Imperial Diet V

Fritz von Kastilien

Dietrich, we certainly celebrate at your arrival. And after hearing rumours of how the battle at Marseille went, we will look forward to hearing more from you in the future!

Gert von Runstede enters the Diet again, looking tired after a long ride

Meine Herren, I'm happy to inform you that Moscow has fallen to our glorious forces. Duke Ansehelm himself led the charge into the city, and they told me that he himself killed the governor.
Furthermore I can inform you that the Duke tends to take a different route back to the Reich, as he wants to travel through Polish territory to draw some Polish armies away from the Reichs borders. The Army should leave Moscow as soon as possible, as it is not capable of reinforcing our units to full strenght.

Chancellor, I decline to do battle with the Sicilians this year. Their entire army is composed of Norman Knights, both mounted and dismounted, as well as a hearty contingent of catapults. Their dismounted knights outnumber mine by a significant margin and the remaining spearmen in my army have no possibility of withstanding a prolonged melee. This could be countered if I had a superiority in cavalry, but in fact I am also heavily outmatched in that area. The mounted Norman Knights are superior to even our own Imperial Knights, not to mention the Mounted Sergeants. Even this obstacle could be overcome easily if sufficient Pavise Crossbowmen were available. However, the two depleted regiments I have are not even equivalent to a single full strength unit.

As such, in order to achieve victory, I would have to attempt a risky and daring double envelopment with inferior troops, all while sustaining a steady bombardment from half a dozen catapults. I am not the rash youth I once was. One of the reasons for the currently less than ideal state of my army is the fact that I have sustained huge losses against both the Sicilians and Spanish in recent years. I do not wish to repeat these Pyrrhic victories.

I see little benefit from engaging the Sicilians at this time. Their army is not besieging Cagliari and they are just as useless to the defense of Palermo when alive on this island as dead on this island. As the issue is not one of urgency, I will defer battle for a year and request that additional monies be allocated to the recruitment of foot knights and pavise crossbowmen from Cagliari.

I apologize if this inconveniences your immediate plans, but I believe that discretion is the better part of valor in this situation. It will not serve either Bavaria or the Reich if a significant portion of my army is destroyed in this battle.

Wolfgang Hummel leaps tro his feet angriliy.

Are you afraid of these Normans? It is true that they are the fiercest of the Reich's enemies, but you have a duty to the Reich to drive them from Sardinia.

You may think your brother intends to make an end of you. If this is true, then it is for the Diet to decide. But why don't spite him and surive?

Wolfgang resumes his seat.

*Lothar glares at Wolfgang.*

I do not fear any nation, but nor will I allow pride to cloud my judgment. Attacking now risks the loss of a great deal of German lives, while waiting a short time for reinforcements drastically reduces that risk. Given that Cagliari is not under siege, there is no disadvantage to delaying the battle. If you are too ignorant to understand that sometimes it is better to avoid battle than to seek it, then I predict that you will follow your father and brother to an early grave.

A most prudent decision Lothar, No sense in Destroying the army and getting yourself killed defending a settlement we've been trying to give away.

I would also like to say that that Dietrich von Dassel fought bravely in defense of Marsaille, A debt is owed by Bavaria to the Dietrich and to Swabia. I would like to offer Official thanks to Dietrich for his Service, and, if there are no objections from the Chancellor, The Kaiser, or Duke Frederich, knight him in the name of the Holy Roman Empire.

Matthias raises an eyebrow when he hears of Lothar's refusal to attack. The eyebrow climbs further upward with Wolfgang's comments.

First, Sir Dietrich von Dassel also has my congratulations and gratitude. He has saved a valuable city of the Reich from occupation, and fought well under confining circumstances. With his elevation to a full fledged command, he will fight his next battle under less duress.

Matthias turns to fix the last Hummel with a stare.

Wolfgang, don't speak on matters you know nothing about. If I wished death upon my brother, I assure you, he'd be dead. Fortunately, I am a compassionate and forgiving person and wish no serious harm to him.

If Count Lothar wishes to stay behind the walls of Cagliari and not fight the men who have invaded the territory of the Reich, I will abide by his decision. Perhaps reinforcements will stiffen his backbone and return his fighting spirit.

This will, however, serve to keep the Sicilians occupied. The forces that landed seem to be from Palermo. Lothar will serve as the sword that threatens them, the attack they have sought to parry, while my Father's forces will be the main-gauche that impales them, taking the Citadel.

I congratulate my brother, Duke Ansehelm, on his victory against the Russians. This clearly shows that with dedication and faith anything is possible. He has fought long for this Crusade, and deserves every credit for his success. If Moscow wouldn't be plundered anyhow, I'd give it as a County to him. Duke Ansehelm, Count of Moskau, I congratulate you on your victory!

*Lothar turns his gaze on his brother.*

Are you also accusing me of cowardice, Matthias? Your management of the Reich during both of your terms has been surprisingly competent. I assumed that meant that you had gained some strategic and tactical wisdom. If you believe my decision is wrong, then perhaps I was also mistaken.

I am also grieved to see that you still wish to cause me harm, even if it is not serious. I thought we had finally put our youthful rivalry behind us, for the good of Bavaria. My decision here was to spare Bavarian lives; would you risk the deaths of our loyal soldiers for the sake of a rivalry that has grown cold?

A sneer crosses Matthias's face before he can return to his usual aloof look.

I am surprised you spoke up before "receiving reinforcements" Lothar.

Cowardice, no, but hesitation, yes. You will most likely be under siege within a year, and you'll have a fight anyway. I do not sacrifice soldiers for a rivalry, Count Lothar, but to destroy our enemies. I only wish you had the same ferocity with which you took Cagliari rather than this tepidness you show in its defense.

Or perhaps you have too much to lose now, a wife, a son and maybe a Duchy, to risk it in a close battle. Perhaps you have grown. . .soft.

*Fritz rises to his feet*

Gentlemen! Let us not air a House rivalry in so public a place! We need concord if we are to be victorious over all our enemies.

But I must say, Count Lothar, this refusal to fight is most unbecoming of a General of the Reich. And most surprising from one of your experience. Do you expect to have ideal armies in every encounter? I fear the Chancellor is correct in saying that this will only lead to a siege of Cagliari and the eventual demise of the troops you sought to protect, from disease and hunger rather than battle.

*Fritz shakes his head and seats himself.*

Hans finally enters the diet, after a detour through Swabia. He looks around, noticing some commotion and reads the nearest scribe's protocol before speaking

I believe that Lothar is well within his right to refuse to attack the Sicilians this year if he does not deem this enterprise to be profitable. There are times when a general should fight, and times when he should not - for tactical or strategic reasons, of which Lothar listed ample.
Some of you may be forgetting that he would not be the first to refuse a battle, but why should he be the first to be ridiculed, even though he is the first to actually outline why? Just because he announced his decision in the diet rather than in writing to the chancellor?

The Sicilian force on the island is currently not a threat to anyone, considering most of the populace in the surrounding area is still loyal to the deceased Milanese scum. If a year can be used to hire additional troops and thus prevent the loss of Imperial lives, then it should be.

Before you would denounce him, who actually knows of the situation at the island first hand, you ought to ask yourself whether you would prefer to fight in his stead.

King Jan has been watching the exchange back and forth with bored interest and finally speaks.

Why is this even an issue? Is it because it is relatively quiet in here right now? Count Hans is right. It is easy to second guess a general from hundreds of miles away. Count Lothar is the man on the ground and is best able to assess the situation. He has proven to be a quite capable battlefield commander and I am not sure why that is seeming to be in question from some in here now. I'd ask us to get on to other business but there doesn't seem to be other business at the moment.

Jan goes back to reading reports.

*Fritz begins to rise to his feet but then sits again grumbling. The words setting precedent and like my father's time are overheard.*

*Fritz von Kastilien's head lolls onto his shoulder as the empty Diet's candles are snuffed out. Repeated attempt to wake him have failed. He begins snoring.*

Gentlemen, I Count Lothar is no friend of mine, but he is right. Why bother attacking an army when the odds of victory are so far against one's favor, particularly for a settlement as trivial as Cagliari?

Matthias reads the latest reports, and chuckles a bit.

Ah so that is what Duke Scherer was up to. I admit, I had asked the Swabians for advice on how to proceed against Caen, but I did not expect a demonstration of strategy.

Still it is hard to argue with the result. Though I hope next time the good Duke will wait for actual orders. I did not know where he had run off to and was about to issue orders for the next year.

It's been an interesting year, orders refused and orders inferred.

I congratulate the Swabians on the taking of Caen. The recruitment and outfitting of their second HA will begin immediately.

I had sent him a copy of the letter I had sent you as well, thus with mutual planning, it allowed for a Blitzkrieg into Caen.

I wish to congratulate my Duke on this most formidable victory! May the French and Danes now shudder before the might of the empire.

Athalwolf stands, glaring at Matthias

Was there something wrong with our taking of Caen, mein Chancellor?

As for the problem of publicly airing HOuser Rivals, I say, either keep doing it, to get out bad air, or go to Outremer, theres a almighty chance you'll snuff it over there. Bloody mongrels, or Mongols, diseases and that Pope man...

And Fritz, if your so darned tired, get more sleeep? Or go to Outremer yourself!

Matthias raises an eyebrow and replies to Atahlwolf.

I am glad Caen has been taken, I just wish that Duke Scherer had informed me before taking it.

Shouldn't you be driving the French from Paris, or have you left that to a subordinate?

*Fritz startles awake with the commotion of Athalwulf's voice*

Can't a man get a decent sleep around here? I've been trying to get this new House Army in shape and all they do is drink and womanise! It takes all my energy to keep them in line. The youth of today...

*Fritz nearly says "gah", but instead he goes out and rides off to battle*

Messenger brings word of Friederich Scherer currently in Caen

I have been defending Paris for decades now with Caen looming just over the horizon, but I unable to take it due to my need in the defences of Paris. With someone competent finally able to take care of Paris, I feel that it is my duty to bring Caen down as quickly as possible. I merely took an opportunity that may have been lost had I reported to you, Matthias, and no harm has come.

Chancellor, I am pleased to report that the Sicilians have been completely driven off of Sardinia. Due to the simple exercise of patience, the reinforcements arrived long before my army was put under any strain due to the siege. Not a single man was lost to privation or disease. Furthermore, the additional forces that were assembled during the short wait were more than sufficient to give my army a significant advantage. As a result, the Sicilians have been destroyed with the loss of barely more than 100 men.

This means that the entire army is still intact and capable of immediate operations; a happy state that it likely would not have been in had I attacked last year. While I take a certain amount of satisfaction in being vindicated from your attacks, I am even more proud of the fact that my army now stands ready to support our father's march on Palermo. Even if he does not need my personal presence, I offer him any and all of the regiments under my command. I believe the dismounted knights and the catapults would be particularly useful to him, and I hope they will be sent to him as soon as possible.

My lords, the Russians have been defeated near the outskirts of Thorn, and our prisoners obliterated. I am honored to have continue to crush our enemies with the Prussian Army under my wing!

Congratulations to my brother, Duke Ansehelm for his sack of Moscow! I propose we ceremonially rename it Ansehelmburg in honor of the good Duke!

Arnold

My congratulations to Duke Ansehelm on his success deep behind enemy lines.

It seems our foes are very forgiving when it comes to penetrating their borders.

I'd like to also pass on my congratulations to Lothar for a very astute series of moves in our southern regions.

Lord Chancellor, are we in a postion to attack the Hungarian's given the Pope's statement?

Congratulations Lothar such victories keep the Reich Strong. I will defer general orders for your army's deployment to you, I have trust in your judgement. The addition of the Catapults would be a great asset for my siege of Palmero

Dietrich von Dassel:

It seems as if we have secured victories on all fronts. Therefore, congratulations all around! May all of us taste further victories against our enemies, and sooner rather than later.

*Fritz von Kastilien rises to his feet quickly*

The Reich is unstoppable! Those vile inhabitants of Arhus and Krakow are probably making plans to evacuate their unholy cities even now! I look forward to the day when these cities see our armies' attentions.

*Fritz smiles smugly and seats himself*

Matthias speaks.

Duke Arnold, the Papal Bull banning us from attacking the Hungarians, which stemmed from the departed Sigismund von Mahren's seizure of Bran, only bars us from offensive actions. If their forces enter our borders, we may deal with them as we see fit.

Matthias ignores Lothar and addresses his Father.

I will examine the situation around Cagliari and Sicily. We now heavily outnumber the Sicilians in manpower, but their navy could prevent our forces on Sardinia from linking up with you. I will keep you updated on our progress.

Matthias turns to Dietrich von Dassel.

We have victory for now, Sir Dietrich, but the situation in Swabia concerns me. With Duke Friedrich's forces occupied in Caen, I will push forward the creation of the second HA as quickly as possible. It will however be few years before it is fully deployed.

I hope the Franconians will keep the example of Caen in mind when Count Peter moves on Vilnius. It would be wise to strike only when Count Fritz's army is fully formed. Even then, he will have his hands full covering the Danes and the Polish.

The Prussian Army is up to the challenge, Chancellor Steffen. And my brother with the Saxon Army is quite capable for defending our borders. We are eager to destroy our enemies at Vilnius, yet we can wait until the opportune moment.