The Castillian Imperialism - (Death and Taxes Mod)

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 209

Some might wonder why the Spanish nation was experiencing financial difficulties. After all, it seems like she was using her own standing armies which shouldn't cost too much. However, Maria had been using Condotta infantry which were basically mercenary units from Italy. These were soldiers who were most loyal to the highest paying employers and the Spanish nation wasn't sparing any expense in the conflicts against the heathens.

The Condotta infantry was consisted of mostly heavy and light infantry along with some crossbowmen as support. What the Spanish learned from their numerous wars in North Africa and the Middle East was the ineffectiveness of knights in these terrain. Lightly armored cavalry seemed to excel more in this type of environment as proven again and again in wars. Unfortunately, the nation's treasury was also taking a beating from the use of these soldiers.

 

[blklizard]

Maria I

Chapter 210

The province of Trarza had been colonized seeing the two southern passages to Western Africa secured for Spain. How the nation could support these colonies was anyone's guess but the colonization efforts weren't about to be affected when the gold mines in the region appeared so alluring to the Spanish government. Had there not been anything of interest in these parts, then Mali and Songhai might have been able to avoid bloodshed with the growing Catholic nation.

The province wasn't really valuable but it was a necessary stepping stone for Spanish soldiers to one day march into Western Africa. The conflict against these nations wouldn't be easy given how much land must be covered. Their backwardness would make the wars one-sided but the Spanish generals would prefer to minimize the attrition they would take from reaching either Mali or Songhai. For the time being, Kanem Bornu was relatively safe from invasion.

 

[sebas379]

Even when Spain doesnt head for the Incan gold mines, they get caught with the gold fever. Well, better some loans and inflation than another nation in Africa is what I always say.

 

[Michaelangelo]

That yellow coastline across all of North Africa is very pleasing to the eye. Just needs to extend to the northern Mediterranean.

Getting beaten up by natives is always embarrassing.

Time to raise the treasury slider!

 

[DKM]

Question - Do certain types of units raise maintenance more than others or is that just a story excuse for being able to hire standing armies of Spanish Condotta?

 

[blklizard]

Even when Spain doesnt head for the Incan gold mines, they get caught with the gold fever. Well, better some loans and inflation than another nation in Africa is what I always say.

Who can turn down gold? It's what makes an empire going until the inflation destroys it.

That yellow coastline across all of North Africa is very pleasing to the eye. Just needs to extend to the northern Mediterranean.

Getting beaten up by natives is always embarrassing.

Time to raise the treasury slider!

I wasn't paying attention to my ducats and realized too late. Luckily, I can afford a few loans if I just stop recruiting troops for a few years.

Question - Do certain types of units raise maintenance more than others or is that just a story excuse for being able to hire standing armies of Spanish Condotta?

This was entirely story driven with the loan coming up which is rare for me. Upgrade to soldiers don't increase the maintenance like the way I mentioned in the update and they're not exactly mercenaries.

Enrique III

Chapter 211

Enrique III sat by the death bed of his mother who was gravely ill the last few days. The strain of ruling such a mighty empire was finally taking a toll and she collapsed one day while in court. The physician was rushed to see to her but he shook his head saying that she was about to meet God himself. As the eldest son of Maria I, Enrique felt saddened with this development as he loved his mother dearly.

He had always been the favorite of his mother and she named him her heir the moment he was born. Since then, he worked to meet her expectations by excelling in all his studies, especially in diplomacy. The young man could only watch as his mother took her last few breaths. She told him that she knew he would continue their mighty legacy and continue the crusade until all of the holy lands belonged to Spain.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 212

The first order of business for Enrique III was to name his heir. He didn't want an succession issues while he was in power and there was really only one candidate available to him. Carlos, his younger brother, would serve as his heir but, as a precaution, the young boy was sent to Madrid where he would continue his studies. Enrique III didn't want his brother too close to the throne in case he got any ideas.

Afterwards, Enrique III had a number of things to deal with. The loan had recently been paid for and the treasury was rather empty. The Spanish king saw it wise to let the treasury build up a bit before launching a new campaign against the heathens. He wouldn't want more financial problems during the war because, if the soldiers weren't paid, he would have more problems plaguing the holy lands.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 213

If the new ruler of The Mamluks believed Spain would show mercy on his nation, then he was deeply mistaken. Enrique III had already promised his mother that he would take all of Egypt before progressing to the Middle East along with Anatolia. He might not have revealed it to his mother at the time but Enrique III had dreams of reestablishing an empire rivaling the ancient Roman Empire.

For that to happen, he would need to conquer all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean which was no small feat. Enrique III was certain that he wouldn't even come close to making that dream a reality but he could leave the task to his descendents. Rome wasn't created in a day and the Spanish empire would rise one day. Enrique III could only continue the conquest so, bit by bit, his dream would become a reality.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 214

General Francisco watched as the deceased Spanish soldiers were carried away. There were less than a hundred of them but their families would be grieving for their deaths. The general felt some sorrow but he also felt pride for these men. Their sacrifices weren't in vain as the Mamluks army was utterly crushed. They would be remembered as heroes in the third crusade against the Mamluks who brought about a swift end.

When he turned around, he saw the bodies of his enemies scattered as far as he could see. Thirteen thousand Mamluks soldiers, at least that was the estimate based on the body count which took several days, were slaughtered in another one-sided battle. General Francisco felt no sympathy towards these heathens who stood in the path of those fighting for the one true God. He just wished to end the war soon so he could see his newborn daughter.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 215

Enrique III was enlightened by the news of the crushing victory when he learned of news about a noble family requesting some aid. This family had been caring for his younger brother but some gambling saw it in financial troubles. The family came to him requesting aid which really angered him. He had just paid off the loans which was a significant amount and the family suddenly ask for a large amount too as if it was nothing.

However, Enrique III couldn't exactly say no either. He promised his mother he would take good care of Carlos as long as his younger brother doesn't step out of line. This noble family had been treating Carlos well and he wanted his brother to continue under its care. He chose to grant the aid but he made the members of the noble family promise to stop their gambling or, next time, they could fend for themselves.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 216

General Francisco escorted the Spanish diplomat out of the Mamluks palace. He just needed to get the man to the port in Delta where he could return to the Iberian Peninsula. Afterwards, he could return to his home in Alexandria where he would be reunited with his family. The war had concluded fairly quickly and the general was just glad that his duties were almost done. This was going to be his last campaign ever as a general.

The journey to Delta had been swift and the general was in Alexandria a few days later. He was excited to see his newborn child who definitely had striking similarities to him. General Francisco then told his officer that he was done and named his successor. Given how volatile the region could be, they needed a competent general available at all times to maintain the peace and suppress any foolish rebels.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 217

The main parts of Egypt had fallen under Spanish control. Missionaries were rushing to the region so they could share with the local the one true faith. They were, of course, escorted by soldiers who would put down anyone resisting change. Enrique III had little patience for slow progress in the region as there was much work to be done. There were too many heathen in the region and Spain could only expand so quickly.

The Mamluks capital of Cairo was already experiencing rebellions as thousands of peasants rose up. Reports claimed that the Mamluks ruler raised taxes to pay for the increasing debt of the nation but the people weren't too happy about getting the bill. The palace was once again under siege and it was only a matter of time before these peasants got their hands on the Mamluks ruler. What would happen to him was anyone's guess.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 218

Conquistador Sancho collapsed as soon as he and his surviving expeditionary force arrived inside Spanish territory. The man had suffered horrific wounds in the defeat at Yola and was relying on solely his willpower to keep going. The conquistador felt he had the obligation to getting his remaining men home before he finally keeled over and died. He completed his obligation and died at the age of thirty two.

The man's contributions were widely known across Spain and his body was carried by ship to Lisbon where he was born. The man was laid to rest and a statue was made in his honor. As the first conquistador of Spain, the man had exceeded all of his expectation by mapping out nearly all of Western Africa. Many attended his funeral include Enrique III as they wished to see the great man one last time.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 219

As soon as he returned from Lisbon, Enrique III looked over the map which was given to him by one of Sancho's officers. This was what Sancho had spent much of his life doing so the map was more important than anything. The map was also a new opportunity for Spanish expansion as continuing campaigns in the east might not also be possible. Enrique III was amazed by how much land that only became known the last decade or so.

Enrique III looked over the notes Sancho wrote regarding the few gold mines along with the city of Timbuktu. The Spanish king could see great riches flowing into his nation should they acquire these assets. He also recognized that, if he hoped to expand in this direction, armies must be redeployed as they couldn't possibly conquer these heathens with a few thousand men. Yet, Sancho claimed they had a chance.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 220

The campaign in the holy lands was soon resumed as the second crusade against Syria was declared. Syria was one of the heathen nations standing between Spain and the east. If Enrique III or his descendents ever wished to expand further into the Middle East, Syria had to fall. The army fielded by Syria was quite insignificant compared to the Spanish armies in the region but there was a new Spanish general in charge so some uncertainties were floating around.

Surprisingly, the new ruler of The Mamluks answered the call to arms from Syria. The former Mamluks ruler was killed when the peasants broke into the palace. The new ruler wasn't even related to the royal family and only rose due to this rare chance. Regardless of her participation, no one expected The Mamluks to be a significant threat at any point. A detachment was sent to eliminate this inconvenience.

 

[sebas379]

and yet more Mamluk lands taken, great! The Mali region is quite the mess so that will be easy pickings I guess.

 

[blklizard]

and yet more Mamluk lands taken, great! The Mali region is quite the mess so that will be easy pickings I guess.

West Africa will be a nice location to conquer. The locals won't be able to stand against the mighty Spanish soldiers.

Enrique III

Chapter 221

General Pelayo was picked as the successor of Francisco and he was quite nervous for his first battle. The man had proven to be a resourceful officer who could read the battlefield quite well. General Francisco had at times asked for his opinion before deciding on their approach to the numerous battles he participated in. Francisco saw something in Pelayo that he felt made him a suitable candidate to take over for him.

Pelayo's counterpart, Muhammad III, wasn't exactly a pushover when it came to wars. The Mamluks ruler had captured the throne by sheer chance and he made his name well known with a few decisive battles against the rebels who rose up following the previous war. The two sides fought for many days and suffered similar casualties. Due to numerical advantage, the Spanish forces were eventually victorious as Pelayo led his men to annihilate what's left of the Mamluks resistance.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 222

Muhammad III was captured in battle by Pelayo which saw the exit of The Mamluks. While this nation didn't offer any real threat, her participation meant troops were diverted to deal with her meager troops. The exit of The Mamluks meant more troops could return to suppressing the rebellions which were lessening with each passing day as more of these rebels were slaughtered after making a poor decision to oppose Spain.

No land was traded between the two nations but The Mamluks basically had to give up their claims on nearly all of Egypt. Only Cairo was spared because the capital still remained in their hands. If this war was any indication, Cairo was destined to be a part of Spain and there was nothing The Mamluks ruler could do to stop it. Syria remained as the sole belligerent in the war which Spanish troops were still serious about at this point.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 223

Shortly after the peace deal between Spain and The Mamluks were signed, the Syrian sultan agreed to talk peace with the Spanish diplomat on terms dictated by Enrique III. The Syrian capital of Damascus was occupied along with the province of Hammah. Enrique III would have preferred to take more land but there was a problem as a foreign power stood in his soldiers' way to accomplishing just that.

Syria had joined another war which saw her fighting the Balkan nation of Bulgaria. Somehow, the Bulgarian troops managed to march this far and laid siege to numerous Syrian holdings. With Bulgarian troops in the vicinity, Spanish troops couldn't exactly just occupy the provinces as disputes would result. Enrique III wanted the blood of the heathens and the Bulgarian, being Orthodox, were still what he considered brothers.

 

[blklizard]

Enrique III

Chapter 224

There weren't many events happening in Europe that would interest the Spanish monarch because Spain was in such an interesting situation where she could expand continuously without fighting any Catholic nations. However, it was usually wise to pay attention to rising powers which could threaten Spain in the future. One such event happened and Enrique III, like many other European rulers, was disturbed by the news.

One of the Muscowy kings somehow managed to get the throne of Bohemia in a personal union. No one expected the Muscowy kings to continue holding onto power until Bohemia was integrated into Muscowy. This gave the rising Russian nation more options for expansions along with a solid foothold into the Holy Roman Empire which promised many opportunities. If Muscowy continued her growth, a war between her and Spain might be inevitable.