Part 38: Europa Universalis III: Chapter 8 - Power Plays: 1451 - 1465

1451 - 1465: Power Plays

In spring of 1451, Queen Jane's son Henry comes of age and takes the throne. Though Jane remains a shadow player at court, influencing her son, Henry is a man of peace and diplomacy rather than war. He is not the ally that Swabia needs most at the moment.


The last remnants of independent Scotland are annexed to England a few months later, fully unifying the British Isles under Henry's direct rule.


1452 is a year of death, as both Aingeru Henke and Karl Knapp, the leading figures at the Swabian court, pass away. With Karl Weber's death last year, there is now a distinct lack of great men at Waldemar's side.


Innocentius VII passes away, and a new France-friendly Pope is elected, despite attempts by Waldemar to influence the election in his favor.



The new Pope lives only a few short months, however, and the next Pope is a Bishop from Scandinavia who fills the curia with Scandinavians.


The last bastion of Christianity on Iberia falls in May of 1453, as Aragon is annexed by the Hammadid Caliphate. All of Iberia is now in the Caliph's hands.


Queen-mother Jane finally convinces her son to adopt her plans of a Crusade in North Africa in January of 1455 and war is declared on Egypt and Maghreb.


Swabian troops land in Maghreb-occupied Sirt outside Tripoli while the English fleet clashes with the Maghreb navy outside Gibraltar.


The Maghreb Navy is defeated, and English troops make landfall in Egypt, seizing yet more land around Alexandria.


Sirt falls in May of 1456.


A mere month later, news arrive that an overconfident Brittany has decided to press their claims on the Duchy of Toulouse, sparking a war with France. England has joined the war on Brittany's side, and are preparing to pull troops out of North Africa. Waldemar hastens to make peace with the Maghreb before Henry does it for him, forcing them to cede Sirt.



Sirt is a poor province, and Waldemar has little desire to pay for the garrisons and warships needed to sustain this one little colony. Instead, he opts to cede the province to its rightful owner, the Crusader Kingdom of Tripoli, earning the King of Tripoli's gratitude and an improved reputation.



Relations between Swabia and Naples are getting a little strained, as Italian patriots have sparked riots in Napoli over the indignity of being ruled by a German. The riots are put down, and a few suitable gifts serve to smooth relations and placate those in the Neapolitan court who sympathize with the rioters.



The Toulouse Succession War has ended badly for Brittany, predictably enough. France has taken the Duchy, along with a full half of Brittany's lands.


Waldemar hires a new army reformer to the court in 1458. The man in question, Hugo Kopp, seems as if he might be able to fill the shoes of Karl Weber and Karl Knapp.


The Balkans explode into a maelstrom of war that year, with Austria-Bulgaria at war with the Byzantine Empire, Hungary and Georgia. Poland, seeing a chance for expansion southwards, declares war on Hungary and the Byzantines, severing the alliance between Lithuania and Byzantium by dragging them into opposite sides of its war.


Despite the multitude of powers poised against them, the Byzantines prove formidable opponents, beating back Austria from Hungary and conquering almost all of Bulgaria. Before long, Poland signs a white peace as well.


Waldemar III passes away in a hunting accident in September, leaving the throne to his sixteen-year old son, Waldemar IV. Like his father and grandfather, he is a brilliant general, but only averagely talented in other areas.


Waldemar IV lacks much of his father's caution and tact, and despite still-upset feelings about Swabia's expansion within the Empire, one of his first acts is to annex Swabia's vassal Milan, thus connecting all of his directly ruled lands.



This move draws immediate protests, which escalate further as Waldemar refuses to back on his incorporation of Brescia into Swabia. After further protests and threats to withdraw their support from the Hohenzollerns, Waldemar is forced to recognize the city of Milan itself as an Imperial City, adding it to the demesne.


Disgusted over Waldemar's treatments of his other subjects, the Duke of Urbino breaks his vows of vassalage to Waldemar, declaring Urbino independent. Waldemar plans for war, but is stopped by the near-unanimous support for Urbino among the Electors, and is reluctantly forced to accept its secession.


A few quiet years follow, the only notable event being France contesting Crotia over the Duchy of Ferrara, and forcing their claims through, granting Louis a fief within the Empire.


France's sphere of influence is growing uncontrollably, while Waldemar's attempts to counter are being constantly hindered by the Electors.

The balance of power built up by Jane and Waldemar III seems to be crumbling.