The first half of Alexios Palaiologos’ reign was one of relative peace in mainland Europe and the Middle East, excluding the War of the Hedjaz, as he focused on colonial expansion in Africa. As with the Emperors who came before him, Alexios knew that any further conquests made in western and central Europe would be horribly costly and unjustified. All of Europe would turn against the Empire if they were to try such a thing. Still, he did not turn away from the possibilities of further conquests in the east, the danger in this was that the Empire could no longer claim these as reconquests, as they were never in the Empire for any length of time. In order to make gains in Far Eastern Europe, Emperor Alexios knew that a fair amount of politicking would be in order. The largest threats in the area were Russia and Poland. Though Russia was Orthodox, relations between the two large empires had been slowly disintegrating. Ivan ( The Terrible ) IV Vasilyevich’s coronation as the Tsar of all the Russias had been a controversial subject within the Empire, though because of the two nations previously good relationship, and because of the fact that it was not the first time since someone else besides the Emperor legitimately held the title, it was allowed to slide.
In addition, Russia had annexed the Empire’s vassal, Crimea, in the late 16th century without requesting permission from the Emperor. Russia would continue to assert its independence from the Greek Orthodox Church and Emperor when it launched an attack against Imereti during the Great Dynatoi Revolt in the early 17th century, when the Empire was took weak to directly respond. Fortunately for them, smuggling operations provided Imereti with modern weaponry, allowing them to fend off the Russians to the point where they were able to negotiate a white peace. Despite this belligerence towards a fellow Orthodox kingdom, Emperor Alexios desired to retain a peaceful relationship to Russia, and went as far as to sign an agreement limiting the expansion of the Empire further eastwards, while Russia could not expand further to the south. This eased relations between the two nations, and allowed the Empire to focus on more pressing matters.
After nearly 20 years of peace on the mainland, economic and military reforms by the Emperor, and strengthening of its alliances, the Empire was once again in a position to consider expansion. By 1640, the 30 years war was entering its final and most brutal stages, and the Emperor knew that this would be the perfect chance for the Empire to expand its boarders, the Kingdoms of Europe being distracted by the conflict. The first Kingdoms the Emperor looked to for potential expansion opportunities were Shirevan and The Order of Saint John, who still occupied Rhodes. The Emperor did not have to consider the former for long, as a war erupted between the kingdoms of Imereti and Shirvan over the still undecided borders of the two kingdoms. Seizing the opportunity, the Empire declare war on Shirvan on the pretence of protecting their vassal and ally Imereti. The war lasted a mere 27 days, as the armies of the Empire flooded into the small kingdom, easily routing its army and capturing its capital of Shemakha. The Shirvanshah fled his conquered kingdom, escaping through Iran into Arabia. Shirvan was given to the Empire’s vassal Imereti, thus sealing off one of the Empire’s borders with Russia.
However, Imereti proved to be unable to handle the rebellious Turks in their newly conquered land, who immediately revolted against their new ruler. The King of Imereti sent his army to suppress the revolt, but it was defeated by the clever hit and run guerilla tactics of the Turks there. The Emperor, fearing that the King would be unable to hold onto his new territories sent the Imperial Army into Shirvan once more, and defeat the revolters. The Emperor then ordered the King of Imereti to step down from the throne, and allow his kingdom to become a part of the Empire. The King had little choice but to comply, and relinquished the throne to Alexios. With Imereti annexed into the Empire, Rome now owned the Caucasus. Though this seemed at the time like only a minor strategic advantage, it would in later years prove to be a decisive factor in the Empire’s development. With the Caucasus secure, the Emperor turned his attention to an old thorn in his Empire’s side: The Knights of Saint John. The Knights had taken Rhodes from the Empire in the early 14th century, while it was going through some of its most difficult times.
Over 300 years later, the Emperor decided that it was finally time to recover the island. This wasn’t a completely unprovoked attack, either. While the Knights had originally restricted themselves to attacking Muslim trade ships among other things, with the fall of the Mameluk Sultanate, and then later of Libya, the Knights soon found themselves without a means sufficiently support their island community. Imperial Tariffs were extremely high, making the purchase of goods unaffordable by the single island. This, coupled with resentment at the conquest of Rome and Italy, caused the Knights to begin attacking Greek shipping. By the late 16th century, pirating by the Knights had become so bad that the Emperor commissioned a squadron made specifically to prevent the attacks, though it in the end proved to be unsuccessful. Now that the Empire had recovered from its troubles, and had no other enemies posing an immediate threat, Emperor Alexios felt it was finally time for Rhodes to return to the Empire. An Ultimatum was sent to the Grand Master ordering the Knights to surrender the island to the Empire, which he staunchly refused, as Alexios had expected. The Grand Master immediately sent a request for aid to Austria, asking the Western Emperor for aid in repelling the Greek Invasion. The Holy Roman Emperor accepted, and sent word to Alexios that if he took any aggressive action towards the Knights of Rhodes, Austria would be forced to respond with war.
Emperor Alexios, however, knowing that Austria was already embroiled with a war in the north, refused to back down. He ordered a force of 25,000 men be loaded onto Gold Squadron, a fleet of over 200 ships, and transported to Rhodes. As the fleet approached the coast, the Emperor gave his official declaration of war on to the Grand Master on August 14th, 1643, which was followed by Austria’s declaration of war on the Empire. The initial plan of the Emperor involved concentrated the majority of the Imperial Army on Austria. He felt that Rhodes would fall quickly, and the Knights would surrender when they realized the futility of their resistance to the Empire. In truth, this would prove to be one of the most bloody wars in Imperial history, and it would not be because of a European power, but a single island of dedicated warriors. The assault on Rhodes began with an easy victory for the Empire. After the Knights navy had been crushed, the initial assault by the army utterly crushed the Grand Masters forces on the mainland. However, many had managed to retreat into the formidable fortress that protected Rhodes City.
Rhodes, now under siege, was looted of everything it was worth to keep the Imperial Army in fighting shape. After roughly a month a looting, the assault on the fortress began, with a quick victory being expected by the army and the Emperor. What they got instead was a massacre; Imperial canon were forced to get into an abnormally close range to fire upon the fortress because of the hills and mountains. This resulted in them being vulnerable to the artillery of the Knights, and being unable to provide the cover the soldiers were use to receiving. As they attempted to close with the fortress and scale its walls, many where torn to pieces by the Knights canon, and many more died as they attempted to climb the steep, 30 foot tall walls. Out of 25,000 Roman soldiers, over 15,000 were killed in the assault, and the fortress of the Knights had been hardly touched, it was a humiliating defeat for the Imperial Army. Emperor Alexios would not let this setback prevent the taking of the island, however, and ordered 30,000 fresh soldiers to be transported to the island. “We will overwhelm them wish sheer force of numbers.” He is recorded saying to his advisor.
Things were only looking slightly better in the fight against Austria. An Imperial Tagama of roughly 35,000 men was sent against the Austrian province of Steiremark. Though it defeated the Austrian army there, and was close to breaching the province capitals defenses, the timely arrival of 40,000 Austrian soldiers drove the Empire back into the Balkans. Austria quickly marched into the province of Croatia, assaulting the fortress protecting its capital and breaching its defenses. The opening months of the war were looking bad for the Empire, and the Emperor decided that if they were to win, the Empire would have to commit all of its resources into the war effort. 10,000 soldiers were quickly sent to reinforce the Tagama that assaulted Steiremark, and together they marched on Croatia. Austria had since sent its army to the north to fight in Bohemia against the Protestants, who were still posing a constant threat. Croatia was thus left undefended aside from the fortress that protected the provincial capital, which was quickly breached by the Imperial army.
The assault on Rhodes continued to meet with failure, as more and more soldiers were sent to their deaths against the seemingly impenetrable walls of the Knights of Saint John. By 1646, over 35,000 men had died beneath the walls, however, the fortresses defenses were finally beginning to show the scars of battle as well, and the Knights garrison had been depleted by roughly 8,000 men. More and more soldiers were being sent to Rhodes, as relentless assaults continued to hammer at the fortresses defenses. The ratio of kills between the Knights and the Empire were becoming something of an embarrassment to Imperial pride, many loyal Greek and Turkish soldiers falling below the canon and gun of the Knights of Saint John. Despite this, the sheer numbers that the Empire was throwing against the Knights was beginning to seriously take its toll. The once beautiful fortress that protected Rhodes was now battered and disfigured and the men inside it were beginning to feel the affects of attrition. Though attrition remained an even greater threat to the Roman soldiers outside the walls, Rhodes having long since been looted of any edible food, and supplies from Constantinople being unable to keep up with the demand.
In Austria, a new offensive had been mounted by the Holy Roman Emperor, who sent a force of 30,000 men into northern Italy, assaulting the province of Lombardia. While this was happening, however, the Empire began its own offensive into Austria itself, attacking the province of Krain with an army of 40,000. The fortresses of both provinces proved difficult to breach, with neither side being able to make much progress. The result was a long and grueling siege to wear down the provinces defenses. In order to break the siege of Lombardia, an army of 30,000 Imperial Soldiers was sent from central Italy. The two armies met in August of 1646, and the end result was a Imperial victory, as they drove the Austrians from Lombardia with minimal losses. Wasting no time after their victory, the Imperial Army marched on Tirol. They met with the previously routed army there, and once again sent it fleeing. They launched a withering assault on the defenses of Tirol, quickly overwhelming them. With the province in Imperial hands, the Holy Roman Emperor ordered an immediate counter offensive to retake the province be launched. However, this would be what sealed Austria’s fate in the war. The Roman Army was reinforced by 15,000 soldiers from central Italy, strengthening them to 40,000 in order to meet the Austrian army of the same size. A vicious battle ensued, which, in the end, resulted in nearly the entire Austrian armies destruction. Having lost nearly 40,000 men, and with the hundred years war entering into its last months, the Austrian Emperor sued for peace. The Empire receive 300,000 gold bullion in indemnities.
Despite the success of the war with Austria, the Knights continued to hold out on their own against overwhelming odds. By 1647, over 50,000 Greek and Turkish lives had been lost trying to take the island. The Knights themselves had lost 15,000 of their ranks, and were now having trouble covering the many breaches that covered the fortress. Yet more soldiers continued to be shipped to Rhodes, and to their death. Emperor Alexios knew that if they were to withdraw now, it would be a humiliating defeat for the Empire. Only absolute victory would be acceptable, yet the Knights of Saint John refused to surrender. The only option, it would seem, was to utterly level the fortress and kill all inside. In the end, the Knights of Saint John would continue to hold out against the relentless Imperial Assault until May 29th, 1649, when the walls were finally breached. Though their enemy was defeated, this “victory” had cost the Empire nearly 80,000 dead and wounded. Much of the army was close to mutiny. To lose so many for such a relatively small piece of land was seen as a horrendous sacrifice. The entire island of Rhodes stunk of the dead, and the Knights had nearly been destroyed completely. Less than 100 remained after that, the Grand Master finally surrendering and handing over his land to the Emperor.
Rhodes was finally reunited with the Empire, but at a terrible cost in lives. Out of the 80,000 casualties, some 45,000 had died. Still, in terms of manpower, this did not truly damage the Empire, a true testament to its knew found strength. Even with such horrible losses, the Empire was still easily able to raise new armies, though war exhaustion had certainly taken its toll. However, this bloody war was only a prelude…a far greater threat was brewing, one that would not come from any external threat, but from the Empire itself.
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There you go, a little bit late, but eh, what’s a few hours?
