das
Regeneration In Process
St. Communus?
Alternate History NESes; Spout some ideas!
- Thread starter Amenhotep7
- Start date
das
Regeneration In Process
The Magyar Horde is something of a misnomer. Rather, it was SEVEN hordes, each of them boasting powerful cavalry armies, mobile and formidable, fierce and resilent. These seven hordes consisted of battle-hardened warriors that were eager for action, for war and glory, to whom all the gold of the world was, at first anyway, a secondary concern. They wanted to live... and to fight. They wanted combat.
And that they got. Led by Vajk (nothing to do with OTL Vajk/Istvan I), their elected supreme warchief, they plunged headfirst into the Moravian Civil War, propping up Rostislav and suddenly overturning the entire process - suddenly, Mojmir's forces faced total defeat at Devin, and he himself died soon after. Rostislav won in Moravia... and found himself bound by the treaties made with his mercenaries, the Magyars. Meh, surely those barbarians are kidding! I did promise them some land, well, they can live as peasants I guess, the more taxpayers the merrier... No, replied Vajk. You promised that we will get your treasury. Never mind that Praha surrendered without a fight, we still want to loot it. You also were as kind as to promise us RULE of some of your lands... for you.
Outrageous, shouted Rostislav and ordered a call to arms. A small, pathetic-looking army was assembled (much to his surprise) and ran away almost immediately after noticing a Magyar horde. Rostislav was killed in a PG-18 way, and the Magyars, after looting Praha, suddenly wound up in possession of Moravia. What an unexpected side effect!
And besides, looting is fun and all, but the Magyars still wanted a fight. At that point, a captured Carolingian merchant suddenly turned out to be useful - he said there was a very very rich land to the west, a great empire plagued by internal strife, just don't kill me please and I'll show you the way. The Magyars decided that now that they're at it, they might as well...
There wasn't much of a warning, though rumors of Moravia's fate ofcourse begun to spread by September 849, when the Magyars invaded the easternmost reaches of the Holy Roman Empire. Literally out of the darkness, Magyars invaded Carinthia and Bavaria, bringing death and destruction as they went. Half-hearted resistance was crushed, and no city was spared from the Magyar rage. Salzburg, Passau, Freising, Augsburg... all were taken and looted. The Magyars returned home, happy with their battles and their conquests, but eager for more.
The Holy Roman Empire was at the time ruled by Lothair I, son of Louis. His power was threatened by his two brothers and his many feudals, all of whom were only too happy to use the Magyar raid as a pretext for a rebellion. They thought the Magyars won't be coming back for a while anyway, content with their loot, so they conspired and rose up. Lothair battled desperately with the rebels, winning a few battles, but still lost Brittany and Catalonia by the time when lesser-scale Magyar raids begun to devastate East Francia and parts of Italy. In 850, though, Lothair and his brothers were forced to sign a temporary truce - they needed to face a full-scale Magyar invasion. Desperately, a Holy Roman Empire was amassed, but as it grew, Lothair begun to regain confidence. We'll show those pagan barbarians the strenght of the Holy Roman Empire!
The great battle took place at Mantua - the Magyars invaded Italy this time, having heard of its many riches. Holy Roman forces stood well, fighting back the initial assaults, but eventually fell for a simple trick - the Magyars faked retreat. Lothair restrained his own forces, but his brothers didn't, pursuing the "fleeing" foe. Lothair, cursing them, followed but came too late - the Magyars already crushed nearly a half of his army. It was too late to retreat, and so Lothair charged forth, dying in battle. The Magyars soon stood at the gates of Rome, receiving great amounts of money in exchange for not attacking the Holy See. Ironically, the Italian cities were actually rather unharmed for the most part, being well-fortified and all that. Much worse was the fate of the smaller towns and of the countryside, but generally Italy came out well.
Not Germany, though. Suddenly beheaded, the HRE simply fell apart as the surviving feudals jumped at local opportunities or, alternatively, desperately defended their homes. Hence Magyars, in their new attacks on East Francia, Bohemia, Polabia and Polonia (would-be Poland), were hardly impeded by anything. Unopposed, they ravaged Germany, they burned down cities and exacted tribute, they charged all the way into West Francia...
...and eventually overstretched themselves, so as Vajk died in 867, the Magyars begun fighting each other. Eventually, some remained in conquered Moravia to be assimilated by the conquered Slavic population, some disintegrated amongst the people elsewhere, some small tribes continued raiding and many... became mercenaries. Most notably, one of the Hordes settled down in Asturia as semi-autonomous feudals, forming the basis of the famed Asturian "Junagardos" or "Ungards", fearsome cavalry units that soon enough became useful and famous.
The Magyar destruction of the Holy Roman Empire caused further changes afterwards. Polabian, Polish and Bohemian Slavs, even earlier expanding westwards, now often fled there, forcing the Germans out of many lands to the east from Rhine. German refugees, meanwhile, fled westwards into West Francia, where a rump "Holy Roman Empire" temporarily reemerged. The Germans eventually mixed with the northern Franks, genetically and culturally, and this made the differences between Occitania and the rest of Francia even more pronounced. Back in Polonia, the Norse Prussians begun to fill the power vacuum left after the Magyar raids against the Polish tribes...
---
OOC: In the other news, Reno, Stormbringer and possibly Communisto will also be featured, in some shape, under some name, in this story. Not sure about others.
And that they got. Led by Vajk (nothing to do with OTL Vajk/Istvan I), their elected supreme warchief, they plunged headfirst into the Moravian Civil War, propping up Rostislav and suddenly overturning the entire process - suddenly, Mojmir's forces faced total defeat at Devin, and he himself died soon after. Rostislav won in Moravia... and found himself bound by the treaties made with his mercenaries, the Magyars. Meh, surely those barbarians are kidding! I did promise them some land, well, they can live as peasants I guess, the more taxpayers the merrier... No, replied Vajk. You promised that we will get your treasury. Never mind that Praha surrendered without a fight, we still want to loot it. You also were as kind as to promise us RULE of some of your lands... for you.
Outrageous, shouted Rostislav and ordered a call to arms. A small, pathetic-looking army was assembled (much to his surprise) and ran away almost immediately after noticing a Magyar horde. Rostislav was killed in a PG-18 way, and the Magyars, after looting Praha, suddenly wound up in possession of Moravia. What an unexpected side effect!
And besides, looting is fun and all, but the Magyars still wanted a fight. At that point, a captured Carolingian merchant suddenly turned out to be useful - he said there was a very very rich land to the west, a great empire plagued by internal strife, just don't kill me please and I'll show you the way. The Magyars decided that now that they're at it, they might as well...
There wasn't much of a warning, though rumors of Moravia's fate ofcourse begun to spread by September 849, when the Magyars invaded the easternmost reaches of the Holy Roman Empire. Literally out of the darkness, Magyars invaded Carinthia and Bavaria, bringing death and destruction as they went. Half-hearted resistance was crushed, and no city was spared from the Magyar rage. Salzburg, Passau, Freising, Augsburg... all were taken and looted. The Magyars returned home, happy with their battles and their conquests, but eager for more.
The Holy Roman Empire was at the time ruled by Lothair I, son of Louis. His power was threatened by his two brothers and his many feudals, all of whom were only too happy to use the Magyar raid as a pretext for a rebellion. They thought the Magyars won't be coming back for a while anyway, content with their loot, so they conspired and rose up. Lothair battled desperately with the rebels, winning a few battles, but still lost Brittany and Catalonia by the time when lesser-scale Magyar raids begun to devastate East Francia and parts of Italy. In 850, though, Lothair and his brothers were forced to sign a temporary truce - they needed to face a full-scale Magyar invasion. Desperately, a Holy Roman Empire was amassed, but as it grew, Lothair begun to regain confidence. We'll show those pagan barbarians the strenght of the Holy Roman Empire!
The great battle took place at Mantua - the Magyars invaded Italy this time, having heard of its many riches. Holy Roman forces stood well, fighting back the initial assaults, but eventually fell for a simple trick - the Magyars faked retreat. Lothair restrained his own forces, but his brothers didn't, pursuing the "fleeing" foe. Lothair, cursing them, followed but came too late - the Magyars already crushed nearly a half of his army. It was too late to retreat, and so Lothair charged forth, dying in battle. The Magyars soon stood at the gates of Rome, receiving great amounts of money in exchange for not attacking the Holy See. Ironically, the Italian cities were actually rather unharmed for the most part, being well-fortified and all that. Much worse was the fate of the smaller towns and of the countryside, but generally Italy came out well.
Not Germany, though. Suddenly beheaded, the HRE simply fell apart as the surviving feudals jumped at local opportunities or, alternatively, desperately defended their homes. Hence Magyars, in their new attacks on East Francia, Bohemia, Polabia and Polonia (would-be Poland), were hardly impeded by anything. Unopposed, they ravaged Germany, they burned down cities and exacted tribute, they charged all the way into West Francia...
...and eventually overstretched themselves, so as Vajk died in 867, the Magyars begun fighting each other. Eventually, some remained in conquered Moravia to be assimilated by the conquered Slavic population, some disintegrated amongst the people elsewhere, some small tribes continued raiding and many... became mercenaries. Most notably, one of the Hordes settled down in Asturia as semi-autonomous feudals, forming the basis of the famed Asturian "Junagardos" or "Ungards", fearsome cavalry units that soon enough became useful and famous.
The Magyar destruction of the Holy Roman Empire caused further changes afterwards. Polabian, Polish and Bohemian Slavs, even earlier expanding westwards, now often fled there, forcing the Germans out of many lands to the east from Rhine. German refugees, meanwhile, fled westwards into West Francia, where a rump "Holy Roman Empire" temporarily reemerged. The Germans eventually mixed with the northern Franks, genetically and culturally, and this made the differences between Occitania and the rest of Francia even more pronounced. Back in Polonia, the Norse Prussians begun to fill the power vacuum left after the Magyar raids against the Polish tribes...
---
OOC: In the other news, Reno, Stormbringer and possibly Communisto will also be featured, in some shape, under some name, in this story. Not sure about others.
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
Excelent.
This gives me more reasons to read your Alternate Lines.
Gelion
Retired Captain
Wonders around for no particular reason....
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
@Das After reading the beginning of your Magyar/Snorri line, i must say that the Eesti people (People of Estonia) are not Slav's but they are Finno/Ugric peoples same as Finn's.
Oruc
Reactionary
Nope!
"Who did you assign to the case?"
"...Clouseau."
"Oh my god."
"You have received a bump upon the head."
I hope that's the one you're referring to. (split infinitive, I think. Oops) Was it earlier in life for Nero, or later?
"...Clouseau."
"Oh my god."
"You have received a bump upon the head."
I hope that's the one you're referring to. (split infinitive, I think. Oops) Was it earlier in life for Nero, or later?
das
Regeneration In Process
I'm still trying to figure out where to place you, btw. Any ideas?
Did I say otherwise? I do know Estonians aren't Slavs (although admittedly East Slavs as a rule have lots of Finno-Ugric blood in them, especially Russians)...
Later.
Reno
The Studio Ghibli Fanatic
'
Just got that impression, i must've read wrong then i guess.
das
Regeneration In Process
Btw, anybody guessed the previous map PoD? A big hint - Alexandria in that world is, as of 750 AD, called Neropolis.
silver 2039
Deity
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Messages
- 16,208
After Rome burnt Nero razed it complelty and rebuilt it in his honor and made himself a god and stuff?
das
Regeneration In Process
He did do all that, though rather later. Much later in his life.
Insane_Panda
Deity
This is not a shot at the PoD, rather a question about something which happens -
Does Nero flee to Aegyptus and create his own empire after being chased out of Rome, instead of killing himself?
Does Nero flee to Aegyptus and create his own empire after being chased out of Rome, instead of killing himself?
das
Regeneration In Process
FINALLY.
He actually kicks off a civil war rather then commit suicide. Allying with the eastern provinces (Greeks), he actually does manage to reconquer Italy from the rebels and to burn down Rome (one of the few survivors was quoted as saying: "What, again?"). But that exhausted his army, and he had other provinces to subdue, so Hispannia, Gallia and Britannia (I think) broke off as a separate "Western Roman Empire". It eventually fell apart into three provinces again, and Gallia with parts of Britannia were overran by barbarians. Christian Hispania, however, established the Holy Roman Empire in early 8th century, conquering Italia and North Africa.
During all this time, Nero pulled an earlier transformation into absolutism, moved capital to Alexandria and hellenized the empire. It eventually lost many northern lands to the Germannic barbarians (including Anatolia), but persisted and even expanded southwards.
He actually kicks off a civil war rather then commit suicide. Allying with the eastern provinces (Greeks), he actually does manage to reconquer Italy from the rebels and to burn down Rome (one of the few survivors was quoted as saying: "What, again?"). But that exhausted his army, and he had other provinces to subdue, so Hispannia, Gallia and Britannia (I think) broke off as a separate "Western Roman Empire". It eventually fell apart into three provinces again, and Gallia with parts of Britannia were overran by barbarians. Christian Hispania, however, established the Holy Roman Empire in early 8th century, conquering Italia and North Africa.
During all this time, Nero pulled an earlier transformation into absolutism, moved capital to Alexandria and hellenized the empire. It eventually lost many northern lands to the Germannic barbarians (including Anatolia), but persisted and even expanded southwards.
das
Regeneration In Process
OOC: I KNOW that Orthodox and Catholic Christianities didn't officialy split yet. De facto, however, they were as good as split by then.
IC:
880-933.
Viking Ireland's fortunes alternated between rise and decline. As the Magyars wrecked much havoc in Europe, Ireland's trade with France was disrupted. On the other hand, the trade with nearby England grew. Still, Ireland was increasingly overshadowed by said England, especially as there was no clear direction for Ireland to expand into. This was why Thormand II ordered many expeditions west, claiming Snowland (OTL Iceland) and parts of Iceland (OTL Greenland). Attempts to establish royal colonies in Affalon (OTL North America) failed due to bad weather and native resistance, however (apart from two expeditions - one dissipated amongst the natives, another settled down further south but lost contact with the king and that's what you get). Problematically, Thormand II was increasingly repressive and intolerant towards Christians... this had long-term, global consequences when an Irish mini-exodus took place, travelling to the holy St. Patrick's Island (OTL Newfoundland). The Irish Vikings didn't really bother back then, being too busy dealing with another case of Irish reacting to opression - namely, the Great Rebellion which was put down in blood. Viking Ireland swiftly begun to decline in early 10th Century.
St. Patrick's Island soon enough became to some a "paradise lost". Raided by one of the surviving Viking expeditions, the island was subsequently betrayed by some of the Irish who settled there and the short-lived monastic republic was replaced by a tribal despotism of Toton the Red (called so either for his beard, either for his habit of walking around in blood-soaked clothes). However, St. Communus, one of the Irish priests, led another exodus, to Nova Hibernia (OTL Nova Scotia). In spite of many hardships, Communus and his people have stalwartly persisted, improving their relations with the natives (a semi-legendary happening in which the natives voluntarily shared food with the Irish settlers and accepted baptisement is not very likely, but anyways) and allying with them against Patrickian raiders. The Vikings of Ireland already forgot about the whole affair about the western continent, especially as they lost war after war with Oswald's England, which in 924 finally took Dublin, uniting the British Islands. Irish Vikings fled to Snowland, and from there renewed raids against England.
Having conquered Ireland, the English expanded on their success by conquering Brittany and the Seine Region (including OTL Normandy), using the Second Holy Roman Empire's disintegration in circa. 900 AD. This eventually prompted the northern Francian quarreling chieftains, counts and kings to unify, in 932, under the rule of Ludwig I, the first King of Frankia (west of Rhine, north of Loire and Rhone, though this could be said to be a simplification, capital in Verdun). The southern parts of the deceased HRE, namely Aquitania, Gascony, Septimania, Burgundy and Provence (the Catalan counties seceded much earlier - more on them later), refused to acknowledge Ludwig and created the Kingdom of Occitania, with capital in Bordeaux. The first ruler of the new kingdom was King Pepin "III", officialy of the Carolingian line.
Further south, the Reconquista was beginning. Alfonso the Great (also known as Alfonsomagno) used the disintegration of the HRE well, allying with the Catalan counts - promising them protection and autonomy in exchange for allegience. Having beaten back, in 902, the armies of the Duke of Toulouse, Alfonsomagno has extended his rule over all of Christian Spain, and then used the instability in Andalusia (caused by Mozarabic rebellions and a Slav mercenary coup attempt) to expand southwards. Here, his trusty ungards were most useful - the Andalusian armies, already dismoralized, hardly had any combat experience against the Magyars, and hence were routed at Zamora and again at Albarracin. Modelling the rest of his army on the ungards in the event they would ever need replacement, Alfonsomagno advanced up to Tagus, albeit further progress was made impossible by strenghthening resistance and the truce between Mozarabs and 'Abd ar-Rahman III. Still, after his death in 912 Greater Asturia continued to prosper, beating back an Andalusian counteroffensive (during which 'Abd ar-Rahman III died, causing Andalusia to crumble further) and stabilizing its internal situation by promises of religious tolerance (rather limited in practice, but nonetheless) and by examplary execution of several Castillian rebels. By 933, Andalusia was conquered by Idrisids and confined to the area south from Guadaquilvir river, whilst the Asturians, having overcome the initial problems in integrating their vast new conquests (well, temporarily overcome), looked ready to consume the rest. King Garcia II had himself crowned in Toledo as Garcia I of... Spain. Some thought this to be this nation's finest hour.
They were wrong, as finer hours will come, but regardless, we must move onwards. Eastwards...
In Italy, the Pope and the Byzantines tried to reassert their respective power, coming into conflict with each other and allowing North Italian statelets to consolidate their own power. Result: chaos, which finalized in the creation of a "Holy Italian Kingdom" (HIK) in alliance with the Pope and just as loose as the Second HRE, whilst in the south, the Byzantines, bitter over Venice joining HIK (to gain de jure independance from the Byzantines, mostly), forced the Duchy of Benevento to acknowledge Byzantine rule, all while trying (unsuccesfully) to conquer Sicily.
Geldland fractured and reunited again a few times, eventually transforming into a feudal league under a konung who is essentially a glorified palace decoration. Christianity hardly made its way in this direction, due to the chaos in Germany, or as it was now known...
Severoslavia. Several Slavic tribes east from the Rhena (Rhine) and west from Wiszla (Vistula) feuded for much of the period amongst each other. It was not until Zhiroslav (voevod of the Sorbs, who eventually rose to power in Sorbia) in 911 subjugated the Western Poles and Bohemians, and gradually unified the Slavic tribes under his reign. An educated man, who in his youth lived in Constantinople, Zhiroslav eventually brought Severoslavia into the Orthodox Christian fold, often at the point of the sword, and accepted the name Basiliy. Zhiroslav/Basiliy's capital was at Broniborsk (OTL Berlin).
Why would such a faraway country as Severoslavia accepted Orthodox Christianity? It was not all that faraway from other Orthodox Christian countries, actually - specifically, Yenid Moravia, Magyar-ruled as it was, was under strong Byzantine influence and hence in 881 Istepan I, so greatly-respected and favoured by the Byzantines that he was allowed to adopt the title of Tsar of Moravia, officialy declared Orthodox Christianity to be the state religion of Moravia.
The Byzantine strenght grew and grew, as Edessa and Antioch were firmly placed under Byzantine rule. But the greatest wars of reconquest were yet to come...
In the overall, it seemed that Islam was on the retreat on all fronts... but as refugees, especially from Andalusia, fled for North Africa, the region's further development became possible, whilst missionaries penetrated deep to the south from Sahara. Islam spred. Swahili city-states gradually begun to emerge in the east, whilst in the west local but Islamicized states rose and fell.
Back in Europe, Prussia steadily expanded southwards, eventually occupying much of the Vistula basin.
Reno I Birger was a most outstanding "Nordic" ruler. Initially a minor Fennish general, he managed to manipulate his way into commanding an army sent to invade Holmland, whose king was insane and inpolite. After making him inalive as well, along with some of his troops, Reno suddenly came to a deal with Helmland's nobility, and became the king of Helmland. "Suddenly", it was discovered that Reno really was the legitimate heir to Fennland, yet for some odd reason was not in power there. Reno, emboldened by the fast victory in Helmland, embarked, in 897, to help correct this situation by conquering Fennland. Further along the line, Estland was conquered as well, and the new nation of Baltland rose, with the capital in Holmgard.
Reno also campaigned much against the Khazarified Slavs in the region. He attained some success north from the Pripet Marshes, but further south, as Khazars increasingly employed Ghuzz and Pecheneg mercenaries in the protection of their "allies", the resistance was harder to overcome, not to mention the logistics. One of those mercenaries was Mishael Barak (Barak is Hebrew for "Lightning" or "Storm") - he would one day be very important. Um, regardless, Khazaria continued to prosper in spite of the growing northern menace (that survived beyond Reno's death in 919). It also used the internal tensions of Dar al-Islam to gain greater influence over western Central Asia, greatly damaging Islam's expansion in the region. Finally, amongst the Khazars themselves Judaism continued to consolidate.
IC:
880-933.
Viking Ireland's fortunes alternated between rise and decline. As the Magyars wrecked much havoc in Europe, Ireland's trade with France was disrupted. On the other hand, the trade with nearby England grew. Still, Ireland was increasingly overshadowed by said England, especially as there was no clear direction for Ireland to expand into. This was why Thormand II ordered many expeditions west, claiming Snowland (OTL Iceland) and parts of Iceland (OTL Greenland). Attempts to establish royal colonies in Affalon (OTL North America) failed due to bad weather and native resistance, however (apart from two expeditions - one dissipated amongst the natives, another settled down further south but lost contact with the king and that's what you get). Problematically, Thormand II was increasingly repressive and intolerant towards Christians... this had long-term, global consequences when an Irish mini-exodus took place, travelling to the holy St. Patrick's Island (OTL Newfoundland). The Irish Vikings didn't really bother back then, being too busy dealing with another case of Irish reacting to opression - namely, the Great Rebellion which was put down in blood. Viking Ireland swiftly begun to decline in early 10th Century.
St. Patrick's Island soon enough became to some a "paradise lost". Raided by one of the surviving Viking expeditions, the island was subsequently betrayed by some of the Irish who settled there and the short-lived monastic republic was replaced by a tribal despotism of Toton the Red (called so either for his beard, either for his habit of walking around in blood-soaked clothes). However, St. Communus, one of the Irish priests, led another exodus, to Nova Hibernia (OTL Nova Scotia). In spite of many hardships, Communus and his people have stalwartly persisted, improving their relations with the natives (a semi-legendary happening in which the natives voluntarily shared food with the Irish settlers and accepted baptisement is not very likely, but anyways) and allying with them against Patrickian raiders. The Vikings of Ireland already forgot about the whole affair about the western continent, especially as they lost war after war with Oswald's England, which in 924 finally took Dublin, uniting the British Islands. Irish Vikings fled to Snowland, and from there renewed raids against England.
Having conquered Ireland, the English expanded on their success by conquering Brittany and the Seine Region (including OTL Normandy), using the Second Holy Roman Empire's disintegration in circa. 900 AD. This eventually prompted the northern Francian quarreling chieftains, counts and kings to unify, in 932, under the rule of Ludwig I, the first King of Frankia (west of Rhine, north of Loire and Rhone, though this could be said to be a simplification, capital in Verdun). The southern parts of the deceased HRE, namely Aquitania, Gascony, Septimania, Burgundy and Provence (the Catalan counties seceded much earlier - more on them later), refused to acknowledge Ludwig and created the Kingdom of Occitania, with capital in Bordeaux. The first ruler of the new kingdom was King Pepin "III", officialy of the Carolingian line.
Further south, the Reconquista was beginning. Alfonso the Great (also known as Alfonsomagno) used the disintegration of the HRE well, allying with the Catalan counts - promising them protection and autonomy in exchange for allegience. Having beaten back, in 902, the armies of the Duke of Toulouse, Alfonsomagno has extended his rule over all of Christian Spain, and then used the instability in Andalusia (caused by Mozarabic rebellions and a Slav mercenary coup attempt) to expand southwards. Here, his trusty ungards were most useful - the Andalusian armies, already dismoralized, hardly had any combat experience against the Magyars, and hence were routed at Zamora and again at Albarracin. Modelling the rest of his army on the ungards in the event they would ever need replacement, Alfonsomagno advanced up to Tagus, albeit further progress was made impossible by strenghthening resistance and the truce between Mozarabs and 'Abd ar-Rahman III. Still, after his death in 912 Greater Asturia continued to prosper, beating back an Andalusian counteroffensive (during which 'Abd ar-Rahman III died, causing Andalusia to crumble further) and stabilizing its internal situation by promises of religious tolerance (rather limited in practice, but nonetheless) and by examplary execution of several Castillian rebels. By 933, Andalusia was conquered by Idrisids and confined to the area south from Guadaquilvir river, whilst the Asturians, having overcome the initial problems in integrating their vast new conquests (well, temporarily overcome), looked ready to consume the rest. King Garcia II had himself crowned in Toledo as Garcia I of... Spain. Some thought this to be this nation's finest hour.
They were wrong, as finer hours will come, but regardless, we must move onwards. Eastwards...
In Italy, the Pope and the Byzantines tried to reassert their respective power, coming into conflict with each other and allowing North Italian statelets to consolidate their own power. Result: chaos, which finalized in the creation of a "Holy Italian Kingdom" (HIK) in alliance with the Pope and just as loose as the Second HRE, whilst in the south, the Byzantines, bitter over Venice joining HIK (to gain de jure independance from the Byzantines, mostly), forced the Duchy of Benevento to acknowledge Byzantine rule, all while trying (unsuccesfully) to conquer Sicily.
Geldland fractured and reunited again a few times, eventually transforming into a feudal league under a konung who is essentially a glorified palace decoration. Christianity hardly made its way in this direction, due to the chaos in Germany, or as it was now known...
Severoslavia. Several Slavic tribes east from the Rhena (Rhine) and west from Wiszla (Vistula) feuded for much of the period amongst each other. It was not until Zhiroslav (voevod of the Sorbs, who eventually rose to power in Sorbia) in 911 subjugated the Western Poles and Bohemians, and gradually unified the Slavic tribes under his reign. An educated man, who in his youth lived in Constantinople, Zhiroslav eventually brought Severoslavia into the Orthodox Christian fold, often at the point of the sword, and accepted the name Basiliy. Zhiroslav/Basiliy's capital was at Broniborsk (OTL Berlin).
Why would such a faraway country as Severoslavia accepted Orthodox Christianity? It was not all that faraway from other Orthodox Christian countries, actually - specifically, Yenid Moravia, Magyar-ruled as it was, was under strong Byzantine influence and hence in 881 Istepan I, so greatly-respected and favoured by the Byzantines that he was allowed to adopt the title of Tsar of Moravia, officialy declared Orthodox Christianity to be the state religion of Moravia.
The Byzantine strenght grew and grew, as Edessa and Antioch were firmly placed under Byzantine rule. But the greatest wars of reconquest were yet to come...
In the overall, it seemed that Islam was on the retreat on all fronts... but as refugees, especially from Andalusia, fled for North Africa, the region's further development became possible, whilst missionaries penetrated deep to the south from Sahara. Islam spred. Swahili city-states gradually begun to emerge in the east, whilst in the west local but Islamicized states rose and fell.
Back in Europe, Prussia steadily expanded southwards, eventually occupying much of the Vistula basin.
Reno I Birger was a most outstanding "Nordic" ruler. Initially a minor Fennish general, he managed to manipulate his way into commanding an army sent to invade Holmland, whose king was insane and inpolite. After making him inalive as well, along with some of his troops, Reno suddenly came to a deal with Helmland's nobility, and became the king of Helmland. "Suddenly", it was discovered that Reno really was the legitimate heir to Fennland, yet for some odd reason was not in power there. Reno, emboldened by the fast victory in Helmland, embarked, in 897, to help correct this situation by conquering Fennland. Further along the line, Estland was conquered as well, and the new nation of Baltland rose, with the capital in Holmgard.
Reno also campaigned much against the Khazarified Slavs in the region. He attained some success north from the Pripet Marshes, but further south, as Khazars increasingly employed Ghuzz and Pecheneg mercenaries in the protection of their "allies", the resistance was harder to overcome, not to mention the logistics. One of those mercenaries was Mishael Barak (Barak is Hebrew for "Lightning" or "Storm") - he would one day be very important. Um, regardless, Khazaria continued to prosper in spite of the growing northern menace (that survived beyond Reno's death in 919). It also used the internal tensions of Dar al-Islam to gain greater influence over western Central Asia, greatly damaging Islam's expansion in the region. Finally, amongst the Khazars themselves Judaism continued to consolidate.
das
Regeneration In Process
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Something dealing with Henry Hudson?
das
Regeneration In Process
No. Why?
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