Imperial Diet IV

Ansehelm enters the Diet, after an absence of some years

Gentlemen, no more then some months ago the entire Von Kastilien, minus Siegfried, has battled the Poles near Thorn. Together with my father and Peter we rushed out of Thorn while Fritz attacked the Poles from behind, it was a quick battle and resulted in a mass rout from the Polish army.
But that's not why I came to Rome. The last years we have been hammering on taking Krakow once we get an Edict for it. But Krakow isn't dangerous to us. Sure it produces money, but it hardly gives armies to our enemies.
Taking it will weaken the Poles, but new information has made me doubt about the fact if it will stop their attacks. The Poles gather their armies around Vilnius, not around Krakow, all Krakow gives them are Militias, Vilnius will produce a professional army for them.

However taking Vilnius is dangerous, and sacking it will hardly help as there are enough Poles and Russians about to take it again.
I suggest we send saboteurs to Vilnius to destroy their stabbles. If this can be done without an Edict it would be good to recruit some saboteurs immediatly, if not I urge we agree to such an Edict at the next Diet session.

Arnold follows Ansehelm into the Diet and listens to his report. Once finished he too stands to address the Diet Chamber.

Having just retaken Budapest at some substantial cost to the AHA I too would like to implore the Chancellor to look to the Reich's defense.

Three Hungarian's armies are approaching Budapest as I speak, and without immediate reinforcements over and above the units racing back from Sofia I doubt I will be able to hold out if they hit within a few years of each other.

I would request immediate assistance from Ragusa as soon as possible.

Sigismund von Mahren has been knighted for his actions against the rebel scum and for reaching the City square before any other man in my army.

Abruptly Arnold turns and without another word strides from the chamber with a grim look on his face.

While I applaud Arnold for taking Budapest, I must remind him that I too have faced overwhelming forces for the past 2 chancellorships and still have not faltered. The SHA wasn't even reduced in number due to casualties, but due to reassignment. While I understand the need for reinforcements, I would urge everyone to not divert troops from other areas just so they can fight more recklessly.

*Lothar Steffen rises from a back bench. Somehow he must have slipped into the Diet, unseen.*

Recklessly? RECKLESSLY?!

Duke Arnold has a few regiments of militia and only a handful of heavily battered soldiers to fend off three full armies of Hungarian knights, replete with numerous siege engines! You call his request for more troops FROM HIS OWN LANDS reckless?!

I had hoped that with Swabia's own army reinforced with large contingents of fresh, professional soldiers, you would understand the need to give aid to other Houses. Do you consider it reckless to provide any house except Swabia with the ability to defend itself?

Bavaria is thankfully not threatened with imminent invasion, but our defenses are even weaker than Austria's! Outside of Innsbruck, the only professional soldiers in all of Bavaria are the 13 Teutonic Knights and 33 Mercenary Knights who survived the siege of Ajaccio! Even the four regiments in Innsbruck are heavily understrength, with two not even serving at half-strength! Nor has this Chancellor, the last Chancellor, or the Chancellor before THAT one done anything to remedy this situation. Indeed, Bavaria's defenses appear to be getting even weaker over time!

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears that the only fresh regiments anywhere near Bavaria have taken ship and set sail for Outremer! Those lands have a sufficient ability to train their own regiments, so why in the Hells are more men from the west being sent to aid them?!

The Reich has become corrupt and decrepit and good Germanic sons and daughters die every day as a result of the greed and ineptitude of those who plunder the resources of our Houses for their own agendas! I swear before God Almighty that I will not stand for this any longer! My own brother has now paid with his life due to the meager aid allocated to Bavaria for her own defense. Had we had just one regiment of professional infantry, he would still be alive this day!

If this state of affairs does not end soon, the entire Reich will burn!

Ansehelm stands and speaks

Remember Lothar that all of us need manpower, and more importantly a crusade should leave for Russia some time. At the moment we can are not able to defend all our borders, and we lack castles to recruit men. Staufen is the only castle in the west. Thorn in the east. And I don't know what else we have.

Hell I use Magdeburg to recruit an army for the Crusade. Magdeburg, of all places!!!

Dear Lord, Ansehelm, will you give up this ridiculous Russian 'Crusade' already?! Franconia cannot even secure it's own borders and yet you want to strip the Reich of a full-strength army of professional soldiers to run off and play in the snow! How can you even consider this foolishness when you have no less than 8 hostile armies within a few days march of your own cities?! You'll be lucky not to lose Thorn, Hamburg, or both within the next few years and yet you still want to go on the offense against Russia?! That plan made at least a little sense when it was voted on in a decade ago, but under the current circumstances it is ludicrous!

Kaiser Jobst stands, and bangs his hand against a wooden table

Of all things, I shall not hear words going against the Russian Crusade!! We shall send armies into Russia, we shall sack Moscow, and THATS,THAT!! It is certianly not foolishness, and I will not stand for words against! YOU HEAR ME!?

Now where was I?

I certianly mourn for the loss of young Markus Steffen, though I didn't meet him, he was from, my view, a quiet achiever.

Young Lothar, remember that it has been approved by Edict. A Crusade into Russia will make sure we will get rid of the Russians.
Sides I did secure Thorn, maybe you would like to come along and have a look.
But because people want to attack undangerous enemies as Milan we in Thorn can't fully secure ourselves, but to me that's no problem.

It will become a problem if you think you govern the Reich on your own! The Crusade into Russia will take place, and that's the end of it! If you don't agree, than don't ... go and play with your secret brotherhood.

Standing from the Austrian bench Arnold stares for sometime at Ansehelm and Scherer

Reckless!!

It seems the Southern and Eastern parts of this Reich are being neglected and now we are paying the price.

While resources are being pulled North and West we now find ourselves is the exact situation I mentioned a few years ago!!!

There is no point taking offensive actions when we are in severe danger of losing what we already have!!!

Budapest had to be taken Scherer!! Due to mismanagement it rebelled and I have rectified that!! Meanwhile a full professional army is being assembled to head east in what can only be described as a suicide mission against vodka swilling pigs!!

Hans has headed East with a perfectly suitable reinforced army while Hungary is producing the best troops in decades. Have a look at the Hungarian troop disposition Scherer!!

Arnold throws field reports onto the Diet floor in disgust.

Knight's, professional foot, more knights and artillery!!

Smashing his mailed fist on the bench Arnold stares around the room at the assembled nobles.

I believe it's time to reassess our next moves gentlemen or this little house of cards is going to look decidedly shaky in the next few years!!

Even if troops in Ragusa are recruited now, it will be more than likely too late to help Budapest. I'm simply asking the AHA to be reinforced so it can defend the Reich's eastern borders as it is supposed to.

As for edicts, well that's going to a bloody disgrace Ansehelm if you have nothing to come back to apart from burnt out cities and dead citizens!

Conrad Salier:

As for edicts, edicts are edicts and we are all bound to them nonetheless. Do not forget that there are legal ways of modifying them.

Please remember that a crusade through the heart of Russia will bring us some much-needed florins. I gather that the Franconian generals will be able to handle anything that the Russians throw at them on the journey.

A messenger arrives to the Diet to addresses the floor. He is recognized has one of the aides from Count Zirn delegation. He addresses the floor and reads from a scroll....

Kaiser, Chancellor and fellow Electors, you have may now have head the news that the City of Iconium is now in the Reich's hands. Lord Zirn along with Wolfgang Hummel defeated the Turks and General Kujuk ad-Dawlah.

The Count wishes to advise you that the first part of Edict 10.5 has been completed and the City of Iconium is now ready for transfer to the Byzantines.
The Count would also like to address the Chancellor and advise that Wolfgang Hummel has deserved his knighthood for gallantry in the filed of battle and should be given a command for an army wherever his services are required.

The aide bows to the Kaiser and leaves the floor to sit with the Austrian delegation.

Gentlemen! There should never be any neglect for any area of the Reich. Thorn is currently constantly war-torn, so it must be protected.

A messenger wearing the livery of Wolfgang Hummel enters the Diet.

Mein master sends his greetings, honoured electors. He wishes to express his concern that the Holy Land appears to have been sapping the strength of the Reich. While mein lord does not advocate in any way abandoning the Holy Land to the infidel, he would like to see the Papal State there strengthened, thus removing the obligation of the Reich to send shiploads of men over there.

Mein master also requests that he be sent back to Swabia to defend his Duchy's frontiers against the French.

The messenger bows ands leaves the Diet.

I mourn with the Bavarians for Markus Steffen who valiantly gave his life to bring a halt to the Milanese threat and consequently save many lives in Bavaria.

As for matters at hand, I have stressed in the previous diet that Sofia should not have been given to the Byzantines, as it provided the much needed troops for the eastern Austrian border and was an excellent strategic location to launch raids into Bran to prevent further invasions, as my many battles have shown. The eastern front is now dangerously stretched with no castle anywhere near Budapest, with the reinforcements having to come from either Ragusa, Innsbrück or Thorn, all of which are more than 8 years away.
However, I believe it may be viable for us to help our Austrian friends by passing an edict taking Bran the next diet?

As for the northern crusade, I do not believe that to be folly as it will divert attention from Thorn, giving it time to rebuild and train more soldiers. Ansehelm's courage and determination in that matter should be applauded, for he is defending Franconia by driving a wedge through Russia.

Hümmel, I would ask you to stay in Outremer to help defend against the Mongols at the very least until I arrive, as we need every man and knight we can muster.

Let us not quabble about who receives which troops. I am sure the chancellor is capable of assigning forces where they are needed, and trained professionals take time to recruit and equip. The regions where the largest hostile aggression is found naturally receives more support than others.

The von Mahrens offer our sincerest condolences at the death of Markus Steffen. My father and myself know all too well the pain that is being felt by the Steffen family right now.

I must also concur with the words of Duke Arnold and Count Lothar Steffen. The army immidiately outside Budapest is a fair challenge as is, and there are two more armies further east!

Speaking of such things, I have noticed a small force of Knights and Zweihanders just southwest of Budapest. With Count Steffen stating that Bavaria is not threatened by imminent invasion, The Count Ansehelm assuring us that Thorn's security is not a problem, Franconia and Swabia too far to be reached in any reasonable length of time *and* Outremer more then capable of supporting itself, I request that the Chancellor divert that force to the AHA within the limits imposed by the Imperial Rule of Army Composition.

Keeping in mind that those knights would have to be diverted from their original destination, I think it reasonable to state that there are no men better suited to come to Austria's aid.

I think most men, when in plight, forget that others are just as worse.

No, not every Duchy is safe as of now. In Swabia, we have Paris constantly under threat by large French Armies. In Franconia, Thorn has been sieged over ten times in the last 40 Years. In Austria, the bloody grounds of Budapest, and the Hungarians. And last off, Barvaria with Corisa and Sardina.

So think that over, and as of now. Nowhere in the Holy Roman EMpire is safe.

My Emperor, I did not claim that the other Duchies were not in danger. I merely made the argument that the proximity of Budapest, coupled with the immediacy of the threat Duke Arnold and myself are faced with, make it the most appropriate destination for the force in question.

I know you weren't saying that Sigismund, I was merely replying to others. Your suggestion is, something I deem good.

That force you mention was split from my army at Sofia and is currently en route to support Duke Arnold.

As the new commander of the FHA, recently appointed by Steward Ansehelm, my orders for the army are to move it just south of Thorn so to trap any besiegers between the hammer and anvil. An army mobile is better than an army enswamped in city streets. I yearn for the open fields once again.

And while it is not my jurisdiction, I believe my brother the Count of Thorn will agree when I urge that Thorn be on constant recruitment of the best quality troops available to protect it from its constant siege.

Offhand, I would agree that Bran should be taken from the Hungarian swine. The Chancellor must make it a priority that all of the Household Armies are in pristine or at least high quality, full-size condition so we may beat back the waves of invaders.

I said it before and will say it again: Giving the Byzantines the prized citadel of Sofia was a grave mistake!
Looking at our newly acquired intelligence, it seems our 'eastern brothers' have managed to lose the citadel to the barbarians in christian disguise within 4 years of the handover.

I will hope to put forward an edict the next diet to personally retake this place once and for all and this time keep in in our capable hands rather than lose it to some incompetent fools again.

*looks at the assembled*
And I shall hope that those who previously wanted it to be handed over will now see the error in their ways and support this motion!

I will not doubt your capabilities Hans, but do you know what resources it takes to take Sofia. You need an army, while we still need to reinforce our Household Armies. Surely Thorn can go and start producing again, but that hardly helps, as it will only favour Franconia.
You won't be able to bring an army from nothing an retake it. Our borders are large and not easy to defend. You might take Sofia, but that will mostlikely mean that we put less interest in another area of the Reich. Look at Franconia, we need our FHA to defend Thorn and that might now cost us Hamburg.
We already have an expedition to support, upto a certain point, namely the Crusade against Russia.

Wouldn't it be better to let the Bavarians help in taking Sofia, they don't necessarely have to take it themselves, but Bavaria, being safe, can use it's BHA to help out parts of the empire in need, but for that we need to see what happens in future years.


Maybe Sofia will even be retaken by our Byzantine Allies, remember that Hungary is attacking us as well.

Matthias listens to the Diet Discussion for a bit before speaking.

It is unfortunate that the Byzantines have sold or given up Sofia under threat of attack to the Hungarians. It also means the land link with Outremer has been severed. This is frustrating, but I agree with Ansehelm von Kastilien that an expedition, at this time, must wait until the borders of the Reich are stabilized.

This also means that the Russian Crusade must be delayed until this occurs. In fact a move on Sofia or into Russia will not be possible, even if we wished to launch them, until the launching points of such a move, Thorn and eastern Austria, are clear of enemies. Any armies assigned to the tasks would be caught up in continuing enemy incursions in those areas before they could move on.

The Diet is frustrated because we lack the resources, initiative and freedom of movement we had in 1240. Yet the situation is improving. Think back to Kaiser Jobst's resignation, Budapest was in revolt, there was rioting across the Reich and enemies moved with impunity across our border. Thanks to Chancellor von Hamburg, that has begun to change.

Have we gained back all that we lost? No, but we are on our way. In order to make it all the way back, we must focus on defending our current borders. Once we have regained our full strength, then we can turn over to an offensive strategy.

As for Bavarian assistance to other Duchies. Bavaria, with the seizure of Corsica. . .

Matthias's expression darkens.

. . .is indeed as secure as she has been since 1080, but we have no forces, currently, to send. It's all battered militia. Duke Gerhard might consider sending assistance later, though I cannot speak for him, but the BHA needs to be rebuilt before doing so.

As I am Steward of Bavaria in my father's temporary absense, I wish to state that the resources of Innsbruck must be immediately made available to the House of Austria. The Bavarian Household Army must be rebuilt, but Ajaccio can serve that purpose for the time being and Duke Arnold is in far greater need of men than I am at the moment. I urge the Chancellor to utilize the untapped training facilities of Innsbruck to assemble many regiments of high quality soldiers to aid the Austrians in their battles against the Hungarians invaders.

Conrad Salier:

I have heard recent grumblings about the amount of forces allocated to Outremer, where it could possibly be used to better effect elsewhere. The most common argument is that we can support ourselves.

Most of the time this is true. However, our next few years are going to be as trying of a period for us as it is the rest of you, and possibly more.

To the east, the four armies of the Horse Lords are bearing down on Edessa and the Chancellor. Naturally our full attention is focused there. However, as a result of this our Muslim enemies have considered this the opportune moment to attack. To the northwest, Karl Zirn and a small force are currently under threat from significant amounts of Turks. To the South, two full Egyptian armies are making their way north. One is possibly headed for Acre, which is of course underdefended due to the Horse Lord threat. The other is making its way to Jerusalem, which we are honor-bound to protect.

Now, I realize that Jerusalem is more than capable of defending itself but the fact still remains that we are under attack from three directions and only defending one. We do require these extra resources for the time being in order to secure the East. Once the armies are driven out then we shall cease to become a large pain.

As I said, it would not be until the next diet session, which will likely be after we have dispatched the Mongols once more.
I would also not require much of an army, as I managed to take Sofia the first time with a battered force that had only very few regiments more than my current one I believe.
Also, only I have previously laid siege and resided in Sofia and know the ins and outs of the place, something that will reduce any prospective casualties.

A knight in the livery of House Austria enters the Diet Chamber.

My Lords,

Duke Arnold sends greetings and word that the first Hungarian Army has been crushed with a night attack.

He is also considering abandoning Budapest in order to regroup and better receive reinforcements.

Arnold.

Ansehelm stands

Even though retreating and regrouping might sound like a good plan, I considered it for Thorn, it's not the best solution in my opinion.
Look at our World Map:
https://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d...apMTW2copy.jpg

Abandoning Budapest will mean a great gap in our defences. There will actually be more ground to cover. Zagred and Ragusa will be undefended, or Vienna and Prague will be undefended.

I suggest you try to hold on to it, recruit some mercenaries if you can find them to quickly reinforce your army.

Arnold enters the Diet Chamber flanked by two massive figures. One clad entirely in Black Full Plate, the other in chainmail and bear skins. Each one towers over Arnold six foot three frame by some margin.

Ansehelm, excellent map. If I may I'd like my scribes to take a copy.

As I am here, the decision is made.

The remaining troops from Budapest are heading to Vienna, while the reinforcements from Sofia and Ragusa will rendezvous there also.

Once there I will reconstitute my forces and head back to Budapest to retake it.

I tell you this gentlemen. The next Chancellor that ignores my orders for taxation in MY LANDS will face severe consequences!!!

That £"$%^£"$ing idiot Ulrich couldn't manage a :daisy: in a brothel with a thousand florins!!

With all due respect Duke Arnold, are you going to dishonor your house and abandon your fellow Austrians to the barbarians of the east?

The forces you face may be formidable if faced in a siege situation, but in the field, they are nothing! If you wish to live up to your father's legacy, I dare you to attack the first force in a pronged attack and then with a few swift horsemen run down the siege train that follows it.

We, as true Germans, must not run from the enemy when there is a chance of victory. Especially not in our homelands!

Maybe now you will hate me for these words, but after the battle, you shall know their wisdom and we may once again dine as brothers!