Part 5: Crusader Kings: Chapter 5 - War of the Pretender: 1100 - 1101

1100-1101: War of the Pretender

Magnus Billung the Duke of Saxony has proclaimed himself the rightful King of Germany and sparked a civil war. The Dukes of Holland, Luxembourg, Lower Lorraine, Brandenburg, Lombardia and Provence along with a half-dozen or so counts have sided with the pretender. Out of all the Grand Dukes who signed the new succession law along with King Waldemar, only Carinthia on the furthest southeastern corner of Germany is still loyal. Fortunately, Waldemar still has a large amount of smaller, loyal counties to call on, along with the Army of Swabia and what few troops remain in the looted royal demense.

With the royal seat in rebel hands, Waldemar is crowned in absentia, remaining in Wurttemburg while his soldiers gather. He orders his scribes to compose a decree calling all loyal Dukes, Counts, Barons and Nobles of Germany to gather every available man from their lands and raise the banners of war against the pretender.


Desiring stability, tired of the constant civil wars, and eager for the chance to gain land at the expense of the rebellious Grand Dukes, Waldemar's vassals answer the call to a man. A mighty host is raised, easily the enemy's equal in men. However, Waldemar's troops are currently scattered all over Germany and easy pickings for the concentrated forces of Magnus the Pretender.


The situation in Northwest Germany is grim. Holland, Saxony and Luxembourg have a force of around 15000 men between them, while a couple thousand men scattered over a half-dozen provinces is all that remains of the loyalist armies. Luxembourg is currently only defended by a small force, and loyalist troops launch an offense against Liege in the hopes of breaking through the rebel encirclement.


In the northeast, a couple hundred loyalists are fighting a delaying action against Brandenburg in Launitz while troops rush up from Swabia in support.


In Central Germany, the Duke of Lower Lorraine has left his demense undefended, and three thousand loyalist troops from Baden and Burgundy are quick to exploit the opportunity.


Southeast Germany is a mess of breakaway Counties, and a good half of the loyalist army is being held up fighting in the Bayern region.


Intense fighting is raging in North Italy, with loyalists struggling to pull together enough troops to face the powerful Duke of Lombardy on the field.


As spring turns to summer in Germany, the war intensifies further. The Duke of Brandeburg has been forced to retreat after several bloody weeks of fighting in Launitz, and loyalist troops gather to launch a two-pronged assault against the rebel's duchal seat.


Waldemar's attempt to draw his troops out of the rebel-controlled Northeast has failed, and what few troops remain have gathered in Loon, as Brabant falls to Holland.


Two of the rebellious counts in Bayern have been defeated. They are stripped of their lands, which are given to Bavaria.



The war in Lombardy is going badly. Though loyalists besiege Pavia, the Lombardians have scattered several loyalist armies and are now attacking into Brescia.


Despite a mad dash by the Duke of Lower Lorraine to save his Duchy, Lorraine falls and the Duke is forced to pledge his loyalty - and troops - to King Waldemar.


Magnus appears to be ignoring the loyalist army in Loon, focusing his efforts on attacks towards Swabia and Lorraine, so the scant two thousand men under the Count of Sticht begin moving towards Saxonian Oldenburg, hoping to force the Pretender to double back to save his demesne.


Bolstered by reinforcements coming in from the mostly pacified Southeast, the loyalist army manages to drive the Duke of Lombardy out of Brescia. Shortly thereafter, Pavia falls as well, and Lombardy surrenders.




The attack on Brandenburg has also proven a success, with the armies of the rebellious Duke now in full retreat.


The fighting in Lorraine is going well, and another besieged Count in an isolated province surrenders to Waldemar.


In winter of 1100, the war is definitely turning in Waldemar's favor. The forces of Lower Lorraine and Swabia, recalled in autumn and given the chance to rest and recover, are now amassing for an attack on Luxembourg.


Victory looks more and more likely, and in January of 1101 Waldemar's vassals have begun pressuring him for an official decree validating the new succession laws. Agreeing means that Waldemar's children cannot inherit the crown, but on the other hand, disagreement would have certain... consequenses.


Not wishing to see all that he has built up during the past year come crashing down around him, King Waldemar keeps his promise.


In the Northeast, Magnus' armies stubbornly fight on, falling back as loyalist troops march into the royal seat of Andernacht.


Andernacht has suffered greatly during the wars, changing hands a half-dozen times and being looted by each conqueror in turn. In a christian act of mercy, King Waldemar uses a significant portion of the royal treasury to feed its starving people.


Meanwhile, Brandenburg is proving a tougher nut to crack than expected, as a counter-attack has driven the loyalist troops back into Launitz.


Lorrainian soldiers capture Luxembourg and Liege, and the Duke of Luxembourg is forced to repent his betrayal and take a new oath of loyalty.


As Waldemar had hoped for, Magnus takes the bait offered him, rushing back to Oldenburg to break the siege, leaving his duchal seat of Göttingen wide open.


The Army of Mainz is sent to capture it.


Göttingen falls before Magnus has a chance to respond, and loyalists begin pushing in through Saxony to restore it to German rule and cut off the head of the serpent.


While preparing his army for an attack on the rebel-controlled Brabant, Waldemar receives the joyous news that his wife Eve has born him a son, an heir to Swabia and the Hohenzollern dynasty.


Brabant falls, then Zeeland, and Waldemar's troops push ever deeper into Holland, the Duke of Holland's army now in full retreat.


In March, Oldenburg, the last of the Magnus the Pretender's holdings in Saxony, falls. Magnus is captured, stripped of all his titles and lands, and sent into exile in Denmark. Hoping to secure the Northeast against another such rebellion, Waldemar grants the Duchy to a loyal and honest courtier from a lowly Austrian barony.



Following the news of the Magnus' defeat, almost all of the remaining rebels surrender. Most meet the same fate as their leader, though the Dukes of Brandenburg and Holland are permitted to keep their titles in recognition of their past friendships with Waldemar's father.






Only Provence, whose army is still full-strength, fights on. But the Duke of Provence now stands alone, and more and more loyalist troops are being called in from the other parts of Germany. The end is inevitable.



In June of 1091, Jaque of Provence surrenders, and is given clemency in exchange for an oath of loyalty.


The war is over.