The Empire of the North
Part II
The Great Wars of Religious Freedom (1515-1533)
January 1, 1515
Today is the first day of a new era. Outside these doors, the Kingdom is in turmoil, and rabble run through the streets of Copenhagen. Though things are not as bad here as in the south. Some priest - madman or genius, I know not which - called Martin Luther has hammered a proclamation containing 95 theses into a church door down in Mecklenburg. In it he critiscises the sale of indulgences and the powers of the Holy Pope himself. Our soldiers arrested him immediately of course, but instead of sequestering him away in in some monastery, our King asked him to a private audience. King Christian is proving as unwise as I feared.
January 2, 1515
I can not believe my ears. The King has publically declared against the Pope in support of this priest. Not that I disagree with him: these theses contain some sound observations about our church, but this is not a matter that one should leap into without looking. Not only has King Christian II thrown out the prelates, he has also looted all the churches of their treasures - almost 800d were added to our treasury. Selling indulgencies must be a good business. And to cap it all, he has broken all our alliances, and placed his Saxon wife in context while he promenades around with his Dutch concubine. He is mad.
March 5, 1515
I've just returned from a trip to Muscovy. Fortunately, Vasilli III could see the sense in continuing our alliance, even if my dear monarch could not. We will need that alliance in the years to come - the Papal edict excommunicating our entire Kingdom has just arrived. Fortunately there have been no open revolts; people seem to agree with the theses that Martin Luther publishes from our university - though perhaps the new law exempting the people from Church taxes also has something to do with that.
March 2, 1516
A rough year, but the disasters I feared seem averted. No huge revolts have broken out in the Kingdom, and the nations of Europe - while ostracisizing us, have not reacted to the Pope's call for a crusade against the so-called heretics in the North. We may yet live through this folly of the King. This morning I sent off our first batch of explorers - mostly religious disseners - to colonize a place called Santee in the distant continent which the English have taken to calling America. It will be exciting to hear how they fare.
April 2, 1516
That madman to King Christian has declared war on Brandenburg. Claims that he wants to liberate our oppressed Protestant brothers groaning under the Catholic yoke. The fool, the nations of Europe will not sit idle while he wages a war of religion against fellow Catholics - I fear that he has doomed us. If only I could believe that all he truly cared about was the religious questions. He has gone to take commands of the armies - a thinly veiled excuse against my power. He hopes to win the faith of the army and through them gain enough power to threaten me. He will bring this nation to ruin - already the country's stability has plummetted beyond control. Truly, dark times lie ahead.
May 16, 1516
King Christian II rages about the tent even while I write. He is furious because France, goaded by the Papal states and joined by Savoy, Navarra, and Scotland have declared war on us. He shows his lack of grasp of the situation; Søren Nørby leads our fleet and should be sufficient to keep the enemy from our shores. But what did he really expect? That Europe would sit by passively while we expanded our borders?
May 29, 1516
I go now to lead our armies in the West, and leaving the King Butcher to handling affairs here in Brandenburg. Hannover has declared war, and we must needs be two places at once to fight the nations that now march against us.
June 16, 1516
Turn your back on them and watch them stab you in the back. The Poles have declared war, and brought Spain, Milan, Lorraine and Cologne into the conflict. We now war with 12 nations at the same time, but to my great surprise we're managing to hold them. Our armies are pressuring Brandenburg, and will soon be through their gates. I could say much about King Christian II that wouldn't make for nice reading, but one must give him his due - at sieges, at least, he excels. Fortunately the many declarations of war have drawn the nation together and the stability of our nation has increased.
October 4, 1516
Søren Nørby has won a great naval victory in the German Bight, and captured the French maps. Unfortunately they tell us very little new.
December 7, 1516
Brandenburg has been annexed by our mad King. Now he marches against Poland, to force them to their knees. The Poles are ravaging Pommerania, while the Hannoverians battle us in Bremen - fortunately the small fortresses we have built up in those areas still hold out. And the victories have boosted our nations stability considerably.
February 11, 1517
Bohemia and Thuringen have declared war on us, demanding the reconstitution of Brandenburg. King Christian has asked me to send them back a letter, demanding the reconstitution of Bohemia and Thuringen. This will slow down our war effort in the East, as we must divert forces from Poland to meet this new threat.
November 12, 1517
Hannover has surrendered. I wished to let them off easily, seeing as how the Spanish did not dare to violate Hannover in order to invade us. However I have been overruled - the King says that he will not let protestants be ruled by a non-protestant sovereign. Now Oldenburg will face invasion by the 127,000 Spanish infantry that gather in the lowlands.
Jan 3, 1518
Hessen and Hannover havde declared war on us. The people of Hannover are in open revolt against us - so much for King Christians proclamation of "Protestant brotherhood". In the meantime, our colonists have settled down in this place called Santee, and are sending back new and interesting trade goods. Perhaps when peace comes, we will have time to do something about this place.
May 29, 1518
We have annexed Thuringen. This war is a gluttoneous beast that feeds on itself, each new conquest giving us the resources to carry on the next. But if we're to hold, we need closer ties with Russia than those provided by the King's recently deceased aunt. I must convince the King to discard his Dutch trollop and marry a Russian princes - no matter what she looks like.
November 16, 1518
Cologne has fallen to our armies. The King has married the Russian Katerinia - though much against his will. Understandable enough that he should not be happy to take the girl - quite homely - to his bed, but the effect is already being felt as the Poles are forced to defend the eastern borders from strong Muscovite armies, thus allowing him to besiege Warsaw undisturbed. Meanwhile, our second American colony has been established at Seminole.
January 1, 1519
Karl V of Austria has been elected Holy Roman Emperor and is making diplomatic vague threatening noises about the Northern plague. Fortunately, Warsaw fell a month ago, and with it the Polish will to fight. Poland have ceded us Danzig, Posen, paid ear indemnities of 250d. Along with them, Spain, Milan and Lorraine are forced to give up their conquests in western Germany.
January 5, 1519
Saxony surrenders to my forces and the King appoints me Duke of Saxony. In his usual highanded manner, he demands that Saxony surrender their independence.
March 1, 1519
Ritmeister Brauschitz from Kleves has just arrived with an ultimatum. Of course we won't agree, so this means war.
March 15, 1519
Outrageous. The Palatinate have declared war on us, and since they are allied with them, all of Spain, Milan, Lorraine and Poland have also declared war - violating the five year peace period customary between wars. I have sent my strongests protests at this gross breaking of the rules of war, but fear I know what their answer will be.
March 20, 1519
The Holy Roman Empire has officially declared war on us, led by Wurtemburg, Austria, Bavaria and Baden. Their armies stream over our borders burning as they march. The King has been heard to be muttering to himself when alone - some people fear that he may be going mad. I always reassure them when I hear them say such things - one can't become what one already is.
December 24, 1519
While King Christian II is off in the east fighting the Poles again, I have steadily whittled down enemy opposition here on our western front. Kleves fell last month, and Hesse fell today - the city is still burning while our troops plunder. A fitting Christmas present to the Kingdom after 3 years of war.
May 30, 1520
What supreme arrogance, when such a minute nation as Prussia dares to declare war on the Danish Empire. I guess their success in declaring their independence from Poland a few years ago has risen to their head so that they now think to humble us as well. Well, our Pommeranian Defence Corps will have to keep the 8,000 Prussian penned up for now, while we deal with our other enemies.
October 26, 1520
Poland has surrendered again - Posen and Krakow are now ours. The Palatinate has given up as well, but we let them off lightly by taking only Mainz, leaving them much weakened, but more importantly forcing their allies of Spain, Milan, and Lorraine out of the war. Cardinal Afonso is anything but pleased as he hands me back the keys to Oldenburg and Bremen, but he has no other option.
March 30, 1521
This is beginning to happen with depressing regularity. This time it is Hungary along with its allies Venice, Persia, the Mameluks, and the Teutonic Order that have declared war against us. With even more depressing regularity, the King came raging into my quarters afterwards - he swears to skewer Lojas II on a pike for his treachery. At the moment though, a 20,000 man Hungarian army supported by 56,000 Venetians are moving against Krakow, and our armies are more than adequately occuppied elsewhere.
January 1, 1522
Again I presided over the Christmas feast while a foreign city burned and was plundered. Bohemia surrendered and with it, most of Germany that have supported Luther have come under our protection. And - wonders of wonders - Wurtemburg has turned protestant, though it has yet not forsaken its heretic allies. But perhaps grounds for a common peace may soon exist.
August 30, 1522
After a lengthy siege, we have annexed Bavaria. The King Butcher is off in Austria, besieging Pressburg. The man is mad - 2 weeks ago the French offered us a piece, requesting only 15d to save face in retiring from the war. King Christian II told the messenger "We will dictate our peace terms at the gates of Paris!" and had the messenger horsewhipped out of camp. After which he dared to round on me, and accuse me of defeatism, and holding secret talks with our enemies. True, I have been probing several nations to ascertain under what conditions they would agree to peace talks, but everything has been out in the open, and above ground.
No longer - good though he may be on a battlefield, King Christian II is clearly not competent to run this Kingdom. A replacement will be needed.
January 1, 1523
The King IS mad. Our protestant brothers of Wurtemburg came to our King asking for a white peace, but the King Butcher turned them away. This is what his avowed quest to free the Protestants has resulted in - a ceaseless slaughter wherein every nation must bend their knee to our armies or face extinction.
We will stand it no longer. For the past couple of months I have had contacts to Frederik, the King Hans's brother who was exiled from Holstein. He is an older man, but seems quite reasonable. I have the backing of most of the nobles - even those who hate me - for almost all now hate King Christian II. We shall move against him today.
January 14, 1523
The deed is done. King Christian II has been dethroned and King Frederik I has been placed on the throne of Denmark. Our efforts brought immediate relief: after short negotiations we settled a peace with France and their allies at the token sum of 6d. With the freed up troops, we can now carry through our offensive into Austria.
April 7, 1523
King Christian II attempted to rally the army to his banner, but my carefully placed henchmen did their work. Shortly before dawn, a couple of assasins slipped into his tent and made an end to his warmongering career. It was not hard to find suitable subjects - any of the thousands of Germans conscripted into our armies were willing to do the job. The war may be benefitting Denmark, Norway and Sweden greatly (since these areas are largely untouched), but the German heartlands are suffering greatly in the fiery crucible of this war. But finally an end to King Christian, even if the madness he began continues.
Just a few days ago, renewed war flared all across Europe: Navarra, supported by France, Savoy, the Papal States, Scotland and Helvetia declared war on Spain, Milan, Lorraine, Poland and the Palatinate. Shortly after, Parma, Tuscany and the Knights attacked the Papal States, who were of course supported by their allies.
May 17, 1523
On our second attempt at besieging (after being routed when their armies returned and ejected our first besieging forces), we succeeded in capturing the capital of Baden. Their forces unconditionally surrendered after that, and we have now annexed them.
June 27, 1523
The backstabbing French have declared war on us again, in support of their Swiss allies. Savoy, the Papal States, and Navarra have attacked us as well. It looks like our hope of a quick end to this war is futile.
July 28, 1523
The Habsburg emperor has been forced to bow to our superior might: Pressburg and Ostmarch are added to the Empire of the Nort. Now Wurtemburg stands alone against us.
December 5, 1523
Repeated offensives into Helvetia have failed, beaten back in bloody ruin by French forces in the west. In the east, Prussia has been forced back into their own lands, after they've raided and burned Posen. But they settle for a white peace, though they have built up an army of more than 47,000 men during the war. This has freed up troops so that we can now launch new offensives into Hungary.
March 11, 1524
The Hungarian alliance have surrendered, yielding us Carpathia, Ruthenia and 250d. The timing couldn't be better, as the people of the empire are feeling the weight of the war, and the first signs of unsatisfaction with the government are becoming apparent. Now we only need to force Wurtemburg and Helvetia to peace.
July 19, 1524
Even as the Elector of Wurtemburg hands over the keys of his office to our King Frederik, I receive news that Moldavia has invaded Ruthenia. It seems this war will go on some years yet - Moldavia is a small, mountain-bound Kingdom, which will no doubt prove just as hard a nut to crack as Helvetia is proving.
October 28, 1524
Count Ivanovski of Russia has just informed me that his Kingdom is now at war with the Khanate of Kazan. I agree to support them, hoping that they will make a quick end to them - though I have little doubt that this war too will drag out. The Spanish suffer in their war efforts and have lost Franche Comte to the French.
December 30, 1524
I made a deal with the Chief Emissary of the Khanate. For the paltry bribe of 17d, he has agreed to put an end to the state of hostilities between our two nations. One step closer to a state of peace in Europe. If only our troops could gain a foothold in Moldavia - unfortunately that country keeps defeating every army that I send down to besiege them.
December 6, 1525
A whole year passed without any progress. Moldavia and Helvetia still defy us, and half our armies are engaged in putting down rebellions. These nations deserve the same fate as Navarra, which was annexed by Spain earlier this year. But not this time - we shall bow to the weight of public opinion and end this war. A small bribe of 39d suffices to satisfy the cantons, and take the Swiss and their allies out of the war.
January 4, 1526
The Prussians have embraced Protestantism, and reopened the door to relations with our Empire. Wishing to capitalize on this stroke of good fortune, we have proposed a wedding between myself and the daughter of Albrecht of Prussia. To our great surprise, the Prussians have agreed. She is a wonderful girl, but my duties keep me often away from her.
Meanwhile the French have annexed Milan.
March 7, 1526
It is now more than five years since our war with Spain - and they declare war on us again, supported by their faithful henchmen in Lorraine, Poland, the Palatinate, and Genoa. Not only that, but they accuse me of being the anti-Christ, citing against me charges of witchcraft, and using ungodly acts to prolong my own life. Though I still look as young as I did 30 years ago, it is through no ungodly act of mine. But I can see that I will have to take my precautions in future.
December 30, 1526
The bribes of 6d that I provided Cardinal Afonso should suffice to make him convince the Spanish King to end this meaningless war - after all they have enough to do battling the English as well. The Moldavians too have shown themselves willing to settle for a paltry amount of money - now all I need to do is convince the Courlanders who declared war on us this summer to cease and desist this endless warmaking.
May 22, 1527
Cardinal Afonso informs me that the Spanish and English have made peace, with the small sum of 7d being paid to England. I have put it about that my Prussian wife has born me a son. She readily agree to help
February 1, 1528
Our patience worn out by the stubborness of Courland, I have capitulated to the internal pressures and war tiredness, and paid Courland the sum of 250d to end the war. The nation breathes a sigh of relief - finally an end to the 12 years of war. The after effects of the war are still to be handled though. At least this war has cemented the brotherly bonds between the Scandinavian peoples - the harsh crucible of the war has forged a feeling of oneness on the Scandinavian part of the Kingdom.
France, Savoy, the Papal States and Scotland have turned their attentioned to England, which will keep them off our backs, and allow us time to rebuild the shattered German provinces.
February 1, 1530
Our exceptional good management has been rewarded by a staggering deflation of the currency, causing a sudden plunge in building costs. We hurry to make good on this fortunate event, by borrowing heavily and constructing large amounts of war material to defend our far-flung borders. The army now has some 100,000 men and 400 cannons.
January 1, 1531
We can now consider the crisis caused by King Christian II finally at an end. The Kingdom is stable, and all the revolts have been snuffed out. The occasional flare up of violence does not stop us from keeping the country firmly in hand - though I nowadays appear much less often in public than I used to. When I do appear, I tend to walk in a slightly stooped and limping fashion, to give the appearance of age. Fortunately, this ridiculous new fad for wigs, powdered and made up faces - supposed to hide the signs of age in people - make it easier for me to conceal my seemingly never-aging youthful look. Only the King, my closest servants, my wife, and the young boy who is my "son" know of the secret.
January 1, 1532
Another year passed. Peace has settled on Europe. France annexed Calais from England last March; Spain settled with Scotland for a small amount of money. The Pope lost all his worldly possessions except Rome to the Knighs of St. John - a fitting retribution and a sign that God is not with him. Our infrastructure and trade levels have now advanced significantly, and we are now abe to monopolize and exclude foreigners from our centers of trade. Our treasury is overflowing with money, and the future of the Kingdom looks bright.
Part II
The Great Wars of Religious Freedom (1515-1533)
January 1, 1515
Today is the first day of a new era. Outside these doors, the Kingdom is in turmoil, and rabble run through the streets of Copenhagen. Though things are not as bad here as in the south. Some priest - madman or genius, I know not which - called Martin Luther has hammered a proclamation containing 95 theses into a church door down in Mecklenburg. In it he critiscises the sale of indulgences and the powers of the Holy Pope himself. Our soldiers arrested him immediately of course, but instead of sequestering him away in in some monastery, our King asked him to a private audience. King Christian is proving as unwise as I feared.
January 2, 1515
I can not believe my ears. The King has publically declared against the Pope in support of this priest. Not that I disagree with him: these theses contain some sound observations about our church, but this is not a matter that one should leap into without looking. Not only has King Christian II thrown out the prelates, he has also looted all the churches of their treasures - almost 800d were added to our treasury. Selling indulgencies must be a good business. And to cap it all, he has broken all our alliances, and placed his Saxon wife in context while he promenades around with his Dutch concubine. He is mad.
March 5, 1515
I've just returned from a trip to Muscovy. Fortunately, Vasilli III could see the sense in continuing our alliance, even if my dear monarch could not. We will need that alliance in the years to come - the Papal edict excommunicating our entire Kingdom has just arrived. Fortunately there have been no open revolts; people seem to agree with the theses that Martin Luther publishes from our university - though perhaps the new law exempting the people from Church taxes also has something to do with that.
March 2, 1516
A rough year, but the disasters I feared seem averted. No huge revolts have broken out in the Kingdom, and the nations of Europe - while ostracisizing us, have not reacted to the Pope's call for a crusade against the so-called heretics in the North. We may yet live through this folly of the King. This morning I sent off our first batch of explorers - mostly religious disseners - to colonize a place called Santee in the distant continent which the English have taken to calling America. It will be exciting to hear how they fare.
April 2, 1516
That madman to King Christian has declared war on Brandenburg. Claims that he wants to liberate our oppressed Protestant brothers groaning under the Catholic yoke. The fool, the nations of Europe will not sit idle while he wages a war of religion against fellow Catholics - I fear that he has doomed us. If only I could believe that all he truly cared about was the religious questions. He has gone to take commands of the armies - a thinly veiled excuse against my power. He hopes to win the faith of the army and through them gain enough power to threaten me. He will bring this nation to ruin - already the country's stability has plummetted beyond control. Truly, dark times lie ahead.
May 16, 1516
King Christian II rages about the tent even while I write. He is furious because France, goaded by the Papal states and joined by Savoy, Navarra, and Scotland have declared war on us. He shows his lack of grasp of the situation; Søren Nørby leads our fleet and should be sufficient to keep the enemy from our shores. But what did he really expect? That Europe would sit by passively while we expanded our borders?
May 29, 1516
I go now to lead our armies in the West, and leaving the King Butcher to handling affairs here in Brandenburg. Hannover has declared war, and we must needs be two places at once to fight the nations that now march against us.
June 16, 1516
Turn your back on them and watch them stab you in the back. The Poles have declared war, and brought Spain, Milan, Lorraine and Cologne into the conflict. We now war with 12 nations at the same time, but to my great surprise we're managing to hold them. Our armies are pressuring Brandenburg, and will soon be through their gates. I could say much about King Christian II that wouldn't make for nice reading, but one must give him his due - at sieges, at least, he excels. Fortunately the many declarations of war have drawn the nation together and the stability of our nation has increased.
October 4, 1516
Søren Nørby has won a great naval victory in the German Bight, and captured the French maps. Unfortunately they tell us very little new.
December 7, 1516
Brandenburg has been annexed by our mad King. Now he marches against Poland, to force them to their knees. The Poles are ravaging Pommerania, while the Hannoverians battle us in Bremen - fortunately the small fortresses we have built up in those areas still hold out. And the victories have boosted our nations stability considerably.
February 11, 1517
Bohemia and Thuringen have declared war on us, demanding the reconstitution of Brandenburg. King Christian has asked me to send them back a letter, demanding the reconstitution of Bohemia and Thuringen. This will slow down our war effort in the East, as we must divert forces from Poland to meet this new threat.
November 12, 1517
Hannover has surrendered. I wished to let them off easily, seeing as how the Spanish did not dare to violate Hannover in order to invade us. However I have been overruled - the King says that he will not let protestants be ruled by a non-protestant sovereign. Now Oldenburg will face invasion by the 127,000 Spanish infantry that gather in the lowlands.
Jan 3, 1518
Hessen and Hannover havde declared war on us. The people of Hannover are in open revolt against us - so much for King Christians proclamation of "Protestant brotherhood". In the meantime, our colonists have settled down in this place called Santee, and are sending back new and interesting trade goods. Perhaps when peace comes, we will have time to do something about this place.
May 29, 1518
We have annexed Thuringen. This war is a gluttoneous beast that feeds on itself, each new conquest giving us the resources to carry on the next. But if we're to hold, we need closer ties with Russia than those provided by the King's recently deceased aunt. I must convince the King to discard his Dutch trollop and marry a Russian princes - no matter what she looks like.
November 16, 1518
Cologne has fallen to our armies. The King has married the Russian Katerinia - though much against his will. Understandable enough that he should not be happy to take the girl - quite homely - to his bed, but the effect is already being felt as the Poles are forced to defend the eastern borders from strong Muscovite armies, thus allowing him to besiege Warsaw undisturbed. Meanwhile, our second American colony has been established at Seminole.
January 1, 1519
Karl V of Austria has been elected Holy Roman Emperor and is making diplomatic vague threatening noises about the Northern plague. Fortunately, Warsaw fell a month ago, and with it the Polish will to fight. Poland have ceded us Danzig, Posen, paid ear indemnities of 250d. Along with them, Spain, Milan and Lorraine are forced to give up their conquests in western Germany.
January 5, 1519
Saxony surrenders to my forces and the King appoints me Duke of Saxony. In his usual highanded manner, he demands that Saxony surrender their independence.
March 1, 1519
Ritmeister Brauschitz from Kleves has just arrived with an ultimatum. Of course we won't agree, so this means war.
March 15, 1519
Outrageous. The Palatinate have declared war on us, and since they are allied with them, all of Spain, Milan, Lorraine and Poland have also declared war - violating the five year peace period customary between wars. I have sent my strongests protests at this gross breaking of the rules of war, but fear I know what their answer will be.
March 20, 1519
The Holy Roman Empire has officially declared war on us, led by Wurtemburg, Austria, Bavaria and Baden. Their armies stream over our borders burning as they march. The King has been heard to be muttering to himself when alone - some people fear that he may be going mad. I always reassure them when I hear them say such things - one can't become what one already is.
December 24, 1519
While King Christian II is off in the east fighting the Poles again, I have steadily whittled down enemy opposition here on our western front. Kleves fell last month, and Hesse fell today - the city is still burning while our troops plunder. A fitting Christmas present to the Kingdom after 3 years of war.
May 30, 1520
What supreme arrogance, when such a minute nation as Prussia dares to declare war on the Danish Empire. I guess their success in declaring their independence from Poland a few years ago has risen to their head so that they now think to humble us as well. Well, our Pommeranian Defence Corps will have to keep the 8,000 Prussian penned up for now, while we deal with our other enemies.
October 26, 1520
Poland has surrendered again - Posen and Krakow are now ours. The Palatinate has given up as well, but we let them off lightly by taking only Mainz, leaving them much weakened, but more importantly forcing their allies of Spain, Milan, and Lorraine out of the war. Cardinal Afonso is anything but pleased as he hands me back the keys to Oldenburg and Bremen, but he has no other option.
March 30, 1521
This is beginning to happen with depressing regularity. This time it is Hungary along with its allies Venice, Persia, the Mameluks, and the Teutonic Order that have declared war against us. With even more depressing regularity, the King came raging into my quarters afterwards - he swears to skewer Lojas II on a pike for his treachery. At the moment though, a 20,000 man Hungarian army supported by 56,000 Venetians are moving against Krakow, and our armies are more than adequately occuppied elsewhere.
January 1, 1522
Again I presided over the Christmas feast while a foreign city burned and was plundered. Bohemia surrendered and with it, most of Germany that have supported Luther have come under our protection. And - wonders of wonders - Wurtemburg has turned protestant, though it has yet not forsaken its heretic allies. But perhaps grounds for a common peace may soon exist.
August 30, 1522
After a lengthy siege, we have annexed Bavaria. The King Butcher is off in Austria, besieging Pressburg. The man is mad - 2 weeks ago the French offered us a piece, requesting only 15d to save face in retiring from the war. King Christian II told the messenger "We will dictate our peace terms at the gates of Paris!" and had the messenger horsewhipped out of camp. After which he dared to round on me, and accuse me of defeatism, and holding secret talks with our enemies. True, I have been probing several nations to ascertain under what conditions they would agree to peace talks, but everything has been out in the open, and above ground.
No longer - good though he may be on a battlefield, King Christian II is clearly not competent to run this Kingdom. A replacement will be needed.
January 1, 1523
The King IS mad. Our protestant brothers of Wurtemburg came to our King asking for a white peace, but the King Butcher turned them away. This is what his avowed quest to free the Protestants has resulted in - a ceaseless slaughter wherein every nation must bend their knee to our armies or face extinction.
We will stand it no longer. For the past couple of months I have had contacts to Frederik, the King Hans's brother who was exiled from Holstein. He is an older man, but seems quite reasonable. I have the backing of most of the nobles - even those who hate me - for almost all now hate King Christian II. We shall move against him today.
January 14, 1523
The deed is done. King Christian II has been dethroned and King Frederik I has been placed on the throne of Denmark. Our efforts brought immediate relief: after short negotiations we settled a peace with France and their allies at the token sum of 6d. With the freed up troops, we can now carry through our offensive into Austria.
April 7, 1523
King Christian II attempted to rally the army to his banner, but my carefully placed henchmen did their work. Shortly before dawn, a couple of assasins slipped into his tent and made an end to his warmongering career. It was not hard to find suitable subjects - any of the thousands of Germans conscripted into our armies were willing to do the job. The war may be benefitting Denmark, Norway and Sweden greatly (since these areas are largely untouched), but the German heartlands are suffering greatly in the fiery crucible of this war. But finally an end to King Christian, even if the madness he began continues.
Just a few days ago, renewed war flared all across Europe: Navarra, supported by France, Savoy, the Papal States, Scotland and Helvetia declared war on Spain, Milan, Lorraine, Poland and the Palatinate. Shortly after, Parma, Tuscany and the Knights attacked the Papal States, who were of course supported by their allies.
May 17, 1523
On our second attempt at besieging (after being routed when their armies returned and ejected our first besieging forces), we succeeded in capturing the capital of Baden. Their forces unconditionally surrendered after that, and we have now annexed them.
June 27, 1523
The backstabbing French have declared war on us again, in support of their Swiss allies. Savoy, the Papal States, and Navarra have attacked us as well. It looks like our hope of a quick end to this war is futile.
July 28, 1523
The Habsburg emperor has been forced to bow to our superior might: Pressburg and Ostmarch are added to the Empire of the Nort. Now Wurtemburg stands alone against us.
December 5, 1523
Repeated offensives into Helvetia have failed, beaten back in bloody ruin by French forces in the west. In the east, Prussia has been forced back into their own lands, after they've raided and burned Posen. But they settle for a white peace, though they have built up an army of more than 47,000 men during the war. This has freed up troops so that we can now launch new offensives into Hungary.
March 11, 1524
The Hungarian alliance have surrendered, yielding us Carpathia, Ruthenia and 250d. The timing couldn't be better, as the people of the empire are feeling the weight of the war, and the first signs of unsatisfaction with the government are becoming apparent. Now we only need to force Wurtemburg and Helvetia to peace.
July 19, 1524
Even as the Elector of Wurtemburg hands over the keys of his office to our King Frederik, I receive news that Moldavia has invaded Ruthenia. It seems this war will go on some years yet - Moldavia is a small, mountain-bound Kingdom, which will no doubt prove just as hard a nut to crack as Helvetia is proving.
October 28, 1524
Count Ivanovski of Russia has just informed me that his Kingdom is now at war with the Khanate of Kazan. I agree to support them, hoping that they will make a quick end to them - though I have little doubt that this war too will drag out. The Spanish suffer in their war efforts and have lost Franche Comte to the French.
December 30, 1524
I made a deal with the Chief Emissary of the Khanate. For the paltry bribe of 17d, he has agreed to put an end to the state of hostilities between our two nations. One step closer to a state of peace in Europe. If only our troops could gain a foothold in Moldavia - unfortunately that country keeps defeating every army that I send down to besiege them.
December 6, 1525
A whole year passed without any progress. Moldavia and Helvetia still defy us, and half our armies are engaged in putting down rebellions. These nations deserve the same fate as Navarra, which was annexed by Spain earlier this year. But not this time - we shall bow to the weight of public opinion and end this war. A small bribe of 39d suffices to satisfy the cantons, and take the Swiss and their allies out of the war.
January 4, 1526
The Prussians have embraced Protestantism, and reopened the door to relations with our Empire. Wishing to capitalize on this stroke of good fortune, we have proposed a wedding between myself and the daughter of Albrecht of Prussia. To our great surprise, the Prussians have agreed. She is a wonderful girl, but my duties keep me often away from her.
Meanwhile the French have annexed Milan.
March 7, 1526
It is now more than five years since our war with Spain - and they declare war on us again, supported by their faithful henchmen in Lorraine, Poland, the Palatinate, and Genoa. Not only that, but they accuse me of being the anti-Christ, citing against me charges of witchcraft, and using ungodly acts to prolong my own life. Though I still look as young as I did 30 years ago, it is through no ungodly act of mine. But I can see that I will have to take my precautions in future.
December 30, 1526
The bribes of 6d that I provided Cardinal Afonso should suffice to make him convince the Spanish King to end this meaningless war - after all they have enough to do battling the English as well. The Moldavians too have shown themselves willing to settle for a paltry amount of money - now all I need to do is convince the Courlanders who declared war on us this summer to cease and desist this endless warmaking.
May 22, 1527
Cardinal Afonso informs me that the Spanish and English have made peace, with the small sum of 7d being paid to England. I have put it about that my Prussian wife has born me a son. She readily agree to help
February 1, 1528
Our patience worn out by the stubborness of Courland, I have capitulated to the internal pressures and war tiredness, and paid Courland the sum of 250d to end the war. The nation breathes a sigh of relief - finally an end to the 12 years of war. The after effects of the war are still to be handled though. At least this war has cemented the brotherly bonds between the Scandinavian peoples - the harsh crucible of the war has forged a feeling of oneness on the Scandinavian part of the Kingdom.
France, Savoy, the Papal States and Scotland have turned their attentioned to England, which will keep them off our backs, and allow us time to rebuild the shattered German provinces.
February 1, 1530
Our exceptional good management has been rewarded by a staggering deflation of the currency, causing a sudden plunge in building costs. We hurry to make good on this fortunate event, by borrowing heavily and constructing large amounts of war material to defend our far-flung borders. The army now has some 100,000 men and 400 cannons.
January 1, 1531
We can now consider the crisis caused by King Christian II finally at an end. The Kingdom is stable, and all the revolts have been snuffed out. The occasional flare up of violence does not stop us from keeping the country firmly in hand - though I nowadays appear much less often in public than I used to. When I do appear, I tend to walk in a slightly stooped and limping fashion, to give the appearance of age. Fortunately, this ridiculous new fad for wigs, powdered and made up faces - supposed to hide the signs of age in people - make it easier for me to conceal my seemingly never-aging youthful look. Only the King, my closest servants, my wife, and the young boy who is my "son" know of the secret.
January 1, 1532
Another year passed. Peace has settled on Europe. France annexed Calais from England last March; Spain settled with Scotland for a small amount of money. The Pope lost all his worldly possessions except Rome to the Knighs of St. John - a fitting retribution and a sign that God is not with him. Our infrastructure and trade levels have now advanced significantly, and we are now abe to monopolize and exclude foreigners from our centers of trade. Our treasury is overflowing with money, and the future of the Kingdom looks bright.
