A Crusader Kings 2 AAR
Tales from Saxony
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Tales from Saxony
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Tales from Saxony
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Tales from Saxony - Chapter I
Of Heinrich's children, the younger brother Otto was made the primary heir, this from a younger age made Thankmar redirect his growing anger towards his brother. After Heinrich's death, the new King Otto further disdained his brother, gifting titles that should have been Thankmar's to others. It was then that the situation culminated in a civil war, on one side Otto and the loyalists to the crown and on the other Thankmar, the lords of Franconia and East Frisia.
After a long civil war, Thankmar and his allies gained victory on the battlefield even outnumbered, with Otto being brought to Thankmar in chains. Now the lords come to Thankmar seeking guidance from the new king of the Germans. Thankmar, on the other hand, had another thought, perhaps it was necessary to put an end to Saxon rule over foreign lands. Perhaps go back to an ancient time before the Carolingians and Merovingians who united all Germans under a single leader. After much deliberation, Thankmar and the other lords decided to break up the Kingdom of the Germans so that the grand dukes would become independent, creating 4 grand duchies, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia and Bavaria, while other lesser lords were left at the mercy of an independent future or an incorporation within the 4 grand duchies.
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Tales from Saxony - Chapter II
Thankmar in the following years leaves for the east with the army of Saxony and subdues the Margrave of Saxon Ostmark. With this victory Thankmar returns to his residence in Lippe, and places Humfried in command of his army in the invasion to the north. The respected commander battles in Rendsburg in winter 944 against the small force of the Margrave of Billungs. What seemed like an easy victory, almost ends in disaster when Humfried decides to hunt through the forest the leader of the enemy army, in his charge he fails and leaves the battle wounded, but still takes victory on the battlefield.
Count Wichmann of Stade in 944 requests Thankmar that in exchange for an old favor, declare war against Duke Reginar of Brabant to take Hamaland for Count Wichmann. Thankmar accepts the request, as the council and the other lords would tend to look down on Thankmar if he rejected his vassal's request.
Hamaland is taken the following year, a counter-attack by Duke Reginar takes place a few weeks later, but his troops are defeated at the Battle of Arnhem, where 2.500 of Brabant's army would perish that day, and control of Hamaland would now be officially passed to the Count Wichmann.
In the year 951, Thankmar decides to invade Bohemia, in order to subdue Duke Boleslav II, the campaign would be an absolute success, as Thankmar would personally command his troops in the Battle of Weida, which would lead to the massacre of the entire enemy army and the city itself, and capture Duke Boleslav, who a few days later would kneel before Thankmar as a vassal, and might return to his lands in defeat.
Hamaland is taken the following year, a counter-attack by Duke Reginar takes place a few weeks later, but his troops are defeated at the Battle of Arnhem, where 2.500 of Brabant's army would perish that day, and control of Hamaland would now be officially passed to the Count Wichmann.
In the year 951, Thankmar decides to invade Bohemia, in order to subdue Duke Boleslav II, the campaign would be an absolute success, as Thankmar would personally command his troops in the Battle of Weida, which would lead to the massacre of the entire enemy army and the city itself, and capture Duke Boleslav, who a few days later would kneel before Thankmar as a vassal, and might return to his lands in defeat.
With the help of half the council, Thankmar initiates Count Wambold's invasion of Holland to force allegiance. The invasion would end the following year with Thankmar's victory at the Battle of Tholen and the taking of Stavoren, Haarlem, and Franeker.
To the west, the Kingdom of France under the leadership of King Gotzelo Wigeriche begins to rival in economic and military power with the Kingdom of Italy ruled by Lothaire II, third ruler of the House of de Provence.
To the west, the Kingdom of France under the leadership of King Gotzelo Wigeriche begins to rival in economic and military power with the Kingdom of Italy ruled by Lothaire II, third ruler of the House of de Provence.
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A Frankish-Italian struggle could prove profitable to navigate - or deadly if one were to choose unadvisedly.
Italy is surprising me, probably has the greatest efficiency between size and military strength.
Tales from Saxony - Chapter III
The troops of Saxony found themselves in pagan lands in the year 963. In the region of the Lubeck tribe, the Earl of Stade would free Cardinal Bernolt of Mainz from the dungeons of High Chief Urjasz.
In the same year, Duke Thankmar dies at age 55 of natural causes, his brother Bruno becomes the new Duke at age 38. While 5 counties are passed to his nephew, Wilhelm Liudolfinger.
In 965, Duke Bruno attends two coronations made personally by Pope Ioannes XII, in the Duchy of Swabia for the coronation of Gebhard Udoing Konradiner and in the Kingdom of England for the coronation of Eadmund Eadwearding of Westseax.
A few years later, Bruno prepares an invasion of pagan lands to the east, a force of 5,000 soldiers takes important regions like Rostock, and defeats a large army at the Battle of Rerik, but the war would come to an end with the Battle of Rostock, where Bruno would personally defeat the enemy army led by King Olafr of Sweden.
Well, given what Charlemagne did to his Saxon ancestors (or rather, the Saxon ancestors of his subjects) it is quite natural he wants to share the experience with the next batch of pagans.
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It's not my fault that attacking a small Nordic tribe made the King of Sweden help him.
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Tales from Saxony - Chapter IV
In 975, Duke Bruno of Saxony turns 50.
Duke Bruno's life comes to an end in 982, at the age of 57, because of his complicated health he is incapacitated, Margrave Siegfried begins to rule Saxony as regent. Sometime from them he dies, his son Rudigar ascends the throne at age 15, while his younger brother Cyprian becomes Duke of Bohemia at age 6.
The first years of Bruno's rule are years of peace and prosperity, until a certain point several marauding armies from the north manage to plunder several important places in Saxony, they are eventually defeated, with this Rudigar takes advantage and sends his army to the conquest of Mittelmark, from the hands of the King of Poland and Znojmo to the south. Rudigar inherits the Duchy of Zahringen after the death of his mother Bildrut, this territory was in the hands of the Kingdom of France, now it passes to the Duchy of Saxony.
With the undeniable power of his kingdom and the flourishing of his people as justification, Rudigar named himself Emperor of Saxony. No one dares to question his power in the earthly realm. But even now many are whispering about the boldness, and perhaps even the presumptuousness, of naming themselves as such. Do you deserve this title? Is this not for God to decide? What does the Holy Father say? Without a papal blessing, it can be difficult to convince even your own loyal subjects of your right to call yourself Emperor. I'm sure papal approval is a mere formality, thought Rudigar.
Duke Bruno's life comes to an end in 982, at the age of 57, because of his complicated health he is incapacitated, Margrave Siegfried begins to rule Saxony as regent. Sometime from them he dies, his son Rudigar ascends the throne at age 15, while his younger brother Cyprian becomes Duke of Bohemia at age 6.
The first years of Bruno's rule are years of peace and prosperity, until a certain point several marauding armies from the north manage to plunder several important places in Saxony, they are eventually defeated, with this Rudigar takes advantage and sends his army to the conquest of Mittelmark, from the hands of the King of Poland and Znojmo to the south. Rudigar inherits the Duchy of Zahringen after the death of his mother Bildrut, this territory was in the hands of the Kingdom of France, now it passes to the Duchy of Saxony.
With the undeniable power of his kingdom and the flourishing of his people as justification, Rudigar named himself Emperor of Saxony. No one dares to question his power in the earthly realm. But even now many are whispering about the boldness, and perhaps even the presumptuousness, of naming themselves as such. Do you deserve this title? Is this not for God to decide? What does the Holy Father say? Without a papal blessing, it can be difficult to convince even your own loyal subjects of your right to call yourself Emperor. I'm sure papal approval is a mere formality, thought Rudigar.
In the year 998, Emperor Rudigar begins a war of allegiance against Duke Falko of Carinthia. The war would stretch for two years, the Empire's military strength proved too much for the Carinthian forces who did not present a proper defense, while the Saxon forces took everything what they could see.
In 1013, Emperor Rudigar takes advantage of the fact that King Gotzelo III was at war in Catalonia against the Moors to declare a Great Conquest against France, all the council members support the idea and quickly the preparation of the army begins.
What looked like a reasonably smooth invasion changed completely after defeats at the Battle of Provins and Melun, most importantly at Melun, where 6.700 Imperial soldiers were defeated by 5.300 French soldiers who managed to regain control of Paris and Besançon in the following months.
The internal situation would only worsen, as part of the Empire lords forced Rudigar to give part of their lands to a few specific lords of the faction while hiring mercenaries and waiting for reinforcements for a second assault in 1017, five years after the start of the war.
But victory would come at the end of the year, because a few months ago King Gotzelo III had died in prison, and his 6-year-old son would begin to reign. Taking advantage of this weakening, the imperial troops retook Paris, and quickly took the capital where the little king resided, imprisoning him, then achieving victory in the war, but losing on the battlefield.
After the conquest, the Empire can now be divided into three important parts, the heartland of the Empire, made up of most lords originating in Saxony, the southern kingdoms, made up of some vassal kingdoms and some created under the mixed leadership of local lords and Saxon settlers, and lastly, the newly conquered territory of the French duchies, with lords prone to rebellion.
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And so the circle revolves. The Old Empire was broken up, long live the New Empire.
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Tales from Saxony - Chapter V
Emperor Rudigar ends up dying at the age of 67 in the year 1034, after 36 years of reign. Unfortunately his son Frederik died before Rudigar, so his second grandson, a young Abo, becomes Emperor.
The first 4 years of Abo's reign serve to pacify the ambitions of various lords, most importantly those furthest from the imperial capital. For several years Abo asked the Pope for his presence for a coronation, but he continued to decline, as he tried to persuade Abo to send the imperial army south to war against the King of Italy, to regain former papal territories.
After years, Abo, tired of the Pope's demands, decides to appoint the Law of Free Investiture in the Empire, contradicting the Pope, who has no other choice but to crown Abo in exchange for making the Investiture of the Empire to be controlled by Rome again.
Emperor Abo's dynastic relative, Count Gelder of Mark, was once a descendant of House Liudolfinger with nothing to inherit. Since then, he has forged his own path as ruler. So he established a cadet branch of the Liudolfingers. From now on, he and all his offspring will be known as members of House Liudolfinger-Mark.
In 1048, Emperor Abo initiates an invasion of Poitou, on behalf of Count Ugues de Blois. 14.000 soldiers arrive in French lands, but Abo commands them to take the capital of the Kingdom of Burgundy at Rougermont. After an assault, the capital is taken, the imperial soldiers find the little Queen Hemma and her cousin, the daughter of King Liutpolt of Navarre. The lords of Burgundy have nothing to do but surrender Poitou in exchange for releasing their queen from imprisonment.
After the war, the Emperor began to change the imperial guard, composed mostly of light cavalry, and a minority of heavy cavalry, for a guard of pikemen and trained archers.
After the war, the Emperor began to change the imperial guard, composed mostly of light cavalry, and a minority of heavy cavalry, for a guard of pikemen and trained archers.
In the year 1053, missionaries from the Empire achieve the feat of performing mass baptisms in Tiundaland. Even though the priests write that they don't feel entirely convinced of the barbarians' sincerity, the ceremony ends up going well and Sweden officially becomes Catholic. King Gudrodr begins a grand ceremony in his capital, in the rest of Christian Europe he would now be known as 'the Confessor'.
A mightly achievement, this mass conversation. Surely he will be renowned for ages as the Father of the Swedish Church, or somesuch
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Tales from Saxony - Chapter VI
Umayya al-‘Umawi, a Sunni, declared himself the so-called Caliph of Spain. Even though he scoffs at his own title, his power is undeniable. All Christians would do well to be careful to avoid underestimating this new rival.
In 1058, Emperor Abo and the imperial army were in enemy territory, more specifically in Auvergne, with the intention of taking the region, but soon he was forced to go further south to defeat the enemy army. The meeting of the two armies would be marked as the Battle of Nîmes, where in the midst of the battle, Abo had witnessed his troops fight with excellence, while the commanders continued to give orders to continue moving forward. At one point the Emperor hears a soldier crying out for help nearby, he goes to the soldier, when he is suddenly hit in the leg, while the clenched enemy yells, "Stay low, you narrow-minded bookworm!" When Abo looks up he sees the enemy commander in front of him, it was Queen Hemma of Burgundy herself, he then decides to face the queen himself.
In the year 1069, Emperor Abo decides to go into hiding, after several reports of schemes in the court to try to assassinate him. Sometime later, the regent of the empire, King Jacob of Great Moravia, decides to lead the council and lower the law of Authority of the Crown. The news reaches Abo's hideout, who angrily tries to return to the capital, but his guard won't let him, the Emperor then realizes that he has fallen into a trap by Jacob, who is regent and master of the Empire's spies, who now controls his lands, while their emperor remains in a hideout.
Tales from Saxony - Chapter VII
Emperor Abo ends up dying in 1079, after 45 years of reign, he leaves a daughter and 2 sons. Princess Reginlint would marry Prince Murchad and leave for Scotland. While Hans would become Emperor of Saxony, the youngest of the three was Prince Johann, who would inherit from his father the imperial lands of Wendland, where in the Altmark region, Castle and Salzwedel he would be crowned King of all Wendland, even so. under his brother the Emperor.
The next 5 years, the now Emperor Hans would undertake to spend most of his time calming the various imperial lords' pretensions and high ambitions, while sporadically invading pagan lands to the north, and warring with the kings of Aquitaine and Burgundy, to the south of France. When Hans became emperor, he promptly arranged marriages for his sons into the most powerful families within the empire.
Johann Abossunu Liudolfiger, King of Wendland, would spend this time warring against the King of Poland to the east, as even creating factions within the empire with almost treacherous pretensions, they lost power with time and effort of the supporters of his brother, the Emperor.
In the year 1084, Emperor Hans would end up dying at the age of 39, after a sick period, his son Reinmar, only 19 years old, would inherit the empire. It would be in this tumultuous time that Abo, Reinmar's grandfather would become a Saint for Catholicism after 5 years of his death.
The coronation of Reinmar took place in 1085, it was supposed to be the Pope who would complete the ceremony, but the same intended to make Reinmar invade the kingdom of Italy to recover lands that the Pope thinks its rightfully his. Tired of the Pope's earthly pretensions, the law of gratuitous investiture would be enacted again, and the Emperor's coronation would be finalized in the hands of Prince-Bishop Reinmar of Utrecht.
In 1085, Croatia's Kralj Zvonimir invades the imperial lands, his two armies take Szatmár and Sanneck. The following year, 14.000 Imperial soldiers led by the Duke of Limousin retakes Szatmár from Croatian forces, and heads south to meet the Croatian army and claim the first victory of the war at the Battle of Zemplen, inflicting 5.200 casualties on the Croatians. Until 1087 the imperial army achieves three more victories in battle, consequently the Croatians lose the captured castles and can no longer gather enough troops to try again, thus the war ends in a complete victory for Saxony. The Croatian Kralj is required to pay 6 times the value of the entire kingdom's treasury as compensation in the peace deal.
Thankmar was a great ruler who destroyed an empire. Bruno was pretty mediocre. Rudigar created a new empire.
I assume that this means that the HRE will never form?
I assume that this means that the HRE will never form?