Teutonic Order AAR - The Lost Crusade

[AshWarrior]

The Order of the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem
​

Preface: The Teutonic Order's origin is, like other crusading orders, obscure. The common theory is that a wealthy German pilgrim in the holy lands saw his suffering kin, and created a hospital to care for German speaking pilgrims and knights (with no small amount of donations from the patients).
The Orders transition from hospital to holy order was during the Siege of Acre, in 1190. Frederick, Duke of Swabia, gave wealth, Pope Clement III gave official support, and taking Acre gave the foundling order land. The Order valiantly defended the holy land, but to no avail.
The holy land was lost, but the Order found other heathens to fight in Hungary, but were quickly expelled in 1255, when their loyalty to the Emperor (HRE) was greater than their loyalty to King Andrew II.
The Order would not find itself homeless for long, as another crusade was called against the pagans in Lithuania. Taking arms, the Order carved a swathe through the pagans lands, alarming many regional powers in the area, while the Emperor watched like a proud father.
Poland was chief among the alarmed powers, and allied themselves with the pagan Lithuania against the Order, hoping to put down the beast it called forth. Soon, the Order had converted the Balkans, and the King of Lithuania.
With conquered lands, the order was set to fight any enemy of the faith they could. Sadly, there are no pagans left to be conquered in Europe, and Poland wants to take back what little the Order has.​

P.S. This is my first post ever (yay), and hope that this is as enjoyable to read as to write.

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 1
The Old Hochmeister​

In 1444, the Hochmeister is Konrad Von Erlichausen​

Konrad was a simple man, with no head for court intrigue, nor the stomach. His loyalties were to the Order first, the Emperor second, and the Pope third. Bishops who disapproved of the Hochmeister's loyalties challenged whether loyalty was due to God or Man. Konrad reportedly responded with "Caesar to Kaiser, Grace to God, and Bishops for the Pope" before dismissing many bishops in his court.
Konrad was exceedingly popular among the average knight, not only for his loyalty but also to his military reforms. Which, while not brilliant, certainly were practical. Swelling the ranks for the inevitable was not Konrad's preoccupation.
His true occupation would require brilliant diplomacy, tact and no small amount of charm. Konrad decided to hire the Rudolf Brothers.


The 'Brothers' playing off of each others strength

The two Rudolf brothers are almost solely responsible for the Teutonic diplomatic situation for the next hundred years.

Rudolf Von Rothstein was a master of show and organization, making elaborate rituals for their arrival, using large amounts of his personal money on the Brothers clothes, carriage, and even giving a custom gold inlay for every one of the numerous guards that protected their carriage from one location to another. Nobles considered it a personal privilege for the Brothers to visit them, and delighted at the intricate rituals and exotic sights that seemed to follow Rudolf Von Rothstein everywhere that he went.

Rudolf Von Kyau was a master of subtlety, persuasion, and flattery. What Rothstein did to impress the nobles, Kyau did to persuade them. Unlike Rothstein, Kyau came from a relatively poor family, his father being a HalbBruden being his only way to gain entrance into the Order. It was rumored that while Rothstein was in the castle, Kyau would be in the fields, talking to the people, the servants, attempting to gain information about the local standards, expectations, secrets, and of course, blackmail.

Nobody knows how Brothers formed, but them, and their exploits became legendary across Europe, and the two received wider and wider invitations, until the Hochmeister himself had to direct their energies to the Emperor.
Their less scrupulous exploits strained already tense relations with the Papacy, with Poland calling for their excommunication, and the Rudolf Brothers gaining more and more fame.
Soon, with promises from Kyau and donations from Rothstein, the Emperor gave the Order official recognition as a member of the Empire. Poland declared that they would defend the Papacy from heathens who denied the sovereignty of the Pope in exchange for an Emperor, and declared war 2 days later, not giving enough time for the Pope to send his frantic letter of condemnation.

 

[Sunspawn]

Subscribed.

But why no more allies? Usually I have at least Hungary or Saxony to assist in my attempts to play TO.

 

[volksmarschall]

Welcome to the forums and welcome to AAR-writing! I only wish you the best of luck. May this, your first AAR, be memorable and long-living.

Cheers!

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 2 : The New Hochmeister

The Order finds itself at war with Poland, merely days after its safety is assured in the bosom of the Empire.
The sudden change in diplomatic tides destroys the elderly Hochmeisters' health
The Rudolf brothers' wander in a daze.
The people want know why the Empire does not save them.
The Lithuanians want revenge from their pagan days.
The Polish want to raze the Order, and take what is left.
The Order faces its biggest crisis since the fall of Acre in 1291.

Immediately after the Polish declare war, couriers from all across the Order are sent to the Empire. Many of these couriers are caught by the Polish, but the few who make it return with word from the Empire, speaking of how the Emperors wrath will fall upon the Polish dogs like lightning, and woe betide the mongrels on a self-professed crusade.

The Order cannot win this war alone,no help is in sight, and the old Hochmeister sees the end. When he heard of the retreat of Joseph von Ampringen, the Hochmeister simply went to his room, and died.

Ulrich I is the youngest Hochmeister in the Teutonics' history, ruling the Order at the young age of 19. Ulrich I was never technically chosen to be Hochmeister until the end of the war with Poland. Before Ulrich I became Hochmeister, he gained attention for managing Konrad's reforms at the age of 15, without a formal education. His attention to detail and financial prowess rose him through the ranks, until he became Treßler at the age of 18. At the death of Konrad, Ulrich I used his newly acquired wealth, and with the military away fighting the Polish, took the title of Hochmeister for himself.

Ulrich I had been in the court for a long time, and had spent the last 4 years hearing of the great Rudolf Brothers. Ulrich I was also aware of how much help to expect from the Empire. Knowing how dire the situation was, the new Hochmeister drew the Brothers from the north German city states, and sent them to Hungary.
The Brothers were prepared to use every trick they could conceive of to get Hungarian aid during the war. Much to their surprise, the King of Hungary brought them straight to his castle the moment they crossed the border, put them in front of his court, and asked if the Order would let him join their war.
Without missing a beat, the Brothers negotiated an alliance, warning Hungary that the only reward they will receive is spilling Polish blood.
The King smiled, and asked if any better gift could possibly be given.

Ulrich I had found a counter to the Polish with rabid Hungarians, but had no counter to Lithuania, besides the Livonian Order.
The Brothers had prepared for a hard time with Hungary, but paled when tasked with gaining Muscovite aid.
This time, the Brothers snuck in through Novgorod by pretending to be Teutonic traders, who were common to the region. Rothsteins practice with convoys comes in handy when handling a train of gypsies, who were promised acces through the Muscovite border from Kyau. After Kyau talked the Brothers way through, by promising to leave the gypsy train, and hinting at no small amount of gold left behind as well, they got a carriage to make it through the countryside. Despite Kyau's protests, Rothstein picked the most expensive carriage they could get their hands on, and were caught by guards outside the Moskva walls. Fortunately for the Brothers, the guards were privy to bribery, although this drained the Brothers of their considerable funds. Carriage-less, Penny-less, and with the fate of their nation upon them, the Brothers what can only be described as a gamble. Kyau went among the surrounding villages, to incite a peasant revolt, while Rothstein snuck into the Kings room, and awoke the King of Muscovy.
Rothstein told the King of a certain division of guards who had been stealing from the treasury (the ones he bribed), and that soon a massive peasant revolt would break out. The King called his guards, but before they came, Rothstein had retreated out of the window.
The King ordered an investigation of his guards, and was amazed to find his guards fabulously wealthy, and believed they stole it from the treasury. Realisng that the second prophecy meant a rebellion, the King panicked and ordered the suppression of all peasant villages.
Kyau's predictions came true as well, by telling the peasants of the Kings future tyranny, and thousands flocked to his banner. With an army of peasants outside Moskva gates, Rothstein appeared to the King, claiming to be the prophet who predicted this, and that he alone could save Moskva. Badly shaken, the King accepted Rothstein's proposal of salvation, and was amazed when Rothstein immediately ordered the gates be opened. Rothstein then walked out the main gate, and challenged 'Kyau' (officially the People's King) to a duel for the Kingdom of Muscovy. The King did not stop Rothstein, fearing his mystical power, but stood on the walls, fearing he would lose everything.
Kyau stepped forth from the ranks of his army, and accepted Rothstein's challenge, so both sides armed themselves for the duel.
From this point, reports vary on exactly what happened during the duel.

The Peasants for centuries sing songs of the fight, which lasted for several weeks, before the People's King was stabbed in the ribs by the Heretic after knocking him to his knees, and offering the Heretic salvation and mercy. Seeing the treachery of the Heretic, the army charged, but the Heretic disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and summoned demons to attack the peasants, driving them away from the city with hellfire.

Many of the Soldiers claim that the fight lasted two days, but was decided in the first ten minutes, when the Wise Prophet nicked the Chicken King with a poisoned blade. With their leader defeated, the Peasants routed, and were chased down by the garrison.

The Boyars say that neither side was willing to fight, and the peasant rebellion ended with The RabbleRouser and the Great Trickster joining forces, before being crushed by an army of cavalry that attacked the distracted army from their flank. Several of the nobles swore that they saw the Great Trickster running away with The RabbleRouser dressed as the garrison. They could tell them by the smell of sulfur and their ugly, twisted forms.

The King never gave a personal description of the story, but nearly died of pneumonia shortly afterwards, standing outside the entire battle on the walls of Moskva.

No matter what really happened, the Brothers earned immortality in Russia as folk heroes, and in German history as the greatest diplomats the Order ever had. Rothstein returned to the King of Muscovy with the head of Kyau, and ordered the King to join the Teutonic Order in their war with Lithuania, before meeting with Kyau outside the gates. They returned to the Teutonic Order quietly, and never returned to Muscovy again.

Soon, the war started to turn in favor of the Order, with the Polish now finding their treachery a good rallying cry, giving the Order new alliances, the Teutonic army back at full strength, and the Emperor sending his army now that the tide has turned.

For every new ally that the Teutonic Order brought into the war, the Livonian Order grew increasingly nervous.
They saw the Teutonic Order allying themselves with more powerful, secular nations, and felt themselves losing their only ally.
The Teutonic Order was coming into its own under the leadership of Konrad, and now Ulrich I, making an ally like the Livonians seem obsolete.
This tension broke out in an argument between the General Joseph von Ampringen and the Livonian General about merging forces. Ampringen knew that merging with the Livonians would limit him to the North East area, while maintaining independence would keep the mobility necessary.
Without Teutonic support, the Livonians were ambushed by the Polish, but Amrpringen called the battle hopeless and kept marching south, despite outnumbering the attacking polish force.

Now that the war was in favor of the Order, Ulrich I turned the tables of the Polish and forced them cede territory to the Order, connecting the disparate lands, despite the Order not technically having a claim. The Polish considered themselves lucky to receive such a light demand. The animosity between the two meant that a state of war would exist until either side was completely annihilated. The Polish feared such demands, and were relieved at losing only two provinces. Unknown to all, Ulrich I made such light demands to the Polish because of his North German ambitions.

 

[AshWarrior]

Subscribed.

But why no more allies? Usually I have at least Hungary or Saxony to assist in my attempts to play TO.

I had one diplomat work on joining the HRE by improving relations with Austria, and i gambled on an alliance with Denmark (a mistake) and Muscovy. I was really surprised at the polish war though, they usually have a coalition war, but I guess they just couldn't help themselves.

Welcome to the forums and welcome to AAR-writing! I only wish you the best of luck. May this, your first AAR, be memorable and long-living.

Cheers!

Thanks so much, I'll try to make this as memorable as possible.

 

[volksmarschall]

Nothing makes an inauguration more exciting than the launching of a war!

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 3 : The Ulrich Administration

To understand the actions of Ulrich in the mid 15th Century, one has to look at how a Hochmeister is picked.
When a Hochmeister dies, the Vice Master calls a Capitulum, where a twelve person electoral college would be formed.
The electoral college consists of 7 knights, 4 Sergeants, and 1 Priest.

After the death of Konrad, Ulrich was declared Hochmeister by Vice Master Sibrand due to threats from Ulrich about revoking several 'economic privileges' that Sibrand was enjoying. Officially, Ulrich was declared Hochmeister because the Order could not spend the 3 months that normally went into selecting a new Hochmeister. Most of the electors were already fighting the Polish, and could not have gone to the Capitulum if they tried, and the one priest could not have prevented Ulrich without any support.
After the war, the 7 knights were supportive of Ulrich, due to the victory, the 4 Sergeants were satisfied with vague promises from Ulrich about benefits, but the Priest, Jan Lubranski, supported anyone but Ulrich.

Jan Lubranski was a Polish bishop, and advocated peace with Poland, even going so far as to visit the Polish King himself in an attempt to improve relations. Jan Lubranski's efforts were in vain, but he never stopped advocating peace, even when accused by many (mostly supporters of Ulrich) of femininity, cowardice, and treachery. Jan Lubranski's heritage was from Polish nobility, who he kept in touch with, until the accusations of treachery prevented him from doing so. Jan Lubranski was offered many titles from Ulrich, such as Generalprokurator (the Orders emissary to the Holy See). Despite the efforts from Ulrich to remove him from his bishopric, and the electoral college, Jan Lubranski stubbornly fought. The rivalry between Ulrich and Jan Lubranski soon embodied the conflict between the Aristocracy and Clergy.

The tomb of Jan Lubranski

Jan Lubranski was not the only threat to Ulrich. Another threat came from Ludwig von Erlichausen, the nephew of Konrad. Despite the title of Hochmeister being a meritocracy and not hereditary, Ludwig was the obvious successor of Konrad. Ludwig was certainly as formidable as his uncle physically, but lacked the temper and self-restraint Konrad had. Ludwig posed a political and physical threat to Ulrich, but lacked the knack for court intrigue necessary to confront Ulrich.

A painting of Ludwig from one of his supporters, showing him in his 'rightful' place

Ulrich's delegation skills came to the forefront in pacifying Ludwig and keeping the support of the Sergeants, who would in turn keep the support of the Knights.
Ludwig was given the title of Generalprokurator after it was denied by Jan Lubranski, which meant that Ludwig had to spend much of his time in Rome, as an emissary. The distance from the Order made it even harder for Ludwig to gain outside support for his claim. Any threat of Papal action against Ulrich was negligible, after Poland's self-professed crusade.
Ludwig may have been effectively nullified, but by making Ludwig the Generalprokurator, Ulrich effectively united his enemies, the clergy and supporters of Ludwig against himself. Soon, the clergy were the single most dangerous threat to Ulrich.

Ulrich needed support, and the Sergeants were no longer content with promises of power, they wanted land. Ulrich found a perfect avenue for expansion in Pomerania.

There was one major snag in Ulrich's ambitions.
That snag was Riga.

Riga was a traditional ally of the Livonia Order, and were themselves a theocracy.
Despite this, Ulrich crushed the Rigan army mercilessly, enraging the Livonians.

The siege and Vassalization shocked many of the north german states, believing the Order to be a relatively peaceful new addition to the Empire.
Ulrich gave control of Pomerania to the Sergeants, creating the title of Deutschordenballei Pommern. Ulrich delivering on his promises made much of the nobility seek his favor, and even further alienated the clergy, who discouraged war with any catholic nation.

Ulrich's pragmatism over Piety can most obviously be seen after the fall of Byzantium. Ulrich saw the scholars fleeing Byzantium, and declared the Order a safe-haven for what were officially heretics. Ludwig did not capitalize on the event, but the Papacy's suspicion of Ulrich grew nonetheless.

Despite Ulrich's attempts to feed the aristocracies greed, they only demanded more land, and the constant immigration of Greeks also required land to be properly knighted. In a move shocking to the entire christian world.
The Teutonic Order declared war on the Livonian Order.

The outcome of the war was never in question, and soon Ulrich had vassalized the Livonians as well as the Pomeranians. After taking so much land, Ulrich created an entire new branch, under a new title, 'The Landmeister in Livland'. It was an attempt to show that the Teutonic Order did not actually control Livonia, they were equals. In practice however, there was no question about who was in charge of who.

After giving away land to his Sergeants, the Knights in the electoral college now clamored for land. Ulrich then found land in a very unlikely place.
The Emperor was called into a war with Denmark, and called in Ulrich.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Ulrich sent his men out, and conquered Danish provinces, shocking even the most loyal of allies.

Soon, the Orders neighbors rallied around each other to defend against the depravity of Ulrich I. Despite disloyal allies, the Aristocracy were now fanatically loyal to their beloved Hochmeister.

Poland saw the coalition against Ulrich, and joined. Among the minor German states, Poland quickly came to lead the coalition, much to the displeasure of the Emperor, who felt his authority threatened over the North of his Empire threatened by Poland.
At this point, Ludwig's appointment as Generalprokurator came back to bite Ulrich, when Poland again called a crusade, and though not having official papal recognition, it was not lacking in support.

 

[volksmarschall]

Hmm, this Polish-Teuton War seems like it has happened before...

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 4 : Polish and North German Coalitions

Both Coalitions were short lived, but both presented a very real threat to the growing Order.
The alliances formed during the 1st Polish war were instrumental in destroying the Polish coalition.

Needless to say, the Order quickly crushed Lunenburg

After the defeat, and subsequent assault on Lunenburg,
the Order moved into Poland, not even needing to fight the Bohemians, who crumbled under the weight of the Emperor and the Livonian Order
The Polish were not capable of fighting the Order's army, facing assault from Hungary, and Lithuania dealing with the Muscovy.
The Polish coalition never stood a chance against the Order, who, with their diplomatic traditions, had spent years preparing for this day.

The North German states panicked, as the Order appeared as a new threat. Worse than Lunenburg, who had previously been the greatest threat. Now there was Lunenburg, backed by the Order, and Poland no longer being a defense. The North Germans quickly rallied together against a great threat, which was justified by the Order's quick annexation of Hanover shortly after it gained independence, which was sold to Lunenburg, the realization of the states greatest fears.
Soon, several of the states joined together in a new coalition, which, despite the few members in it, had widespread support across not just the Empire, but going as far as Scandinavia.

Ulrich new that a new coalition, far more terrible than the last, was dangerously close to surfacing, one which the Order would be totally unprepared for. Ulrich prepared for it.

Ulrich knew that the time for warmongering was over, no matter how tempting a target may be, and no matter how much the nobility screamed for land. Instead, now was the time to improve the Orders diplomatic reputation, and improve the military, who paradoxically, have been neglected due to the many wars.

Ulrich, in a brilliant move, managed to do both at the same time.

Ulrich would take part army with him everywhere he went. Ulrich's method of selection was a new method of organization, unheard of in the history of the Order. It was not based on vassalage, or by nationality of volunteers, who have become scarce after the pagans converted. Ulrich had centralized the bureaucracy, and enlisted enough natives to organize the army into a 'Brotherhood', or Brudershaft. Ulrich would move among the troops, and pick the most organized, best trained Brudershaft to escort and serve as his guard.

There are, obviously, diplomatic perks for having a well trained, impeccably dressed group accompanying the Hochmeister everywhere, most importantly, it intimidated many of the minor Germasn states considering joining the coalition.

Despite the showy processions, the army was not actively ready for duty, with the funds going to infrastructure.
The Emperor was not aware of this, and called the Order into war against Bavaria.
The Order had a firm ally in the Emperor, who now wanted their aid in a war of Imperial Liberation against Bavaria, which the Order readily accepted. After all, the last war that the Order was called into led to the acquisition of Danish lands. Surely, the war was far enough away, where enemies like Bavaria and Burgundy would keep away from the Order.

Soon, however, the situation deteriorated. Muscovy declared war on Novgorod. This was not unusual, and Novgorod was a minor nation. What was troubling, was Novgorods ally, Poland.

It seems Poland and the Order were destined to be enemies. The situation was not ideal for the Order, as the diplomatic power it wielded was hampered by Muscovy calling the Order in, disrupting the delicate diplomatic pedestal the Order had been standing on. Now, the Order would have to contest with the Polish with their own might, and now were the ones with enemies on all sides.
Also, in traditional Teutonic fashion, Ulrich made like his predecessor and died the same year as accepting the dual calls.

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 5 : End of an Age

The Order has grown, from its humble beginnings in Acre. Starting as a policing force for Jerusalem, the Order has crusaded itself far from its home shores. Though some call for a new crusade, to reclaim Jesus' homeland, matters at home have kept the Order busy. Even this has changed. Difficulties at home have meant defending from the Poles. Early in the Order's life as a nation, every great man had achieved just that.

Now, the Order found itself in two wars, and has to survive on its own.
Franz was picked to lead the Order by the elderly Jan Lubranski. Ironically, as Ulrich took power during the conflict, his greatest rival would use the same tactic.
Lubranski called a Capitulum, the day after Ulrich's funeral. Vice-Master Hans Von Adelmann did what he was chosen by Ulrich to do, to obey orders without asking. By calling the Capitulum during the war, the Sergeants who craved land the most, and the knights who benefited most from feudal obligations where away at war. However, four of the designated knights and two Sergeants managed to make their appearance.
There were two candidates for the position of Hochmeister.
The default choice would be Heinrich Reuß von Plauen, the bastard son of Ulrich.
Jan Lubranski supported Franz, widely renowned for his academics, management, and (most importantly) piety.

It is not known if the Sergeants were supporters of turning the Order into a Feudal state, but the Knights certainly were not.
Despite having fiefs, and being the traditional supporters of Feudalism, the social climate created by Ulrich made the knights want to move away from his policies.
Under Ulrich, the land gained was given to the aristocracy. This included the Sergeants, who were hand picked, and were at some point knights. With the new land, and new found privacy, many Sergeants no longer lived with the rest of the Knights, but in secluded castles, neglecting many of their rituals, or hiring others to act in their stead. Ulrich tolerated their hypocrisy in exchange for support, and further split the society.
The schismatic society could be split into a hierarchicy at the time of Ulrich's administration, and the beginning of Franz's reign.

[Here is a more in depth written description of social hierarchy, because I couldn't fit this kind of information on a graph

Hochmeister: The head of state, but this new found power is a recent development, coming with the conquest of Prussia.

Großgebietiger: special offices appointed by the Hochmeister directly, includes vice-master

Invited knights: these were high nobility, who participated in at least one campaign, and get the prestige associated with being an invited knight.

Sergeants: These members were traditionally lower that knights, but are outfitted by the Order, and were gifted special privileges under Ulrich, as they brought with them no external land ties.

Knights of the Order: Knights benefited less from Ulrich's land gains, due to owning traditional land, with many losing land due to their ties with Poland.

Knight brothers on time: Did not take vows, but served an appointed time. Many 'local' nobility recently did this instead of full Knights, to retain dynastic lines, but gave half of their possessions to the order, but this rule had been 'overlooked' in recent years.

Ordained brothers of the Order: these were the clergy, who were responsible for liturgy and rituals. Over time, their administrative role increased dramatically as the Order gained more land.

Serving Half Brothers: Don't take any vows but must follow the rules. They were drawn from local populations to serve in their respective garrisons or hospitals

Familiars or honorary members of the Order: After many of the pagans converted, this class has grown drastically. This class is for Burghers, who gain financial benefits from joining the order. Their obligations are to provide financial and spiritual support for the Order.

Catholic & German peasants: Favored 'citizens' that could not afford to be honorary members

Polish peasants: Due to Jan Lubranski, who became a folk hero to the Polish, many were as well off as the favored German peasants.

Orthodox/Estonian/Danish peasants: While not actively persecuted (except in the case of the Orthodox), these were minorities who were not accepted into any aspect of respectable life. These citizens were considered mongrels who would work the land until becoming civilized, or replaced.

Pagans: People who have hidden from the Order deep in the woods, especially the Romuvans, who became a 'boogie man' that mothers told their children about so they'd behave.
]

Ordained brothers were increasingly discontent with the state of affairs, not only with their lowered status, but the secularization of the Order. When Ulrich overlooked traditional rites to the benefit of the aristocracy. Even then, supporters of Konrad's nephew Ludwig were also unhappy with Ulrich's administration.

Jan Lubranski personally administered the Eucharist before voting, and managed to convince three of the knights to support Franz.
An excerpt from his speech before the blind vote directly about the vote:
(Latin)"The Lord said to Samuel "How long will you mourn for Saul, since i have rejected him as King over Israel?"(/Latin) (German) The Lord told Samuel that when he anoints a King, that mourning for the old is not the way. Samuel went on to anoint David, King of Israel, and in doing so, passed over many candidates. Many candidates with physical strength and height far greater than what it looked like David was capable of. What is one man's strength, however, compared to God's strength. Is a man who follows not God, and does not treat the poor as Elisabeth would. Will God give to such a man the kingdom? Will a man facing Goliath without God do any better than Saul? What is the impious man to do when tasked with running God's kingdom? Verily, Verily, I say unto thee, when anointing a man, listen not to man, but keep your eyes on him from who all power comes."

The Vote was 4 for Franz, and 3 for Heinrich. Traditionally, the minority would capitulate, and give their unanimous support to the majority, but this was a special occasion. The Sergeants threatened to postpone the Capitulum until more voters would arrive, stating that it was invalid, because not everyone was present. Lubranski accussed the Sergeants of impiety, and threatened them with excommunication for standing in the way of Gods plan. This frightened the Sergeants, who would not have been able to show their piety under close scrutiny, and Franz was elected as Hochmeister .

Up to now, Franz and Heinrich have not been active in the college, and that's because neither lacked a natural ambition.
Heinrich, after losing his position as Hochmeister, provided no more trouble for Franz, returning to his fief.

Franz was favored among the clergy for his piety that stood in a stark contrast to Ulrichs pragmatism.
Papal relations with Franz grew, with the title of Generalprokurator being given to an able diplomat, not a pretender to the title.

Of course, this all was a backdrop in the two wars that the Order found itself in.
The Novgorod-Muscovite war was obviously a more pressing concern for the Order, with its border with Poland.
The Order under Ulrich had, under constant pressure from Poland, reformed their army. Soon, the Teutonic Army was equal in size to the Polish army. Unfortunately, Lithuania provided their own troops in the war, who were theoretically countered by Muscovy. Unfortunately, the Golden Horde invaded the distracted Muscovy.
What would decide the outcome of the war came from new inventions that were going through Western Europe.
The Cannon was not new to Europe, but the Limber was mobile. With this mobility, and the support of heavy cavalry, the Limber truly came into its own.
The cannon was not the only invention that had been adopted by the Order.
A new technique used by the Order was the Pike and Shot. That, along with Heavy Cavalry, and the Limber, the Polish-Lithuanian armies were severely outclassed.
This can most easily be seen in the Warszawa Massacre.

The Warszawa Massacre started in the fields outside of Manzig, where the invading Polish army was besieging Manzig.
Hochmeister Franz was leading the army, and his account of the battle is as follows
" The Polish were gathered, fifty thousand strong. They were amassed so thickly that we need not aim our cannons. Gathered with me were three thousand halbbruders, two thousand [artillerymen], and two thousand knights [horses were included]. At the first scatter, the Polish were so shaken, their very pikes seemed to be made of grass. When our cavalry broke upon their flanks, like heathen they scattered into the woods. Our horses could not chase them effectively for they were wading through blood up to their very reigns. Still though, ten thousand of the Polish had managed to crawl their way out through the mud on their hands and knees, crying for their life, but not one cry among them was for the Virgin, or a single saint found solace in their words."

Obviously, these numbers were highly exaggerated. The Polish army in its entirety had twenty thousand men. This was still a massive blow to the Polish army, but this in itself was not the massacre. In actuality, there were approximately eleven thousand casualties.

The Teutonic Army pursued the army from within Teutonic borders, and to the capitol of Warsaw . On the plains of Warsaw, twelve thousand Polish soldiers were killed. After the Warszawa massacre, the entire standing Polish army was eliminated. The Order's vassal of Brunswick was not a match for Lithuania, but it certainly came close. The Brunswick army, though outnumbered by sixteen thousand, due to military technology that was considered average in the Empire, very nearly beat the Lithuanians independently. This is not to say that the battle was lost for Brunswick. Just when the Brunswick army was going to break, a cry broke out among the Lithuanians. The Teutonic cavalry, fresh from the Warszawa massacre charged straight into the Lithuanians rear. After the Lithuanians broke, there was no army left in the Polish-Lithuanian union.

Some reserve troops had been sent to deal with Novgorod, as Muscovy was occupied with the Golden Horde. When the Order besieged Novgorod, there was no more question about who was the most powerful country. The siege of Novgorod was much more difficult than many considered. The Russians in Novgorod were not happy about Teutonic occupation, rising to bolster the beleaguered forces that only recently beat the Order's minor besieging force . Despite the Order taking much of Poland's land under occupation, and all of Novgorod, Muscovy was the one negotiating, this does not mean that the Order did not benefit from their efforts. All of the Order's claims were fulfilled in Poland, along with a few Lithuanian ones.

The Holy Roman intervention war was strongly in favor of the Emperor, and Bavaria did not have the resources to mount an invasion of the Order.

The Order was not officially at peace for many years, Muscovy's war with the Golden Horde would continue for many years, but without any further Teutonic intervention.

In this new found time of pseudo-peace, Franz made major changes in the way that the Order was run.
First, Franz founded the Missionary Corps. The Missionary Corps was a dual purpose function. The Corps taught its missionaries many skills, skills that could easily have a diplomatic bent. The Missionary Corps was a new branch that gave many of the Ordained brothers very prestigious jobs. The Missionary Corps was also a good example of the general movement of the Order during Franz's Post-war administration.

If Jan Lubranski wanted to improve the Ordained brothers standing, then Franz was the best choice he could have made.
There is some debate over whether Franz's decision to improve the position of the Ordained brothers was for purely religious reasons, or if he saw their potential.
With Franz's newly empowered bureaucracy, he was able to more directly administer the Order. This would have hurt the stability, but with the new administration, at least twenty years ahead of its time, more money was being made than ever.

Of course, many members of the nobility, highly ranked knights, and Sergeants were discontent, but found themselves unable to strike back effectively due to another reform that Franz was able to enact.

Arguably the most important thing that Franz did was formalize supply trains. With the supply trains for the army running effectively and efficiently, the Order was able to keep large standing armies well supplied on all fronts. The maximum size that the Order could keep standing was effectively doubled. While such overwhelming administrative changes normally brings periods of instability, the phenomenal size of Franz's army was the third largest in the world.

Another fatal blow to Poland, despite the loss of their entire army. was having Lithuania slip out of their grasp.

Soon, inevitably, another war with Poland would come on the horizon. Soon, inevitably, the Order would eclipse Poland.

(p.s. when I started writing this, it was 2014. spend a couple hours writing, and the whole year flies by.)

 

[volksmarschall]

The 'dreaded' text wall!

Most of my AARs are exactly that, with 2-3 inter-spliced pictures just for aesthetic purposes. And to satisfy the demands for pictures!

 

[AshWarrior]

Bit of an update. I have been kicking the idea around recently of writing folk tales that could theoretically have arisen in the Order, with the merging of cultures. The stories would be retrospective, as in being from chapters I've already written about. I'll still find some pictures to fight the text wall in Chapter 5, but was also curious what people would think about some folklore to spice up the AAR (aka Poland war #295).

update of update: Apparently, there was a lot of documentation of baltic mythology at the exact same time as the AAR (great coincidence, i think). Also, I've been doing a fair bit of studying up, but will probably spend way too much time working on the next update. Hopefully it'll be an epic on par with Homer, Dante, and Dr. Seuss. Hopefully. Probably more on par with Seuss. I wouldn't want to be compared to lesser authors.

update^3 ive written the entire poem in blank verse, but will now have to get it to rhyme and flow. Also, i need to add commentary and appropriate historical context. im also busy practicing for a solo i have to perform in three weeks, and audition, and school, and cry, and study, did i mention cry?. Hope to update this saturday.

 

[volksmarschall]

Bit of an update. I have been kicking the idea around recently of writing folk tales that could theoretically have arisen in the Order, with the merging of cultures. The stories would be retrospective, as in being from chapters I've already written about. I'll still find some pictures to fight the text wall in Chapter 5, but was also curious what people would think about some folklore to spice up the AAR (aka Poland war #295).

It depends on what you're going for in the AAR. 10 years ago, it may have even been conceivable that someone's AAR would just be the folktales that emerged from the game, and periodically the results of the game would be embedded in the narrative. Personally, I think it would be interesting if you properly interspliced them into your AAR.

Like with my current AAR: Decline and Fall, I've periodically inserted "historians own work" (these historians are completely fictitious, and are theoretically writing primary accounts of the game) into my AAR as if they were my "cited" sources. Never hurts to try out and see if you like it or not?

 

[AshWarrior]

Intermission : The Story of Egle, Queen of Serpents

Egle the Queen of Serpents

by Adalbert von Alfburg
Head Merchant of Hamburg
Ministry of Translation
English Missionary Corps
Familiar of the Order

Egle and her two sisters were bathing
Innocent as the Ermine in winter.
While they were occupied with their washing,
A great snake eyed them from bushes hither.
The snake knew humans, his stomach bursting
With milk from rituals most sinister.
Pagans taught him the secret of speaking
Who searches for souls to tear asunder.

He hid himself in her beautiful clothes
So that he may trick her out of her soul.
While her sisters were still washing themselves
The filly went to clothe herself, the foal
Now alone so the snakes' will can impose.
The snake spoke to Egle, wanting her whole.

“If you give me one kiss, my pact ancient
Fulfilled, I will be forced to give you
All of your clothes, made from the Orient.”

Egle kissed him, but never understood,
while he went his way into the dark wood.

A month later, the sisters heard a hiss.
Snakes were outside, all calling for Egle.
“Give us the girl,” the snakes cried “she is his.”
Egle, terrified, could but ask and pray.
“Why am I his, I only gave a kiss!”
“Deal with snakes, and your soul goes away ”
Egle cried, asking her sisters to miss,
pray, and remember her all of the day.

Appearing to her, with much sensation
driven by a multitude of serpents
where she went in with forced abdication.
It went to the Baltic, where Satan's servant
Zilvinas, all bad weather's foundation
ruled deep in the sea, his reign a curtain
for hidden entrances to damnation
that spews forth all of Heaven's disturbance.

Deep in his amber fortress, there resides
The demon of the sea, bane of traders.
Shedding scaly visage for Egle's eyes
In order to steal eternal favor.

Zilvinas, the Arch-Demon of the sea,
used all his wiles to seduce fair Egle.
Egle was swayed to follow his decree
soon, her loyalty to God was away.
She'd reign below the The Great Baltic Sea
with Zilvinas, killing all who obey
The Lord God and St. Elmo's guarantee

They sired six boys and one girl, untamed,
These children bestowed with blasphemous names

Their names were as follows:
Luxuria
Gulia
Avaritia
Iria
Invidia
Superbia

Egle ruled the sea, raising demon-spawn
until Egle wanted to see her home
But Zilvinas did not want Elge gone.
To prevent her from leaving royal foam
Egle was cursed to face trials alone.

The first of three challenges for her to choose
She must wear out shoes, under witch's spell.
Saint Martha, serving as sisterhood's muse
entered Egle's room, her spirit to quell.
Egle despaired, they withstood all her abuse.
Martha had a furnace that could despell
the witch's curse,and wear away the shoes

Seeing Zilvinas, her feet were adorned,
He was furious to see her shoes worn.

The second was to spin silk in a knot
Which was enchanted by witches song.
No matter how Egle tried, she could not
spin the silk, for its magic was too strong
Desperate, it was Martha who she sought
Martha appeared, as a friend all life-long.
She broke the spell with a knife that she brought.
With the spell broken, Egle spun along.

Then there was silk for Zilvinas to take
to rival the greatest of Turkish make.


There was one more challenge for her to tread
that Zilvinas knew Egle could not do.
The challenge was for Egle to bake bread,
but the pots were gone, and all the pans too
All she had left was a sieve in their stead
which can't hold water for a meager stew.
“Martha, please help me!” our poor Egle said
hearing her call, Martha hurried to renew
Egle, who told her woe, all her tears shed
Martha nodded, and entered the sea to
take a small handful of dirt and clay red
Martha filled the holes with not a word said.

Egle, brought bread at the breaking of dawn
for herself, Zilvinas, and demon-spawn.


Zilvinas had promised to let her free
if all his three trials she could accrue.
He warned her after she took his decree
witchcraft would be the end of her too soon.
But Egle did not listen, for now she
she knew that his voice would never ring true
Zilvinas brought her to where she could be.
With family, whose love need not renew
When offered Mass, Zilvinas left early.
This troubled Egle's mom, his faith askew.
Elge's Mother prayed for her family.


Suddenly, the eleven disciples appeared
They told about the Demon Zilvinas
and told Egle's mother what she most feared

Egle was called away by her mother
While Egle was away, the Disciples
Fought the six Most Terrible of Brethren
The Brethren proved themselves in a scuffle.
The disciples asked the Lord for help in
Combat,Saint George came to help Disciples
put the children of Demons to smother.
Brethren fought, but fell before the Bible
But Avarita, in greedy utter
told Saint George how to summon by title-

Žilvinas, dear Žilvinas,
If alive – may the sea foam milk
If dead – may the sea foam blood…

Eleven and One , Zilvinas to take.
They summoned Zilvinas, slaid him with scythes
and burned each of his limbs on its own stake.

That night, Egle called out to the Baltic

Žilvinas, dear Žilvinas,
If alive – may the sea foam milk
If dead – may the sea foam blood…

To her horror, the sea foamed red with blood
In her despair, she jumped into the flood.

Her plight had brought pity from all of the saints
it was motherly love that caused her ill.
At the intersession of all the saints
Egle was spared damnation in Hell
by being turned to a Weeping Willow
becoming a resting place for sinners
Seeking asylum from Egle's children
bastards from the lineage of sinners


(I hope you like this, because this took way more time than I thought it would. It is still a draft or two away from being adequate, but I'm already two days late from two weeks late, so here you go. If anybody (that's not volksmarschall :laugh liked it, or thinks that it could be improved in some specific way, let me know I'd be more than happy to do this again. )

(insta-edit I suggest you actually read the real story of Egle, if you want a little more background on Teutonic/Pagan relations)

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 6 : The Fall of Poland

When Franz was elected Hochmeister, the Order found itself in two wars. One with Bohemia, and one against Poland. The war with The Emperor against Bavaria would never become an issue for Franz, as the Bavarians were too occupied to mount a costly invasion of the Order with nothing to gain. The war with Poland, however, is much more than a historical footnote.



The Order had, with its recent efforts at reforming infantry, and newly enlarged army, completely occupied Poland. When news reached Marienburg, there was dancing in the streets, and the Hochmeister himself made an appearance for a speech, and was officially declared a holiday in the Order. Soon, Teutonic diplomats were in Moscow, asking Muscovy for Poland. Not as a vassal, not a part. The Order wanted revenge, and it wanted it whole. Muscovy, obviously, could not comply with the Order's demands, and negotiated as good a deal as they could with the defeated Poland.



The Order was outraged with Muscovy for not giving the Order land, and the creation of the Order's 'first political party'. All of this Anti-Muscovite sentiment made Heinrich Reffle von Richtenberg see an opportunity. Reffle called together knights he knew were part of the Capitulum, and three feasts that all featured a bear's head on a platter in an obvious reference to Muscovy. Reffle was a genius at influencing public opinion, and soon many in the Order were part of the 'Gerechtferget Gilde' whose opinions, while narrow, did influence Franz's decision making.
Franz knew that the people wanted Muscovite Blood, neglecting Galicia-Volhynia's role in its own creation. He decided that a western war would be good to let out of aggression, and get more access to the English Channel, something that the Order has been seeking more and more.

The Order declared war on The Hansa for Lubeck, a vassal-state of the Order, in a thinly-veiled excuse. The Hansa had no strong allies, and were greatly outnumbered. Nobody expected anything less than total victory for the Order. With Poland crushed, and the Order on their way to more trade access, nothing less than the most glorious future awaited.



The Battle of Hamburg was a major shock to the Order, who prided themselves in their highly disciplined army. In reality, the gap between the East and West had been growing, and the Order found itself more aligned with the East. Teutonic diplomats were sent to western powers across Europe, and the Order personally provided priests in the more advanced armies, to see what the Western armies had that the Order lacked. By the time the war with The Hansa was over, the Order had done more than catch up to Western Technology. The Order was now setting the curve for innovation and technological progress.

With the defeat of the Hansa, the Order acquired Hamburg. With the Hansa, Hamburg was a major city, but larger than the Capitol, but with the Order, Hamburg became a cosmopolitan amalgamation of cultures. Novgorodian merchants and English merchants with stories of the New world would discuss new trade opportunities in the market, were Polish sausages were being sold. All of Europe, and beyond would come to Hamburg to trade and learn from the Order. All of these new lands and ideas flowing into the Order would cause problems when ideas about reformation and the abuses of the Pope would seep in. These ideas would travel, and soon, Marienburg would take center stage in the growing conflict between the Church and those calling for its reform.

 

[RepublicanIV]

Nice.

Will you into Prussia?

Also, can we have world/religion/culture maps please?

 

[volksmarschall]

Very tough battle defeat, but it appeared to have little influence on the outcome of the war. Therefore, no harm loss!

Quite the navy I see you have there, although I might figure a lot of those 72 ships are trade ships, possibly a few transports as well(?)

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 7 : Roman Crusade

Franz, despite defeating Poland, and greatly expanding the Order's trade, was incapable of stopping the massive change sweeping the Order. Many were renouncing any relation to the Pope, and calling for a reformed order. Bishops were elected by the Order, and many saw the election of a Papal-like figure as a natural extension. Anti-Theocrats wanted the Order to move beyond it's theocratic roots, and reform into a modern nation-state, one whose loyalty is to itself first, and the Emperor second. A nation ruled by one man, with an open and efficient bureaucracy.


The Teutonic Order would not change so readily.

Anti-Theocrats calls for a monarchy may not seem too radical at first glance, but you have to understand how deeply ingrained the Order was as a theocracy. The Missionary Corps had grown over the years, and was patronizing artists, funding translations of traditional folk songs, and sending missionaries to Orthodox provinces. Guilds required being a member of the Order to join. Ordained Brothers of the Order, the Clergymen, were the administrators of the realm, with the Printing Press freeing up time from copying manuscripts in monasteries. Bishops were placed in their position by the Order, specifically the Home Missionary Corps, and in isolated towns collected taxes for the Order. When Anti-Theocrats called for the transition from a Theocracy to a Monarchy, it was nothing less than the complete destruction of the Order's way of life.



The reformation in the Order came, ironically, not from the metropolitan areas of Hamburg and the Western Provinces, but from the heart of the Order. With the capital surrounded by Reformed lands, the Order entered a siege mentality. In a historic moment for the Order, Franz I made the Danzig Declarations, stating that "Danzig is under siege, and it is the duty of every province to defend itself against the heretic. It is the duty of every Sergeant to fight the heretic, the duty of every Knight to build walls to keep out the heretic, every brother must fight to keep out the heretic, every woman must lock their door to the heretic, and every child must run from the heretic as they run from the Pagans." Fearing revolt, and with Danzig under siege, the Knights followed Franz's advice, and independently, many local fortifications were built.



Franz ruled with a siege mentality, and followed the true faith dutifully, but he would be a bastion of tolerance compared to his successor. In the first peaceful Capitulum since 1441, there was no question about who would be elected. Georg I was great at garnering popular support, and compromising between several different views. That is, as long as those views were from Catholics. Georg started his career in the Romuvan Wing, a semi-military branch that went deep into Livonia to fight Pagans. Another unofficial job of the Romuvan Wing was to search for any reconverts to Paganism in the Estonians and Livonians. The Livonian Order ruling for quite some time before this was ignored in the general paranoia Teutonics felt about what they called 'Old Baltics'. The search for reconversion scared many natives into emigrating to Hamburg, Sweden, Muscovy, or joining the Navy, who was always looking for recruits to join the Novgorod Trade Fleet. Breaking into peoples home and looking for signs of Paganism was not the most glorious of work, but Georg excelled, and was soon managing the Romuvan Wing, essentially managing Livonia during its most unstable period, the Organization Period.



Georg was elected by 1 Priest, 5 Knights, and all 4 sergeants who were happy about the compromises he made and seeking to prove their piety. The Capitulum lasted only two months, instead of the traditional six, as there was only one real choice, and Capitulums had learned the virtue of speedy decisions.



The first month of Georg's role as Hochmeister of Prussia, and Head of the Missionary Corps would shock Europe.
Georg declared war on all heretics, particularly all the rebellious German princes. This declaration included Muscovy, as is another interesting point in Teutonic-Muscovite relations. The Gerechfert Gilde's membership increased during this time, as anti-muscovite sentiments again stirred in the Capital



It should be said that if Georg was intolerant of Protestant German Princes, then he was nothing less than abhorrent to the Italian Protestants. Recently, Rome was conquered by Siena, who had converted to Protestantism, and had taken the Papacy. France and the Emperor were too busy fighting each other over Northern Italy for either side to make such a dramatic step.



Georg would not let politics stop him from saving Rome from a situation similar to the Orders, as Georg saw it. He saw his capitol besieged by Reformed Protestants, and saw Rome captured by Protestants, and, with the Pope's blessing, called a crusade for The Eternal City.

The Order may have made many innovations in their army, and reformed a large part of it, but this was an undertaking not done by any one nation. The First Crusade may have had more men traveling farther, but they were not an organized army, and had the Venetian Navy to transport them. This was moving 56,000 trained troops, with artillery, across Germany, on a winding path through disparate Austrian territory, as the Protestants would not give him access, and though Georg was willing to invade every single German Prince on his way to Rome, just as the Crusaders captured land on their way to Jerusalem, but his military advisors, and ultimately, the ones enforcing Georg's orders wouldn't hear of it.



The navy carried another 14,000 troops around, and while that put no major strain on the Navals transport capacity, the armies were made of 14,000 men each, and the navy could not have transported 28,000 men at one time.

The organization required to get 70,000 men total to the same place through two different means would have been considered impossible, but the Order crossed the Alps with horses and tanks, and headed straight for Rome. Ironically, 10,000 catholics had risen up against Pisa in Rome, but that was discovered too late. The Zealots thought the Pisan army was coming for them, and the Order thought the Pisan army was besieging Rome.


The Order took Rome back, and Pisa, knowing it was outmatched, gave Rome to the Order, who returned the land back to Rome as promised.
While the Crusade itself may not have created the biggest impact geopolitically, Georg's crusade alarmed the German states, who did not take his declaration of war seriously at first. Panicked, the protestant nations formed the aptly named Protestant Alliance in central Germany as a direct counter to Georg's declaration.


(Screenshots are coming, thanks for reminding me)

 

[AshWarrior]

Chapter 8 : The Teutonic Burden

Take up the Order’s burden—
Send forth the best ye breed—
Go send your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child
Take up the Order’s burden
In patience to abide
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride



The Order had lost a great threat in Poland-Lithuania, who was quickly declining, while the Order found itself as a major power, bordering Muscovy, a traditional ally, who was also a rising major power. The Order was faced with the Protestant coalition to the West, and Muscovy to the West, and the open lands of Poland-Lithuania to the South. The calls for Polish blood were ignoring the role of Jan Lubranski, Polish Knights, and the many Polish Clergymen, who maintained loyalty to the Order despite its wars with Poland. Despite all these, membership in the ever growing Gerechfert Gilde had new Polish restrictions, on top of its Russian, Estonian, Dutch, Hanseatic, Protestant, and even barring people from the Western Provinces. The Gerechfert Gilde became an organization exclusively for middle class Catholic Prussians living in the North provinces.

The conflict in this time is also indicative of the growing sectionalism in the Order in this era. There was the East where Livonia was that traded with Russia, The North that was the center of Reform and the traditional homeland of the Order, the South who was recently integrated and only starting to get an identity inside the Order, and the West who has taken to the Order well and boasts an adherence to the faith and massive wealth from trade that the North cannot honestly claim.

The Polish-Lithuanians could not hold up to the Order, who demanded nothing less than the complete dismantling of both countries. Diplomats did their best, and took enough land to alarm everybody, and the Protestant coalition started recruiting members of a very catholic nature. The Order found itself weakened after winter sieges, faced with a massive coalition, and due to their uncompromising demands, the massive gains of land overburdened the bureaucracy. These destabilizing factors lead to massive revolts in the Order, many of which almost destroyed the Order.



The massive revolts culminated with the majority of radical Reformers rising up, besieging Georg's castle. The army was led by Heinrich Pressburg, a well known voice of the people. They called themselves The Army against Catholic Oppression. The army would besiege Danzig for several months, but the Order's army surrounded them on three fronts and slaughtered them to the last man.

Many Catholics were terrified, and lashed out against their Reformed neighbors. Anti-Reformed riots were common in the North, with the people killing anyone suspected of heresy, and burning any business or house in relation to heretics, Jews, Poles particularly, or anybody that was considered 'foreign'. Embassies were remarkably untouched, because almost all of them were built in the metropolitan West.



With the rebellions quelled at great cost, and the future looking bright for the Order, now is a good time at the world that has evolved around the Order. These maps are from 1538.

Autonomy


Religion


Technology


Political

(Portugal has a PU over England, don't ask how. Revolutionary France also happened... again, I wouldn't ask.)

Culture