Alternate history: the Anarchy of King Stephen.

[King Henry V]

Right, since Vykke's Alternate History has gone cold for these past months, I have decided to write a new alternate history about Stephen, King of England and Duke of Normandy. His reign was in realtiy blighted by civil war (commonly known as the Anarchy) as he fought against his rival claimants, the Empress Matilda, Countess of Anjou and her son, Henry Plantagenet (the future Henry II). However, maybe with a few good decisions by our venerable members, things might have turned out differently.
The rules are exactly the same as Vykke's: first three posters decide, first one casts the deciding vote and gets to make suggestions.
Have fun!
Alternate History
The Anarchy of King Stephen


You are Stephen of Blois, King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Mortain. The year is 1138, the third year of your reign. It has not been a peaceful one. It has been eighteen years since that black, cold November day when William the Aetheling, sole legitimate son of King Henry and heir to the throne of England and the duchy of Normandy, drowned with many others (including your own sister, Matilda) when his ship, the Blanc Nef, floundered of the coast of Normandy. It was a fate you yourself only narrowly escaped by having a fortunate bout of diarrhoea, preventing you from taking the doomed ship. The disaster left Matilda, widow of the Emperor Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire as heir to the throne. In order to secure Matilda’s accession, King Henry had exacted oaths from all barons and clergymen of the realm that they would recognise her as the rightful sovereign upon his death. You were one of these barons. However, the oath was made on condition that Matilda would not be married without the permission of the barons beforehand. Yet in they year of Our Lord 1128, in order to seal an alliance with Normandy’s age old enemy, Anjou, against the King of France, Matilda was married with Count Geoffrey of Anjou, without the permission of the barons. This match also would have meant that the unpopular Geoffrey would have been crowned King of England along with his wife. In effect, Anjou would have won, having its Count sitting on the throne of England, without even raising a sword.
In December 1135, King Henry died. Matilda, still in Anjou, did not make for England. Anarchy soon took hold throughout the land. None acclaimed Matilda. It was then that you seized the initiative. As the favourite nephew of the late King, you had been given extensive lands in England, the county of Mortain and the hand in marriage of the rich heiress, Maud of Boulogne. And so, in during Advent of the year 1135, you took a ship bound for England from the port of Wissant. Despite being denied entry to Dover and Canterbury, you made way for London where the citizens hailed you as their King. Having secured London, you made way for Winchester, site of the national treasury and held by your brother Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester. With London and Winchester under your command, only one last hurdle remained before you could safely call yourself Rex Anglorum et Dux Normannnorum. You needed to be crowned and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was to prove the highest hurdle of all. William Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury, was an experienced ecclesiast and well remembered the oath he had sworn to King Henry three times and was reluctant to recognise you as King. However, help was at hand in the form of Hugh Bigod, an important nobleman of East Anglia and two other knights. They swore an oath that said that they had been present at Henry’s deathbed when he had disinherited his daughter and son-in-law for having angered and insulted him and that you were to be acclaimed as the next king.
The Archbishop accepted Bigod’s oath and on 22nd December 1135, you were crowned King of England and Duke of Normandy. The Norman barons soon followed suit and soon every nearly every major baron throughout the realm, including Robert of Gloucester, half brother of Matilda and Henry’s favourite bastard son, swore fealty to you. Even his Holiness Pope Innocent II formally recognised you as king. For that period, the future had seemed rosy.

The two years since your coronation in December 1135 and spring 1138 have not been easy. There have been rebellions in the West Country, raids on the Welsh border, incursions by the Scots and last year Geoffrey of Anjou invaded Normandy, seizing several castles which he claims had been promised as part of his wife’s dowry. You had gone to Normandy to repel him, but a fight between Flemish mercenaries and Norman barons and the latter’s departure from your army had destroyed all likelihood of battle and a three year truce was signed for which you paid three thousand marks.
You have several supporters and advisors to help you in the governing of your kingdom. These include your brother Henry, Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of Glastonbury, the Beaumont twins: Earl Robert of Leicester and Count Waleran of Meulan, Gilbert of Clare and William of Ypres, commander of your Flemish mercenaries and your chief military lieutenant.
You are residing at the Tower of London, the white stone fortress built by your grandfather William the Bastard. Sitting by the warm glow of the blazing fire in the hearth of the Great Hall, your advisors approach you with several pressing issues.
“My liege,” says Gilbert of Clare. “The Welsh continue to harass our border, attack our castles and burn our land. We must respond with force and teach these savages a lesson so hard that they will never forget. I myself would be able to raise some men from my own estates to fight against them.”
Your brother disagrees. “Noble king, Baldwin de Redvers has rebelled and seized Exeter Castle and now commits most heinous acts of banditry against the citizens of the town and the surrounding lands. And may I remind you that Exeter is also the fourth city of the kingdom, and is a valuable source of income for the royal coffers. A show of force against de Redvers would be most valuable, and would serve as an example to others.”
Waleran, Count of Meulan speaks. “My lord would do well to remember that the situation in Normandy still remains unresolved, and Geoffrey of Anjou still holds several key castles along the border. If we were to decisively defeat him in battle, he and Matilda would no longer consist a threat.”
William of Ypres offers his opinion. “King David of Scotland regularly invades England. He has seized Carlisle and Newcastle, while his forces continue to pillage the land, committing unspeakable atrocities. He also claims Matilda of Anjou to be the rightful sovereign.”

It is now time for you to decide the action to be taken:

1.Follow Gilbert of Clare’s advice and pacify the Welsh border. It would secure the allegiance of barons who have been far from the centre of power and could act as a balance against Robert of Gloucester, who is proving increasingly cold and hostile.
2. Listen to your brother Henry and quash the rebellious Baldwin. You need to show your steel early on in your reign and Exeter is one of the richest ports on the English Channel.
3. Leave for Normandy and resume war with Anjou, even though the three-year truce is still in its first year. However, most of your barons have both lands in Normandy and England, and you may lose their support should they become threatened.
4. Raise an army and march against the Scots. It would rid Matilda of a political ally and you would garner support from the northern lords.
You must decide.

[AggonyDuck]

Nr. 2 is my choice, simply because it seems like the easiest task at the moment. Secure more income and later strike at someone else. I'd wait a good while before going to Normandy.

[Strike For The South]

Do #2 it is the most safe and it will solidify your power and we all know no one can quell the welsh

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Crush Baldwin. Disregard the entire feudal customs and tradition and make a good example out of him breaking apart his body into four pulled off by four horses.
.

[Conqueror]

Could this thread be stickied pelase? I'd like to see it stay on top. And big hurray for King Henry for starting a new interactive history Always nice to have one running here

[Lord Winter]

2 we cant let the rebelion grow

[Duke Malcolm]

I am debating between 2 and 3. If one lost the barons' support, they might rebel or support rebels. However, dealing with Baldwin would show the people your character, make a good name, et cetera.

I say 2 then, one can hardly sail away when there is trouble at home...

[The Wizard]

.
Crush Baldwin. Disregard the entire feudal customs and tradition and make a good example out of him breaking apart his body into four pulled off by four horses.
.

You nasty Turk you

But I must agree with you. Crush the rebels!

[Kommodus]

Definitely number 2. Deal with one threat at a time - this campaign is the likeliest one to be quick, easy, and deliver the best returns for the minimum investment. We can use the money from Exeter to wage further wars if necessary.

[King Henry V]

Attack on Exeter

“I have decided!” you announce as you rise from your chair. “Wales, Scotland and Normandy may wait until later, but I shall, nay I cannot tolerate any nobleman who rises up against me and questions my royal prerogative. I shall march on Exeter!”
You observe the faces of those around you. Your brother wears a small smile of triumph, while Gilbert and Waleran look ashen, as their lands will continue to be harassed. Only William of Ypres is expressionless: unlike your other advisors, he has no local attachment at all. Perhaps his was the right choice after all. Yet you could not change your mind now; you have made your intentions clear, and to alter them would show yourself to be weak and of feeble will. Still, de Redvers has to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
On the morrow, you give orders for the preparations for you foray into the West Country. You send word to various lords to assemble their knights and men-at-arms at Sherborne Castle, stronghold of Bishop Roger of Salisbury, chief treasurer of your late uncle’s administration. However, you have told your barons to act in the utmost secrecy, and you are ostensibly going for a hunting trip. Surprise will be one of your chief advantages.
You say farewell to your wife and leave London with a bodyguard of twenty knights and some hundred Flemish mercenaries. You are accompanied by Henry and William of Ypres. Both Waleran of Meulan and Gilbert of Clare have left for their own, endangered lands, while Robert of Leicester still remains in the Midlands on business.
As you go from castle to castle in England, through the green rolling hills of Southern England the local populace gather acclaim you. Your kind nature and your reputation for bravery in battle has earned you the steady support of your subjects, even though to all intents and purposes your are little more than a foreign prince ruling over your English subjects. However, your wife is the descendant of Edmund Ironside, one of the last Saxon kings of England and your son Eustace will be the first King to be of the bloodline of the Cercidings since Edward the Confessor almost one hundred years ago.
After a week of travelling you arrive before the white Caen stone walls of Sherborne Castle. A large host of men, supposedly various servants and attendants of your vassals, are camped in and around the walls of the castle. After partaking in a day’s deer hunting, you assemble your barons in the great hall of the castle and hold a council. Your lords inform you that you have two hundred and fifty cavalry, mostly mounted spearmen and men-at-arms, but with a core of seventy-five knights, one hundred and fifty foot soldiers of varying degrees of experience and equipment and some sixty archers and crossbowmen. To this you add your own Flemish mercenaries and bodyguard to make a good mixed force of about six hundred men. Scouts inform you that Baldwin only has half the number of soldiers, although he remains behind the strong stonewalls of Exeter Castle.
After a feast of roasted venison from the day’s hunt, you rise from your chair at the head of the table to speak.
“My lords, I wish to thank you for fulfilling your duty to me as your suzerain by bringing your men here to act under my command and to my lord Bishop of Salisbury for allowing me the usage of his stronghold, even though circumstances do not permit him from attending our council. I would like to remind you of the position we are presently in: Baldwin de Redvers, a most traitorous and malicious man, has seized the royal castle of Exeter and has pillaged the surrounding countryside, terrorising the subjects of this realm and exacting a most heavy tax on them. I will no longer tolerate his blatant rebellion and I shall march on Exeter and teach this treacherous dog that no man defies me!”
To this the barons begin thundering their fists down on the table in applause. After a few moments you raise your hand to silence them. The hall quietens down.
“I would now be most welcome to any tactics or strategies you may have to trap this viper,” you say.
A man rises from his seat. His clothes are drab and well worn and his face bears the scars of many battles.
“Sire, de Redvers garrison is currently unprepared and has grown lax. If we make a swift strike against Exeter with some cavalry we may be able to bottle up the garrison before they even have the opportunity to gather food into the castle. It would only be a matter of weeks before the castle falls. If we despatch two hundred cavalry in the late afternoon, they would arrive before dawn when the rebels are still abed. They will be trapped!” He slams his fist against his palm to emphasise his point.
The hall erupts in applause again. Silence falls after a few minutes. However, an aged, grey haired man whose wrinkles have been padded out by layers of fat begins to speak.
“My lord,” he starts as he fingers his jerkin of blue Flanders wool. “My lord de Rougehavre, » he gestures towards the previous man, “is much to hasty and rash
in his plan to quash this rebellion. The walls of Exeter are strong and a lone watchman could easily alert the garrison of the arrival of horsemen. With the gates bolted shut, the cavalry would be repulsed with severe losses. We cannot afford to lose some of our finest soldiers. Instead we should slowly advance on Exeter, until it is finally surrounded and the rebels trapped. Then and only then will your majesty’s victory be complete.”
The rest of the barons, battle-thirsty as ever, growl their criticisms of the plan. William of Ypres, commander of your Flemings, stands. You sense the barons’ hostility to this upstart bastard from Flanders, envious of the fact that you increasingly rely on his word and advice.
“Lord King, though their lordships both have valid point to their strategies, I fear their plans will let the siege wear on too long. Even if we surprise them, there are still several weeks worth of supplies within the walls of the castle itself. I propose that we meet him on the open field.”
There are murmurings of surprise through the hall.
“How in the name of God do we bring him out into the open?” inquires a voice at the end of the hall.
“We offer him gold,” says Ypres.
There are shouts of surprise and anger.
“Gold?” shouts Lord de Rougehavre. “We would be generous to offer him his life, never mind gold. Besides, every lordling throughout the country would rise up, seeing that they are to be rewarded with gold!”
“May I be allowed to finish?” asks William acidly.
The barons quieten down.
“I do not suggest de Redvers be given gold. I suggest we entice him out of strong walls into the field. The gold should be used as a bait to lure him out and cut him down. I suggest we sent emissaries to him and offer him peace with a large amount of gold. He leaves the safety of Exeter with a large body of men, with only a few dozen men remaining in the castle. We pretend to have only a few soldiers at the meeting point and when Baldwin and his men turn up, we spring the trap. Our men swarm down from the hills and overwhelm the rebels. Meanwhile, our two hundred cavalrymen will sweep down on Exeter as it left unmanned. Seeing, their leader dead or captured, they castle will soon surrender. Then you will have a true victory that will show the Countess of Anjou’s supporters that you are a king who brooks no dissent.”
The barons are silent this time as they all look as you and wait for your decision. You turn to your brother.
“Do you have any proposals, dear brother?”
“My liege, I am a mere humble churchman who has no opinions on the art of warfare.”
It is your choice to make.

You must decide a plan to capture Exeter:
1. Send 200 horsemen to sweep down on Exeter whilst de Redvers remains unawares.
2. Slowly approach Exeter. It is safe and cautious but the siege will probably take quite a while.
3. Lure Baldwin and his men out of Exeter with an offer of gold. Ambush him whilst 200 cavalry enter the city to capture it. It is a very daring plan which would pay great rewards should it succeed.

[Strike For The South]

#3 iT WOULD BE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL