Prologue -
The Teutonic Order emerged from the First Crusade as the most prominent German order of monastic knights. The original mission of the order, protecting the Christian pilgrimage routes to the Holy Land, brought its members into combat with the Arab and Turkic realms of the Levant until the losses of Jerusalem and Acre forced the Order to vacate their holdings. They found their next home along the Hungarian and Wallachian borderlands, where they were initally welcomed in the fight against Cuman expansion. Witnessing their influence rapidly increase, however, the jealous Hungarian nobility expelled them only a little over a decade after their arrival, and the Order was once again forced to find a new mission. Their next calling would see them fighting against the pagan tribes of Prussia at the invitation of the Polish nobility, and the Order's success here would allow it to establish strong roots at the expense of their pagan enemies.
150 years after the completion Prussian Crusades and 50 years after the conversion of Lithuania, the Teutonic Order leads a sovereign realm that answers only to its Hochmeister and God, Almighty. With a population and influence greater than any Crusader State since the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Teutonic Knights guard this new frontier of Christianity against the persistent threat of the old pagan ways that still cling to Prussian and Lithuanian culture. The civilised Prussian and German immigrants that live under the Order's protection have cultivated great cities such as Marienburg, Koenigsburg, and Danzig that rival the influence of the Hanseatic League, Novogorod, and the Kalmar Union on the Baltic Sea. However, those who live in luxury on their fortified estates or behind their city walls have begun to think of the Order's authority as a needless nuisance. They wish for weak leadership that will turn a blind eye to their corruption and vice, and have no loyalty to the church and its holy mandate.
This subversion has grown dire and the Order has been too lax in removing its dissenters. 34 years past, a traitorous band of Prussian and German nobility, that had long profited off the work of the Order, allied with the King of Poland, who was a Lithuanian and secret pagan. The King invaded with the help of these traitors and Lithuanian allies, delivering a decisive defeat to the Order at the battle of Grunwald, where Hochmeister Ulrich von Jungingen valiantly died on the field. Fortunately, the Order's remaining stalwart defenders managed to hold the defences of Marienburg and prevent the Poles from consolidating their victory, and the Order has since recovered albeit with pride and prestige gravely damaged. It is clear that the Teuton Order now stands at a precipice. As many agents move against this holy dominion and few allies present themselves, decisive action will be demanded of the Order's masters to prevent either a slow decline from within or a swift defeat from without. The mission of Hochmeister Konrad von Erlichshausen, the Order's newest master, and his inner circle is more complex than ever before, and will require all of the Order's military, economic, and diplomatic resources without exception. Though the situation is dire, the glory of Christianity must emerge victorious.
150 years after the completion Prussian Crusades and 50 years after the conversion of Lithuania, the Teutonic Order leads a sovereign realm that answers only to its Hochmeister and God, Almighty. With a population and influence greater than any Crusader State since the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Teutonic Knights guard this new frontier of Christianity against the persistent threat of the old pagan ways that still cling to Prussian and Lithuanian culture. The civilised Prussian and German immigrants that live under the Order's protection have cultivated great cities such as Marienburg, Koenigsburg, and Danzig that rival the influence of the Hanseatic League, Novogorod, and the Kalmar Union on the Baltic Sea. However, those who live in luxury on their fortified estates or behind their city walls have begun to think of the Order's authority as a needless nuisance. They wish for weak leadership that will turn a blind eye to their corruption and vice, and have no loyalty to the church and its holy mandate.
This subversion has grown dire and the Order has been too lax in removing its dissenters. 34 years past, a traitorous band of Prussian and German nobility, that had long profited off the work of the Order, allied with the King of Poland, who was a Lithuanian and secret pagan. The King invaded with the help of these traitors and Lithuanian allies, delivering a decisive defeat to the Order at the battle of Grunwald, where Hochmeister Ulrich von Jungingen valiantly died on the field. Fortunately, the Order's remaining stalwart defenders managed to hold the defences of Marienburg and prevent the Poles from consolidating their victory, and the Order has since recovered albeit with pride and prestige gravely damaged. It is clear that the Teuton Order now stands at a precipice. As many agents move against this holy dominion and few allies present themselves, decisive action will be demanded of the Order's masters to prevent either a slow decline from within or a swift defeat from without. The mission of Hochmeister Konrad von Erlichshausen, the Order's newest master, and his inner circle is more complex than ever before, and will require all of the Order's military, economic, and diplomatic resources without exception. Though the situation is dire, the glory of Christianity must emerge victorious.
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1444 - The Order of the Knights Teutonic and the Age of Discovery
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Teutonic Traditions and Ambitions
Cavalry Combat Ability: +10.0% Discipline: +5.0% |
Teutonic Ideas
None |
Generic Idea Groups
None
None
Hochmeister Konrad von Erlichshausen 1441 - 1458
The Prussian Confederation
The successes of the Lizard League encouraged further attempts to undermine the Teutonic Order's control over the Prussian elite. Seeking large concessions, a similar alliance of nobles formed under Hochmeister Konrad's rule and subtly sought the support of the Polish kingdom.
The Fate of Neumark
In the interest of seeking support from the Holy Roman Empire and its electors, Hochmeister Konrad approved the sale of the Order's holdings in Neumark and Dramburg to Prince-Elector Friedrich II von Hohenzollern to avoid any disputes over these borderlands and bolster the treasury in Marienburg.
Fealty to the Emperor
With growing hostility from the local monarchs, Hochmeister Konrad sought alliances with the German realms from which most members of the Brotherhood had left behind. Though many within the Inner Circle lamented their loss of independence, gaining the Emperor's patronage would make the Polish, Lithuanian, and Danish monarchs think twice before usurping lands claimed by the Order. To convince Emperor Friedrich III that the Order was aligned with the needs of the Empire, the Brotherhood publicly renewed pledges to defend the routes to the Holy Land and promised soldiers to support the wars against the growing threat of the Ottomans.
The Conquest of Stralsund
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Wolgast
With Imperial patronage, the Order could pursue longstanding grudges against the Gryf dynasty, rulers of Pomerania. Hochmeister Konrad saw the Pomeranians as one of the Order's primary beneficiaries and entreated their rulers for support against the Poles and Lithuanians. However , though their forefathers had indeed benefited from the Order's protection in generations past, the princes of Pomerania had come to envy Prussian influence in the region and openly sought the Order's downfall and the ensuing chaos in Prussia that would surely follow. Desperate as he was for further resources to bring to bear in the Order's next conflict with Poland, the Hochmeister brought forth documents over a century old from the Order's archives that described various holdings along the Baltic that the Pomeranian nobility had pledged to the Orders support during the Prussian Crusades and declared war upon the count of Wolgast when he predictably refused to honor his predecessor's promises. Unlike the count, Hochmeister Konrad had prepared well for the war and quickly defeated Wolgast's poorly trained army and followed through by capturing all of the count's fortified holdings. The Order claimed the lands of Stralsund as its own and appointed the abbot of Rugen as the island's Bishop in exchange for fealty to the Order instead of Wolgast.
The Teutonic-Novgorodian War
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Livonian Order
Defenders: Novgorod, Odoyev
Control of Stralsund was a small step in Hochmeister Konrad's plans to strengthen the Prussian grasp on trade in the Baltic, but the Muscovy-Novgorod rivalry presented the first chance for the order to topple one of the Baltic's current pillars. As war erupted between the heretic realms, the Order attacked Novgorod with the support of the allied Order of Livonian Sword-Brothers. The Crusader forces captured and pillaged Neva with little resistance, as the Novogorodian armies had been roundly scattered by the Muscovites, and the Order easily chased all of the Novgorodian ships from the Baltic. An attempt was made to sail around Scandinavia and blockade the northern harbors, but the fleet of Novgorod had regrouped and confronted the Order in the distant Lofoten Sea. In these icy water, Admiral Paul von Wrangel led the Teutonic fleet to a narrow victory, but his losses precluded the completion of his mission and he retreated to safe harbor in the Baltic. The war allowed the Livonian order to extend their control over the heretic lands, and was a humiliating loss for Novgorod that the Republic would not likely recover from.
The Prussian Confederation
The successes of the Lizard League encouraged further attempts to undermine the Teutonic Order's control over the Prussian elite. Seeking large concessions, a similar alliance of nobles formed under Hochmeister Konrad's rule and subtly sought the support of the Polish kingdom.
The Fate of Neumark
In the interest of seeking support from the Holy Roman Empire and its electors, Hochmeister Konrad approved the sale of the Order's holdings in Neumark and Dramburg to Prince-Elector Friedrich II von Hohenzollern to avoid any disputes over these borderlands and bolster the treasury in Marienburg.
Fealty to the Emperor
With growing hostility from the local monarchs, Hochmeister Konrad sought alliances with the German realms from which most members of the Brotherhood had left behind. Though many within the Inner Circle lamented their loss of independence, gaining the Emperor's patronage would make the Polish, Lithuanian, and Danish monarchs think twice before usurping lands claimed by the Order. To convince Emperor Friedrich III that the Order was aligned with the needs of the Empire, the Brotherhood publicly renewed pledges to defend the routes to the Holy Land and promised soldiers to support the wars against the growing threat of the Ottomans.
The Conquest of Stralsund
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Wolgast
With Imperial patronage, the Order could pursue longstanding grudges against the Gryf dynasty, rulers of Pomerania. Hochmeister Konrad saw the Pomeranians as one of the Order's primary beneficiaries and entreated their rulers for support against the Poles and Lithuanians. However , though their forefathers had indeed benefited from the Order's protection in generations past, the princes of Pomerania had come to envy Prussian influence in the region and openly sought the Order's downfall and the ensuing chaos in Prussia that would surely follow. Desperate as he was for further resources to bring to bear in the Order's next conflict with Poland, the Hochmeister brought forth documents over a century old from the Order's archives that described various holdings along the Baltic that the Pomeranian nobility had pledged to the Orders support during the Prussian Crusades and declared war upon the count of Wolgast when he predictably refused to honor his predecessor's promises. Unlike the count, Hochmeister Konrad had prepared well for the war and quickly defeated Wolgast's poorly trained army and followed through by capturing all of the count's fortified holdings. The Order claimed the lands of Stralsund as its own and appointed the abbot of Rugen as the island's Bishop in exchange for fealty to the Order instead of Wolgast.
The Teutonic-Novgorodian War
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Livonian Order
Defenders: Novgorod, Odoyev
Control of Stralsund was a small step in Hochmeister Konrad's plans to strengthen the Prussian grasp on trade in the Baltic, but the Muscovy-Novgorod rivalry presented the first chance for the order to topple one of the Baltic's current pillars. As war erupted between the heretic realms, the Order attacked Novgorod with the support of the allied Order of Livonian Sword-Brothers. The Crusader forces captured and pillaged Neva with little resistance, as the Novogorodian armies had been roundly scattered by the Muscovites, and the Order easily chased all of the Novgorodian ships from the Baltic. An attempt was made to sail around Scandinavia and blockade the northern harbors, but the fleet of Novgorod had regrouped and confronted the Order in the distant Lofoten Sea. In these icy water, Admiral Paul von Wrangel led the Teutonic fleet to a narrow victory, but his losses precluded the completion of his mission and he retreated to safe harbor in the Baltic. The war allowed the Livonian order to extend their control over the heretic lands, and was a humiliating loss for Novgorod that the Republic would not likely recover from.
Hochmeister Johann von Hohenzollern 1458 - 1481
The Livonian Defense of Osel
Aggressors: Denmark
Defenders: Livonian Order, Teutonic Order
In line with his desires to strengthen ties between the Order and the German states, Konrad von Erlichshausen had groomed a close relative of the reigning Elector in Berlin, as his successor. After being confirmed by the Inner Circle, Hochmeister Johann von Hohenzollern's first major challenge would appear in the form of a Danish attack on the coasts held by the Livonian Order. With Novogorod's decline, the Scandinavians had determined the Crusader Orders to be an increasing threat to their dominance on the Baltic. Though the Orders' fleets were forced to yield the Baltic Sea to the Danish fleets, the Danish were unable to hold a foothold on Osel or elsewhere. Various attempts were made to secure their ancient claims on Estonia, including an assault by their Swedish allies over land around the Gulf of Finland, but each was rebuffed at significant loss in Danish and Swedish lives. The Danish Arch-King eventually ceased hostilities formally and the Baltic returned to a state of guarded watchful peace.
The Pomeranian rebellion of Rugen
After being chased from Rugen by his own subjects, Bishop Kaspar appealed for support from Marienburg. The Pomeranian nobility of Rugen, wishing to gain favor with Count Eryk II Gryf by returning the island to his control had organized an uprising far outnumbering the bishop's meagre forces. Unfortunately, Hochmeister Johann knights were unable to aid the bishop in confronting these oathbreakers, due to the fighting along the Livonian coast. By the time an expedition to Rugen could be mounted, the Gryf coat-of-arms had been flying from the town walls for months and the count of Wolgast had already sent his own men to take command of the island. Retaking the island would clearly mean war, and this would have to wait for more opportune times.
The Reconquest of Danzig
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Brandenburg, Hungary
Defenders: Danzig, Poland, Hamburg
Hochmeister Johann continued to ignore the outrageous demands of the Prussian Confederation during his rule, as his predecessor had, giving only token gestures of appeasement to the dissenting nobility and burghers, and this led to the blatant rebellion of the Prussian cities against the rule of the Teutonic Order. With only Marienburg and the rural provinces held loyal to the Order, Hochmeister Johann found his resources crippled by the coordinated insubordination, and saw no recourse other than a direct attack against the offending cities. The Prussian Confederation, led by the rulers of Danzig, appealed to the king of Poland to come to their defence, and soon the vast numbers of the Polish and Lithuanian armies were crossing into the Order's territory. Fortunately Hochmeister Johann had been keeping close ties with the king of Hungary, who was still well aware of the Polish nobilities desire to once again dominate the Hungarian lands, and Hungarian armies attacked the southern borders of Poland in support of the Order, while the Hochmeister's allies from the Electorate of Brandenburg reinforced the Order in the north. While the Order's holdings were pillaged by the Polish forces, the determined attack of the Order and its allies into Polish lands quickly demoralized the kingdom's nobility and saw them abandon their Prussian allies in less than a year of fighting. Subsequently, the Order was able to capture the cities of the Confederation one by one and restore their allegiance. The Teutonic Order was left weakened and indepted, but the Prussian Confederation had been excised and brought to justice for their treason.
The Livonian Defense of Neva
Aggressors: Muscovy
Defenders: Livonian Order, Teutonic Order, Riga
The next calling of the Teutonic knights came from a Muscovite assault on Neva, the eastern most port held by the Livonian Order. Though Hochmeister Johann certainly wish to prevent Muscovy from capturing the valuable ports of Novogorod, Teutonic Order was in no condition to extend their authority much beyond their borders. The knights conducted many raids against vulnerable holdings of the Grand Kniaz along the Muscovite borders with Lithuania, but could not prevent them from seizing Neva from the Livonian Order.
The Brandenburgian Conquest of Wolgast
Aggressors: Brandenburg, Bohemia, Teutonic Order, Magedburg
Defenders: Wolgast, Anhalt
The Elector-Prince of Brandenburg called on his cousin, the Hochmeister, for support in war against the count of Wolgast. An enemy of the Church in the eyes of the Order, Hochmeister Johann gladly obliged. The war was brief and saw the count exiled from Wolgast itself. The count would continue to rule much of the Pomeranian coastline, but was the count of Wolgast in name only.
The Hungarian Conquest of Oltenia
Aggressors: Hungary, Austria, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Ottomons, Ryazan, Gazikumukh
As his predecessors had done against the Cumans two centuries ago, the king of Hungary called on the Teutonic Order to reinforce his armies in his campaign against the expanding Ottoman Empire. The campaign saw many victories for the Catholic armies, but the support of Emperor ... and the Imperial commanders was not as stalwart as the Ottoman defenders. After the Emperor withdrew his support for the war, the Hungarians were forced to make numerous concessions in order to appease the Ottomans.
The Brandenburgian Conquest of Stettin
Aggressors: Brandenburg, Teutonic Order, Magdeburg
Defenders: Stettin, Saxony, Saxe-Lauenburg, Lubeck, Riga, Bremen, Hamburg, Dithmarschen
The von Hohenzollerns continued to rely on the Order to support their subjugation of the Pomeranians, and Hochmeister Johann did not disappoint his kin. However, many within the Inner Circle questioned the Order's purpose in wars against German princes and the Hanseatic League, but these dissenters were outnumbered by those with investments in Baltic trade or grudges against the Gryf dynasty.
The Livonian Defense of Osel
Aggressors: Denmark
Defenders: Livonian Order, Teutonic Order
In line with his desires to strengthen ties between the Order and the German states, Konrad von Erlichshausen had groomed a close relative of the reigning Elector in Berlin, as his successor. After being confirmed by the Inner Circle, Hochmeister Johann von Hohenzollern's first major challenge would appear in the form of a Danish attack on the coasts held by the Livonian Order. With Novogorod's decline, the Scandinavians had determined the Crusader Orders to be an increasing threat to their dominance on the Baltic. Though the Orders' fleets were forced to yield the Baltic Sea to the Danish fleets, the Danish were unable to hold a foothold on Osel or elsewhere. Various attempts were made to secure their ancient claims on Estonia, including an assault by their Swedish allies over land around the Gulf of Finland, but each was rebuffed at significant loss in Danish and Swedish lives. The Danish Arch-King eventually ceased hostilities formally and the Baltic returned to a state of guarded watchful peace.
The Pomeranian rebellion of Rugen
After being chased from Rugen by his own subjects, Bishop Kaspar appealed for support from Marienburg. The Pomeranian nobility of Rugen, wishing to gain favor with Count Eryk II Gryf by returning the island to his control had organized an uprising far outnumbering the bishop's meagre forces. Unfortunately, Hochmeister Johann knights were unable to aid the bishop in confronting these oathbreakers, due to the fighting along the Livonian coast. By the time an expedition to Rugen could be mounted, the Gryf coat-of-arms had been flying from the town walls for months and the count of Wolgast had already sent his own men to take command of the island. Retaking the island would clearly mean war, and this would have to wait for more opportune times.
The Reconquest of Danzig
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Brandenburg, Hungary
Defenders: Danzig, Poland, Hamburg
Hochmeister Johann continued to ignore the outrageous demands of the Prussian Confederation during his rule, as his predecessor had, giving only token gestures of appeasement to the dissenting nobility and burghers, and this led to the blatant rebellion of the Prussian cities against the rule of the Teutonic Order. With only Marienburg and the rural provinces held loyal to the Order, Hochmeister Johann found his resources crippled by the coordinated insubordination, and saw no recourse other than a direct attack against the offending cities. The Prussian Confederation, led by the rulers of Danzig, appealed to the king of Poland to come to their defence, and soon the vast numbers of the Polish and Lithuanian armies were crossing into the Order's territory. Fortunately Hochmeister Johann had been keeping close ties with the king of Hungary, who was still well aware of the Polish nobilities desire to once again dominate the Hungarian lands, and Hungarian armies attacked the southern borders of Poland in support of the Order, while the Hochmeister's allies from the Electorate of Brandenburg reinforced the Order in the north. While the Order's holdings were pillaged by the Polish forces, the determined attack of the Order and its allies into Polish lands quickly demoralized the kingdom's nobility and saw them abandon their Prussian allies in less than a year of fighting. Subsequently, the Order was able to capture the cities of the Confederation one by one and restore their allegiance. The Teutonic Order was left weakened and indepted, but the Prussian Confederation had been excised and brought to justice for their treason.
The Livonian Defense of Neva
Aggressors: Muscovy
Defenders: Livonian Order, Teutonic Order, Riga
The next calling of the Teutonic knights came from a Muscovite assault on Neva, the eastern most port held by the Livonian Order. Though Hochmeister Johann certainly wish to prevent Muscovy from capturing the valuable ports of Novogorod, Teutonic Order was in no condition to extend their authority much beyond their borders. The knights conducted many raids against vulnerable holdings of the Grand Kniaz along the Muscovite borders with Lithuania, but could not prevent them from seizing Neva from the Livonian Order.
The Brandenburgian Conquest of Wolgast
Aggressors: Brandenburg, Bohemia, Teutonic Order, Magedburg
Defenders: Wolgast, Anhalt
The Elector-Prince of Brandenburg called on his cousin, the Hochmeister, for support in war against the count of Wolgast. An enemy of the Church in the eyes of the Order, Hochmeister Johann gladly obliged. The war was brief and saw the count exiled from Wolgast itself. The count would continue to rule much of the Pomeranian coastline, but was the count of Wolgast in name only.
The Hungarian Conquest of Oltenia
Aggressors: Hungary, Austria, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Ottomons, Ryazan, Gazikumukh
As his predecessors had done against the Cumans two centuries ago, the king of Hungary called on the Teutonic Order to reinforce his armies in his campaign against the expanding Ottoman Empire. The campaign saw many victories for the Catholic armies, but the support of Emperor ... and the Imperial commanders was not as stalwart as the Ottoman defenders. After the Emperor withdrew his support for the war, the Hungarians were forced to make numerous concessions in order to appease the Ottomans.
The Brandenburgian Conquest of Stettin
Aggressors: Brandenburg, Teutonic Order, Magdeburg
Defenders: Stettin, Saxony, Saxe-Lauenburg, Lubeck, Riga, Bremen, Hamburg, Dithmarschen
The von Hohenzollerns continued to rely on the Order to support their subjugation of the Pomeranians, and Hochmeister Johann did not disappoint his kin. However, many within the Inner Circle questioned the Order's purpose in wars against German princes and the Hanseatic League, but these dissenters were outnumbered by those with investments in Baltic trade or grudges against the Gryf dynasty.
Hochmeister Karl von Babenberg 1481 - 1506
The Conquest of Rostock
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Mecklenburg, Luneburg
Soon after his election, Hochmeister Karl von Babenberg decided to extend Teutonic control over the Pomeranian coast as a show of strength by the Order. The counts of Mecklenburg and Luneburg lacked sufficient resources or alliances to defend their holdings against Hochmeister Karl's assault and would likely have been forced to surrender to whatever terms the Order saw fit, would not the Swedish uprising have interrupted. Instead Hochmeister Karl settled for a vow of tribute to the Order and regrouped his soldiers in hasty preparation for war with Denmark.
The Liberation of Sweden
Aggressors: Sweden, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Lubeck, Friesland, Thuringia
As relations between the crusader orders and the Danish kings had been competitive at best, the Teutonic Order had been offering support to the Swedish nobility for many decades in hopes that they might refuse to honor their oaths to throne in Copenhagen. When the Swedes eventually turned against Copenhagen, crowning one of their own as the king of Sweden, Hochmeister Karl honored their call to arms. Unfortunately, poor coordination between the fleets of Sweden and the Order caused the battle for the Baltic to be lost to the allied Danish and Hanseatic fleets, and the Order's commanders were relegated to focusing their assaults on Copenhagen's German allies, while the Swedish forces were overwhelmed as they tried to defend Stockholm. After the surrender of Stockholm, Danish control over Scandinavia seemed set in stone.
The Conquest of Rostock
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Mecklenburg, Luneburg
Soon after his election, Hochmeister Karl von Babenberg decided to extend Teutonic control over the Pomeranian coast as a show of strength by the Order. The counts of Mecklenburg and Luneburg lacked sufficient resources or alliances to defend their holdings against Hochmeister Karl's assault and would likely have been forced to surrender to whatever terms the Order saw fit, would not the Swedish uprising have interrupted. Instead Hochmeister Karl settled for a vow of tribute to the Order and regrouped his soldiers in hasty preparation for war with Denmark.
The Liberation of Sweden
Aggressors: Sweden, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Lubeck, Friesland, Thuringia
As relations between the crusader orders and the Danish kings had been competitive at best, the Teutonic Order had been offering support to the Swedish nobility for many decades in hopes that they might refuse to honor their oaths to throne in Copenhagen. When the Swedes eventually turned against Copenhagen, crowning one of their own as the king of Sweden, Hochmeister Karl honored their call to arms. Unfortunately, poor coordination between the fleets of Sweden and the Order caused the battle for the Baltic to be lost to the allied Danish and Hanseatic fleets, and the Order's commanders were relegated to focusing their assaults on Copenhagen's German allies, while the Swedish forces were overwhelmed as they tried to defend Stockholm. After the surrender of Stockholm, Danish control over Scandinavia seemed set in stone.
Hochmeister Johann von Lusatia 1489 - 1506
The Subjugation of Wolgast
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Wolgast, Anhalt
The town of Stolp and the sparsely populated wilderness around it had long been disputed territory between the Order and the Gryf dynasty, though the land had generally not been seen as valuable enough to warrant a war by the Order. However, Hochmeister Johann saw Stolp as an excuse to move against the count of Wolgast once more. The Hochmeister's ulterior motives emerged as he ordered his commanders to prosecute the war far past the capture of Stolp, besieging the counts holdings at Kolberg and Bergen auf Rugen. The count was captured at Kolberg and imprisoned, and there was forced to abdicate in favor of a distant cousin and member of the clergy, who was raised up as Bishop Jan von Zepelin. The church of Wolgast would replace the Gryf dynasty from this point on, governing the Pomeranian provinces independently but ultimately in service of the Teutonic Order.
The Conquest of Mecklenburg
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Mecklenburg
Hochmeister Johann II chose to quickly bolster the legitimacy of the Wolgast Bishopric by addressing the implicit challenge of the count of Mecklenburg, who also claimed the right to rule the Pomeranian provinces. At this point, the Order's prestige in the Empire had risen significantly and the Hochmeister's envoys had convinced Emperor Karl von Hapsburg that Pomeranian support was vital to the fate of the Order. When the Hochmeister's commanders captured the count in Wismar and ordered him exiled from his own lands, his appeals to Vienna fell upon deaf ears. The populace of Wismar, Rostock, and Neubrandenburg were place in fealty to the Bishop of Wolgast.
The Subjugation of Wolgast
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Wolgast, Anhalt
The town of Stolp and the sparsely populated wilderness around it had long been disputed territory between the Order and the Gryf dynasty, though the land had generally not been seen as valuable enough to warrant a war by the Order. However, Hochmeister Johann saw Stolp as an excuse to move against the count of Wolgast once more. The Hochmeister's ulterior motives emerged as he ordered his commanders to prosecute the war far past the capture of Stolp, besieging the counts holdings at Kolberg and Bergen auf Rugen. The count was captured at Kolberg and imprisoned, and there was forced to abdicate in favor of a distant cousin and member of the clergy, who was raised up as Bishop Jan von Zepelin. The church of Wolgast would replace the Gryf dynasty from this point on, governing the Pomeranian provinces independently but ultimately in service of the Teutonic Order.
The Conquest of Mecklenburg
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Mecklenburg
Hochmeister Johann II chose to quickly bolster the legitimacy of the Wolgast Bishopric by addressing the implicit challenge of the count of Mecklenburg, who also claimed the right to rule the Pomeranian provinces. At this point, the Order's prestige in the Empire had risen significantly and the Hochmeister's envoys had convinced Emperor Karl von Hapsburg that Pomeranian support was vital to the fate of the Order. When the Hochmeister's commanders captured the count in Wismar and ordered him exiled from his own lands, his appeals to Vienna fell upon deaf ears. The populace of Wismar, Rostock, and Neubrandenburg were place in fealty to the Bishop of Wolgast.
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Age of Discovery Objectives:
Discover America - Completed Control Centers of Trade - Failed A Large City - Completed |
Embrace Renaissance - Completed
Hold Three Thrones - Failed Present on Two Continents - Failed Humiliate Rival - Completed |
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1506 - The Order of the Knights Teutonic and the Age of Reformation
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Teutonic Traditions and Ambitions
Cavalry Combat Ability: +10.0% Discipline: +5.0% Generic Idea Groups
Offensive Religious Maritime |
Teutonic Ideas
Reform the Army - Infantry and Cavalry Cost -10% Recruit Peasant - Manpower Recovery Speed +15% Adjust our Infantry Tactics - Infantry Combat Ability +10% |
Hochmeister Heinrich von Holstein 1506 - 1515
The Hungarian Conquest of Moravia
Aggressors: Hungary, Austria, Teutonic Order, Munich
Defenders: Bohemia, Landshut, Ingolstadt
Hochmeister Henrich's election was favoured by the Burghers and predictably saw the Order's agenda return to fighting the Danish and Hanseatic grip on the Baltic. The League had grown cozy with Copenhagen in recent years and the Teutonic Order was indisputably being hedged out of the Baltic trade networks wherever possible. Once again, this meant turning to the Swedish nobility in hopes of evening the playing field. However, the Order's importance within the Holy Roman Empire was growing and the relationships forged by the Order's previous masters demanded attention to the south where the Emperor had conspired with the king of Hungary and the count of Munich to cripple his rival in Prague. Though the Bohemian king had done well at suppressing the Hussite heresy, and it had barely taken route outside his capital city. The emergence of other popular heretical leaders in Hamburg and other major northern cities had given the Emperor excuse enough to demand the Order's attention in Bohemia. While the Austrian armies bolstered the Hungarian invasion of Moravia, for which the Hungarian king had inherited claims on, the commanders of the Order captured Bohemian holdings in Silesia and invested Prague itself. With the surrender of Prague, the king of Bohemia ceded Moravia to the Hungarian crown.
The Reconquest of Wolgast
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Brandenburg, Anhalt
Within the span of a decade, Brandenburg has shifted from one of the Order's greatest allies to one of its greatest rivals, as both competed over control of Pomerania. After a long and taxing conflict between the von Hohenzollern and and alliance led by the Gryfs in Stettin, the Elector-Prince's support abroad and at home had weakened to a new low despite, or perhaps because of, his success in pressing claims in Pomerania, Lower Saxony, and Brunswick. When the Order's commanders occupied all Brandenburgian holdings in Pomerania and besieged Berlin castle itself, asserting the authority of the church of Wolgast over Pomerania, the Prince-Elector was entirely unprepared and retreated before the attack, leaving Berlin without hope of relief. Subsequently the Prince-Elector submitted to the Order's demands with blessedly minimal bloodshed. Along with demanding the withdrawal of von Hohenzollern soldiers from Wolgast, Brunswick, and Luneburg, Hochmeister Heinrich demanded the return of Neumark to the Order as part of Brandenburg's compensation.
Hochmeister Leopold von Hessen 1515 - 1533
The Conquest of Samogitia
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Saxony, Papal State
Defenders: Poland, Cilli, Magdeburg
As a haven of Lithuanian raiders and heathens, the region of Samogitia had long been a thorn in the side of the Prussian church and its conquest had been an objective of the Teutonic Order for half a century. Although Władysław Jagiellon's ascension to the Polish throne had halted any further advance of the Order into Lithuanian territory, and placed the Order decidedly on the defensive, his heir's ambitions had led the Polish and Lithuanian armies into drawn out wars with both the Ottomans and the Muscovites with nothing to show for it. To Hochmeister Leopold von Hessen, these failures were proof that the frontiers of the Catholic world could not be in the hands of the Jagiellon dynasty or any Lithuanians, and had convinced the lords of the Holy Roman Empire and Rome itself to support the expansion of the Teutonic Order. The Jagiellon armies mounted a strong initial defence, but as all knew, the treasuries of Warsaw were empty their manpower was scarce. After bitter fights over Krakow, Warsaw, and Vilnius, Samogitia was ceded to the Order. In addition, large parts of Mazovia were released as holdings the Order of Mazovia, a Polish brotherhood based in Plock and under direct supervision of Marienburg, and the Bishop of Magdeburg was forced to abandon his support of Warsaw and provide soldiers and funding for the Teutonic Order.
The 2nd Liberation of Sweden
Aggressors: Sweden, Muscovy, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Friesland, Thuringia, Lubeck
Disputes between the throne of Copenhagen and its Swedish vassals erupted into war as the Swedes once again supported a new claimant to the throne of Stockholm. Eager to challenge the Danish grip on the Baltic, Hochmeister Leopold pledged his support to Stockholm and ordered his commanders to assault the Danish holdings on Jytlland and suppress the Hanseatic League, which had sided with the king of Denmark. The Danes and their islands were again victorious in the battle for the Baltic Sea, but were unable to overcome the Swedish armies this time due to extensive support from Muscovy. Defeated in the south and the north, the Kalmar Union was finally undone, and Copenhagen grudgingly acknowledged the Swedish king.
Hochmeister Michael von Tubingen 1533 - 1555
The Conquest of Holstein
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Lubeck, Friesland, Thuringia
The next attack on the Danish-Hansa alliance came under the administration of Hochmeister Michael von Tubingen, whose Inner Circle desired to take the markets of Holstein from their Danish masters, much weakened by the loss of Swedish support. However, the admirals of the Order could still not overcome the allied fleet and an invasion of the Danish isles proved impossible. Though Holstein would remain in Danish hands, with Hochmeister Michael settling for various concessions in gold and trade in exchange for peace, the Orders commanders did not withdraw from the city of Lubeck. The Council of Lubeck, which had fled the city as it came under attack early in the war, was exiled from the city by the Hochmeister's decree and the city was subjected to direct rule from Marienburg, making it the Order's most distant holding and a new keystone of the Order's trade network. This brought a censure form Vienna, which initially demanded that the Hochmeister respect the city's free status under threat of war. Hochmeister Michael, knowing that the Imperial armies were already contending with the French over lands in Lorraine and, called the Emperor's bluff, trusting he would follow wisdom over pride.
The Reconquest of Warszawa
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden
Defenders: Poland, Brandenburg, Cilli
The ultimate goal of the creation of the Order of Mazovia, was to replace the crown of Poland, long since undermined by foreign heretics, and the clearest way to topple the throne was to take its seat in Warchau. Warchau was the seat of the Mazovian branch of the Piast dynasty and was therefore the rightful domain of the monastic order that had inherited the Piast titles, but the king would never give up the city voluntarily. The Order's strong alliance however
Hochmeister Wolfgang z Podebrad 1555 - 1570
The 2nd Conquest of Holstein
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Friesland, Thuringia
Wolfgang z Podebrad's first military venture as Hochmeister was to complete the campaign he had been tasked with as a commander more than a decade past, and he personally led the forced of the order again into Holstein. Poorly defended, the city itself was easy to occupy as it had been during the previous war, but the Teutonic fleet had continued to grow and see improvements in quality and leadership
The Conquest of Podlasie
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden, Papal States
Defenders: Poland, Hungary, Brandenburg, Cilli, Luneburg, Goslar
The Conquest of Lublin
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden, Papal States
Defenders: Poland, Hungary, Brandenburg, Cilli, Luneburg, Goslar
Hochmeister Clemens von Arbon 1570 -
The Liberation of Gotland
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark
The Austrian Conquest of Istria
Aggressors: Austria, Teutonic Order, Hungary, England, Palatinate, Ingolstadt, Bologna, Goslar
Defenders: Venice, Memmingen, Trent, Knights Hospitaller
Hochmeister
The Conquest of G
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Austria, Livonian Order
Defenders: Lithuania, Russia, Denmark
The Defence of Krakow
Aggressors: Poland
Defenders: Krakow, Trent, Tuetonic Order
The Independence of the Teutonic Order
The Subjugation of Ruppin
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Ruppin, Saxony, Stettin, Luneberg, Brittany
The Hungarian Conquest of Moravia
Aggressors: Hungary, Austria, Teutonic Order, Munich
Defenders: Bohemia, Landshut, Ingolstadt
Hochmeister Henrich's election was favoured by the Burghers and predictably saw the Order's agenda return to fighting the Danish and Hanseatic grip on the Baltic. The League had grown cozy with Copenhagen in recent years and the Teutonic Order was indisputably being hedged out of the Baltic trade networks wherever possible. Once again, this meant turning to the Swedish nobility in hopes of evening the playing field. However, the Order's importance within the Holy Roman Empire was growing and the relationships forged by the Order's previous masters demanded attention to the south where the Emperor had conspired with the king of Hungary and the count of Munich to cripple his rival in Prague. Though the Bohemian king had done well at suppressing the Hussite heresy, and it had barely taken route outside his capital city. The emergence of other popular heretical leaders in Hamburg and other major northern cities had given the Emperor excuse enough to demand the Order's attention in Bohemia. While the Austrian armies bolstered the Hungarian invasion of Moravia, for which the Hungarian king had inherited claims on, the commanders of the Order captured Bohemian holdings in Silesia and invested Prague itself. With the surrender of Prague, the king of Bohemia ceded Moravia to the Hungarian crown.
The Reconquest of Wolgast
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Brandenburg, Anhalt
Within the span of a decade, Brandenburg has shifted from one of the Order's greatest allies to one of its greatest rivals, as both competed over control of Pomerania. After a long and taxing conflict between the von Hohenzollern and and alliance led by the Gryfs in Stettin, the Elector-Prince's support abroad and at home had weakened to a new low despite, or perhaps because of, his success in pressing claims in Pomerania, Lower Saxony, and Brunswick. When the Order's commanders occupied all Brandenburgian holdings in Pomerania and besieged Berlin castle itself, asserting the authority of the church of Wolgast over Pomerania, the Prince-Elector was entirely unprepared and retreated before the attack, leaving Berlin without hope of relief. Subsequently the Prince-Elector submitted to the Order's demands with blessedly minimal bloodshed. Along with demanding the withdrawal of von Hohenzollern soldiers from Wolgast, Brunswick, and Luneburg, Hochmeister Heinrich demanded the return of Neumark to the Order as part of Brandenburg's compensation.
Hochmeister Leopold von Hessen 1515 - 1533
The Conquest of Samogitia
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Saxony, Papal State
Defenders: Poland, Cilli, Magdeburg
As a haven of Lithuanian raiders and heathens, the region of Samogitia had long been a thorn in the side of the Prussian church and its conquest had been an objective of the Teutonic Order for half a century. Although Władysław Jagiellon's ascension to the Polish throne had halted any further advance of the Order into Lithuanian territory, and placed the Order decidedly on the defensive, his heir's ambitions had led the Polish and Lithuanian armies into drawn out wars with both the Ottomans and the Muscovites with nothing to show for it. To Hochmeister Leopold von Hessen, these failures were proof that the frontiers of the Catholic world could not be in the hands of the Jagiellon dynasty or any Lithuanians, and had convinced the lords of the Holy Roman Empire and Rome itself to support the expansion of the Teutonic Order. The Jagiellon armies mounted a strong initial defence, but as all knew, the treasuries of Warsaw were empty their manpower was scarce. After bitter fights over Krakow, Warsaw, and Vilnius, Samogitia was ceded to the Order. In addition, large parts of Mazovia were released as holdings the Order of Mazovia, a Polish brotherhood based in Plock and under direct supervision of Marienburg, and the Bishop of Magdeburg was forced to abandon his support of Warsaw and provide soldiers and funding for the Teutonic Order.
The 2nd Liberation of Sweden
Aggressors: Sweden, Muscovy, Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Friesland, Thuringia, Lubeck
Disputes between the throne of Copenhagen and its Swedish vassals erupted into war as the Swedes once again supported a new claimant to the throne of Stockholm. Eager to challenge the Danish grip on the Baltic, Hochmeister Leopold pledged his support to Stockholm and ordered his commanders to assault the Danish holdings on Jytlland and suppress the Hanseatic League, which had sided with the king of Denmark. The Danes and their islands were again victorious in the battle for the Baltic Sea, but were unable to overcome the Swedish armies this time due to extensive support from Muscovy. Defeated in the south and the north, the Kalmar Union was finally undone, and Copenhagen grudgingly acknowledged the Swedish king.
Hochmeister Michael von Tubingen 1533 - 1555
The Conquest of Holstein
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Lubeck, Friesland, Thuringia
The next attack on the Danish-Hansa alliance came under the administration of Hochmeister Michael von Tubingen, whose Inner Circle desired to take the markets of Holstein from their Danish masters, much weakened by the loss of Swedish support. However, the admirals of the Order could still not overcome the allied fleet and an invasion of the Danish isles proved impossible. Though Holstein would remain in Danish hands, with Hochmeister Michael settling for various concessions in gold and trade in exchange for peace, the Orders commanders did not withdraw from the city of Lubeck. The Council of Lubeck, which had fled the city as it came under attack early in the war, was exiled from the city by the Hochmeister's decree and the city was subjected to direct rule from Marienburg, making it the Order's most distant holding and a new keystone of the Order's trade network. This brought a censure form Vienna, which initially demanded that the Hochmeister respect the city's free status under threat of war. Hochmeister Michael, knowing that the Imperial armies were already contending with the French over lands in Lorraine and, called the Emperor's bluff, trusting he would follow wisdom over pride.
The Reconquest of Warszawa
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden
Defenders: Poland, Brandenburg, Cilli
The ultimate goal of the creation of the Order of Mazovia, was to replace the crown of Poland, long since undermined by foreign heretics, and the clearest way to topple the throne was to take its seat in Warchau. Warchau was the seat of the Mazovian branch of the Piast dynasty and was therefore the rightful domain of the monastic order that had inherited the Piast titles, but the king would never give up the city voluntarily. The Order's strong alliance however
Hochmeister Wolfgang z Podebrad 1555 - 1570
The 2nd Conquest of Holstein
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark, Friesland, Thuringia
Wolfgang z Podebrad's first military venture as Hochmeister was to complete the campaign he had been tasked with as a commander more than a decade past, and he personally led the forced of the order again into Holstein. Poorly defended, the city itself was easy to occupy as it had been during the previous war, but the Teutonic fleet had continued to grow and see improvements in quality and leadership
The Conquest of Podlasie
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden, Papal States
Defenders: Poland, Hungary, Brandenburg, Cilli, Luneburg, Goslar
The Conquest of Lublin
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden, Papal States
Defenders: Poland, Hungary, Brandenburg, Cilli, Luneburg, Goslar
Hochmeister Clemens von Arbon 1570 -
The Liberation of Gotland
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Denmark
The Austrian Conquest of Istria
Aggressors: Austria, Teutonic Order, Hungary, England, Palatinate, Ingolstadt, Bologna, Goslar
Defenders: Venice, Memmingen, Trent, Knights Hospitaller
Hochmeister
The Conquest of G
Aggressors: Teutonic Order, Austria, Livonian Order
Defenders: Lithuania, Russia, Denmark
The Defence of Krakow
Aggressors: Poland
Defenders: Krakow, Trent, Tuetonic Order
The Independence of the Teutonic Order
The Subjugation of Ruppin
Aggressors: Teutonic Order
Defenders: Ruppin, Saxony, Stettin, Luneberg, Brittany
