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Chapter XIV
The Nordic war of Religion (1504-1507) Part I
While quite short for a major war the Nordic war of Religion would come to create a new balance of power in the North, It would come to define Russia as a nation barred from the Baltic by Sweden thus making positive Swedish-Russian relations impossible, Result in the Polish annexation of Lithuania and a Swedish-Polish alliance, Sweden would gain a significant west coast through the annexation of Halland and lastly it would put down any doubt present among the Swedish nobility that Protestantism was the future for Sweden.The Nordic war of Religion (1504-1507) Part I
with Danish and Norwegian troops crossing the border numbering over 45000 and the Teuto-Russian threat looming in the East Stockholm is in turmoil. The papal bull sanctioning Danish and Teutonic invasions of Sweden is now well known among the Swedish nobility and many are contemplating siding with the catholic coaition in an attempt to hang on to their lands and titles. Their concerns are not unfounded, in the Spring of 1504 Denmark and Norway crosses the border with a total of 41000 men. To counter this Christoph has 28000 men, half of which are stationed in Finland.
However with funds confiscated from catholic churches the Admirality is able to get the navy in battle ready order in record time. By the start of May Christoph has the full force of the Swedish army at his disposal, while still outnumbered the Dansih and Norwegian forces are spread thin. The Danish army is split into two corps each about half the size of the combined Swedish army. Currently they are laying siege to Kalmar and Linköping, two important cities for anyone who wishes to control the Southern Sweden.
If captured and garrisoned by the Danes Linköping would also leave Älvsborg, a combined fortress and port on Swedens miniscule west coast completley cut of as Norwegian troops are currently rampaging around Western Sweden laying siege to castles and cities at their leasure.
Christophs lightning campaign
With his full force assembled outside Stockholm Christoph takes personal command of his army as has come to be excpected of any man of house Vasa. Before the Danes have a chance to react Christophs entire force falls upon the Danish siege camps at Linköping, after only a few minutes of fighting the entire danish force surrenders and the Danish king Fredrik flees South with only his closest advisors. Linköping suffered a total of 5 dead, all of them part of the local garrison. Christophs losses were insignificant.
Without resting Christoph leads his army West into Värmland where the Norwegian army is camped. In a uncanny repeat of Linköping Christoph is able to completley surprise the Norwegians by unleashing a relentless bombardment of the camp while his Infantry and cavalry performs a double envelopment. Again the battle is short and in the end the Norwegian army surrenders. When brought before Christoph the Norwegian king Håkon agrees to seize military actions against Sweden and return to Norway with all haste, Norway would not intervene in the war again. (I didn't white peace but no Norwegian troops ever crossed the border again)
On the 1st of August 1504 Christophs troops surrounds the hill and begins a merciless bombardment of the wagon fort, an estimated 7000 Danes perish before Knud surrenders on the 9th of August. Western Denmark now lies completley unprotected as Christops army Marches into Halland. Less than one month later king Fredrik signs the treaty of Lund accepting the loss of Halland to Sweden in return for peace and a stop to the Blockade of Copenhagen.
Sweden c.1505
Christoph I Vasa ( ADM:6 MIL:8 DIP:5)
By the Grace of God, King of Sweden, Grand Prince of Finland, Duke of Estonia
Treasury: 4,6 Million Daler (46 Ducats)
GDP: 22.4 Million Daler (224 Ducats)
Standing Army: 16000 Infantry, 8000 Cavalry, 4000 Gunners
Navy: 15 Caravels, 15 Barques, 8 Transports
Reserves: 17000
Discipline: 127.00%
Tradition: Army 67.20 Navy 14.90
Prestige: 83
Reputation: 7.5
Legitimacy: 77
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Russians will show, but perhaps not in great shape... too bad you couldn't have got more out of the Danes but I like the permanent blocking of
Russia's window on the west
Russia's window on the west
Chapter XV
The Nordic War of Religion (1504-1507) Part II
The Nordic War of Religion (1504-1507) Part II
During the Winter 1504-05 Sweden sees a significant influx of Protestants from Northern Germany.They carry with them harrowing reports of whole towns being put to the torch by imperial troops making no distinction is made between man, woman or child, all are slayed in the name of "The true Faith". When word of this reaches Christoph in April 1505 he issues a royal decree from his camp in Estonia where his army has just landed saying that: Any man woman or child who adheres to the protestant faith and flees his or her home on grounds of religious persecution shall find sanctuary within the Kingdom of Sweden and all her dominions".
(The Refuge Act of 1505)
Back in his camp Christoph has now finished with the war plan, as long as Livonia keeps the Teutons bottled up in Kurland he is free to march into Russia. The plan is to split the Swedish army into 4 corps and capture Ingria, Kexholm and Karelia cutting Russia of from the Baltic Sea and then march of Novgorod to use it as base for supplies and reinforcements.
Marching into Karelia, Ingria and Kexholm in the summer of 1505 the Swedish troops face little organized resistance, only some castles resist but by winter all the initial targets are in Swedish hands and Christoph goes into winter camps letting his soldiers rest properly for the first time scense the war began.
As spring 1506 comes there is still no signs of a Russian army and Cristoph marches on Novgorod which surrenders on the 10th of April. As Christophs army marches into Novgorod hwoever a small pocket of resistance fighters climbs a roof and starts to hurn stones, spears, rooftiles and firing bows at the Swedes. One of the arrows hits Christoph in the neck causing him to fall from his horse and break his neck.
By Swedish law Christophs daughter Isbella is now the ruler of Sweden and all her dominions, however being a girl of 16 no one excpects Isabella to be up to the task of guiding Sweden through the war.
(Isabella I without royal regalia)
Isabella would come to stay with Trolle's army for the rest of the war attending war councils and even leading troops into battle. As Swedish troops marches south towards Vyazma on the road to Moscow Trolle recieves news from his scouts, the Russian army has finally showed itself. The scouts report that the Russians have fortified the route to Moscow and have given clear indication that they are willing to engage in battle.
On the morning of th 16th of June 1506 Trolle draws up his artillery and starts to bombard the Russian fortifications. The Russian army has no artillery of its own and is cempletley defensless as its morale plummets. At noon Trolle sends his infantry forwards into the shattered remnants of the Russian fortifications. At this point Trole rides with his personal retinue of knights too the Russian right flank and prepares too deliver the coup de grace, only too discover Isabella by his side clad in full plate armour and carrying the banner of house Vasa.
With banners streaming and hooves thundering the Swedish heavy cavalry plows into the Russian flank completley obliterating anyone in their path. The rout is total and the road to Moscow is open.
Jan I von Luxembourg, king of Poland was a young, cheerful and handsome man, much more at home in the saloons of great castles than any other part of being king. He is however one of few Protestant kings in Europe and at 20 years of age he is of perfect age to marry Isabella.
At the moment Poland is also at war with the Teutons and Jan's father recently reestablished the Polish Lithuanian Union before promptly dying. Isabella agrees to marry Jan almost instantly aswell as forming an alliance between the two protestant Kingdoms in Europe.
In December 1506 Moscow Surrenders and Tsar Andrei signs the Treaty of Novgorod ceding all off Ingria and Kexholm to Sweden aswell as paying a significant war indemity.
(The Treaty of Novgorod)
In the aftermath of the war Isabella faces an imense challange in her attempts to justify her agressive expansion. Strongly worded letters stream in from most courts of Europe promising severe repercussions should Isabella continue on her current path. Even her own nobles grumble worringly behind her back, especially the ones who still hold to catholicism. Whispers of "Witch" and "Devils Bride". In response Isabella siezes all land in Sweden owned by monastic orders and offers it to her nobles in return for convertion and pledges of loyalty. Most accept and the few papists who remain are no threat.
(The Dissolution act of 1509 brough most papists within Sweden to Isabellas side)
Sweden c.1510
Isabella I Vasa ( ADM:7 MIL:7 DIP:3)
By the Grace of God, Queen of Sweden, Grand Princess of Finland, Duchess of Estonia
Treasury: 25,9 Million Daler (259 Ducats)
GDP: 42.6 Million Daler (426 Ducats)
Standing Army: 16000 Infantry, 8000 Cavalry, 4000 Gunners
Navy: 15 Caravels, 15 Barques, 8 Transports
Reserves: 11000
Discipline: 127.00%
Tradition: Army 67.40 Navy 11.50
Prestige: 85
Reputation: 13.0
Legitimacy: 34
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Three hurrahs for Sweden and her Queen! Real exciting, and may I say honestly surprised that you defeated Russia, whenever I played Russia curb-stomped me whenever they formed.
Three hurrahs for Sweden and her Queen! Real exciting, and may I say honestly surprised that you defeated Russia, whenever I played Russia curb-stomped me whenever they formed.
From what ive played so far ( about 10 years ahead of this update) Isabella is shaping up to be a rather interesting ruler. Her low DIP will mean trouble with vassals and the House of the High Lords but her MIL and ADM more than makes up for it. I see her as a sort of "though but fair" kind of person preffering too solve matters in a direct and almost forceful way rather than sit down and talk. She has the loyalty of the Army (Content Generals faction) and most other factions are neutral so hopefully all will fall in line.
I got quite lucky with Russia as they lost most of their army to the mongol remnants in the East, they are however sitting on a 60k force limit so i will have to make sure I stay ahead in Tech. MM Russia always goes for full Quality and Offense for some reason so if I let them into my land and then concentrate my forces in a counterattack I should be fine.
Chapter XVI
The Queen of Poland
While Christoph was fighting the Nordic war of Religion Poland under king Casimir was waging its own war against Lithuania to reestablish the Polish-Lithuanian union. The union had been broken after the Polish defeat in the Silesian war in the early 15th century. Lithuania elected its own independent Grand Duke and Poland was powerless to do anything about it.The Queen of Poland
The Poland Casimir IV ruled was however in a much more powerful force. With Lithuania facing internal religious conflicts between Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox christians. The Lithuanian nobles where heavily divided and with them the army became equally divided. The death of Grand Duke Švitrigaila in 1500 presents Casimir with an excellent opportunity, marching his army to the gates of Vilna he is welcomed by the towns Protestant mayor.
The news of the fall of Vilna spread fast across Lithuania and the threat of Casimirs army quickly brought the fractured Lithuanian nobles in line. After that it was a small thing for Casimir to declare himself Grand Duke of Lithuania with support from most of Lithuanias nobles. However on his way back to Warzaw Casimir falls ill and dies in a roadside inn on the 14th of March 1501 leaving his only son Jan as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
In the Summer of 1506 as the Nordic war of Religion is on its last legs Jan travels to Stockholm and asks Isabella for her hand in marrige and proposes that Sweden and Poland enters a "Grand protestant alliance". Isabella is quickly smitten with Jan's charm and with Polands rapidly growing military power it would make a valuable ally incase of continued Russian agression.
With peace and stability returning to the Baltic region Isabella marries Jan in the summer of 1507 in Warzaw. While it was a marrige of political and religious convinience Isabella and Jan quickly grew comfortable around eachother, however by 1511 Isabella had still not given birth to an heir. Jan was now the last living member of the Polish branch of house Luxembourg.
In a meeting of the Sejm in March 1511 it is decided that an exception from polish salic law is to be made and in the event of Jan's death Isabella would rule as Queen over Poland and if no heir is had between Jan and Isabella the crown will pass to Isabellas younger brother Sigismund, the second and last child of king Christoph.
This was excactly what would come to happen as soon as the Winter of 1511. In October Jan starts to suffer from "A feirce fever and weakness of the body" as the court medicus Johan Wrangel said (Today we would say Pneumonia). Despite the best work of Wrangel it is all for naught as Jan passes away in his sleep on the 1st of December 1511. The convenient timing caused a great stir in among Polish nobles who acused Isabella of poisoning the King to seize power for herself. In response Isabella and General Trolle travels to Poland and goes before the Sejm in Warsaw.
There Isabella stands for several hours listening to the tirades of the polish nobles led by Wladyslaw Dembowski, Duke of Kalisz.
"We came to you in friendship with a desire too unite our two great nations in the name of Protestantism, too stand togheter against the Tyrranical Rus and the Papists who would see as all on the pyre, and how do you thank us for this? By murdering our King! Your own Husband."
Isabella responded
"May I remind the gentlemen that it was in this very hall you along with the king you praise signed a treaty declaring me the lawful ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian union in the event of his death. You will accept me as your liege and my brother as the legal heir, the north does not share power! Crown me or I will send my armies to burn your land, rape your women and enslave your children. You all saw what happened to Denmark, Norway and Russia and i promise you Poland will not recieve the same mercy, she will burn!"The Same day the Sejm voted unanimously to crown Isabella and to remove any last sliver of resistance she grants the Estates of Poland a large degree of autonomy in domestic affairs.
(The treaty of Warsaw prevented a bloody feud between Dembowsky and Isabella)
Protestantism in Denmark Norway
The disasterous defeats of the Dano-Norwegian armies in the Nordic war of Religion caused severe religios unrest in Copenhagen and Oslo. The large amount of Catholic nobles who served in the Danish army had been slain ending many great houses such as Astrup, Anker, Lovenstierne, Hoeg and Gyldenfeldt. This created a power vacum wich was filled by minor german nobility fleeing persecution in the Holy Roman Empire. Soon they were represented in most danish institution and were able to exert great influence on the Danish king Oluf who had asumed the throne at the age of 15 after his father was deemed unfit to rule due to insanty.
It is not long until Oluf declares himself and Denmark Protestant granting the previous nobilitys land and titles to the new, Norway already under considerable Danish influence follows suit. In response Isabella pens letters to both kings saying "let the wars of the past be forgotten and lets with our shared faith usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the North. Let the princes of the continent squable with the pope as best they want, meanwhile the north shall flourish".
Sweden c.1517
Isabella I Vasa ( ADM:7 MIL:7 DIP:3)
By the Grace of God, Queen of Sweden, Grand Princess of Finland, Duchess of Estonia, Duchess of Ingria, Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania
GDP: 44.6 Million Daler (446 Ducats)
Standing Army: 16000 Infantry, 8000 Cavalry, 4000 Gunners
Navy: 15 Caravels, 15 Barques, 8 Transports
Reserves: 11000
Discipline: 130.00%
Tradition: Army 77.40 Navy 44.50
Prestige: 80
Reputation: 12.3
Legitimacy: 87
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So if the Queen dies now, whom is her successor? Also, hopefully Denmark-Norway will see reason, Scandinavia go!
Crown Prince Sigismund Vasa (Isabella's younger brother) is in line to both thrones
So hmm, you are also leading Lithuania I guess?
Yeah I got lucky, Jan von Luxembourg inherited and then died triggering the PU, the rest us just flavour text.
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Sorry again about the lack of updates. I had some technical issues but they are all sorted now. Sadly just as I got it sorted there was a work related emergency. By the next weekend I should have an update for you if all goes well. Thank you for your patience
