Part 12: Crusader Kings: Chapter 12 - Opportunities: 1144 - 1160

1144 - 1160: Opportunities

With the addition of Nurnberg and Breisgau, the Hohenzollern realm is the largest it has been since Emperor Waldemar.


Under Werner's careful rule, Swabia is already beginning to recover from the ordeals of the civil war.


In Februrary of 1144, some curious news reach Werner's ears. King Nikolaus has been defeated once again by a claimaint to the throne from Treviso and forced to give up one of his three crowns.


The new King of Germany, though King mostly in name, is the head of the Treviso branch of the Hohenzollerns.



The collapse of Germany inevitably leads to new conflicts blooming up as the german nobility begin to settle old scores. The King of Sardinia, eager to grab land in Italy, declares war on the Dukes of Carinthia and Ferrara. Not particularily happy at the prospect of Sardinian power growing, Werner sends military aid to Carinthia.


After a few quiet years in Swabia, a crusade is called against the ancient trading city of Alexandria in the spring of 1148.


The city is currently held by a minor sheik with no alliances, and Werner senses an opportunity for easy glory. War is declared against the Sheik of Alexandria, and six thousand Swabian troops are readied, bolstered by mercenaries sent from Carinthia.



Before the crusading army can leave Swabia, however, the neighbouring Archbishop of Franconia and his ally, the Duke of Spoleto, decide to enforce their claims to Baden and Nurnberg, declaring war on Swabia.


The Franconian army numbers barely two thousand, and is quickly scattered by the crusaders. Ansbach is seized, and Archbishop Konan is forced to surrender his claims.



Peace is settled with Spoleto for minor indemnities shortly afterwards.


Thus slightly delayed, the crusaders leave the shores of Italy in fall, making landfall in Alexandria one month later. After a bitter struggle, the five thousand muslims defending the city are routed, and Alexandria is taken.


Apparently having learned nothing from the short Swabian-Franconian war the Count of Oberbayern declares war on the Count of Schwaben in 1150, dragging Swabia and Bavaria into the war.


A full half of the Swabian army is still in Alexandria, but the rest is quickly mustered and sent to defend Schwaben.


The ensuing war is short and predictable, the Bavarian forces no match for the battle-hardened Swabian army. The Count of Oberbayern is made a Swabian vassal, and Bavaria is forced to pay a large tribute in gold.



The day after Werner returns from Alexandria to Wurttemberg, the duchal stablemaster, long a bitter rival of the Chancellor, is found shoved into a haystack, his throat cut open. Several witness accounts place Cecilie at the scene, but there are as no other evidence, and more importantly, no adequate replacement for the post of Chancellor, Werner lets the matter drop.


A string of uprisings plague Alexandria as the muslim heathens rise against their new rulers. After years of rioting, looting and force-conversions the situation calms down somewhat, and a strong catholic presence has managed to take root, although only at the point of the sword.


With Alexandria securely in Catholic hands, the Pope declares the crusade at an end in 1152.


Werner has gained considerably in terms of prestige and influence from his role as sole champion of the Alexandrian crusade, and he puts it to good use to force through a claim on the Bavarian duchal seat of Kempten.


War is declared in April of 1153.


Expecting an easy victory, Werner personally leads the attack on Kempten. The Swabian heavy cavalry smashes through the Bavarian ranks and the Bavarians begin to waver. Just as they turn to run, and Werner turns towards his knights to order pursuit, a crossbow bolt comes out of nowhere, lodging itself in Werner's forehead, and killing him instantly.


Despite the shock of losing their Duke so suddenly, the Swabian forces swiftly conquer Kempten, and Werner's son Aingeru is the one to sign the peace treaty that awards the lands to Swabia.



The new Duke of Swabia-Baden is a thouroughly averagely gifted boy, whose only immediately noticeable character trait is a healthy dose of suspicion.


A ten-year-old boy can not manage all of the lands that his father could, and a pair of loyal courtiers are made Counts of Alexandria and Kempten, respectively.


Werner was a distant father who spent more than half of Aingeru's life in Alexandria, and the loss makes the boy reflect a good, long time over the uncertainity of life and the merits of staying out of crossbow range in battle.


A building project started by Werner years ago to renovate and improve on Castle Wurttemberg has been finished, and the Swabian castle is now one of the largest keeps in Germany.


Ill news reach Swabia in August. The Hohenzollern King of Germany has been deposed by one of his subjects, who has seized both the crown and the title to Treviso. The Treviso branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty is no more.


After a few more years of quiet, in 1157 the tiny 'Kingdom' of Burgundy decides to enforce its claim against what is perhaps the only german state weak enough to fall to its armies - the Duchy of Bavaria.


Aingeru's advisors have no desire to see the Zähringen dynasty come back to power, and Aingeru claims his natural right to rule as Duke of Bavaria by merit of his possession of three-fourths of its land, using this claim as a reason to declare war on Burguny.



The war is a short one. The armies of Burgundy are outnumbered six to one, and their scattered holdings quickly fall.



Peace is settled for the title of Bavaria and a formalizing of the Swabian rights to Nurnberg.



In June of 1159, Duke Aingau reaches majority. He remains an unremarkable man, whose attempts to emulate his father's mastery of intrigue are largely unsuccessful.



Due to the lack of suitable brides in the west, Aingau is wed to a greek bride with skill for diplomacy and a large dowry.




The World - Anno Domini 1160

Almost a hundred years have passed since the Hohenzollerns began their rise to power. From lowly Counts of Schwaben, the dynasty is now one of the most powerful in Germany, holding three duchal titles and able to call on tens of thousands of men in times of war. It is still a far cry from the power that Emperor Waldemar held, but the current dissoluted state of Germany, Italy and France seems likely to offer many opportunities for expansion in the near future.