Did you pay 3 infamy for each of those 4 Aragonese colonies? If I may ask, what was the total value of that treaty vs how much warscore you had.
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Indeed I did. Securing peace with Aragon brought me up to 12 infamy; I believe the warscore was something around 10 or 15%... the difference in value of my peace demands (I think it was like 50 or 60) versus the actual warscore was very large, and it took me quite by surprise that Aragon accepted it considering how quickly they peaced out and how little damage I had actually done against them. I chock it up to the fact that France, which possesses an army almost larger than the combined forces of Aragon and Florence, was suddenly knocking on the door of the Aragonese royal palace.
Shame you didn't wait for War Dynamism to kick in on those colonies, but I suppose you wanted them out of the war ASAP so you could focus on everyone else who was still in the fight.
Well crap, I didn't even know of that mechanic... I could have taken over those colonies without forcing peace? Good to know for the future, I suppose. Does that work on fully established colonies too?
Of course, I probably would have forced peace anyway. Aragon was by far the greatest threat throughout the war, and it was only once it was gone that I could start to take the offensive.
It does. The precise requirements of that form of WD is if you have a capital in Europe, your opponent has a capital in Europe, and the province in question is not in Europe. You have to wait a bit longer though for the event to happen than usual WD like recapturing cores.
Fantastic! I assume this is in 5.5.0? (I've yet to update to the latest version of MEIOU)
Yes, so you can dynamically war to your heart's content overseas.
(EDIT) Anyway, I hope France doesn't turn up to ruin things now that Aragon is out of our hair.
One more thing: Having reached the year 1550, the Protestant Reformation has yet to occur. Am I still within the MTTH window for it to fire, or has something 'gone wrong'?
I'm calling even money on it either going wrong or it's happened with a whimper rather than a bang. There's a remote chance it could still kick off but I can't know for sure.
Part 8: Conquerors and 'Conquistadors', 1520-1550 (Pt. 3)
Florence Triumphant, 1538-1545
Aragon's absence from the war severely hampered the capabilities of the 'Papal Coalition', as Aragon was by far the most significant military power among the states of the coalition. With it gone from the war, Florence was now able to begin to bring the fight to the enemy; for the first time in the war, Florentine armies went on the offensive. Corbinelli's army, which had repulsed the Aragonese invasion, was ordered north to support Milan and Bohemia in their invasion of Austrian territory. Milan and Bohemia had bore the brunt of the fighting in Austria, and a number of pitched battles had caused significant causalities on both sides. With Corbinelli's large army now in the fray, the balance of power swung heavily against Austria. Meanwhile, Zaccheria, having repulsed a number of small Papal forces over the winter of 1537, now launched his own invasion of Papal territory. By the August of 1538, the Papacy was under total siege by his armies.
Still, the 'Papal Coalition' was not completely forced onto the defensive by the turn of events, for in the summer of 1538 a major invasion of Neapolitan territory was launched by the Dutch and English. The armies of Naples suffered a number of heavy defeats, and Zaccheria was forced to detach a significant force from the besieging armies to try to the invading enemy. Like in the case of the battle against Aragon, the Florentine superiority in technology carried the day, and both the Dutch and the English armies were driven from the field and, in their rout, destroyed. With the enemy invasions repulsed, and after a number of months recovering its losses, the Neapolitan army was sent north to participate in the siege against the Papacy.
The defeat of the English army in Naples was a major blow to English morale, and severely hampered their capacity to wage war. Supplying and financing the invasion of Naples took a severe toll on the English economy, and with its failure many within the English nobility and leadership questioned the wisdom of financing yet another invasion which could very well end in another disaster. Even maintaining the English navy in the Mediterranean was extraordinarily costly, and soon after the defeat of the invasion force it was brought back to England. English participation in the war was effectively over, and by January of 1539 they had formally signed a peace treaty with Florence. It was a white peace, as England hadn't suffered too heavy a defeat against the Florentines, and Machiavelli wanted them out of the war as soon as possible. He recognized that they were having financial difficulties in the present time, but if allowed to remain in the war they could easily recover their finances and stage another invasion.
In January of 1539, the Kingdom of England agreed to peace with Florence. The defeat of its army in Naples, and the extreme costs involved in the invasion, had effectively ended their participation in the war.
With England out of the war, Florence could now focus the entirety of its efforts against the remaining countries in the coalition: Austria, the Papacy, and Holland. The Dutch, facing similar circumstances as England, were unable to finance another invasion of Florence, and their small size meant that recovering the losses inflicted against their army would take considerable time. Because of this, Machiavelli was comfortable in ordering the armies still defending Florentine territory to participate in the siege of the Papacy. The Neapolitan army had largely taken over siege operations there, and because of this Zaccheria took the bulk of his force north to wage war against the Austrians with Corbinelli.
The campaign against the Austrians had progressed well for Florence and her allies. Throughout 1538 the armies of Bohemia and Milan had fought a number of engagements against the Austrian army and inflicted heavy losses. By the time Zaccheria and Corbinelli joined the campaign, Bohemia's massive armies were ravaging the Austrian countryside and besieging the Austrian capital. Milan was focusing its efforts on recovering the lands of its vassal Salzburg, lands which had come under Austrian occupation early in the war and whose recovery became a priority only after the Austrian armies were weakened. The Bishopric of Aquileia, an Austrian vassal on the border of Florence, had been occupied early in the war as well, and was the site of a number of battles throughout the conflict. The Austrians were intent on recovering the lands of their vassal, and fought a major engagement against Zaccheria's army there in March of 1539. The Austrians had hoped that a major victory would weaken Zaccheria's army enough to force him to pull back, but the battle was a spectacular defeat for the Austrian army. Low on morale and cut off from the supply trains coming from Austria, the Austrian army quickly collapsed against the Florentines and, in its rout, was totally destroyed. The battle of Friul marked another turning point in the war. The Austrian armies were now completely shattered, and the path to Austria lay wide open for Florence's forces.
The situation in Austria, March, 1539. Bohemia's armies are busy besieging Austrian territory, and the Florentine army just won a major victory against the Austrians in the territory of Aquileia.
The war was going well for Florence, and as Florence was now on the offensive the struggles of war hardly affected most of the Florentine population. Florence's culture continued to grow strong, and it was during the late 1530s that a number of discoveries were made by Florentine humanist thinkers researching and translating Greek and Roman texts. One of the most notable of these achievements was a translation of the Bible using the original Greek sources. This translation, when printed, allowed readers to compare it page by page with the official church translations, allowing readers to see that the Bible contained errors. The Florentine government heavily supported the printing of the translation in 1539 and subsidized its costs; for Machiavelli, it was a perfect propaganda piece, as it showed that the Church could make mistakes, and this weakened the legitimacy of the 'holy' Papal Coalition. The translation was a major hit in Florence, and quickly began a text of interest for many Florentine scholars and even members of the clergy. Still, a number of Florence's more conservative clergymen were highly critical of the work, and saw it as yet another attack on the Church by the Florentine government and intellectual elite.
In 1539, the Florentine government helped print a translation of the bible which used original Greek sources. This bible demonstrated that the Church could make mistakes, and was used by Machiavelli as a propaganda piece against the Papal Coalition.
Florence and her allies campaigned throughout the summer of 1539, and the situation for the states still in the Papal Coalition appeared bleak. Austria was being ravaged by Bohemia's armies, Milan had recovered the lost territory in Salzburg, and the Papacy was under complete occupation by the Neapolitan armies. The end of the war appeared near, and the Florentine leadership recognized this. Throughout the late summer and into autumn, envoys from Florence met with the Papal leadership to discuss terms of peace. The Papacy had been badly defeated, and it recognized that it was in no position to refuse demands from Florence. Yet the Florentine leadership also recognized that it had fought a defensive war, and that demanding too much from the defeated coalition could tarnish its record. After all, the Papacy was still regarded favorably by many states in Europe, and the Florentine leadership knew that they had to moderate their demands or else the opinion of Europe would turn against it.
Terms for peace were finally agreed upon in November of 1539. The Papacy was to hand over the province of Marca Anconitana and renounce their claims on Umbria and Romagna, the provinces which it had started the war over in the first place. A considerable war indemnity was also demanded. The Florentines gained control of the territory belonging to Aquileia, and incorporated it into the greater Florentine Republic. The victory over the Papal Coalition was a major one, and Florence's control over central Italy grew even more substantial. Florence was now larger than its ally to the north and slightly larger than the Kingdom of Naples; it was thus the largest state in Italy. The Papal renunciation of its territorial claims also secured Florence's hold on its captured territory, and this gave legitimacy to Florence's control of central Italy.
Florence emerged from the 'War of the Papal Coalition' stronger than it ever. The losses suffered during the war were negligible, and the experience gained by the Florentine armies, which were only freshly recruited when the war began, was valuable. Florence's control of central Italy was expanded even further, and the support of Naples and Milan during the war brought them even closer to Florence. In the Caribbean, Florence found itself with a strengthened hegemony, and the capture of Aragon's island colonies provided Florence with a number of new ports and staging points for further colonization. Florentine dominance in the 'New World' and in Italy seemed inevitable.
Florence and her colonies, 1540. Florence was now a dominant Italian power and the definite colonial hegemon.
Machiavelli had won himself major renown from his handling of the war. He controlled enormous support within Florence, and his policies were seen as largely sensible and effective. Under his guidance, Florence had expanded her colonial empire significantly, had waged a war against the native peoples of central America which was coming to a successful conclusion, had repelled an invasion by the largest coalition of states ever to fight against it and managed to gain territory from that victory, and had expanded its mercantile empire considerably. During his reign, he managed to entrench the power of the Dogeship, but also delegated much of his power to subordinates who were experts in various areas of governance. By doing so, Florence under his reign was run effectively and efficiently. Yet by 1541, Machiavelli was in his 70s, and because of his advanced age his mental capabilities began to weaken. Recognizing the prestige and name he had won for himself, and knowing that he was in a position to enact anything he wanted to, Machiavelli decided to appoint as a successor someone who was close to him during the entirety of his rule.
Niccolaio Accolti had served under Machiavelli as his head diplomat for almost the entirety of Machiavelli's rule, and it was Accolti who both managed the mercantile empire and oversaw the drafting of terms for peace during the war against the Papacy. He was an incredibly charismatic negotiator, being well versed and accomplished in the art of diplomacy. Fluent in a number of languages, Accolti was highly respected and well regarded throughout the courts of Europe and among the Florentine elite. He was also a superb administrator, having honed his skills governing a number of provinces throughout the reign of Machiavelli and overseeing a number of public building and works programs. Machiavelli chose Accolti to succeed him, as he regarded Accolti as one of the finest choices of candidates in all of Florence. Yet Machiavelli, breaking with the tradition set by Acciaiuoli and Zaccheria, decided to allow the Dogeship to be decided by election. Having put his full support behind Accolti and explicitly condoning his candidateship, Machiavelli knew that Accolti would win. By holding a free election, however, he managed to create an impression of a return to the old traditions of the Republic, and this won him even greater support from the Florentine elites, who had witnessed their participation in governing Florence drop enormously since the rule of Acciaiuoli. Accolti won the election easily, and was given the Dogeship in early 1541. Machiavelli retired to his estate outside the capitol, where he would spend the last few years of his life writing on his political experiences and on the work which still needed to be done to propel Florence to a position of control over all of Italy.
Niccolaio Accolti, chosen by Machiavelli as his preferred successor, easily won the election for Doge in 1541.
Under Accolti's leadership, Florence experienced a number of reforms and innovations. A number of land reforms were enacted which granted Florentine citizens vast expanses of uncultivated lands in Italy and in the 'New World'. Accolti oversaw a reform of the Florentine military, where the organizational structure was altered to allow for better command and coordination and to make advantage of the new technologies being used by the Florentine troops. One of the biggest innovations of Accolti's first few years as Doge, however, was the implementation of new farming techniques which helped revolutionize Florentine agricultural production. New irrigation techniques and systems of land organization were developed by a group of advisors Accolti had chosen to help innovate Florentine trade and production practices. These innovations helped - increase the productivity of Florentine agriculture, and as a result an increased harvest brought in greater taxes for the state.
Under the guidance of Doge Accolti, Florence experienced an agricultural revolution because of innovations in agricultural production.
Throughout the 1540s, the war against the Chibcha progressed well for Florence. Rici's armies managed to capture many of the Chibchan cities and defeat the last remnants of their armies. Finally, after almost a decade of campaigning, the Chibchan Emperor was captured by Rici's army outside the Chibchan capitol. His empire soon crumbled as various native groups rebelled against his rule and joined forces with the Florentines. During this period of upheaval, Florence sent over a number of colonial administrators and governors to set up Florentine governance in the captured regions. The native peoples were put under Florentine administration, but were granted a large degree of autonomy. By 1545, a major influx of Florentine colonists greatly increased the European population in the newly captured lands. The enormous wealth of the region, and especially the vast reserves of gold and other precious resources, were quickly exploited and sent back to Florence.
By 1545, the Chibchan people had been conquered. Florence's control of the 'New World' grew significantly from the addition of their lands.
The War of the Second Coalition, 1545-1550
The years of peace following the 'War of the Papal Coalition' were spent rebuilding the Florentine army and navy and strengthening Florence's defenses at home. A major construction program allowed for the building of a number of forts along the Florentine border, and the Florentine navy in the Mediterranean saw the addition of a dozen large caravels. Throughout Florence, trade and culture was again prospering. Yet tensions with Florence's neighbors were also still at a boiling point, as the Papacy had not yet given up its desire to recover the lands lost and to inflict a damaging blow against Florence. Only 5 years after the conclusion of the last war, the Papacy again decided to attack Florence. With support from a number of its allies from the last war, including Holland and Austria, and with the addition of Genoa and Switzerland, which had watched Florence's recent growth with major alarm, the Papacy declared war on Florence in May of 1545 and was soon marching its armies across the border. The 'War of the Second Coalition' had begun.
Like in the last war, the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Naples and the Duchy of Milan joined the war on Florence's side, as did the Italian city-states tucked between Florence and Milan. Unlike the last war, however, Florence's coalition was much stronger from the get-go than the enemy coalition, and immediately it took the offensive. The Neapolitan armies quickly swept aside the Papal attackers and then staged their own attack, and soon the Papacy was again under full siege. Milan's armies focused their energy against Austria and saw some success, though a number of major battles inflicted upon them serious losses. Florence's main focus was on the Republic of Genoa, whose armies were also quickly defeated. Within 2 months since the start of the war, Genoa too was under full siege.
The 'War of the Second Coalition'. Austria, Genoa, the Papacy, Holland, and Switzerland attacked Florence trying to win where they had previously failed.
The war in Genoa and the Papacy quickly stagnated as the Florentine and Neapolitan armies besieged the enemy forts and cities. The Florentine army scored a major victory over the Genovese early in the war which completely destroyed the Genovese army. Genoa would muster no more resistance following this defeat. In Austria, however, the war was a deadly and prolonged affair. The armies of Bohemia and Milan constantly fought pitched battles against the Austrians, and major causalities were suffered on both sides. The arrival of a Florentine army in late 1545 helped shift the balance of power slightly, but still Austria managed to hold its own against Florence and her allies. The fighting in Austria would continue for another year, as both the Austrian and Florentine armies campaigned and counter-campaigned against each other. In early 1547, the Genovese provinces began to fall, and by April of 1547 the Republic of Genoa was fully under Florentine occupation.
The battle of Liguria in 1546 completely destroyed the Genovese army, and allowed Florence to occupy Genoa without difficulty.
Once Genoa was occupied, Florence began discussions with the Genovese leadership about terms for peace. It was decided that Genoa would pay a major war indemnity to Florence, which would use these funds to further develop the Florentine navy. More important was the demand that Genoa disband its trade league and join the Florentine League; with the incorporation of Genovese trade into the league, Florence saw its trade revenues skyrocket. It was now securely the dominant trade power in Europe, as it was completely unrivaled by any other center of trade or trading power.
In return for peace, Genoa was forced to join the Florentine League, greatly boosting Florentine trade revenues.
Meanwhile, the Neapolitan occupation was nearing completion. By the end of 1547, the last of the Papal forts had fallen, and Rome was under full occupation. The Papal coalition had once again failed. Florence’s terms for peace were much harsher than the last: the Papacy would join the Florentine League, renounce their claim on the territory Florence had taken from the last war, remove the County of Gorz from its sphere of influence, and annual all of its treaties Austria. With the Papacy no longer laying claim on Florence's captured territories, the Florentine leadership felt much more secure. Florence's hold on central Italy was now guaranteed.
With the Papacy out of the war, hostilities rapidly came to a close. The Austrian armies had been bitterly defeated in the last year of the war, and the balance of power had swung heavily in Florence’s favor. The armies of Milan and Bohemia were exhausted, however, and manywithin Florence were also tired of continual war, no matter how successful Florence was performing. With the Papacy out of the coalition and the initial cause for the war now an impossible goal, the Austrian leadership recognized that they had nothing worth fighting for, and that they were in a very disadvantaged position. Their proposal of a white peace was well received in Florence and in the capitols of her allies, and the peace was seen as fair. After all, even though Austria’s armies had been defeated, the Florentine coalition had failed to capture any of territory, and had little leverage when it came to terms of peace.
The terms against the Papacy were rather harsh: It was forced to join the Florentine League, renounce its claims on the territory it had lost in the wars, and annul its treaties with Austria.
The 1540s were a time of great success for Florence. She had captured vast amounts of territory in the ‘New World’, greatly increasing her overseas hegemony. The defeat of the Second Coalition was a major victory, and demonstrated that Florence was once again the dominant military power of Italy. The defeats against France in the early 1500s were now a distantmemory, and the tarnish on Florence’s military reputation had beencompletely swept away. In the years which followed the second war, Accoltifocused his energy on major construction programs and improving diplomatic relations abroad. Florence’s victories over the Papacy, while hard fought and well won, still added tarnish to her international reputation. In 1550, Florence was seen negatively by most of the Catholic countries in Europe because of the terms it had placed against the Papacy. Accolti hoped that his diplomatic charisma could help restore Florence’s prestige in the eyes of the European community.
Florence Triumphant, 1538-1545
Aragon's absence from the war severely hampered the capabilities of the 'Papal Coalition', as Aragon was by far the most significant military power among the states of the coalition. With it gone from the war, Florence was now able to begin to bring the fight to the enemy; for the first time in the war, Florentine armies went on the offensive. Corbinelli's army, which had repulsed the Aragonese invasion, was ordered north to support Milan and Bohemia in their invasion of Austrian territory. Milan and Bohemia had bore the brunt of the fighting in Austria, and a number of pitched battles had caused significant causalities on both sides. With Corbinelli's large army now in the fray, the balance of power swung heavily against Austria. Meanwhile, Zaccheria, having repulsed a number of small Papal forces over the winter of 1537, now launched his own invasion of Papal territory. By the August of 1538, the Papacy was under total siege by his armies.
Still, the 'Papal Coalition' was not completely forced onto the defensive by the turn of events, for in the summer of 1538 a major invasion of Neapolitan territory was launched by the Dutch and English. The armies of Naples suffered a number of heavy defeats, and Zaccheria was forced to detach a significant force from the besieging armies to try to the invading enemy. Like in the case of the battle against Aragon, the Florentine superiority in technology carried the day, and both the Dutch and the English armies were driven from the field and, in their rout, destroyed. With the enemy invasions repulsed, and after a number of months recovering its losses, the Neapolitan army was sent north to participate in the siege against the Papacy.
The defeat of the English army in Naples was a major blow to English morale, and severely hampered their capacity to wage war. Supplying and financing the invasion of Naples took a severe toll on the English economy, and with its failure many within the English nobility and leadership questioned the wisdom of financing yet another invasion which could very well end in another disaster. Even maintaining the English navy in the Mediterranean was extraordinarily costly, and soon after the defeat of the invasion force it was brought back to England. English participation in the war was effectively over, and by January of 1539 they had formally signed a peace treaty with Florence. It was a white peace, as England hadn't suffered too heavy a defeat against the Florentines, and Machiavelli wanted them out of the war as soon as possible. He recognized that they were having financial difficulties in the present time, but if allowed to remain in the war they could easily recover their finances and stage another invasion.
In January of 1539, the Kingdom of England agreed to peace with Florence. The defeat of its army in Naples, and the extreme costs involved in the invasion, had effectively ended their participation in the war.
With England out of the war, Florence could now focus the entirety of its efforts against the remaining countries in the coalition: Austria, the Papacy, and Holland. The Dutch, facing similar circumstances as England, were unable to finance another invasion of Florence, and their small size meant that recovering the losses inflicted against their army would take considerable time. Because of this, Machiavelli was comfortable in ordering the armies still defending Florentine territory to participate in the siege of the Papacy. The Neapolitan army had largely taken over siege operations there, and because of this Zaccheria took the bulk of his force north to wage war against the Austrians with Corbinelli.
The campaign against the Austrians had progressed well for Florence and her allies. Throughout 1538 the armies of Bohemia and Milan had fought a number of engagements against the Austrian army and inflicted heavy losses. By the time Zaccheria and Corbinelli joined the campaign, Bohemia's massive armies were ravaging the Austrian countryside and besieging the Austrian capital. Milan was focusing its efforts on recovering the lands of its vassal Salzburg, lands which had come under Austrian occupation early in the war and whose recovery became a priority only after the Austrian armies were weakened. The Bishopric of Aquileia, an Austrian vassal on the border of Florence, had been occupied early in the war as well, and was the site of a number of battles throughout the conflict. The Austrians were intent on recovering the lands of their vassal, and fought a major engagement against Zaccheria's army there in March of 1539. The Austrians had hoped that a major victory would weaken Zaccheria's army enough to force him to pull back, but the battle was a spectacular defeat for the Austrian army. Low on morale and cut off from the supply trains coming from Austria, the Austrian army quickly collapsed against the Florentines and, in its rout, was totally destroyed. The battle of Friul marked another turning point in the war. The Austrian armies were now completely shattered, and the path to Austria lay wide open for Florence's forces.
The situation in Austria, March, 1539. Bohemia's armies are busy besieging Austrian territory, and the Florentine army just won a major victory against the Austrians in the territory of Aquileia.
The war was going well for Florence, and as Florence was now on the offensive the struggles of war hardly affected most of the Florentine population. Florence's culture continued to grow strong, and it was during the late 1530s that a number of discoveries were made by Florentine humanist thinkers researching and translating Greek and Roman texts. One of the most notable of these achievements was a translation of the Bible using the original Greek sources. This translation, when printed, allowed readers to compare it page by page with the official church translations, allowing readers to see that the Bible contained errors. The Florentine government heavily supported the printing of the translation in 1539 and subsidized its costs; for Machiavelli, it was a perfect propaganda piece, as it showed that the Church could make mistakes, and this weakened the legitimacy of the 'holy' Papal Coalition. The translation was a major hit in Florence, and quickly began a text of interest for many Florentine scholars and even members of the clergy. Still, a number of Florence's more conservative clergymen were highly critical of the work, and saw it as yet another attack on the Church by the Florentine government and intellectual elite.
In 1539, the Florentine government helped print a translation of the bible which used original Greek sources. This bible demonstrated that the Church could make mistakes, and was used by Machiavelli as a propaganda piece against the Papal Coalition.
Florence and her allies campaigned throughout the summer of 1539, and the situation for the states still in the Papal Coalition appeared bleak. Austria was being ravaged by Bohemia's armies, Milan had recovered the lost territory in Salzburg, and the Papacy was under complete occupation by the Neapolitan armies. The end of the war appeared near, and the Florentine leadership recognized this. Throughout the late summer and into autumn, envoys from Florence met with the Papal leadership to discuss terms of peace. The Papacy had been badly defeated, and it recognized that it was in no position to refuse demands from Florence. Yet the Florentine leadership also recognized that it had fought a defensive war, and that demanding too much from the defeated coalition could tarnish its record. After all, the Papacy was still regarded favorably by many states in Europe, and the Florentine leadership knew that they had to moderate their demands or else the opinion of Europe would turn against it.
Terms for peace were finally agreed upon in November of 1539. The Papacy was to hand over the province of Marca Anconitana and renounce their claims on Umbria and Romagna, the provinces which it had started the war over in the first place. A considerable war indemnity was also demanded. The Florentines gained control of the territory belonging to Aquileia, and incorporated it into the greater Florentine Republic. The victory over the Papal Coalition was a major one, and Florence's control over central Italy grew even more substantial. Florence was now larger than its ally to the north and slightly larger than the Kingdom of Naples; it was thus the largest state in Italy. The Papal renunciation of its territorial claims also secured Florence's hold on its captured territory, and this gave legitimacy to Florence's control of central Italy.
Florence emerged from the 'War of the Papal Coalition' stronger than it ever. The losses suffered during the war were negligible, and the experience gained by the Florentine armies, which were only freshly recruited when the war began, was valuable. Florence's control of central Italy was expanded even further, and the support of Naples and Milan during the war brought them even closer to Florence. In the Caribbean, Florence found itself with a strengthened hegemony, and the capture of Aragon's island colonies provided Florence with a number of new ports and staging points for further colonization. Florentine dominance in the 'New World' and in Italy seemed inevitable.
Florence and her colonies, 1540. Florence was now a dominant Italian power and the definite colonial hegemon.
Machiavelli had won himself major renown from his handling of the war. He controlled enormous support within Florence, and his policies were seen as largely sensible and effective. Under his guidance, Florence had expanded her colonial empire significantly, had waged a war against the native peoples of central America which was coming to a successful conclusion, had repelled an invasion by the largest coalition of states ever to fight against it and managed to gain territory from that victory, and had expanded its mercantile empire considerably. During his reign, he managed to entrench the power of the Dogeship, but also delegated much of his power to subordinates who were experts in various areas of governance. By doing so, Florence under his reign was run effectively and efficiently. Yet by 1541, Machiavelli was in his 70s, and because of his advanced age his mental capabilities began to weaken. Recognizing the prestige and name he had won for himself, and knowing that he was in a position to enact anything he wanted to, Machiavelli decided to appoint as a successor someone who was close to him during the entirety of his rule.
Niccolaio Accolti had served under Machiavelli as his head diplomat for almost the entirety of Machiavelli's rule, and it was Accolti who both managed the mercantile empire and oversaw the drafting of terms for peace during the war against the Papacy. He was an incredibly charismatic negotiator, being well versed and accomplished in the art of diplomacy. Fluent in a number of languages, Accolti was highly respected and well regarded throughout the courts of Europe and among the Florentine elite. He was also a superb administrator, having honed his skills governing a number of provinces throughout the reign of Machiavelli and overseeing a number of public building and works programs. Machiavelli chose Accolti to succeed him, as he regarded Accolti as one of the finest choices of candidates in all of Florence. Yet Machiavelli, breaking with the tradition set by Acciaiuoli and Zaccheria, decided to allow the Dogeship to be decided by election. Having put his full support behind Accolti and explicitly condoning his candidateship, Machiavelli knew that Accolti would win. By holding a free election, however, he managed to create an impression of a return to the old traditions of the Republic, and this won him even greater support from the Florentine elites, who had witnessed their participation in governing Florence drop enormously since the rule of Acciaiuoli. Accolti won the election easily, and was given the Dogeship in early 1541. Machiavelli retired to his estate outside the capitol, where he would spend the last few years of his life writing on his political experiences and on the work which still needed to be done to propel Florence to a position of control over all of Italy.
Niccolaio Accolti, chosen by Machiavelli as his preferred successor, easily won the election for Doge in 1541.
Under Accolti's leadership, Florence experienced a number of reforms and innovations. A number of land reforms were enacted which granted Florentine citizens vast expanses of uncultivated lands in Italy and in the 'New World'. Accolti oversaw a reform of the Florentine military, where the organizational structure was altered to allow for better command and coordination and to make advantage of the new technologies being used by the Florentine troops. One of the biggest innovations of Accolti's first few years as Doge, however, was the implementation of new farming techniques which helped revolutionize Florentine agricultural production. New irrigation techniques and systems of land organization were developed by a group of advisors Accolti had chosen to help innovate Florentine trade and production practices. These innovations helped - increase the productivity of Florentine agriculture, and as a result an increased harvest brought in greater taxes for the state.
Under the guidance of Doge Accolti, Florence experienced an agricultural revolution because of innovations in agricultural production.
Throughout the 1540s, the war against the Chibcha progressed well for Florence. Rici's armies managed to capture many of the Chibchan cities and defeat the last remnants of their armies. Finally, after almost a decade of campaigning, the Chibchan Emperor was captured by Rici's army outside the Chibchan capitol. His empire soon crumbled as various native groups rebelled against his rule and joined forces with the Florentines. During this period of upheaval, Florence sent over a number of colonial administrators and governors to set up Florentine governance in the captured regions. The native peoples were put under Florentine administration, but were granted a large degree of autonomy. By 1545, a major influx of Florentine colonists greatly increased the European population in the newly captured lands. The enormous wealth of the region, and especially the vast reserves of gold and other precious resources, were quickly exploited and sent back to Florence.
By 1545, the Chibchan people had been conquered. Florence's control of the 'New World' grew significantly from the addition of their lands.
The War of the Second Coalition, 1545-1550
The years of peace following the 'War of the Papal Coalition' were spent rebuilding the Florentine army and navy and strengthening Florence's defenses at home. A major construction program allowed for the building of a number of forts along the Florentine border, and the Florentine navy in the Mediterranean saw the addition of a dozen large caravels. Throughout Florence, trade and culture was again prospering. Yet tensions with Florence's neighbors were also still at a boiling point, as the Papacy had not yet given up its desire to recover the lands lost and to inflict a damaging blow against Florence. Only 5 years after the conclusion of the last war, the Papacy again decided to attack Florence. With support from a number of its allies from the last war, including Holland and Austria, and with the addition of Genoa and Switzerland, which had watched Florence's recent growth with major alarm, the Papacy declared war on Florence in May of 1545 and was soon marching its armies across the border. The 'War of the Second Coalition' had begun.
Like in the last war, the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Naples and the Duchy of Milan joined the war on Florence's side, as did the Italian city-states tucked between Florence and Milan. Unlike the last war, however, Florence's coalition was much stronger from the get-go than the enemy coalition, and immediately it took the offensive. The Neapolitan armies quickly swept aside the Papal attackers and then staged their own attack, and soon the Papacy was again under full siege. Milan's armies focused their energy against Austria and saw some success, though a number of major battles inflicted upon them serious losses. Florence's main focus was on the Republic of Genoa, whose armies were also quickly defeated. Within 2 months since the start of the war, Genoa too was under full siege.
The 'War of the Second Coalition'. Austria, Genoa, the Papacy, Holland, and Switzerland attacked Florence trying to win where they had previously failed.
The war in Genoa and the Papacy quickly stagnated as the Florentine and Neapolitan armies besieged the enemy forts and cities. The Florentine army scored a major victory over the Genovese early in the war which completely destroyed the Genovese army. Genoa would muster no more resistance following this defeat. In Austria, however, the war was a deadly and prolonged affair. The armies of Bohemia and Milan constantly fought pitched battles against the Austrians, and major causalities were suffered on both sides. The arrival of a Florentine army in late 1545 helped shift the balance of power slightly, but still Austria managed to hold its own against Florence and her allies. The fighting in Austria would continue for another year, as both the Austrian and Florentine armies campaigned and counter-campaigned against each other. In early 1547, the Genovese provinces began to fall, and by April of 1547 the Republic of Genoa was fully under Florentine occupation.
The battle of Liguria in 1546 completely destroyed the Genovese army, and allowed Florence to occupy Genoa without difficulty.
Once Genoa was occupied, Florence began discussions with the Genovese leadership about terms for peace. It was decided that Genoa would pay a major war indemnity to Florence, which would use these funds to further develop the Florentine navy. More important was the demand that Genoa disband its trade league and join the Florentine League; with the incorporation of Genovese trade into the league, Florence saw its trade revenues skyrocket. It was now securely the dominant trade power in Europe, as it was completely unrivaled by any other center of trade or trading power.
In return for peace, Genoa was forced to join the Florentine League, greatly boosting Florentine trade revenues.
Meanwhile, the Neapolitan occupation was nearing completion. By the end of 1547, the last of the Papal forts had fallen, and Rome was under full occupation. The Papal coalition had once again failed. Florence’s terms for peace were much harsher than the last: the Papacy would join the Florentine League, renounce their claim on the territory Florence had taken from the last war, remove the County of Gorz from its sphere of influence, and annual all of its treaties Austria. With the Papacy no longer laying claim on Florence's captured territories, the Florentine leadership felt much more secure. Florence's hold on central Italy was now guaranteed.
With the Papacy out of the war, hostilities rapidly came to a close. The Austrian armies had been bitterly defeated in the last year of the war, and the balance of power had swung heavily in Florence’s favor. The armies of Milan and Bohemia were exhausted, however, and manywithin Florence were also tired of continual war, no matter how successful Florence was performing. With the Papacy out of the coalition and the initial cause for the war now an impossible goal, the Austrian leadership recognized that they had nothing worth fighting for, and that they were in a very disadvantaged position. Their proposal of a white peace was well received in Florence and in the capitols of her allies, and the peace was seen as fair. After all, even though Austria’s armies had been defeated, the Florentine coalition had failed to capture any of territory, and had little leverage when it came to terms of peace.
The terms against the Papacy were rather harsh: It was forced to join the Florentine League, renounce its claims on the territory it had lost in the wars, and annul its treaties with Austria.
The 1540s were a time of great success for Florence. She had captured vast amounts of territory in the ‘New World’, greatly increasing her overseas hegemony. The defeat of the Second Coalition was a major victory, and demonstrated that Florence was once again the dominant military power of Italy. The defeats against France in the early 1500s were now a distantmemory, and the tarnish on Florence’s military reputation had beencompletely swept away. In the years which followed the second war, Accoltifocused his energy on major construction programs and improving diplomatic relations abroad. Florence’s victories over the Papacy, while hard fought and well won, still added tarnish to her international reputation. In 1550, Florence was seen negatively by most of the Catholic countries in Europe because of the terms it had placed against the Papacy. Accolti hoped that his diplomatic charisma could help restore Florence’s prestige in the eyes of the European community.
Bravo! I see the Pope doesn't know when to quit! Next time take Lazio and he should learn his place in Italian affairs. Question: Can't you form Tuscany now that you own Lucca?
That's one rabid Papacy. Glad to see you put them in their place although I probably would have grabbed Lazio to reduce them to an OPM which you could sphere and keep as a pet Pope. Whatever you do though, don't capture Roma. Just don't. Are there any further plans for conquest in Mesoamerica or perhaps the Andes? Is that Portugal I see there in the Yucatan?
Nice work all round.
EmperorG - I don't see Tuscany being formed any time soon because one of the conditions for it in MEIOU is having good relations with the Pope, though I suppose Cody could buy his way intoheaven His Holiness' good graces.
Gukpa - Forming Italy is rather complicated now in MEIOU. First you need a number of provinces in every part of Italy (except the Neapolitan areas) and then you need to somehow get the crown from the Holy Roman Emperor. There's a bit more detailed explanation somewhere on this page of the MEIOU manual but it won't be much good without a diagram explaining the regions.
Nice work all round.
EmperorG - I don't see Tuscany being formed any time soon because one of the conditions for it in MEIOU is having good relations with the Pope, though I suppose Cody could buy his way into
Gukpa - Forming Italy is rather complicated now in MEIOU. First you need a number of provinces in every part of Italy (except the Neapolitan areas) and then you need to somehow get the crown from the Holy Roman Emperor. There's a bit more detailed explanation somewhere on this page of the MEIOU manual but it won't be much good without a diagram explaining the regions.
Fantastic successes! I've been lurking on this AAR for a while and I've got to say it's one of the best in recent memory. 
Could we get an economic overview showing income and CoT charts perhaps?
Could we get an economic overview showing income and CoT charts perhaps?
all that trade income is going to lead to a nice tech boost in the near future. You're already a generation ahead of land tech, why not press that advantage and take back Parma?
To create italy must be the leader of Holy Roman Empire?This don't makes sense Ò.Ó But is really hard,good Luck Florentine Republic
No, you must not be the HREmperor. If you were then you'd already technically be the King of Italy. The HREmperor must be a different nation for the events to work properly. I'm sure though that if it ended up being a serious issue there could be a quick 'adjustment' to the mod to get around it.To create italy must be the leader of Holy Roman Empire?This don't makes sense Ò.Ó But is really hard,good Luck Florentine Republic
To get the crown of Italy you need the Emperor to agree to hand it over, since it was his crown after all. Also you need to remain a member of the HRE for the decision to be made.
well done for encouraging the Pope to stick to poping and give up on holding too many temporal distractions ...
You handled that disparate alliance pretty well, but presume France still lurks as the big threat on the horizon?
You handled that disparate alliance pretty well, but presume France still lurks as the big threat on the horizon?