AGCEEP 1.53, Byzantine Revival scenario. Litle talk, big pics.
Dispite the colossal victory over the Turks only 10 years before, the Roman Empire of the East in 1440 has no shortage of problems.
The amount of land recovered has been hard to swalow, for a system used to runing litle more then a city, and the debts of war don't allow for the economy to grow much or developments to be implemented - or even for a large enough army to mantain the Emperor's authority.
In August, the Bulgarians revolt. Afraid of risking his army on a fair fight, and confident that the winter would hurt the revolters, the Emperor sits back and waits.
The Bulgarians see this as a sign of weakness, and their numbers soon duble.
Even more afraid of risking his army on an unfair fight, the Emperor sees his problem increased further due to the mild winter of the year.
By may the whole province is in rebel hands.
Forced to action more by a lack of choices then anything else, the bulk of the Byzantine forces march to Rumelia as soon as word reaches Constantinople that the rebels are also marching there.
Dispite the rather uneven odds, superior training and experience do lead to a victory for the forces loyal to the Emperor. They then proced to start the process of restoring authority over Bulgaria.
On a gambit, and trusting that the Serbian army might be larger then of their Bosnian neighbour, the Emperor strikes a deal with this slavic nation. Their newborn alliance is soon increased by Morea, who really contributes with litle else then... well nothing really.
As this happens, the Rumelian populace, with an islamic majority, sides with the Ottomans and drives the Roman soldiers away. The Serbian gambit fails, and the joint efforts of Bosnia and Albania crush their army and lay siege to Kosovo.
The small detachment the Emperor sends to Albania proper fails to convince the Albanians to abandon the Kosovar siege, wich rather surprises the Emperor for there's nothing in Kosovo that could possibly ever ever interest the Albanians.
With litle choice, Serbia concedes to lose Kosovo to Albania, even before the Emperor's troops are able to retake Bulgaria. The situation looks grim indeed, and if not for our ships blocking the Ottomans in Anatolia, it would look desperate.
But as we are Ortodox and God it truly on our side, things improve.
For once, the Albanian forces are reluctant to advance against our troops in their own mountains, and thus sit out in Kosovo. For twice, we finaly recover Bulgaria, drive the rebels our of Rumelia, and even lay siege to the long-unaided small army of turks in Dobrudja.
The Albanians, seeking to consolidate their strange new gains, offer peace terms.
The Emperor accepts.
And in an admitedly rare piece of diplomatic genius, two days later...
Further sealing the result of this war of Turkish aggression, one year later Moldavia pledges with the Roman alliance.
When the Peace Treaty is signed in May of 1447, the Turks have abandoned all their European provinces, the Empire has achieved a degree of safety in it's Grand Ortodox Alliance and Albania has become a regional power.
...but more Woes certainly await the Empire, as this victory cost further loans, exausted the people and the lands, increased inflation and produced a now-ally but potencial rival in the region...
-\-
Dispite the colossal victory over the Turks only 10 years before, the Roman Empire of the East in 1440 has no shortage of problems.
The amount of land recovered has been hard to swalow, for a system used to runing litle more then a city, and the debts of war don't allow for the economy to grow much or developments to be implemented - or even for a large enough army to mantain the Emperor's authority.
In August, the Bulgarians revolt. Afraid of risking his army on a fair fight, and confident that the winter would hurt the revolters, the Emperor sits back and waits.
The Bulgarians see this as a sign of weakness, and their numbers soon duble.
Even more afraid of risking his army on an unfair fight, the Emperor sees his problem increased further due to the mild winter of the year.
By may the whole province is in rebel hands.
Forced to action more by a lack of choices then anything else, the bulk of the Byzantine forces march to Rumelia as soon as word reaches Constantinople that the rebels are also marching there.
Dispite the rather uneven odds, superior training and experience do lead to a victory for the forces loyal to the Emperor. They then proced to start the process of restoring authority over Bulgaria.
On a gambit, and trusting that the Serbian army might be larger then of their Bosnian neighbour, the Emperor strikes a deal with this slavic nation. Their newborn alliance is soon increased by Morea, who really contributes with litle else then... well nothing really.
As this happens, the Rumelian populace, with an islamic majority, sides with the Ottomans and drives the Roman soldiers away. The Serbian gambit fails, and the joint efforts of Bosnia and Albania crush their army and lay siege to Kosovo.
The small detachment the Emperor sends to Albania proper fails to convince the Albanians to abandon the Kosovar siege, wich rather surprises the Emperor for there's nothing in Kosovo that could possibly ever ever interest the Albanians.
With litle choice, Serbia concedes to lose Kosovo to Albania, even before the Emperor's troops are able to retake Bulgaria. The situation looks grim indeed, and if not for our ships blocking the Ottomans in Anatolia, it would look desperate.
But as we are Ortodox and God it truly on our side, things improve.
For once, the Albanian forces are reluctant to advance against our troops in their own mountains, and thus sit out in Kosovo. For twice, we finaly recover Bulgaria, drive the rebels our of Rumelia, and even lay siege to the long-unaided small army of turks in Dobrudja.
The Albanians, seeking to consolidate their strange new gains, offer peace terms.
The Emperor accepts.
And in an admitedly rare piece of diplomatic genius, two days later...
Further sealing the result of this war of Turkish aggression, one year later Moldavia pledges with the Roman alliance.
When the Peace Treaty is signed in May of 1447, the Turks have abandoned all their European provinces, the Empire has achieved a degree of safety in it's Grand Ortodox Alliance and Albania has become a regional power.
...but more Woes certainly await the Empire, as this victory cost further loans, exausted the people and the lands, increased inflation and produced a now-ally but potencial rival in the region...
. 
