Imperial Diet

[AussieGiant]

My Lords,

Count Otto's comments are not without serious merit.

Given the latest information our Kaiser has just outlined in his Chancellor report there is something I believe should be considered.

Sicily is currently excommunicated. Keeping that in mind, if we fight a defensive war against the Milanese we maybe able to provoke the Pope into excommunicating them also. With both of these nations out of the Pope's favour we would be ideally able to exploit this to our own gain without fear of being excommunicated our selves.

I think we can all agree that our current standing with the Pope is not ideal. In fact I think he is looking at taking every opportunity to discriminate against us. Lets not fall into his trap.

The 4th Elector takes a seat

[GeneralHankerchief]

Kaiser Heinrich:

I believe it is too early to determine Pope Gregory's opinion on this conflict. If the Pope had given an order to the Milanese instructing they lift the siege, then they would have done so. Otherwise Sigismund would not have needed to drive them away himself.

I am still anticipating an order from the Pope instructing me to cease and decist with the hostilities (OOC: Most likely I'll get this in 1120, if at all). Whether that order comes or not will tell us much about how active of an interest he is taking in this conflict.

[GeneralHankerchief]

-edit- Report is up.

Kaiser Heinrich:

It is now 1120, and the corresponding session of the Diet has now begun.

In a moment I shall inform you all of our current situation with an official report. In the meantime, I suggest that you review the latest maps yourselves:

http://www.totalwar.org/patrons/pbm/kotr1120.zip

Begin the session! *bangs gavel*

[GeneralHankerchief]

Kaiser Heinrich:

I may as well start this off myself:

Edict 3.1: The Chancellor shall seek to have Milan cease to exist by the conclusion of his term.

Edict 3.2: The Chancellor is keep his alliance with Sicily, thus disobeying the Papal Order.

Edict 3.3: This edict authorizes (not instructs) the Chancellor to declare war on Hungary.

[OverKnight]

Mein Kaiser, mein Prinz and my fellow electors, first let me thank the Kaiser for his service as Chancellor! He, despite many obstacles, has led the Reich to a rebirth of glory and conquest!

I feel I must alert the Diet to some events that might effect our deliberations:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It seems the Pope is returning to Rome from whatever business he had in Genoa. It is the second time he has violated our territory. Yet, I find this second report more disturbing:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

What in God's name are those Venetian dogs doing there!? What do they hope to accomplish? It is a small force, but it is inside our territory and close to Vienna! I am glad the Kaiser had the foresight to recruit and move troops into the city. I hope such an act of strength will encourage those wayward schwein to withdraw back into their own lands!


On the issue of possible Papal condemnation of our war with Milan, I believe the Pope would only order us to cease hostilities if we move into Milanese territory. That is why I advocated for a temporary defensive strategy until they are cast out of the Church themselves. The Venetian incursion into Austria supports this policy. If we move into Milanese lands, we will be less able to defend against Venetian treachery, the "dire reason" Conrad von Schusslen spoke of in edict 2.4.

I look forward to the candidates for Chancellor presenting their manifestoes, particularly their plans for the war with Milan and their approach to the Papacy. I would be honored, as the Kaiser suggested, to lead an army against the Milanese! But we must consider the broader implications of our actions before we strike. Now matter what course the Diet chooses, we must keep our eyes open and our weapons at hand!

This issue is worthy of a vote in the Diet, therefore I propose the following edict:

Edict 3.4: A defensive war will be fought with Milan, no incursions into their territory, until they are excommunicated or our standing with the Pope is "very good" or higher.

Like all of you, I wish to crush the Milanese! But we must be patient in how we do so, lest the conflict widen.

Edit: I will second edict 3.1, as I have said, there is no conflict between destroying the Milanese and doing it wisely.

[Ignoramus]

Count Sigismund der Stolze rises to his feet and addresses the assembled Diet.

Mein gut electors, Prinz Henry, and Kaiser Heinrich, first of all I would like to reaffirm mein allegiance to mein Kaiser and mein Duke, Prinz Henry.

Sigismund turns first to the Kaiser and raises his right hand.

I solemnly swear to serve and obey mein Kaiser, Heinrich, in all that he bids me. Even unto torture and death I shall be loyal.

Sigismund then turns to Prinz Henry, Duke of Swabia.

I once again pay homage and swear allegiance to mein Duke, Prinz Henry of Swabia, for the County of Lorraine. I swear to follow and obey him in all that he bids me. Even unto torture or death shall I remain loyal.

Sigismund again turns to face the Diet.

Now, fellow electors, I must get to the things at hand. I, Sigismund, Count of Lorraine, and Elector of Swabia, do offer myself to govern our Reich for the next term.

My overlord, Prinz Henry, Duke of Swabia, has graciously given me his consent and approval.

I have seen now how our traitorous foe, the Milanese, can fight. They are not natural soldiers, but rather burghers and merchants. Nevertheless, even though they cannot threaten a fully equipped Imperial army, they are still brave fighters. I came across these burgher militiamen outside of Bern, and they fought bravely against our superior skill and arms.

However, though they be brave, they are still traitors; traitors to the Reich and Kaiser. We cannot allow these city dwellers defy the might of our Reich any longer. I therefore intend to extinguish the very name of Milan from the map. We must strike hard and fast. Our magazines at Innsbruck, in Bavaria, can now supply more soldiers than any other Schloss in our Reich, and, what is more, I have heard from Otto von Kassel, that the drillmaster there can now train Sergeants armoured in mail. Innsbruck also controls one of the major Alpine passes. Crossing the Alps under the leadership of a Tyrolean such as Otto von Kassel, therefore, ought to present no problem.

And also, Sigismund motions towards the Kaiser, there is the Kaiser at the city of Florence. Although the Florentines are but poorly trained in the arts of warfare, I am sure that under Kaiser Heinrich's leadership that they ought to better the Milanese garrison of Genoa.

But, despite all the the insults that the Milanese traitors have hurled at us, there is one insult that cannot go unpardoned. The Milanese have taken the city of Dijon. That city, and the Duchy of Burgundy, once belonged to our Reich, before that fop in Rome incited them to rebellion. What's more, the usurper, the self-appointed Duke of Milan, has taken to residing there. I humbly, therefore, intend to take the act of punishing this insult by retaking Burgundy for the Reich.

Sigismund takes a sip of his beer before continuing.

Secondly, mein electors, we have the issue of His Holiness the Pope. Twice, mein electors, twice, have they arrogantly violated our borders. His Holiness has no love for the Kaiser, and his hatred against the Reich is well known. I therefore agree with our Kaiser and I intend to disregard the orders of the Papal Court. If they disregard our orders, then we are under no obligation to follow theirs. What is more, Pope Gregory has excommunicated our ally, King Roger of Sicily, and placed his lands under interdict. To not come to the aid of our ally would reflect badly upon the Reich, and open us up to ridicule from the English and the French. I therefore seek permission to attack his Holiness if the Diet, in their wisdom, elect me as Chancellor.

Therefore I propose Edict 3.5:

"Sigismund der Stolze, Count of Lorraine, requests permission of the this assembled Diet to attack the court of Rome, should he become Chancellor"

Sigismund then turns to Leopold, Duke of Austria.

Duke Leopold has expressed concern about the actions of the Magyars of Hungary on our eastern border. I, however, am doubtful whether they would attack. They seem to be more likely heading north to Krakow. I would instead concentrate on securing our borders against the Venetians.

The Venetians have been spotted intruding into Austria. I suppose they are on another picnic again and intend to admire the scenery? These Venetians may be city dwellers, but that's hardly an excuse for forgetting where the border is. However, we have given our word that we are allies, and I shall not break that word.

Sigismund again sips his mug of beer and wipes his forehead.

Finally, gut electors, there is the question of what to do with the Poles. We have concluded an alliance with these people, and they have no sizeable force near our borders. Therefore, I doubt that there is much to be worried about them. But we must not drop our guard, lest we fall prey to a sudden assault.

That, my gut electors, is all I have to say. I thank you for listening to me.

Count Sigismund bows to the Diet and returns to his seat.

[Warluster]

An messenger races into the Diet area, worry on his face, and stops short of the crowd
"Good Day Sirs, The Second Elector of Swabia, has been un-able to attend these meetings as he was attacked by an angry peasent near by, and has been treated to by healers, he shall hopefully be back at the Diet soon, but now he is recovering from his wounds" finshed the messenger, and he raced out.

[TinCow]

Maximillian Mandorf rises and clears his throat.

My fellow Electors, Germans, Romans.

Mandorf bows to the Diet.

We come together today at the crux of history. What we decide in this Diet will impact the fortunes of the Empire for a thousand years. There are important decisions to make, important debates to be had, and we must unite in a single purpose against our common enemy.

Yet for all that, there we have a more important duty at stake here today. We must elect a Chancellor to guide us through the coming trials. It will be a difficult period and no matter how well we legislate, there will certainly be many unpredictable eventualities. It is thus of the utmost importance that the man who takes the burden of Chancellor has the wisdom to chart the proper course and the strength to hold the rudder steady during the storm.

I can think of no better man for this duty than Count Sigismund der Stolze. The policies he has proposed are wise and reasoned, but above all, he has demonstrated his ability to choose the proper course of action in a time of crisis. Who here can say that, were they faced with the Siege of Bern, they would have chosen the same course of action as der Stolze? I for one know that I would have attempted to hold the walls and wait for reinforcements. Count der Stolze chose the more tenuous path, the one this body believed was a greater risk. There was much fear in this Diet while we waited for news of the battle after his decision had been announced to us. Yet, our timidity was misplaced and it was Count der Stolze whose course was the right one. In a time of crisis, he analyzed the situation, made the proper decision, and then acted on that decision without hesitation. These are the attributes we need in the years to come.

I wholeheartedly support Count Sigismund der Stolze for the position of Chancellor. All who wish to benefit the Reich would be wise to do so as well. Accordingly, I will also second Edicts 3.1, 3.2, and 3.5. I do not oppose Edicts 3.3 and 3.4, but I will have to think on them some more.

Mandorf pauses and looks around the room.

There is another matter that I must discuss with you today, brothers of the Reich. I wish to address you on a matter of honor and justice.

As Steward of Bavaria, I have been entrusted with the welfare of my entire noble House. I am not a man of royal blood or with royal ties, but I care for the nobles of my House as much as Prinz Henry, Duke Leopold, and Duke von Saxony care for theirs. It is my duty to ensure that their rights are upheld and that they are treated with the dignity and respect that is accorded to every last Imperial noble.

It is with great regret that I must report that I have failed in my duty to my fellow Bavarians. The rights to land and title are basic ones which are essential to the operation of feudal government. Yet, the Bavarian electors have been deprived these rights and I am incapable of aiding them.

Bavaria lacks a Duke. This is through no fault of any party, but it is fact. Not only do we lack a Duke, but for various reasons not worth discussing here it does not appear that we will be gifted with such a noble leader for many years to come. This regrettably means that it will be impossible for any Bavarian to be appointed to the rank of Count for many, many years. I wish to emphasize the time period involved. At a minimum, it will be 20 years before Bavaria is provided with a Duke and such a situation could possibly even continue for the next 40 years.

This is a unique difficulty which will never befall any other House. Swabia, Franconia, and Austria all have Dukes to fulfill these sacred duties. Due to the nature of hereditary titles, none of these houses will ever require the services of a Steward ever again. The Bavarian nobles who are here in the Diet with us today are the only men who will ever be subject to this most unjust of laws. I believe that honorable conduct between nobles requires that such a prejudicial disparity be resolved promptly.

I wish to emphasize that I personally do not seek, nor would I accept, any other Ducal powers or privileges. I do not wish for the ability to appoint my successor. I do not wish to have a voice in the eventual appointment of our Duke. I do not wish to gain additional ‘Influence’ over what I now possess. No, my lords, I wish simply to be able to do justice to the Bavarian nobility by endowing worthy members with the title of Count.

Accordingly, I propose the following Charter Amendment:

Charter Amendment 3.1: Stewards may bestow the rank of Count on nobles of their House. This Amendment does not give Stewards any other Ducal power, it does not give Stewards additional Influence, nor does it allow Stewards to be Counts themselves.

As honorable gentlemen, I ask that you all look into your hearts and ask whether such a request can be justly opposed. There is no one to blame for the inequity, but it exists all the same and honor dictates that it be rectified. I humbly request your aid to allow me to do justice to the noblemen of my House.