Chapter 265: The Holy Roman Emperor Joins the Fray (1/2)
Within the Kingdom of Italy, in the city of Florence, there lies the Holy Roman Emperor, who was also the King of Italy. Sitting upon his mighty throne, within his palace, the middle-aged man of Italian descent gazed upon his ministers who reported the situation across the Empire.
One of the ministers was a tall and lanky man with a narrow face and a large hooked nose; he had a dark, unkempt beard that made him look particularly hideous. The man was dressed in silk robes imported from the Byzantine Empire. Currently, He held a document in his hands that he read from to the Emperor.
”The German-Speaking regions are embroiled in a war for the title ”King of Germany,” so far Duke Wilmar and the main Habsburg line has been eradicated, and with their deaths, so too has their claim ended.
The man who seized power in Austria is a young upstart by the name of Berengar von Kufstein. As you may be aware, he is commonly referred to as Berengar, ”the Accursed.” The man is a kinslayer, womanizer, heretic and has been excommunicated by the previous Pope Simeon II.
With his rise to power, the German Reformation spread from Southern Germany into the neighboring German Duchies. Saxony and the Rhineland, in particular, are being converted at a rapid rate.”
Upon hearing this information, the Holy Roman Emperor, a man by the name of Balsamo Corsini, began to frown. As a devout Catholic, and a man with close ties to the current Pope, the Holy Roman Emperor, dreaded the idea of the Berengar heresy spreading throughout the realm. However, the man contained his rage and spurred the minister to continue reporting.
”Go on...”
Noticing the Emperor's fury, the minister gulped down the saliva accumulated in his throat before continuing his report.
”The other two claimants for the title, as you know, are Duke Dietger of Bavaria and the legitimized bastard nephew of the previous King's brother. His name is Manifred von Luxembourg, if I am not mistaken. Manifred is the head of the Duchy of Luxembourg; he and his allies have begun to invade Southern Germany.
With the losses the Bavarians suffered in Austria, Dietger's forces are significantly weakened, and he is currently relying on his allies in Saxony and Wuttermurg to press his claims. Duke Berengar seems to be biding his time; he is either disinterested in the title or is amassing an army and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Intelligence supports the latter of these two outcomes as the most likely possibility.
The Venetians have reported that Berengar is constructing three large shipyards; they speculate he intends to create a powerful navy to project strength across the Mediterranean. Though at this time, it is unknown whether these shipyards are designed for the construction of a trade fleet or an Armada.”
Upon hearing the last part of this news, The Emperor's frowning face worsened to an ugly state. It was becoming apparent that if Berengar was left to his own devices, he could prove to be a troublesome opponent in the future.
Still, there was not much he could do about such a thing, short of trying to revoke Berengar's title of Duke, which would force him into a war with the Austrians; there was no way for the Emperor to enforce his will on Berengar, and the Austrian people.
Despite the Holy Roman Empire being more streamlined within its political structure in this timeline, it still suffered from the same faults of feudalism when it came to the centralization of power. The fact that there were limited lands within the crown's direct control meant that Balsamo would have a difficult time raising the forces necessary to invade Austria.
Though he could rely on armies from Italy to answer his call to arms, the Germans were in the middle of a civil war, and so was Bohemia. The only other vassals he could call upon with any large force was the leader of the Swiss Confederation, and he was a man known for minding his own business.
The Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was left with a headache, as he had no idea how to stem the growing tide that was the Duchy of Austria. Seeing that the Emperor was silent for an extended time, the minister began to speak of his reports again.
”The armies of Luxembourg and their allies have marched into Bavaria; after several battles back and forth between the von Wittelsbachs and the von Luxembourgs, it has turned into a stalemate, with the northeastern border of Bavaria under Luxembourg occupation.
Only time will tell how long this conflict will last, and who will become victorious is still unknown. The war will likely continue for years without a clear victor. Unless we want to personally get involved, and declare the next King of Germany of our choosing, then I suggest we leave it be, and let the Germans settle their disputes by themselves.”
The Holy Roman Emperor nodded in agreement to this stance; he had no desire to waste his armies on the infighting of the German people. Instead, he was more interested in suppressing Berengar and Austria as best as possible. As such, he asked the question on his mind.
”What is the status of the Pope's attempts to rally enough forces for a new Crusade against Berengar and his heresy?”