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Chapter 108: Separated by the Carpathians: Poland and Slovakia
We are now heading westwards, into Central Europe. This update is thus to speak of the situation in the Pannonian Basin, in, Poland and Prussia.
As for the Pannonian Basin, in the beginning of the 13th century we can see a fractured region, with four major contenders. In the north and west, we can see the strongest power in the basin, the Duchy of Slovakia. The Duchy of Slovakia rules over the valleys and hills of the Western Carpathians, but also the Little Pannonian Plain. With such hilly terrain, the country is dotted with a large number of castles, many of which are only wooden. Some of them were however made of stone, and have provided refuge for the population in the surrounding countryside during the Naiman raids.
View attachment 533084
Realms of Central Europe
The result was still a large depopulation, caused by famine during the Naiman raids. However, it has been noted that the stone castles were not conquered nor destroyed during the attacks, and the Duke encourages the nobles to rebuild their wooden fortifications into stone castles. By the late 13th century, the royal authority is waning and the most powerful nobles, the magnates, are the ones who hold the real power in the realm. To counter their influence, the Duke offers privileges to major cities: Prešporok, Pezinok, Modra, Trnava in western Slovakia Kremnica, Banská Štiavnica, Banská Bystrica in central Slovakia and extends the privileges of the cities in the Spiš region in eastern Slovakia. Central Slovakia becomes the destination of a large number of Germans, but also Walloons and other Latin peoples, who develop the gold-mining in the region. The Dukes seek to side with the townsfolk to counterbalance the influence of the magnates, and in some regions, they are highly successful.
Pannonia as a duchy was reduced to the western bank of the Danube River, as the areas to its east were taken over by Cumans fleeing westwards. The destruction caused by the Naiman-Kipchak raids is limited mostly to the countryside, populated by Magyars. The city of Sopiane is unconquered, and most of the Pannonians have found refuge in the castle. The result is that by the end of the century, the linguistic balance in Pannonia is now even more in favour of Pannonian, a Romance language which has somehow managed to survive in this province. By now, it has taken very strong Slavonian and Magyar influences, as well as Venetian and Lombard ones as well, but still, here we have it, a legacy of Roman rule in Pannonia.
View attachment 533085
The Alfold has reverted to a nomadic society
View attachment 533089
The Duchy of Temes had been overrun by Pechenegs, who had allied with the Cumans heading westwards and they have jointly the Khanate of Kunság (or Cumania Minor) in the Greater Alfold Region. The population of Kunság consists, well of Pechenegs, Cumanians, Alans, Magyars and Biharians, and is very sparsely populated. The people living in the area have returned back to the original nomadic way of life, being herding horses and livestock. Further eastwards we have the Duchy of Ardeal, which tow retreats its borders back to where they once have been, into the highlands of ancient Dacia. The Duchy remains almost undamaged by the Naimans, as they are protected by the mountain fortress of Transylvania they inhabit. Ardeal remains populated by both Vlachs and Biharians, although it appears that the former are becoming more and more prevalent, with Biharians being pushed northwards into the Marmaroš regions.
View attachment 533087
We can see some linguistic shifts taking place
Further northwards, beyond the Carpathian Mountains, we arrive in Poland. For the Dukes in Mazovia, the presence of pagan Prussians has been a constant source of trouble. To Poland´s northeast, there are the Duchies of Prussia and Sudovia, two realms, which Poland would like to extend its influence over. To the northwest, Pomerania is controlled by the Danes.
View attachment 533086
Christianity has made its way even to northern Europe. Kashubia is now fully Christianized
The kings of Poland had to address the threat posed the pagan tribes to their north. Een in the early 13th century, the Prussian and Sudovians were raiding the Mazovian lands north of the Vistula. The Mazovian dukes were trying hard to stop those raiders, but their attacks were time and again more difficult to stop. To contain the Prussian threat, subsequent Polish kings resort to settling German burghers on the lower Vistula River, who are settled as “guests” of the local dukes. While fighting the Baltic pagans, the Poles saw themselves as the bulwark of Christendom, as the shield that guards the Christian commonwealth, being the antemurale Christianitas.
View attachment 533091
Medieval Prussian heritage has still its place in contemporary culture
As for Prussia, it is going to develop similarly to Curonia and Pomerania. You see, Prussia is orientated towards the Baltic Sea and thus is very likely to interact with the dominant power in the Baltic Sea basin, which is still going to be Denmark. Where Poland fails with the stick, Denmark is succeeding with the carrot Initial friendly relations are going to be exchanged by attempts of the Danes to dominate Prussia, resulting in independence wars, where the Prussian rebels are aided by Sudovians, their eastern kinsmen. The Sudovians are still pagans, in fact one of the last pagans in Europe, being established in the buffer region between Prussia, Lithuania and Poland (1).
Ultimately, Poland ends itself found in a war against Denmark, which sought to control the entire amber coast from the estuary of the Elbe to the estuary of the Neman, controlling the southern shore of the Baltic Coast. However, the Polish, along with the Saxons are able to prevent this from happening and the result was Saxon dominance over Mecklenburg and Polish conquest of eastern Pomerania.
As for Prussia, the Prussians themselves have converted to Catholicism, as have the Curonians. Liepaja has become the seat of an Archbishopric, serving for both Curonia and Prussia; the capital of Prussia is now fixed at Truso.
View attachment 533088
The newly established Archdioces of Liepaja cover Curonia and Prussia
Both Prussia and Curonia have become Catholic feudal monarchies, although, well Catholicism nor feudalism have not penetrated deeply into the society of these Baltic realms. The peasants can be found in a much freer environment compared to their counterparts in other parts of Europe.
As for the Pannonian Basin, in the beginning of the 13th century we can see a fractured region, with four major contenders. In the north and west, we can see the strongest power in the basin, the Duchy of Slovakia. The Duchy of Slovakia rules over the valleys and hills of the Western Carpathians, but also the Little Pannonian Plain. With such hilly terrain, the country is dotted with a large number of castles, many of which are only wooden. Some of them were however made of stone, and have provided refuge for the population in the surrounding countryside during the Naiman raids.
View attachment 533084
Realms of Central Europe
The result was still a large depopulation, caused by famine during the Naiman raids. However, it has been noted that the stone castles were not conquered nor destroyed during the attacks, and the Duke encourages the nobles to rebuild their wooden fortifications into stone castles. By the late 13th century, the royal authority is waning and the most powerful nobles, the magnates, are the ones who hold the real power in the realm. To counter their influence, the Duke offers privileges to major cities: Prešporok, Pezinok, Modra, Trnava in western Slovakia Kremnica, Banská Štiavnica, Banská Bystrica in central Slovakia and extends the privileges of the cities in the Spiš region in eastern Slovakia. Central Slovakia becomes the destination of a large number of Germans, but also Walloons and other Latin peoples, who develop the gold-mining in the region. The Dukes seek to side with the townsfolk to counterbalance the influence of the magnates, and in some regions, they are highly successful.
Pannonia as a duchy was reduced to the western bank of the Danube River, as the areas to its east were taken over by Cumans fleeing westwards. The destruction caused by the Naiman-Kipchak raids is limited mostly to the countryside, populated by Magyars. The city of Sopiane is unconquered, and most of the Pannonians have found refuge in the castle. The result is that by the end of the century, the linguistic balance in Pannonia is now even more in favour of Pannonian, a Romance language which has somehow managed to survive in this province. By now, it has taken very strong Slavonian and Magyar influences, as well as Venetian and Lombard ones as well, but still, here we have it, a legacy of Roman rule in Pannonia.
View attachment 533085
The Alfold has reverted to a nomadic society
View attachment 533089
The Duchy of Temes had been overrun by Pechenegs, who had allied with the Cumans heading westwards and they have jointly the Khanate of Kunság (or Cumania Minor) in the Greater Alfold Region. The population of Kunság consists, well of Pechenegs, Cumanians, Alans, Magyars and Biharians, and is very sparsely populated. The people living in the area have returned back to the original nomadic way of life, being herding horses and livestock. Further eastwards we have the Duchy of Ardeal, which tow retreats its borders back to where they once have been, into the highlands of ancient Dacia. The Duchy remains almost undamaged by the Naimans, as they are protected by the mountain fortress of Transylvania they inhabit. Ardeal remains populated by both Vlachs and Biharians, although it appears that the former are becoming more and more prevalent, with Biharians being pushed northwards into the Marmaroš regions.
View attachment 533087
We can see some linguistic shifts taking place
Further northwards, beyond the Carpathian Mountains, we arrive in Poland. For the Dukes in Mazovia, the presence of pagan Prussians has been a constant source of trouble. To Poland´s northeast, there are the Duchies of Prussia and Sudovia, two realms, which Poland would like to extend its influence over. To the northwest, Pomerania is controlled by the Danes.
View attachment 533086
Christianity has made its way even to northern Europe. Kashubia is now fully Christianized
The kings of Poland had to address the threat posed the pagan tribes to their north. Een in the early 13th century, the Prussian and Sudovians were raiding the Mazovian lands north of the Vistula. The Mazovian dukes were trying hard to stop those raiders, but their attacks were time and again more difficult to stop. To contain the Prussian threat, subsequent Polish kings resort to settling German burghers on the lower Vistula River, who are settled as “guests” of the local dukes. While fighting the Baltic pagans, the Poles saw themselves as the bulwark of Christendom, as the shield that guards the Christian commonwealth, being the antemurale Christianitas.
View attachment 533091
Medieval Prussian heritage has still its place in contemporary culture
As for Prussia, it is going to develop similarly to Curonia and Pomerania. You see, Prussia is orientated towards the Baltic Sea and thus is very likely to interact with the dominant power in the Baltic Sea basin, which is still going to be Denmark. Where Poland fails with the stick, Denmark is succeeding with the carrot Initial friendly relations are going to be exchanged by attempts of the Danes to dominate Prussia, resulting in independence wars, where the Prussian rebels are aided by Sudovians, their eastern kinsmen. The Sudovians are still pagans, in fact one of the last pagans in Europe, being established in the buffer region between Prussia, Lithuania and Poland (1).
Ultimately, Poland ends itself found in a war against Denmark, which sought to control the entire amber coast from the estuary of the Elbe to the estuary of the Neman, controlling the southern shore of the Baltic Coast. However, the Polish, along with the Saxons are able to prevent this from happening and the result was Saxon dominance over Mecklenburg and Polish conquest of eastern Pomerania.
As for Prussia, the Prussians themselves have converted to Catholicism, as have the Curonians. Liepaja has become the seat of an Archbishopric, serving for both Curonia and Prussia; the capital of Prussia is now fixed at Truso.
View attachment 533088
The newly established Archdioces of Liepaja cover Curonia and Prussia
Both Prussia and Curonia have become Catholic feudal monarchies, although, well Catholicism nor feudalism have not penetrated deeply into the society of these Baltic realms. The peasants can be found in a much freer environment compared to their counterparts in other parts of Europe.
- Covering the Bialystok Voivodeship and large parts of Grodno Oblast and Brest on the Bug river
- Tomislav Addai
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