Do you remember Troy?

galileo-034

galileo-034

Pas même l' épée d' un assassin n' aura pu nous séparer [1,2]

–

« Te souviens-tu de Troie? », Armand de Hauteville, Éditions du Moulin, 1902​




In 1609, during a ballet, one of the servants of the queen dazzled the king of France. Her name: Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency.

As soon, King Henri IV broke her engagement with the marquis of Bassompierre, to marry her with his cousin, Prince Henri II de Bourbon-Condé, reputed for his loving of men.
So, Henri IV began to woo the princess of Condé, but the Prince, jalous, decided to leave the court. However, the king followed them, and under many disguises, attempted to encounter his love. Furious, the Prince of Condé went to Brussels with his wife, under the protection of Spain, the sworn ennemy of France.


​
435px-Charlotte-Marguerite_de_Montmorency.jpg

Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency
​

To find again his love, King Henri IV was prepared to do anything, even to go at war.
The pretext, the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II gave him one by occupying the united duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. In the controversal succession of the Duke John William, France was supporting the claims of Duke Wolfgang William and Elector John Sigismund of Brandenburg.
By the summer beginning, France was at war with Holy Roman Empire and Spain.


---
[1]: In English: "Not even the sword of an assassin could separate us"; I have some doubts about the translation.
[2]: This the POD: in OTL, this sword kills the king the 14th may.
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galileo-034

galileo-034

Siege of Arras


Using lessons learnt from the siege of Paris some years earlier, King Henri began to besiege siege Arras on June 24th. Because of the determination of the defenders, the first assaults failed.


On July 10th, a relief force under general Spinola arrived near to Arras, but instead attacking, the Spaniards decided to cut french's supply lines. Avesnes-le-Comte was soon occupied.
Marshal de Hautemer rushed up to Amiens and organized quickly a supply convoy. King Henri left Arras with some thousands of men to make jonction with Hautemer. On August 2th, the junction was made without resistance near La Herlière, but in the same time, general Spinola with his 32.000 men, profiting of this occasion, overran the french lines around Arras.

The success of Spinola would have been total if the determination of King Henri hadn't been so strong, allowing the French to regroup. The 3th august, French forces, about 47.000 men, encamped near the village of Beaumetz-lès-Loges. Spinola prepared his troops for the inevitable battle. The main attack took place on 5th august. The french advance was halted by the fortifications of Arras, but the main fights occured near a ford, northwest to Arras. The first battle of the Scarpe river was a tactical victory for the Spaniards but a strategical defeat, as the French managed to hold the southern bank and trenches near to the suburbs of Arras. The following day, the French occupied Avesnes-le-Comte, thus securing their supply lines.

General Spinola tried again to cut the french supply lines but he failed at the battle of Avesnes-le-Comte on August 19th.

​
henri_IV_siege_paris_louvre.jpg

King Henri IV of France at the siege of Arras

​
At the 2nd battle of Scarpe river which occured from 3th to 5th September, the French managed to break Spinola's lines. On September 6th, Arras was completly surrounded.
Spinola escaped to the encirclement with 24.000 men and retreated to Avion.
Inside Arras, only 7.000 men remained, but they could rely on heavy fortifications built under Spinola and on sufficient stocks of supplies and ammunitions for several months.

A last attempt was made by Spinola to relieve the besieged town, but the battle of Mont-Saint-Éloi on October 15th was inconclusive.
Finally, on November 5th, Arras surrendered.​

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SavoyTruffle

SavoyTruffle

Longer lived Henri IV? That has huge implications down the line, as well as the earlier start to the Thirty Years' War analogue.
 
galileo-034

galileo-034

Huge implications? Yes. I plan a parliamentary monarchy in France, a Spain less decadent than in OTL, an earlier unification of Italy, a great Polish-Russian empire, the Rumanian and Greek independances earlier than in OTL, no english civil war, all this only for the seventeenth century. But I don't think that this TL is going to go far, unless it really gathers interest.
 

MerryPrankster

galileo-034 said:
Huge implications? Yes. I plan a parliamentary monarchy in France, a Spain less decadent than in OTL, an earlier unification of Italy, a great Polish-Russian empire, the Rumanian and Greek independances earlier than in OTL, no english civil war, all this only for the seventeenth century. But I don't think that this TL is going to go far, unless it really gathers interest.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see that.
 

Elfwine

The only thing I'm worried about is what a nondecadent Spain is supposed to mean. Spain is kind of broke in the early 1600s.

Still, anything where Spain does better is at least interesting enough to follow. Even if a Trojan War sort of war is headdeskingly dumb (This isn't a criticism of the author - quite the contrary.).
 
SavoyTruffle

SavoyTruffle

Elfwine said:
The only thing I'm worried about is what a nondecadent Spain is supposed to mean. Spain is kind of broke in the early 1600s.

Still, anything where Spain does better is at least interesting enough to follow. Even if a Trojan War sort of war is headdeskingly dumb (This isn't a criticism of the author - quite the contrary.).
Click to expand...

I think that means a Spain that avoids further decline, and doesn't turn into a pariah where its 19th century was so screwed up?
 

Elfwine

SavoyTruffle said:
I think that means a Spain that avoids further decline, and doesn't turn into a pariah where its 19th century was so screwed up?
Click to expand...

Probably. Decadent isn't really the word I'd use for that, though. That implies more getting fat and idle and less getting...well, exhausted.
 

Scipio Africanus

This looks so cool. I was just wondering about a timeline where Henry IV survives the assassination attempt. I am a huge francophile and the stuff you (galileo-034) have planned sounds awesome. Henry IV is certainly one of the greatest French kings, and I can't wait to see how this turns out. I imagine the Edict of Nantes will not be repealed, which alone will have huge butterflies.
Scipio
 
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galileo-034

galileo-034

Campaign of Lombardy - Part I
In accordance to the treaty of Bruzolo, the King of France sent an army of 22.000 men under Marshal de Lesdiguières to help Savoy to conquer the Spanish Milanese and Genoa, and to cut the Spanish Road, the main supply line of the Spaniards in Netherlands.​
180px-Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Bonne.jpg

Marshal de Lesdiguières

Arrived at Turin on July 3rd, the french army joined the savoyard army. Two armies were then formed. The first, consisting of 27.000 men under Marshal de Lesdiguières, was intended to take Genoa. The second, consisting of 21.000 men under the savoyard prince Victor Amadeus and the French general Balthasar Juven, was initially intended to repulse any attempt to relieve Genoa from Milan.

On August 4th, on the road between Milan and Genoa, Asti was taken. Then, after having taken Capriata, Novi and Rossiglione, the Franco-Savoyard army arrived near Genoa on August 21st. The siege of Genoa began.​
Sitio_de_Ostende.jpg

​
Siege of Genoa

​
At the same time, Prince Victor Amadeus fought the Spaniards at the battle of Novara, on August 19th, but, the fights being inconclusives, the Spaniards retreated. On August 23th and August 24th, a french detachment supported by swiss troops invaded and took the control of the Valtelline valley, a strategic position on the Spanish Road.​
On September 23th, a Spanish relief fleet dispatched from Naples arrived before Genoa, but soon, they learnt that they were arrived one day too late. The previous day, after a month of failures, the Franco-Savoyards managed to break the defenses of city. Thereafter, the Spanish fleet returned to Naples.

After leaving a garrison in Genoa, the Franco-Savoyard army marched toward north, in order to invade Milanese from south, simultaneously to an attack led by Prince Victor Amadeus from the west.
Even if the battle of Torvnavento that occured on October 17th proved to be a defeat, the focus of Spanish efforts on the army of Prince Victor Amadeus permitted to Marshal de Lesdiguières to take Pavia two days later, in a single day.
At the same time, the Spanish commander, the Count of Fuentes, died, aged 85[1]. Taking advantage of the momentaneous disorganization, the Franco-Savoyards attacked Milan itself.
Inside the city, the Spaniards under Count of Gelves, managed to repulse the first assaults. The siege of Milan began.
At this time, in Naples, Spain was preparing a counter-attack.​

​
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[1]: In OTL, he died earlier.
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Next update: Campaign of the Maas
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LSCatilina

LSCatilina

I suppose that Spain wouldn't be able to pursue this war efforts, even with the tercios (how the french army would be able to counter-attack the spanish tactic would be interesting too).

Anyway, Italy become again the private battlefield of Spain and France, and it's going to be rich. Suscribed.
 
galileo-034

galileo-034

Indeed. I was thinking to an earlier "Union de Armas", so there would be uprisings in Catalonia and a secession of Portugal, then the disgrace of the Duke of Lerma, and maybe the entry in war of England.
 
galileo-034

galileo-034

Campaign of the Maas
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In 1609, the Dutch, under the Landsavocaat Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, had finalized a Twelve Years Truce with Spain, against the opinion of Stadtholder Maurice of Nassau.
In 1610, when the crisis of the Jülich succession erupted, the statholder decided to ally with France and the protestant princes, knowing that a war with Holy Roman Empire would lead Spain to renew war with United Provinces. Van Oldenbarnevelt, althought vehemently opposed to this, could not prevent the move.
384px-Michiel_Jansz_van_Mierevelt_-_Maurits_prins_van_Oranje-edit_1.jpg

Maurice of Nassau, Statholder of the United Provinces

​
So, the statholder planned a campaign with an ambitious aim: Maastricht, a strong fortress located deep in Spanish-held territory.
To create a diversion, he ordered to his cousin Ernst Casimir to attack Antwerp with 17.000 men, and immobilize as many Spanish soldiers as possible, and, of course, without risking his army.
The first battle occured on June 17th at Roosendaal and resulted in the defeat of a small Spanish vanguard.
Ten days later, he arrived before Antwerp and began a sham siege.
800px-Prins_Frederik_Hendrik_en_graaf_Ernst_Casimir_bij_het_beleg_van_%27s-Hertogenbosch%2C_1629_%28Pauwels_van_Hillegaert%2C_1635%29.jpg

Count Ernst Casimir (right) accompanied by Prince Frederick Henry (left) near Antwerp

​
On July 4th, the main Spanish army, about 28.000 men under the general de Guzmán, arrived near Antwerp and attacked the Dutch the following day. It was the battle of Kallo. Count Ernst Casimir managed to inflict serious losses to the Spanish army before retreating.
After the battle, the general de Guzmán began to pursue the retreating Dutch, but renounced as alarming news from east reached him.

Indeed, in accordance to his plans, while the Spanish were counter-attacking the dutch offensive upon Antwerp, he marched along the Maas. On June 25th, he took by surprise the fortified town of Venlo. From June 28th to July 5th, he besieged Roermond.
On July 18th, he was at Maastricht. As soon, he built circumvallation lines around the town. On August 1st, the Spanish relief force reached Maastricht. An attack was ordered but resulted in a serious blow, as having to fight the French at Arras and protect Antwerp, the general de Guzmán could not have sufficient forces to confront Maurice of Nassau. Following this failure, he decided to cut the dutch's supply lines. But the Dutch, defended by strong circumvallation lines and with sufficient supplies for two months, decided to simply ignore him.
siege_de_maastricht.jpg

Siege of Maastricht


​
On September 11th, Maastricht finally surrendered.

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Next update: Campaign of Rhineland
 
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galileo-034

galileo-034

Campaign of Rhineland
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When the war erupted, members of the Protestant Union, mostly the little states, were reluctant to involve in an european war. Only powerful states as Palatinate and Brandenburg joined the fight in the beginnings.
A notable exception was the margrave of Baden-Durlach, Georg Fredrich, who raised an army of 12.000 men to join an other army gathered in Palatinate by Prince Christian Ist of Anhalt-Bernburg.
fuerstchristianI.gif

Prince Christian Ist of Anhalt-Bernburg
Georg_Friedrich_Baden_Durlach.JPG

Margrave Georg Friedrich of Baden-Durlach

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Together, they were able to align more than 28.000 men.
At the same time, in Bavaria, the Count of Tilly gathered an army strong of 35.000 men for the Emperor.
tilly.jpg

Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly

​
The first goal for the Protestants was logically Jülich.
To besiege the town, the Protestants recieved the help of 4.000 English under Edward Cecil, and of 3.000 Dutch. In the first times, the siege was led by the Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, but soon, the new of an imperial offensive upon Upper Palatinate reached him.
images

Edward Cecil

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Indeed, the Count of Tilly had taken, without great difficulties, the Upper Palatinate, Nürnberg and Bayreuth in July.
Leaving the task to besiege Jülich to Georg Friedrich of Baden-Durlach with only 11.000 men, he joined the Elector of Brandenburg near Frankfurt and launched a counter-attack against Tilly but, even with forces of the same size that the army of Tilly, he was severly defeated at Kitzingen on August 19th.
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Battle of Kitzingen

​
Pressured by the emperor to relief Jülich and to restore the link with the Spanish Netherlands, the Count of Tilly made his way to Cologne instead attacking Heidelberg. On September 10th, he crossed the Rhine. However, the situation had degraded upon his arrival.
Jülich had surrendered on August 30th, and a detachment of 5.000 men sent by the Dutch, after having taken Rheinberg, a Spanish stronghold on the Rhine, joined to the forces of Margrave Georg Friedrich of Baden-Durlach.
Although in a situation of numerical inferiority, he managed to hold back the army of the Count of Tilly near Bergheim on September 13th.
Hearing the arrival of the Prince Christian, he decided to attack and destroy the Protestant armies one by one. He managed to prevent the junction of the Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg with the Margrave of Baden-Durlach by winning the battle of Meckenheim on September 16th. Then, he prepared to pursue the Protestant armies and retake Jülich but news from Bavaria prevented him to do so: a french army was threatening Munich.

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Next update: Battle of Leuven
 
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