"In the past, Pope Urban II proclaimed to all that those who fought for the holy faith would have their sins forgiven and their souls would ascend directly to heaven."
Archbishop Bernhard's voice echoed through the crowded Constance City Hall.
"In the past, you fought each other over territorial disputes or for revenge, causing long-term unrest and instability in the Empire.
Now, thanks to the benevolent Emperor and the Holy See, peace has returned to the Empire, presenting a prime opportunity to turn your swords against the infidels, transforming private feuds into a Crusade, and washing away past sins with the blood of the infidels."
These inflammatory words indeed had a considerable effect, and a murmur of whispers began to rise in the quiet hall.
Not only the ecclesiastical ranks, who were bound to contribute to the Crusade, but also the minor lords of Swabia and some knights of special status were mobilized.
The Crusade was an ancient tradition not only in France but also for the Empire.
Although when mentioning the Crusades involving the Empire, people often first think of Frederick I, the 'Red Beard' who drowned in a small river, or Sigismund, who led the Crusade to a disastrous defeat at Nicopolis, it is undeniable that the Empire's contributions to past Crusades were no less significant than those of England and France.
Especially in the century since the invasion of the Ottoman Empire, countless Imperial soldiers rushed to the Balkans to fight valiantly to defend the frontiers of faith.
Among these were painful defeats, but also glorious victories, and the greatest driving force that spurred them to advance continuously to the distant East was the yearning for spiritual salvation.
That phrase, "souls ascend directly to heaven," enticed countless brave warriors to embark on the journey.
In fact, since the Great Schism of the Western Church, the Pope had gradually lost the power to call for a Crusade, but if there was the Emperor's support behind it, the situation would be completely different.
After Paul II issued his call, England, France, Aragon, and Castile, almost as expected, all ignored the invitation for a Crusade from Rome.
England was internally unstable, and Edward IV dared not make too much of a stir at such a time, lest his still-unstable throne be lost again by accident.
France, needless to say, Louis XI, as a suzerain, directly declared war on his vassal without warning. Compared to the Ottomans people far away and closely related to him, the domestic opposition attracted his attention more.
This war also consequently prevented Burgundy, the initiator of the last two Crusades, from participating in the holy war.
It is important to know that the Crusades of 1396 and 1456 began their campaign against the Ottomans people from Dijon, the capital of Burgundy.
As for Aragon and Castile, they were plagued by continuous civil wars and declining national power.
The two countries, which had gradually risen through nearly eight centuries of Reconquista, now had no interest in the Crusade. They even ignored Granada, the small infidel kingdom entrenched at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, as their internal affairs were in chaos.
As a result, among the many European countries closely related to the Holy See, only Austria was strong enough to shoulder the burden of the Catholic world.
Well, saying it was just Austria was too narrow; in reality, the burden of the entire Catholic world rested solely on the Emperor's shoulders.
The vast "Empire" composed of the numerous countries he ruled, unlike the Holy Roman Empire, which was tangible but almost powerless, was a true power.
Most of the princes present, because they were more or less connected to the Emperor, either through cooperation or subservience, had a relatively clear understanding of the Emperor's strength.
In fact, with the Emperor's current power, he was already strong enough to overwhelm the Ottoman Empire, but the Emperor's true purpose in actively promoting this Crusade was certainly far more than simply capturing Constantinople and expelling the Ottomans people.
In the eyes of some "smart people," they believed they had discovered the truth behind the Emperor's organization of the Crusade—to further strengthen his control over the Empire.
Such a statement was not unfounded. From the two decrees passed at the previous Imperial Conference, it could be seen that what the Emperor truly cared about might not be Constantinople, but rather the Emperor's authority.
Although this authority had disappeared for several centuries, as long as the Empire still existed and the Emperor remained the nominal secular leader of the entire Catholic world, it was entirely possible for him to reclaim the powers that originally belonged to the Emperor.
If the previous Imperial Conference was about putting shackles on the Empire's subjects throughout the Empire, then this court assembly, with its more defined target, was the Emperor's attempt to further control his supporters.
Clearly, this was an effortless task for the current Emperor.
Although some voices of concern emerged in the crowd, they were quickly drowned out by an overwhelming chorus of support.
The Swabian League, initiated and secretly controlled by the Emperor, was the easiest to incite, win over, and control.
Many of its members belonged to the lower nobility of the Empire, who relied heavily on the regional powers of the League and the larger regions, and were also deeply influenced by imperial authority.
Their lives were not easy to begin with; lower nobility often needed to attach themselves to great nobles to maintain their status and secure a livelihood. Conveniently, the Emperor himself was one of the largest nobles in the Swabia region, so they didn't even have to make a choice.
Among the crowd clamoring to show the Ottomans people a thing or two, there were still some who harbored doubts.
They had already paid taxes for this Crusade, so why were they being called to fight when it came to the actual battle?
Just then, Elector Albrecht of Bavaria once again stepped forward to express "his" opinion: "Your Majesty, according to the public donation tax decree issued by the Imperial Diet of Nuremberg, the subjects of the Empire should fulfill their holy war obligations by paying the public donation tax.
However, now you are again calling upon us to raise armies to participate in the Crusade. Wouldn't this mean we are bearing more obligations than other subjects of the Empire?"
Laszlo and Albrecht exchanged a knowing glance, and he secretly gave him a thumbs up in his heart.
"Yes, we have to pay money and send troops, this is too much… If troops are to be sent, everyone should be called to send troops!"
Some attendees whispered in agreement; the Elector of Bavaria had asked the question that was most on their minds.
Laszlo rose from his throne, a slight smile on his face, and then loudly responded to all the Imperial members present: "I, Ladislaus, by the grace of God Emperor of the Empire and King of the Romans, hereby swear an oath today that all brave warriors who answer the call to arms shall have their territories permanently protected by the Empire and shall be exempt from public donation tax obligations for the next three years.
Should they sacrifice themselves on the journey or battlefield, God will surely grant them eternal glory, and the pains of purgatory shall be immediately dissolved.
Moreover, the lands of the East are exceedingly rich, flowing with milk and honey, where gold and spice are abundant. I shall offer these as rewards to brave warriors; anyone who serves me and the Empire faithfully shall receive generous recompense."
Upon hearing this, the assembly hall immediately erupted in excitement. Now, not to mention the minor lords and nobles, even several of the princes were tempted.
Even if everyone knew that this was just a grand promise made by the Emperor, the Emperor's prestige was undeniable. Perhaps the next to enjoy his favor and attain glory and wealth would be themselves?
Many thought this, and their previously wavering resolve quickly firmed up.
Not to mention the tangible benefit of a three-year exemption from public donation tax right before their eyes.
Seeing their reactions, Laszlo knew his plan was largely successful.
Actually, he had originally intended to exploit a loophole in the new decree to pull off a 'empty-handed white wolf' scheme.
Because the public donation tax stipulated that no additional taxes could be levied during non-war periods, but now, in preparation for the Crusade, a special tax should naturally be collected.
It should be known that the majority of the public donation tax was used to maintain the operation of the Imperial government, and not truly invested in the recruitment of soldiers for the Crusade.
The levying of a special tax, according to the regulations of the Imperial Register, existed in two forms: one was taxation, and the other was conscription.
Princes either paid taxes according to the amounts specified in the tax register or provided the Emperor with sufficient troops.
However, Laszlo ultimately chose not to use this supplementary clause, because firstly, levying a special tax required approval from the Imperial Diet, and secondly, whether this tax could be collected remained a big question mark.
In contrast, using tax reductions to gain military service from Imperial Estates close to him not only demonstrated to people that serving him, the Emperor, truly yielded rewards, but also subtly influenced these Imperial Estates.
All things are difficult before they are easy. Previous Emperors often confined themselves to their own small territories, and apart from Emperor Sigismund, who once conscripted Imperial Army under the banner of the Hussite Crusade, many other Emperors rarely initiated large-scale military actions in the name of the Empire.
To wield the power of a country, the most important thing is to control the army. Laszlo had a very clear understanding of this. So how should he try to control the Imperial Army?
The method he found was exactly as he was doing now: mobilizing the army in the name of the Empire, initiating foreign wars, and deepening the princes' trust and obedience to him through repeated attempts.
However, Sigismund's past failures led Laszlo to go a step further on this foundation.
Why was Jan Žižka able to lead a hundred Hussite soldiers to inflict heavy losses on thousands of Imperial cavalry outside Prague, and why did various parts of the Imperial Army flee faster than each other when their allies were in trouble, causing the Hussite Crusade to repeatedly collapse five times and become the laughingstock of all Europe?
The root cause was that Sigismund did not screen his forces. He was overjoyed to see the princes flocking to join the Crusade, forming a formidable army.
However, as the army expanded, conflicts between princes and struggles between factions directly affected the course of the war. Sigismund was powerless to control and command this army; instead, he had to constantly make concessions to the Electors and princes to maintain the army, ultimately ending in utter chaos.
And in the Imperial Army that Laszlo needed, there absolutely could not be disloyal individuals. He certainly could not have troublesome characters like the Archbishop of Cologne or the Elector of Brandenburg.
Then there was the issue of the quality and quantity of the army.
After the attendees voted to confirm that almost everyone would send troops to join the Imperial Army for the Eastern Crusade, Laszlo ordered people to collect and organize the number of troops they could provide.
The Swabian League had no problem sending troops, and this included the armies of the Duke of Baden and the Duke of Württemberg.
Mainz and Trier could probably provide two thousand soldiers; it was a small number, but the intent was there.
The Elector of Bavaria and the Salzburg Archbishop from the Bavaria region could jointly provide an army of five thousand men.
Margrave Albrecht of Ansbach (Achilles) had supported the late Emperor Albrecht II in the war against Poland and served as the commander of the Imperial coalition army in the last Crusade. He also chose to actively participate in this Crusade.
Although his stance and the Emperor's might at any time become opposed, his past experience of pledging loyalty to the Emperor still profoundly influenced him.
The only thing that made him hesitate about sending troops to this Crusade was the increasingly frequent letters from his elder brother, Frederick II, the Elector of Brandenburg.
From the content of the letters, Frederick II's mental state was on the verge of collapse, and he seemed to be contemplating an early abdication.
This meant that Albrecht could become the new Elector of Brandenburg at any time, which made him reluctant to be far from the Empire.
However, after the Emperor promised to appoint him as the supreme commander of the Imperial Army, this Imperial Marshal readily agreed to send three thousand men. The Duke of Saxony, Albrecht, sitting beside him, also pledged the same number of troops. The Duke had indeed signed a mutual defense treaty against the Ottoman Empire in his own name, and although his brother, Elector Ernst of Saxony, did not agree with his actions, the Duke of Saxony still chose to show loyalty to the Emperor.
He controlled half of the Electorate of Saxony, and although the two brothers were nominally in a subordinate relationship, they actually lived their own separate lives.
The Teutonic Order and the Duke of Pomerania could collectively provide five thousand troops. This army had just undergone the baptism of the Pomeranian War of Succession and was considered the strongest fighting force among all the armies.
Some other uninvited princes, such as the bishops of Bamberg and Würzburg, agreed to provide some logistical support for the Imperial Army.
Thus, the theoretical size of the Imperial Army reached nearly thirty thousand.
This was not a small number for the Empire, as the total military strength of the entire Empire stipulated in the Imperial Register was only twenty thousand, and moreover, not all Imperial princes and Imperial Estates were participating in the Crusade this time.
Considering that the larger the army and the farther the distance, the more logistical supplies would be needed, Laszlo therefore set the policy of recruiting more troops closer to Constantinople.
For this reason, Hungary needed to conscript a large number of soldiers to expand the strength of the Crusade, which would also reduce losses from long marches and logistical pressure.
The Imperial side, however, did not need so many troops. After strict screening, Laszlo ultimately chose to mobilize fifteen thousand men, while those Imperial Estates not selected were required to raise three months' worth of logistical supplies for this army. All Imperial Estates that contributed would receive corresponding rewards.
This army of over ten thousand men would be divided into two routes, one supervised by the Margrave of Ansbach and the other by Eberhard, the military commander of Swabia. After both contingents had assembled, they would proceed separately to Vienna, where Imperial Army from Bohemia and Italy would also converge.
After all the Imperial Army had assembled, they would collectively proceed to Budapest to rendezvous with a portion of the Hungarian Army, and then the contingents participating in the Crusade would gradually join the main force along the way.
According to expectations, the number of Crusaders would continuously increase until they reached the walls of Constantinople. Laszlo currently had no idea of the exact number it could reach.
This court assembly finally concluded with all participants signing a contract.
Those princes and Imperial Estates selected to participate in the Crusade returned to their territories with excited hearts to gather troops, while those who were unfortunately not chosen, despite their disappointment, chose to support this great expedition in the Emperor's name of faith and forgiveness.