Chapter 4- Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Chapter 4- Chronicle of a Death Foretold
In November 1466, the emperor canceled the alliances with Milan and Savoy as they did not seem necessary anymore, as was the royal marriage with Britanny since they had an heir. The “fishing” strategy was carried to the three-provinces minor Ferrara, which seemed promising for dynasty spreading. Corsica received a marriage proposal as well, aiming for diplomatic vassalization.
Urbino was annexed in March. This provoked some controversy in the court, that was quickly silenced with bribes.
But when Emperor Manfredo saw that the Neapolitan dynasty was on track to place themselves on the Ferrarese throne, he went livid. It seemed that he was once more viewed inferior because of the development of the realm. He was determined to not let Naples ruin his plans again. The Abruzzi truce was still in place for 5 more years, but he devised a strategy by attacking their ally, Venice, using imperial ban on Brescia. And he was willing to spend as much diplomatic resources as needed to demote his rival. The emperor allied himself to Ferrara and was prepared to call them with a promise of territory to hurt their relations with the southern country, but then the cunning Neapolitans would not join the hostilities. So, Emperor Manfredo went to war without the Ferrarese. (I was able to call Ferrara after Naples joined, just to reduce their relations, but I must cancel this alliance if I want Corsica as vassal, since they rivaled Ferrara)
A new diplomatic tech (6) achieved in August. On the same month, the Papal States joined as a full fledge member of the HRE. Hainaut and Riga had also pledged to join the empire, without fanfare.
Having Ferrara and Naples on opposite sides of the conflict worked, since now a Malipiero was preferred to lead the little duchy. A small gift here, a subsidy there, and trading favors for trust allowed the Corse to overlook the alliance with Ferrara and accept vassalization. The fishing strategy from the emperor continued, with a royal marriage with Luneburg in north Germany, and even trying in the Caucus with one-province Georgia.
The emperor was so determined to make the Neapolitans suffer a decisive defeat, that he sacrificed the galleys earned from Urbino to have a chance to cross the straits again. Savoy went back to the negotiating table (in the bedroom) for a royal marriage this time, with potential benefits but also danger to the emperor.
The first success of the emperor’s fishing plan bore fruit when Holstein became part of a personal union.
The French war to contest the Castilian throne was a disaster for the Emperor´s ally, who suffered a humiliating defeat.
Emperor Manfredo was so eager to finish the war with Naples, that he ordered an assault on Messina when there was a breach on the walls. Once the city fell, it was Judgment Day for the Neapolitans, with every army crossing the straight. With rebels in their Greek provinces, and no army, it was only a matter of time for them to surrender unconditionally. The emperor´s peace was NOT a magnanimous one. He waited for the Byzantine rebels in Corinth to succeed in taking the fort before signing the treaty. Then he imposed a harsh truce, releasing Spoleto (back again), transferring their treasury, accepting humiliation and returning Siracuse to Aragon. That also put on the board a possible future release of Sicily. (Development equivalent to 95% WS). It was not surprising that Naples soon declare bankruptcy.
The fishing strategy failed in Clanricarde, Savoy and Luneburg with every county getting an heir, so the royal marriages with them were cancelled, sacrificing prestige in the process. Herzegovina was selected instead. (Need prestige to keep canceling bad marriages).
In January 1471, a new Pope was elected, and thankfully to the acceptance of the Papal States to the HRE, the relations between the realms were higher than ever. This closeness with the Holy Father brought several additional benefits to Emperor Manfredo. The Pope was relatively young (51) and issued a Golden Bull allowing cheaper development in the provinces. (Don´t think he would last long enough to get Colonialism by cardinals, and with excess points I rather use them to grow cities)
For the Venetians the war was not going to end easy either. The emperor went as far as to ask for military access from the ottoman Turks, to be able to siege Corfu Island. Once it fell, this city as well as Creta were liberated as independent nations (Possible future vassals). The Doge also paid all their money and war reparations. The Emperor could had pushed for more, but he wanted to be ready for the next war. However, instead of taking Brescia for himself like he could do as it was imperial territory, he demanded to be returned to Milan.
In April, a new proclamation was issued, demonstrating to everyone that these wars had been done to guarantee the freedom of the people, and therefore the view of aggression was muted slightly. Corfu saw this and after a marriage and alliance, accepted enthusiastically to become a vassal. A marriage proposal was also sent to the powerful, young and heirless Swedish monarch (25), “just in case,” said the emperor. A member of the Malipiero family was view as a possible next ruler. (Don´t think it will work, but you never know).
By August, the truce with Milan expired. The council had approved an aggressive conflict to vassalize them, the war cry among the Florentine citizens “(RN)God wills it!”. The Milanese were allied to Burgundy, also allied to the Emperor, but the Burgundians were occupied in their own war against Berry and would not join. Only the small nations of Montferrat, Verona and Bregenz. Meanwhile, after bestowing imperial grace on Ferrara, currying favors, trading for trust several times, and increasing legitimacy spending military resources, the three-province minor accepted to become a vassal of Firenze.
A letter from the Mameluke Sultan unexpectedly, where he declared the Emperor as a rival. Manfredo had to wait to end the conflict first, before deciding the next steps.
More news arrived, in this case to inform that thanks to excellent administration and increased might, Firenze was now considered a Great Power among the nations. (I´m coming for you, Naples). This also had the consequence of eliminating Genoa as a valid rival.
While checking options to maintain his “fishing” strategy, Emperor Manfredo was dumbfounded when he discovered that, despite cancelling the royal marriage with Clanricarde, a young cousin was the Irish ruler. (Immediately after this went to change message setting to get a pause-pop up when a tag gets a new monarch, I must be updated, not finding out randomly)
In June there was enough money in the reserves that the emperor ordered the expansion of the great project in the capital. He also used the large amount of manpower at his disposal to complete the construction in record time. (40k men down the drain to get the upgrade in less than a year).
Montferrat and Verona left the war in quick succession after signing the standard treaty of treasury, war reparations and trade power. The Germans were a tougher nut to crack, with a proper castle and no siege specialist in the Florentine army. The emperor sent some regiments to try to eliminate Bregenz´s in Holstein, hoping for a simple white peace. But that would also create a problem. With relations at maximum capacity, ending the war would put the number above limit, and while Perugia was prepared to be annexed, another year had to pass first. He decided to bid his time to prevent a call for peace before annexing Perugia. In other news, Naples continued in a destructive spiral.
When news arrived that the Swedish king had an heir, the emperor accepted it had been a long shot, but cancelling the royal marriage opened a spot to complete the forced vassalization of Milan without stretching his Foreign Affairs office power beyond their capabilities. Also alleviated in March when a new government reform was proposed, assigning crown representatives.
The challenge Emperor Manfredo encountered was that suddenly he saw himself flooded by nuptials requests, but none of those were either important or beneficial in the short term. He requested one with the Bohemians Jagiellons, but their dynasty was still on track to keep the throne, and he cancelled shortly after. Instead, he focused on the Veronese, Mantovanis and Sardinians as possible vassals, tying the knot with the latter. All these marriages lowered his legitimacy, but he kept spending military resources to regain it.
When the German fort fell in June, they were left out for their money, and finally the Milanese surrendered. The Emperor welcomed to the realm graciously, only taking a bit of their treasure as tribute. With the burgers loyal, Manfredo decided to do a quick development of the cities, spending some of the resources at his disposal, which were more than plenty, to the point of almost overspilling. Finally, the news that everyone was expecting arrived.
Firenze rivaled back the Egyptians but did not reciprocate the Portuguese at that moment. The Emperor was waiting for a better opportunity. Sardinia joined the vassal swarm in August, and Manfredo was eager to annex Perugia, due to the liberty desire of the others rising, something that fortunately was still manageable. (Force converted Corfu, and placed relative on thrones, but kept them below 50% developing their land once or twice). Firenze was in control of most north and central Italy, and one could only expect them to keep expanding.
In November 1466, the emperor canceled the alliances with Milan and Savoy as they did not seem necessary anymore, as was the royal marriage with Britanny since they had an heir. The “fishing” strategy was carried to the three-provinces minor Ferrara, which seemed promising for dynasty spreading. Corsica received a marriage proposal as well, aiming for diplomatic vassalization.
Urbino was annexed in March. This provoked some controversy in the court, that was quickly silenced with bribes.
But when Emperor Manfredo saw that the Neapolitan dynasty was on track to place themselves on the Ferrarese throne, he went livid. It seemed that he was once more viewed inferior because of the development of the realm. He was determined to not let Naples ruin his plans again. The Abruzzi truce was still in place for 5 more years, but he devised a strategy by attacking their ally, Venice, using imperial ban on Brescia. And he was willing to spend as much diplomatic resources as needed to demote his rival. The emperor allied himself to Ferrara and was prepared to call them with a promise of territory to hurt their relations with the southern country, but then the cunning Neapolitans would not join the hostilities. So, Emperor Manfredo went to war without the Ferrarese. (I was able to call Ferrara after Naples joined, just to reduce their relations, but I must cancel this alliance if I want Corsica as vassal, since they rivaled Ferrara)
A new diplomatic tech (6) achieved in August. On the same month, the Papal States joined as a full fledge member of the HRE. Hainaut and Riga had also pledged to join the empire, without fanfare.
Having Ferrara and Naples on opposite sides of the conflict worked, since now a Malipiero was preferred to lead the little duchy. A small gift here, a subsidy there, and trading favors for trust allowed the Corse to overlook the alliance with Ferrara and accept vassalization. The fishing strategy from the emperor continued, with a royal marriage with Luneburg in north Germany, and even trying in the Caucus with one-province Georgia.
The emperor was so determined to make the Neapolitans suffer a decisive defeat, that he sacrificed the galleys earned from Urbino to have a chance to cross the straits again. Savoy went back to the negotiating table (in the bedroom) for a royal marriage this time, with potential benefits but also danger to the emperor.
The first success of the emperor’s fishing plan bore fruit when Holstein became part of a personal union.
The French war to contest the Castilian throne was a disaster for the Emperor´s ally, who suffered a humiliating defeat.
Emperor Manfredo was so eager to finish the war with Naples, that he ordered an assault on Messina when there was a breach on the walls. Once the city fell, it was Judgment Day for the Neapolitans, with every army crossing the straight. With rebels in their Greek provinces, and no army, it was only a matter of time for them to surrender unconditionally. The emperor´s peace was NOT a magnanimous one. He waited for the Byzantine rebels in Corinth to succeed in taking the fort before signing the treaty. Then he imposed a harsh truce, releasing Spoleto (back again), transferring their treasury, accepting humiliation and returning Siracuse to Aragon. That also put on the board a possible future release of Sicily. (Development equivalent to 95% WS). It was not surprising that Naples soon declare bankruptcy.
The fishing strategy failed in Clanricarde, Savoy and Luneburg with every county getting an heir, so the royal marriages with them were cancelled, sacrificing prestige in the process. Herzegovina was selected instead. (Need prestige to keep canceling bad marriages).
In January 1471, a new Pope was elected, and thankfully to the acceptance of the Papal States to the HRE, the relations between the realms were higher than ever. This closeness with the Holy Father brought several additional benefits to Emperor Manfredo. The Pope was relatively young (51) and issued a Golden Bull allowing cheaper development in the provinces. (Don´t think he would last long enough to get Colonialism by cardinals, and with excess points I rather use them to grow cities)
For the Venetians the war was not going to end easy either. The emperor went as far as to ask for military access from the ottoman Turks, to be able to siege Corfu Island. Once it fell, this city as well as Creta were liberated as independent nations (Possible future vassals). The Doge also paid all their money and war reparations. The Emperor could had pushed for more, but he wanted to be ready for the next war. However, instead of taking Brescia for himself like he could do as it was imperial territory, he demanded to be returned to Milan.
In April, a new proclamation was issued, demonstrating to everyone that these wars had been done to guarantee the freedom of the people, and therefore the view of aggression was muted slightly. Corfu saw this and after a marriage and alliance, accepted enthusiastically to become a vassal. A marriage proposal was also sent to the powerful, young and heirless Swedish monarch (25), “just in case,” said the emperor. A member of the Malipiero family was view as a possible next ruler. (Don´t think it will work, but you never know).
By August, the truce with Milan expired. The council had approved an aggressive conflict to vassalize them, the war cry among the Florentine citizens “(RN)God wills it!”. The Milanese were allied to Burgundy, also allied to the Emperor, but the Burgundians were occupied in their own war against Berry and would not join. Only the small nations of Montferrat, Verona and Bregenz. Meanwhile, after bestowing imperial grace on Ferrara, currying favors, trading for trust several times, and increasing legitimacy spending military resources, the three-province minor accepted to become a vassal of Firenze.
A letter from the Mameluke Sultan unexpectedly, where he declared the Emperor as a rival. Manfredo had to wait to end the conflict first, before deciding the next steps.
More news arrived, in this case to inform that thanks to excellent administration and increased might, Firenze was now considered a Great Power among the nations. (I´m coming for you, Naples). This also had the consequence of eliminating Genoa as a valid rival.
While checking options to maintain his “fishing” strategy, Emperor Manfredo was dumbfounded when he discovered that, despite cancelling the royal marriage with Clanricarde, a young cousin was the Irish ruler. (Immediately after this went to change message setting to get a pause-pop up when a tag gets a new monarch, I must be updated, not finding out randomly)
In June there was enough money in the reserves that the emperor ordered the expansion of the great project in the capital. He also used the large amount of manpower at his disposal to complete the construction in record time. (40k men down the drain to get the upgrade in less than a year).
Montferrat and Verona left the war in quick succession after signing the standard treaty of treasury, war reparations and trade power. The Germans were a tougher nut to crack, with a proper castle and no siege specialist in the Florentine army. The emperor sent some regiments to try to eliminate Bregenz´s in Holstein, hoping for a simple white peace. But that would also create a problem. With relations at maximum capacity, ending the war would put the number above limit, and while Perugia was prepared to be annexed, another year had to pass first. He decided to bid his time to prevent a call for peace before annexing Perugia. In other news, Naples continued in a destructive spiral.
When news arrived that the Swedish king had an heir, the emperor accepted it had been a long shot, but cancelling the royal marriage opened a spot to complete the forced vassalization of Milan without stretching his Foreign Affairs office power beyond their capabilities. Also alleviated in March when a new government reform was proposed, assigning crown representatives.
The challenge Emperor Manfredo encountered was that suddenly he saw himself flooded by nuptials requests, but none of those were either important or beneficial in the short term. He requested one with the Bohemians Jagiellons, but their dynasty was still on track to keep the throne, and he cancelled shortly after. Instead, he focused on the Veronese, Mantovanis and Sardinians as possible vassals, tying the knot with the latter. All these marriages lowered his legitimacy, but he kept spending military resources to regain it.
When the German fort fell in June, they were left out for their money, and finally the Milanese surrendered. The Emperor welcomed to the realm graciously, only taking a bit of their treasure as tribute. With the burgers loyal, Manfredo decided to do a quick development of the cities, spending some of the resources at his disposal, which were more than plenty, to the point of almost overspilling. Finally, the news that everyone was expecting arrived.
Firenze rivaled back the Egyptians but did not reciprocate the Portuguese at that moment. The Emperor was waiting for a better opportunity. Sardinia joined the vassal swarm in August, and Manfredo was eager to annex Perugia, due to the liberty desire of the others rising, something that fortunately was still manageable. (Force converted Corfu, and placed relative on thrones, but kept them below 50% developing their land once or twice). Firenze was in control of most north and central Italy, and one could only expect them to keep expanding.
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