Imperial Diet

[Jalf]

Ah, and one more thing. It is about time I put some action behind my earlier suggestion. I hereby propose the following edict:

Edict 4.7: The Reich will hire 500 of the most skilled and well equipped mercenary soldiers available in our lands to reinforce our faltering armies.

With such a boost to our military might, we should be able to defend our lands until we can get some of our militiamen and peasants replaced with proper soldiers of the Empire.

[lilirishman1986]

in regards to Edict 4.7 we should only support the recruitment of mercenary troops at the utmost need by the commanders in the field. That money used for mercenaries might be better used to build our infrastructure so that we may create a stronger professional standing army rather than a temporary stopgap.

[Jalf]

Hah, may I remind you we just suffered a defeat? One of our cities is under siege, and enemy armies are everywhere around us? No, I think we need a temporary stopgap more than anything! given a few years, our infrastructure will be in very good shape indeed, and we will be able to recruit professional soldiers ourselves. But you try asking Poland to come back in 8 years... We can't afford to sit back and wait for that. We need troops NOW!

Especially given our standing with the Pope, we must expect more encounters with the nations that follow him. Again, these will not kindly wait while we build our cities and prepare a decade-long campaign to recruit decent troops on our own.

[TinCow]

I fully support the motive of the Fifth Elector of Franconia in proposing Edict 4.7, but I cannot support the Edict as it stands. It would certainly be wise to recruit mercenaries for the time being to provide a more professional core to some of our weakened armies. However, Edict 4.7 requires a very large number of mercenaries at great cost to the Reich. I would certainly support the hiring of 500 or even 1000 mercenaries if they were needed for security, but I am not convinced that the Diet is in a position to decide that they are needed. This is something that only the commanders of our armies can know and even then it is unlikely that they will be able to predict their requirements beyond the immediate battles that they are faced with.

Thus, I fully support the hiring of mercenaries, but would prefer the exact number and type to be hired were left to the Chancellor, as he is in the best position to decide on such matters. Accordingly, I will not support Edict 4.7 as it stands, but I will let it be known that I will actively oppose any Edict which attempts to limit the amount of mercenaries that the Chancellor may hire.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Kaiser Heinrich: I'll take that gavel back, thank you. *eyes Prinz Henry*

Electors, let me give you a quick synopsis of the facts:

- Milan makes an unprovoked attack on us.

- Venice makes an unprovoked attack on us, breaking our alliance.

- Poland makes an unprovoked attack on us, breaking our alliance.

- Pope Gregory and his large army are deep in Imperial territory, camped outside my current location.

- Pope Gregory threatens us with excommunication if we do not abide by his commands.

Now, I may be getting old, but something isn't quite right here.

He orders us to cease hostilities with Milan and Venice in order to avoid excommunication. Fine. We will do so. We will use that time to build up our forces. We will use that time to make proper men and armies. And when that time is over, we will strike with a fury and a vengeance.

I suppose that the second half of Chancellor Sigismund's term could be used as a time for quiet consilidation and expansion of our armed forces. But good Electors, we must use this time well.

[Ignoramus]

Chancellor Sigismund der Stolze rises to his feet:

I fear we cannot cease hostilities against Venice. They are currently besieging Milan with a company of Pavise Crossbowmen. To succour the city, we must drive them away. Therefore, we cannot agree to Edicts 4.1 and 4.2.

Chancellor Sigismund resumes his seat.

[Warluster]

The Second Elector of Swabia rises from his seat

I throughly second edict 4.7

We need more soldiers, and if the Veneatians are beiseigeing us, then these hired soldiers can deal with them easily, especially if its just Pasive Crossbowmen, I say these Veneatians are getting desparate, and should be dealt there punishment.

The second Elector sits down

[econ21]

Prinz Henry: The Chancellor raises an important point - what actions of ours would violate the Pope's orders and result in excommunication?

I have consulted with learned scholars and men privy to the inner workings of the Vatican (ooc: asked this question in a Citadel thread today). The safe assumption would seem to be that we can sally from a besieged settlement and not be excommunicated. However, it may be risky - especially given our low Papal standing - to initiate an attack on the besiegers by a relief force. What I propose, therefore, is that if we seek to relieve a besieged city from without, we start the battle with a sally first, but place a relief army in close proximity to our besiegers, so that they will be able to reinforce the battle without violating the Pope's orders.

I should also add that it would be prudent to end our blockade of Ajaccio - I suspect this would be regarded as a hostile act and lead to our excommunication.