Dynasty

[Franconicus]

PRELUDE

My name is Arnold of Graetia. I am Benedictine of the Friary Opatowitz and I am going to report some weird events for the glorification of the Lord and as warning for all living.

The roots of my tale go back to a period of disarrangement and dispute among the Christian fold. The Antichrist, whose arrival is getting closer and closer, had managed to disunite the two leaders of the Imperium Christianum, the Vicarius Iesu Chrsiti and the Romanorum Imperator. A dark period indeed, known as Interregnum, began in the year of the Lord 1245 when Pontifex Innocent IV deposed the Romanorum Imperator Friedrich II. Heinrich Raspe became counter-emperor, but he died A.D. 1246.

Wilhelm von Holland became counter-emperor in 1247. And although Friedrich died A.D. 1250, it took until 1254 that Wilhelm was accepted as emperor – and he also died in 1256. When there was no one left to claim to be emperor, the prince-electors came together to elect the new emperor. There were seven electors and two candidates - Alfons von Kastilien and Richard von Cornwall. Everybody expected that the council would end the Interregnum. However, Ottokar II, King of Bohemia and one of the seven electors gave his vote for both candidates – in return for money. And so there were two emperors, again, and the confusion continued.
In this period of disorder, everybody quested for his own benefit. Princes tried to increase their influence; cities fought against their masters, knights converted from law enforcers to robber barons. The strong ones trusted in their strength instead of the law and the weak ones suffered.

A man of honor with a strong will and a strong arm could make his fortune and so did Ottokar, King of Bohemia. With the death of Friedrich II of Austria A.D. 1246, the line of the Babenberger went extinct and for a period of several decades the status of the Duchy of Austria was disputed. With artfulness and violence, Ottokar finally gained control of the duchies of Austria, Styria and Carinthia. At this point, he was the most powerful prince elector and natural aspirant of the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1273, several electors tried to install a new emperor to end the Interregnum. Maybe they were annoyed because of Ottokar’s attitude at the last election or they were simply because of his ambitions, the electors met together with Heinrich von Niederbayern, who took Ottokar’s position in the council and in October 1273 the electors agreed on a new candidate: Rudolf von Habsburg.

A strange choice in deed, as Rudolf did not seem to have any talent to rule the Holy Roman Empire. Although an experienced military leader, Rudolf was inexperienced in diplomacy and he was already 55 years old. Many speculated that his failings were the reason for his election.
Needless to say that Ottokar did not recognize the result of the election.
However, Rudolf quickly strengthened his position. He promised to organize a new crusade – what he never did - and received the approval of the Pope, who was finally tired of the dispute, too.
Rudolf also reinstalled the old order and passed a law that all territorial changes during the Interregnum had to be undone. Ottokar was supposed to give back the provinces of the Babenberger and to accept his own kingdom as a fiefdom from Rudolf.

Ottokar was request to declare his position at the Imperial Council of Augsburg AD 1275. He sent his agent, Werner von Marsbach, the Bishop of Sackau. Werner attitude at the council was so provoking, that the Council declared, that all of Ottokar’s estates subrogate to the crown, while Ottokar was under the Bann of the Empire.
During this time, Rudolf demonstrated his diplomatic skills. With strategic marriages he formed alliances with the Dukes Meinhard and Albrecht of Tyrol and the King of Hungary Ladislaus IV. Rudolf also gained support of Phillip von Spannheim and the Bishops of Regensburg and Passau and the Archbishop Friedrich of Salzburg. Friedrich began to court for the support of the Austrian peers, which were unhappy with Ottokar’s rule. This was too much for Ottokar and he attacked Salzburg.
Rudolf managed to get the support of the Archbishops of Cologne, who anathematized Ottokar.

But I wander from the subject.

Rudolf’s strategy became clear when the King of Bohemia started his campaign with the support of his only ally, the Markgraf von Brandenburg. The peers of Kärnten, Krain and Steiermark backslided Ottokar. Hereupon, Rudolf changed the direction of his advance and moved quickly to the Duchy of Austria to gain the Austrian peers. Before this he had made an agreement with Heinrich von Niederbayern, a former supporter of Ottokar, so that Rudolf’s army could move by ship along the Danube. The Austrian cities and abbey welcomed Rudolf, who marched much faster than expected. He took Linz, Enns, Ybbs and Tulln without a fight. Ottokar expected, that the siege of the strong Klosterneuburg would stop the advance of his opponent, but Ludwig von Oberbayern took the town with artfulness. Rudulf hurried on and laid siege on Vienna. At the same time. Ottokar was still at the area of the Marchfeld. He could not prevent the backsliding of all Austrian peers. Further more Bohemian peers were on arms against him and the King of Hungary seized Ödenburg.

Ottokar’s situation was hopeless and he had to negotiate with Rudolf. In the following he lost all Austrian provinces and had to take the Bohemian kingdom as a fiefdom from Rudolf.

This is going to be another type of interactive history - a high speed, quickstep one.

Rules are simple:
Everyone can jump in and play and jump out again at any time!
I post a chapter which ends with different options. You can decide - the third post decides!!!
Just as simple as that!

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Herr Franconius is up to something good.... Again!

[Prince Cobra]

Hmmm, interesting...

[Peasant Phill]

And here I was thinking that Franc didn't have enough time anymore.
Anyway, I'm in.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Maybe he got burnt out with CoE.


INTERESTING idea!

[Franconicus]

This is going to be another type of interactive history - a high speed, quickstep one.

Rules are simple:
Everyone can jump in and play and jump out again at any time!
I post a chapter which ends with different options. You can decide - the third post decides!!!
Just as simple as that!

[Franconicus]

Chapter 1: SET-UP

Ottokar did not forget the abasement of the defeat without battle and the coerced peace. He was waiting for an opportunity to repay.
One year passed. And really, time seemed to work for the Bohemian King. The prince electors from the Rhine distanced themselves from the Emperor, probably because Rudolf became too powerful. Ottokar renewed the pact with Brandenburg; he made pacts of mutual assistance with the Silesian dukes. He supported the crusade of the Deutschen Ritterorden, which drastically improved his relationships with the church and the clerical princes. Finally, he paid for the neutrality of the Duke Heinrich von Niederbayern.
Now Ottokar was ready for revenge and he was only waiting for the right moment.

It was middle of May Anno Domini 1277, when a messenger arrived at castle of the Bohemian King at Prague. He was let directly to Ottokar. Soon afterwards the King summoned his advisors, Wladislaw von Schlesien, Archbishop von Salzburg and Ottokar’s chancellor and Werner von Marsbach, Bishop von Sackau. The two men had already been waiting in front of the door. They entered and took a bow.
“Ah, my friends”, said the King in good temper. “I just received some news. Can you guess it?”
Werner, who often supported his master on diplomatic missions, answered:
“Sire, I guess it is the message we have been waiting for a while.”
“You’re right! I received news from Northern Austria. Heinrich von Kuenring-Weitra concentrated all those that are still loyal to me and began an uprising. He sent to me for support.”
Werner replies: “If you send soldiers to support him, Rudolf will be forced to react. Without any doubt he will rush to Austria with an army to clear the situation, just like he did last time.”
“Without any doubt! And he will get a nasty surprise! Werner, how strong will the army of the Hohenzoller be?”
“Correct numbers are hard to guess, but we know his allies. He will mobilize his troops at Steiermark, Kärnten and Krain. He will also call for troops from his powerbase in the realm, from Nürnberg, Schwaben, Elsass and Switzerland. And of course he will call for his ally, the King of Hungary.”
“So how strong will he be?”
“Maybe 30,000 men in total. The core of the army may consist of 4,000 knights, maybe 5,000. Rest will be untrained peasants and some thousands Hungarian horse archers.”
Ottokar turned to his chancellor Wladislaw:
“And what will be our strength?”
“Well, Mylord, of course there our Bohemian knights, about 2,000 plus 500 from the Austrian provinces. Our allies from Brandenburg, Schlesien and Poland promised to send another 2,000 knights. Most of our men have armors.”
“So we have about 4,500 knights and Rudolf has 4,000”, Ottokar sums up. “This time I will meet him on the battlefield and nothing will help him. Alright, Wladislaw, send orders to all Bohemian knights. They shall get ready and come here to Prague. It is no use to hurry. Tell them to prepare carefully for the campaign and also get enough food. Also send immediately Paltram with 500 men to northern Austria. Ans send spies to Vienna and Budapest!
And you, Werner, send messengers to our allies! Tell them that it is time to honor their promises.”
Werner made a small bow. “Yes, Mylord. What are your orders regarding Heinrich von Niederbayern?”
“We agreed, that he will stay neutral, but he will try to slow down the troops of Rudolf and report about their movements. Just send him a message that it is about to start now.”
The King gave a sign to show that the audience is over. However, Wladislaw hesitated: “Mylord, may I ask a question? You decided to support the uprising at northern Austria to provoke a conflict with Rudolf, right?”
Ottokar bursts out: “Sure, and this time I am going to shatter him!”
Wladislaw went on: “Our forces will be stronger than Rudolf’s, especially with our strong armed knights. Furthermore, Rudolf will need some time to mobilize his army. Especially the Hungarians will need some time to join him as well as the knights from the north.”
Werner: “Right. It will be an easy victory. My advice is not to wait but to take our Bohemian knights and rush to Vienna and take the town. Maybe Rudolf is already there and we can capture him,”
Wlasilaw: “Is this what we want? If we hurry, we may reach the town before Rudolf is there. It is likely, that he reinforced the city walls and we would be forced to lay siege on Vienna. If Rudolf is still outside, he would gather his army while we are tied to Vienna.”
Walter: “Although I still believe we can assault the town quickly, we can wait until he is at Vienna and then besiege the town.”
Wladislaw: “We could. Let’s assume, Rudolf is inside the city walls, be lay siege upon it and we manage to keep the relief forces away. So what? Rudolf will be forced to capitulate and make peace. He would be forced to give back all Austrian provinces.”
Walter: “Exactly! As I said, we can easily achieve our goals!”
Wladislaw: “Really? Are these our goals? We would have to set Rudolf free and don’t you think that the first think he would do is to join his army and gather so much support as he can? I think we have a better option. Do not forget the lessons from the last campaign. Rudolf may be old, but he moves fast and he will certainly not try to hide behind walls. It will be easy to lure him into a battle on open ground. Here we could play off our strength, our heavy cavalry.”
Walter: “Why should we risk a battle, if we can beat him without? And even if we beat him on the battlefield, what would be the benefit? Do you think he would accept this kind of defeat more easily?”
Wladislaw: “Well, we all know how brutal and chaotic a battle can be. Rudolf will be among his knights and easily he could be killed during the fight. Once he is dead, all of Austria will be ours. Furthermore, a new emperor would be elected. With the new provinces and the prestige of the victory in the battle, who else could become emperor but Ottokar?”
Walter: “I agree, it would be helpful, if Rudolf dies. But why rely on the fortune of the battle? If we capture him at Vienna, we can kill him easily!”
Wladislaw: “Do not forget that he is the rightful emperor …”
Ottokar coughed.
“… or at least most of the princes think he is. And he is approved by the pope. The prince electors would hardly support the murderer of the emperor. But what happens in the heat of the battle is a different thing.”
Ottokar tilted his head thoughtful to a side: “I see. We should carefully think about it. There is enough time to decide later.”
Wladislaw: “Maybe not. We should send a message to Bavaria and tell Heinrich to do nothing to slow the movement of Rudolf’s troops. Let them hurry; let Rudolf combine his forces, while we are still mobilizing ours. Rudolf will march as fast as possible to outmaneuver us. We can wait for him and build up a trap to catch him.”
Walter: “Do not listen to Wladislaw, I say. His proposal would give all our advantages away. I still say, let Heinrich block the Danube, then we can hurry through Austria and take Vienna. If we follow Wladislaw's plan, we give away initiative and Rudolf gets the chance to trap us!”

Ottokar listened to the proposals of his advisors.
Should he
A) Send a message to Heinrich von Niederbayern to block the Danube, so that the march of Rudolf's troops will be slowed down or
B) Tell him just to observe and report, but not to disturb Hohenzoller's army?

[Prince Cobra]

~:Cough:~

It seems the honour to open the discussion is mine. Here are my thoughts.

First, we do not know the exact number of the enemy and we only believe that we have advantage. Second, battle could be unpredictable and in complexed situation we can always risk some of our retainers to switch to the opposite camp as it seems our reputation is not very good. In addition, it would be foolish not to use an advantage we have paid for. And so I recommend A) slow down the gathering of Rudolf's troops. I am also tempted by the idea to wait until Rudolf arrives in Vienna and to trap him there, although I am not very sure if it is included in the orders for this turn. A captured enemy is a big victory and if we manage to achieve that, then we can discuss the fate of the... Emperor. If we decide to release the Emperor (which is not quite sure with the big diversity of slow-killing potions and other niceties ), his authority will be seriously damaged. And we can always delay his releasing for a month or two so that we assure that his authority is additionally damaged.

[King Kurt]

Second up - I believe we should go for B. This is as much about confidence and bluff, as it is about surprise. If Heinrich von Niederbayern ( why do these Germans have such long names and titles!!) holds him up, his suport for us is exposed and puts Rudolph on the defensive. We want him concentrated at Vienna, so let's let him get there.

Franc - a side issue - the "3rd person wins" is a great idea - but I nearly did not post as I wanted to be 3rd!! Perhaps it could be one of the first 3 posts wins, but only you know the number before the episode is posted - you could decide by dice etc - just a thought. One last point I suppose you mean the 3rd different person to post to stop one person posting 3 times!!

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

I'm keeping this short since I'm in computer class at the moment.


I pick A) and argee with Cobra with this. Slow his troops down so he is more likely to make a mistake then. We won't be trap unless we are not careful.

[AggonyDuck]

Heh, I think for too long.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Hesitant can destroy a generals hopes of winning a battle!

[Franconicus]

Franc - a side issue - the "3rd person wins" is a great idea - but I nearly did not post as I wanted to be 3rd!! Perhaps it could be one of the first 3 posts wins, but only you know the number before the episode is posted - you could decide by dice etc - just a thought. One last point I suppose you mean the 3rd different person to post to stop one person posting 3 times!!

I would like to try it my way. If there are more players - let's say 7, there will be enough pressure to post in time!

Chapter 2 - Preparations

Ottokar shook his head: “Although I would not be sad to see Rudlof dead, I am not going to sit and wait here for him. Go, send the messengers and spies and prepare everything for our campaign.”

It was early December and a cold wind was blowing through the castle at Prague. Ottokar and his advisors sat by the fireside in front of the warming flames.
Wladislaw reports of the preparations for the campaign: “Paltram and our 500 men did their job. They arrived at northern Austria in June and attacked the estates of our enemies. The local piers were not able to keep the upraising down.
Here at Bohemia, our piers promised to arrive here at Prague next April, so we can start our campaign in spring. Everything will be ready then, arms, horses and food.”
“Excellent! What about our allies?”
“All replied our messages”, said Walter. “They will decamp as soon as the last snow will be gone. We expect their arrival end of April.”
“Good! Any news about our enemies?”
“Yes”, Walter answered. “Our spies have been very active. We have reports from Vienna. Obviously, the city expects an assault. The fortifications have been improved, the city guard is increased and the governor recruits mercenaries. It seems as if they also fill their magazines. We also see activities of the Austrian peers which make us assume that they get prepare for spring.
We also have a spy at the Hungarian court. Ladislaus gave order to mobilize his army in spring. He also recruited several thousand Cumans.
We received message from Niederbayern. Heinrich promised to block the Danube as good as possible. He already ordered to send all riverboats to Passau, so that Rudolf will not be able to use them. He also sent agents to Nürnberg. Rudolf is there and he is recruiting Franconian knights. Rudolf also sent agents to Swabia and Switzerland to enlist knights there. According to rumors he wants to gather his troops at Donauwörth and then marcha long the Danube.”
“Well done. I see that everything goes right. Go on with the preparations, Wladislaw, and keep an eye on our enemies, Walter!”
Wladislaw answered: “Yes, Sire. Just one more question. We will soon have a force with more than 4,500 knights and I will get the supply for them. However, I think it is time to wonder, if we also want to recruit peasants. Although they are worthless in the battle, they could help us with supply, build and guard the camp etc.. And we will need them if we have to besiege a city, for building the equipment, trenches and so on.”
Walter: “Well, I think that peasant will be a load we have to carry. They only slow us down and we will need much more food if we have a large group of peasants. No, we should try to relay on our mounted knights and be fast and flexile. Let’s keep them to a minimum, let’s say 5,000 – that’s one peasant for every knight. More than enough!”
Wladislaw: “Well, you might be right, if we were fighting Rudolf on open ground. But as far as I understood, we will have to besiege Vienna, maybe for months. I think we should have at least 25,000 peasants.”

If you were Ottokar, would you decide to recruit
A) 5,000 peasants or
B) 25,000 peasants?

[Kagemusha]

I would suggest for 25 000 peasants. While not so usefull, we need people for secondary tasks we should not occupy our knights with.

[King Kurt]

Second again!! - I go for 5,000 - let's be quick and mobile - we can always get peasants from around Vienna when we get there

[AggonyDuck]

I'd say A, as I don't think we should concentrate on besieging Vienna, but instead concentrate on defeating Rudolf before he can reach Vienna. If we can beat him in the open, we might even be able to acquire Vienna through diplomacy and no real siege.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Dang, I missed it. Curse you Ducky!!

[Franconicus]

Chapter 3

The Iron King decided to enforce his army with 5,000 peasants and all winter long one could hear shouting of training as well as drone from the workshop of the armorer at the castle of Prague. Winter was cold and there was a lot of snow. At March, the sun came back and the annual competition between winter and spring began. April was a row of rainy days and at its end rained turned to snow again. Now it was beginning of May, the sun was shining and it seemed as if spring had finally gained upper hand.
The King and his advisors met once again in the throne hall. Warm wind blew threw the windows, carrying along the smell of spring and maybe also the smell of adventure and triumph.
Ottokar turned to his liegemen:
“I received message that Heinrich von Schlesien will arrive today. He is a brave man, in deed, and I appreciate that he is the first one that follows my call. I appreciate his advice and maybe we can go through our plan once again when he is near.”
Wladislaw replies: “Yes, my nephew will surely not put disgrace on our family. He must be 30 years old, the right age to lead men on the battle field.”
Ottokar: “Wladilaw, please summarize the state of our preparations!”
“Well, we recruited 5,000 peasants and tried to hammer some discipline into their heads, but they will never become soldiers. Our magazines are full. Every day now knights from Bohemia arrive to join our campaign. We have already 800 here; in the end, when Paltram returns, we will have 2,200 Bohemian knights; all with good equipment, maybe half of them with heavy armor.
The roads suffered a lot from frost and rain and therefore I sent 4,000 of our peasants to repair roads and bridges. We can call them back within two weeks.”
“Well done!”, the King turns to the Bishop of Sackau. “Now, Walter, tell me about our allies!”
“Yes, Sire! At first, our target, Vienna. The city obviously prepares for siege. They filled their magazines, destroyed all houses outside the city walls and recruited some 20,000 peasants. Furthermore there is the city guard and some companies of mercenaries. Furthermore, Vienna seems to be the gathering point for Rudolf’s army, just as we expected. There are already about one hundred knights from the Austrian peers there. We expect that soon there will be about 1,200 knights there.
Rudolf himself is not there, we heard that Ullrich II von Kapellen is the commander of this army.
Rudolf seems to be at Donauwörth. At least we received a message that from Niederbayern that he met with knights from Swabia, Switzerland and Franconia. In total maybe 1,500. Today he must be on the way through Niederbayern. We also heard the Ludwig von Oberbayern will meet him at Passau with 400 Bavarian knights. So Rudolf will come with an army of about 2,000 knights.
The third enemy is Hungary. The young Hungarian King Ladislaus built a big camp with 1,500 knights and 4,000 Kumans. They decamped mid of April and are expected to march to Vienna to meet Rudolf there.”
“Alright, let them come!”
At this moment the door was opened and a young men entered the room, Heinrich V (1248) von Schlesien, Herzog von Jauer. The three men got up and Ottokar went to meet him: “All hail to you, Heinrich! You are the first one that follows my call and I am sure you will be the first on the battle ground.”
“Milord, when I heard your call, there was no hesitation or rest. I am proud that I will get the opportunity to fight under your command to defeat your enemies and mine.”
“Sit down, my son. The servants may bring you some beers! We just discussed reports from our enemies. Rudolf is marching through Bavaria with about 2,000 knights, at Vienna the Austrian peers will wait for him with 1,200 knights and Hungary sends another 1,500 knights and 5,000 mounted archers. How many men do accompany you, Heinrich?”
“So Rudolf has about 4 and a half thousand knights and some bowmen? That’s a mighty army. Well, my contribution is only tiny. I bring you 800 knights.”
“Your help is more than welcome. And a brave leader like you are may be even more valuable than 800 knights. We have 2,200 knights from Bohemia and we expect more allies to come, don’t we, Walter?”
“Yes, Sire, we expect help from Breslau, from Oppeln-Ratibor and from Brandenburg. The first two may send contingents of about 700 knights each. Otto von Brandenburg may send 1,000 or even 1,500 knights.”
“So we will finally have some 5,000 men. Heinrich, we are prepared and this time we will make it.”
“Milord, what are your plans?”
“We are still discussing. And I would like to hear your opinion.”
Heinrich remained silent for a while. Then he lifted his head and said: “How many men can you gather in two weeks?”
His uncle, the Archbishop of Salzburg, answered: “In two weeks we have 1,700 Bohemian knights and 5,000 peasants. And your 800 Silesian knights.”
“2,500 knights in total. Then listen to my advice: It will take two weeks for my men to get ready for combat. Then I ask you to give me the command of your men and I will attack Ladislaus and his Hungarian before he can unit with Rudolf. I will defeat him and then turn to Vienna. On the way, I will meet with the rest of our army.”
Ottokar nods: “This is an idea. But the Hungarians are hard to get. Maybe it would be better to turn straight to the Hungarian capitol and to take it. Ladislaus would be forced to turn around and to attack you. Then you could decide when and where you fight.”
Walter adds: “Both ideas sound great. But do not forget that Vienna is our target. There are only 1,200 knights. Let Heinrich hurry to Vienna and assault the city. Then one third of Rudolf’s army is defeated, Vienna is occupied and his remaining armies are divided. Rudolf would be forced to negotiate.”
Wladislaw disagrees: “That is not what we want. I agree that each plan may work. But each plan also has risks. We should wait until all our allies arrive and then attack the enemy. We are stronger than they are. We should rely on our strength and avoid any risk!”

Which plan do you prefer?
A) Attack the Hungarians under Ladislaus?
B) Invade Hungary and assault the Hungarian capitol?
C) Go straight for Vienna?
D) Wait until your army is complete?

[Prince Cobra]

This is tough. I would exclude B and D. B is risky since we go to conquer Hungary, which will certainly rally the Hungarian nobles around their King, which means more forces and more problems. D gives the initiative to the enemy, I believe.

So we have 2 500 men for now

The dilemma is between C and A. Attack on Vienna is a risky option. If we want to win, we have to outsmart the Viennese garrison, lure him outside the walls and decimate him. And even then, the garrison is big and we will suffer a lot of casualties. We will also have to assault before Rudolf arrives with his 2 000 men. Heinrich will have to stay behind the newly conquered Vienna with few provisions and wait for reinforcements from the North. A risky option I believe.

A is also not perfect. The Cumans have supreme bows and will use their hit and run tactic which is deadly for the knights. Our only hope is to ambush King Ladislaus and defeat his knights decisively. At best, if we manage to capture him, the Cumans will simply disperse. So I vote for A and so we have to lay an ambush to Ladislaus. Another option is to attract the atention of the Cumans while simultaneously we move our main forces in the rear and try to hit him.


I am not sure whether the Viennese garrison is a threat for our rear while we ambush Laidislaulus. Perhaps not, since nothing is mentioned. But if it is, we can also deceive the enemy with a small/weak force (that should look big) so that he could think we are heading to besiege Vienna whilst our aim is to attack Ladislaulus.

The purpose of A in order to hit the knights of Ladislaulus and defeat them in ambush.


After so many words, I am still not very sure if A is the best option.After studying the map, if we modify C and decide to intercept Rudolf as Duckie suggested but before that we skilfully create the image that our purpose is Vienna, then we could ambush Rudolf somewhere around Linz. If Rudolf decides to decline the battle and pull back, their armies are split. So finally, I vote for C but we will not assault Vienna, definately.

http://maps.google.bg/maps?hl=bg&q=m...ed=0CBkQ8gEwAA

[King Kurt]

Second as usual - no doubt the others are waiting to get the 3rd place

I agreee with Prince Cobra in that this is a hard choice. the attraction of defeating our enemies piecemeal is a good one, but it has its challenges. In some ways the most sensible option is to gather all our forces - but I am never one for sensible options!! We need to grasp the initative which means attacking the Hungarians or Vienna. The presence of the Cumans makes me nervious - it is difficult to see us ambushing a force with 4,000 light cavalry when we have none.

So I think I will opt for Prince's version of C - head for Vienna with the hope of catching the hungarians in an ambush - or any of the other enemies travelling towards Vienna. It would not be the end of the world to get there before others - we could catch them unawares.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Second as usual - no doubt the others are waiting to get the 3rd place

I would say D. While I hate to wait, it is better in this case in my opinion then assault. You do not want to suffer to many dead and wounded only not to take the city and then have to face a relief force with a broken army.


D for me.

[Franconicus]

Chapter 4

The King reflected on the proposals of his advisors, but then he shakes his head:
“No, I know the Hungarians and it is difficult to catch them. I also want to avoid that you march to Vienna and get trapped by superior forces. No, we will wait. I have prepared this for so long; I will not take any risk. Go on with you preparations, we will decamp as soon as the others arrive.”

During the next weeks more and more allies arrived at the castle of Prague. There were Przemysl, Duke of Poznan and Heinrich IV, Duke of Breslau, with 900 knights as well as Wladislaus I, Duke of Oppeln-Ratibor, with 600 knights. Paltram returned with his 500 knights from his mission at Northern Austria.
King Ottokar invited all Dukes to a feast while the man camped at a meadow near the town.
It was already End of May and the troops of his strongest ally, Otto, Markgraf von Brandenburg, were still missing. The King became impatient and called for his two advisors and Heinrich von Schlesien.
“We are waiting our time! I am tired of sitting around, waiting for news from Brandenburg, while our enemies are obviously already active! Walter, any news from Rudolf?”
“Yes, Sire. He arrived at Passau on May 12th. There Ludwig joined his force. Rudolf rested four days. At May 17th he decamped with 1,800 knights and is now on the way to Vienna. We haven’t received any news from him since, but if he hurries, he may arrive there today or tomorrow.”
“What is the situation at Vienna?”
“The Austrians have a force of about 1,200 knight plus 22,000 peasants there.”
“And the Hungarians?”
“Well, frankly spoken, we lost their trace. We are waiting for news from our spies, but it could be that they were killed. However, we received a message that a group of Kumans was seen near Brünn two days ago.”
“Damned! What if Ladislaus marched straight to Vienna? Where would he be now?”
“Well, he could already be there, but we have to wait for more news from our spies at Vienna.”
“All right! How many men do we have ready for combat, Wladislaw?”
“Sire, there are 4,500 knights and 5,000 peasants waiting for your order. They can decamp immediately.”
Heinrich added: “And I say let them! The men are getting bored and it is getting harder to keep order. I say let’s not wait for Brandenburg, let us decamp and march versus Vienna today!”
Wladislaw: “Wait a moment, nephew! We do not know where Ladislaus is. He could have joined Rudolf, then Habsburg’s army is stronger than ours. We could be ambushed. We cannot avoid that Rudolf gets his army together, therefore it should be our aim to get our troops together as well. Brandenburg will send us more than 1,000 knights. I say let’s wait for them and then move with our joined force.”
Walter: “Maybe we should avoid a decisive battle until we have all our troops together. I agree with you, Wladislaw. But that does not mean that we have to remain in passiveness. First of all we must find the Hungarians and I propose that we send a small force of about 50 men to find them. Let Paltram lead them, he knows the area. Further more I suggest to move our army south, to get a better position. My proposal is to take Brünn. Then we are closer to Vienna and can keep an eye on the road to Budapest. When Brandenburg arrives, he can easily close in on us, because he has only knights, while we have 5,000 peasants.”

So once again,
A) March versus Vienna
B) Wait until Brandenburg arrives
C) March to Brünn and wait there for reinforcements.

[AggonyDuck]

Gah! So we have lost all chances of intercepting Rudolf and we have no idea where the Hungarians are....meaning we have lost the initiative and we risk being outmaneuvered. I don't like it one bit. As we have already lost the initiative we might as well be as strong as possible, so lets wait for Brandenburg. That way if the Cumans have set up some ambush, we will be able to overpower it. Now I'm just starting to regret that we didn't raise that 25,000 peasants as it looks like we can't rely on maneuver and initiative anymore to win this campaign.

Anyway my vote is B.

[Prince Cobra]

I use google maps again. Passau is not far from the Czech lands, Brunn (Brno now) is part of the Ottokar's domain, I think. I believe that the enemy is close/ even already on our land, perhaps the Viennese knights are also on our territory. Marching at Brunn means we accept a battle since I believe the united enemy is already on our territory. In my opinion, Rudolf accepted an aggressive tactic and is attacking us. He does not plan to wait for us in Vienna, he would rather come to Brunn! He knows we are eager to take Vienna and he will not miss the opportunity to intercept us before we could gather our army We have no other option but to wait for Brandenburg. Perhaps we have to prepare some kind of trap for the Cuman scout regiments that I believe will march in Central Bohemia to gain information.

So I vote for B. We should avoid battle until Brandenburg arrives. We should also disptach some troops to ambush the Cuman scouts (regiments) in Central Bohemia. The terrain is forested and mountaneous and it can allow us reduce (though not with much) the size of the enemy. The knowledge of the terrain, bows in the hands of those who can use them well or decent enough could help us deal with the Cumans.

[Csargo]

I like Prince's plan I say B as well. I don't know what the possibility of Brandenburg never showing up is, but if they don't it won't be good.

[Kagemusha]

I agree that there isnt much we can do right now other then wait. As there is no chance for us to have the initiative at the moment. I would suggest for us to start looking for a ground of our own choosing where to meet the combined armies of Rudolf. A place he must take to get to us. I am just bit worried if Brandenburg is going to come at all.

[Franconicus]

Chapter 5 – Waiting for Brandenburg

With heavy heart and against the protests of Heinrich von Schlesien Ottokar decided to stay at Prague and to wait for Brandenburg. He felt that something was going wrong, as obviously Rudolf grabbed initiative and he, Ottokar, had to expect an invasion. But there was no time to wonder what went wrong. The situation was getting more and more difficult and Ottokar had to get things straight.
“Fine! We will wait for Otto’s troops. But we will no longer remain dronish. You Heinrich, take 80 knights with light armors, chose those from the Brünn area and find those cursed Hungarians. I must know about their location and plans. I would not mind if you can ambush some of those Kumans in an ambush, but I entreat you to avoid a fight.
You, Walter, get me information from Vienna and Rudolf. I must know everything about his position and movements!”
“Yes Sire! I will put up a chain of gallopers to get a permanent connection to Vienna. However, please keep in mind, Vienna is far away and any news will take time to reach us!”
Two weeks passed by and it was already mid of June and at the castle of Prague one was still waiting for the allies from Brandenburg.
News came from Vienna. A galloper reported that Rudolf was still at Vienna 10 days ago. The galloper also reported that he had to bypass several patrols of the enemies to pass by. Since then no other galloper arrived from Vienna.
Heinrich von Schlesien returned on June 12th. He reported that he met small Kuman patrols north of Brünn. He had some minor quarrel with them and made two prisoners. They told him that Ladislaus’ camp was near Preßburg. He decided to ride further south to find out whether that was true. He found Kuman patrols almost everywhere. He could find Ladilaus’ camp at Preßburg, but he could not come close enough to confirm the number of is troops. To avoid combat, he had to retreat. He left 50 men at Brünn to watch the enemy and hurried back to Prague.
“We are too far away from the enemy. We must get closer to the front. Ladilaus’ riders could ride from Preßburg to Prague in six days. I made the distance in five days, so the Hungarians could already come tomorrow!”, Heinrich ended his report.
“Don’t worry! I doubt that Ladislaus will invade Bohemia with his riders. If he odes, he will wait for Rudolf, who seemed to be waiting at Vienna. You made a good job, Heinrich, but still I wish Brandenburg was coming.”
At this moment, a messenger entered the room and shouted loud: “They are coming! Brandenburg! He will arrive this evening!”
And really, before the sun disappeared in the west, Ottokar could welcome the commander of Brandenburg`s army:
“Welcome at Prague! I cannot say ho much we waited for your arrival!”
“Please excuse me, Sire! I know we are a bit late. My master Otto felt sick and was unable to lead the force and therefore he sent me. That led to some delay, unfortunately, but we used the time to recruit more men. Therefore I am glad to bring you 2,000 knights, which are burning to defeat Habsburg!”
“Your help is more than welcome. You and your men will get something to drink and eat immediately. Then rest, we will decamp as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, Sire. My men will follow your call. However, the march war long and exhausting. Our horses must be shoed and my men need some rest, too.”

He left the room and Ottokar turned to his advisors:
“Our force has now 6,500 knights, half of them with heavy armor. Additionally he have 5,000 peasants. The army will be ready to decamp end of June, finally. Now, what are your proposals?”
The three addressed person remained silent. Finally Walter began to speak: “Let me start with a proposal. Vienna is the price of this fight and still believe that we should go straight for it. We are much stronger than Rudolf. We should separate him from the Hungarians and then push him back behind the walls of Vienna.”
Heinrich disagreed: “That does not work. You forget that Ladislaus is much faster than we or Rudolf, because he has no infantry. Furthermore, the Kumans have patrols all over the country, so Ladislaus can react much faster. If we go for Vienna, we could either rush to Rudolf or he could attack our rear. No, that is too dangerous. As Ladislaus is far more flexible, we should attack him first. Therefore, we should attack him at Preßburg. With our knights, we are much stronger and we can defeat him before Rudolf arrives. If we drive him back to Budapest, we can turn around and attack Rudolf.”
The three men were reflecting the two proposals. Finally Wladislaw said: “Both plans are risky. And that only shows, that our position has becoming worse than we expected. I agree that it would be childish to attack Rudolf, who can retreat behind the city walls, while the Hungarians are in our back. Yet I think that it is impossible to force Ladislaus to fight. What if he retreats and marches eastwards. This would give Rudolf many options.”
Heinrich defended his plan: “We could lure the Hungarians with a small force of light armored soldiers. If they attack, they would run into an ambush of our heavy armed knights.”
Wladislaw: “Didn’t you say that the Kumans are everywhere? How do you think we could ambush Ladislaus. He will certainly not try to win a battle without Rudolf. No, as far as I see, there is only one option left. We have to improve our position slowly and try to find a way so we can decide when and where we fight. My proposal is to make the army march to Brünn as fast as possible. South of Brünn, there is a river. We should occupy all bridges and then clear the area north of the river from Kumans. Then we will wait for Rudolf.”

So again it is
A) Attack Rudolf at Vienna
B) Attack Ladislaus at Preßburg
C) Move to Brünn and clear the area from Kumans.
D) Any other proposals?
Homework: If you vote for C), try to find a location where the battle should be.

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

A


Perhaps we can destroy him and attack behind us before we get outflanked?

[Kagemusha]

I definetely think we should not go to Vienna and march into a trap and I think we should not go as far as Brünn, as this gives Rudolph possibility of flank marching us by moving against Prague via Gmünd, while we are too far east to catch him before his troops would reach our capital. So i propose a plan D). We will clear the roads of Cumans and Zsekely to the South and East. Fortify bridges of Thaya/ Dyje river which runs at the border of Austria and Bohemia. The main crossings are at Břeclav, Znojmo and Gmünd. Meanwhile our main army will march to Iglau/ Jihlava and will act as mobile reserve, while we commit our peasants to defend and delay enemy forces with some portion of knights at the major crossing points of Thaya river. I am aware that our peasants cant hold a crossing for long against Rudolphs army, but the plan is not to keep Rudolph´s army South of the river, but force him to fight his way a cross and once our main forces arrive the river will be behind his back, which means he is trapped more or less, this will also hamper the horse archers ability of manouvering as they have to face our knights head on or drown in the river. This way we will either force Rudolph to fight on the ground of our choosing or stay idle, which will hamper his prestige. By keeping our mounted knight army at Iglau, we can move very fast to defend any crossing, because Iglau is at crossroads, which provides us fast movement to any direction Rudolph might take, while still we would be keeping our main force between Rudolph, the Hungarians and our capital. Also we should use some coin, so we can get information from either Pressburg or Vienna if our enemies will make a move.

Here is a map that makes my plan more easy to understand:

[Franconicus]

No one dares to decide?