Discounting Tyrol

[Ayzek]

For Holy Roman Emperor Frederick IV, King of Germany and Bohemia, and Duke of Pomerania and Tyrol, the War of Austrian Succession had been a mixed success. At the death of his cousin, Archduke Karl VI, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Iberia, he contested the inheritance of the Hapsburg lands by a woman, Maria Theresa. When Bohemia and Austria fell to his Imperial armies, the Archduchess fled to Iberia, where she managed to cement her rule. Unwilling to persecute such a distant war nor engage in a prolonged internal war, Frederick sued for peace, content with the thrones of Bohemia and Hungary and the western parts of Austria—leaving Austria proper to Maria Theresa's younger sister Maria Anna and the Duchies of Carinola and Styria and the lands of Gorizia and Gradisca and Istria to his youngest brother, Joseph.

Unexpectedly, the Hungarian noblemen resisted a German king and instead elected one of their own as King of Hungary and Croatia, while Lower Tyrol and the Duchy of Carinola rebelled against his and his brother's rule. Branding them all rebels, Frederick IV vowed to bring them back into the fold. While he lead his main army into Bohemia to cement his rule, a smaller force lead by Joseph marched south in 1562, intend to hanging the rebels in South Tyrol and Carinthia. Frederick planned to lead his forces into Hungary after securing Bohemia.

Brenner, South Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire
18 May 1762

Joseph lead the army, of course. With a squad of royal dragoons a step behind him, he'd crossed the boundary of the rebellious territory only minutes earlier. Though the Hapsburg governor of South Tyrol had declared that South Tyrol would resist the Emperor, the truth of the matter was far from absolute. The hussar scouts that advanced ahead of the army had awakened the town, which formed a curious band of onlookers, rather than an armed mob, as the German army arrived.

"Are you the Emperor?" one asked, in the Austrian German tongue. Joseph could make out enough to understand the question.

"I am an Imperial Prince, Joseph Stephen Anton," he replied in West German, pausing his horse and procession in the middle of the small settlement. "I trust you are loyal subjects of the His Imperial Majesty, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick the Fourth?"

"Long live the Emperor!" the crowd answered.

Joseph nodded solemnly. "Who leads the rebellion against His Imperial Majesty?"

"Botzen, sire," a man answered. "God knows what that mayor is thinking."

Again, the prince nodded. "I am elated by your loyalty to His Imperial Majesty. In recognition, we will to Botzen without issue. Your lives and property are safe."

The gravity of the situation sunk into the crowd, then. Were they really that close to being killed? Had the emperor thought they were rebellion? If Joseph had been more hawk-like, would he have razed their village without a second thought? "Long live the Emperor!" they repeated. "Long live Prince Joseph!"

Joseph signaled to his army and, with the sound of a bugle, it continued its march south. The city of Botzen was still over a day's march.

[Ayzek]

Runkelstein Castle, South Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire
21 May 1762

The sun was at its highest when Joseph's army reached the outskirts of the of Botzen. Runkelstein Castle was the last fortification standing between Joseph's army and the city, and also the worst for wear. When it was returned to the local bishops in 1759, it was more of a husk, damaged by fire and centuries of neglect. The few hundred defenders that took position within its ruins and the woodlands around it were easily outmaneuvered and overrun by the German cavalry before the artillery was even moved into position. Reinegg Castle to its north had proved more of a challenge; the Germans had needed to blow a hole in its walls before the few dozen defenders surrendered.

The skirmish barely lasted an hour, and ended in a complete rout of the defenders, many who were little more than peasants armed with pikes.

"Pawns of the Trentine bishops," Joseph muttered, overlooking the battle from one of the nearby hills. He discovered many things during the march south. The rebellion of South Tyrol had been sparked by the Catholic bishop of Trent in Milan, who sought to take advantage of the collapse of Hapsburg power in Austria to regain control of South Tyrol. It was a foolhardy move. Though Catholicism still had a significant hold in the region, it was idealistic to expect the population to rally in defiance of the Protestant Emperor. The wars of religion were long over, after all. All the bishop had done was risk the lives of the both Catholic Tyroleans and the Milanese.

Joseph doubted his brother would be satisfied with the head of the rebel leaders of South Tyrol when he heard of the bishop's games.

"We are to continue into the city," Joseph commanded, glancing at his aids. "The city is to be taken unspoiled and the rebel leaders captured alive."

[Ayzek]

Boltzen was trivial to capture. The Imperial troops outnumbered the entire population, never mind the few thousand that elected to defend the town. Marching south from Runkelstein following the Imperial Road, Joseph's troops spread out as they moved into the valley settlement. Makeshift barricades and defenses blocking the road were trivial to overwhelm, especially as the army expanded across the town's entire northern face and began to outflank the defenders. The Imperial army ultimately came to surround the town and penetrate from from every direction.

As the sky grew red, the defenders focused their defense at Maretsch Castle and the fields around it, surrendering the town to the Germans. Imperial troops were settling into patrols across Botzen even as the castle came under siege.

Joseph had watched and commanded the battle from the hill to the the town's northeast, though moved into the the town when he heard the defenders had hunkered down in Maretsch. With the city occupied, he felt it appropriate to offer the defenders an opportunity to surrender. It'd be a shame to destroy a historical castle, after all.

"We've received word that the mayor is holed up in the castle," said one of Joseph's aid. The prince and his officers had taken residence in a villa north of Maretsch Castle, and were studying its evening defenses. "Also with him is a man who is said to be an associate of the Bishop of Trent."

Joseph scowled. The bishop's interference was troubling. Was the Duke of Milan aware? Or was the bishop acting alone? He doubted anyone the Duke would be willing to challenge the Holy Roman Empire alone, so it couldn't be that the Duke was aware of the bishop's games. Or were the catholic powers of southern Europe attempting undermine the Emperor? He wouldn't put it beyond the Pope, though he doubted Maria Theresa had cemented her reign in Iberia enough to again challenge her cousins. And what would be the point of doing so in South Tyrol?

Rubbing his temples, Joseph put away his spyglass and shook his head. "Let us retire for the night. We will meet them tomorrow."

[Ayzek]

Maretsch Castle, South Tyrol, Holy Roman Empire
22 May 1762

"I take it you are the rebel ringleaders?" Joseph had left the Botzen delegation waiting for several minutes before finally joining his officers at the simple wooden table they'd propped up between their lines. When he did show up, it was wearing his light gray officer's marching uniform and green sash. Around his neck, hanging out of his collar, was the neck insignia of the Order of the Dragon: a gold dragon, its tail wrapped around its neck and its back split in two by a crimson cross.

The Botzen delegation was made up two men, an elder dressed in the dark red robes of an Austrian-Italian burgomaster, and a bald man wearing a simple brown clothes. Hardly anyone the imperial prince needed to impress. "Boltzen and South Tyrol did not swear fealty to the German Emperor to begin with," the simple-dressed man barked, "so we can hardly be branded rebels."

Joseph narrowed his eyes. A Knight of the Order of the Dragon was entitled to be addressed with His Excellency. "His Imperial Majesty is the rightful heir to the County of Tyrol. By refusing to submit, you are violating your pledge to the Count and consequently in rebellion. You should be grateful I am even extending parley, rather than simply reducing that laughable shed to rubble with you inside it." The Imperial prince paused a step from the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now, you may give me your unconditional surrender or retreat to face just that. Surrender now and I guarantee your lives and property. Waste my munitions and I'll be sure to seek compensation from your manors."

The elderly man seemed shocked for a moment, though quickly regained himself. Still, he hesitated for a few moments, under the empty gaze of his colleague. Ultimately, however, he nodded. "Botzen surrenders."

"Excellent," Joseph said. "Then, we will escort you to the castle and you will hand us the Trentean spy. We will meet for lunch, at which point you will enlighten me as to what this ridiculous fiasco is all about."

[Ayzek]

"So the Bishop of Trent was behind this."

Joseph sat at the edge of the dining room of the occupied villa, his closest officers filling the the rest of table. It was mid-afternoon now and both the burgomaster and the Trentean spy had been question and interrogated. There were some inconsistencies in their stories, though the overall tales were quite similar: the Bishop of Trent had sought to take advantage of the German-Hapsburg war to return to the County of Tyrol. The Burgomaster, a Catholic sympathizer—or perhaps even a crypto-Catholic, Joseph had decided not to reopen that cesspit—had needed few promises to decide to follow along.

Apparently, the Bishop of Trent had promised him Milan's, and even the Papacy's, support, though neither materialize before Joseph's force marched south from Austria. "Perhaps Milan really wasn't involved in this," said one of the officers.

"That seems most likely," Joseph replied, "though that doesn't change the underlying fact: the peace of the Holy Roman Empire has been violated by Milanese actors." There was a few moment's silence. "We will send the burgomaster and the spy separately to His Imperial Majesty." The Burgomaster would likely be charged with high treason, while the spy would be interrogated further by the Emperor's agents, who would decide how to react to Milan's machinations. "We must continue onto Carinola. We march in two days, leaving behind four regiments to secure the county and its borders. Wilhelm, you will remain to command this force."

"Understood, sir."

[Ayzek]

Duchy of Carinola, Holy Roman Empire
10 June 1762

The Duchy of Carinola was almost twice the size of South Tyrol. But a province in rebellion, whose self-appointed monarch, Duke Johann von Strmol, was unpopular to begin with, was far from stable. Though he'd a tight hold of Laibach and the lands around it, the Duke's influence didn't extend far beyond that. Rule of law had eroded, and travelers were telling tales of highwaymen and even of a peasants rebellion.

There were a lot of vile rumors surrounding von Strmol. Guests spoke of the disturbing number of children working in his castle and how there were often new faces, as more and more children disappeared from throughout Carinthia. It was rumored he took part in pagan rituals and other sorts of witchcraft—the old mayor of Laibach, taken in an accident, himself had once found von Strmol bathed in a pool of blood. Its why he had an accident.

The peasants of Carinola certainly believed the rumors, and though von Strmol was allied with the mayor of Laibach through a marriage with the man's daughter, the territory he controlled were beginning to boil. The Duke and mayors' men likely had their hands full attempting to stifle the brewing rebellion, never mind opposing Joseph's army.

As a consequence, Joseph's army reached Bled Castle facing little resistance. As he marched, his own standard flew alongside the Imperial banner. While the subjugation of South Tyrol had mainly been in the name of the Holy Roman Emperor as Count of Tyrol, it was Joseph's right as the true Duke of Carinthia and Carinola to suppress a rebellion in his lands. While the highwaymen largely dispersed in the face of the Imperial Army, the false duke's forces occupying the castle needed a little convincing in order to surrender the fortress.

The short siege and battle would be over by the 13th, allowing Joseph to continue the march towards Krainberg, where he was to rendezvous with a detachment of his army marching down an alternative route. A further four regiments of his private duke's army was marching towards Laibach from the east.

[Ayzek]

Strmol Castle, Carinola, Holy Roman Empire
20 June 1762

Stromol Castle was a short distance outside Krainberg. The march here had been rather uneventful, with von Strmol's men valuing their lives too much to challenge the approaching Imperial Army. The detachment that marched on the city from the northeast had arrived before Joseph's and had already scouted and taken position around the city and the rebel's castle. Joseph's army simple reinforced them.

"We met no serious opposition," the detachment's commander answered. "We did capture a few highwaymen, however. We seized their weapons and conscripted them, per your instructions."

Joseph nodded. They'd seized a farmhouse for their meeting and were now reviewing the situation. Von Strmol's was unable to challenge him, as they'd expected. Joseph had been concerned that the Hungarian rebels would intervene on the false Duke's behalf, but perhaps the rebels there had not yet centralized enough power. Though it was for the best, Joseph was a little pained they'd raised any unnecessarily large army. "Excellent," he replied. Normally, he'd have executed brigands without a second thought; but in this case, they were simply victims of circumstances and it'd better serve the incoming Duke of Carinthia and Carinola to pardon them. Of course, simply pardoning criminals would be too arbitrary, so they were conscripted for the subjugation of the false Duke.

It was good von Strmol's men were unequipped to oppose the Imperial Army or it'd have simply backfired.

"You may command the attack on Krainberg," Joseph continued, looking at the detachment's commander. "I will be at Strmol Castle taking the rebel's head."

"Understood."

[Ayzek]

Joseph did not hesitate to blow a hole in Strmol Castle's wall that very day. His army took position a couple dozen meters from the oversized-villa's walls, sheltered from the defender's fire by the trees and sandbag walls quickly throw put in place, while artillery pieces were dragged by horses onto the small hills to the castle's east and will. The defenders could do little but look on and took potshots as the castle wasn't designed for cannons and had no ideal placements. They'd hesitated to place some outside the walls, as the much larger Imperial Army could easily overrun any positions there and turn the cannons on the castle.

Though the castle was well positioned on a hill overlooking a lake, the forest to its north made it simple for the defenders to approach. The defender's morale dropped when they found themselves surrounded and plummeted when the first Imperial cannon fired. The shot missed the walls and instead sunk into the earth few feet away. The next shot didn't, however. The second cannon fired within a couple minutes and its ball smashed into the west wall with ease, creating a hole--though much too high for the infantrymen to cross.

The cannons to the east wall had much more success, however--quickly creating a hole near ground level. Though the defenders rushed to block it, they found themselves under fire from Imperial riflemen from the forest. The second volley from the west opened a large crevice in the wall.

A tune rang out from a bugle among the Imperial lines and, immediately, the assault began. Joseph's forelorn hope fixed their bayonets and vaulted their sandbags and jogged from tree to tree, steadily approaching the breaches on both sides of the castle. Under the cover of Imperial sharpshooters, the assault troops quickly reached the castle walls with few casualties. They lobbed a few grenades into the breaches and charged in after the explosions.

Reinforcements followed.

The castles grounds were seized within an hour, though casualties within the castle grounds were far from light. When the defenders tried to holed up in the residence, Imperial grenadiers blew aside the doors and lead the charge. With the castle's yard breached and the defender's attention there, Imperial infantry positioned in the forest advanced, breaching the three main doors with grenades and joining the fray.

As Imperial troops swarmed into the castle, von Strmol's men morale collapsed and they began surrendering left and right. A few of them even lead the Imperial troops to von Strmol's hideout. His capture marked the end of the battle, as word quickly spread and the last few diehard defenders surrendered.

Von Strmol and his family were escorted outside the walls and to Joseph, who had watched the assault from near the artillery. The false duke, a middle-aged Austrian man, was thrown before the prince while his wife and two daughters looked on.

Joseph did not rise from his seat, instead taking another drink of ale and looking down his nose at the rebel. One of his officers spoke up, "Johann von Strmol?"

"Aye," the man replied, rising to his feet--only to be shoved back down by the grenadiers at his side.

"You are a noble of the Holy Roman Empire, yes?"

"Aye." The man remained in place.

"Then, you understand that, as a subject of the Holy Roman Emperor, you have a duty to the Emperor?"

"Aye." Von Strmol spoke through clenched teeth.

"Are you aware that the Emperor recognized Joseph Willem Theodor Victor as the rightful successor to Archduke-King Charles VI of the lands of Carinthia and Carinola?"

Von Strmol was silent.

"Von Strmol?" the officer prodded. "Von Strmol."

After another few moments, the officer nodded to the guard, who kicked the nobleman in the stomach. The man's daughters yelped and hugged their mother tighter.

"Yes! Yes!" Von Strmol shouted, grasping at his stomach.

"And yet you saw it fit to declare those titles your own."

"Sirs?" a new voice called, from the cannons facing the castle. All eyes moved to a runner. "We have found numerous children at the castle. What should we do with them?"

All eyes returned to von Strmol. The man turned pale. "Have they said anything?" another officer questioned.

"Many things," the soldier answered. "Most importantly, they'd like to return home."

"See to their needs," Joseph ordered, "and bring a few here."

"Yes, Your Excellency." The soldier ran off. Joseph looked at his officer again and nodded towards the disgraced noble.

"Von Strmol," the officer said, "have you anything to say in your defense?"

"LONG LIVE QUEEN MARIA!" Von Strmol jumped to his feet and charged at Joseph. The guards were just as quick however, and the one at Joseph's blocked the noble's path and smacked his rifle's butt into von Strmol's face.

"Tie them up and keep them under guard," Joseph commanded. "We'll execute them with the Burgomaster at Laibach."

[Ayzek]

Laibach, Carinola, Holy Roman Empire
26 June 1762

Von Strmol and his co-conspirators were scheduled for execution two days after after the Imperial Army captured Laibach. By sunrise, Imperial grenadiers had taken position around the town square where a few of Joseph's officers stood on a wooden platform a short distance behind an executioner. A sword and an ax rested on a table between them. Kneeling on the ground beside the executioner, each with a bench and basket in front of them, were the traitors: Count Johann von Strmol, Burgomaster Alen Zupan, and a few other town officials. The reaction from the crowd was mixed.

While Von Strmol was unpopular due to the many rumors that surrounded him, the Burgomaster largely kept out of trouble. The Burgomaster and his staff did have the public's support before the rebellion, after all. But Zupan's alliance with Von Strmol, brought to the limelight by the rebellion, and the Burgomaster's role in the degradation of safety in Carinola, eroded their popularity.

Indeed, as word of it was passed around the crowd, the murmurs grew steadily heated.

One of the officers whispered to the executioner, before stepping beside the man and addressing the crowd. "Citizens of Laibach and the surrounding lands," the man began, in German, "we are gathered here for the execution of Johan von Strmol, Alen Zupan, and their fellow conspirators in recent rebellion against His Imperial Majesty.

"The rebels dared to raise arms against the armed forces of the Emperor and went so far as to reject His judgement. They have harmed the Emperor's loyal subjects and failed to properly secure their charged territories.

"Their lists of charges include..." the officer rolled out a parchment paper, "in the case of von Strmol: treason against the Emperor, taking arms against the Emperor, assaulting a nobleman, assaulting a member of the Imperial Family, conspiracy, kidnapping, pederasty, and sodomy. For these crimes he shall be stripped of his lands, titles, and other property and be executed."

The officer nodded to the executioner, who took the sword from the table and move to stand beside von Strmol. "Rest your head on the stool," the executioner commanded. Von Strmol obeyed with only a moment's hesitation. The Imperial Army had been kind enough to provide a headrest at a fair height.

The crowd flew into an uproar as the executioner raised his sword, cheering on the death of the disgraced noble. Von Strmol's reach did touch the city, after all.

"Long live Queen Mari"--in one swift movement, the execution brought the blade down on von Strmol's neck. With a crack, the traitors head fell into a basket.

The uproar exploded further and it took a few moments for the crowd to sooth enough for the officer to begin again. "The Burgomaster's crimes are: treason against the Emperor, taking arms against the Emperor, conspiracy, and corruption."

With another nod to the officer, the executioner moved onto Zupan's side and again raised his sword.