The so-called Imperial War, in the literal sense, is a war launched to maintain the order of the Empire and protect its interests.
From another perspective, this resolution is tied to another: the resolution to levy an Imperial War Tax.
In the reform of the Common Contribution Tax system, Laszlo defined the Common Contribution Tax as non-military expenditures used to maintain the Imperial government's institutions. Although a large portion of this money eventually flowed into Austria's treasury, Laszlo did indeed spend a significant part of it on Imperial institutions such as the courts and the Privy Council.
Relying solely on these taxes to maintain the Imperial government was clearly insufficient to meet the needs of the Empire's foreign wars. Therefore, Laszlo reserved the Emperor's right to demand additional taxes during wartime, with the levy based on the "Imperial Register of Estates" compiled according to the property and strength of the Imperial Estates.
The register determined the amount of Common Contribution Tax each Imperial Estate needed to bear, and also stipulated the number of troops they were required to provide in wartime, the latter being prepared for Imperial Wars.
Once an Imperial War is launched, the Emperor has the right to demand that all Imperial Estates follow their obligations, either by paying the war tax or by providing a certain number of troops according to the register.
Both the tax amount and the number of troops are based on the data determined in the register, scaled down proportionally or doubled.
When the Gan Army was last mobilized, because the Common Contribution Tax system had just been established, Laszlo had to cater to the sentiments of the princes. He exchanged military support from some of his close allies for a three-year exemption from the Common Contribution Tax, and then took these followers to build prestige in the East.
This time, Laszlo did not intend to use tax exemptions to tempt the princes. Otherwise, the Common Contribution Tax would only decrease over time, and he would eventually have to either dismantle Imperial government institutions or have the Austrian treasury fill the deficit, both of which would have a negative impact.
Besides, the Common Contribution Tax was truly not much relative to the massive size of the Empire. Austria's annual income alone was enough to pay the five-year tax amount stipulated in the Common Contribution Tax law, with some left over.
Incidentally, the two major regions of Austria and Bohemia bore one-fifth of the entire Empire's Common Contribution Tax.
The reference standards for collecting these taxes were also relatively flexible. Property owners paid less than one-thousandth of their estate value according to their property level; low-income and the destitute could be exempted as appropriate; and Jews, regardless of age or gender, were required to pay the full tax per head.
Laszlo knew very well that all Imperial Estates viewed the right to tax as the core of sovereignty in their hearts, and they would be quite resistant to the Empire directly interfering in tax affairs.
Therefore, the right to collect taxes at the grassroots level was delegated to the Estates themselves. The regional circles were responsible for local coordination, eventually funneling most of these taxes into the Imperial Treasury in Nuremberg and allocating them to the Emperor or other targets as needed.
This was an expedient measure taken under specific circumstances, and it seems to have achieved good results for now.
At least, the various Estates of the Empire felt their rights were respected. Only on such a basis did it make sense to discuss whether additional taxes could be levied for war.
Being able to discuss was one thing; actually persuading the princes was quite another.
To this end, Clement, the Emperor's representative, could be said to have exhausted his eloquence, but unfortunately, the results were still not ideal.
He now admired his mentor, Old Eyczing, more and more, because Eyczing could always find ways to make the princes either yield or compromise, whereas Clement himself was still lacking in negotiating skills.
Looking at the Imperial Princes before him who were constantly raising objections, Clement tried his best to adjust his mindset.
He was trying to find a certain feeling, trying to imitate Eyczing or the Emperor himself, to persuade these stubborn princes in the posture of a protector of Imperial interests.
"Everyone, this war is not only to depose the antipope in Avignon, but also to resist France's attack on the Empire.
As you all know, the Kingdom of Burgundy has already become a part of the Empire, yet the King of France did not hesitate to launch an attack on Burgundy, even besieging Dijon at one point.
Once Burgundy is defeated and loses territory in the war, the princes along the Rhine will all be under the direct threat of France, and even the deeper heartlands of the Empire will not be safe."
"As the Archbishop of Cologne said, the threat from the Burgundians is not exactly small, is it?" The Duke of Jülich-Berg started the old refrain again.
"The Emperor has already promised that as long as you fulfill your Imperial obligations, you can receive the protection of His Majesty and Imperial law, whether you are the princes along the Rhine or those in other regions.
Now, the Empire is suffering from attacks by external forces. Shouldn't we first find a way to resist the foreign enemy no matter what?
If the Empire is invaded from other directions in the future and your territories are attacked, do you hope to see the entire Empire remain indifferent, leaving the attacked princes to fight alone?"
Clement advised them earnestly.
As soon as these words were spoken, some princes who originally held opposing views gradually began to change their minds, especially those located on the borders; they naturally hoped the Empire could protect them during a foreign invasion.
"If an Imperial War is launched, how will the Emperor organize the army? He can't possibly assemble troops from the entire Empire, can he?" the Duke of Pomerania asked with a frown.
After the War of the Stettin Succession ended, he became a die-hard supporter of the Emperor.
In the previous rounds of voting, he had voted in favor. His only regret was that France was too far from Pomerania on the Empire's northeastern border, so it was difficult for him to personally lead an army to accompany the Emperor on an expedition to repay the Emperor's previous help to the Griffin Family.
"His Majesty plans to summon an Imperial Army from regions such as Swabia, the Upper Rhine, the Electoral Circles, and Franconia. It is estimated that five thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry will be needed, with a combat period of half a year.
Princes and Imperial Estates that provide troops do not need to pay the war tax; the remaining princes will need to pay the war tax according to the regulations to maintain the Imperial Army."
Hearing this number, many princes breathed a sigh of relief. A mere six thousand men wouldn't cost much money.
As for whether six thousand men were enough... no one considered that question. Anyway, the Emperor would find a way to make up for any shortfall himself, which was not much of a problem for a monarch who held tens of thousands of troops.
After the discussion gradually died down, a new round of voting began.
"Gelre in favor."
"Baden in favor."
"Württemberg in favor."
"..."
"Lorraine opposed."
Ultimately, most of the secular princes agreed with the Emperor's decision.
With this, the Electoral College and the House of Princes reached an agreement, and the resolution for the Imperial War passed.
In the three regions designated by Laszlo, centered around three Knightly Leagues, the Imperial Army began to gradually form and assemble toward Basel.
Earlier, the vanguard of the Austrian army had already arrived here, while more troops remained in Zurich or were still on their way.
The hastily convened Imperial Diet also came to an end after everything was settled. In the farewell letter of this meeting, Laszlo announced to the various Estates of the Empire the beginning of the Imperial War and the establishment of the Imperial heir.
According to tradition, Laszlo should have taken Christopher to Aachen at this time to complete the coronation and deliver the crown of the King of the Romans to him.
Unfortunately, things on Burgundy's side could not wait. Charles sent several letters for help a day, hoping Laszlo could quickly send troops to attack France and relieve the pressure he was under.
To this end, Laszlo decided to temporarily postpone Christopher's coronation until after the campaign against France. The reason given to the public was the hope that the prince would be crowned king after undergoing a period of tempering, so that he would deeply understand the heavy responsibility brought by this title.
This move quickly gained unanimous praise within the Empire. People expressed their blessings to the Emperor and his heir, looking forward to their triumphant return.
While Laszlo took Christopher and rushed to Basel at full speed, news of the Imperial War also spread in all directions via messengers.
In Normandy, inside the main tent of the Burgundy-Brittany allied forces, Charles was reading a letter sent to him by Edward IV.
That King of England finally set out on his journey at his strong request.
The Burgundy navy escorted Edward IV and his brother Richard, taking fifteen hundred Burgundy mercenaries from Calais and sailing north, finally landing in Northumberland and returning to York at great speed.
In his base of Yorkshire, Edward IV received a warm welcome. The remaining forces of the House of York found their banner and began to flock to York frantically to join Edward's army.
At the same time, George, Duke of Clarence—the brother who had previously betrayed Edward IV—repented after being double-crossed by the Earl of Warwick. He secretly reconciled with his elder brother and recently joined forces with the Lord of Hastings to stir up a rebellion.
The long and tedious War of the Roses had begun once more. Charles had managed to eliminate the worry of being caught in a pincer attack by England and France at the cost of lending out over a thousand troops, which gave him some comfort.
After regrouping on the banks of the Somme River, he received an invitation from his old ally, the Duke of Brittany.
Brittany had temporarily changed its national policy after the last War of the Public Weal, choosing not to be an enemy of the French King. However, the Duke soon settled the domestic opposition and once again led several thousand troops to invade Normandy, which he had been longing for.
Since the main French Army had returned to Paris, Charles did not dare to advance recklessly, so he gladly accepted the invitation to go to Normandy for raiding and looting. The two armies finally joined forces near Rouen, reaching a strength of over twenty thousand men.
"Charles, there's more good news!" François, Duke of Brittany, walked into the tent with a letter, an excited smile on his face.
"What? The Emperor has sent troops?"
"Yes, the Empire has declared war on Louis XI in the name of punishing the excommunicated and deposing the antipope. The Emperor's army is assembling."
François took a large gulp from the wine cup on the table, then looked at Charles, who was not particularly excited, with some confusion.
"Why is your reaction much flatter than I expected?"
"I originally had the chance to win everything alone, but unfortunately things turned out like this..."
After this time, he would owe the Emperor another huge favor. How would he expand his power within the Empire in the future?
Moreover, he had recently heard of his chief valet's behavior at the Imperial Diet, which made him unable to even get angry.
After all, Olivier did it to maintain his status in the Empire, and he was quite satisfied with that. It was just that because of this, the progress of the Imperial Diet was delayed, which made him feel a bit fearful in hindsight.
If Olivier's actions had annoyed those princes of the Empire, or even annoyed the Emperor, then Burgundy's quest for aid would not have been so simple.
Fortunately, everything did not develop in the worst direction. However, after this, challenging the status of the Archduke of Austria would probably be impossible. The Emperor had personally made a ruling, so before the Emperor passed away, Burgundy could only rank below Austria.
Thinking back, Philip III had created the title of Archduke to show off his status, and Laszlo also dug up the "Privilegium Maius" fabricated by his ancestors to establish the title of Archduke of Austria within the Empire.
You are an Archduke, and I am also an Archduke; it was fine to be ranked slightly below you.
But now Burgundy had become a Kingdom, while Austria was still an Archduchy. How could it be that after all this, a Kingdom still had to be ranked below an Archduchy? Wouldn't that mean the upgrade to the title of Kingdom was in vain?
Unfortunately, one must bow one's head when under another's roof. Having experienced many social beatings, Charles gradually understood this truth.
"Although Louis XI is a tyrant, he is still very strong. To defeat him, we must seek as much support as possible."
François patted Charles's shoulder to comfort him.
"Yes, news has recently come from Orléans that the allied forces of Armagnac, Berry, and Nevers have begun to besiege that city. Everything is like it was before."
Charles said with some emotion.
The current situation reminded him of the first War of the Public Weal: Burgundy, Brittany, Berry, and Armagnac. Out of the alliance of five dukes, only Bourbon was missing.
At the thought of the Duke of Bourbon, Charles's teeth itched with hatred. That ferocious fellow had ravaged the Burgundian heartland into a mess. Charles vowed to personally take revenge on the Duke of Bourbon.
"I hope this time there will be a different ending." François sighed deeply.
He was the witness to Charles's two struggles, witnessing how Charles was repeatedly tricked by Louis XI and was helpless against it.
This third great war finally saw some new variables, which was that the Emperor had finally made up his mind to take action personally.
"Of course, Louis XI won't have another chance."
Charles's tone was very certain. This was not only because of his determination, but also because his trust in the Emperor even exceeded his confidence in himself.
"What was the result of the call for surrender?"
"The people in Rouen heard that the King of Burgundy had come and expressed a warm welcome. They are willing to pay a ransom and provide supplies, only hoping to preserve the city."
"Then let's do that. We need to preserve enough strength. The Duke of Bourbon has already led his army back to Paris."
Charles made this decision with some helplessness.
After previously hitting a wall at Beauvais, he also began to reflect on his own problems.
Perhaps a tough and brutal style could inspire fear in the hearts of enemies, but it would also increase their will to resist, eventually leading to irreparable consequences.
For a period of time, he would indeed pay attention to such problems.
However, those who knew Charles knew that after some time had passed, or after a few victories, his true nature would soon return.
The armies of Burgundy and Brittany had temporarily gained a foothold in the Normandy region, the worry from England had been resolved, and the Emperor's personal entry had brought the war into a brand new phase.