Timeline
The Most Serene Republic of Holland
815 AD - Prince Mayor Lothar Bernhard-Karling of Holland dies of terminal stage Leprosy. His son, Aegidius Bernhard-Karling inherits the titles of the Bernhard-Karling family.
818 AD - 836 AD - The Bernhard-Karling Family aids Prince Mayor Werinbert de Amsterdam and Holland in defending the Most Serene Republic of Holland. During this nearly two decade period, Holland expands very little while also fighting against attacks from their neighbors.
836 AD - Prince Mayor Werinbert de Amsterdam passes, and Aegidius Bernhard-Karling is elected Prince Mayor of the Most Serene Republic of Holland. His first act sees him begin a Holy War for Holstein. Crushing the forces of the Grand Chiefdom of Saxony, Prince Mayor Aegidius adds the provinces of Holstein, Bremen, Hamburg, and Lubeck to the territory of the Most Serene Republic of Holland.
837 AD - Prince Mayor Aegidius claims the lands of Rugen and Mecklenburg.
September 837 AD - August 839 AD - Prince Mayor Aegidius declares war against the Kingdom of West Francia for Flanders. In the end, the Duchy of Flanders was released from the Kingdom of West Francia.
November 839 AD - December 840 AD - In a bid to secure the Kingdom of Friesland, Prince Mayor Aegidius declares war upon the Kingdom of Sweden. Claiming the land of Ostfriesland, the Most Serene Republic of Holland turns its eyes to finish the Chiefdom of Saxony and secure the Kingdom of Saxony.
December 840 AD - January 841 AD - The greatly weakened Grand Chiefdom of Saxony falls to the might of the Most Serene Republic of Holland. Prince Mayor Aegidius now begins to consolidate their gains and rebuild their forces while preparing for new campaigns against the Kingdom of East Francia and further conquests of Denmark and Sweden.
Timeline
The Most Serene Republic of Holland
January 842 AD - April 842 AD - Prince Mayor Aegidius "The Wise" Bernhard-Karling turns his eyes to the North and East, seeking to expand the borders of Holland before his time comes. During the short lived Holy War of Brandenburg, the Most Serene Republic of Holland secures the province of Anhalt.
July 845 AD - March 847 AD - During the last three years, Prince Mayor Aegidius has carefully amassed a small fortune while also ensuring that his forces have had time to resupply and reinforce. Now his eyes turn to a small province in the south. The Most Serene Republic of Holland holds a claim on the lands of Plauen, and must secure them to ensure that all the lands of the Kingdom of Saxony remain within Hollander hands.
The next two years see the armies of Holland march south and crash against the armies of the Kingdom of East Francian. In what will be known as the Holland-East Francian De Jure War over Plauen, the Most Serene Republic of Holland secures a victory and claims Plauen. Unfortunately during the final battle of the war, Hucbert Bernhard-Karling, the chosen heir of Prince Mayor Aegidius died in battle. He bravely lead his soldiers against the army of King Sigobert of East Francia, there shall not be another like Hucbert among the children of Prince Mayor Aegidius.
June 847 AD - December 847 AD - Once more setting his eyes to the east, Prince Mayor Aegidius completed what he began with the Second Holy War of Brandenburg. The might of the Hollander Armies swiftly swept aside the forces of the Chiefdom of Brandenburg, securing the territory for Holland. However this shall surely bring about tensions with their neighbors the High Chiefdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Kingdom of Bohemia.
For now the Most Serene Republic of Holland does not seek to further press East, though conflict may arise in the future over these lands.
October 847 - A minor Peasant Uprising occurred in the Province of Altmark. It was swiftly crushed and its ringleaders imprisoned. Being benevolent, Prince Mayor Aegidius has decided to allow them to live in prison, rather than outright executing the ringleaders.
January 848 AD - November 848 AD - Thus the eyes of Holland turned north, and so began to nearly year long campaign, the Holy War for Jylland against the Kingdom of Sweden began. The Forces of Holland mustered together an impressive 9,000 man force and quickly swept aside any resistance in the provinces. However as the war continued, attrition began to set in, greatly diminishing the armies of Holland.
With their prizes secured, and a final definitive battle occurring in Slesvig, the Most Serene Republic of Holland emerged from the Holy War victorious. However one last campaign would mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.
November 848 AD - March 849 AD - To ensure their superiority in the region, the Most Serene Republic of Holland immediately declared upon the Kingdom of Denmark. Though the armies of Holland had been decimated through attrition, the armies of Denmark had just recently be destroyed during the previous Holy War for Jylland.
Facing no overt opposition, the armies of Holland swiftly secured the regions of Fyn and Sjaelland, bringing the Kingdom of Denmark into their fold. Thus it has also provided Holland with a secured foothold for further campaigns into the North.
Now with his campaigns completed, Prince Mayor Aegidius has sent the armies of Holland home, only maintaining a small Personal Retinue of 2,350 men with another 5,000 levy waiting to be called up. Peace now reigns, and Prince Mayor Aegidius looks to ensuring that his coffers recover and his men have time to rest before embarking on any further campaigns.
During this 7 year period, the Most Serene Republic of Holland has secured the Provinces of Anhalt, Plauen, Brandenburg, Slesvig, Jylland, Fyn, and Sjaelland.
It has also seen the establishment of the Republic of Friesland and the Republic of Saxony by the grace of Prince Mayor Aegidius. Now his focus is on the raising and teaching of a new heir to take his place and ensure that the titles of the Most Serene Republic of Holland remain in the capable hands of the Bernhard-Karling family, else the nation be brought to ruin by those less capable Patrician families of Holland.
Timeline
The Most Serene Republic of Holland
February 851 AD - July 851 AD - A brief skirmish to secure a province that rightfully belonged within the borders of Holland occurred. The Hollander forces faced the last remnants of the Chiefdom of Saxony as the Second Holy War for Mecklenburg was declared. By the end the Saxony Army was decimated and King Wichimann II of Saxony surrendered to Prince Mayor Aegidius. This completed the conquest of the Kingdom of Saxony, and the province of Dymin, renamed Werle was brought into the fold.
July 851 AD - October 861 AD - History will remember this as a Decade of Peace. Under the guidance of Prince Mayor Aegidius "The Wise" Bernhard-Karling, the Most Serene Republic of Holland recovered from the previous years of war. Their forces replenished and their coffers grew.
This was also a time of great trouble. Prince Mayor Aegidius spent this decade carefully shaping and molding his son Teotbert Bernhard-Karling to be his chosen successor. Already at the age of Fifty, Prince Mayor Aegidius was plagued by the stress of potentially losing the titles of the Most Serene Republic of Holland to a lesser Patrician family before his son came of age.
October 861 AD - January 864 AD - With the line of succession secured by the coming of age of Teotbert Bernhard-Karling, Prince Mayor Aegidius turned his attention back to the North and the Kingdom of Sweden. It was time to complete what had begun with the initial wars to secure Denmark.
Gathering a force of his personal Retinue, Levis, and Mercenary Forces, Prince Mayor Aegidius bravely lead a combined force of 12,000 men into Sweden. The Hollander Holy War for Skane had begun. Over the next few years, the Hollander forces, braving the weather and attrition of operating in an enemy's territory, rapidly secured multiple provinces without a decisive victory.
Minor skirmishes reduced the forces of Sweden, however a last moment call for aid saw Sweden's forces replenished by multiple Barbarian and Pagan tribes. With his forces now less than 8,000 men, Prince Mayor Aegidius settled upon a daring strategy. Rather than facing the enemy for a single decisive battle, he rapidly assaulted and seized multiple provinces, ultimately forcing the King of Sweden to relent and agree to Peace.
Prince Mayor Aegidius marched into the North with 12,000 men, and only returned with 500. Their sacrifice was not in vain however as the Kingdom of Denmark and the Duchy of Skane were secured from the Kingdom of Sweden.
In their honor, Prince Mayor Aegidius declared the formation of the Principality of Holland and was crowned the Grand Prince of Holland.
Ultimately his campaign secured the provinces of Bornholm, Blekinge, Scania, and Halland. Not only were those provinces secured, the Baltic Sea was now opened to Holland. The newly formed Principality now controls all trade coming in and going out of the Baltic States as sea routes must pass through Holland-Denmark before pushing further.
Now as the new year begins, The Grand Prince once more looks inward, rather than outward. His focus is to begin rebuilding, and while he will not see the fruits of those labors, it shall be his heir and son Teotbert Bernhard-Karling that shall complete his father's works once Grand Prince Aegidius The Wise passes.
