PC: Preventing Imperial border gore

[Monter]

Trier was the primary chancellor for all of these realms which, seem to have been conjoined together under Trier as a sort of Middle Francian-like entity by 1200. By this virtue, that Trier was within Lotharingia, was its chancellor and yet also the chancellor of the realms of Arles and Burgundy, these three-two were all one. So, in my opinion it is best to refer to these lands all as Lotharingia, in respect of the conception of Middle Francia and Trier's role in conjoining these areas together into a demesne outside of Germany, Italy and France yet within the Empire. There is no better term for Middle Francia, than Lotharingia, unless you wish to say something that strains the tongue Lorraine-Burgundy-Arles.

If you ask Charles IV you have "Gaul and Arles"

 

[Zurirach Adankar]

I think this bit is unfair. Centralised governments were usually better for their citizens, as they were better able to clamp down on aristocratic feuding, bandits, piracy, and other such nuisances.

Maybe. But they are also better in collecting your money for taxation and forcing you into the military.

 

[Fabius Maximus]

Maybe. But they are also better in collecting your money for taxation and forcing you into the military.

In general, though, the advantages of not paying taxes are more than compensated by the disadvantages of banditry, local wars, and the like being rife due to the central government's inability to fund its own forces. As for conscription, whilst that would have been a possibility, I don't think a particularly large percentage of the population was ever really conscripted during the middle ages, as you needed peasants to till the field, and also transport infrastructure couldn't generally support huge armies anyway.