Very happy for them.
Time to reclaim it!
And i'm here for it!
The Grand Duchy of the West - A Valois-Burgundian TL
- Thread starter BlueFlowwer
- Start date
Ooh very interesting, and fitting, for Lionel to end up a crusader, and provide aid to his niece militarily...
Lionel certainly has that mix of Plantagenet warrior-ness and Avis religious zealousness that fits right into the order.
Ahhhh our Charles the Killer of Kings is back fighting again. (Yes Spain is back to making the papacy a puppet 
) Once again the Brabantians are funding the Spanish and Austrians. I really wonder how France is going to take on Anjou, Brittany, and Brabant cause Brabant has a massive alliance network. (Bring back the Swiss)
) Once again the Brabantians are funding the Spanish and Austrians. I really wonder how France is going to take on Anjou, Brittany, and Brabant cause Brabant has a massive alliance network. (Bring back the Swiss)I mean it's a big battle against the Ottomans, you can't expect any war-happy Duke (with an adult son back in Lorraine who can handle the duchy) to sit this one out and chill in Lorraine while the defenders of christendom crash with the infidels in Hungary, especially as they are in-laws.
Lmao, yes. But while this Pope is fine with the Catholic monarchs of Spain being domineering, this is gonna lead to troubles further down the line with the papacy. The next Pope might not be so in line with Spain.(Yes Spain is back to making the papacy a puppet
They got the money, might as well use it. The Grand Dukes are not on the battlefield, but they sure as hell don't mind sending money, aid and soldiers and ships while others do the fighting.
The next chapter should give some clearer answers to what will happen with the players in the fields, but just let me say this. Maximilian, King of the Romans is the key to this aggressive France against the Brabantians. And I'm more than happy to bring back the Swiss, that is an excellent suggestion.
Dang it, let me just edit that.
The Habsburg betrayal, I knew it. You could never trust a family that marries their own nieces
To be fair, Brabants fucking around with bishoprics and free cities in the HRE might actually piss some people off in the long run.The Habsburg betrayal, I knew it. You could never trust a family that marries their own nieces
Still a betrayal
The real question is tho does Frederick support his son and if we play imperial politics we should bring in the other families, (wittelsbach and Hohenzollern?)These Habsburg have never done something like that as that was an iberian thing.The Habsburg betrayal, I knew it. You could never trust a family that marries their own nieces
SHHHHHHH WE JUST DISS HABSBURG FOR INCEST. (Not that Brabant is also doing the same thing
)... Do you really want me to answer that?Still a betrayal
They absolutely are gonna be part of chapter 51, I need to beef that chapter up anyways.
Thank you so much! I hate writing battle chapters, so it is amazing people like this chapter!
Me and my never ending quest in getting fresh blood into the Avis and Trastamara families. It's a Sisyphus-ian task!
Did someone in my story wed their niece other than a brief mention of La Beltraneja? The closes thing I have gotten is two first cousins marrying each other, as Blanche of Cadiz becoming the second wife of Juan, Prince of Asturias.SHHHHHHH WE JUST DISS HABSBURG FOR INCEST. (Not that Brabant is also doing the same thing
No LOL. Technically Philip V married Beatrice who is his parental grandmother's brother's daughter? So his aunt? Philip IV also married his mother's brother's daughter as well so his cousin
So yes Brabant is committing incest but also I see Brabant has a thing for English blood Philip and Mary were first cousins. Beatrice is technically her husbands great aunt. To be fair, they were allied with England and incest were a matter of papal bulls. Jeanne is a bit of fresh blood thou.No LOL. Technically Philip V married Beatrice who is his parental grandmother's brother's daughter? So his aunt? Philip IV also married his mother's brother's daughter as well so his cousin
Thank you! I won my own category it seems!Anyway I forgot to like give my congratulations. While you didn't win 1st place, because you had two TL's technically it means you won 1st place in terms of votes to Author. Heh gotta celebrate a win
Chapter 50 - Spain and the Holy Roman Empire from 1525 to 1526
Chapter 50 – Spain and the Holy Roman Empire from 1525 to 1526
The year of 1525 began with the birth to two princesses. Blanche of Cádiz, Princess of Asturias gave birth to her second daughter in the city of Cordoba, while the Queen of the Romans delivered another archduchess in Vienna. Infanta Catalina was born in the beginning of January, Anne of Austria in the end of January. Despite his wishes for his next grandchild to be a boy, Juan was nevertheless happy over the arrival of baby Catalina. The warfare against the Ottomans would continue at sea over the year, and Barbarossa, the naval corsair commander pushed back hard to expel the Spaniards from Algeria. Support from the Ottomans poured into after the fall of Tlemcen and the death of Oruc and under the year the christian forces would find their strongholds hard pressed. The destruction of the Ottoman army near Hungary had roused the Sultan Suleiman and so had the Iberian-Italian forces that seemed determined to break the barbary corsairs in the Mediterranean coasts. The fall of Tlemcen had been a serious blow as well. The Spanish had gotten additional support in the Republic of Genoa, further strengthening their armies and ships in 1525. In February the Spanish broke into Tunis, first capturing the strategic port of La Goulette and then the city itself. Barbarossa were furious about that as well and the Ottoman sultan directed troops to the region with the direct order to throw the Christians out. But even the sultan was dealing with issues, as the destruction of the Turkish army in Hungary had gotten it difficult for him to levy all the men required for the task. Many of the local rulers near the Barbary coasts were also shifting in their loyalties, as the Spaniards offered generous terms in return for homage. In the late spring the navy won a huge victory in the Balearic Sea and captured several Ottoman galleys, something the citizens of Majorca celebrated with feasts and bonfires. In the summer the warfare raged mostly in the sea of Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea near Italy and near the Gulf of Gabés outside of Tunisia. The papal armies and the Italian condottieries fought hard battles near the coast between Rome and Naples, while the Venetians cut off plenty of Ottoman reinforcement in the Adriatic Sea. The strait of Otranto was guarded by Naples and the Knights Hospitallers as well. For the rest of 1525 the situation in the Mediterranean Sea were at a standstill, as neither the Christians or the Ottomans won any decisive victories. Barbarossa managed to retake the fortress of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera from the Castilians in autumn, but they keep control of Tlemcen and Tunis as well.
The year of 1526 would be a turning point in the wars against the Ottomans and one that would reverberate into every corner of the world. Sultan Sulieman fully intended to take Hungary in response to the insulting imperial victory of 1524 at Petrovaradin and this time he himself would take to the battlefield. If the Emperor wanted a fight, then that is what he was going to get. Frederick had spent over a year bracing for this battle, as he knew the Ottomans would come again. The diets of Hungary and Bohemia and Austria had been gathered to discuss a war tax in winter of 1524 and they relented after pressure, as the emperor had won great prestige after the campaigns. The Imperial Diet had been gathered in Germany by King Maximilian for the same purpose. The German princes were less keen on accommodate the emperor’s demand, at least not without getting something in return. They demanded that their emperor paid more attention to the affairs of Germany and that he would reside in lands for parts of the year. Frederick told his son to agree to whatever conditions they diet asked for, as long as they gave material support for the wars to come.
“When all this is over, I shall dedicate the rest of my reign to the consideration of the German empire that elected me. Until then, I need to ensure that the church bells of Buda will continue to ring for the christian men and women of Hungary.”
Quote by Frederick IV, Holy Roman Emperor in the winter of 1525.
The Ottoman army began to move from Constantinople with the sultan in April of 1526. Sulieman took the Grand Vizier Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha with him along the campaign as well. The Turkish host is believed to have consisted of 70,000 men and several hundred of guns and they made their way up to towards Serbia. No doubt the sultan intended to take Belgrade first and then move to the city of Buda itself, but Frederick had no intention of letting the Ottomans even get across the borders of Hungary and organised the imperial defence accordingly. The fortresses at the borders had been fortified and backup gathered in Buda, Zagreb and Austria, while the main host moved towards Belgrade and its mighty fortress that they Ottomans had tried to claim in 1521. Frederick left Buda in April as well, saying a tender farewell to his wife, who could barely hold back her shaking tears at his departure. The empress would be trusted with the regency over Austria, Hungary and Bohemia in the emperor’s absence as Maximilian would also be on the battlefield. The German troops gathered by him were on their way, a huge hoard of 30,000 including Landsknechts, Teutonic knights and other soldiers from both Brabant, Lorraine and Poland amongst others. Archduke Frederick had gone to Zagreb to rally men in Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia to ensure they could be additional reinforcement. Charles, Duke of Lorraine also departed for the fighting once again. No doubt the war loving duke had every intention to be part of this great defence of Christendom against the Turks once more. His boisterous personality did a lot to lift the spirits of the soldiers and his experience in warfare boosted the faith of many.
Imperial Landsknechts in 1530
The Battle of Belgrade took place in late May of 1526. It is believed to have lasted for around three days from the 24th to the 27th of the month according to the historians of both Empire and Sultanate. The fighting was tense for the first two days as both armies clashed against each other, turning the ground red with blood and the cries of the dying soldiers rang out to the sunny skies. Guns blazed from either side, gunpowder clinging to wounds, to skin and blackening the grounds. On the beginning of the third day, the German reinforcements arrived with Maximilian, and began to pressure the Ottomans back, leading to panic and desertion in the Turkish troops, something that the sultan managed to stem. Hours later Archduke Frederick crashed into their side with his Balkan army like a cannonball, hoisting the flag of the emperor high as they defiantly rode straight into the battle zone. Fredericks army advanced further, their spirits lifted and the Ottoman army began to shatter, at this point only held together by the valiant sultan himself, who rallied his forces with a magnificent display. Aided by Charles of Lorraine, who’s booming roar echoed into the night, Frederick in turn called for his own fighters and the sultan and emperor crashed together one last time that evening as dusk began to fall.
Hours later the battle was over. Due to the darkness many did not know the outcome of the final push, and it would not be until morning it would be clear. The absence of Suleiman caused chaos and rumours spread like wildfire that the sultan had been killed in the fighting, while Ibrahim Pasha did his outmost to keep control over the armies. His task would not be made easier as Maximilian’s knights and landsknechts roared for further blood and crashed into the enemy, often setting ottoman tents, horses and equipment on fire with wildly flinging torches that caused further devastation to the fractured morale of the soldiers. Many soldiers deserted under the cover of night and infighting with Ibrahim by other commanders did not help either.
Emperor Frederick was nowhere to be found either. The imperial troops were held together by the iron fist of Maximilian, thus they remained united and in control. Upon the break of dawn on the 28th, the daylight cleared away all the confusion of that dramatic night. The Ottomans had fled Belgrade nearly all together during before dawn. Ibrahim had managed to gather scattered remains of the army and they retreated hastily further into Serbia, chased by imperial troops for many days until they reached Bulgaria.
The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had died during the night on the third day. Suleiman had suffered grave injuries in the last evening charge, and due to the chaotic night, he had succumbed to his injuries. Ibrahim had been incredible frantic to keep his death secret to ensure that they troops did not become aware of it, but the news had leaked quickly. By daybreak it spread from Belgrade into the rest of the world. The Sultan had died.
And so had the emperor. The body of Frederick would not be found until days later by a devastated Maximilian. His father would not be the only loss the King of the Romans would endure in those days. Archduke Frederick, who had crashed fearlessly into the Ottomans would never be found again. Rumours lasted into the rest of the century that he had been taken prisoner and lived the rest of his life in Constantinople or that he had become a hermit living in the mountains of Transylvania, but the reality was that the brave archduke had meet his death at the age of 21 on the battlefield of Belgrade. Charles, Duke of Lorraine had been another casualty in the fighting against the Ottomans during the summer, fighting valiantly besides his imperial brother-in-law. Duchess Elizabeth had died years ago and now Lorraine came under the rule of John III, Charles’s eldest son and the husband of Cecilia of Brabant, the youngest daughter of the late Grand Duke Philip and Philippa of Guelders.
The Battle of Belgrade would become one of the most immortalised ones in European history. To gleeful poets, dramatic playwrights and court historians, this was the stuff of true legends. The death of both sultan and emperor was almost unthinkable for many. The pope himself said upon hearing the news of the Belgrade that:
“In Belgrade came finally the retribution for the fall of Constantinople and the desecration of the Church of God's Holy Wisdom.”
Author's Note: I figured that if we are gonna celebrate the passing of this 50th chapter milestone, then we are gonna do it in style. How you like them apples?
The year of 1525 began with the birth to two princesses. Blanche of Cádiz, Princess of Asturias gave birth to her second daughter in the city of Cordoba, while the Queen of the Romans delivered another archduchess in Vienna. Infanta Catalina was born in the beginning of January, Anne of Austria in the end of January. Despite his wishes for his next grandchild to be a boy, Juan was nevertheless happy over the arrival of baby Catalina. The warfare against the Ottomans would continue at sea over the year, and Barbarossa, the naval corsair commander pushed back hard to expel the Spaniards from Algeria. Support from the Ottomans poured into after the fall of Tlemcen and the death of Oruc and under the year the christian forces would find their strongholds hard pressed. The destruction of the Ottoman army near Hungary had roused the Sultan Suleiman and so had the Iberian-Italian forces that seemed determined to break the barbary corsairs in the Mediterranean coasts. The fall of Tlemcen had been a serious blow as well. The Spanish had gotten additional support in the Republic of Genoa, further strengthening their armies and ships in 1525. In February the Spanish broke into Tunis, first capturing the strategic port of La Goulette and then the city itself. Barbarossa were furious about that as well and the Ottoman sultan directed troops to the region with the direct order to throw the Christians out. But even the sultan was dealing with issues, as the destruction of the Turkish army in Hungary had gotten it difficult for him to levy all the men required for the task. Many of the local rulers near the Barbary coasts were also shifting in their loyalties, as the Spaniards offered generous terms in return for homage. In the late spring the navy won a huge victory in the Balearic Sea and captured several Ottoman galleys, something the citizens of Majorca celebrated with feasts and bonfires. In the summer the warfare raged mostly in the sea of Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea near Italy and near the Gulf of Gabés outside of Tunisia. The papal armies and the Italian condottieries fought hard battles near the coast between Rome and Naples, while the Venetians cut off plenty of Ottoman reinforcement in the Adriatic Sea. The strait of Otranto was guarded by Naples and the Knights Hospitallers as well. For the rest of 1525 the situation in the Mediterranean Sea were at a standstill, as neither the Christians or the Ottomans won any decisive victories. Barbarossa managed to retake the fortress of Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera from the Castilians in autumn, but they keep control of Tlemcen and Tunis as well.
The year of 1526 would be a turning point in the wars against the Ottomans and one that would reverberate into every corner of the world. Sultan Sulieman fully intended to take Hungary in response to the insulting imperial victory of 1524 at Petrovaradin and this time he himself would take to the battlefield. If the Emperor wanted a fight, then that is what he was going to get. Frederick had spent over a year bracing for this battle, as he knew the Ottomans would come again. The diets of Hungary and Bohemia and Austria had been gathered to discuss a war tax in winter of 1524 and they relented after pressure, as the emperor had won great prestige after the campaigns. The Imperial Diet had been gathered in Germany by King Maximilian for the same purpose. The German princes were less keen on accommodate the emperor’s demand, at least not without getting something in return. They demanded that their emperor paid more attention to the affairs of Germany and that he would reside in lands for parts of the year. Frederick told his son to agree to whatever conditions they diet asked for, as long as they gave material support for the wars to come.
“When all this is over, I shall dedicate the rest of my reign to the consideration of the German empire that elected me. Until then, I need to ensure that the church bells of Buda will continue to ring for the christian men and women of Hungary.”
Quote by Frederick IV, Holy Roman Emperor in the winter of 1525.
The Ottoman army began to move from Constantinople with the sultan in April of 1526. Sulieman took the Grand Vizier Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha with him along the campaign as well. The Turkish host is believed to have consisted of 70,000 men and several hundred of guns and they made their way up to towards Serbia. No doubt the sultan intended to take Belgrade first and then move to the city of Buda itself, but Frederick had no intention of letting the Ottomans even get across the borders of Hungary and organised the imperial defence accordingly. The fortresses at the borders had been fortified and backup gathered in Buda, Zagreb and Austria, while the main host moved towards Belgrade and its mighty fortress that they Ottomans had tried to claim in 1521. Frederick left Buda in April as well, saying a tender farewell to his wife, who could barely hold back her shaking tears at his departure. The empress would be trusted with the regency over Austria, Hungary and Bohemia in the emperor’s absence as Maximilian would also be on the battlefield. The German troops gathered by him were on their way, a huge hoard of 30,000 including Landsknechts, Teutonic knights and other soldiers from both Brabant, Lorraine and Poland amongst others. Archduke Frederick had gone to Zagreb to rally men in Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia to ensure they could be additional reinforcement. Charles, Duke of Lorraine also departed for the fighting once again. No doubt the war loving duke had every intention to be part of this great defence of Christendom against the Turks once more. His boisterous personality did a lot to lift the spirits of the soldiers and his experience in warfare boosted the faith of many.
Imperial Landsknechts in 1530
The Battle of Belgrade took place in late May of 1526. It is believed to have lasted for around three days from the 24th to the 27th of the month according to the historians of both Empire and Sultanate. The fighting was tense for the first two days as both armies clashed against each other, turning the ground red with blood and the cries of the dying soldiers rang out to the sunny skies. Guns blazed from either side, gunpowder clinging to wounds, to skin and blackening the grounds. On the beginning of the third day, the German reinforcements arrived with Maximilian, and began to pressure the Ottomans back, leading to panic and desertion in the Turkish troops, something that the sultan managed to stem. Hours later Archduke Frederick crashed into their side with his Balkan army like a cannonball, hoisting the flag of the emperor high as they defiantly rode straight into the battle zone. Fredericks army advanced further, their spirits lifted and the Ottoman army began to shatter, at this point only held together by the valiant sultan himself, who rallied his forces with a magnificent display. Aided by Charles of Lorraine, who’s booming roar echoed into the night, Frederick in turn called for his own fighters and the sultan and emperor crashed together one last time that evening as dusk began to fall.
Hours later the battle was over. Due to the darkness many did not know the outcome of the final push, and it would not be until morning it would be clear. The absence of Suleiman caused chaos and rumours spread like wildfire that the sultan had been killed in the fighting, while Ibrahim Pasha did his outmost to keep control over the armies. His task would not be made easier as Maximilian’s knights and landsknechts roared for further blood and crashed into the enemy, often setting ottoman tents, horses and equipment on fire with wildly flinging torches that caused further devastation to the fractured morale of the soldiers. Many soldiers deserted under the cover of night and infighting with Ibrahim by other commanders did not help either.
Emperor Frederick was nowhere to be found either. The imperial troops were held together by the iron fist of Maximilian, thus they remained united and in control. Upon the break of dawn on the 28th, the daylight cleared away all the confusion of that dramatic night. The Ottomans had fled Belgrade nearly all together during before dawn. Ibrahim had managed to gather scattered remains of the army and they retreated hastily further into Serbia, chased by imperial troops for many days until they reached Bulgaria.
The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had died during the night on the third day. Suleiman had suffered grave injuries in the last evening charge, and due to the chaotic night, he had succumbed to his injuries. Ibrahim had been incredible frantic to keep his death secret to ensure that they troops did not become aware of it, but the news had leaked quickly. By daybreak it spread from Belgrade into the rest of the world. The Sultan had died.
And so had the emperor. The body of Frederick would not be found until days later by a devastated Maximilian. His father would not be the only loss the King of the Romans would endure in those days. Archduke Frederick, who had crashed fearlessly into the Ottomans would never be found again. Rumours lasted into the rest of the century that he had been taken prisoner and lived the rest of his life in Constantinople or that he had become a hermit living in the mountains of Transylvania, but the reality was that the brave archduke had meet his death at the age of 21 on the battlefield of Belgrade. Charles, Duke of Lorraine had been another casualty in the fighting against the Ottomans during the summer, fighting valiantly besides his imperial brother-in-law. Duchess Elizabeth had died years ago and now Lorraine came under the rule of John III, Charles’s eldest son and the husband of Cecilia of Brabant, the youngest daughter of the late Grand Duke Philip and Philippa of Guelders.
The Battle of Belgrade would become one of the most immortalised ones in European history. To gleeful poets, dramatic playwrights and court historians, this was the stuff of true legends. The death of both sultan and emperor was almost unthinkable for many. The pope himself said upon hearing the news of the Belgrade that:
“In Belgrade came finally the retribution for the fall of Constantinople and the desecration of the Church of God's Holy Wisdom.”
Author's Note: I figured that if we are gonna celebrate the passing of this 50th chapter milestone, then we are gonna do it in style.
How you like them apples?If you are gonna go out fighting against the Ottomans, better take the Sultan with you!
He's a goner and Frederick will be a immortal emperor for this.