HOME | DD

Description

1303-1315

Byzantine Empire & the Catalan Company.
Osman I, Ottoman ruler [1290-1326], tried to launch a Jihad against the Byzantine holdings in Anatolia but, in 1303, the Byzantine Empire hired a Catalan Company of Mercenaries, paying them with land rather than specie. The company grandly named their lands the Duchy of Mysia. First used to defeat the Ottomans, they were then used to decisively finish the war against Venice that had been going on for four years. Byzantium restored the Black Sea trade to Genoa, their allies and entered into a marriage with the Ulus Juchi to protect their new Cheronese possessions.
The Company was next employed against the Karasai but their success caused reaction in the neighbouring tribal states. Germiyan allied with Karasai but Teke could sense the strength of the Mercenary Company and allied with Byzantium, by 1309 Karasai was no more and Germyan no longer had a coastline.
A kind of conscription was introduced to form a standing army, small but well trained [by the Catalan Company] and well equipped. Backed by light cavalry from Teke this army was able to again defeat Osman I of the Ottomans at the second Battle of Bapheus in 1310.
Politically the Catalan Company also reinforced the link between Byzantium and Aragon created during the Sicilian Vespers giving the aggressive Angevins pause for thought.

Bohemia
In 1305 Bohemia-Poland went to war with the Teutonic Order. The climactic battle south of Marienburg saw the deaths of both the Grand Master of the Order and King Wenceslaus. With the death of Wenceslaus in 1305 Poland again became independent, it also had a big impact upon Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. Whereas Poland was easily able to elect a King from within their own nobility, abandoning the idea of foreign Kings for the time being, the Holy Roman Empire was torn by strife between 1305-1314 in the interregnum before Louis IV Wittlesbach was selected as Emperor against stiff opposition.
The death of the Grand Master saw the break-up of the Teutonic Knights into secular provinces, still reliant on Marienburg. The Order of the Brotherhood of the Sword based in Riga continued their traditions.

France
Philip Le Bon , Philip IV of France, had been in conflict with the Popes, refusing their authority and styling himself "Anointed by God". This was a rejection of the claims by the papacy of universal hegemony over Christendom and the start of Nationalism.
The struggle between the Philip IV and Boniface VIII started when Philip tried to tax the clergy in France. Philip even went so far as to attempt to arrest the Pope. Boniface died soon after that attempt and was replaced by a French Pope, Clement V. Unpopular in Rome and to escape from the infighting of the powerful Roman families that had produced earlier Popes the new Pope set up the Holy See in Avignon, close enough to France to feel Philip's influence, the proximity of French troops was a constant reminder of where secular power lay, with the memory of Pope Boniface VIII still fresh.
Even the downfall of the Templars was part of this political war, after all they were responsible only to the Pope.

Holy Roman Empire
The death of Weceslaus led to an interregnum as the Electors could not agree on one candidate. Wettin, Wittlesbach, Habsburg and Luxembourg candidates vied for the position.

Despite expanding their interests to include the Duchy of Burgundy in France, the Habsburgs were still very active inside the Empire. They came out on top in the struggle over succession in Lorraine but the attempt to take over the Forest Cantons of the Swiss Federation failed as the Swiss Pikes proved very effective, especially with the backing of Milanese Knights.

Milan and Luxembourg both expanded their lands, Luxembourg especially so with the inheritance of most of Brandenburg.

Lands of the Rus
In the East the rivalry between the Ulus of Juchi and Nogai intensified, Rus states took sides, enlarging their domains at the expense of their weaker neighbours where the Mongols could no longer provide protection. Galich became more Westernised and re-combined with Volyn. Lithuania started to expand, taking advantage of the weakness shown, even Novgorod, least affected by the Mongols, was affected, losing control of Pskov.

Description

1303-1315

Byzantine Empire & the Catalan Company.
Osman I, Ottoman ruler [1290-1326], tried to launch a Jihad against the Byzantine holdings in Anatolia but, in 1303, the Byzantine Empire hired a Catalan Company of Mercenaries, paying them with land rather than specie. The company grandly named their lands the Duchy of Mysia. First used to defeat the Ottomans, they were then used to decisively finish the war against Venice that had been going on for four years. Byzantium restored the Black Sea trade to Genoa, their allies and entered into a marriage with the Ulus Juchi to protect their new Cheronese possessions.
The Company was next employed against the Karasai but their success caused reaction in the neighbouring tribal states. Germiyan allied with Karasai but Teke could sense the strength of the Mercenary Company and allied with Byzantium, by 1309 Karasai was no more and Germyan no longer had a coastline.
A kind of conscription was introduced to form a standing army, small but well trained [by the Catalan Company] and well equipped. Backed by light cavalry from Teke this army was able to again defeat Osman I of the Ottomans at the second Battle of Bapheus in 1310.
Politically the Catalan Company also reinforced the link between Byzantium and Aragon created during the Sicilian Vespers giving the aggressive Angevins pause for thought.

Bohemia
In 1305 Bohemia-Poland went to war with the Teutonic Order. The climactic battle south of Marienburg saw the deaths of both the Grand Master of the Order and King Wenceslaus. With the death of Wenceslaus in 1305 Poland again became independent, it also had a big impact upon Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire. Whereas Poland was easily able to elect a King from within their own nobility, abandoning the idea of foreign Kings for the time being, the Holy Roman Empire was torn by strife between 1305-1314 in the interregnum before Louis IV Wittlesbach was selected as Emperor against stiff opposition.
The death of the Grand Master saw the break-up of the Teutonic Knights into secular provinces, still reliant on Marienburg. The Order of the Brotherhood of the Sword based in Riga continued their traditions.

France
Philip Le Bon , Philip IV of France, had been in conflict with the Popes, refusing their authority and styling himself "Anointed by God". This was a rejection of the claims by the papacy of universal hegemony over Christendom and the start of Nationalism.
The struggle between the Philip IV and Boniface VIII started when Philip tried to tax the clergy in France. Philip even went so far as to attempt to arrest the Pope. Boniface died soon after that attempt and was replaced by a French Pope, Clement V. Unpopular in Rome and to escape from the infighting of the powerful Roman families that had produced earlier Popes the new Pope set up the Holy See in Avignon, close enough to France to feel Philip's influence, the proximity of French troops was a constant reminder of where secular power lay, with the memory of Pope Boniface VIII still fresh.
Even the downfall of the Templars was part of this political war, after all they were responsible only to the Pope.

Holy Roman Empire
The death of Weceslaus led to an interregnum as the Electors could not agree on one candidate. Wettin, Wittlesbach, Habsburg and Luxembourg candidates vied for the position.

Despite expanding their interests to include the Duchy of Burgundy in France, the Habsburgs were still very active inside the Empire. They came out on top in the struggle over succession in Lorraine but the attempt to take over the Forest Cantons of the Swiss Federation failed as the Swiss Pikes proved very effective, especially with the backing of Milanese Knights.

Milan and Luxembourg both expanded their lands, Luxembourg especially so with the inheritance of most of Brandenburg.

Lands of the Rus
In the East the rivalry between the Ulus of Juchi and Nogai intensified, Rus states took sides, enlarging their domains at the expense of their weaker neighbours where the Mongols could no longer provide protection. Galich became more Westernised and re-combined with Volyn. Lithuania started to expand, taking advantage of the weakness shown, even Novgorod, least affected by the Mongols, was affected, losing control of Pskov.