Chapter 565: Declaration of an Empire
Weeks had passed since Berengar and his army had first taken control over the city of Luxembourg. During this time, word of Hartman's defeat spread like wildfire across the North. As the King of Austria had expected, a chain reaction unfolded. Like dominos, the Northern German Duchies fell to the Austrian army in rapid succession. One by one, the ancient dynasties came toppling down, and the heads of their households were forced beneath the boot of Austrian authority.
Those who remained unconquered quickly surrendered to Berengar, realizing the foolishness of further resistance. Logically, there was only one path forward, and that was to pledge their eternal allegiance to the von Kufstein Dynasty. Months had passed since Austria had first begun the war of unification, and finally, the fighting had ended. For the first time in history, the German people were now unified under a single banner.
As a result, Berengar had forced the higher nobility of Germany to visit his palace to pay homage to their new sovereign and to publically declare the formation of a German Empire. The Great King of Austria wore his kingly attire with pride, as his subjects kneeled before him as if he were a god among men.
Other than the German nobles, delegations from friendly nations had visited the Capital of Austria to attend the monumental occasion. As such, a smug expression etched itself upon Berengar's regal appearance as he began his speech.
"Centuries ago, our ancestors built the Holy Roman Empire, and yet in the time since; we, the German People, have allowed the bastard offspring of the ancient Romans to claim our destiny! Our ancestors have been forced to fight one another for a crown of lies! King of Germany? A meaningless title to appease the greed of lesser men!
Initially, I sought to live a life of peace, wealth, and luxury safely within the domains of my forbearers. Yet, the war you all waged, for the sake of a false crown, forced me from my seclusion and into conflict. From the hills of Wildschönau, I defended my claim against a dastardly plot from my younger brother, who sought to usurp my position in life.
Yet, little did I know at the time my destiny did not end there. In the fields of Kitzbühel, I toppled a puppet belonging to the Papacy, and brought its territory under my family's reign. From there, I marched an army into Tyrol against the traitor Lothar, where I incorporated the entire region beneath my own personal authority.
From Tyrol, I fought to restore the glory of my liege the von Habsburg family, who through tragedy passed their claim onto me, making myself the Duke of Austria, a great enough title on its own, but far compared to what I have achieved since.
In an act of arrogance, the Holy Roman Emperor Balsamo Corsini dared to sabotage my industries. In doing so, breaking the bonds of vassalage. Thus, I marched an army over the Alps and into Italy where I forced my demands of independence onto the Imperial Crown myself! In doing so, I declared myself King of Austria, with all the glories that come with it.
From there, I sought to fortify my realm and establish a peaceful existence, but the wars of my neighbors would not leave me be. The Bohemians, in their civil strife, came to me for aid, and I provided it. After years of brutal warfare, the Hussites overthrew their Catholic masters, and in doing so, created a vacuum of power. For the sake of stability in the region, I seized the crown of Bohemia for myself.
While this war was being waged in the borders of my Eastern neighbor, I sailed to Granada, and through means of diplomacy, forged an alliance with its Sultan. In doing so, I bridged the gap between Muslim and Christian Kingdoms for the first time in centuries. Naturally, this alliance came as a threat to the Iberian Kingdoms, and before long, they had launched an invasion of my ally, forcing me to intervene on their behalf.
Thus, I sailed an army of German men across the Mediterranean and forced the Catholics out of my allies' lands, an act no German King has ever accomplished before. In doing so, I conquered the Kingdom of Portugal in the name of Granada, thus strengthening my ally's position in the region and enhancing our alliance.
Surely, after all of this conflict, I believed I could enjoy my life in peace and luxury. And yet, through no fault of my own, I quickly found my tranquility disturbed by a violent, ill-tempered man in the North. Seeking to eliminate his perceived rivals, the Bastard of Luxembourg ordered a vicious attack on my life. In doing so, he gravely injured my sister. Naturally, such a sinister act could not go unpunished. Thus, I could only respond to such a provocation with a declaration of war.
One more, against my will, I was thrust into battle as I led my soldiers into the North alongside my newfound allies with a single purpose in mind. Unite the German people and end the wars that we foolishly wage against ourselves once and for all. Within a matter of months, I captured the Bastard of Luxembourg and his precious capital. Before long, the Northern Lords bent the knee to my will.
This is what I have done for all of you, and yet it pales to what I have yet to achieve in this life. In the coming days, our Empire will mend the rivalries that have plagued us for centuries, and we will come together as one people. I promise you I will spread the technology that has provided wealth, luxury, and safety to all of Austria across our Empire, creating an industrialized and unified realm beneath my Imperial Crown.
When we have built ourselves from the ashes of war into a peerless state, we will destroy the pathetic Crusade which the Catholic Church seeks to unleash upon our lands, and after we have broken the influence of the Papacy over European affairs, we will rise in its place as the single hegemon of the western world! It is the dawn of a new era, a German era! Henceforth, I declare myself Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, Emperor of the German People! Rise my subjects, and claim your destiny!"
After saying this, the crowds of noblemen who knelt within the Great Hall of the Austrian Royal Palace rose to their feet, and threw up their roman salutes as they screamed the battle cry of the newly founded German Empire.
"Hail Victory!"
A satisfied grin appeared on Berengar's face as he, too, rose from his seat and saluted his people. After doing so, he grabbed hold of his new crown and placed it upon his head, symbolizing his Imperial Authority.
Berengar had commissioned this crown from Ludwig and designed it to be based upon the Crown of Wilhelm II from his past life. The primary difference being the red velvet liner was instead black, and the diamonds were replaced with black garnet. The only other major change was the adding of a dalmatian fur lining on the bottom rim of the crown.
When Berengar placed this crown upon his head, the chamber erupted in cheers, as the Nobles beneath his rule congratulated the Austrian King on his rise to the position of German Emperor. As for Berengar's wives, they stood nearby and gazed upon him with pride.
Perhaps it was Henrietta, the Kaiser's sister, and lover, who was the most proud of all. She had grown up her entire life watching Berengar grow as a foolish boy into the man he was today. In fact, she was there the day his personality shifted from that of an indolent wastrel to a charming and charismatic, young noble scion.
Tears of joy washed down the young woman's azure eyes as she clapped for her brother among the crowds. So much had happened in the past few years, and she could hardly believe it was reality. She was now an imperial princess, and though there were some shocking revelations to her lineage along the way, nothing could change this fact. However, more importantly, her precious big brother was now the Emperor of all Germans. She simply could not contain her emotions.
This day would forever be remembered in history as the day that the German Empire was officially established. With this declaration, Berengar had united the German people beneath the rule of the Kingdom of Austria and the von Kufstein Dynasty. In the coming days, Berengar would begin introducing reforms across the Empire, spending years in his attempt to bring the fatherland to a technological level similar in capability to Kufstein itself.
As for the Kaiser's Colonial Ambitions, now that the Empire was unified, and beginning its reformation into a modern State, the Kaiser would spend significant effort and wealth on colonizing the new world. Berengar would soon send expeditions around the globe in an effort to bring the resource-rich regions of the World under German control.
The foundation of the German Empire acted as a major shift in geo-politics. With the public proclamation of adversity towards the Catholic Church, and the goal of German Hegemony over the western world, Berengar had made many enemies on this day. Despite this, the young Emperor was confident in his ability to defeat them all, and thus looked forward to the new age he had begun.