Precarious Heights - a Teutonic Order TL

[Draeger]

Chapter 4b - The Fate of Lithuania (cont.)
​

[excerpt from "Geschichte des Deutscheordnungsstaats", Friedrich von Schildau (1892) (1)]

"The immediate danger to the Order-State posed by Lithuania having been removed, Ulrich turned his gaze internally in the months after the signing of the Treaty of Thorn. Initially, Ulrich had considered a renewed offensive but decided against after receiving reports of the disorder in the duchy, as well as of renewed revolts in newly-acquired *Samogitia (2). The *Samogitian revolt, in particular, demanded a swift and thorough response, and it was to this that Ulrich first attended. The 'problem of Lithuania', as it has been referred to in Ulrich's personal journals, remained one of some considerable controversy among senior Order leadership. Ulrich, although he would have preferred a renewed offensive under different circumstances, ultimately decided against any further aggression against the much-reduced duchy until it once again had a proper ruler. This decision troubled his more militant commanders, but even they saw the wisdom in it: any further military action against Lithuania would be seen as wanton aggression against fellow Christians by all Christendom, especially the Emperor, upon whom the Order was still at this time especially dependent (3).

.....

The Duchy of Lithuania (4), having lost perhaps its greatest sovereign at Grünwald (5), existed at this time in a relative state of anarchy. Various claimants to Vytautas' throne warred openly for control of the territory that yet comprised the reduced duchy. The major cities of Vilnius, Kernave and Kaunas (6) were fought over with some regularity, though it is not known exactly which factions controlled which cities, or for how long, as there exists no reliable record of this chaotic time. It is known that Duchess Sophia, daughter of Vytautas and consort of Vasily I of Muscovy, attempted to persuade Vasily to prosecute a campaign for her claim to the duchy, but to no avail, as Vasily was at that time preoccupied with the mostly peaceful integration of Smolensk and Polotsk as well as establishing relations with Grand Kiev (7). Svitrigaila, brother of Jogaila and cousin to Vytautas, who had quarreled with Vytautas since the conclusion of the Pact of Vilnius in 1401 (8), escaped from his captivity in Volhynia during the chaos of the Ruthenian rebellion and, with a small army of local nobility and other supporters, marched on Lithuania to claim the duchy for himself...."

~~~

TO BE CONTINUED!
1) We'll be seeing more from this source (working title and author's name, don't even trip dawg).

2) Sameiten/Schameiten in German, not sure which I'll use consistently in the final draft.

3) The Order tended to heed Imperial sanction over Papal sanction, given the 'tense' relationship between the Emperor and the Pope (at this time there -was- an antipope, and we'll meet him soon).

4) Notice the lack of the epithet 'Grand' in the 'official source'.

5) 'Grünwald' and 'Tannenberg' refer to the same battle, though I'm not sure which I'll use when quoting German versus non-German sources (depends on butterflies). IOTL, German sources refer to it as 'Der Schlacht bei Tannenberg' and 'The First Battle of Tannenberg'---the battle served as a propaganda piece for the German Empire in their war against Russia, seen as the usurpers of the Polish-Lithuanian menace that had so haunted the collective German imagination; thus 'The Second Battle of Tannenberg' (1914) was seen as vindication of the OTL disastrous defeat of the Knights.

6) Need to do more research to get a better understanding of economic/political distribution in OTL Lithuania, as well as the major population centers, so that I'm not just throwing names of major cities out there willy-nilly.

7) TTL name for the new polity that resembles OTL Ukraine (obviously can't carry that name, and 'Ruthenia' (or, alternately, a resurgent Kievan Rus') seems a little inappropriate, at least at this point, hence 'the Metropolis of Grand Kiev', or 'Grand Kiev' for short).

8) The Pact of Vilnius quashed Svitrigaila's hopes of becoming Grand Duke by securing the succession to Jogaila's line. This led to considerable squabbling between Svitrigaila and Vytautas---the former spent the next nineteen years IOTL either actively trying to subvert Vytautas' rule, on the run, or locked up. ITTL, he's only a year into his imprisonment by Vytautas at Kremenets Castle (in Volhynia, as stated), yet has already attracted a significant following.
​

 

[Dr. Hochmeister]

Very interesting, I've always been fascinated by the most successful Crusading Order. So far seems very plausible and about what I'd expect from a crushing Teutonic victory over Jogillia; Lithuania disintegrates and Poland falls under Bohemian influence (though didn't Hungary have dynastic ties too?). If the Order can hold itself together until whatever alt-reformation happens it could take advantage of the schism either by going heretic as OTL or crusading for the Pope again. Hopefully you'll avoid wanking them too much though, their internal problems and the fact that everyone wanted a bite out of them makes it difficult for them to become much more than a regional power along the Baltic.

 

[Draeger]

Very interesting, I've always been fascinated by the most successful Crusading Order. So far seems very plausible and about what I'd expect from a crushing Teutonic victory over Jogillia; Lithuania disintegrates and Poland falls under Bohemian influence (though didn't Hungary have dynastic ties too?). If the Order can hold itself together until whatever alt-reformation happens it could take advantage of the schism either by going heretic as OTL or crusading for the Pope again. Hopefully you'll avoid wanking them too much though, their internal problems and the fact that everyone wanted a bite out of them makes it difficult for them to become much more than a regional power along the Baltic.

The kings of Bohemia and Hungary were brothers, Wenceslaus and Sigismund von Luxembourg, respectively (sons of Charles IV von Luxembourg, Holy Roman Emperor, by the Grace of God, and King of the Romans and Germans, Bohemia and Hungary). The House of Luxembourg basically died off with them, but not ITTL because butterflies (although Wenceslaus has already died earlier TIOTL). Poland has, in fact, fallen into the hands of Hungary, as has Bohemia via the untimely death of Wenceslaus. This makes Sigismund basically the most powerful man in Europe (with Stibor Stiborici, owner-of-many-lands-and-also-really-really-rich-close-friend-of-Sigismund, in a close second! Get ready for some serious 'minor' character action!)

Regarding the Reformation: pay attention to the upcoming Hussite situation. As for crusading, I have already hinted that my 'aim' for this TL is to keep the Order as relevant as possible by crusading as much as possible. The Hussites IOTL presented a good target for crusade-y fury. They will have to look elsewhere, though, as time goes on.

 

[Deimos]

Subscribed, this could get very interesting.

 

[norlag]

Interesting timeline. I hope for many more good updates

 

[Draeger]

Chapter 4c - The Fate of Lithuania (concluded?)​

excerpt from "Geschichte des Deutscheordnungsstaats" (1892) (1)​

"...Little is known of Svitrigaila's actual exploits in the rump state of Lithuania during the Anarchy, as it has since become known, only that he was successful in asserting himself as duke. It is suspected that he made contacts within the Order, who provided him with the funds and additional forces necessary to win out over the myriad other factions vying for control of the duchy. A rumor circulated, after the fact, that the Grandmaster himself had allied secretly with Svitrigaila under the condition that the Order would assume control once victory---and his succession---was secured (2). It is known for certain that his victory was decisive and swift. The new duke met with mixed reaction from the remaining nobility, though he was regarded as a liberator by the erstwhile oppressed peasantry. The leaders of the other warring factions were pardoned by Svitrigaila personally, in a move that shocked both his supporters and opponents. By the middle of August of 1411 (3), the last pockets of resistance had been crushed or otherwise silenced (public executions helped deter future violent opposition---this, too, it must be noted, lends itself to the notion that Ulrich von Jungingen was somehow involved, for the combination of public pardoning and execution had been used by him as well in putting down the treasonous 'Lizard Union' some years prior (4)).

Svitrigaila initiated diplomacy with the Order in an attempt to negotiate the terms of the 'Treaty of Thorn' (5). A compromise was agreed upon quickly, which raised concern among those who suspected secretive prior negotiations between the new duke and the Grandmaster, and was ratified by both parties. This was the fateful 'Peace of Vilnius', signed 8 September 1411 (6). The terms of this treaty were thus:

1) 'Those lands, having been retained by Lithuanian lords and magnates, having been previously sworn to the entity heretofore known as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, shall be henceforth sworn to the Margraviate of Lithuania, retaining all hereditary rights and privileges.'

2) 'That troublesome province of Samogitia shall return nominally to Lithuania, but with no hereditary rights or privileges. Rather, a bishop shall be appointed over those lands, who will prosecute the Christening effort there. Future stewards shall be appointed by a quatripartite council consisting of the Margrave of Lithuania, the Grandmaster of the Teutonic* Order, the Master of the Livonian Order, and the Archbishop of Riga.'

3) 'The Margrave of Lithuania shall make himself and his lands prostrate before the Teutonic* Order and its Grandmaster, such that every fourth year from the ratification of this treaty, a tithe shall be agreed upon and paid to the Order by the Margrave. This shall replace the payment of indemnities owed to the Order as mandated by the Treaty of Thorn.'

4) 'The Teutonic* Order shall maintain a number of garrisons, to be determined by each successive Grandmaster and agreed upon by the Margrave of Lithuania, along the borderland between the Order's lands and Lithuania. Any number of castles may also be built, at the discretion of the Grandmaster, within the Margraviate in order to better defend those lands against foreign incursions.' (7)

Thus it was that, little more than a year after the grand victory at Grünwald*, once-grand Lithuania essentially became a march of the Order-state..."


~~~


1) Here's that source again.

2) It's not just a rumor; the chronicler does not want to paint Ulrich in a poor light, so the 'suspicion' is discussed and then dismissed.

3) Pay attention to these dates, they will all line up and make perfect sense before long..they aren't just arbitrary placeholders.

4) Again, this is actually true TTL---Ulrich gives massive aid to Svitrigaila's war effort, which brings the Anarchy to an abrupt end that is desirable to both colluding parties. The chronicler simply wishes to paint Ulrich (and the Order) in the best possible light.

5) Still a working title for the treaty that ended the Teutonic-Polish-Lithuanian War---whoever became duke still had to deal with the indemnity owed to the Order; here Svitrigaila is simply going through the motions because he and Ulrich have already agreed to the terms.

6) The chronicler again tries to smooth over the conspicuous speed with which this whole matter is handled by both parties. Again, the relevance of all these dates will be made clear soon enough.

7) This probably reads nothing like an actual document from that period. I was going for authenticity, but it probably just sounds stupid. Lemme know if it needs work, please...

That just about wraps up the Lithuanian Situation, for now! To recap: Samogitia is now a bishopric subject nominally to Lithuania (but really to the Order---this was done to appease the rebellious Samogitians, and we'll see if it works out) and Lithuania is now a margraviate of the Order (in a position similar to the Livonian Order, which wasn't really a -vassal- of the Order, per se, but still waved the Teutonic Banner alongside its own). Typically margraviates were created by the Emperor (see: pre-electorate Brandenburg), so this is a bit of an unorthodox move for the Order. The creation of secular titles might just lead to secularization of the Order itself...never mind the consequences with regard to the Order's relationship with the Empire, on whom the Order relies for its very existence (though less and less, especially since Grünwald*).

[* - Grünwald/Tannenberg, Teutonic (not what the Order called itself)... again I'm still not sure how to use this terminology. TBD.]

 

[altwere]

Just found this TL, I'm enjoying it.

 

[Larus Marinus]

Good update. Wasn't expecting the Order to back Svitrigaila, nor to see Lithuania demoted to Margraviate.

I was going for authenticity, but it probably just sounds stupid. Lemme know if it needs work, please...

I thought it was pretty good. Granted, I haven't read a lot of 15th century documents and treaties myself, but it seemed like a good approximation, if nothing else. Given that this would probably be a modern English translation of a 15th century Latin document, that's probably good enough.

 

[Draeger]

Good update. Wasn't expecting the Order to back Svitrigaila, nor to see Lithuania demoted to Margraviate.

I thought it was pretty good. Granted, I haven't read a lot of 15th century documents and treaties myself, but it seemed like a good approximation, if nothing else. Given that this would probably be a modern English translation of a 15th century Latin document, that's probably good enough.

Thanks! As far as your expectations, Svitrigaila did flee to the Order OTL and conspire against Vytautas there, so it's conceivable that he would have sought Teutonic support of his claim in exchange for jumping in the Order's pocket. The demotion to Margraviate is part of this (and not entirely unheard of, though we'll have to wait and see what Sigismund has to say about it)---Svitrigaila becomes Margrave, gets relative autonomy, Samogitia is pacified and Lithuania is forever 'dealt with'. Everyone wins.

 

[Sh3ba]

been reading this TL for a while. pretty decent, but im kinda worried that the polish and lithiunians are going to seek revenge. and theres the rising star of muscovy.

any other nations you plan to wank? or are you limiting butterflies?

 

[Draeger]

been reading this TL for a while. pretty decent, but im kinda worried that the polish and lithiunians are going to seek revenge. and theres the rising star of muscovy.

any other nations you plan to wank? or are you limiting butterflies?

Hence the title, 'Precarious Heights'...emphasis on 'precarious'!

As far as wanking, I'm trying to keep it even. More just swinging the nerf bat at people. Obviously the Order, Grand Kiev, and Sigismund's empire have been furiously masturbated by little butterflies. Time will tell who else gets a happy ending from them, too.

 

[kasumigenx]

Hence the title, 'Precarious Heights'...emphasis on 'precarious'!

As far as wanking, I'm trying to keep it even. More just swinging the nerf bat at people. Obviously the Order, Grand Kiev, and Sigismund's empire have been furiously masturbated by little butterflies. Time will tell who else gets a happy ending from them, too.

Regarding Poland, we still have the Piasts of Opole in Silesia and the Piasts of Mazovia who are still quite strong, they might unite against the Luxembourgs in Poland, which will lead Poland including Silesia to secede from Bohemian control.

 

[Draeger]

Chapter 5 - War in Russia​

excerpt from "History of the Holy Russian Empire: Volume 1 - Founding", 1899 (1):​

"...Diplomacy between Vasily I of Muscovy and Metropolitan Photius of Grand Kiev broke down. In late spring of 1411 Vasily, seeking to subjugate the Russian Church, and seeing the new theocratic polity as the greatest hurdle in his path to doing so, invaded the northern frontier of the metropolitan state and captured Kursk (2). Photius mustered the newly-formed Metropolitan Guard and the levies of Kiev and surrounding cities to form an army of about a thousand mounted knights and sergeants and eight thousand infantry, mostly poorly-armed peasant levies. The Muscovite army at Kursk under Vasily numbered some twelve thousand---the exact distribution of cavalry and infantry is unknown, though primary accounts all confirm the twelve thousand figure (3). The two armies met as Vasily advanced on Kiev---the ensuing battle became known colloquially, and thereafter, as the Battle of Kursk, despite taking place two miles away from the city proper..."

excerpt from "The Holy Record of the Russian Empire", c.1521 (4):​

"...Photius did ride upon a simple, horse-drawn throne, ahead of the main of his army---for it were, truly, his army, so popular was he (5). Such was his fame and renown, indeed, that the would-be usurper (6) did prostrate themselves before the Metropolitan as he advanced toward them (7). Victory was handily achieved that day, for the indomitable Guard did slay those few riders, the hard of heart and the wicked, who dared to stand before the Holy Defender in protest (8). So it was, on that cold morning, that the Kievans* did assert themselves as lords of the Dnieper Valley, its marches, and all its many inhabitants, as well as heirs to all of 'Rus (9) and Tartary (10)..."

excerpt from "A History of the Russias, 1000 - 1500CE", 1951 (11):​

"...The victory at Kursk put a punctuation point on the rise of Grand Kiev, such that the Battle and its consequences marked both the end of what is now known as the 'Kievan Revolution'* (12) as well as the plateau of their power and the beginning of their supremacy over the Dnieper River Valley. Thus, for most of the rest of the fifteenth century, three polities would rule the Russias, or 'Rus, in a precarious balance: the Golden Horde, with its myriad tribal vassals; the Grand Principality of Moscow, who continued to assert herself over the northern Russians, especially Novgorod; and Grand Kiev, with its titular, burgeoning metropolis (13) at its center..."

~~~

1. I gotta get my sources straight. I had a list and I lost it, so I'm basically trying to remember them and make stuff up to fill in where I need to.

2. The last province to join Grand Kiev was Kursk, which sat on the border of all three major powers.

3. Later historians will peg the number of Muscovites closer to eleven thousand. It is enough to know that they outnumbered the Kievans. It is suspected that Muscovite cavalry was lost in expeditions to Lithuania meant to establish Lithuania as a client state under Vasily I.

4. Again, more slap-dash source-ery. I'll have to rewrite the first few chapters as source material (most will probably "come from" the 1892 source).

5. This is an exaggeration of Photius' popularity. Yes, he was welcomed as a liberator in Kiev and seen as a liberator by the surrounding cities, but his presence likely did not cause the Muscovite army to falter.

6. 'The Usurper' refers to Vasily I.

7. This was very unlikely the case. The Kievans' success is probably due more to their zealous fervor and cavalry advantage over the Muscovites, rather than some personal shock factor or cult of personality.

8. 'Holy Defender' refers to Photius.

9. 'Rus = Russia

10. Tartary, or Tartaria, refers to the steppes inhabited at this time by the Golden Horde, Nogay, etc. Used here, it includes the Crimea and Caucasus regions at this time as well.

11. A modern source, written in modern English! You mean to tell me that the Order DOESN'T take over the world and force everyone to speak German??

12. A modern interpretation of the events of 1410-1411. It would be better called an uprising. Modern propaganda implications abound, however...

13. Another exaggeration. It's likely that the more modern sources were based on contemporary accounts, and they were all exaggerated and hyperbolic in nature. Modern historical revisionism will account for this and come up with a more conservative narrative. Also, it can hardly be said that Grand Kiev had supremacy over anything after their victory over Muscovy---they won -one- battle of consequence. We'll see how well they establish themselves hereafter, though these sources seem to indicate that they do pretty well.

Thanks for reading and bearing with me, everyone!

EDIT: got rid of the map---I'll do a better one soon.

 

[kasumigenx]

As I remember, the Nobility of Greater Poland and Silesia want someone from the Piast Family or someone descended from them, in this case these two regions are happy being ruled by Sigismund of Luxembourg which will provide him power for his crusade against the Hussites.

 

[Superninja76]

More!!!!
I love this tl

 

[Larus Marinus]

Would be a shame to see this die, so I hope you're just taking a break. It's been an enjoyable read so far.

As for the map; if you give me a decent outline of what you need, or an existing historical map outlining the Lithuanian and Ruthenian "provinces" mentioned, I should be able to put together a decent enough map for you.

 

[Draeger]

Thank you all for the positive responses! It's so awesome that my first major effort here has been so well-received.

No, Precarious Heights is not kill. Yes, I have taken a break---I'm getting married this spring, plus my career has taken off in a big way recently, so I've been very busy these past couple months (gosh, has it been that long?) keeping my head above water with 'rl' stuff. Hopefully y'all can understand where I'm coming from.

I have an update planned and will begin writing either this morning or afternoon, depending on my schedule. I have -some- flexibility with my work but not a whole lot, and like I said I've been pretty preoccupied as of recent.

 

[Draeger]

Chapter 6 - The Count of Bohemia

excerpt from "Geschichte des Deutscheordnungsstaat" (1)​

"Johann Ziska (c. 1376 - 1439), in Czech 'Jan Zizka', fought for the Polish king during their war with the Order as a captain of mercenaries, mostly hailing from his home region of [modern-day] Borovany. Born into landed gentry, Ziska spent his youth and had his tutelage at the royal court of Bohemia, under Wenceslaus IV. Through his court connections, Ziska began a career as a sellsword (2), and eventually came into the employ of the Polish Piasts of Mazovia. He led a mercenary company at Tannenberg (3) in defense of the small town of Radzyn. His force held out the longest against Teutonic forces, but eventually broke into rout after the death of Vytautas. Ziska managed to save the better part of his company due to the general disarray of the Teutonic army toward the end of the battle, as well as his own tactical ability. Ziska regrouped with the remaining Polish nobility after the battle and witnessed the death of Jogaila. He rallied the Polish nobility and made them see the sense of offering terms. He was present at both the Treaty of Thorn and the election of Sigismund von Luxembourg as King of Poland by the Sejm (4).

It was at this gathering of the Sejm, with all the nobility, guests, and their retinues present, that Ziska met the aged Stibor Stiboritz, (5) and his son, Stibor (who would inherit his father's lands and titles as Stibor II, Duke of Slovakia, Galicia and Transylvania) (6), of the influential Polish Ostoja clan. Stibor had spent his life in service of the Kingdom of Hungary (first under Louis I d'Anjou, and later under his close personal friend, Sigismund von Luxembourg, under whose rule Stibor's influence and power expanded dramatically), and at the height of his power, in the autumn of his life, he pronounced himself 'Lord of the whole Vah' (7). Ziska befriended the father and son; the elder Stibor became his mentor, and the younger his close friend and political ally later in life. Ziska joined Stibor and his son after Sigismund's election. Together, the three combined their assets and forces to put down dissenters and opposition. After a long year Poland was pacified, and Ziska returned home to Bohemia. Sigismund granted Ziska lands previously belonging to the deposed invalid, Wenceslaus IV. His charisma and ability as both tactician and diplomat made him quite popular among the Polish nobility, and this reputation preceded him upon his return home. He was welcomed as a hero of the people, beloved by all---commonfolk, clergy, and nobility alike. To say his popularity enabled his rise to influence and power is entirely an understatement. In fact, his popularity as a military leader and public figure was the direct cause of his rise to prominence (8).

Sigismund invested Ziska as the Count of Prague, retaining all lands previously granted and including the royal estates of the Crown of Bohemia. Ziska assumed residence in Wenceslaus' old palace and assumed the function of government and administration in Prague (9). He had become, in all but title, the singular lord of Bohemia."


~~~~~~~


1) This must be quite the hefty tome, to contain such a broad survey of material. Seems like this text has something to say about everything...

2) This is true IOTL, though the details of his early life are scarce. I would have to really dig to find out more than what's readily available via casual searching.

3) Zizka did participate in the Battle of Grünwald/Tannenberg IOTL, as I have mentioned, and in both timelines he came to renown as a result of his actions in that fateful engagement.

4) See previous chapters (which I definitely have to go back and rewrite and flesh out more in Mk 2.0) to see the overlap in accounts.

5) I didn't throw his name in at the end of that chapter for no reason! This guy was a big deal in late-14th/early-15th century Europe IOTL -and- TTL.

6) IOTL, Stibor's heir was far less influential than his father, only inheriting a few of his father's many, many titles and possessions. ITTL, we will see Stibor's legacy continue through his son.

7) The Vah River valley ran 409 km through OTL modern-day Slovakia, which contained 15 of Stibor's 31 castles (yay Wikipedia).

8) Aw, Zizka and Stibor are fwends. We see Zizka being groomed and coached by the powerful and influential Stibor, before eventually taking on the reigns of real political power himself. Waaaaaaank.

9) IOTL, Sigismund (who was actually only the titular King of Bohemia---ITTL he actually wears the crown) delegated Bohemia's administration and government to Wenceslaus' widow, Sofia of Bavaria. ITTL, Zizka has in fact been groomed for this job by Stibor (arguably, with Sigismund's consent and endorsement).

~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading! Enjoy this latest installment---I will try to keep this alive better and more diligently (like those short little blurbs I started doing and then stopped, favoring instead the longer format for a while there). Consistency, regularity, and greater frequency are what I'm after. And hey, feel free to PM me with questions or just to bug me about posting. Please keep me honest---this is a great community and I'm overly pleased with the response my work has gotten so far, but I'm well aware of my own limitations, as I've mentioned previously, what with everything I've got going on. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try! So thanks, again, everyone who's read so far and will read from here on out. It will get very good, very soon, so stay subbed/keep checking in (usually a couple pages deep)!

 

[Larus Marinus]

Powerful nobles like Ziska and Stibor as Luxemburg loyalists seems beneficial now, but I can't help but think it's a less than ideal idea for that much land and power to be concentrated on so few hands later down the line.

But then, the TL wouldn't be called Precarious Heights if people's rise to power and greatness was safe for everyone involved. It will be interesting to see what Ziska makes of his new position and alliances.

 

[Draeger]

Chapter 7 - The Three-Popes Controversy

Part One: 'A King, a Pope, and an Antipope Walk Into a Bar', or, 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Schism'

excerpt, translated, from "Ladislao d'Angio-Durazzo, re di Sicilia" by Maxime de Giuli (1919) (1)​

"...By 1407 Ladislaus, then thirty-one years old, had established himself as a man of great import. Having successfully asserted himself over the weak, Roman Pope Innocent VII, he signed a truce in July of 1406 that made him the protector of the papacy, which made him the singular guarantor of the current Pontiff, and, thus, his lands. Ladislaus, who had invaded and seized papal lands in the year prior to the truce, was pleased with this---even though he could not assess direct taxes on papal lands under the agreement, he could still benefit from taxes on the increased trade between these lands and his own. This mutually beneficial arrangement did not last, however, as Innocent died abruptly on 6 November that same year. Innocent VII, though his reign was short, had been a shrewd diplomat and adversary to not only Ladislaus but also the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII. Ladislaus had backed Benedict thus far against Innocent VII and his predecessor Boniface IX, but when he made himself the protector of Rome in 1406, it upset the balance of power and caused great concern across all of Christendom---it seemed that, for a short while at least, Ladislaus could use the peace agreement to force the reluctant Innocent to convene a new council to end the Schism (2) once and for all, with Ladislaus as the chief beneficiary (3). For, throughout Benedict's Antipapacy, he had been very public with his openness to ending the Schism, which defamed Innocent as it made him look stubborn and concerned more with his own prestige than the health of the Church.

The cardinals in Rome had hastened to make the most of the momentum that had been made by Ladislaus toward ending the Schism---Innocent had been the last to stand in the way of mending the Schism, and now his death made a final conclusion a very real possibility. The new Roman Pope Gregory XII, a Venetian, seemed to be the answer to the cardinals' prayers. Gregory had been elected hastily on the condition that both the new pope and current antipope would renounce their claims to the Papacy and end the Schism via church council and a new election. Gregory was initially reluctant to give up the office so quickly, but ultimately agreed to convene a church council (4). The ensuing, ill-fated Council of Pisa (1409) did not mend the Schism but rather worsened it---Gregory and Benedict both came to Pisa, but in the last moment, both refused to attend. The council thus elected their own pope: Cardinal Petros Philargos (Pietro di Candia) (5), who took the name Alexander V..."

~~~~~~~

1) Yes, googlers, this source is named after of a modern work. There's no reason that butterflies couldn't make someone else write a similar work of the same name almost a century earlier.

2) The Western Schism.

3) In actuality, Ladislaus vehemently opposed the convocation of the council. This is not a PoD, but rather a factual error on the author's part. This account is basically a TTL modern historical account of stuff that actually happened IOTL.

4) Another authorial error---the cardinals bailed out of the council that Gregory+Benedict had planned and started their own, which Gregory+Benedict refused to attend. This account makes Gregory and Benedict look pretty jerky, you'll see why in part 2. Sorry if this is confusing---I'm presenting this author from the Precarious Heights TL who has written an account rife with factual errors about stuff that happened IOTL (before the original POD (Grünwald)). Perhaps you all get it, and I'm just being pedantic and silly. Mostly certain I have my facts right. Feel free to offer corrections, I can edit them in or save them for v2.0.

5) Pietro was Cretan, and thus got two names because Crete was culturally Greek but belonged to the Republic of Venice. He was a pretty involved guy---educated at Oxford and Paris, made it all the way to Archbishop of Milan before being made a cardinal by Innocent VII. He died not even a year into his papacy, but not before excommunicating our new buddy Ladislaus, which had dire consequences in the years to follow, as we will see...in part 2! HAHAHA.

~~~~~~~

A short-ish post to establish setting and bring those unfamiliar with the Three-Popes Controversy up to speed. This post contains NO a-historical information (everything is OTL), but it DOES contain authorial errors. Keep that in mind for next time---how much can we trust this de Giuli guy, anyway? Thanks for reading!