French Megacampaign, pt. I - Glory of the Capets (1066 - 1453)

[Masked Pickle]

Welcome at the first installment of my French megcampaign, beginning with Crusader Kings : Deus Vult, and called Glory of the Capets. Some have already seen me on this board as a contributer to the Kaiserreich Wikipedia, also known as the Kaiserpedia. It's not my first try as an AAR, and I can't promise to have enough time to do it, but hopefully I will continue this AAR to the end.

Hope you'll be here for reading. Please comment!

List of Kings:

Capetian dynasty

Direct Capetians:
Hugues Capet 987 - 996
Robert II le Pieux 996 - 1031
Henri I 1031 - 1060
Philippe I le Veneur 1060 - 1084
Charles IV le Chaste 1084 - 1087
Yves I le Pélerin 1087 - 1097
Richard I 1097 - ...

Special updates:

World situation - 1100

[Masked Pickle]

Hugues I Capet
987 - 996

Duke of the Franks 960-987, King of the Franks 987-996
Lived c. 940 - 996
Son of Hugues le Grand (the Great), Duke of the Franks and Hewdige of Saxony

Married :
- Adelaïde of Aquitaine, daughter of Guillaume III, Duke of Aquitaine

Brother of :
1) Béatrice, Countess of Bar and Duchess of Upper Lorraine
2) Emma, Duchess of Normandy
3) Otton, Duke of Burgundy
4) Henri I, Duke of Burgundy (suceeded his brother)

Father of :
1) Gisèle, Countess of Ponthieu
2) Edwige, Countess of Mons
3) Robert II, who follows
4) Adelaïde

***

The kingdom of West Francia (Francia Occidentalis) had come to an existence in the split of the Carolingian Empire between the three sons of Louis the Pious, at Verdun on 843. Known as the kingdom of Francia, power had progressively felt in the hands of the powerful Robertians, a powerful family from Neustria (northern France). The so-called king of the Franks was controlled by the powerful lineages of the kingdom, who made the function elective. Two Robertians, Eudes I and Robert I, respectively the granduncle and grandfather of Hugues Capet, had already been Kings of the Franks.

The father of Hugues, Hugues the Great, was already acknowledged as the most powerful landlord in West Francia, receiving from the hands of Louis IV, whom he had installed on the Frankish throne, the title of Duke of the Franks. Although relunctact of assuming for himself the throne, not willing to be considered as an usurper, Hugues made everything to reduce the power of his rivals and to assure the throne for his descendants. When Hugues the Great dies in 956, Hugues is supposed to inherit from a powerful principalty, and becomes more legitimate as a pretender to the throne, with the Carolingian blood coming from his grandmother. Unfortunately, the Christian world is under the domination of Otto I, the new Roman Empereor, who claims trusteeship on West Francia. At the death of his father, Hugues Capet is only 15: Otto being the maternal uncle of the latter and of the new King of the Franks Lothaire, he puts them both under the trusteeship of his father Bruno, archbishop of Cologne.

When he finally received the title of Duke of the Franks in 960, Hugues loses the power his father wanted to give him: his vassals, in spite of having been faithful to his father, take advantage of his lack of experience to take their independance. On August 978, Hugues decides to take advantage of the death of Otto I to launch an attack on Lorraine, the cradle of the Carolingians, an assault that his father dreamed of. A raid on Aachen initially succeeded, but Otto II counter-attacked and reached the gates of Paris. Forced to back down due to the coming winter, Otto sees his army torn into pieces at Soissons, both by Hugues' armies and the Seine in spate. This narrow victory allows Hugues to recover his place of first lord of West Francia. Later, he reconciliates with the German Emperors, Otto II and his successor Otto III, and with Adalberon, the archbishop of Reims: first seeing the Duke of the Franks as a potential non-Carolingian puppet to dominate West Francia, and later to put an end to Lothaire's claims on Lorraine; impeaching him to reconciliate with Otto II on 980 by travelling to Rome, Hugues refuses to take part to an expedition to Lorraine in 985, which ends by Lothaire's death in 986. The new king Louis V, who announces that he would take the advices from the Duke of the Franks, dies without a heir after falling from his horse.

Charles of Lorraine, brother of Louis IV and Lothaire, is the last Carolingian pretender: Adalberon of Reims, who had been tried for treason by the last kings, persuades the high lords, gathered at Senlis, to consider him as unsuitable for the crown, having tried to usurp it. They later elect Hugues Capet as the new king of the Franks, crowned at Noyon and Reims. Adalberon, wanting to follow the Ottonians' wishes of a West Frankish non-dynastical succession, first opposes, and later accepts the pushes of Hugues to have his son Robert associated to the throne, securing the succession for his family.

Hugues Capet' short reign sees the scattering of the kingdom of France (the Capets coming from Ile-de-France, Paris' region, and the term of West Francia not being used anymore) between the great lords, the king only holding nominal power. Capturing Charles of Lorraine, settling a nascent conflict with the Pope and struggling with revolts from his vassals, Hugues Capet only holds a demesne narrowly stretching from Paris to Orléans. A significant anecdote illustrates the lack of power from the Frankish king: during an argument with the Count of Auvergne, Hugues was said to have demanded: "Who made you count?" And the latter replied: "Who made you king?"

Hugues Capet, the first King from the Capetian dynasty, died on 996 on a locality called Les Juifs, near Chartres, after nine years on the throne. He is succeeded by his son Robert II.

[thrashing mad]

Looks interesting. Good luck!

[Iain Wilson]

Mega-campaigns are always interesting. Looking forward to more!

[Auray]

Interesting to see how far the glory of the Capets will go. Good luck!

[Enewald]

I hope this mega-campaign shall proceed successfully until the end.

[Masked Pickle]

Sorry, I've been quite busy due to my homework.

***

Robert II le Pieux (the Pious)
996-1031

King of the Franks 996-1031 (associated to the throne from 987 to 996)
Lived 972-1031
Son of Hugues Capet, King of the Franks and Adelaïde of Aquitaine

Married:
1) Rozala of Italy, daughter of Berengar II, King of Italy
2) Berthe of Burgundy, daughter of Conrad III le Pacifique (the Peaceful), King of Burgundy
3) Constance of Arles, daughter of Guillaume I, Count of Provence

Brother of :
1) Gisèle, Countess of Ponthieu
2) Edwige, Countess of Mons

Father of :
1) Alix, Countess of Auxerre
2) Hugues, associated to the throne 1017 - 1025
3) Henri I, who follows
4) Adèle, Countess of Corbie,
5) Robert, Duke of Burgundy
6) Eudes

Crowned in the same time that his father, Robert was associated to the throne from the very beginning of Hugues Capet's reign, consolidating the Capetian succession. In order to further legitimate the new dynasty, Hugues seeks a bride for his son from Byzantine Emperor Basil II: Robert finally marries Rozala of Italy, recently widowed from Arnoul II of Flanders and daughter of Berengar II, usurper king of Italy. His reputation as a pious and Christian gentleman helps to implement good relations with the Church, strengthening Hugues against Charles of Lorraine's claims.

Rozala, being 35 and having given no children to the heir, is repudiated after three or four years of wedding (991-992): Robert keeps Rozala's dowry, Montreuil harbour on the Channel. The now single king formally succeeds his father on 996, at 24, in the middle of a campaign against Eudes II, Count of Blois, former ally of Charles of Lorraine and at war with Foulque III of Anjou, Robert's ally. During the campaign, on the end of which Eudes is finally defeated, he meets Berthe of Burgundy, the latter's wife. The two are in love, but Hugues was opposed to an union with a powerful family strongly opposed to the Capetians. As both Eudes and Hugues die during the year 996, the new King can marry with his lady and overtake Blois' demesne. Unfortunately, both are third cousins and Robert was godfather to one of Berthe' sons: their wedding is illegitimate according to the Church's rules. In spite of Robert's negotiations, two Councils in 997 and 998 condemn them to do a seven-year-penance, and to be excommuniated if there's no separation. At the end of five years of romance, the couple gave only a stillbirth child, and Robert II goes to Rome to submit to the Pope. The King leaves his wife on 1003, not condemned due to the now reigning pope, Sylvester II, who was Gerbert d'Aurillac, one of his closest allies.

Robert II finally marries in 1003 with Constance of Arles, 17-years-old, coming from the prestigious House of Provence: Constance proves to be a miserly and arrogant queen, whose Provençal lifestyle is totally opposed to the Frankish one: Robert unsuccessfully tries to cancel the union, and has to carry with Constance and Angevins' plots at the Court. However, Constance gives him six children.

The main achievement of Robert's reign was the overtaking of the duchy of Burgundy. Henri, Duke of Burgundy, had died in 1002 without any legitimate heir: the son of Hugues the Great, he had given his duchy to his stepson Otte-Guillaume. A rivalry between Otte-Guillaume' stepson and the bishop of Auxerres prompts Robert's intervention in 1003, but he fails in front of Auxerre; a second expedition, in 1005, leads to a deal with Otte-Guillaume, who gives all Burgundy to the Crown. A revolt from the count of Sens is repressed in 1015: renouncing to take Dijon, in the hands of the deeply opposed bishop of Langres, the King would take take the city after the latter's death in 1016.

Constance forces him to associate his eldest son Hugues to the throne on 1017, but the latter prematurely dies on 1025. The place of heir comes to Henri, who had previously been designated as Duke of Burgundy; the title goes to Robert, the youngest son: Constance, who had campaigned in favor of Robert, refused to attend Henri's coronation in 1027. The end of Robert's reign was marked by many stakes of millenarist heretics, political turmoil in the duchies of Normandy and Flanders and some revolts from his sons Henri and Robert, certainly eager to establish their own rule and trigerred by Constance. Robert II the Pious would finally die during the summer 1031, victim of a terrible fever, at Melun. After thirty-five years on the throne, he is successed by his second son Henri I.

[Enewald]

quite a lot of kids from a miserable marriage.

[Iain Wilson]

Originally Posted by Enewald

quite a lot of kids from a miserable marriage.

That's one of the few perks of marital misery

[RGB]

I like the .pt I

And I like French histories.

Excellent stuff

[Masked Pickle]

Henri I
1031-1060

King of the Franks 1031-1060 (associated to the throne since 1027)
Lived 1009 - 1060
Son of Robert II, King of the Franks and Constance of Arles

Married:
1) Mathilde of Frisia, daughter of Luidolf, Margrave of Frisia
2) Anne of Kiev, daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev

Brother of:
1) Alix, Countess of Auxerre
2) Hugues, associated to the throne 1017 - 1025
3) Adèle, Countess of Corbie,
4) Robert, Duke of Burgundy
5) Eudes

Father of:
1) Philippe I, who follows
2) Hugues I, King of Jérusalem

Henri, who was then Duke of Burgundy, was associated to the throne following the death of his elder brother Hugues: he held very little power due to the opposition of his mother's and her partisans, who favored the younger brother, Robert. Upon succeeding to his father under the name of Henri I in 1031, he gave up to Robert the Duchy of Burgundy, in order to curb his unruly brother. The Capets' youngest child, Eudes, was supported in his claims by Eudes II of Blois, Robert II's fierce rival: Eudes was eventually defeated.

Henri's long reign was plagued by a sucession of revolts and uprisings, reducing the royal demesne: due to his unruly brother Robert, the Capets finally lost Burgundy, while the Duke of Normandy, Guillaume the Bastard (future King of England) whom he had supported against his vassals upon his succession, defeating them at Val-ès-Dunes in 1047, finally rebels against him: Guillaume would defeat him two times, at Mortemer in 1054 and Varaville in 1058.

Besides Robert the Magnificent, Guillaume's father, his closest supports were the Holy Roman Emperors Conrad II and Henri III, whom he met several times. Henri was engaged in 1033 to Mathilda, the infant daughter of Conrad, but she would die in her childhood a year later: as a result, he married Mathilde of Frisia, daughter of one of Conrad's closest vassals, who was only 10-years-old. She gave birth to a girl, but they died together after an interval of a few weeks. In 1051, he finally married Anne of Kiev, daughter of the Grand Duke of Kiev, who gave her two sons, including his successor, Philippe, who was associated to the throne from 1059. Henri I died on August 1060 near Paris. After twenty-nine years on the throne, he is succeeded by his son Philippe I.

[Masked Pickle]

Sorry, I've been quite busy with all my homework...

Now, after history, story will soon begin...Some readers will see what happen soon...

Enewald - Iain Wilson - I think that happens in most miserable unions.

thrashing mad - Auray - RGB - Thank you my lords!

[Enewald]

Some Slavic blood into the royal French bloodline.
Two sons ain't much.

[longlee]

best AAR i have read in a while

[Hawkeye1489]

Good history. Now I can't wait to see where you take your Capets

Cheers!
~Hawk

[RGB]

Ah, the throne. Always a prize that glitters to the greedy eye.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Originally Posted by Masked Pickle

Henri's long reign was plagued by a sucession of revolts and uprisings, reducing the royal demesne: due to his unruly brother Robert, the Capets finally lost Burgundy, while the Duke of Normandy, Guillaume the Bastard (future King of England) whom he had supported against his vassals upon his succession, defeating them at Val-ès-Dunes in 1047, finally rebels against him: Guillaume would defeat him two times, at Mortemer in 1054 and Varaville in 1058.

WAIT!

A French, winning not one, but two battles?

Oh, it's Billy the Bastard, some kind of civilized Northmen.

Then it's all right.

[Masked Pickle]

Philippe I le Veneur (the Venerer)
1060-1084

King of the Franks 1060 - 1084 (associated to the throne since 1059, Regency 1060 - 1068)
Lived 1052 - 1084
Son of Henri I, King of the Franks and Anne of Kiev

Married:
- Agnès of Aquitaine, daughter of Guillaume VIII, Duke of Aquitaine

Brother of :
-Hugues, later King of Jerusalem

Father of :
1) Charles IV, who follows
2) Ives, later Yves I
3) Rainaud
4) Many bastards: Amédée of Berry, Raoul of Orléans, Renaud of Poissy

Anne of Kiev, the Queen who came from the East, made her influence felt on Philippe, King of the Franks, from the latter's birth: his name, rather unusual in Western Europe, came from Anne's Byzantine ancestors, who claimed ancestry from Alexander the Great, and therefore from Phillip II of Macedon. Crowned in 1059, only a year prior to his father's death, Philippe's reign from 1060 to 1068 saw the regency of his mother, who got married again with Raoul, Count of Valois, and his uncle Baudouin of Flanders. Anne's influence was to be felt until the birth of a heir, Charles, on 1070, and her own demise in 1071.

Philippe's reign had begun in auspicious circumstances: noticed as a bon vivant who enjoyed beautiful women and hunting, he had married Agnes of Aquitaine, who was of the same age; this marriage was seen as a good deal, as the powerful Duke of Aquitaine was seen as having no male heir, with all his fiefs going to his daughter.

Alas, shortly after his wedding in 1068, a terrible accident was to influence forever his life: while chasing a deer throughout Orléans' forests, the King felt from his horse, and severely injured his leg. In spite of all his doctors' medicines, Philippe would never be able to walk without assistance until 1083, when he unexpectedly managed to walk, after the visit of a mysterious wise man. Lying in his bed, Philippe could only watch the hunts he enjoyed so much from his window, and convinced him to be a prudent administrator, ridiculed as he was by his infirmity: his nickname, the Venerer, thus come as a mockery. However, he refused to renounce his other joys: he gave three sons to his legitimate wife, and had verious bastards throughout the country: Amédée of Berry, Raoul of Orleans, Renaud of Poissy, whom he raised at the Court among his legitimate children and who were to make great achievements for the kingdom of France.

Taking advantage of the ongoing strife within the Holy Roman Empire to marry his brother Hugues with Gerberge, sister of the Duke of Provence, Philippe would face a great upheaval: newly elected Pope John XX, who had heard about Philippe's adulteries and his avowed skepticism on the power of the Church, excommunicated the King of France, hoping to display his power to the weakening Holy Roman Emperor. Some vassals, already mocking the King's infirmity, took that as an opportunity to revolt: the Archbishop of Berry, thus revolted in 1079, only to be vainquished and deposed in 1080, and Reims, the city where Clovis had been crowned, directly integrated to the Kingdom of France. Later, Henri of Burgundy and Henri-Etienne of Blois rebelled in 1082: their uprising was subsequently quelled, but they retained their titles, Philippe being aware that they were way too important to be removed.

Philippe's late reign remains a clue to the historians. The 1080's had seen great achievements for the Capetian dynasty: the Brabant and Luxemburg, who had each other broken free from the Holy Roman Empire, pledged allegiance to the King in 1080; the following year, a letter of apology to Pope John XX didn't ended the excommunication sentence, but removed any suspicion on his "skepticism". In 1083, as it was previously said, he suddenly recovered from his infirmity.

However, he was found dead on Summer 1084 in his castle of Reims, lying in his bed. Many rumours said he had committed suicide. The main clue is why? Most contemporary scholars, encouraged by John XX' successor, claimed that the King was depressed by his excommunication as he deprived him from the right to go to the First Crusade, which had just been proclaimed. More recent studies considered that the Venerer was disappointed to acknowledge that his recovering hadn't allowed him to better controlate his little demesne, and so to push further his conquests. None of these explainations are valuable: Philippe's would-be suicide remains a mystery.

The Venerer's death, who was barely 32, deeply shook the greater kingdom, that many German revolters had joined. He was succeeded by his first son, Charles IV, 15-years-old, who had been associated to the throne since 1081.

On the left, the Kingdom of France in 1060, on the beginning of Philippe I's reign; on the right, on the end, in 1084. Royal demesne in is dark blue, French vassals in lighter blue.

[Masked Pickle]

So, Philippe didn't lasted long...I don't understand the reasons for his suicide...

Enewald - Historically, it's funny to see that after Anne, the French Kings took no Slavic Queens. According to many, it's to blame on the Schism between the Western and Eastern Churches.
longlee, Hawkeye1489 - Oooooh, thank you so much!
RGB - Easier to get to it when you're a royal
Kurt_Steiner - Stop these cheese-eating deserters thingy! Or Catalonia will go French as quickly as I can. And I will try to conquer Finland, only to be forgiven.

[phargle]

Originally Posted by Masked Pickle

At first, I thought this picture was lovely and romantic. The loneliness of the court, the desperate love embodied by the white-clad girl, the distant, unaffectionate stoicism of the king, a host of courtiers lingering too far away in the darker corridors of the palace. . .

Now I'm wondering why there is a cigarette hanging out on the ground.

- - -

The language you use to describe Philippe's mother is elegant and lovely, and I like it. It's a shame to see his life cut short by a random suicide, although perhaps that spared him the ignomious ends so familiar to the the Philippes of Crusader Kings; still, this is a hard way to begin glory. I take it Agnes' father is still alive?