HRE NES II: Der Aufstieg

[Cyclotron]

Clarification to those orders: Bolzano is called "Bozen" and is the furthest south Bavarian town in the Tirol region (Bavaria's transalpine possesions). It is not a large town, but maintains a modest castrum (fort) from Roman times. There is no exactly delineated border between Bavaria and Italy (nor are there exact borders anywhere, save at rivers), but somewhere between Bozen and Trento, Bavaria becomes Friuli.

The loyalty of Bavaria's transalpine lords to the Duke, rather than to the Emperor and local Italian nobles, is somewhat in doubt. Many of the Bavarian barons in the region are Lombards, not Germans, and most are some mix of both.

[foolish_icarus]

Eberhard to the Illustrious council of Dukes and Kings

My treasury is now entirely tapped, but if one or several of you would be willing to put up some denarii to bribe any reluctant Alpine noblemen or fort commanders, that could possibly save us some bloodshed and allow us to save our strength for the real fight.

[Nimitz]

Duke Vratislaus to Duke Eberhard
I believe I could put up 500 denarii for such a use. I could even afford 1000 if I could get the extra 500 back eventually.

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to German Dukes
I likewise can spare 500 d. to help ensure the loyalty of my trans-alpine lords, and I encourage you to both tap them for supplies and free you to punish them for treachery.

[appleciders]

OK, orders complete and updateable, including PMs. Also, Franconia's plan of invasion seems both prudent and cautious. I endorse it heartily.

[appleciders]

Duke Arnulf of Bavaria to Doge Orso II Participazio of Venice
My friend, while the King has not responded to your offer, of mercanaries, let me accept it on his behalf, should he forget to respond in time to hire them. I would greatly enjoy the benefits of Venetian-hired mercanaries in this campaign, and should the King not respond in the affirmative, I would particularly like to see Frankish Chivalry hired in support of this campaign, seeing that my own ranks of chivalry are depleted from long wars with the Magyars.

[Micha]

OOC:

I may be unable to compose orders until the coming weekend... If you´d like to update anyway, let the King perform the Magyar truce meeting (have 50d allocated to that, so the retinue is worthy of a king). Enact anything wanted by the dukes in regard to the Berengar war. send 200d worth of supplies to von Norden to continue his campaign against the Vikings. If he does not see a chance to keep on fighting, withdraw him to Saxony.

[appleciders]

In terms of enacting anything the Dukes want in regards to the war against Berengar, I'd request that the "Saxon Army" (the one named "Saxon Army", not necessarily every single Saxon soldier) move south to support the war against Berengar. If I have that much leverage, I'll order it.

[Cyclotron]

We're waiting for Micha's orders, and then I'll attempt an update. This is a busy time for me, with moving out and graduation, so we'll see how quickly I can manage it. Please stay tuned!

[foolish_icarus]

I'll compile the final Eastern Alps Campaign orders come Monday.

[Cyclotron]

I'm leaving college tomorrow and heading for home, by car. I'll be out of communication for 2-3 days. I hope to update soon after my return.

[Micha]

Drive carefully!

[Cyclotron]

Anno Domini CMXXIII

This year’s Pope: John X
This year’s Emperor: Berengar I
This year’s King: Heinrich I

Successions

King Rudolph II of Burgundy has seized Pavia and crowned himself with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, once claimed by Charlemagne himself, and has proclaimed himself King of Italy. With two crowned Kings of Lombardy (and thus Italy), the crown has officially become disputed.

Duke Alberic of Spoleto, a vassal of Emperor Berengar and Consul of Rome, was stabbed to death in Rome while attempting to flee an enraged mob of Romans incited to violence by his rule, widely considered tyrannical. He is succeeded in Spoleto by his son, Boniface. His wife, the infamous “Senatrix” Marozia, has remarried with Margrave Guy of Tuscany, another vassal of the Emperor.

Family Business

Duchess Judith of Bavaria, wife of Duke Arnulf, has borne her husband a son. It was decided to name him Luitpold (meaning “brave as a lion”), after Arnulf’s own father.

Land und Leute

An outbreak of plague has come to southern France, slaying many and threatening to spread further. Outside of this region, the peasants have enjoyed quite average year by all accounts.

Krieg und Frieden

The Republic of Venice has declared its support for King Rudolph II of Burgundy and Lombardy, and thus declared war on Emperor Berengar, rival King of Lombardy.

The French rebels following the usurper King Robert of France have triumphed at the battle of Soissons, defeating the French-Lotharingian loyalists of Duke Gilbert and King Charles III. Robert, however, was killed in the battle, and the defeated Charles has been captured by Herbert II, the Count of Vermandois. Charles’ son, only two years of age, has been taken to England by his mother, fleeing the conflict in France. The French throne has now been claimed both by Duke Gilbert of Lotharingia and Duke Rudolph of Burgundy (note: not the same person as King Rudolph of Burgundy). God only knows how the chaos will end.

The Bulgarians under Tsar Simeon have defeated the Byzantines yet again, this time at Pigae, underneath the very walls of Constantinople. One Bulgarian charge was all it took for the Byzantine general to turn and run; the Greeks were routed, and the victorious Bulgarians looted the Golden Horn, burning many palaces and ships of the Imperial navy.

Guy, Margrave of Tuscany, and his new wife Marozia, have renounced their support of Emperor Berengar and turned south instead, laying siege to Rome itself in an attempt to depose Pope John X. With Rome divided against itself among pro-John and other factions, it seems unlikely that the Roman militia will be able to withstand the Tuscan army.

King Heinrich of Germany and Fejedelem Fajsz of the Magyars have agreed to a 5-year truce, sealed by a marriage between the House of Arpad, the House of Luitpolding (Bavarian), and the House of Luidolfing (Saxon). It remains to be seen whether it will be honored.

Ubayd Allah al-Mahdi Billah, Shi’a Caliph and founder of the Fatimid Empire, has conquered the city of Fez from the Idrisids. In a few short years, he has built a North African empire stretching from Morocco to the edge of Egypt (which he has so far been unable to take from the Abbasid Caliphate), and rules Sicily as well. The Christian merchants of the Mediterranean certainly fear this new power, but also hope that a united Maghreb will result in the curtailing of Saracen piracy.

Other News of Christendom

A rumor has begun to spread in Bavaria that Emperor Berengar has knowingly connived with the Magyars against Bavaria and Germany. Though the Emperor has vehemently denied the accusation, the rumor has spread into parts of Italy and Swabia as well, causing a certain amount of resentment amongst Bavarian and Swabian barons in particular. Bishop Otho of Brixen (a Bavarian town in northern Italy, south of the Brenner Pass) has imprisoned several Imperial officials in Bavarian Italy and incited a local revolt against one Bavarian baron who he felt was too sympathetic to the Emperor.

The Republic of Amalfi has reached an agreement with the rulers of Arab Sicily, giving the Amalfitans some protection from local piracy in exchange for certain concessions regarding the export of Sicilian goods. The markets of the western Mediterranean seem to be quickly slipping from Venetian merchants to those of Amalfi, and this can only benefit the Amalfitans.

[Cyclotron]

The Meeting at Pressburg

The King of Germany, having accepted the truce offered by the Fejedelem of the Magyars, left for the south in mid-spring with his retinue, which included Markgraf Eberhard of Carinthia and Archbishop Herigar of Mainz, as well as 100 each of knights and sergeants as a suitable escort – and, if necessary, a bodyguard.

It was suggested by the Graf von Holstein that a safer way to reach Pressburg might exist. Noting that Saxony’s ten longships were sitting unused in Hamburg, von Holstein proposed that these ships be portaged to the Danube and used to take the King and his escort by river to Pressburg; without ships of their own, the Magyars would be hard pressed to follow the King if he was forced to retreat to the ships should the meeting turn out to be a trap. This was recognized as a good idea and followed; it took only a few weeks to set the plan into motion, and soon the King’s longships arrived at Pressburg.

Pressburg was found to be in a decent, though somewhat depopulated situation; the Slavo-German town is a shadow of its former self, but is surrounded by Magyar tents and is host to a bustling market carrying primarily plunder and slaves. The King’s men estimated that around two thousand Magyar warriors were present; certainly no great army, but enough to cause the King concern. Nevetheless, he felt that this was no reason to turn around, and disembarked to meet with his counterpart.

Though translation difficulties abounded – mostly because neither side had any German-Magyar translators (the negotiation was carried out in Latin, by German-speaking priests and a handful of Slavic priests who could speak Magyar) – the meeting can only be considered successful. The King met face to face with the Fejedelem… or rather, face to chest, as the great Fejedelem of the Magyars is apparently a young man no older than the King’s own sons. This created a somewhat awkward sight when the two rulers ceremonially embraced upon the conclusion of negotiations.

Though warriors on both sides looked perpetually ready to draw steel, it never happened; the tensest part of the occasion was probably when, after the negotiations, the Magyars had a white horse sacrificed to their pagan gods in front of all those assembled. Archbishop Herigar looked quite pale and commanded the Germans to avert their eyes, lest the Devil steal their souls in some sacrifice-associated satanic ritual, which seemed to put off the Magyars but did not lead to a confrontation.

Markgraf Eberhard was married to the sister of the Fejedelem, a girl named Yamna, 10 years of age. The Magyars provided a dowry to Eberhard, consisting of nearly a cartload of strange and fine silk and fur garments from Khazaria and beyond. Silk in particular caught the attention of the assembled nobility, who had never seen anything like it before. The Fejedelem seemed incensed that the Germans had brought no dowry for Milena, a niece of Duke Vratislaus of Bohemia; to avoid a confrontation, the King ordered his own nobles to remove their cloak-brooches and cast them down in front of him, which amounted to a sizeable pile of silver. Satisfied, the Magyars had Milena married to a half-brother of the Fejedelem, and accepted the body of Zoltan and the bones of his horse (which, unknown to any there but certainly known to the Duke of Bavaria, were simply the random bones of a horse he had found at the battle site – there was no way of knowing which was Zoltan’s steed).

The truce is guaranteed for five years, to be renewed or abrogated at will after that point.

[Cyclotron]

The Italian Campaign: The Battle of Caldonazzo

Conte Waimar d’Rezzato (4,730 men)
60 Knights
120 Sergeants
1,600 Medium Spearmen (light, spear, shield)
1,200 Medium Swordsmen (light, sword, shield)
750 Axemen (axe, shield)
1,000 Pavise Archers (bow, pavise)

Conte Lamissio d’Valdagno (3,120 men)
40 Knights
80 Sergeants
750 Medium Spearmen (light, spear, shield)
750 Medium Swordsmen (light, sword, shield)
1,000 Medium Skirmishers (light, bow, shield, sword)
500 Pavise Crossbowmen (crossbow, pavise)

Army of Bavaria (von Villach, von Brenner, von Tegernsee, der Kroat; 2,320 men)
70 Knights
110 Sergeants
200 Long Axemen (light, axe, polearm, shield)
150 Danish Vikings (light, sword, polearm, shield)
490 Medium Infantry (light, spear, shield, sword)
300 Heavy Infantry (heavy, spear, shield, sword)
300 Siege Archers (light, bow, Magyar bow, pavise)
200 Magyar Raiders
100 Pavise Crossbowmen (crossbow, pavise)
400 Thuringian Woodsmen

Leitmeritz Garrison (Hrabě Jasny z Litoměřice)
40 Knights
60 Sergeants
300 Light Spearmen (shield, spear)
200 Skirmishers
100 woodsmen
100 Medium Spearmen

Franconian Army (Duke Eberhard III)

Weinsburg Battalion (Landgraf Hraban von Koblenze; 500 men)
100 Heavy armor, polearms
50 Heavy armor, shields, spears
25 Light armor, bows
75 Light armor, bows, pavises
75 Light armor, swords, shields
75 Light armor, axes, shields
50 Light armor, spears
50 Light armor, javelins

Frankfurt Levy (Landgraf Cristianus von Mellrichstadt, Rhinegraf Gisfried von Ingelbeim)
250 Medium Spearmen (spear, shield, light)
250 Light Archers (bow)
400 Medium Swordsmen (sword, shield, light)

Eastern Veterans Battalion (Wildgraf Merobaud von der Thüringerwald)
260 knights
750 sergeants
320 Medium Swordsmen (sword, shield, light)
50 Medium Spearmen (light, spear, shield)
30 Medium Guards (light, polearm)
20 Medium Shield Guards (light, polearm, shield)
50 Medium Pavise Archers (light, bow, pavise)
20 Medium Skirmishers (light, javelin, shield)

Conrad's Fist (Bishop Roricus von Worms)
100 Medium Axemen (light, shield, axe)
50 Medium Woodsmen (light, axe, bow)
50 Heavy Warriors (heavy, axe, spear)


The German army under the Duke of Franconia advanced all the way to Bozen unopposed. Though not every Tirolan nobleman was enthusiastic about Germany asserting its authority in this distant province, none could seriously offer resistance to an army of more than six thousand men. The army also taxed the resources of the local lords, who were not eager to support such a force on their land, but money supplied by the Duke of Bavaria was used judiciously to assuage any serious grievances.

The Bavarians, particularly the Altgraf of Brixen, were eager to press on to Trento; not only would this shift more of the burden of support onto foreigners, but von Brixen was uniquely aware that Trento had sizeable silver mines that would be more than welcome in his own demesne. Though the Germans had little concept of how well Trento was defended, they opted to press on, formally entering the Margravate of Friuli.

No force blocked their way in the pass itself. Soon, Trento was in sight; its nobles had been caught by surprise. The German forces encircled the city, moving through the city’s fields and taking supplies and livestock as they cared. The Duke of Franconia arranged a parlay with the nobles of Trento, who – moved both by the show of arms and the “gifts” of the Duke – opted to hand over the gate keys in exchange for a promise that Trento would not be sacked. They turned over the Emperor’s magistrate in the city, who was thrown into the dungeon.

Oddly, perhaps nobody in Trento was as grateful for the German takeover as the city’s Jewish community, the largest in the region. The Jewish elders of Trento, after securing promises that they too would not be subject to a sack, contributed fully 200 denarii to the Duke’s war chest. It seems the Emperor’s financial problems resulting from the raising of his immense army caused him to tax many, especially his Jewish subjects, quite strenuously.

With Trento in hand, the Duke examined the situation abroad. The defection of the Margrave of Tuscany from the Emperor had considerably weakened Berengar’s position, but Berengar’s forces remained formidable. The Duke was eager to determine where, exactly, the Emperor was, but found that the pass south was blocked by the forces of the Conte Waimar d’Rezzato, moving up from Verona. Worse still, it was discovered that a second army, commanded by Conte Lamissio d’Valdagno, had reached Borgo, and was heading for the pass of Pergine Valsugana. Both armies could advance on Trento by way of separate tracks of the Via Claudia Augusta, one of the primary alpine Roman roads, and could easily surround the Germans unless they retreated from Trento.

It was decided that the Germans would take the initiative, but facing either army would be problematic; it risked the possibility that the other army could advance during the battle and cut off the Germans from Trento and their only means of retreat. This matter was solved by German (and perhaps Jewish) coin. The Duke bribed the Barone d’Vigolovattaro to allow him to take a portion of his force through a minor pass that would hopefully allow him to encircle the troops of the Conte d’Valdagno as he advanced.

The strategy was a classic hammer and anvil move. In May, both armies began moving towards Trento. The Bavarians advanced to Pergine Valsugana and held position there; meanwhile, the Franconians moved their entire force over Vigolovattaro, while the Bohemians moved southward to try and delay d’Rezzato. Only Conrad’s Fist, under the Bishop von Worms, remained behind to ensure the loyalty of the Tridentines.

The Conte d’Valdagno had to move his forces down a narrow ridge only half a mile across, bounded on both sides by water – Lake Caldonazzo and the smaller lake of Levico Terme. The Bavarians advanced against him here, and their forces clashed on a wooded hill in the center of the ridge. The rough terrain and thick woods made the Bavarian chivalry and Magyar cavalry mostly useless, but likewise d’Valdagno could not effectively deploy his chivalry. Both sides fired volleys of arrows and bolts, but both sides were also protected by shields and used trees for cover. Conte Lamissio, convinced of his numerical superiority, ordered his swordsmen and skirmishers forward in an all-out attack.

The fighting was settled quickly. Bavaria’s mailed infantry proved far too well armored for the Italian swordsmen and skirmishers; the first wave of attack was easily broken. Von Brenner had been holding his troops back for a critical moment, but his Vikings were not so easily controlled. Seeing the enemy retreat, they charged out of the woods, close on their heels. Many of the rest of the Bavarians, thinking a charge had been ordered, followed them. The Vikings cut down the Italian swordsmen as they retreated, and the retreat began to take the shape of a general rout; the Conte tried to remedy the situation by counterattacking with his chivalry, but the Vikings mauled the enemy knights on the rough ground, cutting down warhorses with a single blow of their enormous axes. By the time the Franconians had assembled at Caldonazzo, the battle was already won. Their presence only ensured that no Italian escaped; d’Valdagno saw the hopelessness of his situation and surrendered to the Duke.

Meanwhile, Hrabě Jasny z Litoměřice and his 800 lightly armed Bohemians were faced with delaying a force of nearly five thousand. The Duke had miscalculated, sending far more forces against d’Valdagno than necessary, critically undermining his defense against d’Rezzato. The Hrabě, however, had a force well suited for this kind of warfare. Nearly all of his men were unarmored, and he had enough chivalry of his own to discourage d’Rezzato from using his in pursuit. The Bohemian woodsmen and skirmishers harassed the Italians for fifteen miles, using superior elevation and mobility to pick off the Italians with impunity. Though casualties were fairly minor, the Italian morale suffered tremendously, as they were unable to catch the Bohemians and had to advance for a full day under constant attack.

When d’Rezzato reached Trento, he laid siege, but soon discovered the fate of his allied army and the betrayal of the lord of Vigolovattaro. Deciding that this made his situation untenable – outnumbered and with the possibility of being outflanked himself – he decided to retreat with the majority of his force intact.

With d’Valdagno and his entire army captured, no Imperial force remains in the Valsugana valley; towns as far away as Borgo, 20 miles east, have sent friendly emissaries to the Duke requesting good treatment in exchange for their cooperation. As a result, supplies are not currently a problem; all the Duke needs to do is send a company of soldiers to a nearby valley hamlet to procure them when they are needed. All of Tirol seems to be in German hands, though d’Rezzato’s force still blocks the way south to Verona, where the great army of the Emperor resides.

The Italians under Conte Lamissio d’Valdagno have lost about 400 men; the rest have surrendered. The freedmen have relinquished their arms and have been allowed to leave; the knights and sergeants have likewise been stripped of their arms and armor, and are now in custody awaiting an offer of ransom. The Conte himself has also been captured.

The Italians under Conte Waimar d’Rezzato have lost about 50-80 men.

The Bavarians have lost 70 men:
10 Long Axemen
30 Medium Infantry
10 Heavy Infantry
20 Thuringian Woodsmen

The spoils of war are as follows:
30 Heavy
1,490 Light
450 Spear
1,170 Sword
830 Shield
650 Bow
400 Crossbow
400 Pavise
These spoils are in the possession of the Duke of Franconia, as the campaign leader; the Bavarian commander, however, has made it clear that he believes he deserves a rightful share.

The following chivalry and nobles are prisoners:
Conte Lamissio d’Valdagno
30 Knights
50 Sergeants