Chapter 319: Dietgers Intentions (1/2)
While Berengar invaded Italy and the Swiss Confederation, the ongoing war in Germany had never ceased its activities. Duke Dietger was currently in a dilemma. Over the years, he had compensated for his losses in Austria by fielding peasant levies to make up for the numbers of troops slain during his botched occupation of his southern neighbor.
For over two years now, the Bavarian Duke had been at war with his northern Neighbors and relying on his levies and allied troops to keep the Luxembourgs at bay. To refrain from paying Berengar the reparations he owed the Austrian people, the Duke had sent an envoy saying he would not be able to meet his payments and instead would pay in one lump sum at the end agreed time frame.
Dietger had no intentions to pay Berengar, or the Austrian people such an unreasonable amount of money, reparations for actions taken during warfare? Just what kind of stipulation was that? It was simply being unreasonable.
Nevertheless, his General had agreed to the terms and entirely withdrew Bavarian troops from Austrian soil in the designated timeframe. By doing this, he had bought Bavaria five years of peace with their rapidly expanding southern neighbor.
At the moment the Bavarian Duke was sitting in his castle within Munich, surrounded by his ministers, one topic of contention seemed to invoke the ire of everyone present. One of his ministers was practically spitting as he shouted his views on the issue at hand.
”Berengar can not be allowed to achieve Independence. By claiming himself King of Austria, he declares himself independent of the rightful King of Germany, our liege Duke Dietger! Austria is a vassal of Germany first and foremost, and every Duke of the German realm should oppose this. Upon hearing this another man spoke up in an equally furious state.
”The Austrians have gotten too full of themselves, what gives them the right to declare themselves as an independent Kingdom?” I say we establish a temporary truce with the Luxembourgs and march on Austria, showing this upstart King his place in this world! The fact that a lowly Baron's son could rise to such a prestigious position is an insult to every prominent nobleman within the German Speaking regions!”
Having heard this asinine statement Duke Dietger slammed his fist on his armest in a fit of fury, as he did so he gathered the attention of all of his Councilors who were present in his Great Hall. Dietger gazed furiously at those around him as if he were looking at a bunch of idiots, after doing so he spoke abruptly and loudly as he chastised the minister for his stupidity.
”Nobody gives Berengar the right to declare himself King, he takes it by force! While we have weakened our armies with years of conflict over a meaningless title with no genuine authority, Berengar has centralized power over his State while expanding his military and economic might.
For Christ's sake! Our merchants have begun utilizing Austrian currency because it is so pure! In comparison, the money of our realm is given to the individual lords to mint and is debased to such a point that it would take tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of our pfennigs to account for one of their thalers!
If we were to win this war, and Austria was still subservient to our rule, what kind of joke would I be as the alleged ”King of Germany? Might is right! Berengar has the power to declare himself King; hell, the man is winning a war with the Empire to establish his ability to do so! Which one of you has the confidence to declare ourselves independent of the Emperor in Florence?
If any of you think we should align ourselves with the Luxembourgs and march on Austria, you should remove yourselves from this council and put forth your resignation; I do not need the counsel of such fools!”
This statement was undoubtedly a harsh one. However, it made a valid point, and that was the idea of marching on Austria being absurd; if one wanted to know how well that would turn out, they just needed to turn back the clock two years to their last attempt at such a thing.
The minister who had proposed such an idea a few minutes before had an ugly expression on his face, however, he remained silent as he stormed out of the room. After his departure, Dietger gazed upon his council with an equally vicious stare as he expressed his following thoughts.
”Does anyone else have any other bright ideas?”
For some time, there was an awkward silence in the room as the councilors struggled to come up with a suggestion on how to deal with the growing power of Austria as well as the stalemate that had been playing itself out on the frontlines of war with the Luxembourgs.
After a while, one of the men present began to speak up; he was the Marshal of the realm and knew how to resolve the situation with their enemies to the North.