La republica comunera de Castilla (a succesful comunero revolt)

French wars of religion II:The king in exhile and the Spanish prince
latest

King Henry of Bourbon
Henry's opposition to the duke of Guise to the throne had been organized from Valladolid were his main financial backers were for his war effort.Due the lose of all his states in France Henry could only pay its loans to the Castillian bankers with promises and the money that some éclairé and Huguenots did to him as a sign of loyalty.Amongst his lenders the most important one was Simón Ruiz and his newly stabilished family of bankers.
Simón Ruiz amassed a small fortune with the trade of clothing in Medina del Campo following the steps of his parents.In the general fair of the republic he was able to build a large commercial network which he would use to expand into other markets like oil,spices or porcelain.His fortune started growing larger when he started to buy oil paintings from the rising school of French artists that had been stablished around Paris after the patronage of Francis I of France and became the main distributor of the paintings in Castile.With the fortune that he amassed Ruiz was able to obtaine the title of lender from the junta and invested his fortune in loaning money to the peasant families which the junta rented its land.As most bankers saw the investment as too risky Simón was able to charge larger interests to the farmers which were usually paid in raw materials that were in high demand outside of Spain like nuts,oil,wheat,saffron or citrics.He would then expand his business in America with la compañia Americana making him one of the wealthiest people in Castille.
Simón was a member of the alumbrado gentry class who supported Henry and the protestant cause.After most bankers gave up on Henry's ambitions,Simón was the only banker that kept financing his raids and campaigns in the south of France that were for the most part unsucessful,but his strategy of targeting catholics in the south of France would be one of the main reasons for la grande émigration to happen.
After Henry repudiated his wife Margaret for not producing a heir in 1588,he married Berta Ruíz in exchange of Simón forgiving his debt as the dowry.Henry and Berta would soon have 3 daughters named Berta,Juana and Isabel.
After the death of Simón Ruíz in 1597 the new leader of the Ruíz family Cosme wasn't as permissive as Simón who financed him mostly due the personal ties that both have rather than succes of his endevours.
Henry had made some important gains in France.After the death of Henry III in Poland the legitimists switched to their side and with less catholics in the south he had a solid base of supporters in the region.The unpopularity of Charles and his second wife Marie de Medici.In France rumors said that the Medici's with Charles' aid agreed to kill Henriette in exchange of a massive dowry and a marriage with their daughter Marie.Queen Marie and Charles were never able to remove this image from the French conciousness which deeply hampered their reputation.
Cosme gave Henry a new loan but with a few conditions like getting the formal support of cities and nobles and most importantly a heir.
After Berta got pregnant and on christmass eve Louis was born.
Louis of Bourbon
louis-xiii-9386868-1-402.jpg

Prince Louis of France
Louis was Henry's great hope and his main source of legitimacy.During Louis childhood Henry was for the most part absent from his raids in France against the goverment stablished by the Guise's.Most of his education was provided by the his mother's family that had become wealthier with their american businesses and the relative success that the private states were having.Louis was raised in luxury in the palace of the Ruíz family in Valladolid.He had the standard education of a prince which was provided by the French tutors loyal to his father.
Louis grew found of Valladolid which was a thriving city were a lot of innovations were happening.He grew very fond of the little toys called the automatas that were small wooden toys that could move on their own based on the technology of the hombre de palo by Torriani,the Italian engineer radicated in Toledo.Apart of his fascination with mechanics he also loved the tolerance between cultures in Toledo were catholics,alumbrados,huguenots,other protestants and jews lived in harmony with each other.
After the death of his father in 1609 under suspicious circumstances and the death of his mother Berta in the plague of 1611 Louis became an orphan with just 12 years of age and his tutelage passed to his uncle Damián Ruíz.
After the raise of Gaspar de Guzmán Valladolid became the capital of Castile and Louis' fate would change forever.Since the beginning Gaspar started treating with the Ruiz's (which he new from the consorcio del mar) and started to see Louis frequently.Gaspar brought the best teachers from Salamanca to the Ruiz's palace and gave Louis an education similar to the one that his father gave him,which was more strict than the one he recieved from his French tutors.Louis became proficient at rhetoric,hunting and astronomy and his tutors believed he had a great future on his way.Gaspar started bringing Louis to the consejo de estado were he started to learn the art of ruling and diplomacy.
After the people's crusade exploded Louis participated in the small campaigns against the insurrection in Valladolid and Palencia and grew a distate from war which he found repulsive,barbaric and dirty.
His uncle Damián had signed the treaty of Valencia without his consent.Louis was angry at his uncle as he hadn't given him the permission to sign the treaty.Louis was 23 but being treated as an infant and not as a kid greatly offended him.His distate of war and his lack of connection with France made Louis question wherever he should even try to rule over France and simply give up his claims.
After hearing the news that he was planning on giving up his rights Gaspar met with him in his room to discuss all matters and his speech made him change Louis idea about ruling France:
"It is not a question of wanting or willing,it is a matter of honor and duty.France needs guidance,France needs a ruler,France needs it king!.My dear king God has giving you the mission to guide France to the place it rightfully belongs and has been unrightfully strippen from.The first nation of christanity is in danger and the land of CharlesMagne,Roland,Saint Louis and your father has put its eyes on you .Are you going to turn on them? Are you willing to let France an orphan?Are you willing to let war consume it for eternity? Are you going to let an impostor piss on your rights? Are you willing to accept that you will be a failure to your father? If your answer is yes to any of them I pity France because God has punished them with a faggot when they needed a man!"

Gaspar speech gave Louis the push he needed to pursue his destiny of ruling.In the years following the treaty of Valencia Louis would amass the support of some cities and nobles that were displeased with Charles of Guise and recruiting a Huguenot army from the Huguenots that had settled in Castile.Gaspar on the other hand created a mercenary company joining the main mercenary companies of Castile into one and put it directly under Louis' command to give undirect support to his war effort and not directly entering into the war.Gaspar also hired the alumbrado Genovese condoretti Ambrogio de Spinola that had great success on Henry's last campaigns.
220px-Louis_XIII.jpg
On the day of his birthday he crossed the border with his army,the French populace that hadn't seeing a raid from Castile since the death of Henry were shocked about the size of Louis host and was greated with joy by the Huguenots and éclaire.On the day of christmass Louis was crowned in Pau king of France were he gave his most famous speech:
"France has been ravaged by war,death and division for as long as most can remember.But why? Why should the Huguenot kill the catholic? Why should the catholic split on the éclaire? We are all equal to the eyes of God and certainly so we are the sons of France.Who wants more wars? Who needs more famines? Who needs a king that murders his own wife? Not you my people.You have suffered enough.Fight with me for a new France a France for all were no one is excluded for what they think or believe.A France with peace,food and prosperity.A France that all its neighbors look to. A France which everyone could call home"
 
Marko Nenad and Stanislaw Koniecpolski
The war in Serbia
hist01s.jpg

Serbian army

The Serbian empire was a created in the XVI as a buffer state for the Habsburgs against the Ottomans.Ruled by the Nenad family since its creation it was backwards state that suffered constant raids from the Ottomans.As a result Serbian society became martial in nature and grew a strong national identity as a result of the constant of losing their sovereignty to the Ottomans.
After the involvement of the Ottomans in the war against the Habsburgs Serbia was one of the main targets for the Ottoman empire.The Ottomans took most of Serbia and defeated the Serbian army at the battle of Belgrade(1626) were the heir to the empire,Nikola Nenad,was captured.
The Ottoman army offered Nikola and a honorable retreat to Marko in exchange of the city of Belgrade,and if he refuse they would take away the life of the prince.King Marko that was on the walls of the city took his knive and threw it to the Ottoman army and shouted:
"Kill him with this one, if you are determined to kill my son at least do it with my dagger,that I would rather have honor and Serbia without a son, that a son with my honor stained and my empire in your hands."

Guzm%C3%A1n_el_bueno_de_Mart%C3%ADnez_Cubells.jpg

Marko Nenad throwing his dagger to the Turks
The siege of Belgrade would be the longest in the war and became and inspiration for resistance against the Ottoman invasion amongst all the Serbs.The Turks which widely outnumbered the Serbian garrison of 5000 men were unable to make any breakthrough towards taking the city which was heavily bombarded and cut from any supplies.Despite hunger plagging the city the inhabitants of Belgrade refuse to surrender the city and supported the decission from their king.
The siege was not only fundamental for the Serbian resistance against the Ottomans,but it also protected Ferdinand of Hungrary and the Habsburgs from any Ottoman incursions into their lands and securing Bohemia, and most importantly allowed the Commonwealth to organize a defence against the Ottomans after it almost collapsed with the Swedish invasion.
Stanislaw Koniecpolski
Stanis%C5%82aw_Koniecpolski.PNG

Stanislaw Koniecpolski

After the indecesive battle of Uzhhorod (1626) the Sejm agreed to raise more taxes for the war and the command of the army was given to Stanislaw Koniecpolski who had proven to be the most capable commander in the Polish army.
Stanislaw streghten the firepower and artillery of the Polish army seeing the supperiority of the Swedish army with this tactics.
After the Swedes left Poland Stanislaw started a series of succesful campaigns against the Ottomans who were pushed from Moldova (the battle of Bullhorod in 1627) which repelled the Ottoman invasion.The Polish army had proven its worth in battle and started to regain the reputation that it had lost during its wars against Sweden.
On the fith of December of 1627 the Commonwealth,king of Hungary of Bohemia and Hungary Ferdinand and the empire signed the treaty of Prague where they reaffirmed their alliance and agreed to free Belgrade from the Ottomans.
The second battle of Belgrade
The imperial army under elector Ferdinand of the Palatinate,joined by the commonwealth army leaded by Koniecpolski and the Hungarian army leaded by Ferdinand of Hungary would face the Ottoman army at Belgrade in the biggest battle in the war.The combined allied forces had around 50,000 men and 15 canons from which 15,000 were horsemen,mostly Hungarian and Polish.The army was joined by around 15,000 volunteers leaded by Vladimir Nemad,the heir and brother of Marko from all of Serbia,from which 6000 were light cavalry.The Ottoman army had over 80,000 men and 30 canons,which was 3/4ths of the army that started the siege.
While the Ottoman army was bigger in numbers Koniecpolski and Ferdinand realized the lack of cavalry that the Ottomans had as due poor sanitation a lot of the horses had died from diseases or had been eaten by the Ottomans as supplying such a large army resulted an impossible task even for the powerful Sultan.The Ottoman canons were also heavier and less movable than the ones from the imperial army and redirecting them towards the battle would become an ardous task.
Realizing the vast advantage that their army had in terms of movility and the low moral of the Ottoman army, Koniecpolski,Ferdinand and Ferdinand II of Hungary and Bohemia decided to charge directly towards the Ottoman army.
The Ottoman army that was running low on supplies wasn't able to organize a strong line of defence against the fresh cavalry and was crushed by the charge of 21,000 horsemen.The Ottoman army started retreating and it was hunted by the Serbian light cavalry that masacre as many Turks as they could killing over 45,000 Ottoman troops in the course of 3 days of persecutions.
cernetic%20prince%20XVII%20sec.jpg

Serbian army in rescue of Belgrade
After the defeat at Belgrade Serbia was reconquered in its totality and the empire was restablished.The legend says that Marko died soon after the city of Belgrade was relieved and was succeded by Vladimir who was had become a hero in all of Serbia making the day of the battle (4 of March of 1628) a public holiday for the empire for perpetuity.
The Ottoman empire that had started a war against the Safavid empire could not continue the war on the western front after its defeat at Belgrade and agreed to sign the treaty of Sarajevo in which they agreed to stop the hostilities against Poland,Serbia,Hungary,Bohemia and the empire and would give Bosnia to the Serbian empire as a reparation for the war.
Now that the Ottoman threat had been dealt Ferdinand of the Palatinate was appointed to command the army against the protestant union,after the defeats of Tilly, with the aid of Wallestein's army who was under the command of Ferdinand II of Hungary, while Koniecpolski was called to Poland and later fight the Tartar invasion of the next year.
 
French wars of religion III: Marie de Medici,Concino Concini and Henri of Rohan
Maria_de%27_Medici_Frans_Pourbus_the_Younger_%28detail%29.jpg

Marie de' Medici​
After the death of the Queen Henriette of Lorraine in 1609,the king Charles IX of France married Marie de' Medici on the next year. The wedding ceremony in Florence was made by proxy as the king could not attend the weeding due that inestability that France was suffering,and as such the queen had to be scorted through the empire which was a safer route control mostly by the Habsburgs.
The marriage with Marie was mostly due economic reasons.The Medici's were the biggest creditors of the French crown and the ties with Florence were fundamental for the economy and the finances of the kingdom.Charles owed almost 1,5 million écus to the gran duke of Tuscany and the marriage in a lot of ways resembled that of Henry's marriage with Berta Ruiz.
Marie's arrival to the court would alter the dynamics of court.The queen despite not being a very capable polititian would have strong saying in state matters.As fervent catholic and sympathizer of the Habsburgs she would be one of the strongest supports that the most radical members of the catholic league in court,which would create a strong counterbalance against the most moderate supporters of the league,specially the catholic gentry, that was willing to give the Huguenots and the éclairé a some concessions to bring peace to France.
In 1617 Marie convinced Charles to include Concino Concini in the Charles' state council.Concini was Marie's right hand and through him,the more radical ideals started to dominate the state council.Concini would soon rise to prominence and he would become the most prominent figure in the state council,specially after he convinced the king to introduce the bishop Armand du Plessis, Mangot y Barbin as ministers and monopolizing the state council.
Concini's policy was to pursue an agressive policy against the Huguenots and achieve a higher centralization of power which putted him at odds with both the nobility and the gentry.In 1623 he signed the treaty of Arras in which Habsburgs would agree to aid him in his campaign for "Reconquering all of France to its unity that it should have never have lost".The army of the Habsburgs would join the catholic league army and started some succesful campaigns like Nègrepelisse and Montpelier but after the Swedish invasion of Poland and some financial struggles Concini was forced to cancel his campaing.
Chimenti_Concino_Concini.JPG

Concini Concino
After Concini's army return to Paris news arrived about a Huguenot army crossing from Castile under the command of Louis the Bourbon who had proclaimed himself king of France at the city of Pau.After news broke out about it the more protestant leaning south with La Rochelle at its head started a revolt against the catholic league.Spinola who had been hired by Louis had been able to reconquer Montpellier and followed with a succesful campaing of sieges which teared down most catholic strongholds.Spinola who was a very capable logistitian and resource manager was able to raise armies at a considerable speed and pursue a policy of destroying most castles in France,as the nobility was the main supporter of the catholic league.
250px-Studio_of_Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Marquis_Ambrogio_Spinola.jpg

Ambroggio Spinola
Spinola was a respected and well known general in France.Genoa who theoretically was part of France but acted as an independent political entity suffered a wave of conversions to the alumbrado cult due its close ties with the republic of Castile including the most powerful families in the city who were the Dorias and the Spinolas.Both families had supported Henry's efforts in France and Ambroggio had been fighting alongside Henri of Rohan who had become the most prominent leader of protestants in France after the death of Henry of Bourbon.
Henri_Duc_de_Rohan.jpg

Henri of Rohan
Henri of Rohan would soon lead the uprise and swear fealty to king Louis.Rohan's experience and reputation would allow him to lead succesful campaings further north in France with the approval of King Louis XIII after sending his famous "A letter for all people in France" in which he promised to not punish any person for their believes and creed and called all people in France to unite and create a better country.
Louis strategy of reconcilliation resulted extremelly effective and allowed Spinola and Rohan to take multiple catholic strongholds with little opposition as their armies gained a reputation of treating the population fairly and justly,but also because a lot of loyalists supported Louis XIII as he was the rightful king of France as after the death of Henry III the house of Bourbon became the rightful ruler of the country.
Concini's answer against the Huguenots would be to end the war with one decessive battle but while he was chasing the armies of Spinola and Rohan he was starting lose more and more villages,towns and cities to its cause as the army of the catholic league was force to sack them to obtain the necessary supplies to pursue the war.Concini who had proven to be an incompetent logistitian managed to loose 1/3 of his armies to famine,hunger and diseases without fighting a single battle that wasn't against peasants that were trying to save their harvest.
The 8 of April of 1628 the catholic league faced Rohan's army at the battle of Nievre.Rohan's army was considerably larger than the catholic league army but Concini's army who had more cavalry than him almost drove his army back until Spinola managed to join the battle and deal a final blow to the catholic league that was about to collapse and 1 month after the battle the city of Nevres passed to the Louis side leaving the path to Paris wide open for the loyalists and the Huguenots.
1879311

Spinola gets the keys to the city of Nevres
 
Top