Back from the Brink: A study of the Western Survival

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Deleted member 67076

Thanks Rainbow Sparkle!:D

Okay, I split this chapter into more than one update, as it didn't seem to 'fit' with the others.

Map coming soon!
Chapter 6, Part 1




Eastern Gaul, May 28, 411

With the death of Gerontius in battle, his forces collapse, allowing Constantine’s army to crush them. Attempting to take advantage of the situation, Constantine sends his son and general Constans into Hispania to crush them, with the added mission of returning Hispania to his control. So far they have been successful, with spies reporting that Maximus had attempted to flee, only to be betrayed by his own men. Without Maximus, Iberia is an easy target for conquest. Unfortunately, barbarian activity in southern Gaul prevents Constantinus from moving the bulk of his forces and conquering Hispania.

Instead, they adopt a mostly defensive position, with Constantine himself currently stationed in a fort near the Pyrenees Mountains.

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“Sir, I have important news for you,” A soldier spoke as he opened the tent flap, briskly walking toward his superior before being stopped by a guard. His superior looked up from his work and turned towards the soldier, merely nodding. The subordinate began, “General Constans has arrived at the camp with important news. He says-”

“What, where is he? Why has he sent a messenger instead of meeting with me personally?” the superior interrupted.

“He said,” the soldier took a sharp breath, “He said... he’d like to show you the news.”

The general frowned, raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but he allowed the messenger to continue.

Picking up on the general's expression, the subordinated hurried towards the tent door and whistled. A moment later the tent flap open opened again, allowing three figures to enter.

Two soldiers came in, dragging a third figure by the arms to the feet of their leader, before unceremoniously dropping him on the ground.

The superior eyed the man. His appearance was unkempt and filthy. Bruises and dried blood stained his face and clothes. Judging by the looks of it the man appeared to be a prisoner.

“Wake up,” the general ordered, receiving only a groan in reply.

Sighing, he turned to one of the soldiers and said, “Wake him up.”

With a painful moan, the barely conscious man gingerly opened his eyes and raised his head, allowing the leader to get a look at his face.

The general grinned viciously, realizing why Constans decided to ‘show’ him instead of telling him. He knew who his prisoner was. Despite the filth and the growing beard, the face remained recongnizeable.

It was Maximus, the usurper from Hispania.

After a few seconds Maximus gasped in fear, the realization hitting him suddenly.

Across from him was Constantine, his former leader, sitting in a chair with his hands interlocked and a wild grinn. on his face

After a few seconds of savoring the look on Maximus’ face, Constantine spoke.

“Ave, Maximus. What brings you here?”

The prisoner opened his mouth, but no words would leave him.

“I would have been emperor by, you know.”

“I... I c-can explain!” stammered the fearful man.

Constantine’s expression became as hard as stone, then he swiftly and brutally punched Maximus in the nose, dropping him face first into the ground. “No excuses. You should have stayed loyal.”

Whimpering, the man attempted to get up, only to receive a sharp kick to the side, flipping him on his back.

Clutching his side, he attempted to speak “It-it-it was Gerontius! This was his idea!”

Constantine’s response was to stomp on the prisoner's neck.

Coughing up blood, Maximus pleaded, “P-please.”

“Please?” Grabbing him by the neck, Constantine lifted him in the air. Despite the pressure, Maximus managed to rasp out “P-please.... I... I can help...”

“How?” Constantine whispered angrily, before reaching a breaking point. “HOW?!” he demanded. Now using both hands, Constantine increased the pressure on the man’s neck.”How can you possibly help me?”

Gurgling was the only in response, as more pressure was added.

“Your armies have been crushed. Your men have betrayed you. They've sold you out to me, in an attempt to buy their freedom.”

More pressure was added, and Maximus’ face began to turn blue.

“You can’t provide me with men, you can’t provide me with money, and you can’t provide me with claims. YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING! “

Constantine stopped, before snarling and dropping Maximus’ body. Rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, he heaved a deep sigh.

“You should have stayed loyal.”

 
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Love the scene, and Constantius and his capable son seem poised to put the pieces together again. Gual and now Hispania are looking likely to be reintegrated, plus Italy and North Africa never left. How is Britain doing? Is the East supportive or unnerved by Constantius' success?
 

Deleted member 67076

Love the scene, and Constantius and his capable son seem poised to put the pieces together again. Gaul and now Hispania are looking likely to be reintegrated, plus Italy and North Africa never left. How is Britain doing? Is the East supportive or unnerved by Constantius' success?
Thank you! Originally I was just going to write 3 sentences on it in the main update, but then I thought to myself, that's boring:p

Gaul is still a mess of barbarians and usurpers, and needs to be cleared out and pacified, among other things. You'll see in the next update. Same with Hispania.

Britain, is like OTL, suffering from Germanic and Irish raids, along with being in the process of imploding. However, the butterflies will hit there soon and something... big will happen. Try to guess what it is!:D

The eastern court is like the 410s OTL, mainly indifferent. They have their own problems to worry about but are happy the barbarians are getting what they deserve. That said, they are not hostile and will be playing their part soon enough.;)
 

Deleted member 67076

Slydessertfox: Close but no. Guess again:p

Second part of the Update here. (Remind me to put up a map soon people.)
Chapter 6, Part 2

“We come starving, homeless and alone! We begged at their feet! We served them faithfully! And for what?! To be cast aside! To be butchered! Heed my words! We are NOTHING to them! THEY DO NOT CARE!!

–Alaric, King of the Goths, rallying his people against the Roman Empire.

410 – 411

The Gothic brothers, despite all that’s happened, refuse to simply back down and vow to continue to oppose the Roman forces. The Goths, forced to flee after having his prize taken away from him so close to victory, are collectively bitter and depressed. As they march across the Alps, their bitterness turns to rage, and discontent with Alaric’s rule grows. However, King Alaric finds away to use this to his advantage. Taking advantage of the Gothic people’s rage, he rallies them against the Roman cause. Giving fiery, passionate speeches, the king strikes a chord with his people, uniting them against what they perceive a common threat and solidifying their loyalty. This works, giving new cause to the Gothic Army and a significant boost in morale.

Effectively, this mean the horde becomes a marauding army, taking their anger against the Roman populace, brutally sacking many towns and terrorizing the populace. The horde lives off these Roman lands, taking what they need, slaughtering the populace and moving on to the next town.

When word reaches the Imperial military has moved out, the Goths do not immediately pursue. Alaric fears that in their current state, the Gothic army will not be strong enough to fight the Roman host head on, so he commands a... different approach. Gothic forces will avoid direct engagement and focus primarily on ambushes, guerrilla warfare and hit and run tactics, using their cavalry to full effect. These attacks slow down and whittle the Roman forces, but do not stop it.

Eastern Roman Empire, Early Spring

Shortly before the Duumvirate set off to campaign in Gaul, envoys had been sent to the Eastern Court in Constantinople. These envoys are there with an important request. They ask for any and all forces that can be diverted westward, to do so as to bolster the forces of the Constantinus. The Eastern Empire, currently led by Emperor Theodosius the Younger (althoughdue to his age, his sister Pulcheria has assumed regency and thus, is the true leader of the East), receives them well, happy to see envoys of what he considers Rome’s Saviors.

However, the court is rather ambivalent towards Constantinus’ request. Some see his war as a good idea and wish to rid the west of the barbarians, arguing that the extra troops would be vital in eliminating the barbarian threat. However, others are not so keen to this idea. Some feel that it a removal of troops from the East will incite attack either from the Barbarians north of the Danube or Sassanid Persia. Others fear Constantinus himself, feeling that with extra troops he might turn on Rome herself and install himself as emperor. In the end, Constantinus’ request is denied. However, this does not mean the East will do nothing to aid the west. The east has agreed to lend its warships to the west for this occasion. The Roman Navy will play important roles in operations in Gaul and Hispania.

Near the Alps, March 411

The Roman assault on Gaul begins, with Constantinus and Sarus’ combined forces moving out of Italia. Marching east from Augusta Taurinorum, the Roman Military plunges deep into Gaul, attempting to reassert Roman control to all who do not submit. Initially, the results appear good, many towns quietly bending the knee for the security that comes with Roman rule. Other were simply untouched by barbarians. The various towns that remained Roman are quickly and quietly re-integrated. Garrisoning these towns does not strain the Romans much, and Roman security allows for trade routes to slowly but surely open back up. Their problems have only just begun, but the Romans have their own tricks.

That is, the Roman Navy. While never as prestigious as the Legions, the Roman Navy is still a force to be reckoned, and is one advantage Rome has. From the ports of Leptis Magna, Ostia and Classes, warships are launched into Gaul. The attacks are quick and brutal, managing to repel barbarian invaders from the coast, quickly establishing Roman overlordship in Gaul’s southern coast by the end of July. Roman control of the southern coast is critical as it allows for greater resupplying of the Duumvirate’s forces and providing an excellent counter to the Goths scorched earth policy.

Thanks to this, The Duumvirates forces continue to push throughout Gaul faster than otherwise, slowly grinding their way into Aquitaine. Nevertheless, the farther they go, the harder their problems become as the density of barbarians increases. Most damningly, they now have to compete with Constantine the pretender.
 
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Hmmm, it seems the eastern court took a different route than OTL. Which is to be expected, since Rome isn't in serious threat of being sacked and there isnt a Gothic army in southern Italy this time around...good update.
 
Man I've been gone from ttl for months, and only 2 updates in that time.... :/ Too bad cause I've enjoyed what's happened so far!
 

Deleted member 67076

Man I've been gone from ttl for months, and only 2 updates in that time.... :/ Too bad cause I've enjoyed what's happened so far!
I'm really sorry for the lack of updates:eek:, but as I said before:
I'm really sorry for this being so late and so short, but what had happened was that my laptop died, taking all my research, notes and updates with it. As such, I had to restart much of this timeline from scratch, and thus couldn't advance.

I hope this map can make up for it, even just a little bit:

attachment.php


Situation in Gaul as of July 410:

1) Areas under control of The Western Roman Empire
2) Area's under effective Barbarian control
3) Areas under Constantine the Pretender's control
4) Hispania
 
Very nice! Although presuming Roman Britain remains tougher and more stable overall, might we see less Gaelic influence over the Pictish kingdoms?
 

Deleted member 67076

Very nice! Although presuming Roman Britain remains tougher and more stable overall, might we see less Gaelic influence over the Pictish kingdoms?
Or Possibly more, depending on the interactions that happen. If Roman Britain is stronger, they could centralize and provide a more successful defense.... or they could become a bigger target.:p
 

Deleted member 67076

I have no excuse for lateness. :eek:
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Chapter 7

June- August 411

Following the execution of the pretender, Maximus, Constantine’s main army moves out. With most of the eastern coast under his control and a detachment of his army moving south into Hispania, Constantine feels his flanks are secure. Now the only thing that stands between him and the purple are the hostile forces in Gaul. When Gaul is pacified he shall march into Italy and become emperor. In addition, in Gaul the general sees opportunity: By sweeping in and crushing barbarian forces, he can portray himself as a capable general who restored order and crushed Rome’s enemies. Anxious to enter Italy, Constantine swiftly moves east.

Meanwhile on the other side of Gaul,the main Roman army does not fare so well. The scorched earth tactics of the barbarians, combined with ambush and generally excellent cavalry, have slowed the Roman advance to a crawl. Slowed, but not reversed. Nevertheless, resupply by sea via the Roman fleet and steady supply lines from Italy have kept the army functioning.

This thorough and cautious approach is the result of planning between Sarus and Constantinus. Both are slightly wary of Honorius, and fear he may not send enough reinforcements, if at all. Thus they opt for being on the safe side. This proves to be a boon in the long term, as the Roman advance, combined with Constantine’s march westward would slowly exhaust many of the barbarian armies in Gaul.

Overall the campaign is of mixed success, but a success nonetheless. Morale is rather high amongst the Roman army, and most battles have ended in Roman victories. In addition, thanks to the efforts of Sarus and his troops, who have brokered out a deal to the benefit of the Roman army. In exchange for service in the Roman army and helping subdue their fellow tribesmen, the Germanic warriors would be given amnesty for any and all actions to the Roman state and would be allocated land in the future. Such deals soon provide the benefit of fresh troops to the army, and have the side benefit of providing information on the status of other tribes in Gaul. Such a deal is generally accepted amongst many Germanic immigrant, with many a poor and desperate tribesmen seeing it an easy way to settle down. As well the sight of Sarus himself helps convince many of the deal’s authenticity. A Gothic chieftain himself, Sarus gives hope to the possibility that the so called barbarians can be accepted into the empire’s system, even reaching a position of power and respect. While overall beneficial to the Roman cause, this policy becomes a point of contention between the two generals, with Constantinus wary of so many federate troops, despite Sarus attempts to ease those concerns and assure their loyalty

Those who have not accepted the Roman offer however, and who never get the opportunity to do so, lays a bitter road in the near future. Most roving bands of barbarians, most noticeably Alans and Vandals have managed to survive by plundering the land and moving away from other tribesmen. However, that usually meant moving north into the arms of Constantine the pretender, the Franks (of which are gladly taking this opportunity to recruit fleeing tribesmen), roaming around Gaul, or moving back east onto the encroaching Roman army.

For the Goths, this flight westward has gone from good bad to worse. In the attempt to reach the supposed safety of Hispania, (and possibly even Africa) Alaric’s West Goths are, in addition to being attacked by the encroaching Roman forces in the east, dealing with not only other tribes for competition (which has increased the further west they go), but now are on the receiving end of Constantine the pretender’s army.

Nevertheless there is a bright spot for the Goths. They have scored victories against Roman forces (both usurper and legitimate) and have grown in number, thanks to a successful policy of allying and recruiting bands of other migrants. Most importantly an alliance was negotiated with the Alans, whose numbers and cavalry prove to be a great boon for the horde.

September 411

Continuing their trek westward, the Goths are within reach of their destination. In the middle of Aquitaine, they steadily advance to towards Hispania. Meanwhile, Constantine and his army have steadily advanced eastward, clearing Gaul of invaders with brutal efficiency. The pretender has been having a steady stream of victories, and the citizens of Gaul have readily accepted him as their overlord, with only minor rebellions. Drunk on victory and the praise of his troops, the usurper believes that his victory is at hand. That finally, the setbacks are over! That soon he will cross into the rest of Gaul, and then he will reach the fertile plains of the Po, and finally, Italia proper!

...One can only imagine his surprise and subsequent rage at the reports of an approaching Gothic army.

No matter, to Constantine, barbarian or not, anyone who would dare cross now would die. Simple as that. This might even be used to his advantage, as the prestige gained from crushing a massive barbarian horde would be massive.

Rallying his troops and his Frankish allies, the Pretender’s and his forces began to prepare for battle, intent on crushing the Goths.

Alaric’s scouts took note of this, and alerted their leader of the incoming army. In turn, he prepared for battle. To the Goths, the Pretender and his army is their final challenge, the last test before they enter the Promised Land.

October 3, 411.

On a cloudy day near the outskirts of Tolosa, both sides would meet. What follows is one of the most brutal battles of Late Antiquity. Despite being slightly battered by their travels, Gothic forces are utterly determined, their vindication against the Romans apparent in this battle. Charging in with everything they’ve got, the Goths smash into Constantine’s forces, attempting to break them swiftly and win with overwhelming force. After a 3 day struggle, the Goths overwhelm the Roman and Frankish forces and inflict serious casualties, destroying a large contingent of Constantine’s army and forcing him to retreat north. Constantine himself was killed in the ensuing retreat by an enemy cavalryman. With his death, the Pretender’s forces scatter.

Nevertheless it is a rather pyrrhic victory for the migrants. While they had managed to destroy a large section of the Pretender’s army, and injure him, the Goths themselves have lost sizable amounts of men and cavalry, and need time to reorganize and continue the journey south
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Attacking seemed an odd move for Constantine especially when he could have offered them a settlement in exchange for support. Though he was clearly drunk on victory and stranger decisions have been made before. It was a risk, perhaps an unnecessary risk but certainly one that makes sense. Great update, now it's time for Sarus to use this moment of weakness to press his integration plans...
 
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