Iulia went to war simply because she liked it!
The Warrior Empress
Note: For the progress of the European War, please see
Chapter 52 and
Chapter 53.
Excerpts from "The Warrior Empress" by James Terring, Historia, 15 June 1877, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, British North America, Empire of Britannia
Empress Iulia of Romania, Greece and the Orient (1642 - 16
51) is almost universally regarded by the Romanians as their greatest Empress,
the Warrior Empress as they fondly romanticize her.
While Empress Iulia is undoubtedly a very interesting historical figure, it is our duty as Historians to investigate a few claims that are usually made about her by laymen or apologists.
These claims, which we shall attempt to disprove in the course of this article can be summarized as follows:
1. Empress Iulia was a great empress;
2. Empress Iulia was a great warrior;
[...]
1. The claim that Iulia was a great empress is perhaps the most outrageous of all. It would be perhaps more appropriate to consider her reign as abyssmal. But let us get the facts first.
Her predecessor was the first
Emperor of the Romanians,
Saint Emperor Mihai I the Brave, who was everything her granddaughter was not: a great political and military strategist and a wise and fair visionary ruler who during his 48 years reign created modern Romania seemingly out of thin air.
At her coronation, Iulia inherited a huge, cohesive, extremely powerful and rich empire featuring a promising incipient democracy and a highly educated population fueling an yet unseen scientific and technological progress.
At the end of her short reign, Romania, while significantly larger, had lost its ethnic and spiritual cohesiveness, being actually amalgamated with Greece, Croatia, Hungary and the Orient in an amorphous multinational conglomerate filled with internal dissent and ethnic and religious strife while financially bankrupt under a corrupt and inefficient military dictatorship.
[...]
Despite what the Romanians might think about her now, it is quite certain that Iulia was one of their worst rulers. While, obviously, a woman cannot be expected to be equal to a man [1], Iulia's legacy is clearly worse than that of other Romanian Empresses like Maria or Cleopatra.
[1] This way of thinking was considered normal in TTL (and OTL) 1877 and does not reflect the author's opinion on the matter.
2. While undoubtedly a warrior, Iulia was not a
great warrior. "
Empress Iulia fought a lot, so she must have been a great warrior!" It is easier to spot the fallacy if you compare that statement to the following one: "
Someone who paints a lot is a great painter!"
Yes, Iulia fought a lot. No, Iulia was not a great warrior.
[...]
Iulia took one of the finest armies in Europe and used (or should we better say
abused) it to overthrow the still fragile constitutional order in Romania while invading all of Romania's neighbours, sometimes even simultaneously, in blatant disregard of all possible strategic considerations.
Leaving aside the obvious fact that women should not go to war and much less lead armies directly from the battlefields, Iulia constantly endangered herself and the country misfortunate enough to be ruled by her. Naturally, a monarch should lead his armies, but from the safety of his capital, not from under direct enemy fire, risking injury, death or capture in every battle! This is not bravery, but lunacy!
[...]
Iulia's complete lack of tactical and strategic thinking can be inferred from her exploits: In twelve years of horrifying never-ending war, she was injured at least three times, got herself captured by the enemy alongside a whole army, lost a staggering 220,000 soldiers killed, maimed or captured, worried all the civilized countries of Europe nearly creating a grand alliance against her country and finally [...].
Only an inordinate amount of luck saved Romania from complete disaster while leaving it scarred for at least one generation!
[...]
Emperor Mihai went to war because it was necessary and beneficial for his country. Iulia went to war simply because she liked it!
[...]
When Empress Maria took the Throne, the situation in Romania was really horrendous. It would take decades for Romania to overcome the economic, financial, demographic, social, political, militar and diplomatic disaster left behind by the romantic flamboyant reign of the
Warrior Empress!
Note: While most statements from this article are, even if exaggerated, factually true, the author's bias against Iulia (and women in general) is rather obvious. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Excerpts from the private Journal written by Empress Iulia during her captivity and subsequent voyage around Europe
Note: Published in 1898, Iulia's Journal is considered by some critics to be a forgery, albeit a rather good one.
22 December 1643
It's over. We lost. I lost. A month ago, I was acclaimed as
Imperatrice in the
Eternal City and now here I am languishing in a prisoner camp in this God forsaken country! At least I am suffering the same fate as my brave soldiers! Till now, they are treating us well, the food and accomodation, while basic, are at least bearable. I hope that they will not dare to rape me.
Note: Actually Iulia was never kept in the Caserta PoW Camp, but in a rather dilapidated castle at the outskirts of Naples.
24 December 1643
I was woken up by some sort of commotion taking place outside my residence. I found out later in the day that a Romanian Balloon flew over the camp presumably attempting to rescue me by air! It would have been truly majestic to rise to the skies in the mighty balloon and fly to the safety of our lines!
Alas, it was not meant to be as the balloon was punctured by a volley of arrows and bullets and crashed nearby.
Note: This incident is not mentioned by any other source.
25 December 1643
Today, being Christmas, we got better food and even some wine. [...]
1 January 1644
A New Year has begun. May it be a better one!
I cannot stop thinking that it was my fault for this unprecedented disaster! I have miscalculated and overestimated our strength and logistical capabilities. The Southern advance of our armies was too fast and we paid the price for it!
3 January 1644
Today, I could hear the beautiful music of constant shelling for the first time since my capture. I think that our great armies are finally going to break the Iberian defences.
7 January 1644
It seems that they are considering that Naples might fall. Fearing that a renewed Romanian advance might free me, my captors decided to embark me in one of their ships and sail... God knows where! I hope not in Africa!
11 January 1644
We were attacked by a small but heavily armed British fleet. While I hoped to be rescued by our allies, I also feared that the ship might get sunk.
My fears seemed justified as less than an hour after the start of the hostilities, the ship was aflame and soon the tremendous blaze was all but impossible to estinguish.
About half an hour later, the Captain ordered everyone to abandon ship. The situation was extremely dangerous as the four Iberian ships remaining afloat were far from one another and the British were shelling us relentlessly.
Someone threw me into the cold waters of the Mediterranian Sea and I began to swim towards the nearest ship. The British were defeated and forced to retreat Eastwards. As my hopes of being rescued vanished, all my energy was focused on staying alive. A sailor helped me when my strength started to wither and we managed to get near a ship and board it. I got to live another day!
Note: This may be embellished a little. Or a little more.
19 January 1644
We stopped in the Balearic Island of Majorca where we changed ship and continued Westwards, presumably towards the Iberian mainland.
23 January 1644
We arrived in Valencia at the end of our journey. Even if I am nothing but a prisoner of war in the land of our enemy, I am glad that I can once again walk on firm land.
22 February 1644
Finally in Madrid, the former Capital of Iberia. They decided to keep me prisoner in the very center of their country, the farthest away from any possible British attempt to rescue me. Anyway, the war will be over soon, as I will get home to my beloved Country!
14 March 1644
An Iberian Prince sent to keep me company (actually to spy on me) was being rude and behaved inappropriately towards me. I could not bear it anymore. I had to do something to protect my honour as there was nobody else there to do it! I challenged the bastard to a duel, but he kept mocking me, an Empress!
Enraged, I hit him with a vase in the forehead, blood pouring down his cheeks. The guards got me, but at least he did not laugh at me anymore and actually accepted to duel me! I will kill this unfortunate being! I have to kill him! Nobody disrespects me like that!
15 March 1644
I lost. Again. I do not understand, how was it possible to play fight with my instructor on an equal footing and to lose so miserably against this Iberian?! He was incredibly powerful. He actually made me drop my sword to the ground with a single blow. I really stood no chance whatsoever. He then placed the tip of his sword on my throat, looked at me for several seconds and then turned around and left without saying anything. I was mortified by endless shame.
Note: This events are corroborated by some Iberian sources and could be safely considered genuine.
1 May 1644
It appears that some sort of rebellion had engulfed Iberia, but the news are contradictory and sketchy. A lady in waiting whom I have befriended tries to get me some reliable information about the confused situation in Lisbon and elsewhere.
3 May 1644
It's certain now that a revolution had toppled the Iberian Habsburg Monarchy and the rebels have crowned a new King in Lisbon as they control Portugal, Navarre, Andalucia and most of Castille. Their forces should capture Madrid in a matter of days and hopefully set me free.
10 May 1644
Still waiting for King John's armies. I cannot stand the suspense anymore!
23 May 1644
As the revolutionary forces threatened to take Madrid by force, my captors forced me into a decrepit couch and we left in a hurry during the night towards an unknown destination. Any semblance of comfort was completely lacking, to put it mildly. I started to fear for my life.
26 May 1644
During the night, our party was suddenly attacked by unknown assailants and a formidable firefight ensued.
A couple of hours later everything was silent once again. The attackers (or would be rescuers, I don't know) have vanished, but only after killing or injuring most of my guards.
27 May 1644
Isabela, my assigned lady in waiting, went outside and talked with the guards. Those injured have died or have been left behind and there were only three men guarding us. Later that day, she passed me a pistol.
28 May 1644
The time was ripe for action. Isabela stabbed a guard and I shot another one. The remaining guard fired several shots towards the carriage but his pistol jammed. He drew his sword and charged towards me. I aimed and fired one more bullet. He died instantly.
I had a bullet in my shin, I was bleeding profusely and the pain was really atrocious, much worse than when that arrow scratched my shoulder last year.
29 May 1644
We were in the middle of nowhere, two women, a broken carriage, three dead men, a dead horse and a injured one which I had to put down. Far away in the West, there was some kind of battle raging on.
We have managed to stop the bleeding from my shin, but the bullet was in there and the atrocious pain prevented me from walking.
31 May 1644
After two more days spent in the ruined carriage, the spectre of hunger raised its ugly head. Obviously, I have never been hungry before, so this experience made me understand the plight of our poor peasants during the years with poor yields.
It was already clear that nobody would come and rescue us there. The road was very small and probably unimportant and the battles must have scaried away the locals.
We could not stay put and resign to wait for our death. We had to get going.
1 June 1644
We left the carriage and headed back Westwards, in the probable direction of the rebel forces. It was a gamble, since we knew neither our location nor the direction to a populated place.
We progressed extremely slowly, because I could not use my left leg. Isabela was helping me, but the pain was getting worse and, more worryingly, it seemed that I was a little feverish.
2 June 1644
As I was unable to walk anymore, Isabela carried me on her back for miles. We advanced, albeit very slowly. My fever was getting worse and the pain was excruciating.
3 June 1644
Isabela's energy was running low. I was obviously a too heavy burden for her weak body.
When she finally stopped, unable to carry me anymore, I was already lapsing in and out of consciousness. The End seemed near.
10 June 1644
I am alive! I have somehow cheated death and here am I in this small Castillian village, in a little peasant house, treated by a doctor called from a nearby town.
I have been operated upon and had the bullet removed. The pain is present but duller. I am more worried about the fever though which can indicate an infection. But there is nothing we can do but pray and hope.
16 June 1644
Forces loyal to King John of Spain (the name of Portugal-Castille) arrived here at noon. They treated me well and here I am now, once again travelling Westwards in a new comfortable carriage. Life is good. Maybe the fever will subside and I will not die. God, I don't want to die now! I am still young!
4 July 1644
We arrived in the Iberian, sorry "Spanish" Capital of Lisbon, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
A British convoy is waiting for me in the harbour, ready to leave for London, Britannia.
7 July 1644
I travel on the Ocean now! Who would have imagined that!
I am feeling much better. Even the doctors are amazed of my quick recovery.
This Atlantic voyage will be quite long but at least safe, because the British Navy rules supreme on these waves!
22 July 1644
We received very good new today. It seems that the war is finally coming to an end. We won again. Long live Romania and her Empire!
6 August 1644
London, the Capital of Britannia, the greatest Naval Power of the World. I feel like an explorer now.
King Henry Frederick and Queen Henrietta Maria (Cristina's sister) are very nice and pleasant and spoil me with their attention and kindness. Britannia is really a wonderful country!
18 August 1644
Britannia is nice and welcomming but I am badly needed back home. Of course, I did not stay here with no reason, my presence in our ally's Capital being a nice boost to our diplomacy.
20 August 1644
On the high seas again! This time heading for Danzig in Sarmatia, the country of my cousin Carol.
1 - 9 September 1644
An important visit to Amsterdam, the greatest Port in Germany. Diplomacy again.
23 - 28 September 1644
It would have been inconcievable to pass through the Danish Straits and not visit our Scandinavian allies as well. King Christian and his new wife, the young and beautiful Anna, came to Copenhagen to welcome me. It felt really good.
8 October 1644
Finally in Danzig, Sarmatia. My dear aunt Flora was already in Danzig, waiting for my arrival. She is so sweet! We did not stay in Danzig, but took another ship upstream on the Vistula.
Although Sarmatia was, militarily speaking, in quite a poor shape, the course of the Vistula was perfectly safe. The war with the Russians was raging far away in the Eastern parts of this huge country.
18 - 30 October 1644
My cousin, King Carol met me and aunt Flora in the Warsaw Harbour. We were both very happy to see each other after so much time! The only sour part of my visit was that Carol's wife did not like me. Of course, the feeling was mutual.
12 November 1644
After almost a year of wandering in and around Europe, I have finally rejoined my Army in Lemberg. There was no time to lose, so we immediately began marching Eastwards to fight the Russians and expel them from Sarmatian soil.
29 December 1644
I have missed real warfare so much! Now we were at last once more at war near Kiew, forcing the Dnieper. We have to cross it into the lands of the Cossacks and punish them for their treason!
4 March 1645
Sadly, the war against Russia is over. These cowards have surrended and a Peace Treaty is being discussed. We won, but I failed to get to Moscow!
19 April 1645
I am back in Romania, on the sacred ground of my Country! God be blessed!
They have finally moved the Capital to Michaelia Iulia, so I suppose I'll go straight there. Although, I would love to spend a few days in Alba Iulia, which will always be my sweet beloved home.
13 May 1645
Relaxing in Alba Iulia. Who knows if I will live to come back here ever again? After all, I have more wars to prosecute. This time, against the Heathens! It's already long overdue!
3 June 1645
Reunited with my family after more than two years! I am overwhelmed with joy seeing Cristina and Maria, despite their former treason. I have wholeheartedly forgiven them! I love them so much! Both of them? But do they still love me? It seems not. They are... frosty. Well, that's life. I'll go to war again soon and I'll leave my family home like any warrior should do! Maybe Cristina and Maria will appreciate me more when I would finish vanquishing all our enemies! Or maybe not... God be with me and protect us all and our Country!
Note: More about the political situation in Romania and Cristina's "treason" in the next chapter.
3 July 1645
One month is enough. If I stayed more, I would feel it even more difficult to leave. But I have to! An Empress has to fight for her Empire!
30 July 1645
Back at war! [...]
Note: More in the following chapters.
This was by no means an easy writing. Questions? Comments? Mistakes?
Thank you.
Next chapters:
- Romania during the War;
- The War in the Orient;
- The Peace Treaties;
- Overview of Romania in the 1650's;
- Overview of Europe and the World in the 1650's;
- End of Part One.