Precarious Heights - a Teutonic Order TL

((This is my first TL here. I figure I've spent enough time outlining this idea and have decided to just go for it. I welcome all feedback. Thanks, and enjoy!))

'Precarious Heights' - a Teutonic Order AH TL

Introduction: Grünwald

This timeline introduces three major points of divergence from OTL, all surrounding the events of the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War and the climactic Battle of Grünwald

1) The Rout of the 'Lizard Union': Hochmeister Ulrich v. Jungingen gets a tip-off from a loyalist plant within the secretive organization to the true intent of the 'Lizard Union', officially a constabulary organization of Prussian knights and nobles based in Kulm; secretly they sought the return of Kulmerland to Poland. Though IOTL they were routed after the Battle of Grünwald, to whose defeat they contributed by signalling a premature retreat, they laid the foundation from which the Prussian Confederation, whose goal was the annexation of the Teutonic Order state by Poland, would emerge to challenge the Order in later years. ITTL, some time before the war, the Union's headquarters are raided by a party of Knights and the leaders are all arrested. In a farce of a trial they are found guilty of conspiracy to commit treason and imprisoned indefinitely at Marienburg, except for the leader, Nikolaus v. Renys, who is executed publicly at Kulm by order of Ulrich v. Jungingen as a warning to all dissenters and Polish sympathizers.

[This POD does two things: First, it removes this traitorous element from the battle; second, it butterflies away the Prussian Confederation and, ideally, cows the Prussian cities into cooperating with the Order (along with the lack of taxes imposed in order to pay the war debt forced by the Treaty of Thorn, 1411).]


2) Vytautas killed during botched feigned retreat: IOTL, the Lithuanians under Grand Duke Vytautas were first to engage the Order at Grünwald (following the provocative 'Grünwald Swords' incident after hours of stalling by both sides)---they employed a tactic stolen from the Golden Horde: the feigned retreat; they engaged the order's right flank under Frederic v. Wallendrode, then began a full retreat, but were not pursued by the cautious v. Wallenrode. Historians claim this was planned, but turned into a full-on rout in the confusion (due in part to poor organization and execution), resulting in the Lithuanians returning much later in the battle.

ITTL, von Wallenrode calls the Lithuanians' bluff and catches them with their pants down, nearly annihilating the Lithuanian force, including Vytautas, who is killed in the melee (rather than captured, similar to Ulrich's fate IOTL).

[This POD removes yet another variable (the Lithuanian 'half' of the allied army) from the battle entirely. Thus, Jogaila is left with just his portion of the army without hope of reinforcement.]


3) Jogaila initiates general retreat, is killed as well: Von Wallenrode returns later on in the battle (instead of getting mired in the Polish assault) and leads a crushing charge against the advancing Polish second line, just as they are deployed against the Teutonic line by Jogaila in the hopes of tipping the battle. This sends the Polish second, and then the as-yet undeployed third lines into a panicked retreat. Jogaila and his command core attempt to rally the fleeing infantry as v. Wallenrode swings back to hammer the Polish first line, already engaged with Ulrich's left and center. The sight of Jogaila's command core moving causes a rumor to spread that the king was retreating, leaving the Polish heavy cavalry engaged in order to cover his retreat. A panic sets among the engaged first line, which breaks as Ulrich begins his fateful charge (IOTL he was stopped and killed in a melee just before he reached Jogaila).

Jogaila turns to watch his line dissolving, and orders a general retreat. Ulrich's charge (~100 Teutonic Knights and sergeants initially, more follow) closes in on the Polish command core, now retreating at a steady trot. Polish knights join the retreat, riding in a circle around Jogaila to prevent the Knights from getting to the king. This goes on for almost half a kilometer, Ulrich and his Knights charging the Polish screen and being repulsed. Just as Ulrich is about to call off the pursuit, an unknown knight launches a flail that connects with Jogaila's mailed head, knocking him unconscious. The mail prevents outward injury, but the blow causes extradural hemorrhaging (internal bleeding between the skull and the brain). The pursuit is broken off and the Polish command surrenders, begging to take their king for treatment. Ulrich allows this, and returns with his Knights to the battlefield to regroup and make camp for the night (as by this time it is late afternoon).

Jogaila slips into a coma en route to the allied camp near Wysoka. There is no time to call for a bishop, and thus Last Rites are performed by a camp chaplain. He passes away early the next morning, surrounded by his field commanders. Ulrich formally accepts the Polish and Lithuanian surrender and agrees to convene to discuss terms in a week's time. The Sejm convenes to elect a new king, while Ulrich formulates his terms, which he presents to the Polish at Thorn, on the 24th. With the allied army significantly reduced (the Lithuanian contingent almost entirely wiped out, and the Polish force now severely lacking in heavy cavalry and thus no match for the Teutonic force, even without their mercenary and allied banners) and no time to raise another, the Polish and Lithuanian delegates are forced to agree to Ulrich's terms...


____________

Author's note: I'm exploring different writing styles. Will probably lean toward a more literary-historical writing style with annotations here at the bottom from now on. Just had to lay out the basic premise and POD's.

Next time - Ulrich's terms, Lithuania in open revolt, and the Polish Succession Crisis!
 
Last edited:

Faeelin

Banned
I'm definitely interested in where you take this. By this point, I think the Order is stuck with the fact that it's a medieval crusading state surrounded by Catholics. But who knows? It may be able to reach a resolution.
 
I'm definitely interested in where you take this. By this point, I think the Order is stuck with the fact that it's a medieval crusading state surrounded by Catholics. But who knows? It may be able to reach a resolution.

That's the idea---a resolution, that is. Or some kind of government change...you'll have to wait and see!

(My original [arguably ASB] idea was to have the Order and the secular cities within its realm sort of coalesce together, rather than growing further and further apart, forming something of a 'Holy Republic' to fend off an early, hungry Russia trying to gobble up the bits and pieces left over from the collapse of Poland-Lithuania. Dunno if I'll go that far, though.)

Good start.

How far are you going with this?

Thanks! As far as I can without it getting too ridiculous. I've really done my homework on this, and considered the long-term implications. In short, butterflies everywhere, at least with regard to Eastern Europe.
 
Chapter 1: Ulrich


"Ulrich von Jungingen was not half the diplomat his brother, the late Hochmeister Konrad von Jungingen, had been. He had blundered through dealings with the Scandinavians, Poles, Lithuanians, and even his own countrymen in Germany. Konrad, his elder brother and Hochmeister of the Order, had stepped in during negotiations with the Council of Prussian Burghers, known colloquially as the 'Lizard Union'; Ulrich, who regarded them as disloyal subjects at best—and treasonous secessionists at worst---had personally been responsible for a scandal involving . Before relations between the cities and the Order deteriorated further, Konrad had agreed to a limited reduction of the tax on grain sales to calm them, in advance of greater policy adjustments to patch up tensions further. Konrad had overseen the Order-State at the height of its power and economic prosperity, but Konrad was dead of complications with gallstones, and he had left rather large boots for his younger brother to fill. Ulrich, who had thus far ridden along on the coattails of his brother's success—who, land-less and claim-less, had followed his equally destitute noble brother to Prussia to join the Order; who, as 'komtur', had benefited from Konrad's political and diplomatic prowess but displayed none of his own—now found himself in the highest and most prestigious seat of power in the region, save the Imperial throne.


Ulrich was not completely without redeeming qualities, however. A career soldier and devout Christian, he was no stranger to the martial lifestyle of the Teutonic Knights, and thus found favor among the Knights themselves as well as the clergy, both local and foreign appointees.

The situation he inherited was one of prestige and relative greatness: the Knights' numbers had never been stronger as when Ulrich became
'Hochmeister', and the Order's military and naval strength were unparalleled by any single power in the region, save, again, the Empire. Even before his appointment to the office, though, Ulrich's political enemies in the cities began to conspire against him, looking for any sign of weakness to exploit. He could not show such a sign, and thus every move would require careful forethought and planning, so as to avoid mis-steps. The prosecution of the war with Poland-Lithuania and the exploitation of the victory at Grünwald proved Ulrich's ability to navigate a potential crisis, and guaranteed the future success of the Order-state as a regional power." - Friedrich von Schildau; "Geschichte des Deutscheordnungsstaats" (1892)


The immediate atmosphere after Grünwald is one of cautious tension. Ulrich and his marshals know they have beaten Poland-Lithuania, but Ulrich exercises caution regardless. This victory must be properly exploited, and allowing his rashness to get the better of him during the battle had almost cost him this victory---and his life. The Hochmeister was growing old, and he knew it. He must designate a successor before prosecuting his campaign; should he lose his life, the Knights would ratify his choice, or not, but at least the issue would have some initial direction. Frederic v. Wallenrode, the commander of the Teutonic right flank, whose actions in chasing down the fleeing Lithuanians, and, then, obliterating the Polish reserve -and- Polish main battle with a devastating hammer-and-anvil maneuver, had essentially secured the Order's victory and was thus the obvious choice for a successor.

The death of both of the political leaders of the two major belligerents---Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania and his nephew, Jogaila, King of Poland---certainly added to the victory, but also contributed to the air of confusion and anxiety now plaguing the victorious Order's leadership. Ulrich had personally allowed the Polish remnants safe transport of their wounded king off the battlefield and back to their camp for treatment. By day's end on the 15th, there was no knowledge as to the king's condition. Vytautas was confirmed dead, though, and the Lithuanian army was no more; these facts together lead Ulrich to turn the army north on the morning of the 16th toward Samogitia. The problematic province had been contested by its current holder, the Teutonic Order and its erstwhile 'de jure' claimant, Lithuania. The province is pacified by the 19th. By this time, runners reach Ulrich's command with news of Jogaila's fate. The Hochmeister can barely contain his excitement, and some of his generals maintain their composure with less expertise. A chorus of cautious acclamations sounds in the command tent. Ulrich knows now that the Polish are paralyzed and in no position to mount a counter-offensive. He sends a delegation south with the terms of Poland's unconditional surrender---as head of the alliance, the Polish would answer for the Lithuanians.

The terms of the ensuing Treaty of Thorn, ratified on the 24th of July
, 1410, and guaranteed by the King of the Romans, Wenceslaus (1), carried these terms:

1. The cession of a corridor of land from Wałcz to Złotów, linking Neumark with Prussia, with the condition that should the province of Neumark, held in pawn by the Order since 1402, ever be purchased back by the Margraviate of Brandenburg, then the corridor would return to Poland.

2. The Treaty of Kalisz to be rescinded, and Dobryn and Kuyavia to be regained by the Order

3. The transference of the rights to Samogitia by Lithuania to the Order, reconfirming the Treaty of Raciąż.

4. An indemnity of twenty hundreds of pounds of silver to be paid by the successor to each of Poland and Lithuania's thrones to the Order in four annual installments (2).

The terms of the treaty reached the Polish capital at Krakow on the 28th, and Vilnius in Lithuania on the 30th. The reaction in both kingdoms was one of equal parts sorrow and outrage---outrage at the Order's punitive measures and sorrow for the death of their kings, both very popular rulers...

_______________

(1) - Wenceslaus had brokered the first truce of the war, following hostilities by both sides, in 1409; it only makes sense for him to oversee the peace, especially in the wake of Jogaila and Vytautas' untimely deaths.

(2) - The war debt forced upon the Order IOTL was '44,000 pounds of silver', which at that time was ten times the income of the King of England.

_______________

Author's note: I really need to post these faster if I want to enjoy any kind of success or readership with this. Thanks all for reading thus far. It got long this time so we'll have to wait til the next chapter to see what happens to a now-headless Poland-Lithuania!
 
Chapter 2: Poland, 1410

The Treaty of Thorn is not well received in either kingdom, but the reaction is especially pronounced in Poland. Much of the Polish nobility want to raise another army and march to meet Ulrich, which would violate the truce stipulated by the treaty and enforced by Wenceslaus, King of the Romans. The Polish cities and peasantry, however, desire a return to status quo---the lost territory would be missed, certainly, but could be regained at a later date. "The king is dead"; this thought held sway in the minds of the Polish people, and this meant that a new one must be elected before the kingdom could engage in any foreign affairs with any kind of legitimacy. The Sejm convenes to elect a new king, a lengthy and drawn-out process that is plagued by intrigue and serves the underlying purpose of strengthening the position of the Polish nobility---every time the Sejm convenes, fortunes are gained, and lost.
The election is postponed until mid-July to allow for travel time. Three days of anticipation, during which the solemn candidates attempt to gain favor with as many nobles as possible in order to gain a majority vote.

The candidates include:

-Duke Janusz I Piast Warsaw and Duke Siemowit IV Piast of Plock, the sons of Siemowit II Piast, Duke of Mazovia---both inherited their father's claim to the Polish throne, though neither seem interested in the greater sphere of Polish affairs, instead preferring to quarrel amongst each other over the rights to their family's lands;

-the brothers von Luxembourg, Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia and Sigismund I of Hungary
, who both had an interest in spreading the influence of the House of Luxembourg to Poland---although Wenceslaus was somewhat neutered politically by the scandal of his reign as King of the Romans, while Sigismund was just now beginning to come into his own as a ruler;

-and the Elector Palatine Louis III von Wittelsbach, who, regretting his decision not to make a bid for the German crown after the untimely passing in May of his father, Rupert I of Germany, decides instead to capitalize on the opportune happenstance of the death of Jogaila and hopefully gain a kingdom of his own.

The Sejm convenes to elect a new king. All moneys that could have changed hands, all influence that could have been spent to gain favor among Polish nobles, has. The morning of 14 July begins with a formal procession of foreign dignitaries, including the respective candidates, followed by a ceremonial silence for the late king. After noontide, the election process begins in earnest. A majority is reached after three separate ballots---the vote is apparently split between the influential Sigismund and the ambitious Louis. The new King of Poland is announced---Sigismund of Hungary, by three votes!

Beyond the din of the commotion over the election results, a quiet Stiborici Stibor leans against a wagon near the Hungarian camp. Upon hearing the uproar, he shifts his weight and prays that his friend and king's silver was well-spent...
 
Chapter 3 - The Fate of Lithuania

Grand Duke Vytautas 'the Great' Gedidimid of Lithuania was widely regarded as the Defender of Orthodox Christianity in the late 14th century. He had fended off invasions by the Golden Horde and gathered all of Ruthenia and and Belorussia under the protective wing of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Now the unity of that realm is dissolving. The death of Vytautas at Grünwald, along with the obliteration of the combined Lithuanian, Belorussian, and Ruthenian forces, leads a relatively naive generation of the latter---who have never known the terror of the Hordes at their strongest and thus have never appreciated Lithuanian rule---to throw off the chains of feudal oppression and declare themselves independent. In July 1410, just after the election of Sigismund I as King of Poland, a new polity is born: the Grand Metropolis of Kiev. Photius, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', gladly accepts the opportunity to escape the nastiness of Muscovy and assumes the duties of head of state in addition to his role as Metropolitan. Photius, a Greek appointee, knew very little Russian, and thus declared Greek the official language of court and state (while keeping Chancery Slavonic [Ruthenian] as auxiliary for official documents). Even given his cultural and linguistic differences, the Ruthenians embrace him wholeheartedly. The Metropolis at its birth consists of just the city of Kyiv and outlying region, but as word spreads of Kiev's independence more provinces follow suit---Chernigov, Cherkasy and Poltava in late July; Turov, Zhytomyr, Volhynia and Bratislav in early August.

Photius' first order is the raising of the Metropolitan Guard, the bodyguards and personal army of the Metropolitan---at first, a levy of peasant militia and the few Ruthenian knights who did not campaign in Poland against the Knights, but grows to become a premier fighting force to rival the Swiss mercenaries employed by the Pope.

Calls for unification with Ruthenia proper go out immediately, and the erstwhile Polish possessions (Lviv and Kamienec chief among these) revolt as well. News reaches Sigismund on his return to Buda, but he interprets the report as simply a revolt against his election as king. He briefly plans a return expedition to subjugate the provinces and promptly dismisses the issue. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan and his new Guard arrive in said provinces and receives their allegiance to Kiev. By the end of August, Ruthenia is more or less united under Kiev.

During this time, the Belorussians have followed suit, though ultimately with less success. Instead of declaring an Orthodox state as the Ruthenians had, the secular polities of Smolensk and Polotsk simply declare their feudal bonds to Lithuania dissolved. Muscovy wastes no time in capitalizing on this opportunity---the Grand Prince, Vasily I Dmitriyevich, who had recently asserted himself over Novgorod (as Vasily III), sends envoys to the newly independent principalities, offering 'proper Russian government' under Moscow. Smolensk, who had revolted several times over the last decade without success, and greatly angry over the defeat at Gründwald (during which the beloved son of Algirdas, Lengvenis, Prince of Novgorod, was killed---along with the three Smolenski banners under his command), accepts. Polotsk, for whom independence had been a much more divisive issue among the boyars, spends much more time in deliberation, but eventually accepts as well, due to Vasily's existing ties with Lithuania via his wife, Sophia, daughter of Vytautas. With the added territory and strength of these two principalities, Vasily finds himself better situated to combat the resurgent Golden Horde.

Lithuania, reduced significantly, exists in a state of rebellion and civil war. The debt to the Knights must be paid, and the would-be grand dukes wage personal wars for the right to pay that debt---though it is obvious that no one wants that burden.

News of the 'Lithuanian Torment', as it becomes known, reaches Ulrich v. Jungingen in August, and he is absolutely tickled by it. Another war, he proposes, to properly subjugate the pagans...
 
Last edited:
Chapter 3 - The Fate of Lithuania

In July 1410, just after the election of Sigismund I as King of Poland, a new polity is born: the Grand Metropolis of Kiev. Photius, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', gladly accepts the opportunity to escape the nastiness of Muscovy and assumes the duties of head of state in addition to his role as Metropolitan. Photius, a Greek appointee, knew very little Russian, and thus declared Latin the official language of court and state...


Latin?? That would be taken as intent to subordinate the eastern Churches to Rome. And I don't think there were many Latin speakers in the Russias. If he wanted something other than Russian it would be Greek, IMO.
 
Latin?? That would be taken as intent to subordinate the eastern Churches to Rome. And I don't think there were many Latin speakers in the Russias. If he wanted something other than Russian it would be Greek, IMO.

Easy enough to fix, thanks for the input. Photius was Greek, so that makes double sense. I had thought that Latin was still the language of the Eastern Church at that point. Was it indeed Koine Greek?
 
Easy enough to fix, thanks for the input. Photius was Greek, so that makes double sense. I had thought that Latin was still the language of the Eastern Church at that point. Was it indeed Koine Greek?
Latin was never the language of the Eastern Church. It had been Greek since the time of St. Paul (well, aside from the Aramaic speakers in e.g. Syria). But Latin was specifically a Western thing.

The Latin Bible was called the "Vulgate" because it was translated into the Vulgar (the language the people spoke) rather than the existing Greek. Which is amusing, considering how resistant the Western Church later became to bibles in the vernacular.
 
I am enjoying the TL so far. Rare to see 15th century PoDs, especially eastern European ones. Sigismund as the king of Poland should prove interesting, especially once the Hussite Wars get going. (Assuming they still do.)

I am having trouble finding any reliable maps of Lithuania's internal divisions in the 15th century, but from what I can tell, there's not much left of the Grand Duchy at this point. The Order probably has decent odds of subjugating what remains, but the title of the TL makes me suspect that might not work out too well for them in the long run.

Keep up the good work!
 
Latin was never the language of the Eastern Church. It had been Greek since the time of St. Paul (well, aside from the Aramaic speakers in e.g. Syria). But Latin was specifically a Western thing.

The Latin Bible was called the "Vulgate" because it was translated into the Vulgar (the language the people spoke) rather than the existing Greek. Which is amusing, considering how resistant the Western Church later became to bibles in the vernacular.

Fixed!


I am enjoying the TL so far. Rare to see 15th century PoDs, especially eastern European ones. Sigismund as the king of Poland should prove interesting, especially once the Hussite Wars get going. (Assuming they still do.)

I am having trouble finding any reliable maps of Lithuania's internal divisions in the 15th century, but from what I can tell, there's not much left of the Grand Duchy at this point. The Order probably has decent odds of subjugating what remains, but the title of the TL makes me suspect that might not work out too well for them in the long run.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks!

Yes, at this point Lithuania's very much reduced (Vilnius, Grodno, and Trakai being the largest population centers left), but you are right to have your suspicions.

It's slow going with work and family stuff but I will indeed keep it up.
 
Chapter 4 - 'Wenceslaus "der Faule" von Luxembourg'

As Ulrich plots against the much-reduced Duchy of Lithuania (the Metropolis of Grand Kiev will inherit the epithet 'Grand'), we turn our attention west to the lands of the prestigious House of Luxembourg. The brothers Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia and Sigismund I of Hungary-Poland are arguably the two most powerful men in the Empire. Sigismund has become King-Elect of Poland (via large bribes of silver---the very same silver paid to Sigismund by the Teutonic Order to secure his alliance against Poland and Lithuania) just in time for the kingdom's Ruthenian provinces to revolt away and join Kiev. Wenceslaus, spurned by his failure to secure Poland for himself, turns inward and his neglect of his own lands in Bohemia increases. On 10 September 1410, Sigismund secures another victory when he is elected 'Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Romans and Germans' (1) after the death of the German King Rubert von Wittelsbach. Wenceslaus, who had been Emperor-Elect after the death of his father, Charles IV, had not sought a coronation ceremony (that would have confirmed him as Holy Roman Emperor) due to his domestic trouble in his Hausmacht of Bohemia. He thus had a claim to the Imperial throne, but the electors, dissatisfied with Wenceslaus' rule as 'King of the Romans and Germans' (from which he had been deposed in 1400 by the angry Reichstag due to his failure to maintain peace within the Empire or mend the Papal Schism)

This dual loss of prestige to his brother, Sigismund, drives Wenceslaus into a dark spiral. He spends more and more time alone, or with trusted advisers and clergymen, conspiring to pry lands away from his ambitious upstart of a younger brother. He imbibes heavily, and sleeps little. His attachment to his rulership of Bohemia had been spotty and rife with internal conflict, and the affliction of his mind now reflected that. During this decline, he earns the moniker 'der Faule' ("the Idle") from the irritated German nobility of the Reichstag. By November, he is declared 'mad; incapable and unfit for the duties of king' by his chancellor and the Archbishop of Prague, Jan z Jenstejn (2). The title 'King of Bohemia' is stripped from him by the Reichstag at the behest of Sigismund, who receives it with a convincing verisimilitude of humility. Wenceslaus is imprisoned yet again (3) by his younger brother, without quarrel, and, after a short stay once more in Vienna, is allowed to move back into his palace in Bohemia, where he lives out the remainder of his dark and tumultuous years under house arrest.

~~~

1) The Empire at this time is in a state of relative Emperor-less-ness. Times between elections and coronations, depending on the stability of the domestic lands of the emperor-elect as well as the state of the ongoing Papal Schism, can range into multiple decades (as was the case with Sigismund von Luxembourg, who was elected to the titles mentioned, but with significant delays in coronation and assumption of respective offices).

2) Approximate spelling, as I don't have ready access to Slavic characters (I forgot where I got them for the last entry).

3) Wenceslaus had been imprisoned by Sigismund before, in 1402, and interred in Vienna.
 
If I am not entirely mistaken, Sigismund managed to acquire the Bohemian throne almost a decade before he did so OTL. Things seem to be going rather well for the guy. Let's see if that luck carries over into dealings with the Hussites. I wonder if the strengthened (as compared to OTL at the same time) Teutonic Order will be of help there, or if their plans in Lithuania will take up too much of their manpower? It looks like interesting times are ahead, in any case.

I am curious about the fate of this "Tripple Monarchy" once Sigismund kicks the bucket though. Assuming things go as OTL - which is certainly not certain - A Habsburg might end up inheriting it all (by election, granted), though the continuation of the House of Luxemburg isn't impossible either.

Either way I look forward to future updates.
 
Chapter 4 - 'Wenceslaus "der Faule" von Luxembourg'

As Ulrich plots against the much-reduced Duchy of Lithuania (the Metropolis of Grand Kiev will inherit the epithet 'Grand'), we turn our attention west to the lands of the prestigious House of Luxembourg. The brothers Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia and Sigismund I of Hungary-Poland are arguably the two most powerful men in the Empire. Sigismund has become King-Elect of Poland (via large bribes of silver---the very same silver paid to Sigismund by the Teutonic Order to secure his alliance against Poland and Lithuania) just in time for the kingdom's Ruthenian provinces to revolt away and join Kiev. Wenceslaus, spurned by his failure to secure Poland for himself, turns inward and his neglect of his own lands in Bohemia increases. On 10 September 1410, Sigismund secures another victory when he is elected 'Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Romans and Germans' (1) after the death of the German King Rubert von Wittelsbach. Wenceslaus, who had been Emperor-Elect after the death of his father, Charles IV, had not sought a coronation ceremony (that would have confirmed him as Holy Roman Emperor) due to his domestic trouble in his Hausmacht of Bohemia. He thus had a claim to the Imperial throne, but the electors, dissatisfied with Wenceslaus' rule as 'King of the Romans and Germans' (from which he had been deposed in 1400 by the angry Reichstag due to his failure to maintain peace within the Empire or mend the Papal Schism)

This dual loss of prestige to his brother, Sigismund, drives Wenceslaus into a dark spiral. He spends more and more time alone, or with trusted advisers and clergymen, conspiring to pry lands away from his ambitious upstart of a younger brother. He imbibes heavily, and sleeps little. His attachment to his rulership of Bohemia had been spotty and rife with internal conflict, and the affliction of his mind now reflected that. During this decline, he earns the moniker 'der Faule' ("the Idle") from the irritated German nobility of the Reichstag. By November, he is declared 'mad; incapable and unfit for the duties of king' by his chancellor and the Archbishop of Prague, Jan z Jenstejn (2). The title 'King of Bohemia' is stripped from him by the Reichstag at the behest of Sigismund, who receives it with a convincing verisimilitude of humility. Wenceslaus is imprisoned yet again (3) by his younger brother, without quarrel, and, after a short stay once more in Vienna, is allowed to move back into his palace in Bohemia, where he lives out the remainder of his dark and tumultuous years under house arrest.

~~~

1) The Empire at this time is in a state of relative Emperor-less-ness. Times between elections and coronations, depending on the stability of the domestic lands of the emperor-elect as well as the state of the ongoing Papal Schism, can range into multiple decades (as was the case with Sigismund von Luxembourg, who was elected to the titles mentioned, but with significant delays in coronation and assumption of respective offices).

2) Approximate spelling, as I don't have ready access to Slavic characters (I forgot where I got them for the last entry).

3) Wenceslaus had been imprisoned by Sigismund before, in 1402, and interred in Vienna.

Sigismund is also the heir general of Casimir III by male preference primogeniture, he will be remembered as the one who restored Silesia to Poland via the Personal Union with Bohemia which will be as permanent as the OTL Personal Union with Lithuania finishing what his grandfather wanted.

He can name one of his sons as Casimir.

Sigismund has two claims to the Kingdom of Poland one from the Premyslids and one from his Grandmother, Elisabeth of Poland.
 
Last edited:
Sigismund is also the heir general of Casimir III by male preference primogeniture, he will be remembered as the one who restored Silesia to Poland via the Personal Union with Bohemia which will be as permanent as the OTL Personal Union with Lithuania finishing what his grandfather wanted.

He can name one of his sons as Casimir.

I had not run across this, and I'll definitely have to work this in! I'll have to dig up records of his issue and see which kids were born when.

But yeah, get ready for a much stronger central/eastern Europe than IOTL. Next chapter coming later today hopefully.

I have a problem, however, and I've not yet figured out what to do about it: Jan Zizka, along with a contingent of Bohemians and Moravians, fought for the Polish alliance at Grünwald. Except, ITTL, they lost. I haven't decided whether or not Jan survived and fled, or was killed in the fray, or what have you. I haven't decided what to do about the Hussites*, so I think the next chapter will look east instead, or perhaps west to the political machinations of the fragmented Empire..

(* I know I want them to have greater success than IOTL, so that the Order has an excuse to keep crusading: the whole point of how I'm building this TL is to keep the Order crusading---and thus keep them relevant---as long as possible; building them up to 'precarious heights', and then writing in a final 'push', so to speak, and seeing whether or not the Order will fly, or fall)
 
Given that Sigismund gained the Bohemian throne early, I think it's possible to avert the Hussite Wars - as they were OTL - entirely. It's possible that, with a stronger position for Sigismund from the get go, we'll end up with a compromise with the Utraquists earlier than OTL...Though it kind of depends on how stubborn Sigismund decides to be about it.

With the defeat and humiliation of Poland at the hands of the Teutonic Order, perhaps there'd be fertile growing ground for the Hussite movement there as well? If you want it to grow stronger than OTL I think your best bet would be to avoid the OTL wars altogether and find a way for the moment to grow in strength outside of Bohemia as well.
 
Chapter 4a - 'The King is Dead'

"The fate of the Polish-Lithuanian Union was sealed in a fatal instant: a flail, thrown by an unknown Teutonic sergeant, struck Jogaila's mailed head and knocked him unconscious. He would die that night of severe internal hemorrhaging. The battle was won in that moment---the war was won by sunrise..."
- from the Anthology of the Teutonic Order, Maximillian Schreiber, 1892

" 'The King is dead,' are the words I hear. 'The King is dead, the King is dead,' over and again. 'What of the war?' Janusz asks, 'What of our forces?' 'What of ourselves,' I counter, 'and what of the Knights and their allies, who, at this moment, are undoubtedly planning on how best to exploit their victory, if not already doing so?' Silence falls. 'We -must- act, then,' mutters Warsaw. 'Yes, but what?' says another voice, behind me, I know not who. Silence again. 'You will surrender,' says another voice from behind. I turn, away from our late king, this time to look. It is the Bohemian Captain, Jan Zizka..."
- excerpt from the personal journal of Siemowit IV, Duke of Plock

~~~

Author's note: GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! I figured out what to do about Jan Zizka and the Hussites! Here's a little treat to keep me current, and you all entertained. Expect more of these---they're easier to do than full 'chapters' and they make nice filler. Thanks for reading!
 
What about having the Duke of Muscovy rule Lithuania, is there still an alternative to him or all of them died in the battle of Grunwald.
 
Top