From Rus to Russia - Russia Megacampaign, pt.2

canonized: Can't promise you a La Reconquista, but here's a La Reconquete. Hope it alleviates some of the pain.

English Patriot: Spain needs less countries. Believe it or not, this is after I culled a lot of the really minor independent counties from CK.

Estonianzulu: :rofl: :rofl:

Better is the enemy of Good, what can I say. But you're right, I should whine less.

Enewald: well, I hope the new update shed some more light on it.

ComradeOm: the worst part of your sharp dig in my ribs is that the CK forum is in fact quite flourishing I think; there's several AARs I really love there even if they don't gather as many responses as EUIII AARs. I think CK is better off since I left.

sniedermeier: Wow. That's high praise. I'm all a-blush now. I hope I don't disappoint you with subsequent updates then.

thrashing mad: Carthage - you got it. It'll be covered next update.

The Spanish Blob - I'm rather hoping it does form by the 1600s at least
But we'll see.

IamWhoa: I took away the Lisboa CoT but Portugal is still pretty survivable what with all the provinces it has.

comagoosie: And many more after that to keep it united.

JimboIX: Operation Mop. Sounds so janitorial

General_BT: I'm thinking of them as sort of the Bosnia of Spain - Muwallid population that speaks Gallego, descended from the high-culture, religiously tolerant Sevillan Taifa rather than the nasty Almoravids/Almohads. So they're not all that bad, in comparison.

As for explorers: most Iberian states will have explorer boni in this mod. Whoever unites "Spain" or "Andalus" will get a bigger bonus, however.

Fijj: this is a full mod that will be based on IN and MM Diamond. I'll make it downloadable when I'm done.

Capibara: that's right, a very uncertain future there.

jmberry: Wow! I made someone register just to comment on this. I'm amazing

I'm sorry about lack of Italy in this update, I was going along with overview - more detailed loook - overview format. But Italy is next. Germany is the hardest to describe so I think Germany will be last.

Cheers.

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EDIT: some people beat me with replies! Haha!

comagoosie: Crusades are expensive, especially with expensive 14th-century armies. Without major support I think a lot of the activity will dry up.

But realistically, it was an ACTUAL Irish Crusade. Which is not particularly plausible in my head unless the Irish adventurers managed to fight this crusade with the hands of the Portuguese.

Capibara: I like your new avatar. Champaigne, is it?

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EDIT2: Just Installed IN. Will muck around with it to see how it works (it seems really rather interesting!) and then try to port my existing modifications into the IN thing.

So far I have to say I'm happy with the map changes, they fixed everything rather nicely except the Caucasus.

MM Diamond will probably come out before I'm completely done but it's little effort to bundle the two anyways.

I should be done by the end of summer... :rofl:

Carthage

The Crusades into North Africa became a reality after Sicily and Naples were brought under Christian rule by the Byzantines and subsequently the Germans in the late 1100s. Much like the Anatolian Crusade of the early 14th century, the warriors and lords were mostly from Eastern Europe, with Hungarians making up the majority, although Polish, German and Italian contingents were also present. The crusade took Tunis and surrounding areas, but failed to advance much further. The next century saw little additional expeditions into North Africa, and was focused on the unification of the land. The Besrcenyi dynasty emerged supreme, but was soon split among the supporters of Adela, the Queen in Carthage, and her uncle Kalman in Kairouan. A dynastic (although uncomfortably close) marriage finally settled the dispute and Carthage soon united all Crusaders in the area under one crown. Civil wars in Italy and Hungary itself were also beneficial for the emerging Kingdom, as relatives of Carthagene nobility often fled there after losing the fight in their homeland. The Carthagenes attracted the attention of the Pope in the that brief window where Papal power was substantial, and missionaries streamed in numbers into the city. The conversion effort was more successful than the attempts of the Greeks in the Holy land: although the interior of the land remains Berber and Muslim, the Arabs in the cities are – by a slim majority – Catholic and in any case identify themselves as Carthagene Arabs as opposed to their nomadic neighbours, providing the Crusader dynasty with a respectable power base. Arabic has long supplanted Hungarian as the language of the Court, although Latin is also commonly used in official documents or communicating with Europe. The future of the Kingdom looks bright: its neighbours are weak and its navies are strong, perhaps even strong enough to fend off the Osmans should they come bearing war.

Sicily

The Principality of Sicily is all the remains of a brief-lived Neapolitan Tsardom set-up by Basil Long-Arms. Although the Sanseverinos officially converted to the Greek Church, they soon abandoned allegiance to the Eastern Emperor, and as a result their domain was torn to pieces by the Latins, with the famous adventurer Alastair ap Seisyll setting himself up as King of the rump state. The Sanseverinos held on in Sicily, and eventually became Byzantine vassals again, claiming final independence when the Monomachs weakened and the Petzikopouloi proved to be unable to maintain an Empire quite as large. Sicily is a curious mixture of cultures and religions, but Byzantine Orthodox Christians make up a sizeable proportion and dominate the government, while the few remaining Muslims are either agricultural workers or simply too educated and talented to be dismissed. Sardinia remains majority-catholic. While the dynasty and the nobility tend to think of themselves as an Orthodox Italian state, most of their country speaks a version of Arabic peculiar to Sicily and Malta, and a good portion of the educated people are in fact ethnic Greeks, whether from Southern Italy or recent refugees from the Osman conquest. The Sanseverinos have never abandoned the quest to reclaim Naples, and from there perhaps even Rome. Should the Romans in Rhodes fall, the Sicilians may well proclaim themselves to be their truest successors.

Tripoli

Tripoli, much like Algiers, is a country centered around a large harbour-city (Tripoli itself, the place where the invasion of Naples was launched from and dozens of famous pirate captains berth at) with an inhospitable interior populated by nomads, whose clans once in a while produce great warrior-leaders that achieve short-lived greatness. Situated between Mamluk Egypt and Crusader Carthage, Tripoli must rely on being too hard to conquer to stay independent. So far, it has worked.

Naples

In the sheer chaos that gripped Italy on the edge of the 14th century, the pro-German South and the politically complex, but largely pro-Burgund North fought a number of bloody wars. Among the final of the many acts in the drama one relatively small – and by no means uncommon – event was to shape the future most dramatically. A large band of Muslim mercenaries under Hassan al-Hafsi was invited over by the Count of Salerno, and helped the Neapolitans in their war. Hassan, however, notices just how devastated Italy was, and what poor quality armies – barring the mercenaries - it fielded. In 1358, the first corsairs from Tripoli raided the Italian Coast. In 1364, for the first time in 200 years, hostile Muslim forces landed in Italy. By 1370, Hassan had a seat in Naples, and in ten years expanded his domain northwards, capturing Rome and sending the Popes back into Salzburg, exile and dependency on the Bavarian kings. Despite the impressive size of the new Emirate, its survival depends entirely on the army the Hafsids brought with them, and the alliance that Naples maintains with the Mamluks and Tripoli. The population remains hostile (if unable to mount serious resistance) and the domains are eyed by many would-be conquerors – the Macedonian Osmans, the Sicilian Sanseverinos, the Carthaginian Bescenyis, as well as rich Italian cities to the North urged by the Pope in Salzburg to reclaim his former seat.

Genoa

A great merchant republic, Genoa has had a chequered history. It went from relative dominance in the Western Mediterranean in the early 11th century which it achieved with victory over Pisa, to the brutal sack by the Muslims only three generations later. Dominated by Burgundy for almost half a century, Genoa later threw their lot with the Pope and the Bavarians in the great Guelf - Ghibelline divide that defined Italian politics from the 14th century onwards. It served as a launchpad for the Crusades into Spain, and because of those historic ties maintains a strong alliance with the Community of Barcelona. Whatever the final outcome, expect the Genoese to be a significant concern to those engaging in the struggle to dominate Italy.

Milan

Milan is the second-largest city in Italy after Florence, and headed the Lombard League for a century before the League became an extension of Burgundian power and pro-German states started leaving it. Francis d’Este was chosen as Captain in 1269. His wife Mariam was the sister of the last Ilkhan in Damascus and his descendants ruled as Dukes under the Kings of Burgundy until the extinction of their line and the ascendancy of the Visconti clan in 1390. Milan is no longer even technically a republic and is very aristocratic and Ghibelline in its outlook.

Venice

The heyday of Venetian power was at the end of the 11th century, when in alliance with Oleg of Chernigov the Venetians seized many important trading posts all along the Northern shore of the Black Sea from the Dniestr to Trebizond They went on to acquire several outposts in Egypt and the Aegean as well as sizeable Dalmatian holdings in the course of the Latin Crusades to the Holy Land. Theodore the Great seized most of these holdings in 1134-35 and since then the Republic has declined greatly, being subjugated directly to the German Emperor in 1273. However, just ten years later the Republic broke free as the Germans retreated, and entered a long and inconclusive struggle with the Scaligers, Croatians and the Pope, winning and losing by turns. An Osman expedition in 1389 seized the Duchy of Istria, and the Osman commander was approached by the Venetians to help them throw back an expedition from Milan-Verona. The Osmans did and Venice became an Osman vassal, while at the same time getting numerous trade concessions. As long as the Osmans prosper and leave the arrangement untouched, Venice will likely profit from it as well and remain loyal.

Florence

Florence is the foremost of the Guelf states in Italy, rich, cultured and expansionist, with a giant banking Empire that sees Western monarchs as clients of the Florentine merchants. It is locked in a long rivalry with Siena and Pisa. The city is a republic, with the Albizzi and Rossi families dominating, but a powerful opposition arising behind the Medici. The noble families maintain vast networks of alliances and patronages to use against each other in their struggle to control the City and through that, take leadership of the weaker Guelph states around them.

The Umbrian League

Situated in an area that was disputed between the Papal State, the King of Austria-Bohemia and the German Emperor in the 12th and 13th century, Spoleto and Urbino have only recently emerged as Guelf city-states with a strong alliance between the two aimed at stopping Ahmad ibn-Hassan should he choose to expand north. However, to fight their battles they increasingly have to rely on the Fighting Nobles such as the Montefeltro family who do not have sympathy for the Papal cause and this may well cause problems in the future – provided the League survives at all.

Modena and Lucca

Modena was once the domain of the Tuscan counts, but like many cities in Italy became a republic by the end of the 11th century. Since 1202 the lords of Modena were closely allied with Burgundy and Milan, with two branches of the d’Este family taking power in both Modena and Milan. Although Burgundy has since retreated from direct possession of Italy, the d’Este continue to oppose the Papal faction and side with Milan. In 1320, the Modenese conquered Lucca, a neighbouring republic and a Guelf stronghold, transforming it into a County ruled directly by the d'Este, whereas in Modena a semblance of the Republic is still remained, if in name only.

Verona

Ruled by the ambitious and bloody-handed Scaligers, Verona was allied with the German Emperor and at times ruled as far as Treviso and besieged Venice itself. Although Venice is now out of bounds as it is protected by the powerful Osmans, the Scaligers are eager to advance their cause at the expense of their neighbours, most of whom are Papal-aligned Guelf states. The Scaligers, however, have the support of the d’Este of Milan and consequently Burgundy. The della Scalas, for their own part, spent most of the 14th century murdering each other in fratricidal struggles. So far this has not lead to a succession crisis, but if they continue, it may well yet do so.

Tyrol

Tyrol was disputed between Milan, Bavaria and Burgundy as Imperial authority waned throughout the 14th century. It is now ruled by a relative of the Duke of Austria, but owes allegiance to the Bavarian King instead. The relative power of wealthy Bishops of Trento and Brixen continues slipping compared to the Counts, which creates tensions between the Popes and their Bavarian backers.

Krain

The Slovene-majority Margravate has fallen under the overlordship of the Byzantines several times in its history, and was repeatedly settled by minor waves of Greeks, Slavs, Turkish coverts and sometimes Bogomils. Although the Germans re-emerged as the overlords after the Byzantine civil war of 1221-34, they in turn lost power in the region in the disasters of 1280-1340, and Croatia established itself as the new protector of the country.

Carinthia

One of the Bavarian-allied Margravates, Karnten is one of the surviving outposts of the Holy Roman Empire that hasn’t fallen under the influence of the Byzantines (and by extension Croatia) or the Osmans and their Venetian vassals. The eastern half of the country is populated by Slovenes but German is the language of culture, administration and prestige. Its greatest extent was achieved in the 1150s, when the lords of Carinthia also ruled most of Steirmark, Tyrol and the Venetian Plain; those times, however, are long gone.

Mantua

Mantua is a rich city in Lombardy, that became a republic early in the 11th century and defended its independence (sometimes unsuccessfully) against both the German Emperor and the Burgundians. The Bonacolsi seized power in 1273 after a period of Guelf-Ghibelline struggle and ruled Mantua for the next century. The last Bonacolsi, Rinaldo, was overthrown by Luigi Gonzaga, but the political situation in the city did not settle until the third Gonzaga, Ludovico, eliminated his relatives, seizing power for himself. Mantua remains staunchly Guelf and opposes the attempts of Burgund-backed Milan to expand in Italy.

Styria

In charge of one of the several Margravates of the Holy Roman Empire, Styria’s rulers are largely beholden to Bavaria, and stand in opposition to the Austrians, Hungarians and Crotians, even if the people inhabiting the land are largely indifferent to who would be their next overlord. Slovenes populate the southern third of the Duchy, and while their language is closely related to that of the Croatians, the two differ in faith (Slovenes being Latin Catholic while the Croats are either Byzantine or following a Croatian-language Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church since the early 12th century).

Parma

Parma was a Milanese dependency through most of the 13th century, and the revolt that brought its independence also lead to many of the Ghibelline families being expelled from the city. The pro-Papal Terzi achieved the signoria. Parma lies on the strategic route between Milan and Modena and is thus extremely important to the Papal faction should Guelph-Ghibelline rivalry flare up into open conflict.

Bologna

Bologna, much like Ferrara and the Umbrian cities, was under the Germans until the Burgund-German conflict and the chaos of the early 1300s. It was the jewel of Imperial possessions in Italy, with about 60,000 inhabitants and a famous university. After a few decades in Burgundian orbit, the Ghibelline Lambertazzi family was expelled and the city fell under the control of a pro-Papal faction. In 1340s, plague swept Italy and 30,000 died in Bologna alone, severely weakening the city and prompting a Milanese invasion. The Bentivoglio family established themselves in Bologna with Papal control in 1370, chasing away the Milanese.

Ferrara

Ferrara was a Republic until 1264 when the Guelf-leaning branch of the famous d’Este family became hereditary Lords of the city. Ferrara settled into a long and vicious rivalry with Verona and Modena, while remaining the staunchest of Papal supporters in Italy.

The Papal State

The Popes found refuge with the Emperor from the heretical Brotherhood of Rome for most of the first half of the 12th century and were restored to Rome by the Germans in 1185, healing any rifts between the Pope and the Emperor for a short while. Salzburg, however, remained part of the Papal territory and the Popes retreated there when ousted by the pro-Burgundian faction in early 1300s, and finally when Rome fell again in the 14th century to al-Hafsi. The Popes are closely allied with the Bavarians, but at odds with Burgundy. The Holy See is afraid that the Burgundians may drift far enough from cooperating with the Church to set up their own rival papacy, but any efforts at reconciliation means jeopardizing the support from Bavaria and its allies.

Pisa

The Republic of Pisa was one of Italy’s great maritime powers of the 12th century (along with Genova, Venice and Amalfi). It rose to greatest prominence after the sack of its rival Genoa by the Muslims, and soon thereafter got into conflict with the Byzantines over Corsica and Sardinia. The settlement reached gave Sardinia to the Sicilians and Corsica to Pisa. Pisa declined itself as Mediterranean trade was disrupted and the return of German power put the Pope back in charge of Rome. Genoa courted the German alliance and with its help overcame the Pisans, taking Corsica from them. The Pisans turned to Burgundy during the wars of the 14th century, supporting fellow Ghibelline states against the designs of Papal-aligned Florence.

Siena

The Sienese rebelled against their ecclesiastical rulers in 1167, at the same time when the sect of the Brothers of Rome ousted the Pope. Unlike Rome, Siena was never occupied by the Germans or allied with the Pope thereafter, instead dealing with the Emperor directly, and maintaining an alliance with Pisa. When Burgundy arose as a major power and the authority of the Holy Roman Empire declined to insignificance, the Sienese sided with Burgundy and had several times defeated the Florentines on the field of battle and extended its authority over Umbria. The invasion by al-Hafsi, however, broke Sienese control over their dependencies, and several reversals in military adventures against the Guelfs followed since then.

Comment time!

canonized: in light of which, what do you think of Italy?

General_BT: As you can see in this update, Burgundy has more rivals than just England.

Fijj: Hm. Do you want me to: send you the current mod (for NA MMG 1.79) where the map of Europe is largely done but nothing else is?

I'd love to help in some way, but you gotta let me know what kind of save you want.

Capibara: Good choice!

IamWhoa: I've never seen them go that far North since either. They conquered DENMARK in this game, ya know? But this was a long time ago when CK was a totally different beast from today.

JimboIX: To be perfectly honest, I panicked at the prospect of a EU with a Muslim France, so I engineered a dynastic collapse for the Sevillans through generous use of f12-byzantine-assasinate, until they had a weak King who lost it all.

The English are Angevin-looking because they were blocked by the HRE from expanding Eastwards. I mean, they tried, but it just didn't work.

jmberry: Hm, okay.

I did modify the rulers in the history files so you can play with historic rulers until 1470 or so (I'll need it for my own story), but I CAN'T do an overview of every single King in Europe. Tell me which ones interest you. Or we'll put it to the vote.

Enewald: Iberia's not the only messy part. CK generally produces messy maps.

And no, no France. At least not in 1393.

Deamon: wonderful to see you back!

Yes, the names of the Kings will be for most part edited to match what I have in my CK saves, and if I have nothing I'll just invent something. I did keep a lot of the famous Italian rulers and dynasties intact though, for sheer fun. I mean, they're FAMOUS, and it's not like I was following Italy all that closely in CK to be honest.

jmberry: update is up! And no, you weren't rude at all. If you want something or disagree on something, tell me.

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NOTE:

Okay, so as per jmberry's request - Kings. Who wants to meet the big players in 1393? And I can't profile them all, so you mention who you want to meet and we'll select the top say, 25.

The overview Map of Europe in in Update #1.