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"War to the castles, peace to the villages," Coehoorn said to his commanders yesterday. You know that principle,' he added at once. 'You learned it in officer training. That principle applied until today; from tomorrow you're to forget it. From tommorow a new principle applies, which will now be the battle cry of the war we are waging. The battle cry and my orders run: War on everything alive. War on everything that can burn. You are to leave scorched earth behind you. From tomorrow, we take war beyond the line we will withdraw behind after signing the treaty. We are withdrawing, but there is to be nothing but scorched earth beyond that line. The kingdoms of Rivia and Aedirn are to be reduced to ashes! Remember Sodden! The time of revenge is with us! |  | |
| - Peter Evertsen, pg. 216 Time of Contempt (U.K. edition) | |||
Peter Evertsen (b. 1234 – d. 1301) was a Nilfgaardian official, confidant of Imperator Emhyr var Emreis, grand chamberlain of the Empire and from 1290 until his imprisonment, imperial treasurer of the crown and coadjutor of the Empire. He entered the office when he was fifteen and many historians, including Effenberg and Talbot in their Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi, considered him one of the true architects of the Empire's power.[1]
Biography[]
Second Northern War[]
In July 1267, on his twenty-fifth[N 1] year serving as grand chamberlain, he was ordered by Emhyr to issue a decree which essentially called for the annihilation of Aedirn, Lyria and Rivia. He instructed his reeves to plunder the kingdoms of any resources that could increase the riches of their fatherland, and then let the soldiers burn the rest; Audegast to load and transport harvested crops and Evan Helvet to manage livestock. He was also instructed to dismantle and remove foundries, ironworks, furnaces, wool manufactories, malthouses, distilleries, weaving mills, and dyeworks in Gulet, Eysenlaan, Vengerberg, and Aldersberg.[1]
Later life[]
Later, during the reign of Morvran Voorhis, he was falsely accused of abuse of power, convicted, and imprisoned at Winneburg Castle where he was executed by hanging in 1301. Ultimately, he was cleared, though posthumously, by the Imperator Jan Calveit in 1328.[1]
Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi entry[]
Effenberg and Talbot, Encyclopaedia Maxima Mundi, Volume V
Footnotes[]
- ↑ In Time of Contempt, Evertsen recalls 25 years in this position, however due to his birth being in 1234, he would have to entered office at 8 years old, so this is a likely mistake.