A Viking Prince Parable: King Knud’s Quest for a Danish Baltic Empire

[Viking Prince]

King Knud’s Quest for a Danish Baltic Empire

A Viking Prince Parable

Version 1.0
Date 1.24.2009
By Viking Prince
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King Knud, a good catholic, wants to both spread the faith to the German speaking lands around the Baltic and to also create a Danish empire that will honor the good King and bring wealth and power to his heirs. The Holy Roman Empire has internal problems and various regions to the east are in rebellion. The opportunity to seize greatness is at hand.

Prince Charles and his army are commanded to besiege Hamburg. King Knud and his army in Arhus immediately depart and join up with the Prince at Hamburg. Combined they can easily defeat the rebels, but the King wants the Prince to enjoy the glory of the siege and dispatches only a couple of Spear Militia to assist in the assault and then continues to march on Magdeburg. Speed is important if the lands are not to be controlled by the growing Polish kingdom.

Advanced spies have already shown Magdeburg to be a place of heretics. There are rumors of heresy throughout the German speaking lands and the good Cardinal Halstan, an enemy of heretics, is sent to resolve the issues of heresy before the Danes take firm control of the castle. Cardinal Halstan is granted the resources necessary to increase the number of priests. Converting these lands requires a great many men of faith.

King Knud arrives at the castle gates of Magdeburg and begins the siege. Word has reached him of Prince Charles success at Hamburg and also of an alliance negotiated with the Holy Roman Empire by Princess Ingrid. The trade rights are important if the new land locked regions are to prosper as Danish lands. A nominal tribute to share the cost of quelling the rebellious provinces was an additional benefit from the new relationship. The success at Magdeburg is followed by Breslau. Prince Charles and a couple of Militia Spearmen and a couple of Peasant Archers move towards the Polish frontier. They are met by the Poles, who have gathered a modest force of their own. The Polish intentions are unknown. Spies have determined at least one failed assault on the castle at Thorn. Another assault can be expected. Perhaps this Polish force was meant for Breslau or maybe Stettin.

King Knud has to make a decision. From Breslau, the army can move on a weakened, but still rebel held Thorn. Or the king can move north to the lands surrounding Stettin. Each of these options would check Polish expansion and probably lead to tense relations. Perhaps the king should direct his attentions into the heart of Bohemia and take the rebel town of Prague.

Princess Ingrid is now whispered in the court as a diplomatic weapon after her concluding an alliance, trade agreement and tribute that is quite similar to the prior agreement with the Holy Roman Empire. Trade and peace with the strongest powers in Europe will free the Danes to continue their pursuit of a Baltic empire.

The Poles are not trusted. If they succeed in seizing and then developing the castle at Thorn, they are an impediment to the designs of a Danish Baltic Empire. At some point the Poles can be expected to move on the Danes.

Prince Charles could assemble a new force at Hamburg when the castle facilities are able to train Norse Archers. A combined force of Dismounted Huscarls and Norse Archers plus a compliment of Spear Militia from Arhus will make the conquest of Stettin, Stockholm, Riga and finally Vilnius a complete encirclement of the Poles.

But it is 1092. There are no training facilities for any archers nor Dismounted Huscarls. The conquest of Hamburg, Magdeburg, and Breslau was swift. The economy is still growing. What should the good king do?

1)Hold and develop the resources within the expanded Danish lands?

2)Continue on to Thorn?

3)Continue on to Stettin? The Council of Nobles recommends Stettin at this time, but they are only willing to promise some additional military units if a Stettin campaign is successful.

4)Abandon the southern Baltic shores and seek fame and fortune in Stockholm and further west in Britain where King William has not really consolidated into a unified realm? This would mean the abandonment of the quest upon which both he and Prince Charles has already spent many years on. The loss of reputation within Christendom would be great.

5)There is also the lure of Bohemia.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome on each of these five possibilities as well as others of your own.

Until next time, regards.

Viking Prince

[StalkAndStrike]

Continue to stettin! Even if he might not have enough men presently to continue further, perhaps the rewarded units could be added to his army, that or you may consider investing in an unexpected mercenary army to gain a larger foothold where you can stop and start to create training facilities while the mercs hold on to what land you have added to your conquest!

[Viking Prince]

Continue to stettin! Even if he might not have enough men presently to continue further, perhaps the rewarded units could be added to his army, that or you may consider investing in an unexpected mercenary army to gain a larger foothold where you can stop and start to create training facilities while the mercs hold on to what land you have added to your conquest!

Always a safe call to follow the Council of Nobles. What else should be done at the same time. A great power can perform more than one task at a time.

[StalkAndStrike]

Perhaps on alliance with russia? see where they stand, and convince this prince charles to declear war against poland, as the tentions seem to be "high"? Why not make the first move to counter their expansions? If theres more than just one faction involved in fighting poland, than the church should allow it,

[Viking Prince Olaf]

That's awesome Prince but you left somekey details of if you hold Scandinavia; If you don't use the longboat parked outside Arhus to transport some militias for the conquest. Well think of Polands situation,
it's surrounded by superior growing powers Hungary, Denmark and Russia.
She needs to take new settlements just to get by.....It would greatly
decrease relations to take Thorn and conquest of HRE is inevitable but
Prauge by rights should be under their jurestiction.

Its quite A mind clencher but after A while you'll find that if Poland conquers Thorn and converts it it will be over or even worse severly delay
the Baltic dream until by the time your ready for battle the great King Knud will have already passed away.

The logical thing to do is postpone your invasion of England unless taking minor rebel footholds for later activity. Russia has already taken Helinski and is heading for Riga and Vilinus so you better hurry.

Scandinavia is going to be A vital powerhouse for A stable enough economy for not only battle but let alone war! Charles is likely soon to take the throne so you better act fast and make A barrier of your land to block of other factions until the favour of the pope lies within you.

[Viking Prince]

Perhaps on alliance with russia? see where they stand, and convince this prince charles to declear war against poland, as the tentions seem to be "high"? Why not make the first move to counter their expansions? If theres more than just one faction involved in fighting poland, than the church should allow it,

At the moment peace reaigns throughout the realm since we are only 7 turns into the campaign. The action is fast! Decisions need to be made but patience is also a virtue.

That's awesome Prince but you left somekey details of if you hold Scandinavia; If you don't use the longboat parked outside Arhus to transport some militias for the conquest. Well think of Polands situation, it's surrounded by superior growing powers Hungary, Denmark and Russia.

She needs to take new settlements just to get by.....It would greatly
decrease relations to take Thorn and conquest of HRE is inevitable but
Prauge by rights should be under their jurestiction.

Its quite A mind clencher but after A while you'll find that if Poland conquers Thorn and converts it it will be over or even worse severly delay
the Baltic dream until by the time your ready for battle the great King Knud will have already passed away.

The logical thing to do is postpone your invasion of England unless taking minor rebel footholds for later activity. Russia has already taken Helinski and is heading for Riga and Vilinus so you better hurry.

Scandinavia is going to be A vital powerhouse for A stable enough economy for not only battle but let alone war! Charles is likely soon to take the throne so you better act fast and make A barrier of your land to block of other factions until the favour of the pope lies within you.

Thorn is a key to the Baltic. The irony is that if I were Poland, the castle would be converted to a town for the cash. The Danes value the castle for it's strategic and military potential for the next several years.

There may be an update in a day or two.

[Viking Prince Olaf]

At the moment peace reaigns throughout the realm since we are only 7 turns into the campaign. The action is fast! Decisions need to be made but patience is also a virtue.



Thorn is a key to the Baltic. The irony is that if I were Poland, the castle would be converted to a town for the cash. The Danes value the castle for it's strategic and military potential for the next several years.

There may be an update in a day or two.

I'm refering to the point that relations will go down as this is A very important place to them,.....think it's the only city linking them to the Baltic; take it and you cut them off. hehe

For this plan Knud will need dread......however, Knuds relations with the pope should be reasonable with him being one of the first kings to express their beleives as viking catholics. Gain favour.

[Viking Prince]

Update

It is now 1124 and King Knud’s Quest for a Danish Baltic Empire
continues:

The now older (aged 51 years) king had reluctantly taken the Council of Nobles’ advice. With some Norse Archers and Dismounted Huscarls, Princess Ingrid’s new husband Niels of Qaanaq set out from Hamburg to take Stettin. Several priests were recruited for the grand conversion efforts in Stettin and Thorn. Prince Charles did indeed make the dash across the Polish lands to besiege the castle at Thorn. It was indeed tense as several small formations of Poles looked on in interest as the Prince laid a careful siege.

With the success of Stettin, the Council of Nobles rewarded King Knud with four additional units of Dismounted Huscarls at Arhus. A recent adoption into the royal family, Karl Hvass left Arhus with the Dismounted Huscarls, some Spear Militia and two units of Norse Archers on a sea voyage to Stockholm and then plan to complete the Scandinavian campaign at Oslo.

The Holy Roman Empire is now in possession of Bohemia. The King regrets not having siege ballista at hand. With the ballista, the King could have intervened in Bohemia and assisted the Holy Roman Empire in quelling the rebellious citizens of Prague. This was a lost opportunity.

The Russians now possess Riga. The Poles are making a third attempt to take the castle at Vilnius. Spies are reporting Polish units in the woods around Thorn and Stettin. The King is concerned, but the expansion of the empire has now emptied the treasury. Upkeep of professional troops may not be cheap, but the infrastructure costs of an expanding empire are even a greater burden on the coffers.

There are now modest standing armies in Thorn’s castle, Breslau’s region, Oslo’s castle, and Stettin’s region. The basic armies are now composed of Norse Archers, Dismounted Huscarls, Spear Militia, and some Spear and Crossbow mercenaries. Additional castle garrisons at Hamburg and Magdeburg consist of two Norse Archer units at each castle. Only Stockholm, Stettin, Breslau, and Arhus have the luxury of free upkeep garrisons of local militia. Clearly, even modest standing armies may be too much of a burden (over 5500 florins in upkeep) at this time if all the troops exist for is a threat in being.

Diplomatic missions to the Pope have resulted in another alliance. The Danes are now allied with the French, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. Prince Charles has expressed concern that there may now be too many alliances. The realm’s reputation may decline if the Holy Roman Empire becomes involved in Italian conflicts or open warfare with France. The Sicilian leadership has already suffered excommunication in a war with the Holy Roman Empire. With Milan aligned with HRE and Venice aligned with Sicily, there are turbulent waters to navigate in Italy. Trade agreements also exist with the Poles and the Russians which can complicate any conflicts on the eastern edges of the empire.

The King is now looking for advice. The Council of Nobles is silent at this point in time. Should the King:

1) Rest on his legacy and allow the empire to grow with commercial ties? This would leave future expansion to the decision of the next King, Prince Charles. There could also be a substantial reduction in military units within the realm.

2) Should the expansion continue against established factions?

a) Poland is clearly a threat that will not diminish.

b) The Russians are weak, but expanding. They will soon have three ports on the Baltic Sea (Helsinki, Novgorod, and Riga).

c) The lands of England still show some rebellious regions that have not been pacified by William’s invasion of Saxon England. This would mean abandonment of the quest for a Baltic empire.

d) And there is always the Holy Roman Empire Bohemian possession which is now producing great wealth from the mines.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome

Until next time, regards.

Viking Prince

[Viking Prince Olaf]

I blame the border between Sicily and the Italian HRE colony.
The Papacy just expects them not to wage war when they don't protect
Romes mountain pass boundry behind the valley.

But anyway, The Viking attack is not to happen here, you already have an apedemic of the expanding Russians.....not to mention Poland WILL NOT stop until they retake Thorn. Once the King retakes Scandinavia
he should head for Helinski and Riga and corner the Russians at Novgorod and then you only have to worry about Poland and the future betrayel of HRE..... :hmmm:

[StalkAndStrike]

ALthough peave is the greatest of victory, theres no reason not to use a little brutality here and there: perhaps conquering the nearest polish settlement and sacking it to supply for new troops, would indeed be a proactive move in this tension with the poles. But seeing that a conflict with them would be quite costly, and long-lasting, perhaps assualting russia would be the best option, as they tend to be quite weak, btu hold good trade routs to hungary, and to the byzantines trhough ports. Forget about the english for now, even if you capture some cities, it would take years to secure the whole isle, instead, )also ignoring the HRE for now) consentrate on aggressive ways to secure a strong economy, for poland and russia wont wait forever.