Post by Catsmate on Mar 23, 2021 14:00:33 GMT
Fraxinet
Fiction, and Alternate History scenarios in specific, brims with scenarios where a small group of people manage to conquer a miniature state for themselves; the classic example is the trope-namer, Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King. Often (and this is especially true for time travel scenarios; the classic example being Piper's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen), the conquerors have some technological or other edge to assist them.
Of course there's often a degree of skepticism amongst readers of such tales, and often justifiably so.
But what about a group of twenty men, lost at sea, who cut out a fiefdom for themselves in southern France in the Carolingian times, with no significant 'edge' except determination, terrain and the lack of organised opposition?
It did happen.
History says quite a lot about Charles "the Hammer" Martel, mainly because his descendants (such as his grandson Charlemagne) and successors employed the people writing the history books. I've mentioned him a few times here myself.
Such books describe his great victory over the "Arab" invaders at the battle of Tours in 732CE and, thus, his responsibility for what might loosely be considered modern European civilisation.
Now, I'm going to resist the temptation to lecture (again) at length about the Merovingians, the Carolingians, Martel's formidable "step mother" Plectrude and all the other fascinating aspects of court politics of the period. I will merely mention in passing the legend (completely apart from the Holy Blood, Holy Grail nonsense) that the Merovingian line was created when Chlodio was impregnated by a sea creature of some sort, her son being the (probably legendary) founder of the line, Merovech.
Unfortunately they're not relevant to this story, so you'll have to do your own reading.
Fraxinet or Fraxinetum was a small place in the hills of southeastern France, about ten kilometres inland from the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, and about fifteen from the current town of Saint-Tropez2. There's a little village still there today, but only ruins of the fortress (probably really a fortified village) that once commanded those heights from the days of the Romans (who had some sort of installation there).
The name, by the way, comes from the Latin term for ash trees or ash forest. For the century or so we're looking at it was called 'Farakshanit', while today it's 'La Garde-Freinet'.
The fortification was on top of a low hill, about a hundred metres higher than the surrounding valley, with a pretty steep slope and a single path leading up from the valley level village. In addition to the natural terrain, the fort's owners added the traditional water filled moat and deliberately cultivated thorny plants on the hillside.
And who were those occupants?
Moors.
The exact nature of those "Moors", "Arabs" or "Saracens" is rather fluid; in fact the nature of the group who conquered and held this little fortress for about a century isn't really known. Certainly they were Muslims, from the Caliphate of Cordoba in al-Andalus, but whether they were actually from North Africa, or born in what is now Spain will probably never be known.
Now, the "official" history of the Frankish peoples has the Arab invasion soundly defeated at Tours and then moves on to the Carolingians and Charlemagne, omitting entirely that small group of Moors managed to conquer and keep a chunk of nominally Frankish lands. There are mentions of "Saracen" raids, extortions and hostage-taking but not of their control of a fair chunk of what is now France.
It started in 887CE when a small group set out from al-Andalus to raid the southern Frankish coast. Not uncommon, everyone was raiding at the time; much of settled, "civilised" Europe was being attacked by bands from the fringes. The Vikings are the best known but the Moors and Magyars were also doing it.
This is notable in the chronicles and records of the period, which emphesise the "infidel" nature of the raiders, the Vikings and Magyars being mostly pagans.
The boat carrying the Moors was blown off-course because of a storm, and they landed in the area purely by accident. They scouted the are and attacked the local lord's manor one night and (in the way of such) massacred most of the inhabitants and took over. They sent a message home and reinforcements, probably about a hundred, joined them in the seemingly easy conquest.
So a small group of Moors managed to conquer a chunk of southeastern France, what next? Well the kept it.
The local petty magnates were squabbling and the Moors used this to their advantage, playing one against another and meddles in local disputes. They introduced buckwheat cultivation, taxed the local populace (in the manner of feudal overlords everywhere), engaged in farming (the pleasant climate is productive) and forestry (the area was a significant producer of forestry products, including ash, pine, chestnut, oak and cork oak not forgetting turpentine and tar). There was quite a bit of metal working and ceramics, fuelled by charcoal from the forests.
It appears that the Moorish rule was fairly light handed, with no serious attempt a religious conversion.
The Moors also expanded their territory, as far as Grenoble by 945, and continued to raid (including taking control of the Great St. Bernard Pass about the same time).
Also around that time (~940CE) there was a serious but unsuccessful attempt to conquer Fraxinet; Hugh of Italy allied with the Byzantines to add the territory to his own. This was frustrated by Hugh's decision to abandon his Byzantine allies, and join with the 'Moors' to attack another of his many enemies Berengar of Ivrea.
Anyway, Fraxinet remained intact and in control of the useful mountain passes connecting what are now France, Germany and Italy; a lucrative source of tax revenue.
Alas as with all things the independence of Fraxinet was doomed.
Specifically it was doomed by the ambitions of Otto II of Saxony, a man with ambitions and the ability to turn them into reality. By 960CE he's effectively broken the Moorish control of the mountain passes, severely damaging the territory's tax base.
The real disaster was the capture by Fraxinet forces in 871CE of the powerful and influential Abbot Majolus of Cluny as he attempted to cross the Alps into Italy through one of the passes they controlled.
While Maiolus was ransomed, for a thousand pounds of silver, the incident created the climate for an alliance of feudal lords against Fraxinet (motivated entirely by religious outrage of course....). Led by William of Provence (the nominal overlord of Cluny) the army defeated the Moors at the Battle of Tourtour, secured the (profitable) mountain passes and killing or driving out the Muslim residents of Fraxinet.
So there you have the tale; yes a small group of motivated people can conquer a territory for themselves, with ability and a fair amount of luck.
Next, what use if this for Who gaming.
1. A rather fun little scenario.
2. Rather longer by the local roads.
Fiction, and Alternate History scenarios in specific, brims with scenarios where a small group of people manage to conquer a miniature state for themselves; the classic example is the trope-namer, Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King. Often (and this is especially true for time travel scenarios; the classic example being Piper's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen), the conquerors have some technological or other edge to assist them.
Of course there's often a degree of skepticism amongst readers of such tales, and often justifiably so.
But what about a group of twenty men, lost at sea, who cut out a fiefdom for themselves in southern France in the Carolingian times, with no significant 'edge' except determination, terrain and the lack of organised opposition?
It did happen.
History says quite a lot about Charles "the Hammer" Martel, mainly because his descendants (such as his grandson Charlemagne) and successors employed the people writing the history books. I've mentioned him a few times here myself.
Such books describe his great victory over the "Arab" invaders at the battle of Tours in 732CE and, thus, his responsibility for what might loosely be considered modern European civilisation.
- History does not mention Martel being assisted by a small party of time travellers, or the involvement of a Great War German "Land Dreadnought" in the battle; probably to avoid suggestions of demonic assistance1.
Now, I'm going to resist the temptation to lecture (again) at length about the Merovingians, the Carolingians, Martel's formidable "step mother" Plectrude and all the other fascinating aspects of court politics of the period. I will merely mention in passing the legend (completely apart from the Holy Blood, Holy Grail nonsense) that the Merovingian line was created when Chlodio was impregnated by a sea creature of some sort, her son being the (probably legendary) founder of the line, Merovech.
Unfortunately they're not relevant to this story, so you'll have to do your own reading.
Fraxinet or Fraxinetum was a small place in the hills of southeastern France, about ten kilometres inland from the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, and about fifteen from the current town of Saint-Tropez2. There's a little village still there today, but only ruins of the fortress (probably really a fortified village) that once commanded those heights from the days of the Romans (who had some sort of installation there).
The name, by the way, comes from the Latin term for ash trees or ash forest. For the century or so we're looking at it was called 'Farakshanit', while today it's 'La Garde-Freinet'.
The fortification was on top of a low hill, about a hundred metres higher than the surrounding valley, with a pretty steep slope and a single path leading up from the valley level village. In addition to the natural terrain, the fort's owners added the traditional water filled moat and deliberately cultivated thorny plants on the hillside.
And who were those occupants?
Moors.
The exact nature of those "Moors", "Arabs" or "Saracens" is rather fluid; in fact the nature of the group who conquered and held this little fortress for about a century isn't really known. Certainly they were Muslims, from the Caliphate of Cordoba in al-Andalus, but whether they were actually from North Africa, or born in what is now Spain will probably never be known.
- Well....
Now, the "official" history of the Frankish peoples has the Arab invasion soundly defeated at Tours and then moves on to the Carolingians and Charlemagne, omitting entirely that small group of Moors managed to conquer and keep a chunk of nominally Frankish lands. There are mentions of "Saracen" raids, extortions and hostage-taking but not of their control of a fair chunk of what is now France.
It started in 887CE when a small group set out from al-Andalus to raid the southern Frankish coast. Not uncommon, everyone was raiding at the time; much of settled, "civilised" Europe was being attacked by bands from the fringes. The Vikings are the best known but the Moors and Magyars were also doing it.
This is notable in the chronicles and records of the period, which emphesise the "infidel" nature of the raiders, the Vikings and Magyars being mostly pagans.
The boat carrying the Moors was blown off-course because of a storm, and they landed in the area purely by accident. They scouted the are and attacked the local lord's manor one night and (in the way of such) massacred most of the inhabitants and took over. They sent a message home and reinforcements, probably about a hundred, joined them in the seemingly easy conquest.
- The reason it was easy was that the Frankish empire was falling apart; Charles the Fat (great-grandson of Charlemagne) was dying (he'd die in 888) and had lost control of his feudal vassals and territories were departing the empire. The following year it'd collapse.
So a small group of Moors managed to conquer a chunk of southeastern France, what next? Well the kept it.
The local petty magnates were squabbling and the Moors used this to their advantage, playing one against another and meddles in local disputes. They introduced buckwheat cultivation, taxed the local populace (in the manner of feudal overlords everywhere), engaged in farming (the pleasant climate is productive) and forestry (the area was a significant producer of forestry products, including ash, pine, chestnut, oak and cork oak not forgetting turpentine and tar). There was quite a bit of metal working and ceramics, fuelled by charcoal from the forests.
It appears that the Moorish rule was fairly light handed, with no serious attempt a religious conversion.
The Moors also expanded their territory, as far as Grenoble by 945, and continued to raid (including taking control of the Great St. Bernard Pass about the same time).
Also around that time (~940CE) there was a serious but unsuccessful attempt to conquer Fraxinet; Hugh of Italy allied with the Byzantines to add the territory to his own. This was frustrated by Hugh's decision to abandon his Byzantine allies, and join with the 'Moors' to attack another of his many enemies Berengar of Ivrea.
- There may have been other factors in play at the time to influence this decision. Certainly Hugh was in communication with al-Andalus, whose leaders were the nominal overlords of Frazinet, about trade.
Anyway, Fraxinet remained intact and in control of the useful mountain passes connecting what are now France, Germany and Italy; a lucrative source of tax revenue.
Alas as with all things the independence of Fraxinet was doomed.
Specifically it was doomed by the ambitions of Otto II of Saxony, a man with ambitions and the ability to turn them into reality. By 960CE he's effectively broken the Moorish control of the mountain passes, severely damaging the territory's tax base.
- Otto died in 983 as Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor.
The real disaster was the capture by Fraxinet forces in 871CE of the powerful and influential Abbot Majolus of Cluny as he attempted to cross the Alps into Italy through one of the passes they controlled.
While Maiolus was ransomed, for a thousand pounds of silver, the incident created the climate for an alliance of feudal lords against Fraxinet (motivated entirely by religious outrage of course....). Led by William of Provence (the nominal overlord of Cluny) the army defeated the Moors at the Battle of Tourtour, secured the (profitable) mountain passes and killing or driving out the Muslim residents of Fraxinet.
So there you have the tale; yes a small group of motivated people can conquer a territory for themselves, with ability and a fair amount of luck.
Next, what use if this for Who gaming.
1. A rather fun little scenario.
2. Rather longer by the local roads.