proceeding well; Cologne itself was fully occupied and progress was being made towards convincing Cologne’s allies to leave the fight. Brandenburg had its army split into smaller groups that avoided direct contact with the enemy and focused on retaking isolated patches of territory.

Georg Wilhelm’s father, Albrecht von Schlotheim, was serving as speaker of the Landtag and had several bills to present to his son. The Brandenburg National Bank was established to centralize the economy, for one. Also, General von Quitzow had developed a “goose-step” technique for the soldiers under his command to maintain battlelines while advancing into cannon fire; Georg Wilhelm I ensured that the technique was adopted across the army.

Beyse and von Derfflinger had spent months drafting and refining their own economic development plan. It had been ridiculed by von Schlotheim and most of the other MPs, so when word reached the capital that Georg Wilhelm I was returning they had quickly arranged for a meeting, hoping to bring their proposal directly to the Elector himself.

After an almost intolerably long wait, they were admitted to the Elector’s office, and stood in silence as the young man thumbed through their draft, full of plans for increased commercial protectionism and regulations.

“Radical,” judged Georg Wilhelm I, examining the thick stack of papers in his lap.

“Necessary,” said Ernst von Derfflinger

“Profitable,” said Georg Beyse

“I don’t know about that,” replied the Elector, “These regulations will hamper the growth of business. Are you sure you are a professional trader?”

“Yes, my Prince...” replied Georg Beyse

“Because this section here,” continued Georg Wilhelm I, pointing to a passage, “has me concerned. It will destabilize Brandenburg while we adapt to the new regulations, and we cannot afford that right now. The Ottomans have invaded the Commonwealth again on their own accord, and I intend to capitalize on the situation.”

Ernst von Derfflinger swallowed nervously while Georg Wilhelm I examined at the two men. It seemed that he had misjudged the young Elector. As much as his father had influenced his approach to running the government, his grandmother had influenced his economic philosophy.

“Ernst, I thought you were too level-headed to be taken in by such radical ideas. There will be no more talk about this. Return to your duties. Mr. Beyse, I no longer have confidence in your ability to represent the interests of Brandenburg. I want your letter of resignation by the end of the day.”

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 19 – Christian Soldiers


July 1602


Still covered in soot and in disbelief, Georg Wilhelm I walked into the small town where many of the survivors of the battle were regrouping. Earlier that day, he had received a message that Christian Albrecht I of Saxony had been elected emperor. At first, it seemed like good news. Saxony was closer and less mountainous than Austria, so it should be easier to defeat the Catholic League and force religious change.

Among the officers, though, there was division. Already tensions were high between the old nobility and those who rose through the ranks. They soon started arguing over whether it was a better option to attack Saxony or Bohemia, and Georg Wilhelm I had insisted that they focus on the war at hand: a lightning strike to enforce Brandenburgian claims on Konigsberg while the Commonwealth was overrun with Ottomans. The fortress at Tuchola had to be taken first, though, and they had been waiting on a siege when the news came.

Of course, he himself had forgotten that there was a second war going on; the Hamburgian invasion of Cologne. Despite the fact that Cologne was fully occupied, and their ally of Munster dropped out of the war, it was still raging. But one thing he did not expect was for the Cologne army to show up in the middle of Poland. The enemy wasted no time attacking the Brandenburgians while they were focused on the siege.

Hour later, the survivors gathered in the small town to spend the night before resuming the retreat back to Berlin. Georg Wilhelm I could not believe how he had been routed so thoroughly, and what would happen to Brandenburg if the Commonwealth reached a treaty with the Ottomans.

“There you are, my Prince.” It was Markus von Quitzow, who had been held in reserve. The more experienced general had been involved in some skirmishes with the Austrians allied to Cologne, but for this second war Georg had taken charge.

Gerog Wilhelm was still in shock. He indicated towards a wagon packed with wounded soldiers that had gotten stuck in a rut, crying out as the drivers violently pushed on it trying to free it. “Is it worth it? All the death?”

Von Quitzow sighed, “A question I have asked myself many times.”

“Have you found an answer?”

“Yes,” said von Quitzow, leading the prince towards the center of the town, “It is tough, but I remember that we are only men and that God has plans for us all. God choose you to be in charge of Brandenburg and for you to make the tough decisions.”

“How do I know if my decisions are aligned with God’s wishes?”

“When I ask myself that question,” Markus von Quitzow pointed Georg Wilhelm I towards the church in the town square, “I know I need to pray for inspiration. As God’s chosen leader, you may need to get back in touch with him. Join me, and you should find at least solace, if not clarity.”

Without another word, the two men entered the church.

February 1604



As he started the paperwork to start making the recently conquered lands into core parts of Brandenburg territory and establish officials loyal to the government in Berlin, Ernst von Derfflinger reflected on how the last few years of war had changed his monarch. Although he held onto some resentments after his friend was unceremoniously terminated, loyalty to Brandenburg and his father Albrecht kept Ernst on the job.

Although Georg Wilhelm was brilliant and capable of quick leadership, he was cocksure and overconfident; although the defeat at Tuchola seemed to have tempered that somewhat. Although he continued to remain inflexible in economic policy, he was more cautious militarily.

The fall of 1602 turned out to have an excellent harvest despite the shortage of able-bodied men to fight in the war. Further good news came with the death of the elder Electress Jelena. Ernst did not miss her, but Georg Wilhelm I was able to find some good words to speak about her at the funeral. As a final cruel joke, she had given all of her wealth to charities. It ensured that her reputation would be mended among the common people with time, while also being an insult to family members who thought they deserved more. While Georg Wilhelm I was able to laugh it off, Christian von Gersdorff was livid. As much as it pained Ernst to take sides with his sulky wastrel of a son-in-law, he did agree that Christian was robbed of his inheritance...or at least, that the grandchildren were robbed of their inheritance.

The spring of 1603 brought some international news. Bremen dropped out of the Hamburg/Cologne war. Sweden invaded Norway. Russia joined the dogpile on the Commonwealth. While the two nations were involved in separate wars, Georg Wilhelm I wrote to his cousin Miriam, the Tsarina, requesting military aide. As a pleasant surprise, 5000 Russian troops showed up to reinforce the second attempt to take Tuchola. The extra manpower proved to be just the boost that Brandenburg needed to break through and quickly seize down the adjacent provinces and capture the port of Konigsberg.

Beset on all sides, the Commonwealth must have been pleased to learn that Brandenburg only wanted three provinces. After some negotiation, they agreed also to hand over a decent chunk of the Commonwealth’s gold reserves for “safekeeping” before the Ottomans or the Russians could get to it.

Only after returning to Brandenburg in triumph did Georg Wilhelm I share his plans with Ernst von Derfflinger. His initial rejection of his advisors’ plans made sense in this light. By controlling the duchy of Prussia as well as the duchy of Brandenburg, he would be able to form a new nation, be legally able to call it a kingdom, and provide a new national identity with a militarized structure. This new form of government would give the Protestants the edge, and they would be ready unleash it upon the Emperor in Saxony in just a few years.

June 1604



Markus von Quitzow was amused by the all the commotion in the war room. Just three months earlier, he had returned from the field. He had clashed with the Austrian army, led by Ferdinand I Wenzel von Habsburg himself. Casualties were relatively few, thank God, and the Austrians shortly exited the war. Combined with Georg Wilhelm I’s recent victory, the whole nation was upbeat and full of evangelical purpose. As soon as recent gains were consolidated and peace was reached with Cologne, it would be time to Georg Wilhelm I to fulfill his destiny and free the Empire from the grasp of the Catholics.

But folly are the plans of men compared to the plans of God. Sweden had annexed half of Norway, and suddenly they had more influence than Brandenburg. They took control of the Protestant League and initiated hostilities before Georg Wilhelm I was ready, and no one seemed certain how to react.

Perhaps, thought Markus, one day he will learn to appreciate God’s sense of humor.

(While putting this together, I was wondering why Austria and the Commonwealth sat this one out...then I realized that all the neutral nations in Europe had lost a war recently and probably weren't up for the fight.)

 

[jscaco]

Chapter 20 –The Five Years War


December 1607


Albrecht von Scholtheim barely listened to the passionate speech the representative from Berlin gave in favor of the war effort. It was full of patriotic appeals, religious assertions, and Brandenburger pride. It even referred to the united duchies once or twice as “Prussia”, a term that was starting to be used by some of the more radical military reformers to refer to the larger country and the new identity that was being formed.

It was a very good speech, delivered by one of the best orators he knew. He was not blown away by the content of the speech because he had written it, and in fact had bribed the Berliner delegation to help support his son’s wars. While the Russian regulars had been instrumental in filling out Brandenburg’s army for the capture of Konigsberg, seven years of conflict with Cologne had taken their toll, and the intense religious violence of the league war was not helping.

In the early phases, Georg Wilhelm I had joined forces with Bohemia to occupy most of Saxony and placed the Emperor Christian Albrecht I under house arrest. The smaller princes who were still loyal to the Emperor were occupied one by one. While many of the evangelical powers wanted to put the Emperor on trial and execute him (some even wanted to skip the first step), Albrecht had advised that the Emperor was more valuable as a bargaining chip than a martyr.

The small fleet of his late wife’s precious pirate ships blockaded the Denmark island holdout; aside from evading the English fleet there was not much action. Cologne had finally surrendered to Hamburg in June 1606, and most of the fighting in the league war moved to France, so Georg Wilhelm I kept his troops back to recover and wait for the Catholic forces to give up.

When Russia finally reached peace with the Commonwealth, Danzig was released as a sovereign state. As Brandenburg had claims on the area, Georg Wilhelm I decided once again to march east for an opportunistic strike. The Danzig army was quickly crushed, and the capital placed under a siege that was proceeding steadily. It was a good plan, but it stretched Brandenburg even thinner. Hence the debate in parliament. As the Berlin representative finished the speech, Albrecht allowed the applause to die down before calling a vote. But it was only a formality at this point.

August 1609



George Wilhelm I quickly strode through the wrecked palace, looking for the Elector of the Palatinate. The victorious Protestant League held full control over the former Catholic headquarters in Saxony, and people from all across Europe were helping themselves to the spoils. France and Bohemia were the only two countries who managed to gain territory in the final treaty, but Brandenburg was successful in gaining new territory on the side.

Danzig had taken longer than anticipated to capture. Georg Wilhelm I would later learn that the sister of the duke, Lady Aniela Hainaut, had inspired the garrison to hold out. When he met her afterwards, he was thoroughly impressed with her. They had negotiated for hours, and he had never before enjoyed such vigorous conversation. They had reached an agreement where Danzig would become a vassal of Brandenburg rather than being annexed outright, and Georg hoped that he would get to see her again someday.

With the Danzig business taken care of, he was able to devote his full attention to the main religious conflict. Because his forces were in the northeast of the HRE, when Catholic League members broke through the line and attempted to liberate Saxony he was in good position to stop them. He had taken many casualties but had retained control over Saxony and eventually the Catholics surrendered, and in the sober light of peace the cost of the war became unignorable.

He was saddened to learn that his spiritual advisor Markus von Quitzow was among the dead, along with over a million other soldiers and countless civilians. He was assured that most of them were in a better place, and that the sacrifice was worth it. The Empire was finally free of the Pope’s influence, and the true Protestant faith reigned supreme. There was still much to do to finish the missionary work and to bring stability to the Empire, but if he died right then and there it would be with the knowledge that he had made it a better Empire.

The old Emperor was forced to abdicate, and in the spirit of peace was allowed to retire as a monk to secure monastery in France. However, the only other remaining legal elector, the Palatinate, somehow choose Jacques IV of Cyprus to secede him. Cyprus was a valid candidate for emperor under the new rules that had been drawn up, but it was neither an HRE member nor a participant in the war. That Palatinate elector had some explaining to do...

November 1609


“As I explained last August, I do not think that Brandenburg would be an appropriate choice for Emperor. Last time your country held the title, imperial reforms were rolled back,” said the Elector. Georg Wilhelm I had travelled to the Palatinate in person, officially to talk about trade, but the true purpose was this afterhours meeting.

“We are stronger now,” countered Georg Wilhelm I as he held the wine he was sipping up to the light to admire the color, “Strong enough to protect the Empire and the rights of the princes.”

“That is what I’m worried about,” said the Elector as he paced around his home, “How strong are you planning on getting? We have crossed swords with Brandenburg many times before.”

“Strong enough to reenact those reforms.”

“That’s what your diplomat has been telling me. Very persistent and persuasive, that one. My answer remains no, however. Technologically, you are still a step behind. You have not renounced piracy. There is too much baggage associated with the name Brandenburg; you are neither a prudent nor a popular option.”

Georg Wilhelm put his wine glass down and leaned forward, smiling. “Well, if you will never support Brandenburg, may I suggest a different country?”