Welcome to the Empire Powers Season XI Recap for the years 1519 and 1520, where the events of these two weeks (years) are rounded up into one place and summarized.

Previous recaps: 1500 | 1501 | 1502 | 1503 | 1504 | 1505 | 1506 | 1507 | 1508 | 1509 | 1510 | 1511 | 1512 | 1513 | 1514 | 1515 | 1516 | 1517 | 1518

Map in January of 1519 | Map in January of 1520

Major events

• Ottomans/Safavid/Georgia - War

The Safavid agree to peace with the Ottomans and Georgians, ceding a large amount of land.

| Peace

• Muscovy/Sweden/Poland/Lithuania/Livonian Confederation - Treaty of Novgorod

Muscovy agrees to peace with the Malbork pact. The Treaty of Novgorod stipulates considerable transfers of land from Muscovy, as well as the betrothal of Princess Katarina of Sweden to Grand Prince of Volodimer and Moscow Dmitri.

| Treaty of Novgorod

• Holy Roman Empire - Reformation

The Pope clarifies the theology of indulgences in a Papal Bull, whilst Marthin Luther continues his endeavors, participating in debates, engaging with influential people and publishing books. Luther is then excommunicated after refusing to repent.

A Synod of the German Church is called, with reforms being proposed.

In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli begins his ministry in the Canton of Zürich, following a doctrine similar to that of Luther, and denying entry to indulgence salesmen from Rome.

| Papal Bull: Cum Postquam | Beginnings in Zurich | Synod called | Synod resolution | Wittenberg disputation declared | Wittenberg disputation resolution | Wittenberg feast | Luther condemned | Luther publication | Flight of Luther

• Holy Roman Empire - Diet of Augsburg

Reforms concerning the removal of officials in the Empire and representation are made.

| Reforms

• Saxony - Feud

A feud develops into armed conflict in Lower Saxony. Imperial attempts at mediation soon follows.

| Imperial intervention

• Sweden/Livonian Confederation - Rebellion

An Orthodox rebellion occurs in the recently annexed territories of Sweden and the Livonian Confederation.

| Rebellion

• England - Welsh Revolt

The English continue to attempt to put down the Welsh rebels. They have success, but plague devastates both sides, killing King Richard IV who is succeed by his heir William de la Pole.

| Resolution post

• Mühlhausen - Coup

The city of Mühlhausen falls to a popular coup led by Thomas Müntzer.

| Coup

Minor Events

• Austria - Succession

Emperor Maximilian I dies.

| Death

• France/Savoy - Birth and Land

A second son is born to François de Valois-Savoie. Land is also transferred.

| Birth and Land

• Ferrara - Death

Lucrezia Borgia dies.

| Death

• Bologna/Urbino - Betrothal

Constanzo Bentivoglio of Bologna is betrothed to Giulia Riario della Rovere of Urbino.

| Betrothal

• Dithmarschen - Succession

Praetor Ferdinand the Fat of Dithmarschen is murdered. He is succeeded by Peter Swyn.

Also Hedgehog Posting.

| Hedgehog Posting | New Praetor

• Sweden/Denmark/Hansa/Norway - Treaty of Copenhagen

A treaty of non aggression is signed between Sweden, the Hanseatic League, Norway and Denmark.

| Treaty of Copenhagen

• Bourbon - Birth

A second boy is born to the Bourbon.

| Birth

• Denmark - Succession

Christian of Denmark abdicates and retires to a farm in Serpa.

| Succession

• Georgia - Death

Co-king Aleksandre dies.

| Death

• Riga - Death

Mayor Rupprecht Adler dies.

| Death

Since his days as a pirate, Sultan Hizir had been more involved in the management of people, groups, and now estates than the actual plundering of Christian holdings. In the decade since his ascension, he had struggled against a multitude of forces that sought to pull apart the realm. One by one those forces had been curtailed, and the Sultan in Tunis now enjoyed a level of control not seen in a century, and it was time for Hizir to lay the foundation not only of his personal rule, but of his law.

Code of Law

Ulema of the Hanafi school from across the realm would be invited to Tunis to work with the Sultan on establishing the Yakupid's first Kanun. This code of law would serve to fill in the gaps where Sharia falls short, and mostly regards property rights and relations. Many of its policies would be borrowed from the Ottoman Empire, though local customs will be taken into account.

• Codification of various forms of land use and rights for Muslims, non-Muslims, the military classes, the taxpaying classes, and tribes.

• Expansion of the office of Defterdar, and the establishment of an archive for taxation records.

• A review of the various forms of taxation across the Sultanate: sweeping away those that go against Sharia, carving exemptions for those in the ruling, military, and religious classes, and establishing more efficient taxes on those taxpaying classes not included in the above. This includes changes based on the productivity of lands, fees to pressure non-Hanafi Muslims to convert, and standardization of tariffs.

• Conversion of much of the remaining lands into Timars and its larger cousins, the Zeamet and Hass, as the basic level of governance.

• Reorganization of the larger provinces into Sanjaks, led by Sanjakbeys in charge of the Timars within their purview and mobilizing forces for war. While these positions will be appointed and legally nonhereditary, some exceptions will be made so long as the governors maintain the Sultan's favor.

• A series of land surveys to implement these changes at local levels. The provincial tax and Timar records will be noted in Defters, a copy of which will be placed in the archives.

It is hoped that with this codification of law we can improve the government's ability to mobilize armies, collect taxes, and govern in a style the Turkish Yakupids are more accustomed to.

For the establishment of the tax archives and expansion of the Defterdar's office, we put forward 150,000 civilian florins.

For the undertaking of the surveys throughout the realm, we put forward 300,000 civilian florins.

15 April 1520

The Duma has long been an important institution of the Muscovite state, the council through which the nobles could limit, oppose, or support the Grand Prince as the first among equals. However, as the princely states began to be consolidated, so too did the power of the Grand Prince over his nobles. No longer could they threaten to abandon him for the service of another prince, for there were no more princes left to turn to. As such, the council had slowly morphed into a body of advisors rather than decisionmakers. Regardless, Dmitri’s grandfather Ivan III had made a point of consulting with his boyars and encouraging pushback on decisions they disagreed with. While this had certainly given the boyars greater influence in the realm, the nature of Russian administration prevented them from obtaining threatening powerbases.

Grand Prince Dmitri was also inclined to follow his grandfather’s example when dealing with the governing council, dictated primarily by his humanist approach to life. Of course, his faltering war record also forced him to take a more conciliatory tone, lest his boyars feel the need to relieve him of his duties. Until he could prove himself a capable ruler, he would have to cede the floor to them more than he’d like.

With this in mind, he has issued an updated list of boyars and convened the council to discuss the recovery of the state following the long war with their neighbours.

Grand Master Pedro di Piero of the Knights Hospitaller has taken time out of his militant routine to set out with an entourage of Knights to visit the seat of the Hospitaller Grand Priory of Germany, the village of Heitersheim. Aside from wishing to acknowledge the German section of the Knights and keep the funds flowing to the order’s Iberian and Italian bases, Pedro also has arranged to meet his new squire, Sir Wulf II Van Hemmingstedt hailing from some sort of free German peasant village, who certainly was not lacking in enthusiasm if anything else.

Pedro has brought a tidy sum of 3,000 florins to spend on modest improvements to the town church, which he will dedicate to the new partnership between himself and the boy. He will also meet with Swabian clergy, who control many of the holdings within the village, and discuss matters related to the pesky preacher Luther and further support for Crusades both internal and external.

Jan/Feb 1520

English campaigns to stomp out the lash Welsh resistance continues.

Raising/replenishing/lowering troops as needed.

May 1520: Pentecost

Mühlhausen

The fiery preacher rained down his words like hellfire upon the urban peasantry of Mühlhausen. Prior to his arrival, social tensions had defined the city. It was a growing town with about 9,000 residents, with a town council and Hanseatic traders growing fat and rich off of the long-distance textile trade, woad market, and the circulation of other goods. Rivaling Erfurt for preeminence in Thuringia as the most powerful free city, the prosperity of the town masked a nasty truth lurking below.

“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos, since their order is of the devil!”

Thomas Müntzer began his career as a priest in Braunschweig. His trajectory changed, however, after hearing Luther speak at Frankfurt-on-the-Oder, meeting with Andreas Karlstadt, and studying the works of mystics Henry Suso and Johannes Tauler. After the Wittenberg Disputation, Müntzer wandered across Saxony and Bohemia for some months, until the spring of 1520 brought him to his current pulpit.

“Their doctrine, their theology; it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. You'll see- I'll show you. When the chips are down these, uh, civilized Martinists? They'll eat each other. See I'm not a heretic, I'm just ahead of the curve.”

For the last few months, the priest agitated the population of new-money Mühlhausen. The already tense situation exploded upon his instigation. From Saint Nikolaus Church, on Pentecost, a new creed would be born into this wicked earth of sinners. One which rejected the Catholic Church, but also the pompous and anal doctrine of Wittenberg and Frankfurt-Oder. A new life, one of Christ’s teachings, and of Müntzer’s: Omnia sunt Communia.

“Have you seen what it’s like out there, Martin Luther? Do you ever actually leave the university? Or your rat hole hiding castle? Everybody just sins and violates God’s covenant. Nobody’s virtuous anymore! Nobody thinks what it’s like to be a true apostle! Do you think men like Hermann von Wied ever think what it’s like to be someone like us? To be somebody but themselves? They don’t. They think that we’ll just sit there and take it like good little serfs. That we won’t werewolf and go wild!”

Well they were mistaken. Because Müntzer would go wild, and he would bring the city with him.

In just a couple weeks, he rallied the city around him, much like the city of Memmigen did around Christoph Schappeler years before. With what amounted to a popular army, they would storm the city hall, commandeer fortifications, and enforce their will across the city and its countryside.

Town members were forced to flee for their safety to Ducal Saxony. The Mühlhausen Law Book of 1224, the oldest book of law in German language, was publicly burned in the square. An Ewiger Rat, or Eternal Council, was established to govern the city. Savagely pillaging the city’s monasteries, the first example of Bildersturm even looted the churches. The coup established a new theocracy in Thuringia, of peasant nobility, and of common oligarchy. When his fellow revolters began questioning the extremely radical philosophy of Father Müntzer, he would elaborate, and cement his grip on the city.

“It was revealed to me in a dream. To expect visions and to receive them while in tribulation and suffering, is in the true spirit of the apostles, the patriarchs, and the prophets. Tell your men they work for me now, this is my city!”

What do you get when you cross a true Christian with a society that abandons God and treats His will like trash? I’ll tell you what you get. You get what you fucking deserve.

The city of Mühlhausen falls to a popular coup led by Radical Thomas Müntzer.

To keep up with the latest trends of the Renaissance and show off his family’s glory and fortune, Charles of Bourbon will commission several pieces of artwork from the renowned painter Jean Perréal.  

These will be 

• A family painting of Charles, his wife Suzanne and their children, painted shortly after the birth of young Phillipe of Bourbon 
• A portrait of Anne de Beaju as Saint Anne and her daughter as Saint Suzanne.  
• A portrait of dowager Queen Louise with her daughters.  

The Duke assumes that each of these shall cost 5,000 florins, but is willing to pay however much the artist wishes.  

July 1519

No no no the letter had to be a lie.  And the next one and the next one.  Her Richard could not be dead.  Not after everything he had been through.  To go through all that and just die of sickness, it was like God was playing a cruel joke.  

And what did it mean for her?  The great certainty in Charlotte's life was that she was going to stand by Richard's side as Queen of England.  Even as she mourned for her husband, for that was what her youthful, romantic mind thought of him as despite them not being officially married, she also mourned for the life she would never live, the children she would never bear. 

With Richard gone thoughts that she had long thought banished, things her sister sometimes whispered, came back to her.  Was she, not a Tudor?  Did she not belong with her brothers in Austria?  Were Henry and John really traitors?  They had not seemed like evil men when she had been a little girl.  

All these doubts had been put to the side as it was her duty to love her husband and take his side, and she had done so with gusto.  But with him gone, they all came back.  Am I the traitor?  A coquettish scoundrel who eagerly forsakes my own blood for the promise of a crown?

Charlotte threw herself onto her bed, clutched her pillow, and screamed.  Her sobs were not the dignified crying of a Princess, but the loud animalistic wails of a common person unused to suppressing her emotions for the sake of etiquette.  She felt so naked, so ashamed to be acting like this.   

Even worse nobody seemed to chide her or in any way attempt to punish her for her disgraceful behavior. The servants gave her a wide berth and her nurse took her hand and whispered that everything would be ok.  That she would go get her mother.  Her nurse, her mother, and sister, all stood by her and held her as she sobbed.  

This warm blanket of familial love calmed her down but did not erase the doubts she felt.  Whatever happened she knew at least her mother and sister loved her and would look out for her. 

**October 1519**

King is dead,
Men are sick,

Time to go home.

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and 1st Earl of Surrey. Knight of the Bath and Knight of the Garter. 13th Baron Mowbray and 16th Baron Segrave. Lord High Steward of England, former Lord High Treasure and former Earl Marshal. The Duke has served under half a dozen different monarchs and in half a hundred battles. But his service under the new King William III is to be his ultimate test. Having tied himself to Richard III following the recent continuation of the War of the Roses, a return to service under the Tudors is.. unlikely. Yet, Richard is dead and now his half-mad brother William has ascended the throne. For many, this inexperienced King is seen as an opportunity. Either to be used for personal gain, or to be betrayed for rewards from the pretenders Henry or Joan Tudor. However, for the Duke of Norfolk, the success of this King William is essential. If the King falls or fails, he will need to flee, or more likely, die.

Almost 78 years of age, Norfolk is tired, but there is still work to be done for his son, and for his new King. God-willing, when his time finally comes, he will be able to look back at a life well-spent and work well-done.

Turn of the year, 1520

The unthinkable had happened after the unthinkable had happened. Richard de la Pole, Richard IV, King of England, was dead.

Not long after taking the throne, his campaigning in Wales took him to his grave. In all irony, the same plague of sweating sickness that wore down the Welsh ended Richard. A true Greek tragedy - as Wales bled for Richard, Richard also bled for Wales.

William de la Pole knew in many ways that he was the unlikeliest of Kings. His brother had planned out his rule and found a young bride to give him a son - and William had believed that his brother would be succeeded by that son, not him. William had been locked in the Tower of London for nearly two decades before he was released during the civil war, an innocent man of course, and managed to command armies effectively in Wales during his brother’s campaigning. It was with great shock when the couriers delivered him the news of his brothers passing and his ascension to the throne of England.

Now, many things had to be done. A new privy council was to be selected by him, and quickly. There had been a great number of plans being discussed by Richard and his Lord High Steward, Edward Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham. While he would be replaced by Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Surrey. Stafford would be given Lord High Constable as compensation for his many years of service, and a nice salary with it. The new privy council would be slightly shuffled, but largely similar to Richard’s:

• Lord High Steward - Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Surrey
• Lord High Chancellor - Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York
• Lord High Treasurer - Henry Courtenay, 1st Marquess of Exeter
• Lord President of the Council - George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury
• Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal - Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland
• Lord Great Chamberlain - John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford
• Lord High Constable - Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham
• Earl Marshal - Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset
• Lord High Admiral- Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

The Clerk of Ships would be Robert Brygandine with his assistant as William Gonson, previously proposed by Stafford. Other plans of Stafford’s would be discussed with Howard to see which would be continuing and which would be altered, or done away with entirely. Any other offices would be filled as soon as practicable.

The succession was an open question to many, William knew. Henry Pole was his current presumed heir, and may make a fine king. But William’s elderly wife, two decades his senior, may prove to not have much life left, and he had heard the rumblings already. He had to think fast were his wife to pass from this earth soon, and get an heir and new wife.

His position felt as tenuous as Richard’s - “The King from the Tower”. His years there had done him no favors, but perhaps he was up to the task of finishing what Richard had started. He had a rebellion to end, and a Kingdom to strengthen.

META:

With Ratboy finishing his tenure as King Richard, wanting to move characters, he has agreed to switch with me and become 2iC for England while I will take over as 1iC. Long live William III, King of England and Ireland!

Sorry for any inconvenience, but I appear to have died.

The trumpets have been blown, the tribes have been summoned. The warriors of Beni Abbas begin to rise!

Rich men, trust not in wealth,

Gold cannot buy you health;

Physic himself must fade.

All things to end are made,

The plague full swift goes by;

I am sick, I must die.

Lord, have mercy on us!

• A Litany in Time of Plague, by Thomas Nashe

While 1518 was a general success in the eyes of the English, having secured numerous castles and prevented the Welsh from interfering with his long march in the countryside, the start of 1519 started off badly for the English. A longer than usual winter coupled with diplomatic negotiations with some of the Welsh nobility prevented a swift attack on rebel forces. As negotiations dragged on, it seemed that very few of the Welsh nobility was willing to even entertain the thought of switching sides after hearing the terms presented by Richard de la Pole [10]. Of those interested, Edward Grey, 3rd Baron Grey of Powis, quickly proposed his own, independent, terms to Richard de la Pole, but never got a response.

As Richard’s army divided itself and marched into Wales proper, they found the body of Edward Grey hanging from the gallows outside of Powis Castle [2]. Either betrayed by someone on his recently dissolved Regency Council, or one of his men in Powis Castle, the siege of Powis would start off slow as the English positioned their cannons. With the Welsh refusing to surrender, a slow breach of the walls occurred. While Powis Castle has yet to be fortified in the modern style, the complete absence of sappers in the English army prevents the English from laying siege to the castle until May. Upon which, another malady befells the English army.

Sweating sickness, having terrorized the Midlands as late as 1517, spreads among the English army around Powis [3]. While the majority of the English army either contracts the disease and survives, a noninsignificant portion of the English army perishes. Alongside hundreds of his fellow countrymen, two important English commanders die from the stooping plague. Firstly, the 14th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere dies and is succeeded by the 15th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere. Second, and most importantly, King Richard IV died on June 3rd, 1519 and is succeeded by his designated heir, the Prince of Wales, William de la Pole.

Despite the devastating impact of the sweating sickness on the English army, it soon spreads across rural Wales and around Shrewsbury. The Welsh army, who had planned to take advantage of the plague catches the plague themselves before they can relieve the garrison at Powis. By the time they recover, the successes of Prince, now King, William in the north coupled with their diminished numbers forces them to abandon that plan and retreat further into the mountains, aiming to use the remaining castles in Wales to delay the English in hopes of foreign intervention.

By August, Powis Castle falls to the English and the English army unites and marches to the castle of Bealt. Bealt, not expecting the English army to continue its efforts, and dealing with sweating plague itself, falls in late September. Unable to pursue the Welsh army further, the English winter up in Brecknok, miserable. The Welsh rebels to their west are not doing so hot as well.

Map to come out soon.

Casualties:

Welsh:

~800 men

English:

• King Richard de la Pole

• 14th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere

• 10 Feudal Knights

• 60 Mercenary Mounted Skirmishers

• 25 Mercenary Cavalry

• 400 Mercenary Pikemen

• 100 Mercenary Swordsmen

• 50 Gallowglass

• 50 Redshanks

• 10 Mercenary Arquebusiers

• 150 Longbowmen

• 1 Siege Artillery

• 2 Field Artillery

• 4 Light Artillery

Lowering/raising troops and signalling intent to participate in 1520 Raiding.

Raising/lowering ships and troops

Jan-Feb 1520

If they won't see reason, we will make them see God.

Troops are raised to put down the eastern rebellion.

Riga responds to the emergency in Sankt Rolandsburg by hiring mercenaries and sending them to secure the town.

Raising troops + hiring some boats

February 1520

A great deal of debate had taken place between Wolter von Plettenberg and the Knights of his order. Though in disagreement, it is eventually certain that the Brothers will crush the Orthodox rebels in Ingria.

Gott mit uns

[M: Raising Troops to crush the rebellion in Ingria]

February 1520
They acted as if this were already a funeral. Anne and Suzanne spent every waking moment with the ailing child, neglecting their responsibilities to both state and the other children. It was all a bit ridiculous to mourn so much for such an insignificant girl child.
A little pink-faced child who fought so hard to breathe and smiled with such wonder at the world. No. Men lost children all the time. It was a reality he would have to face and Charles refused to become a weeping woman over the death of one insignificant little girl.
He paced about his study, paperwork piling up, grumbling about everyone making such a fuss over such a minor issue. After drinking a copious amount of wine Charles decided that the best thing to do would be to go for a ride to one of his hunting Château’s to clear his head.

As he rode he did his best to shut out thoughts of his third born child. His brave little girl. Was that a tear he felt falling across his face? No of course not. It was just the rain.
A storm that just so happened to originate from the Duke’s eye.
A messenger galloped after him.
“Your lordship. They say your daughter has not long to live. If you wish to say your goodbyes. Now is the time.”
Charles waved the man off. Marie was too young to care what her father had to say. Suzanne and the Duchess were more than enough to provide her comfort in her final moments.
That was what he thought anyways. But he found himself racing to his horse and rushing towards the Chateau.
He arrived to find his sister and mother-in-law comforting Suzanne as she wept over the bed, clutching and rocking Marie’s tiny, limp, body. He had been too late. The storm that had been brewing in his eyes became a tempest of tears.
This, he thought, was the just reward of a neglectful father.
*Spending 40k florins on Marie's funeral.

Royal Prussia is at this point in a interesting point in history. With the Teutonic Order, and with them the Hohenzollerns, completely thrown out of Prussia the course of history as we know it is completely gone. With Prussia now united as voivodeships that are autonomous enough to have their own regional council, it will remain to be seen whether or not the integration of the new territories into Royal Prussia will bind them closer to Poland or will these new subjects remember a time they were independent and strive for it again.

February 1520,

The young Wulf Nanne-Isebrand, grandson of Praetor Wulf Isebrand and distant cousin of Praetor Peter Swyn, has secretly commandeered a printing press in Meldorf. He printed off the following pamphlets to be distributed throughout northern Europe:

HELLO KNIGHTS

I AM WULF II VAN HEMMINGSTEDT AND I AM THE BRAVEST MAN IN GERMANY

I WANT TO BE A SQUIRE FOR A KNIGHT WHO WILL TEACH ME HOW TO BE A KNIGHT

I AM VERY GOOD WITH A SWORD AND RIDING HORSES HERE IS PROOF

(a hastily-drawn stick man on horseback is depicted stabbing a stick Dane)

I WILL BE ANYONES SQUIRE AS LONG AS THEYRE A KNIGHT AND CAN KNIGHT ME AFTERWARD

I COULD BE A KNIGHT ALREADY BUT NOBODY WILL KNIGHT ME UNTIL I SQUIRE

PLEASE CONTACT ME I AM IN HEMMINGSTEDT OR HEIDE OR LUNDEN OR MELDORF

OK BYE

SIR WULF II VAN HEMMINGSTEDT

February 17, 1520

Senator Peter Swyn commanded a crowd from on top of a table in the middle of Heide’s largest tavern, The Fort, with a tankard in his hand. The crowd was made up of everyone who was anyone in Dithmarschen. Senators, merchants, landowners, war heroes, and adventurers all mingled to celebrate the anniversary of the new era. Peter ordered them to gather around him, and they did as they were told. He took a sip or ten, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

“Twenty years ago to this day, we drowned the demons of the Black Guard in the dikes of Hemmingstedt! We sent the Danes back to their ugly wives and inbred children, and made a name for ourselves. We joined the Hanseatic League, built industries outside of cabbage farming, and created the most noble office in Christ’s Empire - Praetor. We have seen our children become knights, merchants, yeomen, priests, monks, nuns, scholars, senators and more, which isn’t bad for a bunch of farmers! And now, the vain son of the King Hans the Failure has been exiled to Spain to become Castile’s Royal Ass-wiper. It seems that God Himself has ordained Dithmarschen to stand forever!”

He waited for applused, but his crowd stopped listening after he mentioned “Praetor”. The office of Praetor had been stained by Ferdinand the Fat’s tenure. Wulf was a leader of men, and Reimer had the potential to be the greatest military mind of his day, but Ferdinand the Fat tarnished the office so greatly the Senate refused to elect a new Praetor.

“We should elect a new Praetor!” he hollered, hoping that someone would elect him Praetor. He thought of himself as the ideal candidate. He was a veteran of the Danish Invasion, though he was stationed at Lunden where there was no fighting. He was a Hanseatic merchant, but most of what he sold was his own grain to merchants in Meldorf. He was educated at the University of Rostock, but the other Senators weren’t too fond of the educated.

“I nominate myself,” responded a young man’s voice from the mob. He stepped forward and explained to the crowd that he was Bötius Boje van Brunsbüttel. His clothing was plain and humble, especially for Dithmarschen. He rambled for a few minutes about how he was one of the students of Doctor Martin Luther and how if he was Praetor, he would be the first sovereign in Europe to banish “Papists”. Since all 48 Senators were present, they tried putting his election to a vote. They had agreed to vote by consensus, in the old German tradition that Martin Luther was supposedly reviving. It was quickly shot down. While many in Dithmarschen were sympathetic to Luther’s reforms (or indistinguishable from Hussites in theology), the Frisian Senators, as good Catholics, would not let a heretic rule Dithmarschen.

Following this first vote, Peter Swyn immediately nominated himself. The other Senators, more interested in resuming festivities than governing today, all agreed to elect him as Praetor to shut him up for tonight. Maybe next Saturday they could amend the laws preventing Senators from being elected Praetor, but starting tonight, Peter Swyn was sovereign of Dithmarschen. He was ready to cast off the image of a peasant republic, and fully embrace the mercantile culture of his Hanseatic brethren

[M: Peter Swyn becomes Praetor of Dithmarschen, and plots to turn Dithmarschen into a mercantile republic before his death in 1537.]

26 December, 1519

The sun was setting over the bay, as an old, retired merchant-turned-mayor sat in his manor's parlor room, watching his grandchildren play and listening to his daughters discuss how the year had treated them, and their husbands their various business ventures. Emma and Anna had both married several years ago, the former having three children to the latter's one. Anna's pregnancy had come with serious issues, though, so no one blamed her for not trying again yet.

As the old, retired mayor watched over his family, his heart grew warm, and as he looked outside at the great pine tree the city had put up for this year's Christmas festivities, he knew that he'd done well. By Riga. By the Hanse. And, most importantly to him, by his family. The same family that was now helping itself to the food Ada had spent the last hour agonizing over (she was insistent her daughters not help her; they'd come all the way out here for her after all).

Former Mayor Rupprecht Adler's time had long since come and gone for Riga, but his legacy would be remembered. Both in the city he cared so much for, and the children he'd cared so much for.

And that was more than enough for an old man like him.

R.I.P. Rupprecht Adler, September 1466 - January 1520. No moderation needed.

Edit: fixed dates

Ingria, 1520

Shortly after their victory against Muscovy, large swathes of Ingria and land around lake Ladoga was annexed to the Livonian Confederation and the Kingdom of Sweden. While establishing their rule over the annexed areas, both sovereigns decreed that land should be stripped from the Muscovite Estates and [Orthodox Churches should be immediately repurposed into Catholic Churches.] (https://www.reddit.com/r/empirepowers/comments/13yu3t2/eventretro_the_brothers_in_ingria/) At least the King of Sweden abolished serfdom while he was at it.

Regardless, the peasants of the region had overlooked that kindness now that Orthodox communion had been denied to them. The Livonians and Swedish had given them the option to convert, but this was taken up by precious few (<5%) of the estates and population. They had decided that harsher measures would need to be taken against their new overlords. The Orthodox in Swedish Ingria quietly but efficiently gathered and organized support, launching a rebellion in late February. The rebellion spread far beyond the wildest Swedish nightmares (100) and quickly drove the Swedish out of nearly all of their annexations. The Livonian portion of the rebellion did not manage the same success on their own, but the Swedish rebellion did manage to spread over the border. To the dismay of the Mayor of Riga, even the fledgling settlement of Sankt Rolandsburg, where the Orthodox were treated with tolerance, was swept up in this wave of rebellion by the emboldened rebels.

Map

October 1519

As ever peace can become restless. After two years of peace from the Treaty of Novgorod, there has been seemingly little contact among the members of this treaty of eternal peace. Even between the allies of the Malbork pact, a cool stillness seems to have settled.

For Landmeister Wolter Von Plettenberg this did not sit well. Peace had been signed, and even families joined! Now all the royal families of these Kingdoms in the east had been joined, and yet a lingering malaise seemed to remain. To the Landmeister it felt less like peace and more like the tumultuous precursor to a terrible storm.

A remedy must be found! And the needs of the Menagerie at Riga provided just the opportunity in the mind of Von Plettenberg. As the year 1519 began to come to a close, Wolter Von Plettenberg would make both a proclamation to the Brothers of the Sword and seperatley dispatch letters to the Kings of the East.

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'To all Brothers of the Sword, Sergeants, and fine Hunters of Livonia! Glory and good cheer, for all, are invited to a hunt in the Spring of 1520 to display their skill, and celebrate the great peace of Novgorod! Landmeister Wolter Von Plettenberg is opening choice hunting grounds during this coming time for the capture, alive, of the following animals. Prizes shall be offered for those who capture these animals alive and unharmed, and greater prizes for those who are able to capture breeding pairs!!'

'Bison, boars, moose, lynxes, and wolves. Any man who is able to capture a living brown bear will be granted land in Ingria, and if a man is able to capture a breeding pair he shall be given a princely sum as well!'

'For the duration of the celebration restrictions on hunting on lands held by the brothers shall be relaxed so that all may prosper most generously! A certain portion will remain restricted so that the finest guests of the Brothers may ensure their own hunts, but all people are encouraged to otherwise enjoy the fruits of peace and prosperity!'

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[M: Wolter Von Plettenberg is expending One Hundred thirty thousand Civilian Florins to prepare for a Grand Hunt in the Spring of 1520! Invitations are dispatched to the Kings of several Eastern and North-eastern realms to attend this grand affair. Ground will be reserved and prepared, men hired to ascertain the best lands on which to host this hunt, a grand camping ground will be constructed, and all preparations made so that daily feasting, hunting, and celebration may be partaken in! As well artists are hired and commissioned in preparation to create art of the coming event, as well as performers of all kinds! It will be a truly wondrous affair!]

#Italian Wars 1517

##War on Gonzaga

The Trial of Cesena, called for following the Gonzaga accusation of the assassination of the young Cesare de Montefeltro, surprised all when the trial was called off and counter-accusations were brought up against the Gonzaga for plotting against the Pontificate and other Italian princes. Declarations to the contrary, and evidence of the deal the Gonzagas and Medicis had made in the years prior fell to deaf ears.

Papal troops were quick to move to the temporary estates of the Gonzagas in Cesena. Both Francesco and Elisabetta were ignominiously captured, but Federico - the Duke's son - with a portion of the elite Gonzaga retainers managed a brave and dangerous flight from Romagna, using the superior Mantovan cavalry to evade capture on their escape back to Mantua.

della Rovere forces had attempted to fight Gonzagan mercenaries in Venezia, but somehow failed to pincer those forces, allowing the former to promptly retreat back to Mantua.

Even with Federico's escape and the relative safety of their raised forces (save for the majority of those that were in Romagna), the situation was nevertheless grim. Great hosts from Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna were gathering to march on the formidable fortress that is Mantua.

In total, nearly twenty-thousand men and an impressive score of cannons were raised to bring the Gonzaga to an end. The fortress-city had done its best to prepare itself. Defenders were raised, additional supplies received from friends afar, the walls of the city were something to behold. Additional walls of the new Italian style, advanced fortifications on the other side of the bridges across the Lago di Mincio.

An initial skirmish had already repulsed a della Rovere contingent that was attempting to secure the north side of the Lago thanks to a bold sortie by Federico and his forces. However, come early May, the maw of the Papal armies and their allies were closing in. Sorties delayed the formal start of the siege as much as possible, but eventually the besieging forces had encamped themselves well enough to deaden the impacts of those sorties, especially following the arrival of the Este forces in June after they had finished the sieges of the Po statelets.

Requests to surrender are formally ignored, following which the siege began in earnest. The allied plan was to starve out the city of Mantua rather than attempt any assaults on the city walls itself. Attempts are undertaken to break down the walls with cannonfire, and over the next couple of weeks after they are able to safely fire on the walls, they do, but the terrifying enfilade fire stemming from the new Italian style quickly puts an end to any and all attempts of assaulting the city.

Over the next few months, with lulls in the fighting and the slow starvation of the city underway, negotiations take place between higher powers, which will bring peace to the region.

(Details of that peace are for when I get them)

Note: Players can reimburse their 1518 spending of their armies - you do not need to ask me.

July 1519

Awash in the golden grandeur of an early July morning, a procession of four battle-scarred yet triumphant men had announced their arrival, their presence heralded by a procession of wagons that had groaned under the weight of war machinery. These Spanish titans of battle, carrying the scars of recent brutal confrontations against the French in Naples and the Venetians shortly after, had worn their honor and duty as effortlessly as they bore their swords. They had been a formidable ensemble, composed of Pedro Navarro, Hugo de Moncada, Fernando Francesco d'Ávalos, and Fernando de Andrade das Marinas, names that had rung with valor and glory.

Embarking on a journey rich with tales of war and wisdom, these brave men had arrived at the opulent court of Charles V, the King of the Romans. The youthful monarch, a familiar figure from his tender days amidst the vibrant lands of Castile and Aragon, had warmly welcomed these paragons of war, offering them a period of rest to replenish their strength for the formidable task ahead.

As a tranquil week passed, the grand court had begun to fill with dignitaries from across the Reich. Illustrious figures such as Götz von Berlichingen, Reinhard zu Solms, and Henry Tudor, had journeyed across the vast stretches of the Empire, each endeavoring to decipher the complexities of the recent Neapolitan conflict. They had sought to absorb the strategic acumen and tactical mastery that the Spanish had brandished to usurp the French control over the Kingdom.

Pedro Navarro, the audacious Commander who had steered the Spanish forces, and Hugo de Moncada, the judicious Viceroy of Sicily during the war, had taken upon themselves the charge of leading these eminent minds through the labyrinth of war strategies. They had woven together a comprehensive tapestry of military tactics, sharing this hard-earned wisdom with those who might be called upon to lead armies of their own in the future. Navarro had expertly discussed the art of selecting strategic battlefields, erecting fortifications to counteract French knights and infantry, and overarching campaign and battle maneuvers. His teachings had extended to the arena of siege warfare, where he had unveiled the forward-thinking tactics of artillery use. Highlighting the Spanish shift towards prioritizing light, mobile artillery for maximum battlefield efficacy, he had underscored the transformative power of this tactical shift, as demonstrated in the battle of 1515. Furthermore, he had unveiled the secrets of the siege from recent bouts against Venice and France, elucidating the innovative deployment of mines, Musketeers, other gunmen, and concentrated artillery use.

While the court of leaders had plunged themselves into the intricate depths of warfare strategy, the seasoned Spanish captains, D'Ávalos and das Marinas, both hardened by the forge of battle, had set out on a distinctive mission. They had endeavored to demystify Spanish combat techniques, demonstrating how their soldiers battled and how their captains commanded during the horrors conflict. To give their lessons palpable substance, a regiment of Landsknechts was assembled, transforming theory into tangible practice and sowing the seeds of novel strategies in the fertile ground of martial skill.

Simultaneously, they had unveiled the fruits of innovative armament. The most striking among these had been the Musket, a fearsome beast of war, towering over six feet in length, capable of unleashing destructive projectiles weighing more than two ounces. This beast's formidable power could pierce through two complete sets of armor in a single deafening eruption. D'Ávalos had taken the reins of this part of the training, illustrating to the captains the integration of the Musket within the Landsknechts formation and coordinating smaller, self-reliant Musketeer units. These units had operated outside the protective sphere of the pike formation, yet they had relied upon it as a safeguard against enemy combatants and knights.

Fernando de Andrade das Marinas, a virtuoso of warfare, had assumed the task of instructing the Landsknechts. His curriculum had extended beyond mere weapon usage; it had delved into the labyrinth of battle strategies, exhibiting the ruthless efficiency of Spanish swordsmen. Although the Landsknechts had not fully adopted the Spanish buckler or swords, they had substantially borrowed from these teachings, learning how to deal crippling blows to enemy formations, thus adding a potent layer to their martial capabilities.

Das Marinas had initiated them into the Spanish art of close combat, demonstrating the intricate ballet of attack and defense, the deadly interplay between sword and buckler. He had educated them on the Spanish preference for smaller, nimble swords that facilitated rapid strikes and defenses, a marked shift from the cumbersome, slow weapons preferred by many of the Landsknechts.

The core of his teachings had focused on exploiting the vulnerabilities in enemy armor, showing the Landsknechts how precise, well-targeted strikes could bring even the most armored knight to his knees. He had further emphasized the importance of cohesive teamwork on the battlefield, explaining how the terrifying prowess of the swordsmen could complement the deadly accuracy of the Musketeers and the defensive stronghold of the pikemen.

Moreover, das Marinas had stressed the importance of morale and discipline, elements often undervalued in the heat of battle. He had urged the Landsknechts to maintain their formations under the most intense duress, to strike fearlessly yet also to strategically retreat when necessary, and above all, to protect their brethren-in-arms.

The wisdom imparted by das Marinas, along with the military innovations introduced by the other Spanish commanders, had the potential to redefine the Landsknechts' approach to warfare. Inspired by the Spanish victories and their effective strategies and tactics, the Landsknechts had been ready to embrace this new epoch of military thought, to learn from their allies, and to bolster their strength in the face of shared adversaries. The infusion of Spanish martial knowledge had heralded a new dawn in the Landsknechts' military doctrine, one that promised to alter the trajectory of their future battles.

April-May 1519

Times of late have had their ups and downs for Florence and the Medici Family. Rejoicing has come mingled with tragedy as many members of the family have come in and left the world. In 1516 Guiliano de Medici died at the age of 37, leaving behind is wife, and two daughters, Lorenza and Lea. Much sadness and pain was felt by the people of Florence, as he had bravely fought against the foul forces of Cesare Borgia and other enemies of the republic.

Lorenzo left this world and entered the kingdom of heaven May 1519. The loss of the Gonfalonier of the Republic was a great blow. A period of mourning was called for by the Signora to honor the passing of this servant of the city. Most devestating of all, was that not long before his passing, his wife, Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne just a month before, leaving their newborn daughter, Catherine, an orphan.

Still, the city cannot remain leaderless, especially during these dire times in Italy. A majority vote in the Signora has confirmed that the office of Gonfalonier would now fall to Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, who has shown great promise as a close advisor and administrator to His Holiness.

Luckily the family can always take solace in the fact that more Medici Bank branches are being constructed in Munich and Krakow for 50,000 civilian florins each. These will be useful to expand the range and clientele of the bank, allowing to service a greater number of people, and engage in new business opportunities.

In the middle of preparations for a campaign, the elder Co-king Aleksandre fell ill near Echmiadzin. A small group assembles, with a priest administering his last rites. King Giorgi oversees a simple funeral, rich in prayer and candles, though a state funeral of the late king will take place at the resolution of the conflict in Armenia.