Jerusalem's Christian golden age is brought to…

Yang Jishan and Yang Xuangan's strategist Wei Fusi are publicly executed around the new year 614, by Emperor Yang's orders, in exceedingly cruel manners—the officials all fire arrows at them, then they are drawn and quartered, and finally their bodies are burned and the ashes scattered.

Around the same time, there are also rebellions south of the Yangtze River, and Emperor Yang sends the official Wang Shichong against the rebels.

Wang is able to suppress the rebellions, for the most part, and thereafter begins to rise in prominence at Emperor Yang's court.

Meanwhile, Emperor Yang orders that rebels' possessions can be confiscated at will.

The local officials, however, use this as an excuse to execute and confiscate properties of those they dislike.

In spring 614, Emperor Yang again proposes another campaign against Goguryeo.

Although his officials do not approve, none dare to oppose him.

Many of the soldiers ordered to report to Zhuo Prefecture desert.

Emperor Yang tries to stop desertions by executing those who have deserted, but still cannot stem the tide of desertions.

Goguryeo forces have also been constantly ambushing the Sui army’s supply line.

Goguryeo offers of peace have also been exhausted.

Gogryeo also returns Yan Xuangan's associate Husi Zheng, who had fled to Goguryeo after his association with Yang Xuangan was discovered.

Lai initially opposes ending the campaign, but does finally withdraw after ordered by Emperor Yuan.

Emperor Yang executes Husi using the same kind of cruelty that he had employed against Yang Jishan and Wei Fusi, but afterwards, when he again summons Goguryeo's King Yeongyang to meet him, King Yeongyang again ignores the request.

Emperor Yang declares a fourth campaign against Goguryeo—but he never actually launches it.

Meanwhile, agrarian rebellions continue to rise.

While generals such as Zhang Xutuo and Wang Sichong enjoy victories here and there, the situation is deteriorating for the welfare of the Sui state at large.

The Persian invasion destroys Ghassanid power in 614.

The Persians invest the Palestinian coast and conquer Acre.

The Fifth Council of Paris (614 CE): Forced Baptism of Jews in the Frankish Kingdom

The Fifth Council of Paris (614 CE), the largest gathering of Merovingian bishops to date, issues a decree mandating the forced baptism of Jews holding military or civil positions within the Frankish domains, along with their families. This marks a significant intensification of anti-Jewish policies in Merovingian Gaul, reinforcing the growing exclusion and persecution of Jewish communities.

1. The Council’s Decree on Jewish Officials

• The council rules that all Jews in government or military service must convert to Christianity, along with their families.
• Those who refuse baptism would presumably be stripped of their positions, subjected to exile, or face other penalties.
• This decree reflects the increasing Church influence over royal policies, particularly in matters of religious conformity and state administration.

2. Context: The Rising Power of the Catholic Church in Frankish Law

• Earlier Frankish councils, such as Clermont (535 CE), Mâcon (581/582 CE), and Paris (Twice in 577 and 590 CE), had already imposed severe restrictions on Jews, barring them from:
  • Serving as judges or tax officials.
  • Holding Christian slaves.
  • Appearing in public during Holy Days.
• The 614 decree escalates these policies by directly targeting Jewish officials, ensuring that only baptized Christians can serve in government and the military.

3. The Impact on Jewish Communities

• Jewish officials and their families face a stark choice: convert or lose their positions.
• Many likely fled the Frankish kingdom, seeking refuge in Visigothic Spain, Italy, or Byzantine territories, where Jewish communities still had some protections.
• The decree weakened Jewish economic and social influence, further isolating them within Frankish society.

4. The Legacy of the 614 Council’s Anti-Jewish Decrees

• This council represents an early example of state-enforced conversion policies, a practice that would later become common in medieval and early modern Europe.
• It solidifies the Frankish monarchy’s alignment with the Catholic Church, reinforcing the idea that state service required Christian faith.
• These policies foreshadow later anti-Jewish measures in the Carolingian and Capetian eras, leading to even greater segregation and persecution.

Conclusion: A Milestone in the Systematic Marginalization of Jews

The Fifth Council of Paris (614 CE) marks a critical turning point in the treatment of Jews in the Frankish kingdom, pushing them further to the margins of society. By excluding Jews from state and military service unless they converted, the Merovingian Church and monarchy reinforce religious orthodoxy as a requirement for political power, setting a precedent that would shape European religious policies for centuries to come.

The Continuing Frankish Civil War After Brunhilda’s Death (613 CE Onward)

Despite the brutal execution of Queen Brunhild of Austrasia in 613 CE, the half-century-long war between the royal families of Austrasia and Neustria does not end. The dynastic struggle that had defined the Merovingian civil wars continues, as new power struggles emerge between Frankish rulers and aristocratic factions.

1. Chlothar II’s Victory and the Supposed End of the Civil War (613 CE)

• Chlothar II of Neustria, after defeating Theuderic II and Theudebert II, becomes the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom, momentarily ending the rivalry between Neustria and Austrasia.
• He orders the execution of Brunhilda, whom he blames for the decades-long bloodshed, thus removing Austrasia’s most powerful political figure.
• With Brunhilda dead and her grandsons eliminated, it seems that the war between the two Merovingian factions is finally over—but this is not the case.

2. The Reemergence of Austrasian Resistance (623 CE)

• To appease the Austrasian nobility, Chlothar II appoints his son, Dagobert I, as King of Austrasia in 623 CE, creating a new sub-kingdom.
• However, this does not prevent further conflict, as Austrasian aristocrats begin seeking greater autonomyfrom Neustrian rule.
• The division of power between the two regions revives old tensions, preventing lasting peace.

3. Aristocratic Power Struggles and the Rise of the Mayors of the Palace

• With Merovingian kings becoming increasingly dependent on their noble advisors, real power shifts to the Mayors of the Palace.
• Pepin of Landen, the Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia, works to secure greater autonomy for Austrasia, setting the stage for future conflict with Neustria.
• This power struggle leads to future wars between Austrasia and Neustria, culminating in the Carolingian rise to power in the 8th century.

4. Long-Term Consequences: The End of Merovingian Rule

• Although Chlothar II temporarily unifies the Frankish Kingdom, Austrasia and Neustria remain politically distinct, and their noble factions continue to compete for dominance.
• The rivalry between the Austrasian and Neustrian aristocracies persists, setting the stage for further wars between their factions.
• Eventually, Austrasia will emerge as the dominant power, leading to the rise of Charles Martel, Pepin the Short, and the Carolingian dynasty.

Conclusion: A Civil War That Outlives Its Key Figures

Even after Brunhilda’s execution in 613 CE, the political divide between Austrasia and Neustria does not disappear. Instead, noble factions take control, shifting power away from the Merovingian kings and leading to a new era of Frankish power struggles. The seeds of Carolingian dominance are planted in these continued conflicts, proving that the half-century-long civil war was far from over.

Emperor Yang carries out a tour of the northern provinces later in 615.

While he is at Yanmen (in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), Ashina Duojishi, who had become disaffected because Emperor Yang is trying to divide his power by promising to give a princess to Ashina Duojishi's brother Ashina Chij and had executed Ashina Duojishi's trusted advisor Shishu Huxi under false pretenses, launches a surprise attack on Yanmen and, although Princess Yicheng had secretly sent Emperor Yang warnings, Sui forcesare still surprised.

Ashina Duojishi puts Yanmen under siege.

It is said that Emperor Yang became so fearful that he was crying all day, holding onto his youngest son Yang Gao the Prince of Zhao.

Yuwen Shu suggests that Emperor Yang take the most elite guards and try to fight out of the siege, but Su Wei and Fan Zigai oppose.

Empress Xiao's brother Xiao Yu suggests seeking help from Princess Yicheng, and Emperor Yang does so.

Meanwhile, Emperor Yang also personally visits the soldiers defending the city, promising to end the campaigns against Goguryeo and to reward them with honors and treasure.

Princess Yicheng falsely informs Ashina Duojishi that Tujue is under attack from the north, and meanwhile, relief troops from Luoyang and the other prefectures are arriving, so Ashina Duojishi lifts the siege.

Upon the lifting of the siege, however, …

…Emperor Yang reneges on his promises—he does not return to the capital Chang'an, but goes to Luoyang instead; he continues to discuss a campaign against Goguryeo; and he does not bestow the honors and rewards he had promised.

When Fan and Xiao Yu remind him of the promises, Emperor Yang rebukes Fan and demotes Xiao Yu.

Emperor Yang, believing in accusations by Yuwen Shu in spring 615 that the official Li Hun is intending to carry out a coup to replace Emperor Yang with his nephew Li Min (son-in-law of Emperor Yang's sister Yang Lihua the Princess Leping) and worried about prophecies that someone named Li will become the next emperor, has Li Hun, Li Min, and their clansmen executed, and poisons Yang Lihua's daughter Yuwen Eying.

Sisebut, more than any Visigothic king before him, has become the scourge of the Empire in Spain.

In 614 and 615, he carries out two massive expeditions against the Empire, conquering Málaga before 619, when its bishop appears at the Second Council of Seville.

He conquers as far as the Mediterranean coast and razes many cities to the ground, enough even to catch the attention of the Frankish chronicler Fredegar.

Sisebut probably also razes Cartagena, which is so completely desolated that it never reappears in Visigothic Spain.

Because the Goths are unable to undertake decent sieges, they are forced to reduce the defenses of all fortified places they take in order to prevent later armies from using them against them.

Because Cartagena was destroyed but Málaga was spared, it has been inferred that the former fell first while the imperial presence was still large enough to constitute a threat.

Málaga falls some time after Cartagena, when the Empire is so reduced as to no longer form a danger to Visigothic hegemony over the whole peninsula.