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Description
The surrender of Maine, a term of the truce between France and England, would not go as planned - the Hundred Years' War would spark again. Before the hostilities recommenced, France was preparing to move aggressively against the border provinces of the Empire - the duchies of Lorraine and Barrois, invoking the ire of the Emperor in Austria. Watching France in conflict with its largest rival led to the Triple Alliance (or, as it was popularly known, the Red Alliance - owing its name to the red color of all allies' flags and uniforms) between Austria, England, and Burgundy.

France was defeated in 1454. England claimed Paris and Aquitaine, reducing France to its Occitan, Provencal, and Central provinces, while the Duke of Burgundy added the Duchy of Champagne to his titles. The Emperor removed a major threat permanently, and signed the Border Pact with Burgundy - Burgundy would never expand or claim territories further to the East in the Empire, and Austria would remain its ally.

The duchies of Flanders, Holland, and Brabant were officially incorporated into the Duchy of Burgundy in 1552. This proved to be the Duke's undoing. The residents of Wallonia, Flanders, and Holland were mainly Protestant, and the three northern duchies had been granted religious autonomy. Burgundy however was enforcing a strict policy of conversion and rooting out heresy. The difference in dogmas led to the Dutch Revolt, or, as it is known in Lotharingian histories, the War Against Tyranny.

Flanders and Brabant were the bedrock of the Burgundian economy, producing more than three-quarters of its textiles. The Duchy, however, could still prevail running solely on wine exports from fertile Champagne - that is, if they could export it. They could not. The revolt of Holland and its main port Amsterdam, coupled with the seizure of all mercantile assets of the Duchy and the mass desertions of -mostly Protestant- merchants from its cause, crippled the Duchy economically. After a short but bloody war, the Duchy had fallen.

The rebels proclaimed the formation of a new Republic - based on the model of the Swiss cantons, only enlarged: The United Provinces of Lotharingia. Each province (then Holland, Flanders, Wallonia, and Burgundy) was granted some autonomy and a local Assembly of Lords and merchants. However, freedom of religion was not included. Mass pogroms of Catholics, and great funds reverted towards conversion followed. Religious tithes though, were no more demanded, and the population had the relatively easy choice of forsaking the Pope and enjoying the full benefits of citizenship or -dying.

To consolidate its power and prove legitimacy, the Republic affirmed both the Border Pact and England's rights to the French Crown. Despite this, an argument was made that the residents of Provence were Protestant, not Catholic (as the English were), and that it could be argued that the Duchies of Provence and Toulouse were not, in fact, de jure French. Tensions between the two former allies were high, until the King of Spain proclaimed that, if the English took both Auvergne, Toulouse, and Provence, Spain would launch a containment war. Since Spain was allied with the formidable -and surprisingly, surviving- Kalmar Union, England, fearing a war while encircled, gave in. France breathed her last, and Lotharingia nearly doubled in size. The new Province of Occitania was added to the Republic.

In 1580, the Duke of Savoy requested Lotharingian help in dealing with a joint papal-rebel army that threatened to overthrow him. The Republic joined, crushed the enemy forces, and promptly removed the hapless Duke from power and made what had been left of Savoy a new Province. Despite the relative lack of popular unrest -after all, the merchants of Genoa were more than happy to have some political power- the monarchies of Europe stirred in horror and disgust. Austria declared the Border Pact null, Spain revoked its warning to England, and Lotharingia finds herself encircled, with no real natural defenses except for the Alps in the South, and with no other strong Protestant nations to ally with. However, there remains a threat at Austria's side, a threat that would be more than happy to wreak havoc among Lotharingia's enemies.

1587 marks the year of the Lotharingian-Ottoman alliance. Whether this will prove a competent deterrent, only time will tell.

A newer map of mine, again based on a Europa Universalis IV campaign.

Description
The surrender of Maine, a term of the truce between France and England, would not go as planned - the Hundred Years' War would spark again. Before the hostilities recommenced, France was preparing to move aggressively against the border provinces of the Empire - the duchies of Lorraine and Barrois, invoking the ire of the Emperor in Austria. Watching France in conflict with its largest rival led to the Triple Alliance (or, as it was popularly known, the Red Alliance - owing its name to the red color of all allies' flags and uniforms) between Austria, England, and Burgundy.

France was defeated in 1454. England claimed Paris and Aquitaine, reducing France to its Occitan, Provencal, and Central provinces, while the Duke of Burgundy added the Duchy of Champagne to his titles. The Emperor removed a major threat permanently, and signed the Border Pact with Burgundy - Burgundy would never expand or claim territories further to the East in the Empire, and Austria would remain its ally.

The duchies of Flanders, Holland, and Brabant were officially incorporated into the Duchy of Burgundy in 1552. This proved to be the Duke's undoing. The residents of Wallonia, Flanders, and Holland were mainly Protestant, and the three northern duchies had been granted religious autonomy. Burgundy however was enforcing a strict policy of conversion and rooting out heresy. The difference in dogmas led to the Dutch Revolt, or, as it is known in Lotharingian histories, the War Against Tyranny.

Flanders and Brabant were the bedrock of the Burgundian economy, producing more than three-quarters of its textiles. The Duchy, however, could still prevail running solely on wine exports from fertile Champagne - that is, if they could export it. They could not. The revolt of Holland and its main port Amsterdam, coupled with the seizure of all mercantile assets of the Duchy and the mass desertions of -mostly Protestant- merchants from its cause, crippled the Duchy economically. After a short but bloody war, the Duchy had fallen.

The rebels proclaimed the formation of a new Republic - based on the model of the Swiss cantons, only enlarged: The United Provinces of Lotharingia. Each province (then Holland, Flanders, Wallonia, and Burgundy) was granted some autonomy and a local Assembly of Lords and merchants. However, freedom of religion was not included. Mass pogroms of Catholics, and great funds reverted towards conversion followed. Religious tithes though, were no more demanded, and the population had the relatively easy choice of forsaking the Pope and enjoying the full benefits of citizenship or -dying.

To consolidate its power and prove legitimacy, the Republic affirmed both the Border Pact and England's rights to the French Crown. Despite this, an argument was made that the residents of Provence were Protestant, not Catholic (as the English were), and that it could be argued that the Duchies of Provence and Toulouse were not, in fact, de jure French. Tensions between the two former allies were high, until the King of Spain proclaimed that, if the English took both Auvergne, Toulouse, and Provence, Spain would launch a containment war. Since Spain was allied with the formidable -and surprisingly, surviving- Kalmar Union, England, fearing a war while encircled, gave in. France breathed her last, and Lotharingia nearly doubled in size. The new Province of Occitania was added to the Republic.

In 1580, the Duke of Savoy requested Lotharingian help in dealing with a joint papal-rebel army that threatened to overthrow him. The Republic joined, crushed the enemy forces, and promptly removed the hapless Duke from power and made what had been left of Savoy a new Province. Despite the relative lack of popular unrest -after all, the merchants of Genoa were more than happy to have some political power- the monarchies of Europe stirred in horror and disgust. Austria declared the Border Pact null, Spain revoked its warning to England, and Lotharingia finds herself encircled, with no real natural defenses except for the Alps in the South, and with no other strong Protestant nations to ally with. However, there remains a threat at Austria's side, a threat that would be more than happy to wreak havoc among Lotharingia's enemies.

1587 marks the year of the Lotharingian-Ottoman alliance. Whether this will prove a competent deterrent, only time will tell.

A newer map of mine, again based on a Europa Universalis IV campaign.