A History of the Holy Roman Empire: 1080 through the Present

[OverKnight]

Part XI: Chancellor Matthias Steffen's Term, 1260 - 1280


1260 continued

The Eleventh Diet Session opens. The candidates for Chancellor are Lothar Steffen and Matthias Steffen. The Chronicles of the Illuminati continued, Chapter 11: The Illuminated Reich, 1260 - 1262

Matthias Steffen wins the election for Chancellor. The voting on edicts and amendments.

The passage of Charter Amendment 11.1 calls for a poll to see if the Dukes of the Realm will judge Siegfried's legitimacy as Kaiser. Some in the Diet are shocked by these turn of events.

King Salier and Prinz Elberhard unite outside Aleppo to face Khan Subutai the Wrathful.

Chancellor Matthias gives his first report. Khan Subutai and his army are destroyed outside Aleppo, leaving one large Mongol army left in Outremer. A Third Crusade is called for Jerusalem, and Imperial armies in the area not involved with the Mongols begin to travel toward the city. The Reich faces financial constraints due to inefficiencies in taxation and trade and the burden of reinforcing the House Armies and city garrisons, but the Chancellor is taking steps to alleviate this.

Kaiser Siegfried crushes the latest Danish invasion northwest of Hamburg.

Peter von Kastilien, the new commander of the Franconian Household Army, routs a force of Poles northeast of Thorn.


1262

The Ducal Council is unable to reach a unanimous consensus on the legitimacy of Kaiser Siegfried's claim to the Throne. In accordance with Edict 11.9, the issue is passed to the Diet in a vote, which confirms him as Kaiser. Hans feels betrayed by the results.

Prinz Elberhard attacks Khan Orda west of Edessa.

The Chancellor gives his report for the year. The Pope has asked us to stop shedding Danish blood. The Mongols have been greatly reduced by Prinz Elberhard and Count Fredericus in fighting near Edessa, leaving two small armies. Fierce fighting around Thorn results in the death of the Polish King, but the Franconian Household army is worn down.

Jan von Hamburg gains an adviser.

Tying up loose ends.

Jerusalem is besieged by Chancellor Matthias Steffen, Karl Zirn, Jan von Hamburg and their armies. The Chronicles of the Illuminati continue, Chapter 12: An Eye in Franconia, 1262 - 1272


1264

Duke Gunther von Kastilien passes away in Thorn. The Diet grieves. Ansehelm von Kastilien is now Duke.

The Chancellor gives his report. Jens von Kassel betrays the Reich and is bribed into the service of the Russians. The Teutonic Crusade has left Thorn. The Mongol threat is destroyed. The Third Crusade takes Jerusalem.

Karl Zirn leads the Crusader's assault on Jerusalem.

Prinz Elberhard battles Khan Orda.

Chancellor Matthias drives the Egyptians out from around Jerusalem.


1266

Rumors from the East.

The Chancellor's report. Jerusalem is returned to the Papal States. A third Mongol invasion is spotted besieging Baghdad.

Duke Gerhard Steffen faces the traitor Jens von Kassel.

Hans changes his mind about staying in Outremer.

Matthias enters the Crucible.

The Chancellor announces the news about the Mongols.

Another plot is hatched against Conrad.


1268

Duke Arnold seeks a continuation of politics with Sicily by delivering a pointed message to their forces camped outside Ragusa.

The Chancellor's report. The Mongols exterminate and abandon Baghdad. The French besiege Paris. Yearly revenues are increasing.

Duke Friedrich Scherer relieves the French siege of Paris.

Count Fritz von Kastilien shatters a Polish army south of Thorn.

Sigismund von Mahren repulses a Hungarian attack between Budapest and Bran.


1270

The Chancellor's report. The Danes try to assasinate Kaiser Siegfried, but fail. The Mongol Horde travels north of the Euphrates, headed for Mosul. Cagliari is seized, and the faction of Milan is destroyed.

Sigismund von Mahren clears the path to Bran in two battles.

Lothar finishes the Milanese on Sardinia.


1272


The Chancellor's report. Sicily besieges Bologna and the Reich is now at war with them. Spanish forces are on or near Corsica and Sardinia. The alliance with the Byzantine Empire is reinforced by the marriage of Theodora Comnenus to Kaiser Siegfried. The Mongols sorround Mosul, held by the Turks, but do not siege the Castle.

Duke Gerhard Steffen crushes some rebels west of Innsbruck.

Fredericus falls, not in battle though, he just falls.

A son mourns.

The Chronicles of the Illuminati continue, Chapter 13: An Eye in Swabia, 1272 - 1280


1274

The Chancellor's report. The Spanish land an army on Corsica and besiege Ajaccio, the Reich is now at war with them. The Mongols bypass Mosul and appear to be headed to Edessa. The Spanish are expelled from the Empire as Wolfgang Hummel breaks the siege of Ajaccio and Lothar Steffen clears them from Sardinia. Sigismund von Mahren takes Bran, but dies in the assault.

The assault on Bran.

Jonas curses the fates for taking his sons.

Lothar attacks the Spanish on Sardinia.

The pen is mightier than the sword, but the sword is still good enough when Fritz von Kastilien vanquishes some rebels northwest of Magdeburg.


1276

The Chancellor's report. Peter von Kastilien repulses a Polish assault on the bridge south of Thorn. The Mongols enter Outremer east of Edessa. Prinz Elberhard is married to Princess Linyeve to cement the alliance with England.

Poison and Blackmail.

King Salier faces the Mongols in battle outside the walls of Edessa. The King falls under suspicious circumstances in the middle of the battle and Kitbuqa the Wrathful routs the demoralized Germans. The Diet is shocked.

Jan von Hamburg thirsts for revenge.

The Empire strikes back.

Always a bridesmaid. . .

Into the woods.


1278

The Chancellor's report. Jonas von Mahren passes away. The Mongols, now down to three armies, stay near Edessa but do not attack. One of the Imperial armies poised to strike them, led by Count Hans, is forced to move to Adana to destroy a Turk incursion. A Danish invasion is repulsed north of Hamburg. A Sicilian move toward Rome is crushed and the Reich pursues the survivors towards Naples.

Ansehelm ponders on the Teutonic Crusade, Helmut and the Diet.


1280

The Chancellor's end of term report. Rheims, Stettin and Damascus are besieged. The Mongols spread themselves out around Edessa. Pope Miccele the Corrupt dies, and is replaced by another Imperial Cardinal, Rudolph Ruesdorf, who is now known as Pope Ugolinus.

A summary of the battles fought during Chancellor Matthias's term.