Strengthening the nation
My hands had already been itching to take care of some issues with the current state of our country.
First of all, the treasury is not as full as I’d like it to be, and we need to find new ways to make more money. We loose a lot of census taxes right now, because the tax office of the palace is malfunctioning badly. I’ve been playing with the idea of introducing local tax offices in each city. The tax collectors have less people to check, and they can keep a closer contact. I think it will definitely improve the state of our treasury. Of course, Joachim thinks the same. On January 2nd, he proposes the “Local Tax Collection Policy” to the Council. On January 3rd, the Council approves the Policy. Three days later, the recruiting of Tax Collectors in the cities of Morea has started.
Secondly, we have no navy. This is an impossible situation, as we cannot leave by land, since the Ottomans refuse us access through their lands (even if they are rightfully ours). Joachim orders the creation of the Union Fleet; on January 6th, the ship building facilities in Athens and Nafplion start building a warship and a transport ship. It will take almost a year before they will be completed.
Thirdly, the fortifications in Athens are not what they should be. The reparations of the old fortifications have just finished -- Demetrios was killed visiting them, remember -- and I fail to understand why he (Demetrios) only ordered to fix them, and not to reinforce them. Any siege to our capital will not take very long. That’s is of course the reason that Joachim clears the funding for the upgrading of the fortress. On January 6th, the works for the new fortress start; the new (and bigger) fortress will be reading on January 1st, next year.
After the extremely busy day of January 6th, nothing much happens until January 16th. That day, a messenger arrives with the news that the Ottoman Empire has claimed the lands of the Mameluks, and are now at war with them. The army of 52.000 men that was sitting on our northern border starts to move out. This is very interesting (and good) news indeed, but not for Ayla. Last time I spoke to her, she said that the Mameluk people were not ready for a war. If hope she was wrong, or that their situation has improved: maybe this war will weaken the Ottomans enough so that we can attack them. We’ll have to wait to see how this war goes before we take action.
On april 1st, the Pope issues the Treaty Of Tordesillas. It seems Spain and Portugal have decided that the New World is theirs, and have split the booty in half. They also gain the right to take ANY property of another country (in the New World) if they consider it rightfully theirs. I wonder what they have done to the Pope for him to sign such a treaty… Oh well. We’ll see what happens.
In the beginning of may, a merchant ship coming from Andalusia brings the news that Spain has annexed Granada. They finally got rid of all the Moslems on the Iberian… Nice. Let’s hope we can do the same, in our lands…
Meanwhile, the war between the Ottomans and Mameluks is not going very good. The Mameluks already lost 2 provinces to the Ottoman Empire, and it seems more warfare is going on near the Mameluk capital. It seems Ayla was right, after all…
June brings the news that Venice decides to attack Austria. It seems the Austrian ambassador was blackmailing several Venetian Market Officers, which allowed them a better competitive scope into the right Venetian markets. Both alliances spring into action, and every alliance member goes to war. It’s funny, because Pommerania and Holstein are part of the Free Market Alliance of Venice, but I fail to see how Jondalar and Yggdra find a war against a country on the other side of Europe profitable. I’ll have to ask them at our next meeting.
The shipbuilding facility in Nafplion finishes the transport ship before schedule at the end of September. That’s good, they work pretty fast. The warship is almost ready, it will be ready in the second half of November. I have Joachim commission 2 new transports.
The year turns, and become 1493… In the beginning of January I get a note from Yggdra. Amongst other things he tells me that the government of Denmark has fallen: the rebels there declared their independence and called the new country Sweden. Interesting, the must be in a similar situation as we were 10 years ago.
January 18th, a Royal envoy from Bavaria arrives in the Athens port. They offer the hand of a niece of the Bavarian king. Joachim’s brother is still single (and a moron, but who cares) and we accept their proposal.
April 7th sees the birth of the second transport. The Morean shipbuilders work good and fast. Joachim is pleased, and orders another transport ship to be built.
It seems the state of Denmark has heard about our affairs, and needs our expertise on how to handle the Swedes. They want to create an military alliance with us. This is not bad; we need an ally, and I can use Denmark to take care of my game competitors of Holstein and Pommerania. They will surely don’t like it. On May 3rd, the Alliance Of The United Peninsulas is created. Initial members: Denmark and the Union of Hellenistic City States.
On May 15th, the third transport ship of our brand new navy is finished in Athens. This ship building business is going good; we decide to build another transport ship.
June 3rd, a black day for Kazan. Russia kicks Kazan out of it’s alliance AND decides to break its vassalisation with Kazan. They declare war on them. The other alliance members (Crimea, Ryazan and Pskov) pledge their loyalty to Russia and join the war.
It seems the virus-of-war has spread in Europa, because on August 8th, Milan declares war upon Savoy. Why, I still fail to see. Maybe Milan just wanted an access point in the Mediterranean. Spain, England, Mameluks and Scotland join Milan; France, Papal States, Brittany and Navarra join Savoy. It seems that Ayla did not want to lose her alliance in her war against the Ottomans. She probably took the right decision: most countries in the Milan alliance probably have no interest in Mameluk lands.
The sad thing is that the same virus has found Joachim too. I’ve never seen him so ecstatic: he’s constantly blabbing about “teaching those Venetian bastards”. Later, I learn that Joachim was born on one of the Cyclades (which are owned by Venice) and that he feels they should be Union property. He’s absolutely right, but we’re not ready for war yet. But there’s no stopping him: on August 30th, the Union Embassador in Venice delivers a declaration of war to the Venetian court.
Hellas at it first declaration of war:
(edit: typing mistakes)
) and post nothing. 
