Marsch von Ungarn

Part 1: Fear the Magyars

4th of July 907, between Vienna and Pressburg

The army of Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria had marched towards the city of Pressburg which had accounted for aLiüntika approach of a large Magyar army under Grand Prince Arpád. Luitpold was brave but this battle seemed pointless. He decided to build a small stockade nearby the large city of Vienna, which consisted of his troops which numbers are unknown. (Records exaggerated hat his army numbered to almost 100,000 but most medieval armies would ever go higher than a large 10,000 men, compared to the massive force of 35,000 Magyars).

The army of Arpád arrived around noon and seemed that their army had been downsized obviously stating that their brethren were attempting to siege the city of Pressburg. Luitpold's forces started to fire arrows at their cavalry down the hillside but caused little causalities. Luitpold himself decided to call in the garrison of Vienna to flank the Magyar forces, which arrived just in time as the Bavarian forces charged out of the stockades and cut up their front lines, with most of their archery incapable of breaking their army once they hit them. The valley was a show of arrows flying as both Bavarian and Magyar archers fired on. The garrison of Vienna was mainly incapable of making much damage on the sides of the Magyar army but wasn't completely incapable. A few German cavalry and infantry made it far enough threw the Magyar army to spot Aprád himself and point him out for the archers at the stockade. This allowed for a mass shooting of Arpád almost killing him instantly. This backed German morale and when more troops arrived for Luitpold from central Bavaria they was almost no battle to fight. Their forces flanked the entire Magyar army, forcing them to retreat to Pressburg, giving them losses of around 10,000 and Luitpold's army of about 5,000.

Luitpold's forces were joined by King Louis the Child of East Francia, whom had been the leader of the German faction against Arpád. Louis decided to appoint Luitpold as the leader of this new kind of Crusade against the Magyars, which were still following their native Tengriism. Louis and Luitpold arrived at the city of Pressburg on the 11th of July, tailing Arpád's fleeing army. The siege was laid immediately. The cities garrison attempted a Sally forth and Arpád's army intervened limiting the German advance and forcing themselves to settle behind a village (around 3-6 miles away from Pressburg) which Louis constructed a barracks, to house the large army. The barracks was temporarily built over the summer and by September 18th Louis ordered the launch of the 2nd siege of Pressburg, which allowed for the Magyar army to launch a surprise attack. The army was well defended in their siege and most of the Magyar forces were stopped at their small stockade surrounding the the main barracks group.

The Magyars were forced by Luitpold to go back to Pressburg as his personal levies chased him following the Danube east. The son of Aprád, Liüntika assumed leadership and set his forces off from central Pannonia and prepared to attack the forces of East Francia. The 2nd siege of Pressburg was reinstated on the 20th of September and the city was already flawing from food shortages, as the troops defending the city were in dire need of supplies. The cities walls were breached by a battering ram and the Magyars led a final sally forth which was composed of the remaining 10,000 of Arpád's army. The army actually nearly defeated Luitpold with their central Asian styled archer cavalry, but was outmatched by East Francia's archaic knights. This led to the fall of the city of Pressburg back to Bavarian hands and it's reintroduction in the March of Austria.

Magyar warriors in battle
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An interesting start, though there isnt mention of what the POD is which could explain the lack of response. Is it that Árpád is recognised by the scouting Germans, allowing for a German victory during the battle of Pressburg?
 
An interesting start, though there isnt mention of what the POD is which could explain the lack of response. Is it that Árpád is recognised by the scouting Germans, allowing for a German victory during the battle of Pressburg?

The PoD is that Luitpold is prepared for the attack after hearing of the fall of Pressburg, allowing him to pull up the nearby garrisons and thus kill Arpád.
 
Part 2: The Pannonian Crusade Begins

2nd of October 907, Pressburg

The forces of Luitpold marched out of the captured city as quick as they entered, as after restocking supplies they were prepared to conquer the nomadic heathens. While the German forces rallied towards Magyar territory, the son of Arpád, Liüntika was heading straight towards the city and all the forces of Louis. This was a massive force consisting of around 20,000 Magyar warriors. Unaware of the Magyar approach, Luitpold prepared the construction of a fortress down the Danube (around half-way between Buda and Pressburg), which was going to become a permanent German settlement and a border defense for Austria and Carinthia. Louis had asked the Dukes of Thuringia and Swabia to sent as many troops as possible in exchange for land gains and wealth gained from the Crusade. Louis also sent a diplomat to the notify Pope Sergius III of the gains for Christendom.

The forces of Liüntika arrived at Flusspalisaden (Fort on the Danube) on the 12th of December 907, and by then the garrison in the fort had increased dramatically as the armies had created a mass camp for the Winter. The army flanked down the valley destroying most of the outer campsite, but were stopped at the stockades protecting the small town that was forming behind it. The garrison there joined their brothers outside the fort but were too late. The army outside had been cut by half and many had started to run back inside Flusspalisaden. Luitpold himslef decided to fight honourably and defended the inner campsite with his 7,000 strong Bavarian army. The other armies led by the sons of the Dukes of Thuriginia and Swabia continued to battle it out and used theor flank cavarly to weaken the Magayr army enough for them to make considerable damage to their morale and numbers. With the two factions armies numbering almost the same 15,000, Liüntika decided to split off a few groups of warriors to help construct a campsite for his trooptroops a mile or so away from the battlefield.

The battle continued for two more days until Liüntika decided to make a new plan and fortify their campsite, gathering the tribes for a new attack on East Francia. Luitpold who had recieved two galleys from back in Vienna used them to scout down the river and found that there were many Magyar villages spotted along the riverside, waiting to be exploited. But this was a Crusade, and mews had returned from the Pope that he would sponsor this invasion on the cause of convert and conquer. Also this was when Louis returned to capital of his Kingdom and planned for more new invasions. His state was in a civil crisis and many of his vassals wanted autonomy. This aspired Louis to try and find a wife to continue his familied reign over East Francia. His rivals, the kings of Italy and West Francia had a keen eye on the progress of the King, who wad turning out to be quite a conqueror. His real conqueror was Luitpold, the warrior from the south.

Pope Sergius III, supporter of the Pannonian Crusade
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Part 3: Sons of Charlemagne

1st of January, 908, Flusspalisaden

On the 1st day of the new year, Louis celebrated by the announcing that he would be marrying Cuniguda, cousin of Charles the Simple, King of West Francia and his distant relative (both descend of Charlemagne). While Louis remained in Regensburg with his new wife, Luitpold gathered a navy to travel down the Danube to the meet the Magyars at their capital which was called Esztergom. The city was well defended and much of the tribal leaders were located there with their armies. Luitpold congregated settlers from Bavaria, Carinthia, Verona and Austria to settle the gained lands east of Vienna. The fortress of Flusspalisaden, which had been named the capital of the March of Pannonia, as it's permanent population had reached around 200, mainly consisting of the garrison, original settlers and clergy from Pressburg.

Esztergom was reached by scouts on the 24th of December which returned by the new year to Flusspalisaden. Luitpold set out to prepare his fleet almost immediately and launched them a week later on January 7th. The naval force consisted of galleys that were based off the classical Roman trireme design, which all together was made of 20 boats carrying around soldiers each. When the ships reached the outskirts of Esztergom, they were confronted by a Magyar diplomat, claiming to be under the rule of Grand Prince Liüntika of Hungary. Historians presume they took the name Hungary because of their states location around the capital of the former Hunnic Empire. The diplomat asked that the Principality would surrender all of the gains made by East Francia in exchange for a decade of peace. Luitpold disagreed to this treaty, as any holy warrior would and sought his army to march on to the gates of Esztergom.

Liüntika was angered by their disapproval and sent out all the troops, including the army that fought in the battle of Flusspalisaden, that collaboratively numbered over 30,000, forcing the holy warriors to retreat back to Flusspalisaden and prepare for the renewed invasion of the Hungarians. The army arrived back in Flusspalisaden by the 10th of January and called King Louis to raise an army for the kingdom. Louis, being preoccupied with his new wife, decided to call to Luitpold to raise the army himself. Luckily for the troops, the armies of Thuringia and Swabia arrived in Regensburg, numbering the full army nearer to that of Liüntika. These armies were ordered by Louis to go to Flusspalisaden and defend it from the Hungarian menace. The military style of the Hungarians was still as dangerous and unexplainable as it was before the Battle of Pressburg, and the nobles of Swabia and Thuringia brought along with them the
cavalry suffice to even with the Hungarians.

But sadly on the 12th of February the forces of Liüntika arrived, only two days before the larger army of Thuringia and Swabia. The army attacked the stockades and managed to break threw the lesser stockade, surrounding the outer campsite. The army was able to hold off the advance of the Hungarians who had attempted to fire down the archers who were defended by their watch towers. The navy was prepped and Luitpold set his son Arnulf off back to Pressburg to warn the city of the impending attack. The armies clashed with the Germans taking advantage of advanced fire arrows blazing down on their camps and cavalry. Their advanced horse archers weren't prepared for siege like conditions and were forced to retreat one by one to stock their horses and attack on foot. The campsite area was eventually reclaimed and archers once again lined the outer stockade. This started to form the new siege of Flusspalisaden.

The camps of Liüntika were founded around a mile from the new outer stockade. The young prince was not going to give up after what the Germans did to his father. Arpád was a hero to the Hungarians and the soldiers strived to be like their former leader. His son was now their only hope. The hope for a new land for all their people. The Germans, now were reinforced by the armies of the other duchies and were prepared to make a sally forth. The armies led under Margrave Luitpold were not fearing the enemy. They still were filled with hate, anger and desperation. They were weak. The armies struck at dawn when the massive German force which numbered around 17,000 troops. Their power addition from cavalry allowed them to beat the Hungarian force down in a matter of hours. A long few grueling hours it was. Around 10,000 soldiers died combined. Liüntika had failed his mission. He had failed his father. While Luitpold had succeeded in showing himself as the superior warrior.

A German horseman
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Footnotes would help us to have a sense of what happened plus why it's different - many use them even for time periods which are well known.

However, it looks very interesting. It's fun to see time periods that aren't covered normally.
 
Part 4: Death to Hungary

15th of March 908, near the city of Esztergom

The forces of Luitpold arrived at the Danube port city of Esztergom, the Hungarian capital, on the 15th of March 908, in which a diplomat marched with a guard into the city, offering the puny Prince Liüntika peace. The diplomat was surrounded and killed by a Hungarian force near the palace and a guard was able to signal attack by firing a flaming arrow back to the army. Luitpold ordered a full assault of the city on the 16th of March around sunrise, leading to the destruction of 5 of the archer towers surrounding the city within the first day. The forces of Liüntika exited the cities gates and attacked Luitpold's force, which the numbers were almost even. But after the loss of the majority of the cavalry to the German forces, Liüntika struggled defending his city. His supreme archers were eventually cut down by the German horde and the city was set into a chaos of flames and arrows by the end of week.

The Hungarian princes guard was spotted outside the citadel on the 22nd of March, at a small barricade defending the inner city. Luitpold personally led his cavalry into the innards with his archers cleaning the path from outside the walls, which had been breached a day earlier. The Hungarian force had mustered at the breaches massively, forcing the men inside to attempt to open and secure the gates. Luitpold decided to burn down the walls and diverted the army enough away from the breaches to allow for his cavalry to get inside and head for the citadel. Much of Liüntikas army had fallen in the initial battles and his forces at the citadel only numbered a few hundred. This allowed the small cavalry to put their force to rest at the Skirmish of Ezstergom, leading to the death of Liüntika in the bloodshed.

The army of Louis the Child was still in Bavaria resting for the grand invasion, and Louis was preparing for a new war with Great Moravia, as his forces had taken back territory from the Magyars that initally belonged to Moravia. The succeeded state of Bohemia was also on the Kings mind as they had ample territory surrounded by his empire. They would make a great buffer zone against Moravia and the Wends east of the river Elbe. Luitpold's son Arnulf who had been sent back to Bavaria around 3 months earlier returned to Flusspalisaden on the 25th of March and reconstructed the outer stockade and built a new hold for himself to reside in while the crusade continued. With the driving out of Hungarian forces on the 4th of April, the Margrave proclaimed the city to be under his suzerainty and renamed it Luitpoldstadt for his glorious victory over the Hungarians.

The flag of the Principality of Hungary
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well, I cant give you constructive criticism (besides that there was no Pressburg at that time), but I'm watching this TL with interest :)
 
well, I cant give you constructive criticism (besides that there was no Pressburg at that time), but I'm watching this TL with interest :)

Thanks. I checked on Wikipedia and it actually says the settlement existed back at the time of battle but was much smaller than most the other cities in the area. The Hungarians founded the modern city but it is presumed a German settlement existed there due to its close proximity to Vienna.
 
Part 5: The Final Invasion

3rd of May 908, Flusspalisaden

The enemy awaited their arrival. Already to long had they disregarded their enemy. It was time to show the nomads of the steppe how German steel wins wars. Arnulf of Bavaria set off with a new invasion force numbering in the thousands. This army was set to finish off the Pannonian Crusade for good. Not one man had doubted the great Margrave Luitpolds ideals. This was the end of Hungary, and the petty federation that it left behind. The army set off by foot towards the highlands of the Carpathian mountains on the 3rd of May 908.

Much of the force was tired and had not seen settlements for days by the time army reached the last Hungarian stronghold, containing the largest army Pannonia had ever seen. With numbers over 40,000, this army of total war was the final breathe of the Principality, putting all resources towards destroying the German advance. The forces clashed at midday on the 21st of May and were quickly routed by the Hungarian flanks. But to much of Arnulfs surprise, another army similar to the size of his own, flanked his entire army and the bloodbath ended in a matter of 6 hours. Arnulf himself died by the spear of a Hungarian warrior called Ennedzur, son of Hungarian warrior who had died in the Battle of Pressburg. Ennedzur was claimed to be their saviour and was crowned as Prince of Hungary, but tended to style himself as the High King of the Magyars.

The remains of the force, only numbering the hundreds, surrendered to Ennedzur and were forced to train his warriors in the German art of war. He wanted revenge, and the glory. He wanted to live up to name of Prince of Hungary, once being hold by Arpád himself. His forces quickly marched for Flusspalisaden, unaware of the destruction of Arnulfs army. His large army arrived at Flusspalisaden on the 12th of June and begun by attacking the stockades and burning down the outer city. Most of the inhabitants fled or took up arms, so with the fall of the army would come fall of the city. The armies clashed for a matter of days, with the massive garrison of the city still serving to block this new threat. By the 19th of June, Ennedzur decided to assault the fortress, but only allowed diplomats to head all across East Francia and to Rome, requesting urgent help. King Louis and Luitpold responded by sending all their forces to help the weak areas in Austria and Pannonia. The assault failed after much of his horse archers were cut down within the city and were forced to retreat into the outer city where their siege camp now lay.

By now an army from Rome had already arrived in Dalmatia and subduing the Croats was well in progress. When the city of Zadar fell to Pope Sergius, he established a garrison and pushed his forces into central Illyria, where much of the Hungarian remnants lay. Pope Sergius himself residing in Zadar while the invasion was underway, recieved the urgent letter and ordered his forces to march to Luitpoldstadt and collect with Luitpold to save Flusspalisaden.

Map of the realms of King Louis, Prince Ennedzur and Pope Sergius at the time of the Assault of Flusspalisaden
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Part 6: The End of the Crusade

22nd of July 908, Flusspalisaden

The forces of Pope Sergius and Margrave Luitpold arrived at Flusspalisaden on the 22nd of July, around 2 months into the siege of Flusspalisaden which had held out supply lines until the Hungarians were able to dam the river and stop the navy from returning. Most of the supplies now came from small levies and patrols returning from Vienna. Luitpoldstadt had been secured by a larger than needed levy and stockades had been constrcuted around the key farming villages nearby. The south had been secured, and now thall eyes had turned to their key trading post and military headquarters in Flusspalisaden. The royal forces of King Louis had arrived around a week earlier and had mainly focused on fortifying Vienna and Pressburg before moving his troops into position to skirmish with Ennedzur.

The battle begun with arrows from the city, the Papal troops and Luitpold's grand crusade army. These armies Sally forth to create a fiesta of bloodshed as much of Ennedzurs force was cut down. Ennedzur himself decided to relocate at his hill fort around 10 miles west. The army of Louis tailed Ennedzurs escaping force and captured the injured warlord, holding him for ransom. His force decided to call a peace treaty in exchange for their leader. Pope Sergius himself arrived at Flusspalisaden a matter of days later and called the Crusade to be as complete as it could of been and decided to award the King Louis protector of the Papal conclave, and thus making him the de facto Holy Roman Emperor, who was preceded by the de jure King of Italy.

Much of the land gained by the crusade was a handed off the veteran knights and soldiers hoping for their own domains to rule. King Louis decided to retain most of the conquered lands for himself, under smaller petty lords, but decided to let Luipold become the Duke of Bavaria-Pannonia. His large ducal titles gave him partial autonomy and allowed him to declare war on foreign states that he claimed under his suzerainty independent of his liege. Pope Sergius had granted much of Dalmatia to nobles from Latinium and Tuscany who had played a major part in the capture of Zadar and most of the coast. After a matter of a year the Magyar peoples had been partially subdued and leadership broken, but showed their strengths in their numbered successful sieges and battles.

Europe back in the year 900
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Part 7: The War of the Duchies

4th of October 908, Regensburg

The King resided in his crown palace at Regensburg, enjoying the new peace of his reign. This was not to last. On the 4th of October, the Duke of Saxony, Otto I broke his allegiance with the King, with his new ally Duke Burchard of Alemannia. They quickly moved their forces to Franconia, reaching the city of Nuremberg collectively on the 17th of November. By the time Otto had ordered the siege, a massive force, mainly remnants of the crusade army, had spilt into 5 armies which had entered and surrounded the city. The great battle of Nuremberg lasted 16 hours, leaving the former crusaders with over 2,000 causalities, but successfully defeated Otto who moved his forces in retreat and marched for Regensburg.

King Louis himself ordered his personal force to hide within the villages nearby Regensburg, and when the army arrived, the force would mass and destroy Otto and his army once and for all. The army arrived a week after the battle of Nuremberg after a succession of skirmishes with the former crusader army which lost most. The army of Burchard had actually arrived in Regensberg early and was misinterpreted as the Saxon army, so after Louis and his guerrilla army attacked and almost obliterated the army. Unbeknownst to the King, the larger army of Otto arrived two days later. when Louis had thought he had destroyed his army and had resided back in his capital. The great battle was the most severe loss East Francia had made in its history, with the Sqxons taking Regensberg from the King himself, forcing him to flee to Vienna, the capital of his loyal vassal Luitpold's massive realm.

Viennese forces met wig the King outside the city, with Luitpold at their head, and he joined him to take back Regensberg. The armies of Otto and Louis met at the site of the town of Altötting, between Munich and Vienna (which was also ironically where King Louis himself was born). The armies clashed at around 2pm on the 3rd of December, with the battle lasting for 3 hours before Otto and Burchard decided to retreat back to Regensburg, where Otto sanctioned himself the King of Germany, which controlled most of the Elbe plains, Saxony, Franconia and Swabia. His next goal was to secure the city of Nuremberg and take the Rhineland. Unknown to Otto, the army he had been defeated by at Nuremberg had trailed him and assaulted Regensburg, retaking the palace and claiming the crown back for the House of Charlemagne. Finally a massive clash at Regensberg took place causing the death of Otto, and Burchard being imprisoned by the King. The entire force of Otto and Burchard surrendered after Luitpold held Ottos head by the hair, symbolizing his triumph over the enemy.

The force was allowed to return to Saxony and prepare for the election of the next Duke while Burchard's lands in Alemannia were revoked by the crown and were given to Berthold of Bavaria, son of Luitpold but also the nephew of Burchard, maternally. As Berthold was only around the age of 8 when he was crowned his lands were controlled by his mother, Cuniguda, princess regent of Alemannia. Cuniguda reformed Alemannia and created the title of Swabia for her son and made herself the Duchess of Helvetia, approved by King Louis.

Otto I, Duke of Saxony
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