In March of 1501, one of the events many have expected for years has come to pass…
Tuscany’s declaration of war against the Papal States demonstrates their continued ill will toward law and order, not to mention due deference to the Pope.
I could jump into this war right away, but we have no obligation to do so. Milan is recovering from many years of war, and is trying to move to a more economically satisfying status. War would not be helpful at this time.
Cynically, we will wait and see what happens. We have what we want – the casus belli against Tuscany generated by our warning, and their subsequent abusive behavior. We will use it at a time of our choosing.
Venice, unfortunately, has joined against the Papal States, honoring her alliance. This is something worrisome. I had hoped they would have more sense than to join against the Pope.
Perhaps they will require our attentions in the future as well. I needn’t warn them, or otherwise generate a casus belli against them – we already have one, by nature of their possessing a core province which rightfully belongs to Milan.
But we will, here also, choose the time and place for that conflict.
On an interesting side-note, I think our annexation of France’s Mediterranean ports is already showing fruit as a good idea!
Crete, as shown in the screenshot above, is now in the hands of rebels. And France apparently lacks the “sea legs” to relieve the island! By removing her nearby ports – the ones she would use to supply and relieve the island – we’ve increased the difficulty of supporting them. A French naval vessel would have to brave far more attrition at sea just in order to get to Crete – no saying how well things would go once they got there. And if they were unsuccessful, then these same ships would have to traverse the long sea-route back home again!
I am briefly cheered… Then I remember that our truce with France has ended… I cast a suspicious look at that border.
Later, I am forced to contemplate why we have associated ourselves with a dog who will bite just about anyone…
((sighs)) Okay, well… We wanted an alliance with a powerful country – someone who could provide military backup against France. And we had hoped to gain some leverage against Austria. Now we have that!
Brandenburg is now our ally and, by nature of their having dishonoured their alliance, the Austrians are NOT! Now Brandenburg is a 100% bonus for our side in any war, whether it’s against France or Austria.
This alliance is now more important to us than it was before. Therefore, there is never any question. We accept and join in this war, despite the fact that we are supporters of Hungary as a bulwark against Ottoman aggression.
This is a land-grab, pure and simple. Hungary has 3 provinces near Brandenburg that they want. The Hungarians can’t reach Milan, by any means, so we are safe – this is a low-level conflict for us, in which we do not much care at the outcome.
We could choose to end the war right away – we are, after all, the new alliance controller. But I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing Brandenburg grab those 3 provinces. They are largely incidental in Hungary’s fight against the Turks, and a more powerful Brandenburg helps us against Austria in that coming war.
Fortunately, at the end of 1501, we could claim to have improved our economy so that we are again among the first-ranked countries of the world. Just a little effort and concentration was all it took, it appears.