int.snb.sj - De Savojarsk Nyhetsbyrå International
News from Savojarna for the world
The History of Savojarna in the 11th century: The Emperor's Wrath
News from Savojarna for the world
The History of Savojarna in the 11th century: The Emperor's Wrath
The Empire's biggest fleet
As we said in the last episode, the major 1072 raid of Emperor Jon II. was among other things an attempt to draw Kjetil I. Sydjarl closer to the Imperial Throne. This closer bond came about after the raid when Jon laudated Kjetil's war effort and recognised him officially as the Jarl by allowing marriage of his son Crown Prince Halldor Jonsson to Kjetil's daughter Gunnhildr. Following this alliance in early 1073 and the signature of the Treaty of Valdhavn in late 1072, allying Sydjarl and Vesterkustslän against Bjärga and changing the southern power structure, the interior problems of the Empire were mostly alleviated. Thus, the Emperor laid his eyes outside again. In April 1073, he proclaims: "We have been wronged the past year, and Pawlograd has dared to challenge the power of Odin's own men. They claimed that our Gods are wrong, they have killed many of our good men and they do no longer trade with us. They shall be punished, and therefore we order all the Kings, Jarls and the smallest ruler of the realm to assemble under Odin's Banner to sail south with us".
In large numbers, the Empire followed. The fleet that assembled in the bay off Valdhavn was universally described as the largest fleet in the history of the Ejanan Empire. The Imperial Chronicles describe it as follows: "As the ships assembled to leave bay, they did so half a mile outside the bay of Valdhavn, so large was the fleet. It was led by the Emperor Himself, whose flagship Sleipnir towered above the whole fleet. Around him stood the fleet of Storevik under Admiral Helgi Thorleifsson, who had crushed Jaromirgrad two years before. The vanguard was led by sons of Valdhavn, Grentvig's banners flying in the wind as their commander, a man named Ardvidr, let the horns blow for the leave. He was followed by the Emperor's men in the center, Sydjarls fleet under Kjetil's son Thorbjörn on the left side and the massive fleet of Jarnstad on the right, the grey banner of King Hjalmar III. raised on its ships. The rearguard was manned by the smaller allies, with Gudbrandr of Landsmark in the lead. The Kings and Jarls of the Empire all assembled on the Sleipnir to form Jon's war council, and left the commands to their best men".
While the amount of ships - the Imperial Chronicles name 237 ships, the Chronicles of Grentvig "about 190" - is generally viewed as exaggerated, it was for sure the biggest fleet the Empire had ever assembled. In some smaller realms, the chronicles and records note that they were lacking men to sow the fields as they had joined the Emperor's fleet. Thorsborg had no navy to speak of, but provided 1500 mercenaries on the ships of the Emperor, who traditionally had a big navy and a small land force. As the spring storms died down, this massive fleet set sail towards Pawlograd on the 3rd of May 1074, to be joined by a small but well trained land force from the loyal Novyetsk. We can reconstruct that past fleets often took a bit short of a week to reach Pawlograd with their speed in the 11th century. This massive fleet is recorded to have taken a whole two weeks. When it landed, it set anchor outside the city and sent in a messenger, who demanded near-impossible terms, with the massive fleet visible outside the port.
Pawlograd Must Fall
Historians speculate about this wait, as it must have been clear to the Emperor's strategists that the terms demanded from Pawlograd were near impossible. Pawlograd had been routinely looted and been traded with, and the Empire had a rough idea how rich the city must have been. In the waiting time the Pawlograders could - and did - send to St. Andrei and Jaromirgrad as well as the smaller surrounding cities to call for aid. While Jaromirgrad sent only few soldiers, in fear to be attacked again later on; St. Andrei knew what a fall of Pawlograd would mean. The Chronicles say: "His Highness Iosef III. sent his entire infantry force to throw back the Zavoyari in Pawlograd. This was the site where God had saved their lives two years before, and He would save them again, His Highness said in the war mass. He only kept back the Andrite Cavalry and the Tovorskites, and the Guard to man the walls of St. Andrei".
Today, we assume mostly that the time was needed for the reinforcements from Novyetsk to arrive. Soon after, the attack began. Commander Helgi Thorleifsson noted: "Once the messenger returned, the War Council started convening again for a day. Then, the fleet split in three. The Grentvigers and the mighty Imperial Battleships set out to destroy the fleet of the enemy, and I led them on together with Arvidr Halldorsson. While we crushed their fleet with our brave men, the Emperor led his men together with the Sydjarler and the Jarnstader onto the Northern horn of the bay, to lead the main attack onto the Castle. In the South, the rearguard landed to enclose Pawlograd. From the back, the force from Novyetsk pounded into the weak underbelly of the city. Pawlograd was strapped for forces, and its army was assembled hastily. They tried to retreat to the Castle, but they had not expected our force. We entered the city on the afternoon, and did not leave it for three other days".
The raiding of the city
In this time, Pawlograd was ruthlessly raided. For the first time, the Empire subjugated an entire major city. An Andrite priest observed the sacking and reported to Iosef III.: "They assembled the noblemen and the Church in the Castle. The Prince's family was put to the sword, except for his unmarried daughters and grand-daughters who were taken as wives by the commanders and officers. The Prince himself was slain in duel, given the chance to spare his life. But they had made him, a man of over sixty years, to duel against a giant with fiery hair and iron armour (Imperial sources suggest it was Prince Bjarni, the second son of the Emperor). The fight of Prince Vladimir was heartbreaking. The old man had asked to get dressed for the fight, and he was allowed that, to return in a poor man's garb. He laid down all his insignia and kneeled down, praying to God to not spare him as a Prince, but as a noble and God-fearing man. The Zavoyari devil laughed and tossed him a sword, touting him to fight. But Vladimir continued his prayer until a Zavoyari commander told his soldier to struck him down, and the Devil obliged".
After the death of the Pawlograder rulers and the punishment of the city, they installed a new ruler. This ruler was a highly interesting man, a Russican nobleman from Novyetsk called Jaroslav. He was a minor nobleman before the conquest of Novyetsk two years earlier, but he had been elevated into higher positions by the new rulers and had married a woman of a lesser family from Vesterkustslän. While his claim to the Pawlograder throne was flimsy, the conquerors attempted to keep a veneer of legitimacy by claiming a connection to the ruling family of Pawlograd two generations back and by having the surviving noblemen of the city elect him to the throne. Jaroslav ruled the city for the years to come, but often had to rely on imperial help, which was a factor in the later formal conquest of Pawlograd: As the city was increasingly hard to govern, direct rule was eventually established in the 12th century after uprisers had overthrown one of Jaroslav's sons.
An interesting factor was that the conquerors - in line with Savojar warrior spirit - are described as having let fleeing soldiers and civilians pass. The Chronicles of St. Andrei quote a commander who gave his account to Iosef III.: "What surprised us most was that these fierce warriors seemed uninterested in killing their enemies. They were horrible to all those who left, defaced the churches and killed all the rulers who had fought against them and did not submit. But they did not fight fleeing soldiers. I had left the city together with my men to return to His Highness, for if Pawlograd was to fall we ourselves would be in danger and every man was needed on God's Side to defend the seat of His Highness. The Zavoyari had been in vision, and they could easily have ambushed the streets. But they had let us pass as we were riding towards St. Andrei, not attacking a single soldier who left the city without drawing his arms". Indeed, until today Savojar religion and ethics consider it the height of cowardice to attack an enemy that has surrendered a fight. One cannot help but be awed by how this commander, who had seen these men slaughtering his soldiers and his countrymen and pillage a major city, sounds almost respectful in his surprise of this attitude.
The fleeing soldiers would be confronted another day. With Pawlograd fallen, the way was now open for this giant force to proceed to the glory of Russica, the giant city at the end of the river: the spiritual centre of St. Andrei. Having seen the Andrite soldiers defend Jaromirgrad and Pawlograd two years earlier, St. Andrei had become a symbol for incredible riches, gold and silver galore in its big churches and cathedrals. This city now laid open before the force, with its "guardian angel", the walls and bay of Pawlograd, having fallen to the Imperial army. As Iosef III. assembled the rests of his army who had not fallen at Pawlograd, the Jarls and Kings debated whether to take this city. On the 28th of May, the biggest fleet in history moved up towards inland Russica for the first time.
