Situational Report IX
Dated 20st December 1079
Recorder: Fredrick Daniels
For the eyes of his Imperial Majesty, Emperor William the Conqueror, Ruler of the Home Kingdoms of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, King of France and of Italy, Lord of the Netherlands, the Duke of Sicily, Flanders, Madrid and Prague. Defender of the Faith, and the Emperor of the British.
And also his son, the Crown Prince Robert the Grand Crusader of England, Duke of Normandy and of Arkham.
And his other, Prince Henry of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh, Dublin and New Carthage. The Lord of Africa and of the Greek Isles.
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Economy:
The economy is in shambles and our books are not balanced at all. Continental trade collapsed with the commencement of war and the Mediterranean routes fared little better. We need to make the roads and seas safe again or our tax money will dry up too.
However, we have many more larger cities in the Empire now, meaning more tax revenue and trade opportunities for merchants and for nobles. Germania requires intense demilitarisation that shall both cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and make millions more from both the cities we'll create and rebuild. This means of course that the next few years will be hard and lean for us as a whole but in many areas the wealth will flow more than ever.
The Home Kingdoms and the Oslo trade route is performing admirably as always. Recent turmoil in Scandinavia, especially on the Norwegian coast, means that a greater naval presence may be required soon in the Baltic Sea.
France and Italy continue to be our greatest tax income earners but the decline in population across the Empire has decreased it drastically. The harvest this year was, thankfully, bountiful but with fewer hands to gather it supplies will take longer to get around and there will be a potential grain shortage in outlying regions.
There is one other area I should report on… There seems to be several incredibly lucrative trade routes available in Africa, both to Europe and to other parts of a much larger Asia than the former Roman Asia Minor. I must impress onto you all the importance of getting into these systems, especially as the Mongol threat will mean we shall need new source of income.
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Military:
In a word: strained. The Legion system has been dealt a harsh blow as every single legion has been placed far away from normal regions and all bar the African and Third are understrength, with the Second and First most badly hurt by the German campaign. However, we do have the capability and experience with rebuilding and restoring armies quickly, it shall just take time and resources.
The more worrying matter is the irregular armies. They were wildly successful in defending Italy and pushing back the HRE, with most of our generals coming from such humble beginnings. However, this means that there are now several armies of fiercely loyal troops under the command of lesser nobles and commoners moving around freely in the former HRE and residing in most of her key cities in the west. Our commanders are loyal but not to a fault, it is why they were so effective in the war; now however they seem to be banding together to discuss matters and all of our generals bar Arthur Knight have associated with them. I hope this comes to nothing, but in the meanwhile I have agents watching this movement and beseech my majesties' to do something to either break apart or secure the loyalty of this group of powerful men in the middle of our Empire.
The Navy is in dire need of attention. It is now the only realistic way to speedily travel around the Empire, at least until the Imperial Highway in its full form is connected from Calais to the furthest tips of our greatness. Even if that fixes the problem (I have doubts that it will) we still must strive to be the foremost power in the water, especially now the Romans have lost that title and the Mongol and Turk have taken their place. If the eastern Mediterranean is to remain open for trade, we must project our power onto the waves as the Scipii once did. Their true power was that, though they fought empires equal to themselves, they could attack from anywhere due to their naval supremacy. We must be as they were.
The Legions and the Navy must be rebuilt for obvious reasons but we must also look to our new frontiers. Whilst our North African allies the Egyptians have been of great help in our fight with the Moors and they continue to offer us friendship, in Europe the situation is perhaps even direr than it was previously. We must now defend a massive land border without much natural defence bar forest against the largest faction to exist since the glory days of Rome, and even then the Mongols have surpassed them. Demilitarising the HRE is a sound idea yet the former Polish lands we now hold must be fortified. Arkham cannot hold back the Mongols, it is too far away from the border now. Several new Legions and fleets shall be required to keep the balance of power, and even then, I fear war is all but inevitable again. The only question is when?
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Population:
The British stand once again at ten million strong. We have begun to recover from plague, war, famine and drought. Our Empire stretches from the Atlantic to the frozen Russia wastes, and thus soon our lands will be brimming with loyal and happy citizens whom we must serve and protect as much as they enrich and empower us.
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Reputation:
Unfortunately, the Emperor's absence from European politics and the disagreeable instances in Iberia have allowed a large faction of dissenters to break out amongst fellow Christian nations. We have no allies bar the eternal Scandinavian bond, the Papal concord and the surprisingly robust Egyptian alliance. Our reputation in the Balkans is in the mud and the Vatican seems to be turning against us. The Remnant peoples of Spain and Sicily are no surprise but the colder relations we are enjoying with the Romans in Cyprus are something of a surprise, though it stands to reason that they are angered by our lack of aid towards them in their dark hour, considering how many times we have fought together against other foes. Perhaps this can be mended yet?
The Hungarians though need to be dealt with. They were and remain the power in the Christian Balkans, and now are doubled in importance following the collapse of Roman rule across the sea. To counterman the Muslims Mongols and Turks, we must strengthen and ally with these fine people, whom fought with us in Italy against the heathens. Fortunately, we might have a way to placate King Drake whilst also lending them strength. Vienna, once stolen from the Hungarians along with the north western corner of their kingdom (a sizeable chunk I might add) now rest with us after the HRE collapsed. If we gift it, we lose only the threat of war in the Balkans and a slight decrease in the defensibility of Italy.
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Summary:
The British Empire is Christendom embodied, though there are other Christian kingdoms out there. We must stand strong now against invaders to our lands, but must also not seek further expansion at this time. This is a time for healing and for peace whilst we strengthen ourselves and our good Christian brothers to prevent another great war in the north and too much Christian blood being lost.
The Papacy must be dealt with.
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The balance of power:
Here enclose is an expansive breakdown of what once was before the war and what is now hereafter. But in summary,
The ranking of power January 1078
The Holy Roman Empire, including all of her vassals and protectorates.
The (Eastern) Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire alone
The Moor Sultanate
The British Empire
The Venetian Trade Network (technically, having hold of both the major Greek islands, a large piece of North Africa centred around Tripoli and some crusading cities in the East)
The ranking of power December 1079
The Mongolian Empire (of Europe and of Asia)
The British Empire
The Turkish Sultanate
The Kingdom of Egypt (a borderline empire in that it holds much of what it traditionally once did in the time of Gaius Scipio)
The (Eastern) Roman Empire
The Kingdom of Scandinavia
The Kingdom of Hungary (providing Vienna is restored to them)
As you can see, the situation has changed dramatically. Every great empire that was in ascendance before the war bar ourselves not only collapsed but has been destroyed. The Romans are but a shadow of their past glories and the new empires that now struggle for dominance are perhaps even more powerful than the ones they have replaced. Whilst it appeared for a time that the HRE would survive the war, it was not to be and, though the Moors benefited from the war's outset, when we began militarising and especially when Emperor William entered Iberia, they rapidly deteriorated as a power. As it stands, we are second in the league of power now for we have drastically overextended ourselves beyond capability to control. The minor German barons and kingdoms will not submit easily in the west, whilst those out east are empty of men and civilization. Likewise in northern and western Iberia the peninsula lies barren, whilst the south east especially is filled with Muslim cities and nobles, all of whom must fall into line lest we fight another war there.
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The situation in Africa:
Prince Henry has complete command over the North African coastline outside of Egypt, a feat most spectacular both economically and militarily. As we now surround both sides of the Western Mediterranean and hold the only Atlantic ports in the world, our sea trade is booming and the era of Moorish raiders and pirates is coming to a close. Now if our navy were to expand to take advantage of this newfound control, we would be capable of command the entire Mediterranean, from its great maw with the ocean to the Constantinople straits.
North Africa itself requires development but not nearly so much as Europe. The Muslims are, despite their inherent faults, highly sophisticated people with advanced understandings of construction and planning that place them on our level of city building. Indeed, many of the Empire's greatest cities now reside within the Muslim dominated half of our Empire and we would be wise to both tolerate their presence, as my Prince has done to great success, and to beseech them to aid us to create greater wonders still for the benefit of all. Still, we must place Christendom first and thus a great many churches need to be built and populated. This will take time and the Muslims have deeply entrenched themselves not just in their own lands but beyond the southern reaches of the desert to the independent African kingdoms. Though it might seem distasteful to some, trade and communication with these kingdoms will be more effective and lucrative than war, at least for now.
The Moors however, continue to own the desert. Timbuktu is still a mystery to my network and it is possible, though unlikely, they might even control up to the desert coastline, in which case we must find and destroy it at all costs.
Africa is a great opportunity to spread our influence to parts unknown and also to the oldest civilization, that of the Egyptians. Our alliance with them was unexpected but has proven to be both bountiful and pleasing to us and to them. As stated above, they have expanded to cover the Holy Land and are starting to become something of the power they once were in Scipii times, though hopefully now with greater ties to the nobler power. This alliance must be preserved and set in stone for as much as is possible, as we do not wish or desire the entire east to unite under a common Muslim brotherhood, especially under the Mongols or indeed the Turks, who remain the second great threat to Christendom simply because they have successfully waged war on its former great empire.
In summary, Africa is a bountiful land filled with milk and honey. We must strive to find ourselves worthy of its wealth and beauty.
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In Asia:
Things are not going at all well for Christendom. The Byzantines cling to power in Greece after the fall of Constantinople but Asia Minor is lost to our kind. So great is this loss…I struggle to find words.
The sea was taken from Christ's hands and placed into the infidel's, for one. Only recently with the banishment of Moor and the understanding with Egypt has there been any progress in that area, yet the Black Sea remains lost and the entire Eastern Mediterranean treacherous for God's vessels.
Our allies control the Holy Land and we must count that amongst few blessings. At least the pilgrimage passages remain open, though sadly not through land routes through Asia Minor… Turkey and the Mongols however could represent a truly astounding threat to Europe and the Empire. The Mongols alone could easily surpass us and take Poland and the HRE lands without even vassals. Their numbers are limitless and their empire spans continents, so the legends say. Our only prayer of hope is that the Great Khan contuse to look eastwards rather than to the west, and that the Turks do not enter a full on military alliance with them. Should that occur, nowhere would be safe.
Our priority here should be to reclaim the Roman Empire and restore it. We cannot fight the Mongols but we can, with some risk, fight the Turks, especially if we had help. Unfortunately, our ally in Egypt would probably not wish this to occur, whilst the Mongols might turn and fight us should we begin interfering in their sphere of influence. Perhaps then the Balkans must be fortified. Hungary, with the return of Vienna, would be on its way back to being a powerful kingdom. The Romans could still reclaim Macedon and Constantinople from the Remnant factions and from the cut off and forgotten Mongol lord.
There is little else we can do indirectly and so it falls to us and our oldest friends and brothers to marshal against the Mongols ourselves.
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In Europe:
We are strong here and unquestionable the face and power of Christ. Our Scandinavian friends are hardy and secure in their borders at last from the HRE and stand with us at Castle Thorn on the Mongol border, as well as their Finnish regions taken from the Russian years ago.
We have referred countless times to the Hungarians and the Balkans in general but it bears repeating their importance. If the Turks break through here, the war is lost and Italy itself will be threatened.
The Baltic and northern seas shall be the place where the first fights and impressions of power will be. Naval warfare shall be incredibly important this time around, for the empires involved are both huge and rely heavily on trade, we included. Our navy and the Scandinavian fleet must therefore be up to scratch and it may prove prudent to send a few designs to the King to allow a mutual defence flee to exist.
As for the Papacy…with our man in power it should not be a problem anymore but I must express the absolute imperative that it is that the Papal State does not interfere in the British affair in Asia or closer to home. This is even more important now as peace must be maintained for as long as possible. If we enter a war too early, millions of people will die and every Christian kingdom other than ours and Scandinavia will probably collapse and fall to the Muslims.
In summary, Europe is ours to lose, and therefore must be treated with great caution. It is here our Empire truly lives and dies after all, no matter what the greater religious significance of the Holy Lands hold.
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Conclusions:
Things are…uncertain. We can survive many years of peace before war but not short months. All I can say with any deal of confidence is that a greater war is coming and it shall come hard to all of us. All I can say is that this time, we cannot fight this threat alone but also cannot allow anyone to interfere. This means that, as disrespectful and potentially blasphemous as it sounds, for the good of Christendom and free men everywhere, the Papacy must be brought to heel. Quickly.
Recorder TBC's Notes:
Students of history will note that William's titles of King of Iberia and King of Germania (the area of land eventually reformed into Germany and several other nations) are absent from Daniels' list. This is because William was crowned King of those areas on Christmas Day 1079, at his own request, within St Paul's in London. The lack of Papal presence indicates that although the Emperor did not yet know of all the difficulties Robert had with the Papacy over the previous campaigns, he was certainly aware of a cooling of relations and, interestingly, was doing nothing to mend that rift.
The other notable title absent, that of the 'Monarch of the Sea', was not actually officially given to British Emperors in William's lifetime. He did however hold the personal title in the last years of his life, following the Imperial Navy's rise to dominance.
The population at this time was actually closer to eight million in Europe and several thousands in Africa due to afore mentioned reasons. The population of North Africa would not recover from its great plague and season of warfare until industrial times.