The Raptor of Spain
- Thread starter MNP
- Start date
Huzzah!
I was wondering if it was time to start bugging you!
In terms of where to go, good question. I would like to see a summary of cultural developments
Awesome! can I say everything?
Brazil.
You are alive!
Personally, I would like to see more Brasil, Francia and Eastern Empire.
Even if you posted that about a month ago. I want to bump, and second the excitement.
I definitively want to read about Spaña's interaction with the New World (Ultramar and Brasilia in TTL if i remember correctly). And if there be a possibility of a West African state acting as a colonizer and/or the survival of some Native societies. And how will the Irish react to new competition on the continent.
Also across the world. How is China developing in the world without the Mongol invasion - or a more limited one, as I believe it was here.
Anyway whenever the update comes, I'm very much looking forward to it.
2.76
2.76 - Re-Flowering
2.76 - Re-Flowering
For Spaña, the last decade of the twelfth century recalled the glories of the past. The internal struggles and factional intrigue plaguing the kingdom for two generations were if not gone, at least buried. Those with an interest in power united to find workable solutions and implement them so they could have something to fight over later.
When King Rolando's heir took ill and died without issue, these factions united to stamp out potential unrest. The Magistrate of Laws, the Royalty Council, the religious authorities (including two cardinals[1]) deemed it lawful for Prince Juan to marry his brother’s widow. Rolando put aside his grief long enough to grant his approval and the representatives of the councillarium did not object. Neither did Juan. He was recovering from a bad wound taken in the northern campaign against the Kingdom of Provence.
That campaign was going well now that it was against Provence alone. In Italy, Elias Ornos[2] bought himself into an alliance with the Free Companies. Supported by a flotilla, Ornos and the Free Companies rampaged along the coast capturing a number of ports and strategic points farther inland. In the west the Prince of Catalonia prevailed upon Gaspar de Córdoba to emerge from exile and they fought together again. If any doubted the old commander, the peaceful surrender of Nimes after a two month siege disabused them. From Nimes, the Spaniards raided the land around Areles with impunity.
If the departure of Juan gave the Provencal forces false hope, Nimes and Areles crushed it. The Provencal nobility panicked and rose in revolt. A distant royal relative by the name of Vertrandoles Ludisano delivered his predecessor over to the Catalonian prince at Tolosa where the three of them awaited the arrival of Rolando II.
After remanding the former king to a lonely monastery on some distant islands in the Atlantic[3], Rolando formally greeted Vetrandoles as a king. While Provencal appeals to Francia provided no military assistance, they sent strong hopes for moderation. Consequently, Rolando was generous. Nimes and Frejus were returned as a gift welcoming Vertrandoles to the community of monarchs. More complex was the issue of the Free Companies.
In less than a decade they had driven the Provencals from their lands in the Italian foothills of Piamonta. Open war with Milan was prevented when Elias Ornos stepped in and took responsibility for keeping them apart. Torino was now a military republic.[4] Only Ferran Almagre and his personal command, the Black Company, remained with the Spaniards where Ferran took over his father’s position in Castile. King Vertrandoles was obliged to accept the loss of his Piamonta territory but compensated by some small sections of Castile and hegemony over the scattered free territories in the Alps.[5] This did not suit everyone, but no one was willing to force a change.
With less warfare came a corresponding reduction in soldiers. During the wars, all the factions seized men wherever they could to turn into soldiers. Now there was concern to avoid the violence and lawlessness associated with unemployed mercenaries. A number of lands in the south of the peninsula were available, abandoned due to devastation or confiscation. The land was divided into smaller plots and granted to soldiers. The worst instances of banditry were ameliorated though to be sure, the State Guard and the army were active. After 1190, the Spañan interior began a slow but steady economic revival.
Meanwhile the king was finally able to continue his long stalled project of integration. His efforts as a prince helped strengthen the urban nobility of south born from the east-west trade and successful military adventurers. Now with the firm capture of so much of the coast, a significant share of the north-south trade through and around the Alps came under the control of the Spaniards for the first time.
By the end of the century, the cities in southern Italy were becoming a pre-eminent crossroads of goods and peoples. They began developing into centers of sophistication that drew more inhabitants thanks to increased opportunities for wealth and influence that the war-torn north--Duke Milo already had difficulties keeping his new lands quiet--could no longer support. Wealthy Spaniards from the west recognized these opportunities and lent financial support to the locals in exchange for a share. The state did its part by extending to educated and wealthy Italians opportunities for advancement closer to the center of power in Toledo. Local money and influence would draw artists and artisans to offer their services.
Opposition of the rural nobility was blunted by general economic growth and the departure of some Italians westward, opening up local opportunities for the rural nobility to enter more fully into city life. These country lords became more oriented to using their wealth to gain status, social recognition and a share of the profits to be had in the cities. Second, large numbers of former soldiers were settled in southern Italy, sparking an evolution of local culture and setting the region firmly on the path toward what later historians would term “Hispanidad.” With money from years of service and enough profitable smaller farms, a broad demand for basic goods (textiles, ceramics, metalwork) and some luxury items developed. Sensing an opportunity, local men with means both noble and not invested in making formerly small towns into centers of local production.
Trade and settlement led to greater cultural mixing. While the general flow was from west to east, Italian forms did gain an audience in Spaña and a general intellectual ferment for exploring new ideas took hold. This was boosted by the proliferation of the printing process. Literacy improved for the population as a whole and children (even some girls) from well-off families regardless of pedigree received the rudiments of a classical education.[6]
Then there was the matter of Ultramar. In the last decade of the century there was only limited exploration there. The coast was well-settled by the natives though not entirely so. At this early stage the Spaniards were strongly dependent on the goodwill of the natives who were the primary suppliers of the dye products breathing life into the Ebro region and the northeast part of the kingdom. Language was a strong initial barrier but several adventurers were willing to remain with various tribes, befriending them and learning their language of which there were two main varieties.[7] However sometimes the tribes fought among themselves and on least one occasion, Spaniards found themselves on both sides of a conflict. Ultramarin Brasilia was a place of mysteries, with reports of mysterious animals and plants and cities deep in a jungle of which the Spaniards had only seen the fringes, abounded. In 1199 the first Spañan coastal village of Porto Occidentas[8] was founded by Masono, a former soldier in the employ of a consortium of textile and shipping investors to safeguard the supply of wood.
Yet Ultramar was not what excited the minds of the high in those years. The rounding of the Cape of Africa in 1198 by Rodrigo Enriguez stirred more immediate passions. Unfortunately it was the final voyage for the old man. He was too ill to continue eastward and without the driving force of his will, the crew chose the better part of valor. He died along the way and was buried at Port Huerta in Africa. With his death, efforts to reach India lost impetus for a time. It was Enriguez who began the Spañan tradition of planting citrus trees at spots along the coast for resupply. The origin of this practice can be seen in the family crest in which a lemon flower figured prominently.[9]
___________________________
[1]Cardinal refers to a bishop “incardinated” to the whole church. They represent the interests of the universal church but are still subordinate to the primate of the local church. In this case, to receive the blessing of the cardinals means the decision is in accordance with Christian law.
[2]Elias is in charge of the north with Alesso de Verada based in the south with overall military command.
[3]The Azores
[4]The nobility were replaced by the soldiers. I have some ideas here but would welcome any suggestions on potential development.
[5]These have been shown in the past few maps as vassals of Spaña.
[6]Logic and Rhetoric were combined, astronomy was replaced by chemistry/alchemy and history was added.
[7]Tupi and Gê. While the Tupi pushed the Gê back from the Brazilian coast around 1500, that struggle hasn’t occurred yet.
[8]Probably at Santos, Brazil.
[9]He was of course, Amina’s son.
When King Rolando's heir took ill and died without issue, these factions united to stamp out potential unrest. The Magistrate of Laws, the Royalty Council, the religious authorities (including two cardinals[1]) deemed it lawful for Prince Juan to marry his brother’s widow. Rolando put aside his grief long enough to grant his approval and the representatives of the councillarium did not object. Neither did Juan. He was recovering from a bad wound taken in the northern campaign against the Kingdom of Provence.
That campaign was going well now that it was against Provence alone. In Italy, Elias Ornos[2] bought himself into an alliance with the Free Companies. Supported by a flotilla, Ornos and the Free Companies rampaged along the coast capturing a number of ports and strategic points farther inland. In the west the Prince of Catalonia prevailed upon Gaspar de Córdoba to emerge from exile and they fought together again. If any doubted the old commander, the peaceful surrender of Nimes after a two month siege disabused them. From Nimes, the Spaniards raided the land around Areles with impunity.
If the departure of Juan gave the Provencal forces false hope, Nimes and Areles crushed it. The Provencal nobility panicked and rose in revolt. A distant royal relative by the name of Vertrandoles Ludisano delivered his predecessor over to the Catalonian prince at Tolosa where the three of them awaited the arrival of Rolando II.
After remanding the former king to a lonely monastery on some distant islands in the Atlantic[3], Rolando formally greeted Vetrandoles as a king. While Provencal appeals to Francia provided no military assistance, they sent strong hopes for moderation. Consequently, Rolando was generous. Nimes and Frejus were returned as a gift welcoming Vertrandoles to the community of monarchs. More complex was the issue of the Free Companies.
In less than a decade they had driven the Provencals from their lands in the Italian foothills of Piamonta. Open war with Milan was prevented when Elias Ornos stepped in and took responsibility for keeping them apart. Torino was now a military republic.[4] Only Ferran Almagre and his personal command, the Black Company, remained with the Spaniards where Ferran took over his father’s position in Castile. King Vertrandoles was obliged to accept the loss of his Piamonta territory but compensated by some small sections of Castile and hegemony over the scattered free territories in the Alps.[5] This did not suit everyone, but no one was willing to force a change.
* * * * *
With less warfare came a corresponding reduction in soldiers. During the wars, all the factions seized men wherever they could to turn into soldiers. Now there was concern to avoid the violence and lawlessness associated with unemployed mercenaries. A number of lands in the south of the peninsula were available, abandoned due to devastation or confiscation. The land was divided into smaller plots and granted to soldiers. The worst instances of banditry were ameliorated though to be sure, the State Guard and the army were active. After 1190, the Spañan interior began a slow but steady economic revival.
Meanwhile the king was finally able to continue his long stalled project of integration. His efforts as a prince helped strengthen the urban nobility of south born from the east-west trade and successful military adventurers. Now with the firm capture of so much of the coast, a significant share of the north-south trade through and around the Alps came under the control of the Spaniards for the first time.
By the end of the century, the cities in southern Italy were becoming a pre-eminent crossroads of goods and peoples. They began developing into centers of sophistication that drew more inhabitants thanks to increased opportunities for wealth and influence that the war-torn north--Duke Milo already had difficulties keeping his new lands quiet--could no longer support. Wealthy Spaniards from the west recognized these opportunities and lent financial support to the locals in exchange for a share. The state did its part by extending to educated and wealthy Italians opportunities for advancement closer to the center of power in Toledo. Local money and influence would draw artists and artisans to offer their services.
Opposition of the rural nobility was blunted by general economic growth and the departure of some Italians westward, opening up local opportunities for the rural nobility to enter more fully into city life. These country lords became more oriented to using their wealth to gain status, social recognition and a share of the profits to be had in the cities. Second, large numbers of former soldiers were settled in southern Italy, sparking an evolution of local culture and setting the region firmly on the path toward what later historians would term “Hispanidad.” With money from years of service and enough profitable smaller farms, a broad demand for basic goods (textiles, ceramics, metalwork) and some luxury items developed. Sensing an opportunity, local men with means both noble and not invested in making formerly small towns into centers of local production.
Trade and settlement led to greater cultural mixing. While the general flow was from west to east, Italian forms did gain an audience in Spaña and a general intellectual ferment for exploring new ideas took hold. This was boosted by the proliferation of the printing process. Literacy improved for the population as a whole and children (even some girls) from well-off families regardless of pedigree received the rudiments of a classical education.[6]
Then there was the matter of Ultramar. In the last decade of the century there was only limited exploration there. The coast was well-settled by the natives though not entirely so. At this early stage the Spaniards were strongly dependent on the goodwill of the natives who were the primary suppliers of the dye products breathing life into the Ebro region and the northeast part of the kingdom. Language was a strong initial barrier but several adventurers were willing to remain with various tribes, befriending them and learning their language of which there were two main varieties.[7] However sometimes the tribes fought among themselves and on least one occasion, Spaniards found themselves on both sides of a conflict. Ultramarin Brasilia was a place of mysteries, with reports of mysterious animals and plants and cities deep in a jungle of which the Spaniards had only seen the fringes, abounded. In 1199 the first Spañan coastal village of Porto Occidentas[8] was founded by Masono, a former soldier in the employ of a consortium of textile and shipping investors to safeguard the supply of wood.
Yet Ultramar was not what excited the minds of the high in those years. The rounding of the Cape of Africa in 1198 by Rodrigo Enriguez stirred more immediate passions. Unfortunately it was the final voyage for the old man. He was too ill to continue eastward and without the driving force of his will, the crew chose the better part of valor. He died along the way and was buried at Port Huerta in Africa. With his death, efforts to reach India lost impetus for a time. It was Enriguez who began the Spañan tradition of planting citrus trees at spots along the coast for resupply. The origin of this practice can be seen in the family crest in which a lemon flower figured prominently.[9]
___________________________
[1]Cardinal refers to a bishop “incardinated” to the whole church. They represent the interests of the universal church but are still subordinate to the primate of the local church. In this case, to receive the blessing of the cardinals means the decision is in accordance with Christian law.
[2]Elias is in charge of the north with Alesso de Verada based in the south with overall military command.
[3]The Azores
[4]The nobility were replaced by the soldiers. I have some ideas here but would welcome any suggestions on potential development.
[5]These have been shown in the past few maps as vassals of Spaña.
[6]Logic and Rhetoric were combined, astronomy was replaced by chemistry/alchemy and history was added.
[7]Tupi and Gê. While the Tupi pushed the Gê back from the Brazilian coast around 1500, that struggle hasn’t occurred yet.
[8]Probably at Santos, Brazil.
[9]He was of course, Amina’s son.
Thanks. Trying for more and shorter this time around.
Any thoughts on trying to mitigate the (what I consider to be) inevitable slavery issue? I do have a few ideas in that regard including involving West African states, but welcome any suggestions.
@jycee: What happened in China is that the alt-Mongolians conquered it all then they fell apart externally instead of by revolt leading to another warring states era, this time with lots more rockets and less population. This also prevented any real development of Neo-Confucianism meaning Buddhism and Daoism are far more popular in China and Confucianism, which is getting rather ossified, less.
Not entirely sure about the Francia path yet, but the Eastern Empire is going to get some attention. The first two decades of the 13th century will be notable ones for the middle-east and east Africa.
Any thoughts on trying to mitigate the (what I consider to be) inevitable slavery issue? I do have a few ideas in that regard including involving West African states, but welcome any suggestions.
@jycee: What happened in China is that the alt-Mongolians conquered it all then they fell apart externally instead of by revolt leading to another warring states era, this time with lots more rockets and less population. This also prevented any real development of Neo-Confucianism meaning Buddhism and Daoism are far more popular in China and Confucianism, which is getting rather ossified, less.
Not entirely sure about the Francia path yet, but the Eastern Empire is going to get some attention. The first two decades of the 13th century will be notable ones for the middle-east and east Africa.
Good to see this back!
I will think about your questions and see if anything comes up.
With regard to the West African/slavery issue - maybe talk to Jonathan Edelstein. His thread is a fair bit later than yours but he may have some thoughts on earlier the earlier period that may help, given his focus on slavery and social development.
I will think about your questions and see if anything comes up.
With regard to the West African/slavery issue - maybe talk to Jonathan Edelstein. His thread is a fair bit later than yours but he may have some thoughts on earlier the earlier period that may help, given his focus on slavery and social development.
Nice to see another couple of updates, MNP. Can't think of a better suggestion for the slavery issue than sounding out Mr Edelstein.
On another note, nice to see that Rodrigo carried on championing the cause of Amina's lemon flower all his life. Also a very sensible way of ensuring vitamin C supplies for sailors on a long journey.
On another note, nice to see that Rodrigo carried on championing the cause of Amina's lemon flower all his life. Also a very sensible way of ensuring vitamin C supplies for sailors on a long journey.
Request!
Request: Does anyone have a good sized unlabeled map of France-Germany (and maybe western Poland) area? I generally prefer to use relief maps, but a totally blank one would do just as well.
In spite of what I wrote above, Francia is the focus of the next post and it's going to require a map.
Request: Does anyone have a good sized unlabeled map of France-Germany (and maybe western Poland) area? I generally prefer to use relief maps, but a totally blank one would do just as well.
In spite of what I wrote above, Francia is the focus of the next post and it's going to require a map.
The Natural Earth III maps or the NASA height map that they have, may be useful.
2.77
2.77 - That Which is Born
Notes on Government
Map to follow in a day or two. Looking into the Natural Earth III maps Zuvarq kindly linked to. I usually use the terrain Google maps to recheck my city positions so those should play a role too. Finally, thanks Reddog794, glad I could entertain.
2.77 - That Which is Born
In 1199, three years after becoming king, Charles IV of Francia set out on a tour of his vast kingdom. The tour went as well as could be expected with only minor inconveniences tied to crossing into the greater domains. The king publicly accepted the explanation offered of inexperienced or overzealous locals. He enjoyed lavish entertainments public and private by way of apology, but quietly noted who had given him trouble. Charles knew what it meant to wait and he’d committed to doing so for the immediate future.
The king was young enough to be underestimated by his adversaries, but being able to leave the capital and Austria[1] itself so early in his reign betrayed his political acumen. His predecessors rarely dared lest the reigns of power begin slide into the hands of some ambitions underling. The Ducal Princes never let his grandfather Selver forget they had elected him, or the concessions required of his father. Some of Charles earliest memories were of his father Frankez furious at the concessions required of him to secure the throne for his son. While vestigial law spoke to the election of the king, most of the past kings never bothered with the fiction. Most never needed to.
The history of Francia was a constant struggle to reign in the nobility or at least get them pulling in the same direction. Whether by warfare, intrigue, integration or money the first order of business was to secure their practical authority beyond the title. Some failed. The strength of the kingdom worked against them. Francia was large and populous and if some far off eastern town was attacked it mattered very little in the west. Their great Spañan rivals looked east and south for gain, but every time they had clashed directly it was Francia who had regretted it most. The worst of the border clashes against the eastern tribes had ended with the birth of Normandy. Now Normandy too had a buffer state to the east in the form of the Hungarians. Odd Christians[2] but Christians none-the-less. A century of more or less steady economic development led to growing trade, urban populations, profitable farms and marginal lands being made productive.
The great war against Spaña ended that. Early on plunder and success were enough to cover the costs but as the Spaniards fought back a constant struggle to fund armies and keep the pressure on against the southerners left the kingdom financially weak. After religious unrest and the humiliation at Puaton, demand for reparations and a king imprisoned led to civil war and the eventual collapse of Robertine authority.
By the time Duke Selver of Alsesta finally won the Francian throne, the provincial dukes were mostly dead. The survivors had used the opportunity to settled old grudges, annex neighbors and become too powerful for any monarch to subdue. There were only a handful now, each with the title of Prince-Duke and Domains that sprawled across the kingdom. Their support was essential to keep Francia intact but their support was conditional on their autonomy. As long as they delivered a set sum to the royal treasury each could coin money and enter into financial agreements with foreign states. Each could divide their lands as they saw fit. Militarily as long as they rallied to the king in times of invasion and did not attack other Francians they could lead their men to war at their own discretion. Beyond their limited fiscal and military help the king was on his own. This was the price of peace and it simply could not be undone yet.
It was a disaster, but if Charles IV lacked the authority of Robert II half a century before neither did he have to deal with a southern queen with a determination to grind her enemies to dust. The boundaries of the Domains of the Ducal Princes were laid down and agreed to by all of them. They could only be altered by unanimous consent of all of them--including the king. There could be no more legal sanction for internal fighting.
King Selver had to focus on securing the kingdom and keeping it together. When King Frankez his first attempt to prevail over the Prince-Dukes came near to disaster. Afterwards, he set out to counter the enormous powers granted to the Prince-Dukes. He revived and expanded the cooperation with the cities of the north coast and Mediterranean corridor[3], cities that had proven too stubbornly independent to be swallowed up in the conflicts. Very few had noble rulers. Some had gone to war and died, others had been deposed when they wanted to go to war. Frankez had offered them official charters to legitimize their independence of all but the monarch. The boom in North Sea trade and the resumption of regular Mediterranean trade had given them the money to make their voices heard. When added to the lands controlled by the monarchy and the dynasty personally they could surpass any of the single Prince-Dukes and perhaps any two.
But this was only the beginning. Republican cities and small lords scattered across the kingdom were brought together and formed into a court assembly[4] in Veroten. Officially the Diet of Estates and Contracts, they were known legally as “well-born lords and masters.”[5] For the lesser nobility it was the first time they could gain a voice in the running of the kingdom. Support of the court assembly would be crucial for future projects in terms of funding and manpower. The old method of overlapping noble councils was carried over in that the assembly had a number of committees responsible for government departments staffed by the professional administrative class.
It was far from ideal but Charles was pleased. Let the Prince-Dukes run their domains like petty tyrants if they liked. His father had laid the ground work and Charles would unite the kingdom under him and against them. They had already budgeted funds for regional militia that would be at least semi-trained and supplement the king’s modest professional army. It was not an army Charles wanted to take on a foreign campaign, but it could defend the kingdom. Charles hoped the militia would evolve into permanent formations but that day was still far away. Still, as he personally signed and stamped the printed records of the inaugural session, he could feel the excitement in the room as they were distributed. None of the Prince-Dukes had been invited and none cared about attending.
One effect of the creation the court assembly was the permanent interaction between the various cultural spheres of the kingdom. Charles intended to encourage it. It was too easy for a man from Aurleans to see a man from Kassel as more foreign than a Breton or Ancolissan. Using the greater availability of travel and the printer’s craft, he hoped to sponsor and disseminate worthy cultural works throughout the kingdom. Most Francians already agreed on religion and languages were of little import with translation. The Templars would assure that no dangerous ideas were spread this way. The beginning was already made in the festival near the capital he sponsored before his tour, and would do so again every few years.
Despite his weaker military posture, foreign events were moving his way. In Danilotte his cousin Arvik was about to reach his majority. Arvik was on fire to visit his cousin on the continent and had already been useful by persuading his regents to agree to favorable terms in the trade with the north coast cities. The Bretons were quiet and at least somewhat accepting of Francian influence. Northern Ancolissa was also under his growing influence, though the Prince-Duke of Neustria also had a hand there. All of old Alsesta and parts of Aaresta had returned to Francian rule after the Provencal war ended. Diplomatic overtures were proving fruitful in ending the century long Danish expansion over the Elber. The Spaniards were being highly reasonable in their port tolls. They did not want to fight again so soon either.
Augsbirge though, Augsbirge was a wound. Charles wanted badly to avenge that slight as the city was historically Francian and notable events had taken place there. That the Prince-Dukes had rather resist his father than defend the kingdom was one more mark against them in his ledger.
For now he would focus on building up his lands and those of his allies, repairing their physical and cultural connections then expand from there. In this way he would constrain the Prince-Dukes before they became too used to their new powers and eventually eclipse them. His predecessors had thought in terms of military power. But that was only one leg of the throne. Money and cultural vitality were equally important. He would unite his people with their shared history, culture and descent. United, they would generate the funds necessary to train themselves to defend the kingdom, educate themselves to its riches, and celebrate its success. Together they would birth something new. Or as historians would write much later, a nation.
___________________________
[1]Name descends from Carolingian Austrasia.
[2]Eastern Orthodox Hungary
[3]Rather similar to the OTL Duchy of Burgundy(!) without Luxembourg but with Champagne.
[4]This means the Francian provincial system has completely collapsed and when I speak of Belgium, Lowland, Austria, etc. these now refer to more nebulous regions.
[5]Lords = nobility, masters = rich burghers, well-born is a generic term instead of the more restrictive high-born.
The king was young enough to be underestimated by his adversaries, but being able to leave the capital and Austria[1] itself so early in his reign betrayed his political acumen. His predecessors rarely dared lest the reigns of power begin slide into the hands of some ambitions underling. The Ducal Princes never let his grandfather Selver forget they had elected him, or the concessions required of his father. Some of Charles earliest memories were of his father Frankez furious at the concessions required of him to secure the throne for his son. While vestigial law spoke to the election of the king, most of the past kings never bothered with the fiction. Most never needed to.
The history of Francia was a constant struggle to reign in the nobility or at least get them pulling in the same direction. Whether by warfare, intrigue, integration or money the first order of business was to secure their practical authority beyond the title. Some failed. The strength of the kingdom worked against them. Francia was large and populous and if some far off eastern town was attacked it mattered very little in the west. Their great Spañan rivals looked east and south for gain, but every time they had clashed directly it was Francia who had regretted it most. The worst of the border clashes against the eastern tribes had ended with the birth of Normandy. Now Normandy too had a buffer state to the east in the form of the Hungarians. Odd Christians[2] but Christians none-the-less. A century of more or less steady economic development led to growing trade, urban populations, profitable farms and marginal lands being made productive.
The great war against Spaña ended that. Early on plunder and success were enough to cover the costs but as the Spaniards fought back a constant struggle to fund armies and keep the pressure on against the southerners left the kingdom financially weak. After religious unrest and the humiliation at Puaton, demand for reparations and a king imprisoned led to civil war and the eventual collapse of Robertine authority.
By the time Duke Selver of Alsesta finally won the Francian throne, the provincial dukes were mostly dead. The survivors had used the opportunity to settled old grudges, annex neighbors and become too powerful for any monarch to subdue. There were only a handful now, each with the title of Prince-Duke and Domains that sprawled across the kingdom. Their support was essential to keep Francia intact but their support was conditional on their autonomy. As long as they delivered a set sum to the royal treasury each could coin money and enter into financial agreements with foreign states. Each could divide their lands as they saw fit. Militarily as long as they rallied to the king in times of invasion and did not attack other Francians they could lead their men to war at their own discretion. Beyond their limited fiscal and military help the king was on his own. This was the price of peace and it simply could not be undone yet.
It was a disaster, but if Charles IV lacked the authority of Robert II half a century before neither did he have to deal with a southern queen with a determination to grind her enemies to dust. The boundaries of the Domains of the Ducal Princes were laid down and agreed to by all of them. They could only be altered by unanimous consent of all of them--including the king. There could be no more legal sanction for internal fighting.
King Selver had to focus on securing the kingdom and keeping it together. When King Frankez his first attempt to prevail over the Prince-Dukes came near to disaster. Afterwards, he set out to counter the enormous powers granted to the Prince-Dukes. He revived and expanded the cooperation with the cities of the north coast and Mediterranean corridor[3], cities that had proven too stubbornly independent to be swallowed up in the conflicts. Very few had noble rulers. Some had gone to war and died, others had been deposed when they wanted to go to war. Frankez had offered them official charters to legitimize their independence of all but the monarch. The boom in North Sea trade and the resumption of regular Mediterranean trade had given them the money to make their voices heard. When added to the lands controlled by the monarchy and the dynasty personally they could surpass any of the single Prince-Dukes and perhaps any two.
But this was only the beginning. Republican cities and small lords scattered across the kingdom were brought together and formed into a court assembly[4] in Veroten. Officially the Diet of Estates and Contracts, they were known legally as “well-born lords and masters.”[5] For the lesser nobility it was the first time they could gain a voice in the running of the kingdom. Support of the court assembly would be crucial for future projects in terms of funding and manpower. The old method of overlapping noble councils was carried over in that the assembly had a number of committees responsible for government departments staffed by the professional administrative class.
It was far from ideal but Charles was pleased. Let the Prince-Dukes run their domains like petty tyrants if they liked. His father had laid the ground work and Charles would unite the kingdom under him and against them. They had already budgeted funds for regional militia that would be at least semi-trained and supplement the king’s modest professional army. It was not an army Charles wanted to take on a foreign campaign, but it could defend the kingdom. Charles hoped the militia would evolve into permanent formations but that day was still far away. Still, as he personally signed and stamped the printed records of the inaugural session, he could feel the excitement in the room as they were distributed. None of the Prince-Dukes had been invited and none cared about attending.
One effect of the creation the court assembly was the permanent interaction between the various cultural spheres of the kingdom. Charles intended to encourage it. It was too easy for a man from Aurleans to see a man from Kassel as more foreign than a Breton or Ancolissan. Using the greater availability of travel and the printer’s craft, he hoped to sponsor and disseminate worthy cultural works throughout the kingdom. Most Francians already agreed on religion and languages were of little import with translation. The Templars would assure that no dangerous ideas were spread this way. The beginning was already made in the festival near the capital he sponsored before his tour, and would do so again every few years.
Despite his weaker military posture, foreign events were moving his way. In Danilotte his cousin Arvik was about to reach his majority. Arvik was on fire to visit his cousin on the continent and had already been useful by persuading his regents to agree to favorable terms in the trade with the north coast cities. The Bretons were quiet and at least somewhat accepting of Francian influence. Northern Ancolissa was also under his growing influence, though the Prince-Duke of Neustria also had a hand there. All of old Alsesta and parts of Aaresta had returned to Francian rule after the Provencal war ended. Diplomatic overtures were proving fruitful in ending the century long Danish expansion over the Elber. The Spaniards were being highly reasonable in their port tolls. They did not want to fight again so soon either.
Augsbirge though, Augsbirge was a wound. Charles wanted badly to avenge that slight as the city was historically Francian and notable events had taken place there. That the Prince-Dukes had rather resist his father than defend the kingdom was one more mark against them in his ledger.
For now he would focus on building up his lands and those of his allies, repairing their physical and cultural connections then expand from there. In this way he would constrain the Prince-Dukes before they became too used to their new powers and eventually eclipse them. His predecessors had thought in terms of military power. But that was only one leg of the throne. Money and cultural vitality were equally important. He would unite his people with their shared history, culture and descent. United, they would generate the funds necessary to train themselves to defend the kingdom, educate themselves to its riches, and celebrate its success. Together they would birth something new. Or as historians would write much later, a nation.
___________________________
[1]Name descends from Carolingian Austrasia.
[2]Eastern Orthodox Hungary
[3]Rather similar to the OTL Duchy of Burgundy(!) without Luxembourg but with Champagne.
[4]This means the Francian provincial system has completely collapsed and when I speak of Belgium, Lowland, Austria, etc. these now refer to more nebulous regions.
[5]Lords = nobility, masters = rich burghers, well-born is a generic term instead of the more restrictive high-born.
Notes on Government
In Spaña the rich men make up the legislature. Many represent interests in territories ruled by counts who make up a different body. The highest nobles of this second body now are helping rule the kingdom. In Francia the new legislature puts low nobility and rich men on the same level. Both answer directly to the king and the great nobles are sidelined to do as they please in their own territories. After trying a modified Spañan stake-holder style, the Francians have essentially decided to give up on controlling them and instead make them obsolete. So now the kingdoms will follow different approaches.
Map to follow in a day or two. Looking into the Natural Earth III maps Zuvarq kindly linked to. I usually use the terrain Google maps to recheck my city positions so those should play a role too. Finally, thanks Reddog794, glad I could entertain.
Last edited: