The Long March: A CKII -> EUIV AAR

[Monk]

The Time of Troubles

The History of the Kingdom of Germany during the Reign of:
Leopold IV, Son of Leopold III of Germany.

Reigned c. January 4. 1051 - August 29. 1062

A faithful son in a house of traitors was Leopold IV. Coming to power after the death of his father, Leopold III, the young king was a return to the old way of thinking, of catholicism. AS a Prince, his was one of the few voices of opposition that had gone without being silenced by the reign of terror inflicted upon Germany by his father and grandfather. Now, he was King of a house divided, not only by faith, but by increasing cultural tensions between the Germans and the people they ruled. It also did not help that he was not the most qualified man to lead his people. He was greedy and a coward..

The only son of the late Heretic King, Leopold IV had won no great victories, fought no great battles of his own, and won no true honor for himself. He would find himself unprepared for the terrible state the realm had fallen into.


The Frankish lords of Lotharingia, never having truly accepted German rule, were further incensed toward hostility by Leopold III's inaction during the French sieges of Upper Lorraine. That Germany would lose that campaign, and the war, only deepened resentment for the Throne of the German Kings in Lotharingia...

Less than a year into his reign another bloody revolt breaks out in Lotharingia, this time inspired by the Dutch duke of Gelre and his allies along the lowlands.

To add an insult to the continued troubles, while the German army campaigns against the treasonous rebels in the west, Bavaria declares a war for Thuringia. Rather than risk losing his entire standing forces, Leopold IV relents, unable to oppose the now much more powerful (and completely full strength) Bavarian army. The duchy of Thuringia is lost to the southern kingdom once more..

It has been over a half century of internal strife in the Kingdom of Germany, with now three generations of kings desperately trying to keep the hard won conquest of Lotharingia under Germany Authority, but it is finally too much.

With the central German lords demanding the restoration of old titles and rights and the coastal vassals constantly pressing for the rights of cities against the rights of the castles, the lords of Lotharingia and their constant incitement of the tensions in other regions cannot continue. Leopold IV grants the kingdom to Duchess Denise de Cerdanya and relinquishes all claims and demands of the Kingdom, releasing it and its lords fully from vasslhood.

1054 marks the end of decades of German rule in the Rhinelands.

It was an act of desperation. With Germany's strength dwindling with each passing year her rivals had already seized on multiple chances to eat away at the powerful Kingdom. While perhaps a hard thing to do, it's likely the very best thing Leopold could have done for his besieged realm. Without giving up Lotharingia his forces would have continued to be tied down, fighting a losing cause for a realm and a people who were ever more hostile to their rule.

Almost overnight, factional strength in the capital dips to an all time low. Leopold had not made any friends with this choice, but now with his focus back on Germany, he could properly deal with his enemies..

Of course, now many of his old enemies were fighting among themselves! Lotharingia delves into a brutal civil war that would render the now independent kingdom completely impotent in the coming decades. Independent from its German masters at last, Lotharingia only exists by the grace and mercy of her neighbors. In his capital, Leopold is finally able to focus on consolidating his kingdom and rebuilding what was lost.. and there is much work to do. Over 50 years of internal war has left Germany decimated, both militarily and financially.

The Kingdom finds itself severely short on men, money and the ability to wage war. Most of the great German heroes born out of Leopold I's battles are dead, one way or another. The old Alliances that had ensured Germany's safety are dead, with them many members f the ruling dynasty.. through intrigue or otherwise. The Germany of Leopold IV is a much different place from the one it had been at the turn of the first century. For many, it must have been a terribly dark time for the German nobility. It was a time of great betrayals, where a word said at court could spark a civil war in an instant, and where the faith of the people was severely divided.

It was during this time of great hardship that Germany would finally reach its breaking point. Prince Peter, uncle to Leopold IV and leader of the Cathar wing of the Ludolfinger family launches an invasion of Europe, gathering to him a great many adventurers, mercenaries and nobles. At the same time, a Cathar insurgency springs up in the King's demesne as a counteraction to continued attempts by the current King to turn back the tide of heresy.

as Germany redies itself to fight on two fronts.. a third opens..

Greater Poland declares an invasion of Brandenburg just as Leopold is marshaling his forces to deal with both the heretics and his traitor of an uncle.. whats even worse is the Polish forces are backed by the powerful state of Galich which has completely united all of the Slavic tribes of the western steppes. With such a great power beneath their command, Galich can summon a levy estimated at 20,000 men, making them the strongest kingdom in the East

by far

. Leopold IV has no choice but to delve into the money lenders once more and take out a huge loan on Germany's behalf. He rallies to him every sellsword and man still loyal to his cause and marches out to battle..

First was the great betrayer and his traitorous bunch of mercenaries. Leopold met the forces of the would be usurper and intended to crush his uncle in a quick battle, but it quickly degenerated into a brutal clash in the mountains of southern Germany. The Battle of Brauwiler marks a turning point in Germany's history. Where once her greatest enemies had been foreign kings and plots designed to weaken the ruling dynasty, now, the greatest threat came from within the ranks of the ruling family's own. 14,000 men on both sides are killed in two weeks of prolonged and bloody engagements in the mountains around Koln. It's only after great sacrifice, and the loss of over 4 thousand men that loyalist forces prevail and crush the efforts of the traitor. Unfortunately, by now, the strength of Greater Poland and Galich has rallied...

Leopold marches back to his capital with great haste, smashing the Cathar rebels, but beyond his position on the Elbe, all he can see are fires. With only 7,000 men to his cause and the contract on his sellswords running out quickly.. the King must surrender. His forces return to the capital in disgrace as Brandenburg is captured by the slavic pagans..

A new power has arisen in the east, one who makes the tale of Bogumil the Bewitched look like a fairy tale.

High Chief Siemomsysl has allied with the powerful King of Galich of the steppes. Striking out at both other pagans and western christians alike, Siemomsysl has the ability and the political alliances to one day unite the East, just as the German Kings had always feared might happen. With his defeat in 1058 Leopold returns to his capital to rebuild. Though facing defeat in the east, he had triumphed at home and in the west and was facing less of a unified threat from his nobles since the defeat and imprisonment of his Uncle. Perhaps the long night for Germany was at last over, but with the growing power of the Slavic Pagans now threatening his borders Leopold knew he had to rebuild the strength of Germany quickly...

For four years he sits idle. Rebuilding. Plotting. Hoping that an opportunity to win a grand victory would present itself. That is what he needed, or so he reasoned. One grand victory to unite his people again... and against the right people. An internal dispute would not do it. Not even a fight against the southern kingdom of Bavaria would, despite the score that would need to be settled there. It would have to be in the east. It would have to be to retake Brandenburg. Too many territories had been lost under his reign. All of Lotharingia. The Duchy of Thuringia, and now the county of Brandenburg? The line had to be drawn!

April 18, 1061. The Polish army is away campaigning against rebellious elements of the Galich tribal system leading their western borders vulnerable to attack.. this was his chance. This was the time. Leopold marshals his forces and marches east with everything he has. 6,000 men. A pitiful levy in comparison to the near three times that Germany could summon 60 years ago, but Leopold has the right on his side. That is more than enough! He fights for lost territory. For lost honor. For the restoration of Germany's rightful place as master of central Europe!

But his ambition outweighs his ability. The King had never been a great warrior, and in the chaos of the battle at Havelberg, the King and his retinue are separated from his army.. fighting desperately in all directions, chronicles tell of a heroic last stand at the top of a ridge. Surrounded by the enemy and with no way out, the German knights dismount and stand their ground. History records that in his final campaign, the well known craven of a man, Leopold IV, issues one last order to his retinues. "Hold for reinforcements."

Leopold is killed at Havelberg. His heroic last stand igniting a fire in Germany's heart as news of his last stand reaches out beyond his own borders. His work undone. His war unfinished. Leopold's last act manages to erase his numerous failures in the minds of many Germans. To die for honor is to die a good death...

His young daughter is left to lead the Kingdom in the absence of the now deceased ruler...

And already the hounds are circling the wounded beast, waiting to strike. Germany is on the breaking point. Engaged in brutal fighting abroad and a young child on the throne... can it survive its most trying crisis?

Come back next week for the reign of Serhilda I