Part 49: Europa Universalis III: Chapter 19 - Ortenburg Ascendance: 1620 - 1650

1620 - 1650: Ortenburg Ascendance

A military alliance is forged with Venice in 1620 in the interests of strengthening Swabia's grip over Italy.


A massive uprising in Kongo temporarily succeeds in driving away the expeditionary force in 1622, but is eventually put down at the cost of much blood spilled.


In 1624, after many years of disagreement and strife with the Hohenzollerns, Hesse secedes from the Empire.


This is the final straw for a Swabia that has already endured Hesse's alliance with its enemies much too long. Waldemar orders a number of documents 'proving' Hesse's brutal prosecution of its Catholic minority in Nassau to be forged.


Armed with these as a pretext, Swabia declares war on Hesse in June of 1665, which calls upon its allies Thüringia and Brandenburg to defend it.


Three Imperial Armies enter Thüringia, subjugating it in less than a month. Its Duke is forced to become a Swabian vassal.


Hesse is next, its armies broken and cities conquered. In addition to being forced to swear vassalage, Hesse is made to cede the copper-rich Catholic province of Nassau, in the interests of 'protecting' its population.


Imperial troops enter Brandenburg in October.


The army of Brandenburg, meanwhile, enters Swabia, attacking and defeating the 2nd Imperial Army.


The setback is only temporary, however, and Waldemar personally takes command of the 2nd army, leading it back against the Brandenburgans and inflicting a crushing defeat.


Before long, a defenseless Brandenburg is occupied, and forced to pay significant reparations, as well as release its former vassal Mecklenburg.


With the war against the North Germans successfully at an end, Waldemar returns to Mainz and a few quiet years follow. More and more maps and tales of the riches of the East Indies is spreading through Europe, and in 1631, Waldemar learns that both the Scandinavians and British have established bases on an island off the coast of India known as Ceylon.


The Reformation is long since past, and the years of religious wars and strife between the Reformed and Catholic populations of Europe is coming to an end. No longer seen as important, the movement of the Counter-Reformation is dying.


Southern Europe remains mostly Catholic, with the exception of Dauphine. Iberia has been almost completely islamized, and old names like Castille, Leon and Navarra are barely spoken anymore as their populations dress and act more and more like Berbers.


Protestantism and Catharism remains strong in Northern Germany and Scandinavia, while France has succeeded in turning the lowlands Catholic.


The colonies of North America are a religious mess, home to religious minorities from almost every part of Europe that have fled persecution and conversion.


In August of 1632 disaster strikes. As servants go to wake Waldemar VI in the morning, he is found dead in his bed, his heart seeming to have simply stopped overnight. Waldemar VI was still fairly young, and his only son and heir Werner is barely a year old, much too young to rule, even in name. The possibility of a regency council is discussed, but the Swabian high nobility is deeply divided among itself.

In desperation, Chancellor Kurt Weistrand turns to Clemens Wenzel I, the Elector of Saxony, who is married to Waldemar's sister, and offers him the crown if he swears to give up all claims on Swabia for his heirs and allow Werner to inherit upon his death. The hope is that if Clemens can be elected Emperor, the unbroken succession of Swabian Emperors can be retained - at least in name. The Electors convene, passing over Clemens and electing the Ortenburg Ludwig I of Austria instead.


Kurt Weistrand's plan has failed, and Swabia is now stuck in a personal union under a Protestant ruler who isn't even Emperor. Kurt is forced to resign, and the fanatically pro-Swabian Ernst Koff takes over as Chancellor. Soon, relations between Saxony and its subject country become somewhat strained.


Grudgingly, Ernst begins the task of transfering the demesne to Austrian rule. The Hubris of past Hohenzollern Emperors treating the Demesne as simply another part of Swabia is shown as a good half of North Italy turns into a patchwork of Austrian holdings.



More black news for the dynasty arrives in 1635, as Ernst learns that the Hohenzollern Kingdom of Jerusalem is no more, having been absorbed by a rapidly expanding Byzantium.


Emperor Ludwig I of Austria is an arrogant and warlike man, using his status as Emperor as a bludgeon to force minor territorial concessions and to take a threatening posture against the tiny Bishoprics of Lienz and Sopron. Ernst sternly warns Emperor Ludwig that any excessive aggression on his part will be met with intervention from Swabia.


In 1636, France decides to carve out its own piece of the East Indies, annexing a stretch of territory from the vast Sultanate of Brunei.


France has been taking a more diplomatic posture towards the Empire in recent years, focusing its attention outwards on the seas, and even goes so far as to offer Ernst a non-aggression and military access pact later in the same year. Ernst cautiously declines, for now.


War breaks out between Austria and its neighbours in summer, as first the Byzantine Empire, and then Pisa and its ally Lienz declare war.



The war rages for a full two years and is a complete and utter triumph for Ludwig I. Lienz is annexed, Pisa is forced to become an Austrian vassal, and the Byzantines are forced to cede all of their Italian possessions. Austria is emerging as the new dominator of the Italian penisula, and there is nothing Ernst can do about it.




Next, Ludwig I annexes Austria's vassal Bohemia, even further growing his budgeoning personal empire.


Of course, while all its new territory has significantly increased the power of Austria, it has also made it hated by its neighbours, and Ludwig has completely lost any and all support in the Electoral College.



Still this is not enough for Ludwig, and in 1641 he declares war against Sopron. This time, however, Swabia stands poised to intervene.


Ludwig does not appear to have taken the Swabian warning seriously, as large numbers of his troops are still in Swabian territory. Ernst immediately sends the Swabian armies against them, cutting off and destroying a total of ten Austrian regiments.



The Swabian fleet is sent out to blockade the ports of Austria and its allies, Pisa and Dauphine.


The 4th army enters Salzburg, but is beaten back by Austrian reinforcements rushing to strengthen the Swabian border.



Sopron lies on the far end of Austria, and the Swabian armies have no way to reach it in time - another Imperial state swallowed up by Ludwig's territorial greed.


By September, the scattered Austrian armies in Italy and the Demesne have been crushed, and Swabian troops are besieging every Austrian holding west of Venice. In response, Austrian troops have crossed the border into Tirol and Niederbayern.


Disaster strikes as the Army of Dauphine attacks the one-half of the 3rd army that is besieging Milan, driving them back into Bern and encircling them. Ten swabian regiments are slaughtered or taken prisoner.


The Elector of Dauphine has little love for his ally, however, and Ernst settles peace with him in exchange for a small tributary sum, eliminating a dangerous threat to Swabia's rear.


The 4th and 5th armies launch a counter-attack against the Austrians besieging Niederbayern in March of 1642, but are driven back with heavy losses.



By August of 1642, the Imperial Demesne is almost fully in Swabia's hands, along with Austrian Ancona.



The Austrians, meanwhile. suffering constant Swabian counter-attacks, have only managed to capture Niederbayern.


The situation is looking bleak for Austria - while still numerically equal, they are deeply afflicted by the blockades and war exhaustion, while Swabia is more than ready to continue the fight for several more years, if needed. Still, the stubborn Ludwig refuses to give Ernst the peace he wants, and the war goes on.


In October of 1642, Poland declares war on Austria. Facing a war on two fronts, a now desperate Ludwig is quick to agree to Swabia's peace terms.


Austria is forced to cede Ancona, end its overlordship over Pisa, and pay significant reparations. Austria's control over Italy is broken.


Clemens Wenzel passes away in January of 1643, and the eleven-year old Werner III takes the throne. Ernst Koff continues to act as de facto regent and tutor for the young king. Shortly thereafter, news reach Swabia that Kung Ludwig has fallen ill, and is not expected to live much longer.


Few Electors are willing to support a child Emperor, and Austria's belligerence has fostered a strong desire for a foreign, or at least less powerful Emperor, one that may not spend all his time trying to conquer his own Empire. The vote is deeply split, and in the interests of making sure Austria does not remain on the throne, Werner joins with his ally Venice and casts his vote for the King of Sicily.


Pietro IV of Sicily is elected Holy Roman Emperor in January of 1644. While not ideal, it is an arrangement that fits Ernst well enough - a weak Emperor means that Swabia remains the dominator of the Holy Roman Empire, and the status quo can be preserved while Swabia builds up the necessary support for its rightful return to the throne.


Meanwhile, Ernst turns his matter to other areas. Most of the other Great Powers have established colonies in the Indian Ocean, and Swabia will not be left behind. A small fleet is sent to collect the garrison troops in the now pacified Kongo.


The fleet stops briefly at British Mahe for supplies, before continuing into the largely unexplored East Indies.


The target is the small Kingdom of Majapahit. Publically claiming that Swabia is simply seeking to protect Majapahit from French aggression, Ernst's instructions to Waldemar Breitmayer are more straightforward - conquer the natives with whatever means he sees fit.


The Swabians make landfall in November of 1647. Majapahit's army fights bravely to defend their homes, but is simpy chanceless against Swabian steel and firearms.



The local cities are besieged, and by December of 1649, the King of Majapahit makes peace, ceding three-fourths of his Kingdom to the foreign invaders.



The first half of the century comes to an end with the integration of Pisa as a Swabian Vassal. Werner III is now eighteen, and after seventeen years of service as Swabia's real ruler, Ernst Koff bows out and goes to spend his remaining years at his - now very vast - estates in Schwaben.


The future of the Empire hangs in balance.