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England and Frisia had never been on friendly terms. The Dutch nation only existed due to a rebellion against the English, back in 1081. Wars had been fought through the years, pushing the hated Englishmen out of Dutch territory. King Theodolf II had in fact fought 2 wars early in his reign, preventing the further encroachment of the English on his territory. The English, ever the aggressors, had been rebuffed time and time again.The early 1400's had been kind to Frisia, and less so to England. The Dutch people were happy, healthy, solid in their faith in God and Fatherland. Meanwhile, the English suffered under an incompetent king, who taxed the peasants mercilessly. Especially the "Continentals", as they were known. The English citizens who had the unfortunate fate to be born not on the Island, but on the mainland. Treated like second-class citizens, they begged, as von Zeeland put it in his book "The Dutch Nation", to be freed from the English yoke and embrace the mighty Frisian people as brethren. It should of course be noted that, while largely a good and trustworthy source, von Zeeland is known for both his intense patriotism, and passionate hatred for the English.Whether begged to or not, on July 30, 1448, Theodolf II declared war on England, stating the "reclamation of the provinces of Caux and Cambray to their proper places in the Dutch state" as reason. Having made firm allies in Ireland, Scotland, and Norway, Frisia crushed the English forces in the continent as Irish fleets blockaded London and Highlanders marched on York. In October, at the Battle of Anjou, Commander Giselber Cecily, leader of the LFV (Dutch Army), crushed the English Continental Army under Martin Hwicce, heir to the English throne. With no more military presence on the continent, and their heir languishing in a cell in Calais, the English will to fight was sapped. Dutch forces quickly overran the coast, besieging settlements and occupying territories.In May 1450, with their ports blockaded, their mainland army destroyed, and Scotsmen pushing down from the north, the English king had no choice to accept Theodolf's offer of peace.This war would have lasting effects on the nation. Author Jacco Jansen, seeing the prominent effect of the blockades on the English economy and their will to fight, would write his masterpiece "Marketplace and Dock: The War of Coin" shortly after this victory. In October, Commander Cecily would draft his work "Treatise on the Pike Square", to impress on his staff the importance of an infantry force being able to fight cavalry. With the writings coming from Frisia, scholars and artists from Scottish Italy soon began flocking to the Low Lands for patronage and support. Theodolf, in an effort to impress upon Europe the prosperity of the nation, granted patronage to many an artist. Once such artist, Alistar Uccello, is famous for his work "The Battle of Anjou", a triptych celebrating the victory of Dutch forces at that fateful battle.Theodolf was never really a man of peace. Years before the Frisian chancellor had approached him with documents from days long gone by, talking of a van Renesse claim to the city of Paris. At the time, he had let such things pass. Now however, with the taste of war still fresh on the tongue, he looked hungrily to the south.Before he had a chance to declare war however, he heard disturbing new from the east.In Koln, the current abode of the heretical Emperor, a priest in the predominantly Catholic province of Limburg had been killed by an angry group of Fraticelli nobles. Theodolf would not stand for this. So in 1456, Frisia once again prepared for war.