A Timeline: The Ultimatum of Migano

Delvestius

Banned
The Ultimatum of Migano
How Italy was united by the Normans
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Migano, Capua - July 25th, 1139

His Holiness wiped the sweat from his brow as he stood under the canopy. He told himself it was only the heat, but deep down he knew there was something more. Three days ago, a force of one thousand knights loyal to Count Roger II of Sicily ambushed Papal forces at Galluccio, and Pope Innocent II, along with the remainder of his host was captured and marched to the town of Migano. I’m worrying about nothing. I am Innocent II, the holiest man in Christendom… Nobody can defy me. He nodded at the thought, and His Holiness’ mood brightened a little. Besides, the bastard hasn’t beaten me yet… He has god to answer to.

Roger approached the canopy with his friend George of Antioch at his side. His Holiness looked up and stared at the count. “Fetch me some whine,” he called to a servant boy, who quickly brought a flagon of fine red.

The count motioned one of his own servants for the same. “Ranulf’s1 wine cellars were quite impressive. Well stocked with many vintages.” His Holiness looked up slowly, sipping his pungent brew.

“God rewards those who are faithful,” he said as he set the empty chalice on the table. “You however, you no longer have your pretender to hide behind2; I am again the undisputed voice of Christ in this world. I must only say the world, and legions of true Christendom will be rallied under my banner to end your false rule.”

“Perhaps, if they weren’t all killing each other already. Your Excellency doesn’t seem to be in a position for such talk, I suggest you consider your perception of the situation.”

Surely, he won’t harm me… God will not allow it. “You have proven yourself resourceful on the battlefield, this I cannot deny. I am prepared to bless your rule and make you king of Sicily, Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua. Surely, this is an agreeable offer3!” Roger took a seat and stared at His Holiness.

“Frankly, your offer offends me.” he said flatly, as he drank from a chalice of his own.

“Why, you ingrate! You should be kissing my feet and thanking Christ that I don’t excommunicate you right now!”

“The Duchy of Spoleto must be considered part of my realm, as well as Ancona, up to Old Romagna.”

His Holiness couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This… This is an outrage! King Conrad will never allow it!”

“He will if you grant them to me. Conrad forgot about these lands four years ago when he was Crowned the German King. Besides which, you can be sure that we will check the Venetians, if they forget themselves. You can be very sure of that."

Innocent knew the game Roger was playing. “You leave me no choice… Though I cannot promise the loyalty of the people in the realms you insist I concede to you, nor the cooperation of their lords. I do not imagine the Duke of Bavaria will take kindly to the loss of Spoleta.”

“The Duke has other concerns closer to home, I'm sure. My Admiral George will replace him as Viceroy until a suitable choice can be made
Code:
. As for the New Duchy of Romagna, I shall allow the nobility to elect a duke to their liking, who shall swear fealty to me. If the people are content with their treatment as I plan for them to be, then I doubt they care whether their king is a German or a Norman.” His Holiness looked away in grudging contempt.

“Are these your terms then?”

“There is one more thing,” said Rodger, who stared at Innocent. “The territory of the Patrimonium will need to be slightly… diminished, unless you have any objections. Though I am fairly certain the walls of St. Peter were not built for sieges."

1 - Ranulf, the Duke of Apulia, died in 1139. Rodger quickly captured the province, which was followed by the attack by the pope that resulted in his capture.
2 - It was in fact Anacletus II the Antipope who crowned Rodger king of Sicily in 1130.
3 - These were the OTL terms of the Treaty of Migano


***​

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Taking advantage of the lack of central Imperial authority in Italy, Rodger called Innocent's bluff and established a large Norman state, much of which had been previously part of the Papal States. With the pope's blessing of Rodger's new kingdom, King Conrad III agreed to relinquish the various fiefs of southern Italy, including Capua, Apulia, Spolento and Romagna. Rodger's sons Rodger III and Alfonso became the Duke of Apulia and the Prince of Capua respectively, while Admiral George of Antioch was given Spoleta until a new lord could be chosen. The cities of Romagna elected the Mayor of Ravenna to be duke.
 
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Delvestius

Banned
Palermo, Sicily - Autumn, 1145

It was a warm day, but a cool westwind was blowing rather strongly. Rodger didn't mind; the palace was a kiln on days like these, and he enjoyed the cool breeze. He was accompanied by George, with whom he was discussing the future of his empire as they paced the royal vinyards. That sat down under a fig tree and began to play chess.

“My father once told my advisors that Africa will be ours when we are strong enough to take it. I had a mind to believe him once.” He moved a pawn up two spaces.

“Milord, it has been yours for a decade1. The Tunisians pay you grandly in gold and grain, and your garrisons collect customs across the coast.” George started the game with an early knight.

“Heh… The emirs of the Maghreb are niggardly. They shirk many of their payments, and only when we threaten to blockade do they scramble to make amends. And what of the customs? A few dozen fishing villages with a hundred footmen posted at each… The profit of these miserable little camps is barely enough to keep the soldiers there fed…

“But what of the prestige milord? You lay claim to Tunisia, the Kingdom of Africa! And Imagine the good you can do for the Saracens if you expand inwards. Build them churches and win their hearts, and they will turn their souls to Christ. Their loyalty will yours.”

“Churches are awfully expensive to commission; Besides which, I find that Muslims make fair enough tax subjects as they are. Perhaps a change in strategy is in order.”

George looked up from the game, interested. “What does my lord suggest?”

“Our men are being wasted, stationed along the coast in those pathetic settlements while the emirs of Tunis and Tripoli fatten their pockets with the gold they owe us. It’s only a matter of time before some berber lord contests our claim and assaults our garrisons. And meager as they are, it wouldn’t take much to oust them. Nay, instead we must consolidate and focus on the urban centers; They are defensible and prosperous, and we need not worry about suppressing unrest in some backwater hovel with troops that would be better used elsewhere. Three thousand troops in both Tunis and Mahdia should suffice, as well as a thousand to hold Tripoli. That will be our new Africa2.”

“I do not know if I agree that we should entirely forsake all of our settlements, but it is indeed a sound plan… The returned men could very well be used against our true enemies.

“And who may they be? I was not aware we were at war with anybody.”

“Milord, what of the Byzantines? They continue to attack your ships on sight,” the admiral said, pausing to dry off his brow. “They don’t even recognize the legitimacy of your rule of these lands; How long will you allow this insult? I propose an assault of the Peloponnesus and the whole of the Aegean. We must cripple them, and when the time is right, we strike at their heart. Perhaps they will not find it wise to treat us in such a manner when they see Constantinople burn3.”

Roger took a moment to mull over how he should put his thoughts into words. “All of my most trusted advisors tell me how I should despise the Byzantines. That they are an old and bitter realm that must be dealt with accordingly. I have never had any love for Greeks, that is certain. I am sure never to suffer one’s company, lest he soil the air around me.” George smirked at the jibe and Rodger laughed4, but his demeanor quickly became serious again. "I wonder why we may not make amends. With skilled diplomacy, their leadership will realize that they no longer have any place in Italy. They really have more pressing matters to concern themselves with, truth be told. We must only make them see it. And yes, Albania may look a tempting prize, but at what cost? Greater things can be accomplished by all parties if one has the decency to stop this nonsense. It mine as well be us.”

“And what if they think you cowardly?”

“Let them. For if any Greek attempts to land in my realm, there will be no quarter, and you may lead your ships to victory against their dullish lords who dare such things. Besides… With our eastern flank safe from any assault, we may turn our attention towards other domains.”

“If you plan on consolidating in Tunis and making peace with the Byzantines, where else is there to go?

A smile crept across Roger’s face. “I’ve always enjoyed the scenery of Tuscany.”

1 - In 1135, the Normans had began their conquest of coastal settlements in Tunisia.
2 - The Normans captured Tunis in 1146, and also the city of Mahdia two years later, though Tripoli was never assaulted, and they continued to administer the various coastal settlements with garrisoned troops.
3 - George took Corfu and sacked the Peloponnesus in 1147, and in 1149 he sailed to Constantinople with forty ships in an attempt to land and sack the city. Unable to disembark, he sailed back to Italy empty handed, but not before he shot arrows through the emperor's windows.
4 - Admiral George was in fact a Greek born in the crusader Kingdom of Antioch


***
The over the past six years, Roger's empire has grown strong in size and power. Clashes with the pope have been minimal, as the decrease in size and strength of the Papal States have made the pope more wary, and less apt to brazen actions. Conrad III still rules in Germany, distant from the Italian peninsula.

It is here that Roger made the crucial decisions that will define the next few decades of Sicilian history. His "Kingdom of Africa" is now merely three port cities, though they are wealthy and prosperous, and many regional emirs submitted to Norman rule voluntarily. He states his intentions to make peace with the Byzantines, which would put him in prime position for further expansion into Italy.
 
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Interesting, but why would the African emirs submit? If it's a "force" thing then that's pretty tenuous.

Good start so far. Looking forward to how the Normans overcome future challengers.
 

Delvestius

Banned
Interesting, but why would the African emirs submit? If it's a "force" thing then that's pretty tenuous.

Good start so far. Looking forward to how the Normans overcome future challengers.

From what I'v read, this was a period of famine and hunger across North Africa and the Middle East. Many Emirs had requested Sicily to become their overlord since they were strong and quite prosperous at the time. Also, many urban lords had to deal with various revolts and rebels, and they hoped that being loyal to Sicily would give them strength (They figured there was more of a chance to get help from Palermo than the Almohads). The lords of the biggest cities however were wealthy and powerful in their own right, and failed to pay on many of the tributes the Sicilians had levied. The differences in this TL are that Roger takes the largest urban centers (Tunis, Mahdia) a few years earlier than in OTL, and he abandoned the garrisons along the coast, which didn't really give him much profit.
 
Hmm can you PM me any sources for the drought conditions? I'm always looking for more information on the Western Med.
 

Delvestius

Banned
Thank you everyone for reading, I hope you enjoy the next section!

If anyone has any questions, suggestions or comments that could make this better please let me know, especially regarding the length and tactics of the battles and war as a whole. On one hand it seems pretty short, but on the other, considering the historic nature of Italian conflicts and the balance of power (rather loaded on the alliance of the Sicilians) I should think it's long enough, especially given the how the battles turned out. Thanks for all the help :)


The War of the Maritime Republics : April – August 1146

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Roger had recently made peace with the Byzantines, who had demanded three shipments of gold as tribute. “A small price to pay for a one-front war,” he had told his advisors. His reluctance to engage the Byzantines made it clear that Venice was not a viable option for conquest, as there was a strong bond of trade and friendship between the two nations. While the powerful Sicilian navy was more than a match for either, together they would be a force to be reckoned with. The Pisans would surely throw in their lot aswell, and only then would Roger worry about the integrity of his realm.

The Patrimonium was a shadow of what it was in the years before Roger had cut its territory nearly in half. The new pope Eugene III was of indifferent opinion regarding Roger so long as he did not attempt to subvert them further as he already had quite enough on his hands dealing with those who wished to make Rome a free commune. On more than one occasion, His Holiness considered requesting Sicily to intervene on his behalf, but it had not gotten to that point quite yet.

Further north were the various marches and duchies of the Holy Roman Empire, although these did not interest Roger, lest he raise the ire of the German lords. Verona was coveted by Venice, and the Kingdom of Lombardy was still close enough to the Emperor that if he were to invade, an Imperial counterattack in full force would surely be mustered. This left the region of Tuscany as the best choice of expansion.

Ever since the death of the heirless Matilda of Tuscany in 1115, the region quickly saw the rise of various free communes, independent from Imperial or Papal authority. Some had even grown to become great naval trade powers that could rival any nation on the sea, especially Pisa, who controlled the island of Corsica. King Roger knew he had to be careful; he had to play his cards right if he wanted to expand. Roger did not discount the possibility of Imperial intervention in his planned invasion, though he knew any support sent from the north would be nominal at most.

Florence was naturally the first target of Rodger, as it was a wealthy region that shared the most borders with Sicily. The fact that it was landlocked meant that they did not need to worry about a navy, and so Roger’s ships would be free to land elsewhere. He had a mind to engage the Pisans with the assistance of the Genoese, to which he had promised Corsica for their assistence. Sienna would be left alone, as Roger knew the Pope would feel uneasy if he were surrounded by one single kingdom. The Republic of Lucca would be left for Genoa to deal with as they wished, and Roger wanted to thoroughly control the lot of Tuscany before he worried about any state north of the Florentine border.

In April of 1146, Roger led half of his mustered force into Florence where he was met by their host near the village of Relleggo. Suffering few losses thanks to their knights, the Sicilians easily broke the attack and the Florentines retreated to defend the capital. Roger followed them closely and laid siege to the city. A host of knights split off from the main force and headed west to aid the assault of Pisa.

A week later, the combined naval forces of Genoa and Sicily defeated the Pisan forces at the Battle of Gorgona Island. When it came to assault the City’s docklands, the marines, which consisted of a Genoese host and the other half of Roger's muster, were repelled twice though a third wave shattered the enemy and secured the harbor. The combined army marched towards Pisa, but was met by a strong position of Pisans and Florentine forces who unaware of the condition that their own city was in. The battle was a pyrrhic stalemate until on the third day, April 28th, the Norman cavalry from the east hit them in their rear flank. The Pisan forces surrendered, and their city was occupied. The Genoese remained to garrison while the Normans quickly started their way back to Florence. On May 2nd, the Normans assaulted the walls and Florence fell. The next few weeks were spent pursuing bands of soldiers and reserves in the rural lands of Florence in the north, though many militiamen had abandoned the spear and returned to the plow after they heard of the fate their city suffered.

On May 24th, word had reached the Genoans at Pisa that a contingent of Lombard infantry supported by Swabian knights were on their way to free the city. Two thirds of the Norman forces left to aid the Genoese, with a third staying back to guard from surprise attacks. The armies met on the Fields of Lucca on June 3rd. The battle lasted for four days, but in the end the Imperial forces were a mediocre match for the Italian coalition, just as Roger had predicted.

The Treaty of Lucca was signed on August 8th, 1146 between the Consuls of Genoa, Pisa, Florence and the King of Sicily. The treaty assigned Genoa the island of Corsica as Roger had promised, while the lands of Florence were added to the Sicilian realm as a new duchy. The people of Florence were allowed to elect their own lord in an attempt to show fairness, hoping that it would cut down on the revolts that were sure to happen over the next few years.

King Roger was pleased with how his plan unfolded, although he knew he and his progeny may not be so lucky in the future. As distant as the German lords were, this was twice now in under a decade that he had bested them. Although Pisa was reduced to a second rate sea power, Venice would be sure to take advantage of the economic power vacuums left by the City and bolster their already strong network of trade lanes and outposts. The Venetians would surely invest heavily in the services of mercenaries, and soon they too may have a mind to use them for conquest.

Roger was not foolhardy; He did not let his success blind him, for he knew that such fluid victories are rare, and rarely stay constant. He had a feeling things were about to become significantly more difficult.
 
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How do the Byzantine vassel of serbia get so large. Manuel will never all the serbs to get this big. The empire is not militarily weak at this point and had serbia under lock and key.
 

Delvestius

Banned
How do the Byzantine vassel of serbia get so large. Manuel will never all the serbs to get this big. The empire is not militarily weak at this point and had serbia under lock and key.

I have no knowledge of the Byzantine state or it's vassals, so I do not know :eek:. I took most of the non-Italian borders off of one map I found, though I recall it may of been from the thirteenth century, quite some time indeed after this chapter.. Thanks for letting me know, I'll find a more accurate map for those borders right away.

EDIT: Fixed, I see Croatia was held by Hungary and that the Bulgarians were independent.
 
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Interesting TL!

I do have a few comments, first of all I doubt that Conrad would relinquish those fiefs without a fight, because that would also weaken his position (credibility etc.) in the rest of the HRE. Not to mention allowing the Normans to (further*) expand in the empire.
Secondly I wouldn't be surprised, if the Papacy would even request the HRE and/or France for help.

(*= the HRE originally had claims on territories in the OTL kingdom of Sicily too)

All in all I would expect to see one (or more) army (/armies) crossing the Alps; IMHO no one would sit idle, while a rivals expands in their lands (which are either theirs or nominally theirs). So once the emperor gets his act together he's capable and will send a major intervention force, this may take some time though. Before that a smaller forces could be send, but IMHO a major invasion force (at one point) would make sense.
Nonetheless it's your TL and this really is my only remark.

Furthermore a united Italy is interesting, but a less capable future king of Sicily may be forced to a more decentralized rule and/or a kind of magna carta. Given the wealth and population this Sicilian Italy, though new will be one of the major (western) European powers. OTOH depending on how towns are treated some of OTL developments in Italian cities tun out different ITTL.

Not to mention that the HRE (German kingdom) now can have a clear focus north of the Alps, which increases the chance of eventually becoming a hereditary monarchy.
OTOH this TL might have implications for the position of Holy Roman Emperor too...
 
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Fairly odd for a battle to last so long when it's not a siege. It's possible when you have large forces on either side or cannot put all troops on the field at once. When fighting hand to hand, exhaustion and morale are going to lead to winners decided relatively fast. If battles last longer it's often because both sides are staring at each other or something. I honestly can't think of a single western medieval battle that lasted longer than a day (not including pursuit).

You might need a line or two describing how and why the Normans were held up for so long, such as by terrain or something. To be fair, I can be totally wrong on this. :)

This book might help.
 

Delvestius

Banned
Interesting TL!

I do have a few comments, first of all I doubt that Conrad would relinquish those fiefs without a fight, because that would also weaken his position (credibility etc.) in the rest of the HRE. Not to mention allowing the Normans to (further*) expand in the empire.

Thanks! So you don't think that he would heed the edict of the papacy, even for such distant and unruly lands?

Secondly I wouldn't be surprised, if the Papacy would even request the HRE and/or France.

Do you mean the Papacy would prefer the HRE was out of Italy, or that they wouldn't even need to call upon them for get a response?

All in all I would expect to see one (or more) army (/armies) crossing the Alps; IMHO no one would sit idle, while a rivals expands in their lands (which are either theirs or nominally theirs).

How much trouble do you think Italy was really worth to them? If they don't listen to the pope, how big of a force do you think they could actually milk out of the dukes? And how big would it have to be do you think to stop Roger in his tracks? I don't think Conrad would send any force that large, but I'd consider all the options. Thanks!

Fairly odd for a battle to last so long when it's not a siege. It's possible when you have very large forces on either side or cannot put all troops on the field at once. When fighting hand to hand, exhaustion and morale are going to lead to winners decided relatively fast. If battles last longer it's often because both sides are staring at each other or something. I honestly can't think of a single western medieval battle that lasted longer than a day (not including pursuit).

It's not impossible, but you might need a line or two describing how and why the Normans were held up for so long, such as by terrain or something.

Haha I'll probably just edit them to last a day or so. I wasn't really sure what was average, but what you say makes sense. I'm sure terrain may make some battles last a bit longer, but I'll make sure to explain those. Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll check it out!
 
Though the Pope is a religious authority, I can't see the HRE just handing over territories without a fight, because the current Pope asks them to do so; this might incline the emperor to install an antipope. However if the HRE loses the war (not just a battle) they will be forced to accept these terms (currently the HRE is only a third party, which fate in those regions is decided by the other two).

What I meant to say was, that I wouldn't be surprised if the Papacy asks the HRE and/or France for help.

Italy was worth a lot for the Holy Roman Emperor, it not only was one of his kingdoms, but he needed to go to Rome (or another papal residence) for the Imperial coronation by the Pope. Italy had a symbolic value, but it was also one of the wealthiest regions in Europe.

Every medieval emperor (or maybe even every HRE*) had a part of his focus south (Italy) and north (German kingdom) of the Alps.

(*= after the middle ages this became increasingly titular, not even an imperial coronation by the Pope was needed; but an interest in Italy, also due to dynastic ambitions, remained)

Regarding the TL, I find the history behing the creation of the (OTL) Norman kingdom of Sicily interesting.:)
 
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Delvestius

Banned
Though the Pope is a religious authority, I can't see the HRE just handing over territories without a fight, because the current Pope asks them to do so; this might incline the emperor to install an antipope. However if the HRE loses the war (not just a battle) they will be forced to accept these terms (currently the HRE is only a third party, which fate in those regions is decided by the other two).

Italy was worth a lot for the Holy Roman Emperor, it not only was one of his kingdoms, but he needed to go to Rome (or another papal residence) for the Imperial coronation by the Pope. Italy had a symbolic value, but it was also one of the wealthiest regions in Europe.

I see what your saying, I might add a paragraph or two at the end of the first part and detail a more realistic response of Conrad. Though I plan for it to be insufficient, of course :p
 
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