The Rise of the European Emperor

Just as Prince Christian led an army of 20,000 troops south from the northern part of Jutland, Woolf Esbrand, with the real 8,000 main force of the Principality of Schleswig, hurried to Schleswig. Libe City, an important town in the northwest of the Principality of Georgia.

According to the latest information sent by Marin's spy to Denmark, the 20,000-strong army led by Prince Christian is located in the remote northwest area of ​​Jutland, Denmark. Going south from the base of the camp, the first to bear the brunt is Ribe City.

Moreover, Ribe City is of great significance to the Oldenburg dynasty in Denmark. It was in the city of Ribe, where Christian I signed the famous Treaty of Ribe in 1460, declaring that the Duchy of Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein "will never be separated".

Therefore, for Denmark, Ribe City is not only an important town in the north of the Principality of Schleswig, but also a historically important town with legal significance. Winning here means that the inseparability of the Duchy of Schleswig and the Duchy of Holstein is of great significance to Denmark.

Of course, for the sake of confidentiality, the Danish army camp was not close to the border area, but rather north and remote. Because only remote spots are not easy to be discovered by the enemy.

Similarly, the 10,000 English mercenaries that Marin sent to the Principality of Schleswig were also arranged in remote villages some distance from Ribe City. When Woolf Esbrand led an army of 8,000 troops north to reinforce Ribe City, Saqqara also led an army of 10,000 troops to the north. However, Saqqara and the 10,000 British troops under his command were not in a hurry. Because their mission was to arrive at the battlefield after a few days of attacking and defending the city of Ribe.

At that time, the morale of the Danish army was frustrated, and the sudden appearance of this 10,000-strong army could severely damage the enemy army. Even, 5,000 of the 8,000 main forces led by Woolf Esbrand will join Saqqara, while Woolf Esbrand will only bring 3,000 reinforcements into the city.

Because, defending the city does not need too many people. Moreover, it is only for a few days, not for a long time.

Ribe City originally had 1,000 defenders, and with 3,000 reinforcements, there were 4,000 veterans. It is no problem to recruit some strong people in and outside the city, and gather five or six thousand people.

Moreover, if you use tens of thousands of regular troops to defend the city and frighten Denmark, it is not good. Since it is procrastination, it is necessary to let the other party see a little hope. Otherwise, if the Danish army is frightened away, and others come to defend the city, it will be really difficult to conquer.

Therefore, the defenders need to hold the Ribe, but also let the Danes see a little hope. Otherwise, if people shrink back, it will be difficult to do.

After all, that was an army of 20,000. The front may not be able to beat Woolf Esbrand's 10,000 Schleswig defenders and Saqqara's 10,000 English mercenaries. But to defend the city, Woolf Esbrand and Saqqara really can't do anything about it. After all, they don't have artillery.

Therefore, the defenders in the city could not push too hard and scare the Danes back.

If the Danes go back, then Woolf Esbrand and Saqqara will be in trouble. Want to attack, they lack siege equipment. If we don't attack, the two will face difficulties - should we continue to fight, or go south to join with Marin and attack the Allied Forces of Boza?

Therefore, in this big battle in Ribe City, both Woolf Esbrand and Saqqara hope to solve Denmark in the first battle. Even if you can't completely wipe out your opponent, you have to cripple your opponent. In this way, the main forces of the two armies can go south with peace of mind to "rescue". Otherwise, as long as the other party exists, it is a threat, and it will contain a large number of troops...

...

While the war was in full swing, Marin was not idle outside the battlefield. He asked Geoffrey to send a representative to Worms to file a lawsuit against the Reich Chancellor, Archbishop Jacob of Mainz, against Frederick III, Elector of Saxony and Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg, accusing The two of them were eating inside and out. They were obviously great nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, but they colluded with Denmark and maliciously attacked the Holy Roman Empire's "good business capital - Lübeck".

Therefore, Marin proposed to deprive the Elector of Saxony Frederick III of the title of Elector of Saxony and transfer it to George, Duke of Saxony; deprive Joachim I of the title of Elector of Brandenburg and transfer it to Hohenzoll Nobles from other branches of the Lun family. Such as the Brandenburg-Ansbach branch of the Hohenzollern family...

In short, in addition to the war, Marin also created public opinion in Germany, attacking Frederick III and Joachim I for colluding with foreign countries, and invading the "good" forces in the country...

Of course, Marin doesn't act foolishly alone. In addition, he also pulled Lübeck and Hamburg, as well as dozens of younger brothers from the two Hanseatic cities, to write books together.

Not only that, Marin also united two cities, and in the whole German region, vigorously promoted and promoted the "traitors" of Frederick III and Joachim I colluding with foreign countries, and vigorously smeared the two.

In addition, Marin also sent people to spread false news in the vicinity of the war zone, saying that after the Habsburg family heard that most of the Swiss mercenaries were hired by Brandenburg and Saxons, they felt that the opportunity had come and they planned to send troops. Conquer the thirteen cantons of Switzerland to regain their homeland...

After all, the Swiss region was indeed the domain of the Habsburgs before. However, during the period of the Luxembourg Dynasty, he was separated from the Habsburg family by coercion and temptation by the Emperor Sigismund of the Luxembourg family.

Because, the Habsburg family is a strong contender for the Luxembourg family throne. Therefore, it was fully suppressed by the Luxembourg dynasty. The Swiss, with the support of the emperor, became independent from the Habsburg family and had a grudge against the Habsburg family. But when the Habsburg family regained imperial power, they found that the Swiss had hardened wings, and the Swiss mercenaries were very powerful...

In order to regain their ancestral land, the Habsburgs fought many battles with the Swiss. In order to resist the comeback of the Habsburg family, thirteen Swiss cantons formed an alliance to fight against the Habsburg family.

Now, most of the Swiss mercenaries have been hired away by Brandenburg and Saxony, and the rest are also in the country of Gede and France.

Therefore, this time is indeed the most empty time in Switzerland. If the army of the Habsburg family attacked Switzerland at this time, it would indeed be a good opportunity...

Therefore, Marin let people spread such rumors, mainly to shake the hearts of the 20,000 Swiss mercenaries in the Bosa coalition.

In the presence of such a powerful enemy as the Habsburg family, the Swiss will indeed be afraid, so they will be absent-minded and affect their combat effectiveness...

As for the appeal at the Imperial Council, Marin never imagined what would come of it. Because the other electors will not watch the Electors of Saxony and Electors of Brandenburg die. However, they will not support Saxony and Brandenburg now either.

Why? Because if the Electorate of Brandenburg and the Electorate of Saxony won this time, their prestige would rise in the future. In the future, the seven electoral princes will take the lead of the alliance of these two electoral princes.

Therefore, even if the other electors are in the same group with these two electors, they will not hope that these two will win. Of course, they wouldn't want Marin to win either.

In the eyes of the other electors, the best outcome is that both sides suffer, and then no one wins...

But now on the bright side, it is the Bursa coalition that has the advantage. Therefore, Marin's accusation of treason by the two electors would have received private support from several other electors. Even if you can't bring down Frederick III and Joachim I, it will make them disgusting and uncomfortable...

And, most importantly, this propaganda was actually a foreshadowing that Marin had made in advance. Because they are currently at a disadvantage, other princes will acquiesce to their aggressive propaganda to damage the prestige of Frederick III and Joachim I. In addition, through propaganda, the two electors will be portrayed as villains.

When they suddenly turned around, it was too late for those princes to stop this kind of propaganda. At that time, the one who defeated the Bursa coalition will become the righteous side in public opinion.

And being the righteous party also greatly reduces the risk of being beaten by other princes afterwards. After all, although the princes in the German region have a tradition of gang fights, they generally fight the "evil" side, not the righteous side. Because, in this era when the nobility is dominant, it is very particular about "familiar teachers". Even if the Bossa coalition sent troops to besiege Lübeck, it was in the name of avenging his in-laws, Denmark, and did not send troops casually.

If he becomes the righteous party, those irrelevant princes will not find an excuse to participate in the alliance of gang fights. These princes don't look like they are usually useless, and they will be hanged a hundred times by Malin in a heads-up match. Marin would not be intimidated if an army of more than 100,000 men swung in front of him, but his subordinates would also be intimidated...

Moreover, Marin feels that if he wins this time, the benefits will be much greater than the last time he defeated Denmark. After all, the enemies this time—Denmark, the Electorate of Saxony, and the Electorate of Brandenburg—are all well-to-do masters. Cutting meat from them must be super fat, maybe they will eat themselves up...