OUCHE 500 - v1.0
by Chris Jackson

Symbol Set required - Master 1

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In the Burgundian kingdom the brothers Godegisel and Gundobad were fighting
in the Saone-Rhone River region. In August of 499 Gundobad learned that his 
younger brother, Godegisel of Geneva, was corresponding with Clovis about 
collaborating in his defeat. Distraught, he considered declaring himself 
Catholic, but arranged debates September 2-3 between Catholic, Arian and 
Athanasian factions accomplished nothing for him.

Godegesil made a deal with Clovis: he would trade military support for 
tribute. Clovis moved south and Gundobad, unaware of this deal, called upon 
Godogesil to suspend the feud so they could both defend the Burgundian 
kingdom from the Franks. All three armies met on the Ouche outside the 
stronghold of Dijon (Castrum Divionense, which had walls 30 feet high and 15
feet thick with 33 towers), Gundobad found Godogesil not as any ally but as 
an enemy. Double-crossed, Gundobad fled across the Rhone to Avignon, the 
southernmost border of his territory.
 
Clovis took a share of Godogesil's kingdom and prepared to battle Gundobad
again. But Gundobad began paying Clovis a tribute to avoid this. Not long 
after, Gundobad, who had been attracting supporters daily, made a comeback 
and besieged Godogisel at Vienne. Godegisel was low on provisions and had the
poorer citizens expelled from the city.

Gundobad eventually got in after learning a ventilation point from a 
disgruntled engineer. Godegisel was personally killed by Gundobad who united
the Burgundian kingdom, and also stopped paying tribute to Clovis. Frankish 
prisoners were honourably treated and sent to his allies the Visigoths under
Alaric II. Gundobad enjoyed peace with the Franks from this time on.

Clovis did nothing through this time. Theodoric, living on the flank of the
Frankish kingdom, may have been an influence on this. Maybe Gundobad was too
powerful. Or perhaps Gundobad made peace with Clovis and became something of
an unofficial dependant.

Clovis' wife, Clotilda, was the daughter of Chilperic II, who had been 
murdered by Gundobad, his brother. The elder daughter Chrona became a nun, 
and Clotilda was discovered by a Frankish envoy who brought her to Clovis' 
attention. It has been suggested that Clovis' choice of bride was a 
politically motivated one, calculated to cause unease. But the battle of the 
Ouche does not seem to have any "revenge" motive behind it. 

In 503-504 there was another war between the Franks and the Alamanni which 
biographer Gregory of Tours does not mention. Little is known about it but it
appears that Clovis defeated an insurrection of them and made them flee from 
their dwellings by the Main and Neckar in the Middle Rhine, planting Frankish
settlers there. Eventually the territory came to be called the Duchy of 
Francia. The Alamanni took refuge in Raetia where Theodoric protected them. 
Theodoric congratulated Clovis on his victory but at the same time warned him
not to push it any farther. The Alamanni became Roman citizens and did rough
garrison duty in the region between the Alps and the Danube, while political
tensions silently increased between the Frankish and Ostrogoth kingdoms... 


SOURCES:

"Clovis". Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 3, p. 401. Chicago University 
     Press, 1995.

Gregory of Tours. "History of the Franks". New York: Octagon Books, 1965.

James, Edward."The Franks". New York: Basil Blackwell, Ltd., 1988. 
 
James, Edward. "The Origins of France - From Clovis to the Capetians 500-
     1000". London: MacMillan Education, Ltd., 1982.

Wood, Ian. "The Merovingian Kingdoms 450-751." New York: Longman Group UK 
     Ltd., 1994.



BATTLE NOTES

The Burgundians have no real chance of victory here. The question will be 
how decisive Clovis and Godogesil's victory will be. An unreachable objective
flag has been placed in the corner and put in Burgundian possession,  
"spotting" them 25 points. The task of the Frankish player is to either 
force the Burgundians to their surrender point or eliminate over 25 points 
worth of them from the battlefield to score that "decisive" victory in just
6 turns. Gundobad himself is worth 25 points - his main goal is to simply 
survive the 6 turns and live to regroup his forces. 


-Chris Jackson
March 21, 1999