Part 19: Crusader Kings: Chapter 19 - The Second Cathar War: 1217 - 1219

1217 - 1219: The Second Cathar War

Immediately upon the declaration of war, a grand mobilization edict is proclaimed, and german soldiers begin to amass in Lorraine, Friesland, and Trent. The German army is following a war plan devised by Marshal Konstatinos: Split into five armies of 20,000 men each, each commanded by a competent noble, two of the armies are to march on Burgundian gathering points and prevent them from massing their forces, while the other three attack and besiege the Burgundian demesne.


The first part of the plan goes off without a hitch, as the Burgundian forces in the Netherlands are attacked and scattered in all directions.



Constantly harrassed by Andronikos' forces, the Cathars are unable to prevent a second army, led by King Isaakios himself, from seizing control of all Burgundian provinces in the area.



In Italy, the Germans face stiffer resistance, and the first attack is repelled. Soon, however, the other two German armies in the area arrive to reinforce the attackers, and the Burgundians are brushed aside by the overwhelming number of Germans.


By November, all of the Cathars' French, Dutch and North Italian holdings are in Isaakios' hands. Not everything is going his way, though - so many men away from the fields during the harvest is causing strife and unrest in Germany.


His mentally ill and sickly brother Bardas passes away quietly in December.


Burgundian attempts to stop the advance through Italy prove to be hopeless, and soon Genua is the only unoccupied part of the Burgundian demesne. The city finally falls in April of 1218.


King Welf of Burgundy is forced to ask for peace. The peace is a harsh one - Isaakios takes every Burgundian province north of Alsace, save for Pomerania, which he lacks any legitimate claims to. Welf is also forced to give up his claims to a number of German Duchies.


Shortly after the onset of peace, Isaakios' third son Ionnaes reaches majority. A brilliant marshal, he shares many traits with his elder brother Konstatinos, but where Konstantinos is cruel and vindictive, Ionnaes is cynical and morose.


During the victory celebrations in Wurttemberg, Isaakios initiaties an affair with the unwed daughter of the Count of Göttingen.


He also finds time to marry his eldest daughter away to the brother of the Bohemian King, hoping to somewhat repair the souring of relations caused by Isaakios' recent possession of most of German Bohemia.


For a number of years, rumors have spread about fierce horselords from the great steppes to the east. Said to be unstoppable warriors in the saddle, refugees from their ravages tell of kingdoms toppled and cities sacked by a screaming horde without number. Most of Europe's rulers, eastern and western both, have paid little heed to such rumors, thinking them exaggerated and convinced of the superiority of their own armies in any contest with barbarians from the east.

It was in January of 1219 that the rumors finally became reality.