Hans II of Hytekia

Hans II
Hans II with his famous Hansahalm blade, painted by Oskar, Duke of Pekraz, in 1840
Grand Duke of Hytekia and Grand Duke of Visnevas
Reign	7 June 1834 – 18 November 1873
Coronation	11 June 1844
Predecessor	Hans I
Successor	Adelaide
Born	25 December 1810 Ackerbünd Castle, Grobau, Hytekia (modern-day Grobina, Hytekia)
Died	18 November 1876(1876-11-18) (aged 65) Konreid Palace, Konreid, Hytekia (modern-day Konreid, Mascylla)
Burial	Guzhe Chapel, Krasno, Hytekia
Spouse	Susanna, Duchess of Karonau
Issue	Oskar Adelaide Hans, Prince of Lielosta
House	Melderis
Father	Hans I
Mother	Josefine
Religion	Ditanery

Hans II (25 December 1810 – 18 November 1876; aged 65), born Hans von Melderis was a Hytek royal who ruled as Grand Duke of Hytekia between 1834 and 1873, and ruled as Grand Duke of Visnevas under personal union in the same time frame. Renowned for his military genius and revolutionary tactics on the battlefield, Hans was one of the most influential people regarding military thought throughout the 19th century, mainly from his successes in the Saarow War, where Hytekojuznia triumphed over Mascylla in the conquest of some of its northern territories.

Born in 1810 at Ackerbünd Castle in Grobina, Hans was raised a Ditanery from a young age, and grew up mainly at the castle he was born in, as well as Breinermoor Palace in Krasno. He was tutored from the age of five and began to show a great interest in the military, particularly the infantry frontliners of the early 19th century, dominated by Mascylla's Freikorps since the country unified in 1800. He served as a general in the Hytek army in a largely dormant early-19th century for the country, with his first experience in combat coming when he led his army to victory to crush the 1814 Molme Uprising. His father, Hans I, abdicated the throne to his son in 1834, and died three years later. Hans was coronated in the same year, and quickly took to reforming the army's compositional traits. Re-establishing the ragucin in the social hierarchy, the Hytek cavalry divisions quickly brought about victory for the Hytek army, repelling a Mascyllary invasion in 1837 and being able to sue Mascylla for a white peace. He exercised his claims to Saarow, Bad Ulerst and Mögtland in north-western Mascylla in 1853 and eventually declared war on the Hesurian nation in 1854, beginning the Saarow War, a crushing defeat for Mascylla and the establishment of Hytekojuznia as a forefront military power in Erdara.

Following the Saarow War, Hans spent a lot of his time in the conquered regions to quell unrest and revolt, but also to connect with the people of the region, albeit unsuccessful. He announced his daughter and first child, Adelaide of Hytekia, would be his successor, one of the first examples of female hereditary succession in Erdara, to the dismay of some nobles who campaigned for his son, Oskar, to be named heir, but Oskar and his forces were defeated by Hans in 1872 at Kelau (now Kiluoja). Hans abdicated his throne in 1873 in favour of his daughter, Adelaide, following severe problems with his health. He served as an advisor to Adelaide for the three years between his abdication and death, and was an administrative officer for the Hytekojuznik army in the Konreid Campaign in 1875. Hans died in 1876 and was buried at Guzhe Chapel, the historical resting place of Hytekojuznik monarchs.